Sunday, May 15, 2016

Mysterious Indiana Masonic Revolution?

Page 1
There isn't a great deal to report on in this story yet, but watch for more to unfold. It sounds as if a revolution is afoot. Worshipful Masters in Indiana have been receiving a "seditious" letter in the mail, which seems to be asking them to lead some sort of insurrection against the management of the Grand Lodge. It urges Worshipful Masters to lead the lodges in taking over Freemasonry in that State.

Page 2
There seems to be no immediate information available as to who is sending these letters and no suggestion has been made thus far as to how they have the mailing addresses of the WMs of that state. The obvious conclusion is that is some sort of an inside job. Of course, who else would care if Freemasonry dies or not in these days? I can think of only two parties who would be truly motivated to see Freemasonry survive. Those are Freemasons themselves, and apart from Freemasons, David Icke. After all, David Icke stands to loose most if Freemasonry disappears.

Page 3
As far as I can see, Masons online are making fun of the effort, and it is unlikely to generate as much light as it does heat, but I suspect someone is going to take it quite seriously.

page 4
For some time I have been suggesting that change needs to come to Freemasonry if it is to survive. I have also suggested that if Freemasonry has a future, it will end up being a much slimmer model, one with either no Grand Lodges, or with Grand Lodges that have essentially been turned into the hand maidens of the local lodges, and which are lean but not mean. It would seem that such an idea has some takers.

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While it may be hard for some to imagine that this effort would likely result in actual change, it is quite likely that so long as there is any sort of Freemasonry left, there will be calls to action like this one. Where ever you as an individual Mason may think the solution lies, unless one of these calls to action achieves success and a wide response, the number of people involved in Freemasonry will continue to shrink until it is zero.

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Perhaps it is not considered newsworthy by some because they think it improbable that such an effort will bear fruit.

At the very least it highlights if not corruption, then a tendency for unaffordable and irresponsible oppulence, and just how out of touch with reality the Grand Lodge leadership has become. In fairness to the officials in Indiana, it is unlikely that the leadership of Indiana's GL is very much different from those of the other Grand Lodges.


Whatever you may think of this, from where I sit, it is very big news, precisely because someone actually cares enough to do it.

This should be interesting to watch.


Thanks to Colin Peterson, Adam Bauer, and Chris Hodapp

2 comments:

Ryan Mercer said...

I would love to know who wrote this and sent it out, or any like minded individuals here in Indiana. Any of you are more than welcome to contact me through RyanMercer.com as many of the points in this letter have me nodding along and mirror things I've complained about myself.

E C Ballard ஃ said...

My apologies to W.B. Scott R. McEuen, P.M. This post was accidentally deleted which was not my intention. My excuse is that I was tired and momentarily befuddled by technology.

Scott McEuen has left a new comment on your post "Mysterious Indiana Masonic Revolution?":

(1) I believe that the Blue Lodges already have quite a bit of control over the Grand Lodge. Each sitting Master votes at the Grand Communication, so 399 current Worshipful Masters will vote on the resolutions presented by the Grand Lodge in two days. I believe that voting is controlling.

(2) Grand Lodge has no annual budget? Most of the Blue Lodges don't either. As a matter of fact, it's my experience as a Lodge Secretary that most Blue Lodge leadership teams are clueless about setting up a budget. Going without an annual budget seems to be an epidemic within the Fraternity. Since Grand Lodge officers come out of Blue Lodges with no budget experience, they continue the practice once they get into the Grand Lodge line.

(3) Nothing in the letter indicates that the leadership of the Indiana Grand Lodge is any better or any worse than the leadership you see in the Blue Lodges. In my humble opinion, most Blue Lodge leadership could be rated fair or average, so don't be so hard on the Grand Lodge.

(4) The letter indicates that some Grand Line officers have reduced their Masonic activities. The Blue Lodges have difficulty getting Brothers to get in the officer line, cook breakfast, wash dishes, mow the grass, vacuum the carpet, wash the tables down, show up for practice, show up for degree nights, etc., much less attend Masonic activities. Again, don't be so hard on the Grand Lodge when you can't get participation in your own Blue Lodges.

(5) The United States of America is bankrupt; however, the vast majority of Americans either don't know it yet or are unwilling to confront the reality of our bleak economic and financial situation. The generations coming up behind us may not be interested in Freemasonry, but, rest assured that if they are, they have no money to petition or join the Fraternity. You can't do much on a minimum wage, and the benefits of Freemasonry are not always apparent. Do I pay dues to a Masonic lodge or do I go to the grocery store and buy some food? Let me think about it.

Sincerely and fraternally yours,

W.B. Scott R. McEuen, P.M.
2016 Lodge Secretary
M. L. McClelland Lodge #357
Hobart