D. W. Brown

Do you think the U.S. Grand Lodges are operating effectively?

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Dale Brown, 32°
TBL Staff
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Tom Accuosti

This reminds me of the old line from Winston Churchill: "Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all of the others."

What does "effecitve" mean? If you mean "DO GLs work to meet the needs of all of the members?", then the answer is - of course - no. GLs are the bureaucratic arm, necessary evils that work to coordinate the consituent lodges, and to interface with other jurisdictions. We may not like them, but without some overarching entity, there would be something just short of chaos.

That said, we need to recognize that virtually any bureacracy will tend to feed on itself and grow larger over time, poking tendrils into otherwise unnoticed corners. We'd probably be better off if most GLs stopped working so hard at making rules and regulations and left more latitude to the individual lodges. However, that responsibility cuts both ways: individual lodges that are failing to attract members, support their buildings, and/or do their essential functions need to realize that they should either close, merge with another lodge, or allow the GL to come in to help.

The single biggest problem is that we, as Masons, feel too far removed from our GLs, and we fail to understand that we are the GL. We vote on officers and initiatives, we have a say through our GL reps - the GL officers, DDGMs, committee members, etc. People tend to get the sort of government that they deserve. It's time to stop moaning about the effectivity or heavy-handedness of GLs and to stir the pot a bit.

AlabamaFreeMason

The entire system is in such a state that I see no way to undo years of damage without complete re-organization. But the GL officers will never allow this to happen.

The ship started sinking some 40 years plus ago and now aft section is standing straight up in the water going down. And the GL's re-arrange the deck chairs.........

David Cooksey

Tom Accuosti

But David, you're missing my point. You and your lodge brothers are the Grand Lodge. You vote on members and new rules and edicts. You have input through your GL representatives. Exercise it. Talk to brothers in other lodges. Bend some ears.

I'm not saying that it's easy to change an ingrained culture, and I don't pretend to understand what is happening down there. But I do know that in Conn, most DDGMs are very responsive to the concerns of their various lodges and regularly bring those concerns to the officers in the Grand Line.

AlabamaFreeMason

We have no input in Alabama. I think MM's from other jurisdictions believe that each system is like theirs. It is not here. Here we have to have the permission of the GL to think.

When you visit our annual communications you have men there that are wearing overalls, chewing tobacco, etc, etc.

Bring up PH recognition any you learn real quick what happened to the Klan. They joined Freemasonry.

Please understand we have tried to bring about change from within. The cancer of racism and the tyrannical reign cannot be changed here

Tom Accuosti

But David, you either think that other jurisdictions are like yours, or you're letting your frustration over the issue cloud your judgement.

Look, issues of racism and GL change aside, I'm glad that you and others seem to be getting something out of the UGLA. Did you ever hear how Masonry is related to that poem about the blind men and the elephant? Everybody who joins does so for different reasons, and when in it they get something different out of it. I sometimes wish that the members in my lodge were a teensy bit more interested in the esoterica - but I'm also sure that a few of them sometimes with that I put a teensy bit more time into the community stuff. Just as a few guys woul dlike to see more dinners, or better ritual, or shorter degrees, or more family nights, or ... The point is that if you're not happy in your GL and if you really don't think that you're going to make any progress, then maybe you're better off leaving.

But that said, we're back to my earlier statement: Other jurisdictions are not like yours. Unfortunately, your Temple of Regulus and UGLA websites spin a very unflattering picture of Freemasonry everywhere, a picture that is as unfair in its characterization as it is disingenous - especially from a society that is espousing such lofty ideals.

I urge you to exercise more discretion in your claims about mainstream FM in the US. If I asked my GM what I should be thinking, he'd laugh in my face. Of course, that's because he already knows who I am. http://www.thebluelodge.org/forums/i...s/rolleyes.gif