For now we see in a mirror, darkly......
“The ebb and flow of will is like the movements of the tides... if we cease our vain struggles and lamentations long enough to look away from the personal self...we realize life is going well with us after all.”
Brethren
I have seen the few posts lamenting and ridiculing. We all know those that frequent here who are not with us. We see them gloating. Brethren we must be men enough to admit that they won. The collective voice of Grand Lodge made it clear that there is no desire for change in West Virginia. We must respect that. We need not agree with it.
I do not feel anger. I feel sorrow. I feel as if we failed here. We had high hopes of enlightening the masses. We hoped to reach in and set their inner flame afire! It was not to be. The brethren must reach for this goal themselves. I hope someday that they do.
Finally there is a greater Masonic world that can be explored. Start with the Rites. Join one or both. Both publish a magazine that will give you a glimpse of what is going on in the Masonic World. Make the effort to visit out of state lodges. There you will see that Masonry is alive and vibrant. They will welcome you and you will have an enjoyable time. Read, become educated, learn all there is to learn about Masonry. It is a broad topic and will be a lifetime learning experience.
As for the Masonic Crusade.... we will watch for a time... and pray.
I am sincerely and fraternally,
A Mason
03/02/2009, 06:44
The dark side clouds everything. Impossible to see the future is
03/02/2009, 07:14
A Mason,
I agree the GL of WV has won, for now. I also realized there is a lot of Masonic activity in other states. I did visit, and moved my membership. The difference a river makes in activity and interest is remarkable. I would encourage anyone to visit anywhere they choose and enjoy the fraternity.
03/02/2009, 07:15
A Mason,
I agree the GL of WV has won, for now. I also realized there is a lot of Masonic activity in other states. I did visit, and moved my membership. The difference a river makes in activity and interest is remarkable. I would encourage anyone to visit anywhere they choose and enjoy the fraternity.
03/02/2009, 22:31
Anything
08/02/2009, 14:44
If at first you don't succeed...
Fraternally,
Torence Evans Ake
Senior Deacon - Auburn Park Lodge No. 789 - Crete, Illinois
PM - Arcadia Lodge No. 1138 - Lansing, Illinois
08/02/2009, 20:36
I have visited all the US GL web sites and WV is the only one that does not put pictures of the GM or officers for all to see. Though known to the local Brethren, they seem to hide from the rest of the world. How appropriate.
01/03/2009, 13:40
Can anybody tell me what has happened in court case as i have been travaling and was not able to keep up.
04/03/2009, 16:30
Brethren, although this site seems inactive at this time, know that as injustices occur or new information about the lawsuit is attained I am confident that you will find it here.
16/03/2009, 05:06
Brethren, the GLofWV has spent in excess of six figures *so far* on this lawsuit. A suit that could simply have been dismissed by the GL reinstating PGM Haas. That's money that our fathers and grandfathers gave to Freemasonry that could have been spent on education, charity, our crumbling buildings, membership programs, or a hundred other worthy projects. Instead it is used to prop up the bad decisions of a man no longer in power.
Is this really good stewardship of the GL's funds?
Isn't it time for the GL to quietly fold its hand, cut its losses, declare PGM Haas sufficiently "punished," reinstate him, and get on with leading us to the future? What possible good can come of pursuing this madness any longer?
17/03/2009, 11:17
I agree that they should blink. However I don't think that PGM Haas should give in and just accept a reinstatement. The lawsuit needs to play out. It is more about the principle and less about one man. We need to not forget WB's Blankenship and Bosley. They were caught in the crossfire and expelled also.
A Mason
19/03/2009, 04:31
Having suffered the indignity of a Masonic Trial myself and subsequent reinstatement, now, for five of my twenty-five years in FreeMasonry, I can say that there is something pathological about the process. Amnesty for Masonic Offenses other than treason or a felony conviction for a violent crime is something that my age group will remedy across US jurisdictions. I am a Baby Boomer. If the application of the cure does not happen this year in your State, then it will in the next, or the year after; but the correction will happen soon and it will be complete. I agree that FreeMasons should be able to settle such tiffs without so much disgrace and expense; and it saddens me that so many have graduated our degrees and can quote our work dramatically and verbatim; and yet they remain incongruously immune from its instruction.
The quietness of this group has given me pause to read old posts and draw certain conclusions that paralleled events here in Illinois. The injustice done to MW Bro. Haas, RW Blankenship and Bosley in the West Virginia Case seems to have caused interested Masons to align themselves pathologically. Perhaps you find yourself in one of these groups. Ethnic Pathology motivates groups to react to racism, both real and presumed. The correct application of Masonic principle for both sides of the issue is to remember that it is the Local Lodge who will decide with whom to hold the intimacies of fraternity and no other entity. Doctrinal Pathology motivates groups to organize based on moral arguments. Men are included in our group, presumably because they have a good footing already in fundamental morality and should have no trouble holding onto those ideals and remain members. Economic Pathology motivates groups to excel against economic oppression and these Masons have every right to complain loudly against the foolhardy squandering of mutually owned resources. Ecumenical Pathology motivates groups to change out our Leadership for the good of Universal Freemasonry; and, West Virginia will do well to acquire a global rather than parochial viewpoint regards our club. Political Pathology motivates individual Freemasons to make political decisions and align their thoughts along nationalism, patriotism and what make us all Americans; and, these types are likely to adhere to the quasi-Messianic personalities that support those causes. The most important of the Five American Freedoms, aside from Speech, Religion, the Right to Assemble, freedom from Want is also the Freedom from Fear. The only thing to fear is bad luck. Personally, I have not known bad luck.
But whatever the nucleus of your thoughts on the issues presented, our instructions are clear in that we are not to palliate or aggravate the offenses of our Brethren and produce the sort of killing patience or perduration that causes Grand Lodges to whimper out of existence. Be plain with one another and all will be made well in West Virginia.
Fraternally,
Torence Evans Ake
Senior Deacon – Auburn Park Lodge No. 789 – Crete, Illinois
PM – Arcadia Lodge No. 1138 – Lansing, Illinois
28/03/2009, 10:31
The Grand Lodge of Minnesota voted today to remove Recognition from the Grand Lodge of West Virginia at Minnesota’s next Grand Lodge meeting next year, if West Virginia does not reinstate Frank Haas.
29/03/2009, 09:35
Not exactly true. According to a post by MW Terry Tilton, Past Grand Master of Minnesota, the resolution said this–
"Whereas the Grand Lodge of West Virginia has arbitarily and recklessly ignored the will of their brethren, expelling a Past Grand Master without trial or redress, violating the ancient customs and tenets of our Fraternity and bring shame and disrepute on all Masons and Freemasonry, and
Whereas they have been named in a civil suit further bringing the Craft into public disrepute and score,
Therefore be it resolved that the Grand Lodge of Minnesota expresses its concern over these actions and wil consider suspending recognition of the Grand Lodge of West Virginia upon the recommendation of our External Relations Committee at our next Annual Communication in 2010 if there is not correction of these actions and a renewed willingness by the Grand Lodge of West Virginia to enter into the modern fraternity of Freemasonry."
30/03/2009, 15:03
Is there anything to be made of the timing of this Minnesota decision? I know that the North American Grand Masters all met in California a few weeks ago and I was wondering if the two happenstances were related.
30/03/2009, 16:57
My understanding is no. The annual meeting was held and the brethren were concerned at the comments made by MW Haas during the untiled session.
A Mason
09/10/2009, 16:28
The exact same thing has happened in Arkansas that happened in West Virginia. Five Brothers were expelled fron Nettleton Lodge #657, including the Worshipful Master, by the Grand Master within a trial. A lawsuit against the Grand Lodge of Arkansas and the Grandmaster has been filed and should be scheduled to be heard early next year.
09/10/2009, 16:28
The exact same thing has happened in Arkansas that happened in West Virginia. Five Brothers were expelled fron Nettleton Lodge #657, including the Worshipful Master, by the Grand Master within a trial. A lawsuit against the Grand Lodge of Arkansas and the Grandmaster has been filed and should be scheduled to be heard early next year.