Why? C.A.U.S.E. That’s Why

Arkansas is Imploding

Awhile back the Mainstream Grand Master of Arkansas visited the Grand Session of Arizona.  However, he refused to attend any of the ceremonies or meetings of the Grand Session because there were Black PHA Masons present in a tyled Lodge.  He only attended the Grand Session dinner because it was not a tyled session.

I passed on this story when it came out because I had just released the Derek Gordon story not long before and I didn’t want to just sit back and constantly nitpick by taking pot shots at Arkansas every other week.  However further developments in the whole Arkansas approach to Freemasonry compels me to once again comment on the situation in that state. At the same time nobody seems to care or think it applicable to their Freemasonry.  Consequently Arkansas Mainstream keeps on imploding while the rest of us in Freemasonry have no comment nor take any action. So once again The Beehive will report what is happening in hopes that someday, someone will think it important enough to do something.

The Arizona story was published by that fine Masonic blogger “The Burning Taper” in his piece “Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner?” and here is what he had to say on the subject.

It seems many rank-and-file Masons, in many locales, are becoming more and more fed up with the actions of Grand Lodge leaders.

This short article was sent to The Burning Taper recently. The author wishes to remain anonymous, for fear of retribution for reporting events and expressing his opinion.

Arizona Grand Lodge Annual Communication began with the Royal Banquet on Wednesday evening, June 2, 2010 prior to the official opening of proceedings on Thursday morning.

The Head Table consisted of Arizona Grand Lodge officers and their wives. Seated near them were the visiting dignitaries representing various Masonic grand lodge jurisdictions. There were 13 listed on the list handed out to all attending members. Most were “line” officers representing their State or jurisdiction with two currently sitting grand masters.

The two grand masters attending the Banquet were Most Worshipful Martin E. Warren, Grand Master of Masons from the Grand Lodge, F&AM of Arkansas, and Most Worshipful Lewis R. Brent, Grand Master of Masons from the Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Arizona. They were not seated at the same table.

When the Grand Lodge opened in Due Form in the 3rd Degree on Thursday morning the MW Lewis R. Brent from Prince Hall was present, but the MW Martin E. Warren was conspicuously absent. He was not seen in any of the subsequent tiled lodge meetings all day Friday or on Saturday.

It is the custom of the Grand Lodge that, when a pedestal officer (Grand Master, Senior Warden and Junior Warden) leave their stations during the proceedings that they place the Jewel of their office on one of the brothers in the room.

Several times during the proceedings on both days, the Senior Grand Warden Brook Cunningbrook chose a highly decorated Phoenix policeman, who is a member of one of the Arizona F&AM lodges and had been shot in the line of duty, to sit high on the chair located on a pedestal in the West to replace him temporarily. He is black.

There were two other black members of Arizona F&AM lodges present and the Senior Grand Warden had them also replace him in the West. It is quite an honor to do this.

In this case, in my opinion anyway, it was kind of an “in your face” type of gesture to some of the members of the Arizona jurisdiction who have moved to Arizona from one of the 10 states that do not recognize Prince Hall and have complained about having to sit in a lodge with a black man. Whether it was directed towards the Grand Master of Arkansas, I can only speculate.

What’s interesting about this is that the Grand Master of Arkansas spent the money to fly to Arizona only to have dinner. Since it is customary for Grand Lodges to pay for the travel expenses of their grand masters, I wonder if the brethren of the Grand Lodge of Arkansas got their monies worth. Since he did not attend any of the business meetings by sitting in a tiled lodge with a black man but only attended the social functions, it seems to me that he spent a lot of money just for a free dinner and drinks, even if the cost came out of his own pocket.

This obviously was an example of the kind of “Imperial Leadership” prevalent in many jurisdictions and is not restricted to Arkansas alone.

More recently another source, who will remain nameless to protect him from expulsion, alleges that Van Buren Lodge of Mainstream Arkansas planned a visit to view The Oklahoma Native American Indian Degree Team perform in Heavener, Oklahoma. When the Worshipful Master of Van Buren Lodge found out that Black Masons would be present he canceled the trip. Furthermore it is alleged that Arkansas Mainstream Masons present at this decision repeated an Arkansas Grand Lodge directive that prohibits any Masons from the Grand Lodge of Arkansas attending any Masonic functions where Black Masons are present.

This source also contends that the Mainstream Grand Lodge of Arkansas is lying to its membership. He points out that the Grand Lodge Grand Session Minutes of 2010 show lawsuits being won by the GL when if you look for those lawsuits using legal aides, you can see that ARGL lost. Its reminiscent to me of of Orwell’s 1984.

This continuous bloodletting by Mainstream Arkansas has led to the spawning of a support group for suspended and expelled Arkansas Masons.  Its name is C.A.U.S.E.

Concerned
About
Unlawful
Suspensions
Expulsions

This group meets in secret as any current members of the Grand Lodge would be expelled.  It also is a service only  available to unjustly suspended and expelled Arkansas Masons and specifically excludes any so dropped for moral turpitude.

Its purposes and objectives are:

1)   Support group
2)   Networking
3)   Legal Aid
4)   Education
5)   Repatriation
6)   To get men out of Masonry thinking about Masonry again

C.A.U.S.E. is open to suspended & expelled Arkansas Masons as well as current members who wish to aid such men. While its membership and place and time of meetings cannot be shared with non members, the group will soon have a website.

This group has a start up membership of about 50 men. Currently C.A.U.S.E. leaders are helping the membership with trying to become members in other jurisdictions, lawsuits against Grand Lodge and esoteric discussions and speakers. It must be remembered in the case of civil action it has been alleged that the Grand Lodge of Arkansas has pulled the charter from some wealthy Lodges and closed them down in order to add that wealth to the Grand Lodge coffers.

Remember that when a Mason is unjustly expelled in one jurisdiction the wrong cannot be corrected in another jurisdiction (although C.A.U.S.E. is trying). All Masonic jurisdictions will mutually support one another in their suspensions or expulsions – no matter the reason. Frank Haas has been the only Mason in modern times to crash this barrier and that was just recently.

If you look at how many men are in C.A.U.S.E., which is only weeks old, and then add in former Masons in the same position from other states, you have a rather large group of disaffected Masons nationwide. These are for the most part good, honest men who have been wronged, and who sometimes seem overly angry and bitter.  They are ripe for being picked up by another Obedience, many who are classified as irregular and clandestine by Mainstream Masonry.

These are men who certain Masonic societies and forums will drop from their membership rolls once they have been suspended or expelled.  To be wronged and then to be shunted, ostracized and damned is something that only fuels the fire of bitterness and hatred.

Yet those in power who do wrong are never chastised by their peers.  They are never held accountable for their actions. There is no recourse to correct a run away, rogue Grand Lodge.

The righteous minded, ass kissing, bean counters left in Mainstream Masonry will pontificate that if there are problems in a Grand Lodge then it is only the business of that Grand Lodge and nobody else’s and all that is needed to correct matters is for the Brethren as a whole to vote to change things.

They haven’t met the Arkansas Grand Master who is alleged to have forcibly removed and expelled an 80 year old member from Grand Lodge Session who made a motion that displeased him who is the same Grand Master who is accused of having committing an immoral act that sacks every brother who attempts to bring him up on charges by expelling them without trial.

Where were all these holier than thou Masons when the Grand Master of Arkansas banned Masonic E-Mail? Where were they when Past Grand Master Frank Haas was snookered into coming to a meeting so that the Grand Master could embarrass him by expelling him in front of his father and friends without prior notice?

The other mantra used by those on the inside is, wait awhile, when all the old guys die off, things will change.  In the meantime – don’t rock the boat.  Very bad advice, indeed. There is no reforming Grand Lodges which function as bastions of the KKK who remake themselves anew with each new generation. When any thought, word or deed, and attempt at making things right is met with instant expulsion without a trial then you have a rogue Grand Lodge out of control that is governing its membership as the North Korean government governs its citizens. The only thing that is going to stop a Grand Lodge like this is action from the outside.

C.A.U.S.E. is not standing around and waiting for somebody else to do something.  It is going ahead to first take care of the hearts and souls of those men who have been so unjustly wronged, and then to mitigate some of the damage being done by a Grand Lodge who only thinks of itself and amassing more and more power.

Perhaps this movement will catch on in West Virginia and elsewhere.

Backyard Freemason – Sacred Geometry

These videos demonstrate some seriously fascinating practical, and spiritual benefits of studying and applying Sacred Geometry in our lives, as has been done in Freemasonry.

Part 1

Part 2 picks up and talks about the point within a circle, the square, and triangle symbols are practically incorporated into everyday life. The interesting aspects of Masonic symbolism is how they are involved in our lives for doing good, for others, and for ourselves.

Part 3 looks at the wonder of the Holy Saints John associated with the Summer Solstice in order to find the “truth” of geographical exactness and centeredness which is delightful to discover!

Part 4 Looks at the psychology and spirituality of being “aligned in truth” explored

Part 5 Concludes with the power and beauty and utility of the circle and the square in our lives.

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Playing by the Rules

Whether in business or a nonprofit organization there will be instances where you will inevitably be warned to “play by the rules.” I have heard this in just about every company I’ve consulted with, as well as the many different nonprofit organizations I have participated in over the years. Basically, it is a thinly veiled warning not to disrupt the status quo or face the consequences. It is essentially no different than saying “Do it our way or else.” Interestingly, I have discovered people either don’t know what the rules are, misinterpret them, or know them too well.

Playing by the rules doesn’t necessarily mean following the written rules, policies and procedures as defined in a formal document such as a policy manual or a set of governing docs such as bylaws. More likely it means to conform to the wishes and whims of the current regime. Volunteer organizations in particular can easily become political snake pits. One of the things you discover early on, it’s not a matter what the governing docs say as much as it is about who interprets them. Regardless of the clarity of the language, the rules will be interpreted by those in charge. Not surprising, those who admonish us to play by the rules are the same people who control them thereby turning them into a political football.

It is not uncommon to discover there are probably more unwritten rules than written. The sooner you learn them, the better. This is, of course, all a part of learning and adapting to the corporate culture. The written rules may say one thing, the unwritten rules may mean something entirely different and probably carry more weight. Too many times I have seen procedures clearly written one way, yet when I ask about them, I am told “We haven’t done it that way in years.”

As a systems man, I learned a long time ago to consult with secretaries and clerks when trying to figure out an existing system. The documentation may say one thing (if any), but the operational people know how things are really run. It kind of makes you wonder why organizations invest in developing policies and procedures if nobody is expected to follow them. In all likelihood it is to create a legal escape hatch in the event of when push comes to shove.

People will pay little attention to rules that are unfairly interpreted. In fact, they will go out of their way to subvert them, and why not? If the current regime demonstrates unethical behavior, their subordinates or constituents in all likelihood will follow suit. Again, this is all part of the corporate culture.

Getting people to conform to the formal written policies and procedures takes an individual with unusual strength of character, who understands the necessity of conformity, and interprets the rules fairly. Such people of integrity are unfortunately becoming few and far between.

Keep the Faith!

Note: All trademarks both marked and unmarked belong to their respective companies.

Tim Bryce is a writer and the Managing Director of M. Bryce & Associates (MBA) of Palm Harbor, Florida and has over 30 years of experience in the management consulting field. He can be reached at timb001@phmainstreet.com

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Copyright © 2010 by Tim Bryce. All rights reserved.

Taking Lodge Back to the Table

Throughout my experience in Freemasonry, I have been able to determine that there is one guaranteed way to increase meeting attendance and activity among the membership: provide excellent food.

It really is no surprise that food is an important part of the Masonic experience. In his book Catching Fire, Harvard-based anthropologist Richard Wrangham suggests that the act of cooking and eating has made humans evolve into social creatures. Food is at the center of virtually every social function that takes place in our society. Humans often get together to have cookouts or go out to eat. So, not surprisingly, having a dinner as part of lodge functions enhances the overall experience.

I have seen different methods of providing a lodge dinner. One way is for the lodge members to cook the meal themselves. Sometimes, this is largely successful. Some lodges have the Brethren get together and cook the meal as a sort of social event with great success. Often, these lodges have members that enjoy the act of cooking and are very good at the art of preparing food. On the other hand, many of the lodges that cook the meals themselves produce bland, sub-par dinners that attract little attention from the members. In these lodges, the task of cooking is thought of as a chore and often the success of the meal is considered to be directly proportional to how cheaply it could be provided.

Another method of providing food is to have a meal catered or take the lodge event to a restaurant. This method requires the Brethren to either pay out of pocket or provide sufficient funds to the lodge to purchase such services. This is personally my favorite way to provide a feast at the lodge. It allows the Brethren to show up and enjoy the meal rather than show up at the lodge to work in the kitchen. Unfortunately, many Masons see this as an unneeded expenditure. They feel that it is too expensive for the Brethren. However, they don’t understand that a lodge can often purchase meals for the members for less than $20 per member per month. I believe that Masonry is worth $20 a month, but that is a subject for another article.

Regardless of how a meal is procured, it’s quality must be top notch. If you eat off of paper plates, the experience feels cheap and unimpressive. It is amazing how the attitude of a lodge will change when a dinner requires real glassware and silverware. Also, it is suggested that attire for a meal be at least a shirt and tie, but again that is a subject for another article.

Now, here is where I am going to suggest a real change. Historically, Masonry took place at the dinner table. The 1734 version of Anderson’s Consitutions contains a list of General Regulations which mention how Masonic feasts should be administered numerous times. In other words, feasting was so important that it was actually included in the earliest Masonic regulations. In America, early lodges were accustomed to meeting in taverns and enjoying food and drink as part of their meetings. I suggest that we must take the lodge back to the table. The lodge room is for degree work and conducting the regular business meetings, but the table is where the real Masonic intercourse can take place. Discussion about Masonry and Masonic education is better digested at the dinner table. The Brethren are more relaxed and less anxious. In the lodge room, the members often become restless and are in a hurry to end the meeting. But at the table, the Brethren are willing to sit and enjoy themselves.

You can hold many different functions at the table. Hold an official table lodge, invite a guest speaker to make some remarks, have a round table discussion, or allow Brothers an open forum to present their views on Masonic teachings. The possibilities are endless. It is guaranteed that good feasts combined with interesting conversation or speakers and a quality atmosphere will lead to a more active lodge.

One of the first changes that we can make to truly improve Freemasonry is to get back to the dinner table. Hold Masonic feasts regularly and often. Make them classy affairs that the Brethren can be excited about and look forward to attending. If the Brethren perceive their time with the lodge as valuable, they will not be afraid to spend a little money in order to enjoy a dinner with their fellow Masons.

Like what you are reading at The Euphrates? Email me at euphratesblog@gmail.com.

PHA Conference Of Grandmasters Website

One of the interesting items that Grand Master Wilbert M. Curtis introduced us to at our summer Grand Session of PHA Texas was the new Conference of Grand Masters PHA website.  It is really quite well done.

There are two interactive maps where you can slide your cursor over a state and it will show you the Grand Master of that state or territory with his picture, website and E-Mail address.  Another map will do the same thing for Grand Matrons and Grand Patrons .  Both maps are also broken down into Regions and each Region is also part of the information included in a visit to each state.

When the Grand Masters meet, the Grand Matrons and Grand Patrons also meet at the same time and place.  Including the women with the men in joint but separate gatherings is a constant theme in Prince Hall Masonry.  Not so on the Mainstream side.

The website has a center picture which changes, a touch of Masonic art and symbolism and good color.  It also has a fair amount of information.  You can learn about the origin of Prince Hall Masonry and the origin of the Adoptive Rite among Black women.  Another click will show you all the Grand Lodge websites list alphabetically. Other tabs will bring you to PHA charities and to other Masonic links.

But what I enjoy seeing on the site most of all is the spelling out of the Purpose of the Grand Masters conference along with pictures of the officers and a breakdown of regional heads.  Along with the Purpose are listed also the  Objectives for the Grand Masters and Grand Matrons and Grand Patrons.

To view the  website go here>>>>     http://www.conferenceofgrandmasterspha.org/home.asp

The Prince Hall Site gives you the feeling of some tight bonding among the different jurisdictions.  It also sets a definite agenda while at the same time allowing some time for position papers.

Taking a look at the Mainstream Conference of Grand Masters of Masons in North America, Inc. I see a site that doesn’t seem to want to show off Masonry, doesn’t emphasize togetherness, is less informational and not quite so elegant.

To view that website go here >>>>      http://www.cgmna.org/index.htm

Contrast the two for yourself and see if you come to the same conclusions.

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