Remember Your Absent Brother

Does attending a meeting of your Lodge really demonstrate true interest in the fraternity? And does non-attending mean a lack of interest?

A Lodge recently looked at suspending a brother for non-payment of dues. No one had heard of him, let alone seen him in Lodge. It appeared he wasn’t contributing much except a cheque and, even then, he stopped contributing that. Several attempts to reach him failed.

It would have been very easy to be lazy Craftsmen and vote for suspension, thereby saving the Lodge the ever-increasing fees to Grand Lodge. It would have been very easy to be lazy Craftsman and simply remit his dues automatically. But a new brother in the Lodge instantly whipped out a chequebook and put out his own money for a brother he didn’t know and likely would never meet.

It was an act of selflessness that serves as an example for Freemasons far senior in the quarries.

Then someone decided to try once more to check into the situation. It turns out the brother, now 82 years of age, had been hospitalised much of the year and barely had money for medical costs. He hadn’t attended meetings as he had moved 300 miles away to a small town in the 1960s but continued his membership.

The old brother was astounded. He wrote the Lodge and explained how he loved the Craft, had followed the principles of it as best he could and hoped he could live up to those many men in his Lodge years ago who did the same.

Brethren, it’s imperative as Freemasons that we continue to remain in constant contact with each other to lend help and encouragement and just to let a brother know that someone is thinking of them. For while a brother of the Order may not be able to be at meetings, that may not make him any less a brother. Or a Freemason.

(This post has been modified from one published on the original version of this blog on 31 January 2011. Since then, the absent brother passed away, in good standing, while the kind brother STILL continues to help others in financial difficulty)

Hodapp Speaking

Chris Hodapp made an interesting comment the other day—he feels guilty if he doesn’t post something on his blog once a week.

Chris always has something to say. For that reason, it would be good for any Mason to read something from him every week.

The remark was in an interview on The Mystic Tye web site. It is in preparation for Chris’ visit to Vancouver to speak to the annual Grand Masonic Day next weekend. You can hear the interview by going to this page.

Conversely, I don’t post much, mainly because Google killed the original Justa Mason blog 15 years ago when the YouTube account it was connected with was killed for copyright violations. But that 24-inch gauge gets in the way, too, and find I just don’t have the time or motivation; I have ended a number of other blogs for the same reason.

I also wonder whether I really have anything new to say.

I could opine about the Four Cardinal Virtues, but I imagine you could pull out an article from a 19th century Masonic newspaper and read the same thing. Do you need me to urge Masons to be temperate when they talk to others, or the way they behave?

Then, again, a few weeks ago, I and a member of one of my lodges had a conversation with a lapsed Mason who mentioned that a well-respected Mason had made a comment to him about symbolism and he disagreed with it. My buddy said he agreed with the older brother. I did, too, in a way. Perhaps expressing opinions, even if they seem tired and old, can kick off a discussion that would be beneficial to all. It’s important, I think, to examine what we believe and why we believe it.

Anyway, listen to the interview with Chris, and I look forward to him commenting on his trip to Vancouver after it’s over.