# Freemason Member Photos



## fkebld (Jul 11, 2021)

Brothers,

I've had a thought running around my head as of late and, being this community is full of wise and learned views, I thought I'd ask for your perspective.

Do you think the fraternity would be better served if Lodge photos, Officer photos, and the like were discouraged?

My thinking: the mystery of the Lodge, its officers and even (as trivial as this may be) its furniture, is somewhat lessened by the flash of a camera, with its blast-out lighting, awkward pretense and so on. Would it hurt or help if we kept the lodge "inner sanctum" a secret?

Of course this is not always practical, and this isn't a point of activism. I'd just like to know your thoughts.


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## Glen Cook (Jul 11, 2021)

“..full of wise and learned view…”
Well, we’re full of something. . 

I understand your point, and the balance between openness and maintaining mystique. One of my favorite moments in my mother lodge is the lighting which leaves the officers in shadow during the degree. With a nod to Brother Nagy, I enjoy the theatre of the presentation. I view the theatre, and the process of tyling, as a an announcement that at this place and at this time an event of significance is to occur. I can understand that the portrayal of membership can detract from that. 

However, not all lodges have pictures. Not all put them online. One of my appendant bodies discloses neither membership nor officers, except for the presiding officer. I’m not sure any of that has made a difference. 

I  enjoy seeing the pictures  in the lodge room.  For me it provides a sense of history, of masonic descent, of lives lived. Perhaps it is because as a young man I was determining my role, my place in the fraternity, and as I age and realize my time to be of any moment is drawing to a close, I seek to make sense of where I’ve been in that journey. 

Or so it seems on a Sunday afternoon.


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## Bloke (Jul 18, 2021)

We have a rule - no photo's in open lodge. It gets broken though - generally only when 50 year jewels are presented.
The South (Festive Board) is a different story, we snap away.
That said, our lodge web site does not carry photos of living members.. too hard to work around permissions and such.

What is important to me, is we preserve our history, so always try to get a photo of the Team and then the whole lodge (often with visitors) on the nights of installation..  We were very lucky to have photos like these donated a few years ago https://www.lodgedevotion.net/about...otion-in-the-1960s-from-the-stonehouse-papers


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## Jay Thompson (Jul 18, 2021)

Bloke said:


> We have a rule - no photo's in open lodge. It gets broken though - generally only when 50 year jewels are presented.
> The South (Festive Board) is a different story, we snap away.
> That said, our lodge web site does not carry photos of living members.. too hard to work around permissions and such.
> 
> What is important to me, is we preserve our history, so always try to get a photo of the Team and then the whole lodge (often with visitors) on the nights of installation..  We were very lucky to have photos like these donated a few years ago http://www.lodgedevotion.net/about-...rs/photographs---lodge-devotion-in-the-1960-s



I love the surprised look on Bro. Stonehouse’s face  But I almost forgot, when taking pictures with those old-timey cameras, they nearly exploded. And they probably took eight shots to get that _one_.

He’s all slumped down, looking like he had 5 heart attacks. His face is saying_ “Is this thing taking my soul?! Dear Lord, just make it stop!”_


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## TheThumbPuppy (Jul 19, 2021)

I'm not sure whether I can generalise, but I've seen more photos of officers from the US than over here (Belgium).

I talk especially of photos taken with a phone at a weird angle of a bunch of guys in full regalia in the lodge room proud to pose for some event. Personally I find this type of picture rather instagrammable, but for those who like that sort of thing, that's the sort of thing they like.

Regarding the inside of the Lodge, I rather enjoy well taken photos of the interiors and architectural details.


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## J Chapman (Jul 31, 2021)

fkebld said:


> Brothers,
> 
> I've had a thought running around my head as of late and, being this community is full of wise and learned views, I thought I'd ask for your perspective.
> 
> ...



Honestly, Freemason numbers aren’t rising. They’re falling. It’s become such an uncommon thing now that almost every single person I speak to, has never even heard of Freemasonry. I’m of the opinion that we can’t showcase it enough. At least if someone sees a picture they might ask a question. If they see nothing would they even know it existed? 

I run an Instagram page for our lodge and the feedback we get from the general community, and even other masons, is really positive. 
I feel like things have to change or I fear we will die out. 
Just my thoughts. 


Sent from my iPhone using My Freemasonry Mobile


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## fkebld (Aug 1, 2021)

J Chapman said:


> Honestly, Freemason numbers aren’t rising. They’re falling. It’s become such an uncommon thing now that almost every single person I speak to, has never even heard of Freemasonry. I’m of the opinion that we can’t showcase it enough. At least if someone sees a picture they might ask a question. If they see nothing would they even know it existed?
> 
> I run an Instagram page for our lodge and the feedback we get from the general community, and even other masons, is really positive.
> I feel like things have to change or I fear we will die out.
> ...



My impression is that the moment Lodge and member photos became widely distributed on social media, there was a giant fall off of interest.


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## J Chapman (Aug 2, 2021)

fkebld said:


> My impression is that the moment Lodge and member photos became widely distributed on social media, there was a giant fall off of interest.



I honestly just can’t see that. We were declining long before social media became a thing so I find it hard to believe it’s a major cause. 
I get at least one or two enquirers a day on our page from all over the world and I direct them to local lodges as best I can. Granted many of them are garbage but there’s plenty of legit ones as well. 


Sent from my iPhone using My Freemasonry Mobile


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## Bloke (Aug 2, 2021)

fkebld said:


> My impression is that the moment Lodge and member photos became widely distributed on social media, there was a giant fall off of interest.


That's not been my experience.

I think is true in most places Freemasonry has shrunk, but social media is not the culprit. There have been other forces and pressures at work, but that does not mean to say Freemasonry in some places like central Europe and Turkey is not growing and they have social media..

I would say the biggest negative about social media for Freemasonry is when Freemasons don't act like Freemasons and fail to act like gentlemen...


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## J Chapman (Aug 2, 2021)

Bloke said:


> That's not been my experience.
> 
> I think is true in most places Freemasonry has shrunk, but social media is not the culprit. There have been other forces and pressures at work, but that does not mean to say Freemasonry in some places like central Europe and Turkey is not growing and they have social media..
> 
> I would say the biggest negative about social media for Freemasonry is when Freemasons don't act like Freemasons and fail to act like gentlemen...



Well said brother. 


Sent from my iPhone using My Freemasonry Mobile


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## Bloke (Aug 5, 2021)

J Chapman said:


> Well said brother.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using My Freemasonry Mobile


Thank you Brother


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