# A brother but should he be?



## Levelhead (Jun 28, 2014)

I have a question.

Now anyone who is a mason is a brother to me. With that said. I have a weird situation that im dealing with inside.

There was a brother who has been hanging out at our lodge (pettitioner). He just didnt seem like masonic material. My reasons:

Well first off he just got initiated. So now he IS a brother.

1. All he talks about is his money, millions, expensive car, money, his profits, this and that.
2. Talks about religion all day and how he has an excuse why he cant volunteer at any of our breakfasts, or why he cant come to our family nights due to his religion.
3. He brags about his millions but asked me to do some work for him. He told me the scope of work and i told him "brother i charge this much for this work, but pay me what you can" he says "i got estimates for half of what YOU charge for that" well i see that as an insult since I ALREADY TOLD HIM "pay me what you can afford" like he had to get in a word of how i might of been trying to rip him off. Guess he didnt hear the part "pay me what you can afford" being a millionair like he brags about. Btw this was just a 250 dollar work order.
4. Now hes a brother hes trying to practice his chetachism. He brags how he got the first page down and how he has to get his master mason ASAP . So i sat down with him and began to go over the chetachism and ask questions. This guy just had no idea, put his own words in and is just in need of slowing down.
- he also was answering with scarcasm and hand movements like he was a rapper (sarcasticly mocking the chetechism)
Then he asks "hey you want to buy this car your sitting in?" Im like no brother Range rovers are not my style. He says common man ill give it to you cheap. Then with a grin and in a Sarcastic "im rich and your poor cadence" says only 50k. I told him that i don't care about his money so stop trying to impress me cause it is kind of insulting.
THEN THE KICKER. He says "I cant wait to get my handshakes down so i can get the special treatment and get things i want". I looked at him and said, "brother for one , you not only have to learn the chetachism you need to UNDERSTAND IT" i asked him if he knew what a token was? He looked at me and said "yea you put it in a slot machine" i mean i was so upset and insulted at the same time.

Then he procedes to tell me a story of how he was an EA 20 years ago and he never went on with it. Like he wants respect from me on not knowing his chetechism because he had it down before i was born. Hes like 65.

To me he is NOT Masonic Material.

My issue is... Do i approach the WM about him? One other member chooses not to even talk with him due to him making everyone feel umcomfortable every time he opens his mouth.

I don't want the WM to think im trying to stir up problems. Im not even sure i can speak my mind with out seeming like im disrespecting a brother.

Im stuck on what to do about it. IM a very serious Mason. Take pride in my lodge and my Fraternity.

Just dont know what to do.


Any advice will be greatly appreciated.


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## tldubb (Jun 28, 2014)

Who petitioned him?

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## Levelhead (Jun 28, 2014)

Not sure. Hes a member of my lodge.


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## tldubb (Jun 28, 2014)

I would find out who his sponsor is and have a candid talk with him about his behavior and maybe have a candid talk with this EA personally. 

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## Levelhead (Jun 28, 2014)

Well i had talked with the EA. he just don't get it.


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## marty15chris (Jun 28, 2014)

A man has to pass by the west gate three times before he is a MM, just ensure you guard it accordingly. If he is as bad as you say he is it won't be hard. 


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## JJones (Jun 28, 2014)

Here in Texas you can protest an EA to the WM and halt any progression.  At least that's what I've always heard and it seems that I've seen it once or twice in the law book.

Do what you feel is right, it's your lodge and your community.


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## Levelhead (Jun 28, 2014)

Just dont want to look like the bad one.


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## marty15chris (Jun 28, 2014)

If your intentions are true to the lodge and masonic in character then you have nothing to fear. 


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## MarkR (Jun 29, 2014)

Properly guarding the west gate is not being a bad guy.  It sounds like this is not a man who will contribute to the harmony of the Lodge.


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## Morris (Jun 29, 2014)

Did he come forth to the investigation team that he tried to join 20years ago?

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## marty15chris (Jun 29, 2014)

JMorris said:


> Did he come forth to the investigation team that he tried to join 20years ago?
> 
> Sent From My Freemasonry Pro App


Good point. 



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## Mike Martin (Jun 29, 2014)

IF what you are saying is accurate, you should consider yourself honour-bound to raise it both with his Proposer and the Master of the Lodge immediately.


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## Levelhead (Jun 29, 2014)

He said he was an ea 20 years ago initiated then for some reason had no time and couldnt procede. Dont believe that one bit. Ill wait another month to see his actions. Thank you brothers for the advice!


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## Levelhead (Jun 29, 2014)

JMorris said:


> Did he come forth to the investigation team that he tried to join 20years ago?
> 
> Sent From My Freemasonry Pro App


No idea as i had not got into the ins and outs of his joining as i had other things to study.


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## pointwithinacircle2 (Jun 29, 2014)

From your post I sense that you feel irritation and frustration when dealing with this Brother.   It is sometimes possible to lead the mind to Masonry once the body has joined.  However these two feelings are not helpful in becoming a good guide. 

I have a saying that I live by.  Let me warn you that most people who hear it will immediately tell me that it is completely untrue.  However to those that have ears to hear it explains many things and offers a course of action in many difficult situations.  It is simply this: _Most people are not in control of their own actions._ 

In some corners of the world it is a Masonic axiom that the three great enemies of the Craft are fear, ignorance, and superstition.  These infect the mind and cause the man to veer from the path of best intention and best practices.  In my experience, rooting them out can only be done with a gentle and understanding hand.

Let me caution you that once a man adopts this idea the concept of blame becomes useless to him.  There is left only the task of constructing the best future possible from the stones one is given.


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## Levelhead (Jun 29, 2014)

pointwithinacircle2 said:


> From your post I sense that you feel irritation and frustration when dealing with this Brother.   It is sometimes possible to lead the mind to Masonry once the body has joined.  However these two feelings are not helpful in becoming a good guide.
> 
> I have a saying that I live by.  Let me warn you that most people who hear it will immediately tell me that it is completely untrue.  However to those that have ears to hear it explains many things and offers a course of action in many difficult situations.  It is simply this: _Most people are not in control of their own actions._
> 
> ...


Interesting response. Just not sure what to make of it. Or what direction it was given towards.


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## pointwithinacircle2 (Jun 29, 2014)

In my jurisdiction a perfect ashler is described as a stone made ready by the _apprentice_ to be shaped by the tools of the FC.  When you think about that, it seems that the making of a perfect ashler is the work of an EA.  Because a perfect Ashler is not one that is finished, it is one that is prepared to be improved upon by the tools of the FC.

I think your Brother is telling you (whether he knows it or not) that he is in need of being improved upon.  What I have given you is the formula I use (albeit an esoteric formula) for addressing such a request.  Interestingly, the tools that I employ when using this formula are found in the FC lecture.

I understand that, like my previous post, this one does not give explicit instructions in how you should address your dilemma.  The reason for this is that in my experience truth which is received from another is thought of as opinion while truth which one discovers by themself is often realized as fact.


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## Levelhead (Jun 29, 2014)

Thx brother. Hopefully he will be formed on his way to a perfect ashlar.

That explained it all. Thank you.


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## dfreybur (Jun 29, 2014)

Should you file an objection?  When I read "Most people are not in control of their own actions" I read that as being more about you than being about the EA.  You're worried about being the bad guy and that has you not in control of your actions.

If this EA joined for mercenary purposes he will be disappointed and leave on his own.  It would seem he has no idea what some of the words on the petition mean.  There may be less down side to not objecting than you fear is he will be disappointed at what being an MM actually means.  Or more.  Can you imagine this man being authorized to wear an MM ring, not bothering to pay his dues, not caring about the paperwork, still wearing his ring, serving as a bad example in town?

Maybe he needs to be shown not told - We make a living by what we get.  We make a life by what we give.


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## Levelhead (Jun 29, 2014)

We call those people "Ring Tappers" People who go somewhere and tap their ring on the counter so you see it expecting "special treatment".


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## Levelhead (Jun 29, 2014)

I think I'm just gonna leave it be. Conduct my self like Mason Should. I just have so much dedication to the fraternity i feel a duty protect our lodge and most importantly the fraternity as a whole.


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## Brother JC (Jun 29, 2014)

NM describes the PA in terms of being placed into the building, and thus was made perfect by the EAs...
"The Perfect Ashlar is a stone made ready by the hands of the workman to be adjusted by the working tools of the Fellow Craft."


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## Pete Ramboldt (Jun 30, 2014)

Maybe a gentile reminder that it's the internal - not the external ----- you know what I mean


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## crono782 (Jun 30, 2014)

Sometimes I have to remind myself that sometimes, the external is also a good indicator of the nature of the internal. Luke 6:45 comes to mind here, "The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks."


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## coachn (Jun 30, 2014)

Levelhead said:


> I have a question.
> 
> Now anyone who is a mason is a brother to me. With that said. I have a weird situation that im dealing with inside.
> 
> There was a brother who has been hanging out at our lodge (pettitioner). He just didnt seem like masonic material.


He is not.


Levelhead said:


> My reasons:
> 
> Well first off he just got initiated. So now he IS a brother.


I learned early on that there are "members" and there are "Brothers".  I no longer confuse the two.



Levelhead said:


> 1. All he talks about is his money, millions, expensive car, money, his profits, this and that.


Why do you listen?


Levelhead said:


> 2. Talks about religion all day and how he has an excuse why he cant volunteer at any of our breakfasts, or why he cant come to our family nights due to his religion.


Accept this and move on.


Levelhead said:


> 3. He brags about his millions but asked me to do some work for him. He told me the scope of work and i told him "brother i charge this much for this work, but pay me what you can" he says "i got estimates for half of what YOU charge for that" well i see that as an insult since I ALREADY TOLD HIM "pay me what you can afford" like he had to get in a word of how i might of been trying to rip him off. Guess he didnt hear the part "pay me what you can afford" being a millionair like he brags about. Btw this was just a 250 dollar work order.


Respond with "That's truly great that you can get the work done by someone else!  You know whom to hire for your job..." and move on.  He truly doesn't want your help.  He wants what you should not ever offer.


Levelhead said:


> 4. Now hes a brother hes trying to practice his chetachism. He brags how he got the first page down and how he has to get his master mason ASAP . So i sat down with him and began to go over the chetachism and ask questions. This guy just had no idea, put his own words in and is just in need of slowing down.
> - he also was answering with scarcasm and hand movements like he was a rapper (sarcasticly mocking the chetechism)


He is unworthy.  Move on.


Levelhead said:


> Then he asks "hey you want to buy this car your sitting in?" Im like no brother Range rovers are not my style. He says common man ill give it to you cheap. Then with a grin and in a Sarcastic "im rich and your poor cadence" says only 50k. I told him that i don't care about his money so stop trying to impress me cause it is kind of insulting.


He is dismissive.  Move on.


Levelhead said:


> THEN THE KICKER. He says "I cant wait to get my handshakes down so i can get the special treatment and get things i want". I looked at him and said, "brother for one , you not only have to learn the chetachism you need to UNDERSTAND IT" i asked him if he knew what a token was? He looked at me and said "yea you put it in a slot machine" i mean i was so upset and insulted at the same time.


He is ignorant and arrogant.  Move on.


Levelhead said:


> Then he procedes to tell me a story of how he was an EA 20 years ago and he never went on with it. Like he wants respect from me on not knowing his chetechism because he had it down before i was born. Hes like 65.
> 
> To me he is NOT Masonic Material.


BINGO!


Levelhead said:


> My issue is... Do i approach the WM about him?


No.  Move on.


Levelhead said:


> One other member chooses not to even talk with him due to him making everyone feel umcomfortable every time he opens his mouth.


Sounds like a level headed Brother who knows how to take care of himself.  Good role model!


Levelhead said:


> I don't want the WM to think im trying to stir up problems. Im not even sure i can speak my mind with out seeming like im disrespecting a brother.


Then don't!


Levelhead said:


> Im stuck on what to do about it. IM a very serious Mason. Take pride in my lodge and my Fraternity.
> 
> Just dont know what to do.
> 
> ...


Move on.


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## Levelhead (Jul 1, 2014)

I will. Thank you brother.


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## Brother_Steve (Jul 7, 2014)

Remember your master mason obligation concerning and correcting those of the inferior degree.

Protect the lodge and move on.

You may rub elbows with those that gave him the green light (IC and proposers) but for what it is worth, if they cannot see the signs, that is on them.


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## Warrior1256 (Aug 19, 2014)

MarkR said:


> Properly guarding the west gate is not being a bad guy.  It sounds like this is not a man who will contribute to the harmony of the Lodge.


Sounds like a total jerk to me but my wife tells me that I shouldn't be judgmental.


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