# Mediocrity in Masonry



## Bloke

Loved his closing sentence

http://www.thelaudablepursuit.com/articles/2015/8/2/mediocrity-in-masonry-shame-on-us


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## Bloke

JamestheJust said:


> So is mediocrity to be fixed by:
> 
> - high fees
> - good food
> - rigorous ritual?
> 
> A local lodge tried that but only lasted a few years.
> 
> Having a shiny wrapper does not guarantee that the parcel is of any value.



Thought it was intetesting, I didn't agree with all of it.

People often confuse value with cost on the supposition that if it's more expensive it must be of value. The value of freemasonry cannot be measured in price or cost, but effect.

The real message for me was why do we put up with mediocrity, esp when its in our hands to change it at a lodge level.


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## Ripcord22A

Exactly!  My home lodges dues are only 50 by lodge here in NM is 240(120 FOR MEALS AND 120 FOR ACTUAL DUES)  both lodges are very satisfying to me.  The other lodge heres dues are slightly higher and no meal...and its all business all the time!

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## chrmc

JamestheJust said:


> So is mediocrity to be fixed by:
> 
> - high fees
> - good food
> - rigorous ritual?
> 
> A local lodge tried that but only lasted a few years.
> 
> Having a shiny wrapper does not guarantee that the parcel is of any value.



I think it is a little sad if that is what you took from the article, because that to me is clearly not at all what it is aiming at. Brother Davis speaks nothing of those three things. 
What he does say is "To be exemplary men, or an exemplary organization, we have to be exceptional in our awareness of who we are, what we are here to be doing, what we know, and how we practice what we know. We have to have the courage to be different from the rest of the crowd—nobler in our expectations and more refined in our state of mind."

So it's much more about being the best that we can be. By choosing that we won't settle for mediocrity in any of our doings. If we don't what distinguishes us as Masons from any other man?


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## chrmc

JamestheJust said:


> Would you like to say how you do that?



I think the article gives one possible answer, which is stop settling for mediocrity. Let not be sloppy in lodge, serve bad food, have a lousy meeting and bicker with each other. I don't care if you're in a fancy lodge with tuxedos and incense or a small fraternal country lodge. Be the best at whatever it is you do and do it with passion. 



JamestheJust said:


> There are so many organizations that promote similar values that that may be difficult to answer in many lodges.



I beg to differ. Masonry is literally the only organization that practices Masonry, but I think we've often forgotten that. We're no longer proud and unique. We're sloppy and mediocre and that leads to our values and proposition no longer being clear.


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## Bloke

JamestheJust said:


> Would you like to say how you do that?.



First thing is to talk about what members think might be mediocre about the lodge - they might feel nothing. It takes consensus to build change and the first step is identified what members would like to change. If they think all is fine and you do not, you need to mount an argument around how things could be better and what that improvement would mean for the lodge in the short and long term.


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## Bloke

JamestheJust said:


> I can remember 5 or 6 of those meetings at one lodge.   Attendance at those lodge nights tends to be low as nothing useful seems to emerge.
> 
> The core problem is knowing what Masonry really is and how to deliver that.
> 
> I recall a friend belonging to another fraternal body who dreamed that their lodge was a soup kitchen.  Lots of people came for soup but very few wanted to know how to make it.
> 
> So who knows how to make Masonic soup?  (Cue for frivolous remarks)



I think the core of the problem is leadership - all too often lodges are not well led and that's why nothing much happens... and a lack of "doers"


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## Bloke

JamestheJust said:


> So why cannot Masonry make Masons good enough to be leaders?
> 
> That is what we pride ourselves upon.  Is something missing?



My lodges do make good leaders.

My mentor taught me well


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## Ressam

[Deleted]


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## Ressam

[Posted by mistake]
I apologize.


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## coachn

> So why cannot Masonry make Masons good enough to be leaders?
> 
> That is what we pride ourselves upon.  Is something missing?


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## SimonM

JamestheJust said:


> The core problem is knowing what Masonry really is and how to deliver that.
> 
> I recall a friend belonging to another fraternal body who dreamed that their lodge was a soup kitchen.  Lots of people came for soup but very few wanted to know how to make it.
> 
> So who knows how to make Masonic soup?  (Cue for frivolous remarks)


The way I see it is that masonry have several components, all necesssry but none of them are sufficient by thenselves. The fraternal spirit is one such component, the ritual is another, etc. 

The problem is that many brothers focus on one or two of these components and have little understanding for others. If a lodge consists of persons who neglects some of the components the overall experience is diminished even though it might be hard to pinpoint why. 


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## chrmc

Bloke said:


> My lodges do make good leaders.
> 
> My mentor taught me well



And the word mentor there is key I believe. Especially in the jurisdictions where we have the progressive line there is a real need to mentor, train, evaluate, and communicate with people as they go through the chairs. Masonry seems to be an organization where we for some reason rarely tell the guy what is expected of him in a given chair, we complain if he doesn't do well and then we promote him anyways. 

We need to start having some of the tough conversations and mentoring leaders. Whilst at the same time acknowledging that not everyone is suited for the East. Doesn't mean that someone can't be a good brother after all.


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## pointwithinacircle2

It has been well said that: "We are all diamonds in the rough, and our purpose to polish our diamond to it's greatest brilliance.  However, what most people miss is that polishing means grinding".   Forgive me for saying it, but I have learned that what comes through the west gate of my local Lodge is much less important than what I allow to come through my personal, internal west gate.


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## pointwithinacircle2

JamestheJust said:


> So what makes some ritual events feel vibrant and others not?


In the simplest of terms, it is either something external to myself or internal to myself.  If I chose to believe that it is external to me I have very little power to change or improve it.  If I chose to believe that it is something internal to myself I am the only one who can change it.  This is why I always look for the problem inside myself first.  If the meeting is dull it is because I have failed to offer something interesting.  In many ways the man who takes responsibility is the man who has the power to change the situation.


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## Ripcord22A

There is no mediocrity in Masonry only mediocre Masons

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## coachn

jdmadsenCraterlake211 said:


> There is no mediocrity in Masonry only mediocre Masons
> 
> Sent from my LG-H811 using My Freemasonry Pro mobile app


I've never found Masonry or Masons to be mediocre.  Freemasonry however does lend itself to mediocre Freemasons quite well.


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## Ripcord22A

U know what i mean @coachn

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## Brother JC

jdmadsenCraterlake211 said:


> The other lodge here ...its all business all the time!


Yeah it is! I was always more comfortable in that smaller room, though I loved having the big one to myself some evenings. A lot of good memories and bittersweet reminders in that room.


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## coachn

jdmadsenCraterlake211 said:


> U know what i mean @coachn


Yes.  Yes I do.   U know what i mean?


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## Ripcord22A

I do coach. Masonry is the internal and Freemasonry is what we do in the lodge ritual excetera excetera

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## coachn

jdmadsenCraterlake211 said:


> I do coach. Masonry is the internal and Freemasonry is what we do in the lodge ritual excetera excetera


LOL!  Close enough


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## Warrior1256

pointwithinacircle2 said:


> This is why I always look for the problem inside myself first. If the meeting is dull it is because I have failed to offer something interesting. In many ways the man who takes responsibility is the man who has the power to change the situation.


Very wise words. I'm going to try to live by them myself and see what I can do to improve the material in our meetings.


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## coachn

Warrior1256 said:


> pointwithinacircle2 said:
> 
> 
> 
> I... *If the meeting is dull it is because I have failed to offer something interesting.*  In many ways the man who takes responsibility is the man who has the power to change the situation.
> 
> 
> 
> Very wise words. I'm going to try to live by them myself and see what I can do to improve the material in our meetings.
Click to expand...

I disagree with this binary conclusion. 

If meetings are dull, they are dull.  Dullness is systemic and a group failure.  It is also a failure on the part of the individual to choose to participate in something that is systemically cultural and ultimately and routinely unfulfilling. 

I did not join to be the entertainment director, but find that I wind up being one out of shear boredom and tedious and unwavering routine. 

That's why I'm the musician (and unofficial noise maker!).  It took responsibility in another direction... woopie cushion anyone?


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