Just came across the Texas Lodge of Research site. Looked very interesting, however, can anyone shed some more light on the organization and what benefits there are to being a member?
I'm a full member of TLR, and I encourage all Masons to consider pursuit of the same. The main benefit of being an Associate Member is receiving the Transaction of TLR (our roughly annual publication with a year's worth of research papers). To become a full member, you must submit a research paper and have it approved by the editorial committee. Once approved, you present the paper at a regular quarterly meeting of TLR and are then deemed a full member and presented with your apron.
The TLR apron is quite an eye-catcher, and rightfully so. Many local brothers mistakenly introduce me as a member of "the Grand Lodge of Research of Texas." The apron is actually a replica of those worn under the Grand Lodge of the Republic of Texas. As a history buff, I absolutely love wearing it to other lodges.
There's a great paper on the website about how TLR was first formed as a means of collecting lodge histories, but there is a wealth of information on all kinds of masonic topics in the Transactions. Also, take note: a complete collection of previous Transactions was just approved for sale as a collection of PDF's on a CD.
I'm currently pressing a brother to write a paper about his experiences in Europe during the Cold War and just after. He played a part in re-establishing Freemasonry in countries where it was previously banned, and I think his story should be shared with masons everywhere.