MASONIC Digest Wednesday, 6 Dec 1989 Volume 1 : Issue 4 Today's Topics: Introductions: Ste

MASONIC Digest Wednesday, 6 Dec 1989 Volume 1 : Issue 4 Today's Topics: Introductions: Steve Gilgut Prince Hall. Pledge of Allegiance Questions from the uninitiated... (a request for opinions) Co-Masonry follow-up. Send all submissions and requests to ptrei@asgard.bbn.com. (From enet: DECWRL::"ptrei@asgard.bbn.com") MASONIC digest is moderated. Please remember: THIS IS A PUBLIC FORUM - YOU MUST ASSUME THAT MOST READERS ARE NON-MASONS. Please include a relevant subject line, and cover one topic per message. If you require anonymity, say so at the top of your message (and give a nom-de-net). All contributions remain the property (Copyright 1989), and responsibility of the authors, and may not be diseminated beyond the list without their express permission. My own comments remain mine (Copyright 1989 Peter Trei), and represent only my views at the time of posting - not neccesarily those of my employer, or of any Grand Lodge. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 30 Nov 89 13:18:25 EST From: gilgut@cg-atla.agfa.com (Steve Gilgut) Subject: Introduction, My Lodge, and some comments (Prince Hall). Hi, My name is Steve Gilgut. I am currently the Jr. Warden of John Hancock Lodge, in Methuen, Mass. I am also a member of the OES, Methuen Chapter, No. 204 I am also a member of Lawrence United Lodge, and I am a Charter member of a new daytime lodge just formed in our district, which is operating under dispensation from the GL in Boston. I entered Masonry because my father-in-law interested me in it. Being somewhat inquisitive I managed to ask him the right questions. I had heard of Masonry, but I was raised Catholic, and at that time, Catholics could not be Masons. 璀ccording to the Catholic church| Anyway, when I found out all the good things Masonry had to offer, through community work, the Shrine, and such, I decided to join. I watched for a year before joining the line. Going through the chairs has taught me a lot these past few, and fast years which has developed my character a lot. There is a saying which goes "You get out of Masonry what you put in to it", and I agree with that. Sometimes I think I live at the Lodge, as our is very active. Beside Rainbow, DeMolay, OES and Lodge functions and activities, we have a Bowling league (Yes, we have two Duck Pin Lanes down cellar), an active Service Committee, and Hall rentals going on regularly. It is a lot of work, but it is *fun* work, and that's the best kind. I have met some of the most incredible people, and in the strangest places! We put on a Christmas dinner for the needy on Christmas day. We get a bus, and bring people up from Lawrence, and people who 'are alone' come, and we have a nice meal, and we give them donated gifts, like shampoo, deoderant, and the like. I have to say there is nothing that has ever made my Christmas so good as seeing these people happy, full, and warm. On the subject of Prince Hall Masons, there is a Black Lodge in Lawrence - I presume they are these PH Masons you are speaking of. Though they are not listed in the Book of Lodges, they meet in the Lawrence Temple! They have their own Lodge room 緩hich I have not seen| and their own regalia. The Lawrence Temple is very pretty and a fine example of architecture, and I am glad they are able to share it. We have one Black member in John Hancock, and my wife and I recently sponsored he and his wife into our Star Chapter. I provided the candidate instruction to him during his degrees, and we got to know each other very well. This man has a doctorate! He is a 'true and trusty friend', and I am proud to sit in Lodge with him. I would really like to see the Lodges recognized. Yes, it may be tough to make it happen everywhere, but we have to start somewhere. Why not in Mass? Whoops... I find myself rambling again... I'll save the rest for another time. Fraternally, Steve -- S. P. Gilgut, Agfa Compugraphic Div; Wilmington, Mass. (508)658-5600 X5277 {uunet!samsung,decvax}!cg-atla!gilgut (Work) R & D Computer Center {uunet!samsung,cg-atla}!wizvax!spg (Home) Over 18 uucp sites served daily! - TrailBlazer, what a baud! "I Saw Queen Victoria Wearing Nothing But a Skirt In Austin, Texas" Claims Toad ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 1 Dec 89 03:03:55 -0800 From: naylor@brianh.enet.dec.com (Brian Naylor) Subject: Pledge of Allegiance. Excellent idea, Peter, and count me in. On the subject of "The Pledge". I have visited US lodges and have not been perturbed by this at all. Why should I, when at all Masonic functions, although not during open lodge, we traditionally have the "Loyal Toast" to her Majesty Queen Elizabeth 2nd? I would not expect a visitor from another country to have to make such a toast, just as I hope when I visit the US my American Brethren can understand me not making my pledge to the flag! Respect for each other's traditions, however, is another thing entirely. Fraternally, Brian Lodge Coila St Andrew, 1334, GL of Scotland 瘢've never heard the "Loyal Toast", but if it's a toast to the Sovereign as Protector of the Craft, I would be happy to join in. The Pledge of Allegiance is just what it says - an act of fealty to the US federal government, performed in open lodge. It is also quite a recent innovation. I think it was created in the 20's or 30's, and did not become widespread until the McCarthy period.| ------------------------------ Date: 3 Dec 89 10:21 -0800 From: Roger Leroux Subject: Questions from the uninitiated... First off, an introduction... I'm not a member of any lodge, but have always been curious about organizations like the Masons... What I would like to ask is, without violation any of the rules you have about information dispersal to "outsiders", what and who are the Masons? What are the fundamental beliefs and activities? What does one need to do to join (I'm thinking about it...)? From one curious mind... Roger Roger Leroux rleroux1@uvicctr.UVic.CA Systems Operator BITNET: LEROUX@UVVM University of Victoria Work: (604) 721-7686 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "The difference between gross and net profit is like the difference between love and sex." - Mark Breslin ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 瞑T - I'm not going to answer at length to this in this issue. I'd like to see as many responses as possible. Could other Masons reading this give their opinions? I think it would also be interesting for non-Masons to write in, giving their impressions of us (positive or negative) from the outside. It is already hard for me to remember what I thought Freemasonry was before I joined, less than two years ago.| ------------------------------ Date: 04 Dec 89 00:08:25 EST From: Steve Mesnick / Steffan <70166.1402@CompuServe.com> Subject: Co-Masonry follow-up. Peter has given what I consider an EXCELLENT reply to the posting on CoMasonry, and I won't clutter the net with redundancy. All I want to on the subject right now is that, as far as I know, Co-Masonry is not, and never has been, Masonry. The degrees and ritual are entirely different. Yes, the same principles are inculcated, but that's like saying that the Boy Scouts are a Masonic organization. Bro. Steve Mesnick Past Patron Unity Chapter #14, Order of the Eastern Star (Riverside, RI) 瞑T - The French lodge in which Co-Masonry originated was presumably under the "Grand Orient" Grand Lodge, which is not recognized by regular Masonry. GO's recognition was pulled in 1876 after it turned atheist, removed the Bible from the lodge, and dropped the requirement of a belief in Deity (among other things). Thus, Co-Masonry is a schism of a schism. To what extent their ritual varies from the norm I have no idea. BTW - I've run into people who claim the Boy Scouts ARE influenced by Masonry.| ------------------------------ End of MASONIC Digest *********************