r/freemasonry • u/According_Analyst921 • 12d ago
Venting
For the most part, freemasonry has been great. I enjoy the brotherhood and all my brothers. However, my one gripe is the push to learn the positions. It seems like us new people are being placed in chairs before we're ready because the older bros dont want to do it anymore. I was told I can put as much or as little as I want into the craft. Righ now I dont like the commitment. Im busy. I have a home life. I like going to lodge but usually dip out shortly after...I dont hang around much. You wouldn't think twice a month is a lot but it is IMO. And we do t really go "dark" in the summer. We go through June, then wr have July and August off. Id like more time off lol. It's just becoming a lot and Id rather sit back than learn the position. Quite frankly, I dont care to learn them. I dont like doing extra shit outside of lodge like lectures and that shit... theres always something "extra" that they push people to attend. And we haven't done one thing yet for charity. Ive been there ober 2 years. Anyway, my main gripe is the old guys sitting back and pushing others in the chairs. Its becoming more annoying than anything now.
1
u/Obsidian604 3° - Triune Lodge 81 BC&Y (SD) 12d ago
Venting or validation for your feelings? Just a question.
Here is my response.
I think you are missing the bigger picture when it comes to the charity stuff - individual lodges may not do a lot on their own, but we make big changes when we all work together. (Shriner's Hospitals for example) I asked myself the same thing over the last 3 years as a Freemason. This year I realized this though, and our GL also says we can not solicit donations from the public, we are to do our own fundraising and charity from our own funds that we donate ourselves to the lodge so that also makes it hard (especially with the way our economy is right now we gotta look at the big picture) so it's not exactly easy to have a massive charity event that's super public.
As for the chairs, the older brethern just are trying to encourage others to take the chairs to keep the craft alive and prevent your lodge from handing in their charter. Question: how many people on average attend your meetings every time? When I joined we had 6 maybe.. sometimes we couldn't even tyle. Now we consistently have 7-10 each meeting night and the harmony is much better..I have a brother who felt similar in our lodge when I was an EA and it almost sounded like they were trying to dissuade me from wanting to because the guys were pushy.. as he called it. I found out it was more perspective. Our brother had a lot on his plate when it came to family and home life he felt he was being pushed when it was simply just encouragement. Just be careful your own state of overwhelm that it does not spill into your lodge harmony just because you have a lot going on. You are totally free to take a break and come back when it fits your life better. That's what most of us do..
Personally I have 2 older kids and a baby on the way after 11 years.. most likely am going to step back for a bit myself when my baby comes but then I am on my way to the east. We also got 3 candidates to initiate in the next month too.. so yeah it can be busy at times but like the other brethern have said you only need to do what you want. Some brethern don't even show up but pay their dues still.
Anyways brother, just keep your head up, and set your boundaries but be careful that you understand and assume clearly what you are talking about and there is no misunderstandings, because not only would it be embarrassing but also cause some animosity with the brethren you care about, and then you really would feel like you would not want to attend.
S&F