Form Your Own Blue Lodge, by WB William A. Isabelle

Brethren, there seems to be a number of very intelligent brothers who, by their contributions, seem to be saying a lot of the same things.

"How can I improve the Craft in my area?"

"How can I give back to the Craft, what it has given to me?"

"How can I enact positive and progressive changes in the Craft?"

"How can I create a Masonic environment, that will attract new Masons?"

"Where do I go to find Masons my age, who share my perspectives and my interests?"

These kinds of questions seem to be coming up more and more frequently in discussions amongst brothers everywhere, and there is no easy answer.

However, there does exist an opportunity to perhaps explore these kinds of questions in a new light.

If you know other Masons like yourself, who are as motivated as you are, who are seeking more light in Masonry, and are dedicated and dependable brothers, then I have a suggestion for you...

Form a new Blue Lodge in your jurisdiction.

Create your own Lodge. Build a Masonic Temple around the shared interests and pursuits that you and brothers like you, share and enjoy as Masons and as friends.

Most of us have never even considered the prospect of forming our own Blue Lodge, but I am here to tell you brothers, that it is not really that difficult a task to accomplish.

Where do you think all the Lodges in your area came from in the first place? Brothers just like you, thats where.

If you feel like you're "banging your head against the wall" in your Lodge and there doesn't seem to be an opportunity for you to make a contribution of your own unique talents and abilities to the established practices and Landmarks of your Lodge, then start your own.

Every Grand Jurisdiction has it's own individual requirements for forming new Lodges, but there are a few things that are necessary which are the same everywhere, and here is a shopping list:

1) A like-minded group of twenty or so Master Masons

2) A progressive Grand Lodge, willing to support growth and change in their own backyard.

3) A "Petition for Dispensation" available from the respective Grand Lodge administration office.

4) Money. Starting your own Lodge requires resources and money, you will have expenses, foreseeable and unforeseen.

5) Brothers who are proficient and can confer the 3 Degrees of Masonry.

6) Brothers who can chair the elected and appointed offices of the Lodge.

7) An appropriate place to meet as a Masonic Lodge.

8) Lodge furniture and regalia, most of which can be collected as donations of surplus items from supportive and established Lodges in your area.

9) A meeting schedule that all of the members of your effort can abide by and commit to.

10) The gumption and dedication to see your project through to conclusion and constitution of your very own Blue Lodge.

There you have it, brothers. For those of you who feel like you are being held back in your current Lodge, and would like to do more than the average bear to strengthen and improve Freemasonry in your neighborhood, round up the brothers who you already know feel as you do and start your own Blue Lodge.

You will never regret it, because it is easier to build a new Lodge from the ground up, than it is to try and fix an old broken Lodge that doesn't want to help itself.

Freemasonry is an individual journey, brethren. Don't ever stop looking for new and undiscovered roads to take in your travels.

10 Planks of Lodge-Building, by WB William A. Isabelle

Brothers,

A lot of people right now are complaining about what Freemasonry isn't to them. I submit that if the following initiatives were put into practice, things would improve dramatically and quickly.

1. We need to immediately start taking ourselves much more seriously than we currently are.

There is nothing more noble and valuable to this Craft, fraternity, culture and society of Freemasons than taking pride in ourselves as Freemasons and bringing honor to our institution will follow accordingly.

2. Don't walk, but rather run to your Blue Lodge and start giving a damn about the kind of Masons we bring into our midst!

Immediately cease the flow of the unprepared into offices of power that wield consequence to the detriment of all those in their care.

3. If your Lodge is broken and beyond repair, don't waste any more of your precious time listening to stupid, childish, nonsensical bluster and fuss over nothing.

Take charge of your own Masonic experience and go start your own Lodge with a group of like-minded and equally motivated Masons. You will be amazed at the social-alchemy that will be wrought amongst those who work together, to achieve a SHARED VISION.

4. Make Masonic Charity mean Masonic Charity!!!

Stop shoveling money to the administrative fees of faceless charities that don't need your money. Instead, go visit a widow of one of your departed Lodge Brothers and see if her home is in disrepair. Find out if her yard is in need of attention, or even go to lengths to see if she is eating cat food because she is in financial peril and too proud to say so.

If one finds such a situation in their midst, then fix it and stop writing checks to organizations that are endowed beyond this lifetime. Masonic Charity should look after its own house first, and then worry about those beyond our existing responsibilities and obligations.

5. Set an example.

Stand up in Lodge and show the new members that they too can stand up and voice their opinions or offer their individual expertise to benefit the Lodge. Read your Lodge By-Laws and identify the things that must change to adapt to the world we live in today, and vote it so. Read your Grand Lodge Constitution and By-Laws and identify what needs to be changed to adapt to the world we live in today, and write a Resolution or Amendment to that effect.

6. Nobody, and I do mean nobody, has any right to push anyone around in this organization and fraternity of enlightened souls!

If you see someone taking advantage of whatever pitiful authority they think they have, that has convinced them that it's OK to push around the new guy or an Entered Apprentice that doesn't know any better, then it's your immediate and imperative responsibility to step in and correct the situation!!!

7. Bring an immediate end to the promotion and acceptance of incompetence and arrogance!!!

To do so is despicable and patently un-Masonic. I don't know when or where the tenets of Masonry became trifling and petty favors to be bestowed upon the undeserving.

8. Make sure that every man who passes the West Gate of your Lodge has a solid and deepest understanding of how honored he should feel to have been accepted into your Lodge and that he realizes that it is he who owes his Lodge and not the other way around.

9. Past every other trifling concern and non-priority, ensure beyond all else that the ritual which your Lodge represents to its members and to its initiates is deserving of being labeled Masonic and enlightening.

Be ever watchful and ever-ready to provide resources for additional Masonic education to the occasional bright-eyed and overly-interested newly-minted Master Mason.

10. Call your Brothers, go for a beer or a Scotch!

Hang out with your Brethren, get to know each other and start building on the relationships that will define the necessary development of the Masonic community that you will ever be proud of , honored by and grateful for, to have the opportunity to support for the rest of your years.


If we start with this list, I guarantee that the resulting positives to the Craft and your individual journey will be swift and priceless and more than that, you will be on the road you were looking for when you first petitioned the Lodge.

Sincerely & Fraternally,

WB William A. Isabelle

Call for Blog Submissions

The Sanctum Sanctorum seeks submissions to our new public blog that is geared primarily towards North American regular and regular "Prince Hall" Freemasons.

We invite the submission of Masonic articles that address relevant topics on any of the following subjects:

Masonic Education and Improving the Craft
Mentoring for the future
Leadership
Pride in My Freemasonry
e-Freemasonry
Masonic Esoterika
Brotherhood
Relief
Truth
etc.

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How to Improve the Craft, by Arthur Peterson

You have a great idea that you think will benefit the lodge.

What do you do with this idea?

My experiences have shown that no single man can change Freemasonry or a lodge. You can have the best idea in the world, but if it does not sit well with your other Brothers, it will never blossom.

Here are my tips:

1. Thoroughly research your idea. Know what it costs, know how much time it will take out of your lodge, know what kind of manpower it is going to require.

2. Sell the idea. Discuss it with members of your lodge outside of lodge. Find supporters. Find the men who will dedicate the manhour time you have come up with.

3. Present it to the lodge. Give a full presentation. Explain the costs and how you budgeted it, explain who is going to dedicate the manhours to it, explain, explain, explain!

4. Be prepared for rejection. Even the most thought out plan does not necessarily get the majority of Brothers to agree with it. Be prepared for them to say no in the worst case, be also prepared for it to be refered for committee. If it goes into committee, meet with the members and assist them in developing a plan to implement your idea.

5. Never stop trying to improve the craft. Don't count the rejections, only count the approvals! All it takes is one improvement to make the craft better today than it was yesterday. Rejoice if you ever get just one improvement implemented!