another word...

Yet again, Dictionary App sends through a Masonic word...
Reasonably masonic as well!
So mote it be!

Relevance number 3

The Third of Bro Meagher's entries into the Grand Master's literary competition, finally, He has taken the time to approach a subject in a serious manner...

On the Relevance of Freemasonry to the Modern man

Often, in a world full of instant connectivity, “old school” institutions are seen as  irrelevant, slow, and unfortunately, as an anachronism.

Unfortunately this is  the perception of the general population in regards to Freemasonry. … something that my Grandfather used to be… indeed,  often we fool ourselves into believing that “old school” men were always “old” - forgetting that modern men of every age are modern on there own time.

We, as Masons, all know the above perception is incorrect, the challenge that we are faced with today is how to reverse this notion & maintain our relevance; to be seen as an intrinsic piece of the modern man's life as the craft was in times past.

I would like to put forward the following train of thought, that the Motto of Freemasonry that “We Make Good Men Better” is as relevant today as it ever was. This very motto, is the defining point of the crafts place in Modern Society.

At a time where it is incredibly easy to appear connected to Society via the all pervading illusory social media accounts, Freemasonry allows the Modern Male a chance to ACTUALLY connect with Real people & improve himself via our esoteric practices.

By taking time out to “DO lodge” IN lodge a modern man gains those couple of hours of precious “me” time where he is not bothered by phone & social media concerns.

By participating in a Masonic Lodge, the Modern Man is proving the relevance of the Craft to himself. A lodge that is active & growing proves that The Craft has a place in Modern Society.

By learning charges and performing work in the temple, men are learning important life lessons on How to speak in front of audiences; How to learn to “stay on topic” when tasked to explain, How to move about a room with dignity, How to associate with other men in formal and informal senses - I would argue that all these skills are as relevant today as they were to our Masonic forebears

In terms of the infrastructure of Freemasonry, by assisting in a Lodge, the modern man gains that deep understanding of charity and the meaning of labour, thus the Modern man becomes connected to the community for no other reason than feeling good about himself.

The relevance for the modern man by Providing fellowship in a manner that is not illegal or has any other agenda is as priceless in current times as ever. Unlike the other types of fraternities, such as motor cycle gangs who generally gather for illegal purposes or the learned bodies, trade guilds & unions who meet for the financial benefit for members Freemasons meet purely for the joy of each other's company. I'd argue this is as relevant to the modern man as it has always been.

Freemasonry is a great forum that Providing a forum for an Intergenerational dialogue. The Modern Man benefits from this as much as the modern man of the 1970s, or the modern man of the 1870’s.

The relevance of freemasonry is still intrinsic to the craft, what the craft is faced with currently, is how to market and promote  ourselves and the benefits of membership,  to a generation that is accustomed to the quick turnaround times, on demand viewing and omnipresent social media. Thus by engaging with the modern man we will further prove the relevance of the Craft to ourselves.

The challenge of modern masonic  practice is breaking the market. .. for too long, Freemasonry has had a rule not unlike the Fightclub motto “The first rule of fightclub is no-one talks about fight club”. How is the world's largest fraternity supposed to appear relevant if no men know about us? We must engage in the  modern world and prove our relevance by actively self promoting our relevance.

In closing, the relevance of freemasonry is and always will be in Providing a safe environment to be a Better Man!

Relevance Part 2...

So here is Bro Meagher's second entry into the literature prize... again, we think "offbeat" is the best way to describe how this Brothers brain works at times...

The MW Bro Jamie Melville recently asked the Brethren “Does Freemasonry Have a Place in Modern Society?”

I will answer this very interesting question with a very firm and confident “No”!

Freemasonry is entirely Irrelevant to the Modern Man and to Society.

Why would an active mason make such a rash statement? Well let me explain:

To be blatantly honest, Life is short and I am busy.

Busy You Hear.

Incredibly Busy, Doing Stuff.

The sort of stuff that I need to do, I am a modern man after all.

I do the sort of stuff that YOU wouldn’t understand because you are too “Old School” to understand how a Modern Man works. It’s not like you have ever been a Modern Man after all.

All those lodges are just places for Old Dudes.

None of whom WERE EVER young.

None of whom are, or, were ever busy.

None of whom have any life experience that is interesting, or, who would find my life experience interesting.

As I am a Modern man, I have a Man-Cave. It is where I used to put my car until that TV show that I always watch showed all these Man caves as things that I simply had to have, thus I have fitted my garage out with all the cool stuff that a Modern Man needs. Therefore, I don’t need to go out to revel in the ambiance of an old building with some pillars stuck onto an atrium out the front of it. The beer posters from a long dead Pub provide me with all the Man-cave cool that I need! Honestly, it is as though you freemasons talk about a “Man-cave” of the mind, a virtual man-cave! HAH! Imagine that!

As I am a Modern man, I have many and various forms of Social media in which to broadcast my life, and movements of all my “friends”, and which keeps me up to date with their activities. And gee, I have so many friends; some of which I only seem to keep up with on Social media since I met them all those years ago… Indeed, I have just met this pretty lady that keeps on sending me messages of love - I can’t recall where we met, but, the relationship looks promising, I just need to send her some money to assist with some car repairs that she needs... Hah, imagine turning up to lodge to meet your friends on a lodge night; why that is just inconvenient - it is much better to see them on your timeline every day.

As I am a Modern man, I can Download all the Music I want, mostly for free - the thought of listening to live music just doesn’t do anything for me; as for listening to something played in a small lodge room, forget it. I can’t imagine why people would want to bother with that.

As I am a Modern man, my attitude to dressing up to go out: don’t be silly! I wear my Jeans & Tee-shirt. Everywhere. They are the coolest things ever, I have a vast collection of Tee-shirts, all with brand names on them - You probably couldn’t afford my Tee-Shirts you know, they are THAT exclusive. I can wear them to work too. Heck, after work, I can just slob around my house in my underwear if I choose… AND I frequently do! Why on earth would I be even remotely interested in wearing a Suit (either Dinner or Lounge?) As for the custom Tie & Bow Ties of these lodges; no way, I can’t remember how to tie them it takes too long to put those thing on.

As I am a Modern man, I can see all the entertaining and informative programming I want at anytime of the day or night; indeed, I was watching a YouTube contributor talk about self improvement the other night and it was very informative and much better than any advice that I have gotten in ages. Why would I want to practice an esoteric ritual spoken in Victorian style English intended to make me a better man when I can watch the “Ultimate bikini Fails collection” over & over & over again!

As I am a Modern man, I can order my daily needs, over the internet, at any time convenient to me, you know, all without physically talking to, speaking to, seeing or dealing with another human being. Why would I want to have a short supper with some blokes after a lodge and chat about the past month? I can watch the News when I have my dinner and do the same thing!

As I am a Modern man, I can see no sensible reasons for all these secrets that happen in a lodge; let’s be honest, what is the point? To not tell everyone about something that you do is silly and is out of touch with the Modern World - the only secret I keep is when I’ve been accessing those “naughty” web pages that I use the “In-Private” internet setting for...

And even sillier is that Freemasons give oaths that they will not reveal the secrets of their craft, why, EVERYONE knows that you are closer to people when there are no secrets! That is what it is like when I am in the chat rooms on the web; no secrets there, all honest. Besides; what if I forget the secret “bits”, why, I’d have to turn up to a lodges practice night and get reminded of these passwords and associated secrets; that just isn’t efficient.

As I am a Modern man, My life is just so busy; I need everything to work for ME. I have made it to be just so efficient. Time Economical. Business and being available and connected is important to me after all. I can’t afford to have time out from it, at all. Why doing something for a group for no monetary gain is just such an old time way of thinking

Thus I confidently pronounce Freemasonry as 100% totally irrelevant to Modern Society. Who needs it?

I mean, Why would I want to talk to another man about what happened to him in the past? When he started work?

Why would someone be interested in what I have been upto?

Why would another man be interested in My family?

My Hobbies?

My Gardening?

My Sporting Pastimes?

My Work? My Health?

My House?

No-one in real life would be interested in that stuff - My Facebook friends know all that already, via the timeline feed - all those Selfies when I am exercising, or enjoying a really nice meal, or walking to work…

Maybe Freemasonry could hold a “Virtual Lodge” where a man might participate in watch Lodge life from home, possibly whilst on the toilet. This would be truly relevant to a Modern Man. And you could only imagine the amount of members that would join that “virtual” lodge.

I mean, who could not see the relevance of a “Local Masonic Lodge Podcast” where a man could join a lodge full of like minded men, and watch it take place when it is convenient to him, for instance, I would find 7.30 PM on the second Monday night of the month to be the most convenient time to participate in a Lodge… and now that I think about it, I get the feeling that Lodge Canoblas Lewis #806 in Orange meets at these times, but that involves getting out of the house, getting dressed, participating in some sort of ritual, casual conversations and sharing a meal.

All of which, quite frankly, are just too hard.

Thus, AND in summary, Until Freemasonry can adapt to the above busy world that is MY life, by answering the above challenges, it will remain irrelevant to the Modern Man for all time.

Best Wishes,

Bro Meagher

Relevance Pt 1

The usual editor of this site (and the associated Facebook page) Bro Meagher recently submitted 3 entries in to the UGLNSWACT 2016 Grand Masters Literary Prize. This year the submissions were to be less than 2000 words and were to be on the subject of the relevance of Freemasonry to the modern man

In his own inimitable fashion Bro Meagher has drawn a rather long bow in his entries... so, to celebrate his "individuality" in his take on the subject here is a copy of His first submission, loosely titled "Hemmingway, Non-Mason". We will endeavour to put his other two submissions up over the coming week.

Hemmingway, Non-Mason

The man arrived home.

As usual he found his house empty.

He took off his loafers and placed them into the shoe shelf of the cloak cupboard.

Jacket into the cupboard, on the appropriate hanger.

Keys went into the bowl on the sideboard.

It all had a place.

In a linen shirt, Nantucket red pants and socks he meandered through his house to let his dog inside - he craved company, any company.

He had been having a rough time and it was showing.

Man and dog arrived in the front room, where the man began to leaf through a women's magazine of indeterminate age… he noticed that every time he leafed through these mags, the stories were pretty much exactly the same: updates on random members of the many European royal families laced with diet ideas, actress’ movements and affairs & of course the obligatory models in swimwear… admittedly, he did like the swimwear pictures…

Inspite of his dislike of the magazine he continued to read on until the need for a drink prompted him to stop.

The man found himself standing at his bar.

It was a nice bar. He had stocked it well with all manner of offerings to Bacchus.

Tonight the Bacchanalia was Gin & Tonic.

He sipped and thought.

His dog, George, the scruffy, yet rakishly urbane Jack Russell Terrier was the only witness to his libations.

The man thought on:

How nice it was when he was a part of the netball club when his daughter was playing.

How nice it was to run the BBQ and see the small winnings transferred to the club to buy small things for the girls.

He ruminated more about his footy fund raising for Junior, or running the barbecue for little miss’s netball club.

How grand just being part of the team was.

Oh how he missed it all.

“You know George, I am not That old… I still have plenty of life left in me yet, you know”. George didn't reply,  he just twisted his head to the side in the way that a noble Jack Russell terrier does. “I Just seem to be at something of a loose end…”

George twisted his head to the other side as if to say “ Well, a being a very busy person will do that to a man.. .”

The man interrupted Georges reply: “... I just seem to be living an empty life… I just don't have any mates to talk to!”

George snorted & scratched his right front shoulder and insinuated “well thanks for ignoring your best Canine friend EVER... “ he sat down and looked hopefully at the man “Aren't I your mate?”

“Well yes old boy,” the man replied as he bent to stroke his sporting quadrupedal friend, “But I need a HUMAN mate to talk to… you know the same way that you chase cats with Barry the Whippet from down the road

“Oh Yes!” George snorted as he sniffed at a bone “I understand… and no offence taken in that circumstance”

“I thought that you'd understand” the man thought. Here we are, again, Monday night and here I am, third Gin and Tonic before dinner. To be honest I am beginning to feel like the protagonist in an Ernest Hemingway novel… machismo, booze and conversations. .. Including conversation s thats are  just all a one way affair… no offense old mate “ he added so as not to upset George.

“No Worries old Mate” George's head and Tail indicated

The man felt for his phone. He had become quite fond of Facebook… he found that he could keep up with all sorts of people that he had met over the years. For some reason it didn't seem real. It did fill in a couple of minutes though.

After the Facebook session, the man had another gin and tonic. He mused some more. What is there that I can do to fill the emptiness of my life?

What is there that can keep the grey matter going? Where my friends will be as excited to see me as I them?  Where I can enjoy a  G&T in company - or not if I chose???

Where is it all? the man pleaded…

George looked on with his doggish dignity and intimated: “mate you need to join something,... I hear there are a heap of ladies down at the dog walking park, maybe that would help?” he wagged his tail at his intimated suggestions. ..

“Oh gosh, No” the man replied. “Mate I need more. Mate, I need fraternity, a group of men that don't care about money, as such, meeting without the Pluto’s hefty shadow clouding the event.

The man asked vainly “Where can I just hang out with the fellas and enjoy the company of the fraternity “

“Somewhere where I can forget about the problems of life for a couple of hours… maybe with some music too… oh if only…”

George looked on hopefully as it was getting close to dinner time.

“Oh well” said the man in a way that was obliquely directed to George “I suppose I will just have to have another gin and tonic… and watch the TV… yes, that is the Go!… I think there’s a new show on that everyone is talking about…”

George did not look happy with the current line of conversation.

George sneezed in disgust and walked over to his dinner bowl. He wagged his tail as he looked up at the man.

“Oh yes, dinner time… I had best feed you” the man said… The man mused: And how nice would it be for me to have a casual meal occasionally, And chew the fat over the events of the last month in an equally casual way.

“If only…”  the Man mused.

And so the night went on…

George supervised it all. He knew that some of the other dogs masters were Freemasons and didn’t have these sort of problems, he tried to tell the man this… but George was a dog after all, and he couldn't tell the man any of it.

And this rather sad story is the reason that Freemasonry is relevant to the modem man.

So Mote it Be!