The Masonic Society - On the Move! - And AMD
With less than a week of official existence under its belt the new Masonic Society has now over 100 members. This tells me that there is a hunger for Masonic education, growth, and learning.
There is a myth floating around in the Masonic world that the way to make more Masons is to make Masonry easier, simpler, and quicker. But the light I see expressed by newer Masons is that they want more. More education, more depth, more understanding, more information, more study, more involvement in the Craft.
This reminds me of the current growth nationally of the Allied Masonic Degrees. As a new AMD member in a brand new AMD council I have learned that the AMD is one of the few nationally recognized York Rite related bodies that is experiencing growth. Why?
Well, the AMD creates the small lodge experience with no more than 27 members per council. It is expected that all 27 members will be active participants. The society is geared towards Masonic research, discussion, education and discussion. New councils, unlike many Masonic bodies, are easy to start and easy to get a charter for.
Des Moines has a new AMD Council, Polaris NO. 449 AMD, which is moving forward. I will be presenting a Masonic paper at our July meeting for discussion. Given my experience with AMD and other similar organizations, AMD has all the others beat for ease of startup and focus.
The power and promise of Freemasonry is found in the philosophy and way of life it teaches. And, as Masons wade into the deeper waters of the Craft they find compelling reasons to be a Mason!
There is a myth floating around in the Masonic world that the way to make more Masons is to make Masonry easier, simpler, and quicker. But the light I see expressed by newer Masons is that they want more. More education, more depth, more understanding, more information, more study, more involvement in the Craft.
This reminds me of the current growth nationally of the Allied Masonic Degrees. As a new AMD member in a brand new AMD council I have learned that the AMD is one of the few nationally recognized York Rite related bodies that is experiencing growth. Why?
Well, the AMD creates the small lodge experience with no more than 27 members per council. It is expected that all 27 members will be active participants. The society is geared towards Masonic research, discussion, education and discussion. New councils, unlike many Masonic bodies, are easy to start and easy to get a charter for.
Des Moines has a new AMD Council, Polaris NO. 449 AMD, which is moving forward. I will be presenting a Masonic paper at our July meeting for discussion. Given my experience with AMD and other similar organizations, AMD has all the others beat for ease of startup and focus.
The power and promise of Freemasonry is found in the philosophy and way of life it teaches. And, as Masons wade into the deeper waters of the Craft they find compelling reasons to be a Mason!
Timothy Bonney
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The Masonic Society off to a huge start!
I have really been impressed in the initial interest in the new Masonic Society. I receive notice of the registrations for the online forum which require you to be a dues paying member to join and the names are coming in at an amazing rate!
It does my heart good to know that many Masons are interested in new and growing avenues of Masonic research!
It does my heart good to know that many Masons are interested in new and growing avenues of Masonic research!
The Masonic Society
What Is The Masonic Society?
"The ultimate success of Masonry depends on the intelligence of her disciples." - Albert Mackey
A significant group of passionate Masons are coming together to create what aims to be nothing less than the premiere North American research society in Freemasonry. Called simply The Masonic Society, we are gathering together brothers who have a deep and abiding desire to seek knowledge, explore history, discover symbolism, debate philosophies, and in short, who will be at the forefront of charting a path for the future of Freemasonry.
As a student of Freemasonry, you are invited to join with us in the formation of this new and exciting organization.
Our name, The Masonic Society, intentionally alludes to the Royal Society, the innovative organization of visionary men who were at the forefront of the Age of Enlightenment, many of whom were present at the formation of what became modern Freemasonry. Likewise, our new Society will be at the forefront of a new age of Freemasonry, and we intend to be a vibrant, active community within the fraternity.
The goal of The Masonic Society is not just to look backward at the history of Freemasonry, but to foster the intellectual, spiritual and social growth of the modern Masonic fraternity.
To that end, The Masonic Society extends the hand of assistance and cooperation to individual Masonic research lodges in North America. It is the desire of The Masonic Society to be a partner with these lodges, to give their members the regular opportunity to publish their papers for an international audience, and to publicize their activities.
The Masonic Society is also forging a special relationship with those bodies that meet annually during Masonic Week, as well as the Grand Encampment, Knights Templar and the George Washington Masonic National Memorial Association. While not designed as a York Rite-specific research group, The Masonic Society encourages examination of this branch of Freemasonry.
Membership in The Masonic Society is $39 per year ($49 outside of the U.S. & Canada). Benefits will include:
• Commemorative pin, patent of membership, and dues card.
• The quarterly Journal of The Masonic Society will present articles that enlighten our past, and explore solutions to the challenges facing Freemasonry today and tomorrow. The Journal will feature articles by the best-known authors in Freemasonry, as well as the brethren from the lodges in your neighborhood. There will also be articles from the non-Masonic academic world that is looking with greater interest than ever at our fraternity and its place in society. We'll bring you timely Masonic news, photos and commentary from around the globe, in full color. The Journal will also feature advertising from a select group of publishers, regalia manufacturers, and fraternal supply companies which specialize in products specific to Freemasons – the only magazine of its kind to do so in America and Canada.
• Members-only access to the Masonic Society online Internet forum.
• Annual First Circle gatherings – Each year, The Masonic Society will be an active participant in the Allied Masonic Degrees "Masonic Week," held in February in Alexandria, Virginia. This will include the annual First Circle gathering. An additional symposium will be held elsewhere in the US or Canada once a year. These events will be educational, informative, but most of all, fun and memorable to attend.
Fellows of the Masonic Society will be named each year, in recognition of their contribution to the body of knowledge of the fraternity, through their writing, their Internet presence, their service to the Society, or their labors for Freemasonry.
Membership in the Society is open to regular Master Masons in good standing of regular, recognized grand lodges in good standing with the Conference of Grand Masters of Masons in North America (CGMMNA), or a grand lodge in amity with a member grand lodge of CGMMNA. Non-Masons, libraries, lodges, and members of other obediences may also subscribe to the Journal at the $39 annual rate.
quill
Younger Masonry
I was sitting in Acanthus Lodge No. 632 in Des Moines on Monday night. I am a new member of Acanthus having dually affiliated in a month or so ago. The officers of Acanthus were conferring an Entered Apprentice degree. And, as I looked around at the officers it occurred to me that almost all of them looked to be men under forty.
This caused me to reflect on the age of members in our fraternity.
While I have no statistical analysis to back this up, my own personal observation from lodges I visit, to Grand Lodge sessions I attend, to the interest of Freemasonry on the internet is that Masonic membership is beginning to become younger again. I see many more young faces in leadership in the Craft, I see a growing interest in fraternity among younger men. And, I see those men being very active in the Craft. Acanthus Lodge should be congratulated for getting these new men involved! They are obviously working hard to involve new members.
Now that we are again getting younger men to consider Freemasonry, we need to make sure we give them Freemasonry. As a fraternal organization we need to reexamine our core principles, remind ourselves of the essentials of the Craft, and make sure we pass on those essentials to the incoming generation.
Younger Masons want Masonic education, and we must give them that. Younger Masons want to understand the power and meaning of our ritual. Younger Masons are looking for avenues for them to participate in the life of the Craft.
When I became a Mason, seven years ago now, I wasn't looking for another dinner club, or another charity to contribute to. I wasn't looking for another community service organization. I was looking to become a part of the oldest and noblest fraternity of men.
We need to make sure we give these new young Masons what they joined to get. We need to give them those things that are unique to our fraternity that they can't get anywhere else. We need to give them Freemasonry.
This caused me to reflect on the age of members in our fraternity.
While I have no statistical analysis to back this up, my own personal observation from lodges I visit, to Grand Lodge sessions I attend, to the interest of Freemasonry on the internet is that Masonic membership is beginning to become younger again. I see many more young faces in leadership in the Craft, I see a growing interest in fraternity among younger men. And, I see those men being very active in the Craft. Acanthus Lodge should be congratulated for getting these new men involved! They are obviously working hard to involve new members.
Now that we are again getting younger men to consider Freemasonry, we need to make sure we give them Freemasonry. As a fraternal organization we need to reexamine our core principles, remind ourselves of the essentials of the Craft, and make sure we pass on those essentials to the incoming generation.
Younger Masons want Masonic education, and we must give them that. Younger Masons want to understand the power and meaning of our ritual. Younger Masons are looking for avenues for them to participate in the life of the Craft.
When I became a Mason, seven years ago now, I wasn't looking for another dinner club, or another charity to contribute to. I wasn't looking for another community service organization. I was looking to become a part of the oldest and noblest fraternity of men.
We need to make sure we give these new young Masons what they joined to get. We need to give them those things that are unique to our fraternity that they can't get anywhere else. We need to give them Freemasonry.
A Thank You to Burning Taper
I appreciate brother Widow's Son asking me to write a short bio for his blog "Burning Taper." WS is one of the most active Masonic bloggers on the net. I have enjoyed reading the other Biographies and it reminds me how varied our Masonic fraternity is. Diversity is a good thing.
Brother Chris Hodapp also pointed out that I failed to mention my previous connections in Indiana as an original member of the Knights of the North who wrote the paper Laudable Pursuit. And, I am proud to claim it. The Knights of the North have been some of the most forward thinking Freemasons I have known as a Mason.
Brother Chris Hodapp also pointed out that I failed to mention my previous connections in Indiana as an original member of the Knights of the North who wrote the paper Laudable Pursuit. And, I am proud to claim it. The Knights of the North have been some of the most forward thinking Freemasons I have known as a Mason.