Checking out the fishing action roadside from the motor home.

After a successful career and then retirement, is there another ladder to climb for volunteering?

The answer is, only if you want to climb that ladder. Volunteering at any age is worthy and even brings health benefits. See my other posts on the subject of health, positivity, connectivity, and ways to broaden one’s mind, using meditation. However, health aside volunteering has many other benefits for both sides of the volunteer equation which in these days of declining services and opportunities are more in need than every before.

AARP, the largest and probably the most recognized of the retirement age advocacy groups in the United States also provides several paths and steps for those who want to volunteer. This group is well organized and very focused on the welfare of the retired membership.

http://www.aarp.org/giving-back/

Freemasons, the largest and oldest fraternal organization in the world are another group where men of all ages are welcome to join and where volunteering is highly encouraged. Freemasons only accept men who believe in a supreme being, are of legal age, free of criminal past, well respected in the community, and who are willing to pass through the three degrees of initiation. Most men who join the Masons have been volunteers for many years in their churches or other well known groups. Masons have a ladder of success in the form of the progression for the governing of the lodge as well, though many members never care to engage in that part of the Masonic experience.

http://askafreemason.org/

Another group who allow both men and women and is associated with Freemasonry would be the Eastern Star. This group’s purpose is to provide membership association as well as charitable work for its focus. They operate independently from the Freemasons, with the only requirement that a belief in a supreme being and a focus on Christianity through the story of the  star of Bethlehem.

http://www.easternstar.org/

Another group of Freemasonry related members are the Shriners. One group is men only and one group is ladies only. Today the requirement to join the Shiriners is for the men to be a Mason in good standing. For the ladies, being related to a Mason in good standing is required, along with the usual belief for both groups that you believe in a supreme being and be of good character. Both groups volunteer extensively for charities as well as provide funds for their respective area Shriner’s Crippled and Burn Hospitals. Many retirement age ladies and men have been in these two groups for years but with retirement they fully engage their time and effort for the good causes these groups support, volunteering in ways too numerous to cover.

http://www.shrinersinternational.org/Shriners.aspx

http://www.shrinersinternational.org/en/Shriners/Organization/NewFirstLady.aspx

Habitat for Humanity is another group with many opportunities for retired volunteers. They are faith based but help those in need regardless of their religious affiliation or other characteristics. The help ranges from pure labor to organizational type positions and everything in between for most of the local groups, along with fund raising or donation solicitations.

http://www.habitat.org/where-we-build

                                                        USO, December 1941

Another group with opportunities for retired volunteers is the many veterans groups, not all of which require prior service to become involved. The USO is one of these groups that doesn’t require prior service for volunteering.

http://www.uso.org/ways-to-volunteer.aspx

For prior service members, the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars offer many outstanding opportunities for volunteering wither retired or not.

http://www.legion.org/volunteers

http://www.vfw.org/Community/Get-Involved/

One more is the Disabled American Veterans, which runs collection centers where the proceeds go to helping disabled veterans.

http://www.dav.org/volunteers/Opportunities.aspx?gclid=CJPdg5y_-LcCFVMV7AodDUsAlQ

A different focus for helping children is the Senior Corps. This aligns people 55 and older with youth in need of mentoring and other services.

http://www.nationalservice.gov/programs/senior-corps

Many local opportunities for youth engagement can be found at schools too, with after school programs for tutoring or coaching opportunities.

The American Red Cross is another group that has well thought out programs aimed at those over 50 who can focus specialties on disaster relief when needed. Go to their website for the details.

http://www.crossculturalsolutions.org/retired-volunteer-abroad-programs?siteID=Google_Grants_retired_volunteer&gclid=CLS8pPjA-LcCFQho7Aodm0EAbQ

This short and very incomplete list of volunteer friendly groups for older citizens is reflective of not only the need for elderly involvement but the abundant benefits gained by both the volunteers and those on the receiving end.

Life’s steps as we age provides many ladders for us to climb and then move onto another portion of our life experience, one where retirement age eventually makes all of us cross the age of elibibility for AARP, which is technically 50 but most of the groups providing services for AARP don’t activate their participation until 55. 

The opportunities to volunteer through faith based groups abounds, secular groups who don’t specialize in spreading the mostly Christian message but simply help whoever, where ever the needs is found, and even those who are very focused on helping one select group in need such as Special Olympics.

http://www.specialolympics.org/volunteers.aspx

Many of the posts I have provided here on this site already detail the health benefits of networking, social connectivity, positivity, and how face-to-face interactions rather than internet networking can provide enormous life prolonging human benefits to the volunteer.

These attributes associated with volunteering should be included in the retirement planning of every able bodied retired volunteer who wants to enrich their life. 

With the potential for many soon to retire Americans seeing their wealth reduced in the last few years this is one area where a fixed income volunteer can still reap the rewards of a vital life without impacting their monthly budget.

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Women volunteer workers doing up clothing parcels at the ACF rooms (taken for Australian Comforts Fund), Sydney 1944/ photographer Sam Hood

Volunteers in America are one critical key to our rebuilding future. Volunteering around the world has changed drastically over the decades. In my own family an uncle with a law degree enlisted into the Navy immediately after December 7, 1941. He has since passed and in truth I am only in the last few years putting his life and memory together because he was the last of his family name, and he had a very lasting influence on my life.

In that search I located the actual newspaper that he kept from the next day detailing the bombing and its effects, from Des Moines, Iowa, cost 3 cents. My uncle went on to earn a commission and then went on to language school in Denver, Colorado for training in the Japanese language. He was in some way involved in the reconstruction effort with Douglas MacArther based on photos and letters that I also have acquired, rebuilding Japan into a united people again with an infrastructure after the war.

Many volunteers from America were needed for that rebuilding process.

I am also in possession of his entire language training manuals issued by the Navy from those days! So he joined the U.S. Navy, taking an enlisted position of Petty Officer 2nd Class when he warranted an officer status just as many volunteer of America have done through out history.

This is the kind of passion shown in his volunteering that was common back in WWII after the bombing of the U. S. Navy’s fleet, and many stories like my uncles can be heard from that era. That passion was exhibited in the rebuilding of American volunteer groups as well, with memberships soaring after WWII.

I so wish that I had known my Godfather much better than I did, he passed when I was fairly young. But his spirit of volunteering and those of his generation were part of what made this country great and I believe we need to recapture that spirit in order to rebuild American society into that same sense of family values and greatness. I see this endeavor as empowered volunteers rebuilding America, one individual member in one volunteer group at a time.

Why is it so important to our nation to rebuild these American volunteer groups? Well, mentally it is in our makeup as citizens, along with our history! 

Every United States sailor soon learns that an acronym for NAVY is “Never again volunteer yourself”, something that signifies the historical nature of one service where usually the volunteers for service have outpaced those who joined by some other process. Today’s all volunteer U. S. Military reflects a completely different mindset from the days of enlisted men being “Shanghi’ed” and being referred to only as “strong backs”.

The empowered volunteer’s mental makeup in the posts I have presented so far is one of kindness and empathy for one’s fellow mankind, and one of caring for society at large and the world in its entirety. This is of course an ideal and where humans are concerned ideals are very hard to come by during conflicts on a national scale.

Ideals were very hard to come by in the days of WWII too. Various ethnic groups that had countries of origin which were not from that of the Allies were often surveyed in the eyes of public opinion as suspicious and even subversive. This was true of the German-American experience in areas like Milwaukee and Green Bay, to state just a few examples.

Grange Hall in Keene, New Hampshire

Volunteering in American fraternal groups in the United States reaches back to the founding fathers, but in this case I want to illustrate an example of a civic group which is not quite that old, but has an influence from the oldest fraternal organization in the world. 

The National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry was founded after the end of the American Civil War, when rebuilding America was a very real national priority. It’s conception was one of need to bring together the defeated southern citizens in dire economic need with the resources of the northern states. This vision of seeing tremendous need and filling that void with a new American volunteer group was put into operation by a charter from Congress, but it was initiated by two American Freemasons.

The sadness of the national mind is easily seen in this unidentified girl holding her father’s military photo from the American Civil War.

It would take more than talk by Congress or by state political leaders to heal our nation after the war was over. Despite the old saying, “Time heals all wounds” I would submit it takes much more than that, it takes action by individuals, many of them American volunteers driven by a common purpose, to unite America by rebuilding social capital and reciprocation between individuals, even with visiting Yankees.

Oliver Kelly, appointed by President Andrew Johnson, was tasked to collect data on southern states status of agricultural capabilities. Kelly found that he was not received well by southerners due to his obvious northern affiliations. He finally found a way to penetrate the distrust of the southern farmers by using his affiliation as a Freemason to bridge the gap of trust still lingering for everything Yankee. Both President Johnson and Oliver Kelly were Freemasons, Johnson from a Tennessee masonic lodge and Kelly from a Minnesota masonic lodge. 

Being a Freemason was universal and meant that no matter what the region of the world was, all people were worthy, including all groups of people from every region of America. Everyone sought to revisit their feelings and cooperate for their own benefits, making Kelly’s efforts to improve the outdated farming practices he observed in the southern states successful by the creation of what came to be called the Grange. Membership grew at a staggering rate and by 1873 there were 200,000 members, in 1875 there were over 850,000 members. Where a need existed for rebuilding southern farmers, the Grange filled it with volunteers and energy.

The American Freemason affiliation reflected with the Grange can also be traced to the Elks, the Moose, the Odd Fellows and to the Lions in one way or another. From worthy roots many branches will grow! However, these groups have all modified and updated their ceremonies and associated rules over the years to better reflect a changing American society. I will recite some of these groups worthy achievements in future posts.

The conception of the Grange by Oliver Kelley and it’s later creation with a group of other citizens is only one example of the power of an American empowered volunteer!

He created a solution to a monumental need, one that had to use a common denominator between the two groups of citizens in order to bridge the gap of suspicion and distrust left over from the war. To be honest, this masonic path was paved by the so called “military lodges” created during the war, with estimates listed in Allen E. Roberts book, House Undivided, the Story of Freemasonry and the Civil War of 94 traveling lodges in the Northern Armies and around 150 in the Southern Armies. Freemasonry was held in high esteem by many citizens in the south during that era.

Numerous examples of fraternal generosity between Freemasons on both sides of the conflict abound. An example is the burial of John E. Hart, the Captain of the USS Albatross. On June 13th, 1863 Theo. B. Dubois went ashore under a flag of truce looking for a masonic lodge near St. Francisville, Louisiana. He located members of the lodge, who were willing to participate in the masonic funeral, even one from the opposing side. For a short time masonic members and non-members from opposing sides united for a common cause, one of civility and courtesy. This is a hallmark of the fraternities history, with only small blemishes from time to time marring that lofty esteem in recorded history.

Volunteers of American groups in our history have had profound effects on our nation. One example is the American Legion. In June 22, 1944, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed into law the original GI Bill, or Servicemen’s Readjustment Act, ushering in monumental changes in U.S. society. Higher education becomes standard after 8 million veterans go to school on the GI Bill, find better jobs, buy houses in the suburbs and raise families. For every dollar spent on educating veterans, it is reported the U.S. economy eventually gets $7 back.

Volunteer groups work for their membership, aiming for improvement to their lot. It is unusual that these improvements don’t also improve American society as well.

The Grange was instrumental in the combined healing of wounds after the Civil War. Freemasons were behind both sides, reflecting the membership divide that American society experienced, however Freemasonry was often but not always successful in bridging gaps for their members, even if it meant collaboration with the opposition.

American volunteer groups have long sought to bring people together and they have the capacity to do so even today, with our nation divided by recent Presidential election politics every bit as much as we were divided by the Civil War so long ago. Some petitions were even conceived and constructed after the recent election with signatures to again have states succeed from the Union! This symbolism truly reflects the divide we faced in our past and if not properly addressed it can’t bode well for our future, it could possibly lead us to a divide and fall future.

            This photo reflects the tension that was still present in families after the civil war!

If the social divisions between regions in America are not healed in some way and we are not united again as a nation and as a people, the negative impact may well be felt for decades or worse, make our divided house fall.

Many volunteer groups today are involved with our returning veterans returning from our wars just as they did in the past, helping them in many different ways. One of many groups who do this, Volunteers of America is particularly effective in helping American veterans that are in need of services or find themselves homeless. Recently Home Depot has agreed to sponsor veterans help projects with Volunteers of America, to the tune of over $2 million dollars!

See here for details:

http://www.voa.org/Media-Center/News-Releases/2013-News-Releases/Home-Depot-Foundation-Provides-2-Million-Dollars-to-Help-Veterans.html

In future posts I hope to reinforce the idea that America’s volunteer groups are not only a large part of what made us great as a country, but they have the capacity if we don’t let them die to help us reforge ourselves into an even better nation with a brighter future.

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I would ask you to consider the following quotes about human interactions and networking, called civic engagement and social capital by educators. We will then evaluate these concepts and how they apply to volunteering and the health of those who participate.

Joining and participating in one group cuts your odds of dying over the next year in half. Joining two groups cuts it by three quarters.

We’re not experiencing a Springtime of volunteering, but an Indian Summer, propped up by our nation’s seniors — who have been more civic throughout their lives.

Each 10 minutes of additional commuting time cuts all forms of social capital by 10 percent–10 percent less church-going, 10 percent fewer club meetings, 10 percent fewer evenings with friends, etc.

Civic engagement and volunteering is the new hybrid health club for the 21st century that’s free to join and miraculously improves both your health and the community’s through the work performed and the social ties built.

These factoids are quoted from The Saguaro Seminar, Civic Engagement in America, Harvard/Kennedy School.

http://www.hks.harvard.edu/saguaro/socialcapitalprimer.htm

Social Capital is what is gained when people exercise their human network or as we used to call it, use “hook ups” to get either others to help with a project or locate something of value needed for an objective. Many military individuals were sent out to locate a “hook up” to get a much needed part, promising to return the favor in the future if he could, thus allowing a machine repair when the needed part was located through the network when the proper military channels were either inadequate or money was not available. Social capital is not confined to reciprocation of mutual aid or favors, but this is certainly one area where it thrives.

For historical perspective, this situation mentioned above happened way too often when we were building a 600 ship Navy during the cold war. Mechanics and electricians were frequently forced into “out of the box” part recovery efforts when money and parts were unavailable, yet the command structure wanted to get underway, no matter what. Without hook ups, many Navy ships would not have set sail on time in the 1980′s. Barter was common, with the most valuable trade good being a 5 pound can of coffee for many parts or services which were otherwise unsupported by the regular supply system.

Elaborate  systems and networks were formed which often spanned entire careers as enlisted sailors were promoted and transferred. The term social capital was not universal back then, but it was in use all the same. Connections with people who could provide services or parts were a necessary part of being a senior enlisted worker on both surface ships and submarines in my experience. Social connections could produce effects which the regular system could not or would not.

The person who could get the hook up through his network would now be considered to have high social capital and a raised status among his peers and his superiors. Their status raised as they were able to help their group function in an often defective world where money was not available and hook ups were the only commodity in use.

To be clear, social capital has been around for eons but the term social capital as it apples to civic engagement studies is relatively new. It took more than just showing up with coffee to get things in many cases, you had to know someone. You needed a network. Social capital is easier to evaluate in the civilian community today but it has had many uses in all of aspects of society, where ever their was a need.

Social Capital as it applied to civic engagement and volunteer groups was a central premise of the book, “Bowling Alone”, by Robert D. Putnam, a Harvard Professor. He showed through data analysis that many volunteer groups which had thrived after the WWII years were in sharp decline in members, which resulted in declines for the help and aid given to the charities that relied on the volunteer groups for so much support. Groups like the Freemasons, Elks, Moose, Lions, and many others were part of his over all studies in declining memberships.

The secondary value of this concept of networking and social capital with regard to volunteering on an individual basis is not only the ability to get things done but also the health benefits to those involved. The bottom line is that many studies have verified that their is strong evidence for the positive health benefits for those individuals who exercise passion in their networks and their volunteering. Even expanding your social network has beneficial health benefits some studies have shown.

Another positive aspect of social capital is the ability of social scientists to measure it. The Saguaro Seminar has bench marked survey results from 2000 and again from 2006 on the same communities, with demonstrated changes and trends shown in the final evaluation. This kind of data analysis demonstrates the impact that social capital and civic engagement can have on individuals and communities.

Volunteering produces many health benefits for the individual but also produces, when practiced by a passionate volunteer a much larger effect than most people would believe. This win-win benefit between the individual and the group seeing the volunteering can’t be ignored.

This is the ideal of the empowered volunteer. When an empowered volunteer embraces the passion for the group and shares the news with the world, many from that previously uninformed world will want to participate. Thus all involved benefit and everybody wins.

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Freemason’s Ben Franklin with author and Freemason Rudyard Kipling books in background,  both reflect successful lives even by today’s standards.

Rebuilding America’s volunteer groups can easily start with these ten steps to success in rebuilding America.

One of America’s Founding Fathers, Benjamin Franklin decided he wanted to be more socially visible when he was young, while pursuing success. This was for reasons pertaining to his business where he wanted more printing work as well as his aspirations of higher social climbing. He created, according to his biography a group called the Junto club.

It was a social club, which met to discuss topics and books of interest to the group. Eventually Ben joined the Freemasons and became a prominent member in short order, rising to a fairly high level within a few years. Since this was an organization of prominent and successful merchants and tradesmen, he was able to make connections, which benefited him both professionally and in later life as our Ambassador to France.

Keep in mind Ben Franklin was the originator of the volunteer fire department idea, volunteering was even at that time highly regarded and useful in the building of American society! This revolutionary and highly successful model is still used today in many parts of America. 

By the end of Ben Franklin’s life he had become the most widely recognized American in the eyes of the world.

This was quite a successful accomplishment for a person who had so many obstacles to overcome in his quest for social capital and improved social status over a lifetime. Perhaps today the obstacles faced by an empowered volunteer might seem small in contrast to Dr. Franklin’s.

How should the empowered volunteer start the process for membership building? Excellent question, because rebuilding America seems like a daunting task. The answer is one step at a time, one volunteer at a time, for one group at a time.

Use these ten steps for empowered volunteer success.

First, the empowered volunteer needs be certain that they are supported within the group. This is simple, ask folks to support your efforts and let them tell you how they plan to do it. Request specific information and clarify the details. Put the highlights in writing with names attached to each detail that an individual agrees to complete and if necessary a date which completion is required. Your support staff is now ready to go.

Second, the empowered volunteer should ensure that the leadership for the group is prepared to deal with new members. This sounds simple, but if new members are needed, there must be a position or need which they can be expected to address if you want success in energizing them for the group. Most new members want to feel associated and needed soon after joining. They are usually willing to lend a helping hand. They are not likely to be happy if all they provide to the group is their dues and their name on the roster. Have a need they can fill or a place for them to become active participants and you will see the results you are looking for.

Third, keep the group involved in your efforts to find new members. They will be better able to support your efforts and also to lend comfort to you in your encounters with rejection. Make no mistake about this task you have taken on, membership building involves rejection and lots of it. Rejection is why so many individuals stay away from membership recruiting. It is hard work, and not fit for everyone. When you find success, and you will if you follow the proper course outlined in other posts from this blog, refine your technique until you produce a successful pattern or steps that work for you.

Forth, make a plan. It does not have to be elaborate. But a volunteer who says they will just go out and try is already doomed for dismal results, if they encounter any results at all. If you fail to make a plan, you are planning to fail. Have your personal business cards ready to hand out liberally. Consider some incentive on the back to capture e-mails or some other form of involvement for a prospective member. Get information however you can!

Fifth, set a long-range time frame for judging the success or failure of the plan, some of which will be carried out by those who follow you as the empowered volunteer. The recommendation for a reasonable plan is for at least one year, with a second long range plan of five years. Remember, the decline in membership has occurred over the span of several years, usually since the 1960’s. It would be unwise to plan to rebuild a membership by doubling it in six months. If that jump in membership happens, then great. Put the new members to work with the new opportunities, which were on hold due to membership constraints. This plan should address the four elements in a SWOT analysis in approaching prospects for membership.

Sixth, solicit feedback (read data) from those that reject your message and from those that accept your message as well. Keep a form for compiling your rejections. Sort the rejections into categories, which can be analyzed. You will find trends as you gather enough rejection data. This is invaluable information in helping you decide on future prospecting based on your trends and instincts. It can also be valuable to cross check the data from your rejections with the two parts of the SWOT analysis, weaknesses and threats. You may be able to either drill down into on of the sections of them or add to one of them, based on your rejection list.

Seventh, present a formal quarterly feedback report. Make sure it is data driven and that it is professional in the presentation method with which it is delivered. This is necessary to reflect to the group that you are committed to the group, dedicated to the cause of membership building, professional in your approach to this cause, and open to group participation through feedback in your efforts to achieve your goals. It is best to send the report out ahead of time so that members can digest it and be ready for the presentation as well as constructive feedback for you. Having the presentation group buy into your efforts by “helping” you with feedback is also valuable. It is more of a team effort.

Eighth, share the successes and testimonials with the group and with potential candidates. Build on your successes with a past of success. If you don’t have any when you start, look some up on the internet or the national website for the group. Select the testimonials that reflect your values first and if possible leave the others for another time. It is best to always align with your personal value system if possible for testimonials.

Ninth, build a group of individuals who can “bird dog” for you. In sales terms these are called centers of influence (COIs). They can be any influential citizen who is willing to promote your cause and has sympathy for solving the issues your group specializes in assisting. This particular aspect of sales is time consuming and needs attending to frequently for it’s potential to be realized. It is hard work, but the payoff can be incredible when the groundwork is laid with care.

Tenth, groom your replacement. Few individuals want to be the membership building chief forever. It is easy to become tired and burn out. This is why many folks do not enter the field of sales. It is very demanding if one is to survive. Find someone who is perhaps reluctant but willing if they could just experience success while under some tutelage. Have them participate, silently at first by watching and over time let them build up confidence by taking portions of the presentation and presenting the message under your watchful eye.

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Freemason ball cap

Freemasons, the oldest and largest fraternal organization in the world has a long history.

This group of like minded men have been around so long that way too many stories embellished with questionable circumstances have been circulated. From some of these imaginations we get the movie, National Treasure. So many books, both pro and con have been written about Freemasons that I can’t even think of covering all of the material here in one post. I will try and condense the material into a useful amount so that the reader can at least decide if they have an interest in becoming a member or becoming an empowered volunteer for one of the many groups associated with Freemasonry.

First off, Freemasonry is a fraternal organization.

It is different from civic groups like the Lions Club or the Kiwanis or Rotary International. The difference is more legal than anything. Fraternal groups can have closed memberships requiring votes for entry. Civic groups are much more open, with restrictions being limited to well defined sectors such as the Rotary and the business sectors represented for each section within the local club. Civic groups can’t legally exclude any sectors of the public for instance. There have been a few court cases that have settled this in the past.

Freemasons started in the current incarnation we see today in the year 1717 in England. The past beyond that for the group traditionally included the masons building the great Roman Catholic Churches and buildings going back several hundred years. Some claim masons go back to the times of the Crusades even. However, today’s groups can only trace their current form to the creation of Freemasons in 1717. Before that, so many things were different that the linage is very hard to prove and for our purposes we really don’t care.

Freemasons in the United States are open about their membership and members often openly wear the affiliated symbols openly and proudly. However, Masons are one of the most persecuted of groups in modern times. Freemasons were not welcome under dictatorships or in Germany under the Nazi party. It is a little known fact that masons were included in the rounded up groups sent to the concentration camps.

Jews, gypsies, gays, and masons were all included in the concentration camp round up in Germany prior to and during WWII.

Masons, fearing the hostile government of Germany took to wearing a small lapel pin of a forget me not, a purple flower to distinguish themselves to others in the groups, much like the fish symbol was used by Christians during the time after Jesus in Rome.

Freemasonry today is a wide branch of a tree containing many different sections of groups, all with a Masonic connection. Think of this collections of groups like a high school in the United States. For a member of the school to join associated groups is normal. But you can’t join the base ball group of another school if you don’t live there. You have to stay in your area. It is the same with Freemasons. Once you have petitioned and been fully initiated into the local lodge as a Master Mason, which is also called the third degree of Masonry, you are at the top of the ladder. You can go no higher, only adding other groups.

Like a high school has many clubs and groups, so does the Master Mason confront many potential groups who will happily put him to work for the cause they support. You can’t just skip to the supporting group and skip the process of becoming a mason though, just as you can’t attend a school group without belonging to that school, home schooled children exempted.

Order of the Eastern Star

Once you have joined the local Freemason’s lodge your are usually allowed to consider the other groups as you see fit. Such groups as the Shriners, Tall Cedars of Lebanon, the Order of the Eastern Star are all for adults. The Order of DeMolay is a boys youth group. Rainbow Girls is a youth group for girls. There are other groups associated with masons.

Eastern Star is for ladies as well as men, all the lady has to show is a relationship to a mason.

Shriners

The purpose of Freemasonry in today’s society is stated as, “To make good men better”. This is simple and yet very complicated. The voting process for membership entry is supposed to ensure that only men of high character are allowed to join. There is a group that meets with you and your spouse to ensure she will not be unhappy if you join. Masons promote harmony both in the lodge by banning any conversation regarding religion or politics, but also at home by ensuring that spouses are secure that their men are attending functions which reflect positively on their reputations and that of their respective families.

If you do a search engine request on Freemasonry you will get many replies. Some of them will not be positive. Some will claim that Freemasons are a “secrete” organization which is unChristian. This is simply false. I am a Freemason, I have been in the group in many different states for over 20 years now. I have been in several of the associated groups as well. We do not have any deep dark secretes like the movies show, nor do we do sinister things during our initiations. Lastly, we are completely compatible with most Christian and many other religions.

I will put it this way, the group that has issues with Freemasonry must base their objections on either false or misleading information in order to compromise Christian values as they view them in some way.

Religions for the most part are happily aligned with the tenants of Freemasonry, since most of the initiation wording comes straight from the Old Testament part of the Bible, specifically the part involving King Solomon in first and second Kings. The idea is to use the symbols from this story as a pattern for building one’s moral character. Very simple, easily remembered rules from Bible stories help teach the new Mason his requirements and expectations.

Freemasons use rules and symbols that are put into a kind of story surrounding the building of Kind Solomon’s temple as an allegory for every mason to build his own personal spiritual temple here on earth. In other words, take the many lessons from the Bible verses that are memorized and make yourself a better person.

Freemasons don’t preach salvation, we only claim that we live on after we die here on earth.

How that is done and the surrounding issues are left to the individual and his church if he attends one. In America, most Freemasons attend a church of their choice. Many attend on a regular basis. However Jews are also welcome along with many from the other major religions of the world.

The key is to believe in a Supreme Being, usually called God.

Many famous people were Freemasons. Here is a site which lists some of them. http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/famous-freemasons.html

Some famous Masons are remembered for behavior which was not very Masonic, meaning not of good character. Likely the most memorable of these was Benedict Arnold, famous for betraying his Commander General George Washington during the Revolutionary War.

Other memorable divisions between Masonic Brothers in American history involved Davy Crockett in his opposition to the Native American policies of President Andrew Jackson and the Korean War division between General Douglas MacArthur and then President Truman firing his general for insubordination.

These high profile episodes reflect and refute the notion that Masons will not enforce laws between themselves. Davy Crockett was so distraught with his treatment by his Brother Mason that he left his home and went to Texas to fight in their revolution, with several Brother Masons also involved and where he seemed to find better treatment as well.

The public perception that Masons will refuse to deal with fellow members as needed when in public office should now be dead from these examples.

The internet is full of stupid sites making so called historical claims that Freemasons do many creative and lowly things. I can tell you from personal experience they are simply not true. There are only a very few things which Freemasonry members promise not to reveal to the public. To that end, in 1723 a book was published which claimed to give out all of the secretes of the fraternity. To this day none of the so called secretes have been changed due to that violation of the authors oath when he published them.

It simply doesn’t matter if someone learns the hand grip or the gesture or whatever. To be a Mason starts in the heart with the right attitude and goes from there. It is not in gestures or hand shakes. So the liars on the internet can continue their negative crusade, but it will not stop good men from continuing their good works on behalf of society and in the name of the Holy Saint’s John.

To be a Mason you need to believe in a Supreme Being, usually called God. This allows the three religions stemming from Abraham of the Bible,including Jewish followers of most variations, Christian followers in most instances, and the followers of Mohammad as well as a few of the other religions of the world that are in alignment with the idea of a supreme being can apply to join Freemasonry.

Many famous Masons, such as Ben Franklin were Deists during the age of enlightenment, meaning that they were not Christian any longer, even if they were raised that way. George Washington was another Deist. Deists were not Christian, rather they believed God was a kind of watchmaker who wound up the universe and then stepped aside to let matters unwind. Since Deists believe in a Supreme Being or God, they too are welcome to join the ranks of Freemasonry. This is mentioned to set the example that very good men such as these were also Freemasons and history has not judged them harshly for either characteristic.

Atheists are not welcome to join Freemasonry.

If you take a look at some of the more famous Freemasons, you should be able to detect the true nature of the group as judged by the overall tone and character of the past members. Many of the more famous members were famous not for being masons but for their contributions to society. I will let you review the list for yourself and come to your own conclusions.

In the future I will write about many of the other Freemason groups and their respective traits.

For now, Freemasonry is a worthy group for the consideration of the empowered volunteer. It has a vast amount of space to enjoy and explore. Enjoy this group if you choose to spend your time in such good company. So mote it be!

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