tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51960798938950919202024-03-08T12:29:07.618-08:00The Past BastardThe Past Bastard is a Masonic satirical blog dedicated to enlightening brethren while exposing idiosyncracies of the Masonic experience.Mason Buhrmasterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07477457521791524331noreply@blogger.comBlogger230125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196079893895091920.post-49135194846363518972022-04-01T04:53:00.003-07:002022-04-01T06:12:30.624-07:00The Past Bastard forced to take sabbatical because it has become impossible to write parody <p>As many of our readers are aware, The Past Bastard was booted from Facebook (despite our claim to Masonic satire) for spreading misinformation.</p><p>The writers here maintain that it is now virtually impossible to write anything that is more ridiculous than what has happened in the Masonic events of the last few years. In fact, just within the last couple of months we have had reports from:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p><i>Arkansas </i>- The GL of Arkansas has essentially barred Freemasons from using social media in any Masonic capacity after GL officers discovered that some of their members were using TikTok. Arkansas specifically forbade members from joining any TikTok lodge. </p><p><i>Connecticut </i>- A Past Grand Master was shot in the leg when he dropped his gun (other reports say it was another member who dropped his own gun) after a meeting. Consequently, they are looking at disarming the Tylers.</p><p><i>Louisiana </i>- The GM of Louisiana has decided that Freemasonry is a Christian tradition, and has ordered that Bible verses to be read in lodge after opening.</p><p><i>Scottish Rite NMJ</i> - The Northern Masonic Jurisdiction has taken one more step toward becoming a parody of itself by releasing a video by which the audience can receive the 4° SR degree. No word yet if they will start taking dues payments in Bitcoin.</p></blockquote><p>As our readers can see, it is becoming more difficult to imagine scenarios for us to parody when the actual events raise such a high bar of incredulity. We are now considering on reporting just straight news, except we think that nobody would believe it. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoCWHgQc4rpFbE064YdCusXMaNXNQcL5hGxIxKhX4b9Tt4-WcyVzdBFSbF1dDkK9dVTF7ND7kdD8MBJBtUp06FCijb0ewB0STP3cdu5IrX10KAShMQnqoHNbIXWD_Ehsa_hEzsxohlrXFdrJZ39UOffY7hAZnLulGelFLhcuxSvIMG2ExS5Jmzy0Wv/s496/blingmaster.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="496" data-original-width="317" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoCWHgQc4rpFbE064YdCusXMaNXNQcL5hGxIxKhX4b9Tt4-WcyVzdBFSbF1dDkK9dVTF7ND7kdD8MBJBtUp06FCijb0ewB0STP3cdu5IrX10KAShMQnqoHNbIXWD_Ehsa_hEzsxohlrXFdrJZ39UOffY7hAZnLulGelFLhcuxSvIMG2ExS5Jmzy0Wv/s320/blingmaster.png" width="205" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Calvino Gliostrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04002132637637314829noreply@blogger.com0Calistoga, CA 94515, USA38.5787965 -122.579705410.268562663821157 -157.7359554 66.889030336178848 -87.4234554tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196079893895091920.post-8374889346108826652021-10-02T10:43:00.000-07:002021-10-02T10:43:05.572-07:00Grand encampment bans a prospective knight...and you'll never guess why!<p> Lima, OH - The latest push of legislation from the Grand Encampment of the Knights Templar of the United States has left Sir Knights everywhere more confounded than usual. Earlier this week, the Most Eminent Grand Commander issued an edict banning one Mr. Joseph Snow from ever joining the Order. When <i>The Past Bastard</i> requested comment from the GEKT, a spokesperson stated: "The Grand Encampment received troubling information about this individual's past misdeeds in relation to Past Grand Master William Koon II, and the Grand Encampment was compelled to act to ensure that, should this person ever wish to join the Order, he would be prohibited from doing so." </p><p><i>The Past Bastard</i> caught up with a life-long best friend of Grand Master Koon, who spoke on the condition of anonymity out of fear of being expelled from the Knights Templar. When asked about the interactions between the Grand Master and Mr. Snow, he replied: "Oh yes Joey was awful to Billy in third grade. Teased him mercilessly. I guess this week that old bully got what was coming to him, not that he's even a Mason or nothin."</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZsIKl66qd0WFEq6kUdkeOSiDWj5K_gaFJRnccveUyMjqJ4vHgyqH1Eu-KoWgFOpVPu3YISJgR9yeq1KFsV7uXJ3Ed3hJ_XF7i47Uk-2AhWnu_5m9HsGuD2arKCOLJQ4MOfeNPo4boAF1D/s300/bully.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="300" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZsIKl66qd0WFEq6kUdkeOSiDWj5K_gaFJRnccveUyMjqJ4vHgyqH1Eu-KoWgFOpVPu3YISJgR9yeq1KFsV7uXJ3Ed3hJ_XF7i47Uk-2AhWnu_5m9HsGuD2arKCOLJQ4MOfeNPo4boAF1D/s0/bully.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><p>Not satisfied without hearing and reporting the rest of the story, <i>The Past Bastard</i> tracked down Mr. Snow and asked him for his thoughts on being banned from any potential membership in the Knights Templar due to his past interactions with William Koon. Mr. Snow's response was simply, "who?"</p>Mason Buhrmasterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07477457521791524331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196079893895091920.post-10089421705776677582021-09-06T10:00:00.001-07:002021-09-06T16:45:39.104-07:00Grand Encampment Announces Sweeping KT Uniform Updates<p> Crowheart, WY -- Earlier this week, the Grand Encampment of Knights Templar of the U.S.A. issued an edict to reverse the recent approval of so-called "templar aprons" displaying the <i>memento mori</i> and skull and bones in favor of a uniform update of the Most Eminent Grand Master's own design. SK Joe Snow, spokeperson for the Grand Encampment, announced the news: "Given the ME Grand Master Bike Mohnson's stance that 'every Christian Mason should be a Knight Templar', he felt it was pertinent to give the the KT an option for a streamlined uniform the better encapsulates our relationship with Christ, the blameless white lamb. To that end, I am announcing a new uniform for KT everywhere which the ME Grand Master personally plans to enact immediately. Minimalist in style, the new uniform is blazing white cloth, emblematical of Christ's perfect sacrifice. It also has the benefits of being super-absorbent and easy on the wallet. Its name is 'Prevail,' which is what the ME Grand Master will do in the face of his opponents. As the ME Grand Master often says: 'While I may often forget how to think and act like a rational human being, I never forget loyalty.'"</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhipHKrBqaYZk_lwzFez_-vYAuWRJW1VyvpPKyqIhu-4EKwRr9NnmJznhN6gInPywzWnC1jsyBx7Qtj5QeRm-YWketf6lguJYLOqIlKs102FbBiUe7rkATsI7sLFTbVKcJr1PptG99S9Ya0/s1062/New+KY+Uniform.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="854" data-original-width="1062" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhipHKrBqaYZk_lwzFez_-vYAuWRJW1VyvpPKyqIhu-4EKwRr9NnmJznhN6gInPywzWnC1jsyBx7Qtj5QeRm-YWketf6lguJYLOqIlKs102FbBiUe7rkATsI7sLFTbVKcJr1PptG99S9Ya0/w320-h257/New+KY+Uniform.png" title="New KT Uniform" width="320" /></a></div><p>Not all members of the Grand Encampment are thrilled with the ME Grand Master's latest sartorial decision. Several state-level Grand Commanderies have signaled the desire to form a Special Conclave to review the ME Grand Master's decision and possibly remove him from office. When asked what the ME Grand Master thought about this turn of events, SK Snow simply replied "The Most Eminent Grand Master is not concerned with the antics of 'doo-doo heads'."</p><p>While the Most Eminent Grand Master's recent actions leave <i>The Past Bastard</i> concerned about the future viability of the GEKT, there is perhaps one thing everyone can agree on: Adult diapers--still better than a chapeau.</p>Mason Buhrmasterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07477457521791524331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196079893895091920.post-11671671475601143822021-09-02T07:11:00.001-07:002021-09-02T07:11:50.508-07:00Impending Solar Storm Keeping Freemasons From Attending Lodge<p style="text-align: left;"> Niagara Falls, NY -- While scientists and technical crews are bracing for a potential solar flare to hit the planet this week, Masonic Lodges around North America and even Canada have reported that member attendance is at an all time low. </p><p style="text-align: left;">"It's crazy. I mean, we usually at least have enough guys to open, but only two of us showed tonight.," said WB Nick Tesla from Aurora Lodge. "And Charlie Sprockets, from Ionic Lodge over in Shelbyville called me to say that not even the master showed up. Can you believe that?"</p><p style="text-align: left;">WB Tom Steinmetz from Corona Lodge could believe it. "We had a degree scheduled, and no less than fourteen guys called in at the last minute to say that they couldn't make it tonight," he told <i>The Past Bastard</i>. "I 've heard the same thing has been happening all week to other lodges, but nobody seems to know why."</p><p style="text-align: left;">It seemed that the impending internet outages made quite a few brothers hesitate to attend lodge this week. <i>The Past Bastard</i> has received reports of new recruits and even higher ranking officers (in fact, mostly higher ranking officers) who decided to stay home if they were faced with lack of internet access. </p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>The Past Bastard</i> contacted RW Jim Westinghouse, WB Graham Faraday, and WB Ed Franklin, who all asked to remain anonymous. All had reported missing, or planning to miss their lodge meetings this week. </p><p style="text-align: left;">"I really was going to go to that meeting tonight, but I heard that the sun did this thing, like a gas ball or something, and that it was headed toward Earth," one anonymous person told <i>The Past Bastard</i>. "Not that I'm afraid of sun gas, but they said that it was going to shut down the internet. I mean, how would I check my email during the meeting?"</p><p></p><p style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvP7_xjZ45ABvz1zCQlgbtrMmXRr38hZICNpdKrQUtSlZhyJPsOq5rP82xtl5Qe58Qmco8LifWP-U249BO_25mshLAJ8yzh38d9x_5OiUKaEflt8tDrRwPnQwfGN-vCzLix9nnqRR9R98/s1041/CMEimage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="781" data-original-width="1041" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvP7_xjZ45ABvz1zCQlgbtrMmXRr38hZICNpdKrQUtSlZhyJPsOq5rP82xtl5Qe58Qmco8LifWP-U249BO_25mshLAJ8yzh38d9x_5OiUKaEflt8tDrRwPnQwfGN-vCzLix9nnqRR9R98/s320/CMEimage.jpg" width="320" /></a></p>Several explosive events have occurred on the Sun this week, with each sending different kinds of Coronal Mass Ejections towards Earth. In the last 48 hours, the aurora has been spotted in southern Alaska and across New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine<p></p><p>The National Weather Service’s Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) is warning that a G2 class Geomagnetic Storm could impact Earth on Thursday, perhaps impacting electrical grids and transformers, interfering with satellites, disrupting radio communications, and sending the Northern Lights much more south than usual.</p><p>Another anonymous user also told <i>The Past Bastard</i> that he was concerned about the solar flare. "I honestly didn't want to be sitting there at a lodge meeting with nothing to do," he said. </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><br /><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p>Calvino Gliostrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04002132637637314829noreply@blogger.com0Niagara Falls, NY, USA43.0962143 -79.037738814.785978415197579 -114.19399148220901 71.406450184802424 -43.881486117790985tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196079893895091920.post-11883024200430671192021-02-08T09:19:00.000-08:002021-02-08T09:19:36.237-08:00South Carolina expels 3/4 of its membership for online fraternizing<p>Spartanburg, SC -- The Grand Master of South Carolina was compelled to expel just over three quarters of their active members because of a twist in one of his own edicts from earlier in the year. </p><p>In May of 2020, Most Worshipful Grand Master Walter Disher decreed that all Masonic meetings in South Carolina were to be suspended "<i>until further notice.</i>" However, using that same reasoning, MW Disher then expelled a Past Grand Master for holding several informal meetings over Zoom. The meetings were not tiled, merely online get-togethers to check on friends and brothers. Nevertheless, MW Disher declared such online meetings violated the spirit of the decree, and ruled MW Michael Smith in violation. </p><p>On February 2, he doubled down on his earlier edict by declaring that "<i>...any Freemason under the Jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of South Carolina is subject to expulsion for using Zoom, Google Hangouts, Facetime, or WhatsApp for the purposes of communication with other Freemasons under the same jurisdiction.</i>" Over the next several days, reports of other online get-togethers (often called "Happy Hours") were reported to the Grand Master, who began expelling the brothers who participated in those, as well. </p><p>Anonymous reports have been filtering out of South Carolina via several Facebook groups. "At first, brothers with grudges were turning each other in, and then it just snowballed," wrote one user in Freemasonry Circled. Another user in The Whiney Stairs wrote, "Literally every brother with cell phone has been expelled simply because they have the potential to Facetime with somebody from their lodge."</p><p>Not everyone has been upset by this, however. </p><p>"The almost overnight reduction in membership numbers has made the Grand Secretary's job a lot easier," wrote another user in a message on Twitter. </p><p>No word yet if MW Disher will be attending the <a href="http://freemasonsfordummies.blogspot.com/2021/02/irony-at-its-most-ironic-est.html" target="_blank">upcoming virtual meetings</a> to be held by <a href="https://www.cogmna.info/contact/" target="_blank">COGMNA </a>later this month. </p>Calvino Gliostrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04002132637637314829noreply@blogger.com0Spartanburg, SC, USA34.9495672 -81.93204826.6393313151975768 -117.08830088220901 63.259803084802414 -46.775795517790982tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196079893895091920.post-29819315967154559302021-01-28T07:21:00.005-08:002021-01-28T07:23:53.215-08:00GL of Massachusetts develops new promotional campaign<p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>Springfield, MA</b> -- Following the online uproar over The View host Whoopi Goldberg wearing a PHA masonic sweater on the show, the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts is capitalizing on the incident to create yet another marketing and publicity campaign.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">"We had a bunch of Eastern Star ladies combing the local thrift shops for sweaters, golf shirts, jackets, and even hats," said </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">RWB Clark Stanley, Public Relations Director for the Grand Lodge during an interview with </span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>The Past Bastard</i> this week. "We've got dozens of items that we're going to be sending out to all of the women regularly on network television. If just we can get just one or two of them a week to wear something, it will raise Freemasonry awareness to unprecedented levels."</span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://scontent-bos3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/143790817_1793769100800140_2499082077762164517_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=2&_nc_sid=8bfeb9&_nc_ohc=Yg8hn29abo8AX8zeM6f&_nc_ht=scontent-bos3-1.xx&oh=ddbfdeb506e656c00508916b95fb5efa&oe=60370252" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="800" height="180" src="https://scontent-bos3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/143790817_1793769100800140_2499082077762164517_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=2&_nc_sid=8bfeb9&_nc_ohc=Yg8hn29abo8AX8zeM6f&_nc_ht=scontent-bos3-1.xx&oh=ddbfdeb506e656c00508916b95fb5efa&oe=60370252" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">PHA Freemason Whoopi Goldberg shows off <br />her lodge sweater during a recent broadcast.<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: georgia;">Ms Goldberg, a former Star Trek actress, wore a sweater with a square and compasses and the letters PHA for Prince Hall A</span><span style="font-family: georgia;">ffiliate on the front. This led to an uproar on various Masonic oriented Facebook and other web spaces as to whether a woman has the right to wear such emblems. The arguments spilled over into other groups, which sparked an uptick in questions from non-Freemasons, who wondered what the fuss was about.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">"Our plan now is to send some of these items to women in media who would be most likely to be watched by viewers. So far, we've sent items out to Katie Couric, Megyn Kelly, Brooke Baldwin, Maria Bartiromo, Susan Li, Tamron Hal, Rachel Acenas, and Anderson Cooper."</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>The Past Bastard </i>asked Stanley if he wasn't worried about the potential arguments over such a campaign.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">"There's no such thing as bad publicity," he told us. "Besides, a</span><span style="font-family: georgia;">fter the tens of thousands of dollars we've thrown away on TV and radio spots, billboards, and YouTube videos, this approach is amazingly cheap and simple," he said .</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></p>Calvino Gliostrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04002132637637314829noreply@blogger.com1Springfield, MA, USA42.1014831 -72.58981113.791247215197583 -107.74606368220901 70.41171898480242 -37.433558317790983tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196079893895091920.post-3473775021305529422020-07-23T05:30:00.003-07:002020-07-23T06:47:18.625-07:00Grand lodge mandates use of tracing boards for Masonic education and ritual<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial", "helvetica", sans-serif; font-size: small;">On Friday, the Grand Lodge of Texas's Masonic Services & Education Committee announced that, commencing immediately, all Lodges in the jurisdiction are to use tracing boards as visual aids for Masonic education and ritual. </div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial", "helvetica", sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial", "helvetica", sans-serif; font-size: small;">Very Worshipful Brother Joe Snow, a spokesperson for the Masonic Services & Education Committee, explained, "We've been taking a hard look at the state of Freemasonry and Masonic education today. It's apparent from the lack of proper Masonic discourse, as evidenced across social media to include groups like The Whining Stairs or our very own Fexas Treemasons, that most brethren today lack the intellectual acuity to internalize our Masonic teachings as conveyed through the ritual alone. It has become clear to the committee that we need to bring Masonry back to a simpler time, when we conveyed teachings through pictures drawn on some dusty tavern floor. We're hoping that the introduction of visual aids might help our less astute brethren better understand their responsibilities and obligations as Masons."</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial", "helvetica", sans-serif; font-size: small;"><div><br /></div><div>At this time it is unclear if the Grand Lodge will provide direction or standards guides for the symbols to be drawn in the degrees, and brethren at local Lodge levels have already taken to social media to express their differences of opinion over which symbols should and should not be included. In the Whining Stairs facebook group, Brother Bubba Sawyer took a break from shitposting Confederate flag and All Lives Matter memes to express his confusion about the Grand Lodge's direction: "I dunno about them pictures they're drawing in the Lodge room. Why do we even need em? The only ones I need to recognize as a proud American Mason are the flag of this great nation and the AR-15, the badge of our free and accepted 2nd amendment rights. #MyRitualMyRights" </div><div><br /></div><div><i>The Past Bastard</i> reached out to Bro. Joe Snow to ask if, perhaps, the issue isn't with the ritual, but instead the character of the men within the organization. "No," he said unequivocally, "we're great at guarding the west gate. Besides, we can't just kick people out once they're in. That would wreak havoc on our membership numbers."</div><div><br /></div><div>For now, this reporter for <i>The Past Bastard</i> is left wondering: "Am I out of touch?" No, it's the ritual that is wrong.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGWkeqKEV_IOzqluz65VH-dz4Z2QTdIfFSrHE_zOEfXr33jWz4wwN9aOurXPXu9k8G_zDlKEzpNwmKMOQPpauEhbwmBlw9HWbFHaykc0mX2554uQoTc266-TSRq0l0px5kikxKQCzPEAw/s2048/106594653_995304697580218_3700555657221583009_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGWkeqKEV_IOzqluz65VH-dz4Z2QTdIfFSrHE_zOEfXr33jWz4wwN9aOurXPXu9k8G_zDlKEzpNwmKMOQPpauEhbwmBlw9HWbFHaykc0mX2554uQoTc266-TSRq0l0px5kikxKQCzPEAw/w320-h240/106594653_995304697580218_3700555657221583009_n.jpg" title="A Texas Lodge room being prepared for an upcoming Master Mason degree." width="320" /></a></div><div>Above: A Texas Lodge room being prepared for an upcoming Master Mason degree.</div></div>Calvino Gliostrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04002132637637314829noreply@blogger.com2Amarillo, TX, USA35.2219971 -101.83129696.9117612151975827 -136.987549582209 63.53223298480242 -66.675044217790983tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196079893895091920.post-23931088902299437492020-07-09T05:30:00.004-07:002020-07-09T07:54:36.616-07:00UGLE announces CoVid degree conferral guidelines<p>Westminster, UK --Because of the inherent difficulties in conferring the craft degrees, the UGLE has issued guidelines to all lodges in order to comply with government regulations, and to ensure a safe experience for the candidate and the lodge officers and members.</p><p>Most of the guidelines are now quite commonplace in the general public: wearing of face masks, carrying small containers of hand sanitizer, avoiding touching of odd surfaces, keeping hands away from nose and eyes, etc. However, it is important to note the guidelines for the degree ceremonies in order to, as much as possible, prevent the contamination and spread of CoVid-19, or any similar infectious pathogens in the future. Here, then, are some of the highlights.</p><p><b>Candidate Preparation</b></p><p>Initiation garb is no longer allowed. Candidates are to be fully clothed in their own regular clothing. Shoes will be worn on both feet, however, depending upon the degree conferred, in place of removing a shoe, several grains of uncooked rice or small pebbles will be placed in the appropriate shoe.</p><p>Hoodwinks, blindfolds, or head coverings will no longer be allowed. Candidates will be issued their own pair of Ray-Bans with the lenses blacked out.</p><p>Pants legs will no longer be rolled up; however, garters around the appropriate calf may act as a symbolic reminder.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmSJAeA4p09x5fItXIQyARCOG4MFaGfJDRiJyzWgHFSxShPxijgFx4Vi_m7njDmLGgsykSKwLY_zk1aXaLNZCNDECnSN_eBWGqJZ9fD3Do3CqrPMrYRP8JRgCO1o5d4FwDfeEOzSFCY0w/s1800/freemasonsHall_Hero.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmSJAeA4p09x5fItXIQyARCOG4MFaGfJDRiJyzWgHFSxShPxijgFx4Vi_m7njDmLGgsykSKwLY_zk1aXaLNZCNDECnSN_eBWGqJZ9fD3Do3CqrPMrYRP8JRgCO1o5d4FwDfeEOzSFCY0w/s320/freemasonsHall_Hero.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p><b>Ceremony</b></p><p>No members should be present in the lodge room, except for the several officers needed to perform the ceremony itself. </p><p>Candidates will no longer wear cable tows. Instead, they will be guided by buckled traces or collars with leashes (available at most pet supply or exotic adult shoppes). Stewards or deacons will remain at least one to two metres distance, and shall be careful to gently coax the candidate along by use of light tugging.</p><p>With the aid of the Stewards, the candidate will circumnavigate the space, ending on the north side of the room for instruction. Stewards will aid by using pushbrooms to place their feet in the proper position.</p><p>Guiding the candidate to the altar, the candidate will be restored to light, not by the JD being directed, but with some such formula as “Normally the JD would remove the hoodwink with which you would, up to this point in the ceremony, have been blindfolded. On this occasion, however, you will yourself remove the dark glasses you are wearing, on the count of three. [“One, two, three” to synchronise with movements of gavel.] You will place the glasses in the bag which is in front of you to your right.”</p><p>The candidate will be given the obligations, and upon removing his dark glasses, he should be presented with as large a video screen as can be accommodated, showing the WM who will safely be giving the lectures from a nearby room.</p><p>The WM will, via the video, give further instructions to the Candidate. Stewards and Deacons will alternately direct the Candidate's attention to the various working tools which have been set up in distant stations around the lodge.</p><p>At the end of the ceremonies, the Candidate will proceed to the main hall, where he and his new brethren can share tea and sandwiches from Sainsbury's, <i>Pret a Manger</i> or some other local cafe.</p><p>Please keep in mind that these guidelines are for the safety of the candidate and officers, and that they should continue to be performed with the same dignity as previously. </p><p> </p><p> </p>Calvino Gliostrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04002132637637314829noreply@blogger.com0Westminster, London, UK51.4974948 -0.135658323.187260963821153 -35.2919083 79.807728636178837 35.0205917tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196079893895091920.post-26408967566921404772020-07-03T07:11:00.001-07:002020-07-03T07:11:45.477-07:00Masonic Temples look to hire security and protection"They're a bunch of thugs and lowlifes." -- Juan Nieves<div>"I don't trust any of them. They're trouble anywhere they go." -- John Snow</div><div>"Every time I see these guys, they're loud, drunk, or stoned on something." --Chon Yuki</div><div>"Yes, I get that they are trying to accomplish something, but they invariably go about it exactly the wrong way." -- Jonpreet Himapaat</div><div><br /></div><div>These and similar comments were all over The Windy Steps and other Facebook groups following the news that The Widows Sons, a national motorcycle club for Freemasons, will begin offering "protection services" for hire at Masonic temples around the US and Canada. </div><div><br /></div><div>"I was stuck at home, like a lot of other folks, just watching some streaming service, when they started showing 'Gimme Shelter,' a documentary about a Rolling Stones tour that used the Hell's Angels as concert security. Well, when I saw on Fox New that those rioting kids pulled down a statue of John Pike at the George Washington Center, I started thinking that it would have been great if, you know, the statue had been guarded by his brothers," said Carl Chesterfield, head of the Hiram's Hogs chapter in Virginia. "So I called Jeff Lee, he's the Senior Warden over at the Stone Temple Pilot's chapter in Alexandria, and told him what I was thinking. He said it sounded like a great idea, so we made some calls, and the next thing you know, we have almost two dozen Widows Sons chapters that have been hired to protect lodges, temples, statues, and other historic Masonic buildings all around the DC area, and spreading up the northeast coast."</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMKWPVDC0eRVlEv2lcYZDM_m0E8a7UfnEo28bveVvUy3j9P2NYMdBUEJOmjnJnAp7YG3knJv1u60FqPJ2LLCB8U4pqEboye7DI7_xIo9vpm5CCKdE7dtBm24POqlMr1l_ACMa2ppX0Zp0/s1260/widows+sons+security.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="425" data-original-width="1260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMKWPVDC0eRVlEv2lcYZDM_m0E8a7UfnEo28bveVvUy3j9P2NYMdBUEJOmjnJnAp7YG3knJv1u60FqPJ2LLCB8U4pqEboye7DI7_xIo9vpm5CCKdE7dtBm24POqlMr1l_ACMa2ppX0Zp0/s320/widows+sons+security.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Members of The Three Pillars chapter of <br />The Widows Sons prepare to defend a local <br />donut shop from rioters in the next town. </td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>However, not everyone is convinced that this is a good idea. <i>The Past Bastard</i> talked to Geoff "Twisted" Syster, Imperial Potentate for the Shriners in Virginia. </div><div><br /></div><div>"First off, these guys are outlaws who pretend to be Freemasons. All they do is drink, cause trouble, and get into arguments with the Grand Lodge of whatever state they happen to be in. There's only room for one masonic motorcycle club who does all that, and it belongs to the Shrine. Take that to the bank, sonny."</div><div><br /></div><div>More on this topic as events warrant. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /></div>Calvino Gliostrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04002132637637314829noreply@blogger.com0Alexandria, VA, USA38.8048355 -77.046921410.494601663821157 -112.2031714 67.115069336178848 -41.8906714tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196079893895091920.post-24067465286946254992020-06-26T10:42:00.001-07:002020-06-26T10:45:20.930-07:00Knights Templar considering bold bid for name recognition<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">WASHINGTON DC -- Faced with dwindling membership numbers, and little opportunity with which to draw more in, the Grand Encampment of the Knights Templar is contemplating a bold move in a bid for publicity. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">"I hate to admit, but it's true. The Knights, and by extension, the entire York Rite just doesn't get the same kind of name brand recognition that the Scottish Rite gets," said Sir Knight Bill Reingold, committee chair on membership development. "And because we don't get the name recognition, we simply don't get the kind of membership numbers that the Scottish Rite gets. It's a vicious circle; we don't get the members because we don't have the name recognition, and we can't get the name recognition until we have more members."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhowpHJ7zL5SIQET_fxm4-QGAR3Eu2Y7ZKC9QqdJLbHCn34cltcRKXfjBoA3oQIK_NEOkS8QfTszbtdYBwF5inVMLXK1rc_wsBDbmxPvm6HFxG9f_EcE2xnalJqO8HZyBvx2Q2lruXTV5A/s924/Knights.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="924" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhowpHJ7zL5SIQET_fxm4-QGAR3Eu2Y7ZKC9QqdJLbHCn34cltcRKXfjBoA3oQIK_NEOkS8QfTszbtdYBwF5inVMLXK1rc_wsBDbmxPvm6HFxG9f_EcE2xnalJqO8HZyBvx2Q2lruXTV5A/s320/Knights.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Picture of a group of Knights Templar <br />in full dress uniform.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">SK Reingold explained to <i>The Past Bastard</i> that another issue was that the York Rite is somewhat fractured. "We have the chapters, we have the councils, and we have a few of those side degree things, but nobody wants to recognize that the Knights Templar should be the head of all of them, and so we can never get anything accomplished the way that the Scottish Rite does. I mean, they get their logo on a race car. Imagine what we could do with that kind of publicity." </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">To that end, SK Reingold told <i>The Past Bastard</i> that the Knights have come up with a major publicity initiative to gain name recognition, and hopefully the membership to go with it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">"We noticed that some domestic terrorists have been pulling statues down. I mean, like every day, Fox had some news item about this or that guy's statue being pulled over. But the kicker was that the Scottish Rite idol Albert Pike had his statue pulled down, and now it's all everybody seems to be talking about. So, our plan is to find a well known Knight, and make a big deal about how his statue shouldn't come down, and let reverse psychology do the rest."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Unfortunately, the plan has hit a roadblock because the Knights simply can't find anyone famous from within their past ranks. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">"Look, it's a good plan, nevertheless," SK Reingold told us. "If it comes down to it, DC is full of damn statues. We can just pick one, and nobody else would even know."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Calvino Gliostrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04002132637637314829noreply@blogger.com4Calistoga, CA 94515, USA38.5787965 -122.579705410.268562663821157 -157.7359554 66.889030336178848 -87.4234554tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196079893895091920.post-68247961029989332732019-11-14T07:30:00.000-08:002019-11-14T07:30:00.728-08:00Springfield, MA -- Massachusetts has always been on the forefront of innovation in Freemasonry, so it was no surprise when the Grand Lodge announced that they are ready to release a modernized second section, or "staircase" lecture for 2020.<br />
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"See, everybody knows that Masonic historian and lecturer Ezra Pound added the staircase lectures to the Fellowcraft degree as a way to add some educational material so the new merchant class members could have some idea of what the more educated brothers were talking about," said Grand Lecturer RW Jeff Kroger. "So he added some basics, like Architecture, Grammar, Astrology, things like that. Those might have been important in the old days, but now that everyone pretty much has the same liberal arts education, we've decided that it's time to make the educational staircase lecture more relevant. More high tech, you know?"<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfdO6oqzJWCc2Mtn1Bp9bgK9NKBpUip-q6BP_vUfJwdidSq80y3GPi9uLTcW5rTDJRqKc9c9n0PUNIOIlYIzbFK6LlxMgg1TcJlmumBgN9B5v09sOs3UqVJNtLkt00w2-8Bpogoi4b7ws/s1600/seven+lib+arts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="398" data-original-width="500" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfdO6oqzJWCc2Mtn1Bp9bgK9NKBpUip-q6BP_vUfJwdidSq80y3GPi9uLTcW5rTDJRqKc9c9n0PUNIOIlYIzbFK6LlxMgg1TcJlmumBgN9B5v09sOs3UqVJNtLkt00w2-8Bpogoi4b7ws/s320/seven+lib+arts.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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RW Kroger went on to explain that the entire lecture was not being changed. "No, see, it's just the really outdated stuff that we're changing," he told <i>The Past Bastard</i>. "For example, nobody needs any of that astrology stuff, since you could just look it up on Google sky view or whatever. So, we're going to take that out and replace it with this cool esoteric piece about computers. I mean, learning about computers is a lot more useful than learning about the stars and planets and stuff, isn't it?"<br />
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<i>The Past Bastard</i> asked how much of the old lecturers were going to remain.<br />
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"Oh, a lot of it's still there," RW Kroger told us. "I mean, like that grammar stuff is still there, 'cos it's pretty important to be able to speak right. Oh, and music is still there, although we snuck in a little bit about Elvis, mainly because the Custodians of the Work are fans. Let's see, we're keeping the Geography stuff in there, 'cos we Masons are totally about geography, right? But we decided to replace rhetoric with something about home economics, since we decided that it's more important to know how to grocery shop, cook, pay bills, things like that. "<br />
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"Oh, and we're not changing the classical architectural columns stuff," he told us. "But we're thinking about adding something about Bauhaus, since postmodernism is still a thing, and nobody uses Composite columns anymore. They're far too ornate for refined contemporary tastes."<br />
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Calvino Gliostrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04002132637637314829noreply@blogger.com1Springfield, MA, USA42.1014831 -72.58981142.0072496 -72.7511725 42.195716600000004 -72.4284495tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196079893895091920.post-1479872211101208792019-11-08T08:00:00.000-08:002019-11-08T08:00:08.487-08:00Grand Lodge of PA to offer DIY insurance for lodge improvementsAltoona, PA - The proliferation of YouTube videos and other online tutorials have encouraged a growing number of Freemasons to take on basic and even some advanced building improvement in and around their lodges. However, noting the increasing numbers of mishaps in the last several years, the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania has worked with a well known commercial insurance group to offer lodges coverage on what many are calling "Bro-bono Contractors."<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbV9yqVxPxlW91X5OsEvDTX7OQKdkmEo9BROD1foG04NYXij1nKI8lfeUEKhTy49qAUYEUjmD2SjxtyoltHXvLWXd79Tup_Mbkav-rumcb3e-L1l7HPoIStUc-Yz2xtCnllo04HW2Swxk/s1600/door+molding.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="770" data-original-width="770" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbV9yqVxPxlW91X5OsEvDTX7OQKdkmEo9BROD1foG04NYXij1nKI8lfeUEKhTy49qAUYEUjmD2SjxtyoltHXvLWXd79Tup_Mbkav-rumcb3e-L1l7HPoIStUc-Yz2xtCnllo04HW2Swxk/s320/door+molding.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dressing up a room with some new woodwork is usually one<br />of the first things that brothers will try on their own.</td></tr>
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"Just because YouTube says that you <i>could</i>," said WB Al Borland, of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania Financial Services Committee, "it doesn't mean that you <i>should</i>. No offense to many of my well meaning brothers, but some of these lodges get together for a work party, armed with a few cases of beer, some old tools, and an internet connection. It doesn't always end well."<br />
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"We've had stories about some of the lodge improvement projects that should have been easy, like painting or fixing a broken window, and turn into month-long projects as brothers with make-shift tools end up making things worse. Last week we had some guys blending together some old paint that they had found in their basements. Naturally they ended up mixing oil based paint with latex, and the walls actually had to be town down and new sheetrock put up."<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVFWkfTJX4KMeUN2VENNDnKhT-JlTn1tfZAugBxkrhBOefzpaFe7-Tmp0h8g4NI65P7tNDG1j3mHrcDs5aW2i-gFdrXkVLoEqJlPTjzPruvU-XVqhp4S3qZs96aZzSO5kF1LlqgaiAgkQ/s1600/counter+drawers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1026" data-original-width="770" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVFWkfTJX4KMeUN2VENNDnKhT-JlTn1tfZAugBxkrhBOefzpaFe7-Tmp0h8g4NI65P7tNDG1j3mHrcDs5aW2i-gFdrXkVLoEqJlPTjzPruvU-XVqhp4S3qZs96aZzSO5kF1LlqgaiAgkQ/s320/counter+drawers.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Many lodges give their kitchens an update with<br />some inexpensive cabinets from the home stores.<br /></td></tr>
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<i>The Past Bastard</i> asked if the Grand Lodge shouldn't try to discourage some of these brothers, instead of offering insurance. Doesn't that just encourage them?<br />
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"Well, nothing will discourage some of those guys. Their dues have been $65 a year since Jimmy Carter was president, and if they had to actually pay for an electrician or plumber, it would take a three month long argument, several dimits, and an attempt to have a car wash or bake sale to cover the cost. The more independent minded would just offer to do it themselves, and that's who we're looking out for."<br />
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WB Borland told <i>The Past Bastard</i> that for a small fee, the insurance policy will pay for a licensed, non-Mason contractor to finish or repair a job that the brothers start. "We're mainly concerned with things like electrical work, plumbing, and light remodeling," he told us, "But we also have a higher class of policy for those doing more physically dangerous things like replacing a roof."<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJlBgvm9cJQovLzJXMlro_CciIFNZVrBKJiaMfEO1gnmG-lxJ529AQxi5JfwINIiNNq3zsBsxOJnOUJH3pXEGZt0bqIFV00xvQ3XuQVJWYC64FId95LWyPcSirCyKRPtuE-RTL6qmp_9Q/s1600/extra+outlet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1030" data-original-width="770" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJlBgvm9cJQovLzJXMlro_CciIFNZVrBKJiaMfEO1gnmG-lxJ529AQxi5JfwINIiNNq3zsBsxOJnOUJH3pXEGZt0bqIFV00xvQ3XuQVJWYC64FId95LWyPcSirCyKRPtuE-RTL6qmp_9Q/s320/extra+outlet.jpg" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Most members feel empowered if they can<br />modernize a light switch or outlet.<br /></td></tr>
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The Past Bastard asked why the policy coverage pays for non-Masons to do the work. "Oh, Masons are notoriously cheap when it comes to looking out for their own," WB Borland said. "If a lodge had a brother Mason coming by to do some contracting work, they would guilt him into doing pretty much the entire job at cost. And then they'll take six months to even pay the guy because some past mater will complain about some little detail, and then there will be some kind of feud. You know how they get."<br />
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Freemasons around the US should look for their own Grand Lodges to offer similar policies in the coming years.<br />
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Calvino Gliostrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04002132637637314829noreply@blogger.com0Altoona, PA, USA40.5186809 -78.394735940.4221019 -78.5560974 40.6152599 -78.2333744tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196079893895091920.post-82741523555101992902019-10-31T09:50:00.001-07:002019-10-31T09:50:36.862-07:00GL Connecticut becomes first mainstream GL to lose PHA recognitionHartford, CT - Thirty years ago, the Grand Lodge of Connecticut became the first of many US Grand Lodges to extend mutual recognition to their state Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge counterparts, ending a two hundred year divide and paving the way for mutual recognition in most other US states. This year, in an ironic twist, the Connecticut Prince Hall Grand Lodge dropped their recognition of the Grand Lodge of Connecticut, in what looks to be the first of more such actions around the country.<br />
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"Oh, yes, I remember how proud we all were back then," said MWB Louis Minefield, Past Grand Master of PHA in Connecticut, recalling the early days of recognition. "I was just a Junior Warden in my lodge at the time, but all of us were thrilled with the prospect of becoming the first of what we hoped would be a domino effect of mutual recognitions. Unfortunately, none of us foresaw what the state of Freemasonry would become."<br />
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<i>The Past Bastard</i> contacted representatives from the PHA in Connecticut, and learned that for the last several years, PHA Freemasons around the US have become concerned with the application process of the mainstream Grand Lodges; specifically at how easily they accept new members.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwsEhyJ2FYEQUvA4l81fUqkVFumnAGLfYTHES5KURfc-g9fxEFRcIhHsG2_q27FFzjbUUx51jJ87kbbtfomJ0AK4bHkRB6cD0wHg3KQeFxFt54IHnfesT8CJ73uxOCNlEoo8uwlJmWeLA/s1600/2019-10-25+%25281%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwsEhyJ2FYEQUvA4l81fUqkVFumnAGLfYTHES5KURfc-g9fxEFRcIhHsG2_q27FFzjbUUx51jJ87kbbtfomJ0AK4bHkRB6cD0wHg3KQeFxFt54IHnfesT8CJ73uxOCNlEoo8uwlJmWeLA/s320/2019-10-25+%25281%2529.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge in Hartford, Connecticut.<br />
The first PHA Grand Lodge to be mutually recognized by the GL of State<br />
counterpart has now become the first to suspend that recognition.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
"When I was interested, do you know how long it took me to become a Mason? Almost two years," said RW Curtis Bullock. "Before they even allowed me to submit the application, I had to go to dinners, meet the brothers, and have them come to my house. They asked for my employment history, where I went to church, where my mom went to church, you name it. Almost two years! But this guy I work with, he joined the state lodge in his town, right? It didn't take even two months from getting that blue paper to his initiation. I honestly thought he was joking with me when I heard that. Two months? How do you even know what kind of guy you got joining your lodge?"<br />
<br />
RWB Bullock isn't alone in his concerns. Many PHA Freemasons in the northeast US have expressed similar concerns, causing them to doubt the legitimacy and integrity of what they call the "Grand Lodge of State" Freemasons.<br />
<br />
"And another thing, never mind that it's only a few months between the petition and the initiation," said WB Will Wooten. "Those guys pay so little for dues that they can't possibly care about their lodge. I mean, my neighbor belongs to a lodge across town, and he pays like, ninety five dollars a year. He said it was seventy five, and when they went up last year, half the members threatened to demit. Ninety five dollars? My lodge is six hundred dollars a year, plus I gotta volunteer time to the upkeep and cleaning and stuff. We've all got pride in our lodge. How do those state masons have any pride when they threaten to quit over twenty dollars?"<br />
<br />
"My lodge meets in a state lodge building," said WB Calvin Thompson. "I've stopped in at a few of their monthly meetings, and I've seen guys dressed in jeans, tee shirts, sneakers. One night a brother showed up in hospital scrubs. I mean, seriously? Like, you can't throw some clothes in the back seat of your car before work, and change when you get to lodge?"<br />
<br />
MWB Minefield told <i>The Past Bastard</i> that, based on the concerns raised by so many members of their organization, Grand Lodges of State have lowered their requirements so much that Freemasonry is only a ghost of what it had been as little as a century ago. "The brothers of Prince Hall simply felt that we could not continue, in good conscience, our relationship with a jurisdiction that doesn't take Freemasonry seriously. So we voted to suspend our recognition of them until such time when they get their act together, and start acting like proper Freemasons."<br />
<br />
<i>The Past Bastard</i> asked MWB Minefield about the Prince Hall Grand Lodges in other states.<br />
<br />
"I'm not really at liberty to speak for anyone else," he told us. "But I can tell you that our neighbor directly north is already discussing it. Did you know that the Massachusetts state grand lodge has billboards and TV ads? Actual ads on television, to attract more members! Man, if our founders had known this was the direction Freemasonry was headed, they would have demitted and turned in their charter."<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Calvino Gliostrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04002132637637314829noreply@blogger.com1Hartford, CT, USA41.7658043 -72.67337229999998341.6710563 -72.834733799999981 41.8605523 -72.512010799999985tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196079893895091920.post-17474710152721187822019-10-23T08:30:00.000-07:002019-10-23T08:30:08.421-07:00GL of California Committee on Social Responsibility bans plastic straws, plates, utensilsSan Francisco, CA -- Citing a need for Freemasons to become more socially and environmentally conscious, the Grand Lodge of California announced this week that beginning in 2020, lodge buildings were no longer allowed to have single use plastic straws, utensils, or plastic or foam plates.<br />
<br />
"Yes, we expect some pushback, but as Freemasons, we believe that it's our social responsibility to be at the forefront of social change," said RWB Craigg Wall, chair of the newly formed Committee on Social Responsibility. "There's no reason for lodges to have dinners on paper or styrofoam plates and just toss them out after one use. After 2020, lodges will have to decide whether or not to use china and install a dishwasher, or will have to find some other way to have dinners, festive boards, and table lodges."<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfbEjXxxpSJx3xrzVflTXCWqppJHCBUDBxX6oNY5qRi4I9rreyJ4D5XphVS0GNgm-Qhzl6FvfGgN-WvXNd5GUV3dn4TrPF0AwBCcy6HYOt_y9VJM0mMwEZojn4_C5Fc_MjLkadb4So6cU/s1600/Festive+board.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfbEjXxxpSJx3xrzVflTXCWqppJHCBUDBxX6oNY5qRi4I9rreyJ4D5XphVS0GNgm-Qhzl6FvfGgN-WvXNd5GUV3dn4TrPF0AwBCcy6HYOt_y9VJM0mMwEZojn4_C5Fc_MjLkadb4So6cU/s320/Festive+board.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Festive boards in California will no longer be allowed to use <br />plastic tableware after 2020.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<i>The Past Bastard</i> contacted RWB Wall, and asked if he thought that the increased use of water and energy to clean the dishes didn't offset the amount of plastic and waste disposal.<br />
<br />
"We think that at first, there will be some adjustment," he told us, "but we also expect that as some lodges -- especially the larger ones -- get tired of washing dishes every week, that more of them will opt to have festive boards at neighborhood cafes and restaurants. Or they can have a food truck stop by after the meeting, which will help support the local economy."<br />
<br />
<i>The Past Bastard</i> also noted that the Committee on Social Responsibility did not seem have a ban on plastic cups, leading us to wonder if this was an oversight, or if the Grand Lodge was getting some kind of kickback from the industry. Inquiries to the CSR on that point have remained unanswered.<br />
<br />
<br />Calvino Gliostrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04002132637637314829noreply@blogger.com0San Francisco, CA, USA37.7749295 -122.4194155000000136.9717915 -123.71030900000001 38.578067499999996 -121.12852200000002tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196079893895091920.post-33551056789041973392019-10-17T09:30:00.000-07:002019-10-17T13:26:23.654-07:00GL Kentucky undertakes emergency ritual training when lodge discovered to be passing down incorrect word<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Madisonville, KY -- The Custodians of the Work of Grand Lodge of Kentucky have announced emergency measures for retraining the last several generations of Freemasons in some of the lodges in the western end of the state, after it was discovered that virtually all of the members have been passing down the wrong "Master's Word." <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnma5R4899BOm3knNcfculLWNMDgFE2K0JKZztgZ4w2CyIQPBgJ7YeZGAXmimDKUxk_jePVb_2_dQCW63oO5nVb2YiySjjeUIiumbVnYpQxNvn0CZEvFrt9-K7pILT3hNzRyelQdTkNXs/s1600/corn+pone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="600" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnma5R4899BOm3knNcfculLWNMDgFE2K0JKZztgZ4w2CyIQPBgJ7YeZGAXmimDKUxk_jePVb_2_dQCW63oO5nVb2YiySjjeUIiumbVnYpQxNvn0CZEvFrt9-K7pILT3hNzRyelQdTkNXs/s320/corn+pone.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Friend corn bread, sometimes called<br />
Indian Bread or Corn Pone is a popular side<br />
dish in the southern and midwestern states.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"I realize that it's a big state, and our own Grand Lodge has to take some of the responsibility here," said Very Worshipful Buck Hatfield, District Director of Ceremonies. "We don't get out to the rural lodges as often as we should, so nobody ever really noticed this. Fortunately, Bob McCoy happened to figure it out, so we can at least work to correct the problem."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hatfield was talking about Right Worshipful Robert McCoy, DDGM in one of the western districts. <i>The Past Bastard</i> reached out to RW McCoy. "I was just making one of those routine lodge visits in... well, I suppose I shouldn't mention the lodge. But anyway, they served up a nice fry-up before the meeting, and I was up at one end of the table, and I said to the fellers at the other end, 'Hey, would you pass me the <i>corn pone</i>?' All of a sudden, everything got real quiet. A couple of old timers dropped their forks, and everybody just swiveled their heads to look at me. "</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Over the course of the dinner and subsequent meeting, RW McCoy determined that for at least the previous thirty three years, and possibly longer, lodge members had been passing down a regional name for corn bread, instead of the correct version of the "Master's Word."</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>The Past Bastard </i>asked how this could have happened. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"That's the problem with the lodges out in the sticks," VW Hatfield explained. "Not only don't we get out there as often, but frankly, some of them are so small that we forget about them. Hell, the lodge we're talking about is only fifty miles as the crow flies from Madisonville, but it's literally a four hour drive to get there -- which nobody even wants to attempt in the spring or fall rainy season, so probably nobody checked on this lodge since Reagan was president."</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>The Past Bastard</i> asked what the resolution for this situation was going to be. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Well, the secretary, he's calling all the old lodge members, which ain't easy because most of them are in Florida now," VW Hatfield told us. "The Grand Master gave them a dispensation to ask them for the word over the phone, and to correct them if they heard it wrong. From what I understand, that's not going well, either. But in the meantime, we're sending more guys out to the smaller lodges in the surrounding area to check, and hopefully retrain them."</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"The members of this lodge were playing a thirty-odd year long game of Telephone," added RW McCoy. "Fortunately, it's only that one word they got wrong. At least they didn't pass down the other words 'Bows Ass' and "Sherbet Test' wrong, too."</span><br />
<div>
<br /></div>
Calvino Gliostrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04002132637637314829noreply@blogger.com1Madisonville, KY 42431, USA37.328100500000012 -87.4988882000000137.227106500000012 -87.660249700000008 37.429094500000012 -87.337526700000012tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196079893895091920.post-49282242535787543842019-10-10T08:30:00.000-07:002019-10-10T08:30:08.223-07:00E-Juice Company To Market Vape For FreemasonsIrvine, CA -- Nationally known e-juice (aka "vape juice") maker Black Note has teamed up with the Grand Lodge of California to create a line of vape scents specifically for Freemasons.<br />
<br />
"As a lot of lodges adopt a 'no-smoking on premises' policy, it's alienating some of the existing members. Not only that, but as we get an influx of new, younger members, most of those guys are already vaping," explained RWB Craigg Hall, spokesperson for the Committee on Public Development. "We thought that this would be a good way to reach both the younger guys who are already vaping, plus the older guys who might consider giving up those cigars and cigarettes for something a little more upscale."<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLg_kUnimB0vuqnGMOvdX_EevEvp3xvBP2klzq719NJgpaY_O4_m0s7IDzE3k2H0_6unUMbcj8pAqj22i4sH6ir5-kjxGZ-BoHlvAVKfYaHyQ65e7r1lw5fVt0DNMlx_xJn5cPRHzNZVQ/s1600/Black-Note-Tobacco-Vape-Juice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="479" data-original-width="600" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLg_kUnimB0vuqnGMOvdX_EevEvp3xvBP2klzq719NJgpaY_O4_m0s7IDzE3k2H0_6unUMbcj8pAqj22i4sH6ir5-kjxGZ-BoHlvAVKfYaHyQ65e7r1lw5fVt0DNMlx_xJn5cPRHzNZVQ/s200/Black-Note-Tobacco-Vape-Juice.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
"While 'Acacia' is already hitting the shelves, those guys are already working on one called 'Pot of Incense' which will be a blend of myrrh and other herbs," said RWB Hall. "I'm not a smoker, myself, but I wouldn't mind some pleasant cedar or myrrh wafting through the lodge room during degrees, instead of the smell of pre-digested chili, if you get my meaning," he added.<br />
<br />
Informal chats with Black Note led to the development of an acacia scented juice, which should appeal to Masons for obvious reasons. This will be followed up later in 2020 with "Pot of Incense," and later on, "Tall Cedars," a woodsy scent.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Calvino Gliostrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04002132637637314829noreply@blogger.com0Irvine, CA, USA33.6845673 -117.8265049000000333.473169299999995 -118.14922840000003 33.8959653 -117.50378140000004tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196079893895091920.post-24200469801699402422019-10-04T09:30:00.000-07:002019-10-04T09:30:06.811-07:00Network cancels "Dancing with the Masons"Hollywood, CA - Freemasons around the West Coast were disappointed last week when ABC announced that it would not go forward with the proposed DWTS spin-off "Dancing With The Masons." Network spokespersons announced that preliminary showings weren't connecting with audiences, but <i>The Past Bastard</i> has been contacted by several anonymous sources who gave some more insight.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI5Yi8y5ayLiEvumax2FpfKFFXiomVIr4ak7OwEUqiEj3sJfWjo_2_UAS3zIK2lbmLQLesCuFe3_iyzNU94PAzZLVJ0ZFq1oq03-iDKftGFdVbGtfAOFhfTLNWoSNsllWNlSOzojVwtcQ/s1600/3032c9eb0f6afa7d3cc2ac53066b8c30.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="311" data-original-width="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI5Yi8y5ayLiEvumax2FpfKFFXiomVIr4ak7OwEUqiEj3sJfWjo_2_UAS3zIK2lbmLQLesCuFe3_iyzNU94PAzZLVJ0ZFq1oq03-iDKftGFdVbGtfAOFhfTLNWoSNsllWNlSOzojVwtcQ/s1600/3032c9eb0f6afa7d3cc2ac53066b8c30.jpg" /></a><br />
"First of all, you need to understand that DWTS is a very active, engaging competition, and that the guests need to be in good physical shape," one source told us. "Guests who might get winded after walking up a flight or two of stairs aren't going to manage the weeks of daily practice. Is there something about Masons that make them prone to moving slowly? If we had known that, we might have approached it differently."<br />
<br />
Another source explained, "Also, dancing is supposed to be fun for the people watching, and for the people actually dancing. Most of your guys looked like they were doing commandery formation drills or something. Loosen up a little."<br />
<br />
"Oh, and one more thing," added the first anonymous speaker. "Dancing is somewhat ritualistic, which is why we initially thought this might be a good fit. But when some of your guys started bringing the Eastern Star wives along, we discovered that they spent more time fighting over who would lead and who would follow, that we had to keep sending them outside to cool off. It was easier to just cancel the entire thing."<br />
<br />
<br />Calvino Gliostrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04002132637637314829noreply@blogger.com1Burbank, CA, USA34.1808392 -118.3089661000000234.0757532 -118.47032760000002 34.2859252 -118.14760460000002tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196079893895091920.post-91122746512092733232019-09-24T09:30:00.000-07:002019-09-24T09:30:02.243-07:00GL of Ohio to honor 300th anniversary of Freemasonry by streamlining ODC degree ceremonies (repost)<i style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: arial; font-size: 14.6667px;">(Note: The Past Bastard writers are currently carb-loading and rehydrating in preparation for running the "couch" part of a "couch to 5k" event.</i><i style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: arial; font-size: 14.6667px;"> </i><i style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: arial; font-size: 14.6667px;">We are republishing some of their favorite articles until they return. -- the unpaid interns)</i><br />
<br />
<br />
Dayton, OH -- In a bold and controversial move to honor of the 300th anniversary of the formation of the first known Grand Lodge in 1717, the Grand Lodge of Ohio is not only planning their biggest ever "Grand Master's One Day Class;" but the degrees themselves will be "streamlined" in order to accommodate the incoming members.<br />
<br />
"We've done a lot of one day degrees, probably more than any other state, and we found that a lot of the guys coming in were losing attention with all the stuff we were throwing at them," explained RW Steve Garvey, the Grand Lodge Publicity Spokesperson. "By the end of the day, they hardly retained anything. Half, maybe three quarters of them always have that 'deer in the headlamps' look, so we figured that the best thing to do would be to cut out the unimportant parts and just have one big degree."<br />
<br />
The Past Bastard questioned RW Garvey on shortened degrees.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSxYwXeoBKZHlD-5ST78heMLqiBPfgMwSZhPUmHHODtUGLEQVqM_WMlm-lWADVZbsZ_tWhgQFBG12G9WsuZdVVG_v8CJYg2e4K24p6SFGufgIHYyTxxQWIt7QJdvKPn33fBZm9e0_bkio/s1600/dayton+masonic+center.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSxYwXeoBKZHlD-5ST78heMLqiBPfgMwSZhPUmHHODtUGLEQVqM_WMlm-lWADVZbsZ_tWhgQFBG12G9WsuZdVVG_v8CJYg2e4K24p6SFGufgIHYyTxxQWIt7QJdvKPn33fBZm9e0_bkio/s320/dayton+masonic+center.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;">Grand Lodge of Ohio at the Dayton Masonic Center</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
"We all know that there's a lot of repetitious stuff in the degrees, and that there's some stuff that doesn't really add anything," he told us. "What we did was remove some of the longer lectures, like that staircase thing. Nobody really listens to the whole thing anyhow. Then we realized that there was no sense in having three different obligations, so we're just giving them the Master Mason one. And we're combining all the working tools into one big set that we call 'The Working Toolbox.' And if we're only giving them one obligation, there's no sense in having them walk around three different times, so we're going to settle on circumnavigating just three times."<br />
<br />
The Grand Lodge figures that by consolidating the rituals and ceremonies into one big degree, they can save between two and three hours on the One Day Class.<br />
<br />
"If this works out, then we're going to look at possibly having a morning session and an afternoon session for our next Grand Master's One Day Class," said RW Garvey. "Our goal is to make things easy enough so that a lodge never has to put on their own set of degrees again."<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
-- Conte Calvino Gliostro</div>
<br />Calvino Gliostrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04002132637637314829noreply@blogger.com0Dayton, OH, USA39.7589478 -84.19160690000001139.5637908 -84.5143304 39.9541048 -83.868883400000016tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196079893895091920.post-10224929116244837072019-09-18T08:30:00.000-07:002019-09-18T08:30:07.306-07:00Lodges turn to multi-level marketing to increase revenue (Repost)<i style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: arial; font-size: 14.6667px;">(Note: The Past Bastard writers are currently recovering from injuries sustained during their hot goat yoga sessions. </i><i style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: arial; font-size: 14.6667px;">We are republishing some of their favorite articles until they return. -- the unpaid interns)</i><br />
<br />
Battle Creek, MI -- Faced with dwindling or stalled membership numbers, and a resulting inability to pay for maintenance, repairs, or kitchen items, some lodges are turning to multi-level marketing in order to increase revenues without adding to the burden of increased dues and special assessments on already over-taxed members.<br />
<br />
"I got the idea from my bother-in-law who hounds us every month to buy some kind of soap or dishwasher product," said WB Howard Jensen, Secretary of Nascent Lodge. "Eventually we just signed up to be distributors, but I don't have time for that kind of thing. It was more to get him off our backs."<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcwcuKxQd0olqYtNNGFo-e7zJXbRoBRdm6jhyphenhyphenoQrto1x-B12pVt0_ORcfILO2V2suD14TSpD8lOWOHmhSfBZTPAtbcreuwJd8zqPN4kkGobMkjInrQBRVuPIZtq0hjzGr1Ueoy7dckMns/s1600/multi-level-marketing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcwcuKxQd0olqYtNNGFo-e7zJXbRoBRdm6jhyphenhyphenoQrto1x-B12pVt0_ORcfILO2V2suD14TSpD8lOWOHmhSfBZTPAtbcreuwJd8zqPN4kkGobMkjInrQBRVuPIZtq0hjzGr1Ueoy7dckMns/s320/multi-level-marketing.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
But WB Jensen realized that similar tactics could be used to increase lodge revenues. "We signed up as a lodge, and started guilting the members to buy soaps, shampoos, cleaning products, and other little things. You know, the stuff that you'd be buying anyway. Eventually, most of them caved, and now we pull in almost triple what we pull in for annual dues."<br />
<br />
WB George Stetson, Treasurer of Composition Lodge agrees. "We found that the pancake breakfasts were not making enough money after a few years, so we explored some options. I realized that my wife was always going to some 'dem party' every week, so we began to look at some of those pyramid marketing sales as a way to supplement the pancakes."<br />
<br />
The income these lodges have been generating has even caught the eye of the Grand Lodge, which may soon look at buying into a MLM for the general fund.<br />
<br />
With the number of different multi-level marketing companies, or MLMs (they prefer to avoid the term "pyramid") out there, how does a lodge pick one?<br />
<br />
"We looked at half a dozen different companies, and spent some time trying to narrow it down to what we thought would generate small but consistent sales," explained WB Marion Kay, assistant Treasurer of Arbonne Lodge. "We decided that there would only be so many bottles of vitamins, skin care, or plastic bowls to push on the members. That's why we went with Amway, it has a wide range of products, and is a trusted name in the business."<br />
<br />
"Besides," he added, "we've even signed up a few of the members to sell under us, which just increases our profits."<br />
<br />
--Conte Calvino Gliostro<br />
<br />Calvino Gliostrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04002132637637314829noreply@blogger.com0Battle Creek, MI, USA42.3211522 -85.17971419999997842.1332507 -85.502437699999973 42.5090537 -84.856990699999983tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196079893895091920.post-61846013293197842642019-09-12T08:30:00.000-07:002019-09-12T08:30:03.351-07:00COGMNA DECLARES RED SKELTON FLAG PIN TO BE 4TH GREAT LIGHT (repost)<i style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: arial; font-size: 14.6667px;">(Note: The Past Bastard writers are currently undergoing colonic irrigation therapy. </i><br />
<i style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: arial; font-size: 14.6667px;">We are republishing some of their favorite articles until they return. -- the unpaid interns)</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs4LZiMi0UE_qzDF5cydwPc18H11izoE1PdI0A0YaxnWcHsBfq0VnjuPpXOSIOWrdL8TTQkV_hY-wTaCpjzawWQ6lG1HdsmMB_ia8-b2A5ONKAlsG8ElRAVY8I0ELdOxRrAXhyphenhyphenIoGDPDg/s1600/Bro+Red+Pin.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; color: #388dbd; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; outline: none;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs4LZiMi0UE_qzDF5cydwPc18H11izoE1PdI0A0YaxnWcHsBfq0VnjuPpXOSIOWrdL8TTQkV_hY-wTaCpjzawWQ6lG1HdsmMB_ia8-b2A5ONKAlsG8ElRAVY8I0ELdOxRrAXhyphenhyphenIoGDPDg/s320/Bro+Red+Pin.png" style="background: transparent; border: none; padding: 0px;" width="244" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Burbank, CA -- </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal;">The members of the Conference of Grand Masters of North America voted to adopt a new symbol of Freemasonry for the entire North American continent, based on a recent lapel pin seen on Facebook.</span><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal;" /><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal;" /><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal;">The pin, designed on Etsy earlier this year, shows Brother Red Skelton in his Klem Kadiddlehopper tuxedo on a background of an American flag. The words "One Nation Under God" are displayed in a banner above his head.</span><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal;" /><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal;" /><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal;">"We can't think of a more fitting way to signify what Freemasonry stands for," said WB John Lee Hooker, media spokesperson for the 2016 COGNMA conference. "The pin is meant to evoke Brother Red's speech from his 1960s television show - you know, the one where he goes through the entire 'Pledge of Allegiance' word by word and explains how patriotic and religious it is to the audience. There probably isn't a lodge in existence that doesn't use a video of that for one of its Masonic Education programs."</span><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal;" /><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal;" /><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal;">Indeed, the writers at The Past Bastard are intimately familiar with the video, having seen it multiple times over the years. However it did raise some questions, which we presented to WB Hooker.</span><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal;" /><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal;" /><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal;">"Well, yes, we did have some pushback on making this symbol for the entire continent," he admitted, "More specifically, a few of the Canadian provinces and Mexico had some objections to making this an official symbol, but they were heavily outvoted by most of the Grand Lodges of the US."</span><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal;" /><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal;" /><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal;">Most of the members?</span><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal;" /><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal;" /><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal;">WB Hooker explained "Well, California also objected, but you know how they are out there. I think that Oregon might have objected, and surprisingly New York, as well. I don't understand it, but the overwhelming number of states and provinces voted for the symbol, so we expect to be rolling it out for 2017."</span><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal;" /><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal;" /><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal;">Wait, provinces?</span><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal;" /><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal;" /><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal;">"Oh yes, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick voted for adopting the pin, and so, I think, did Prince Edward Island, which is essentially part of Maine, anyway."</span><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal;" /><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal;" /><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal;">The 2016 Conference of Grand Masters has been drafting up a number of regulations and position papers, which they expect to be presenting at the upcoming 2017 conference on how the symbol and pins should be displayed, and whether they should augment or simply replace the Square & Compasses.</span></span>Calvino Gliostrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04002132637637314829noreply@blogger.com0Burbank, CA, USA34.1808392 -118.3089661000000234.0757532 -118.47032760000002 34.2859252 -118.14760460000002tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196079893895091920.post-60722583372168763032019-09-04T08:54:00.000-07:002019-09-04T08:54:02.017-07:00GRAND LODGE OF FLORIDA REMOVES SYMBOLS OF MORTALITY TO APPEASE AGING BOOMERS (repost)<i style="background-color: white; color: #555555;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(Note: The Past Bastard writers are spending an undetermined time in a coma for tax reasons.</span></i><br />
<i style="background-color: white; color: #555555;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">We are republishing some of their favorite articles until they return. -- the unpaid interns)</span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555;">The Villages, FL -- Faced with membership rolls full of post-war "boomers," most of whom are not happy to be finding themselves nearing the end of their natural life spans, the Grand Lodge of Florida is rolling out a re-tooled ritual that avoids references to death and dying, in an effort to make their aging members less uncomfortable during degree work.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #555555;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #555555;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555;">"We came up with the idea a couple of years ago when we noticed that a lot of the sixty five to seventy year olds stopped coming to lodge," said RW Dick Johnson, Chairman for the Grand Lodge Committee on Aging and Retention. "Oh, sure, guys stop coming to lodge all the time, but generally, in the past, the older Masons tended to show up more often. We started talking to them, and discovered that the degree work, especially the Master Mason degrees, were starting to scare the old timers from showing up."</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="padding: 4px 10px 4px 5px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3vpCq3avaLqKRlYjVNgeDOcDBptHaxTTCCrWPYDUM__gF6M9v65JkT8PqZLFj_-t8ivW_948oC3X3omJLCNLSFqq-q3s1b-YuSWEg4WU8sSSATzfjVgd9CMG8aOrXOdowDbmnMiRFEMA/s1600/Chamber-of-Reflection2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; color: #388dbd; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; outline: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1221" data-original-width="1600" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3vpCq3avaLqKRlYjVNgeDOcDBptHaxTTCCrWPYDUM__gF6M9v65JkT8PqZLFj_-t8ivW_948oC3X3omJLCNLSFqq-q3s1b-YuSWEg4WU8sSSATzfjVgd9CMG8aOrXOdowDbmnMiRFEMA/s320/Chamber-of-Reflection2.jpg" style="background: transparent; border: none; padding: 0px;" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 10px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Many aging baby boomers are uncomfortable with<br />symbols of mortality, so one Grand Lodge is removing<br />those images from the work.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #555555;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555;">RW Johnson explained to </span><em style="background-color: white; color: #555555;">The Past Bastard</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555;"> that his interviews led him to believe that the boomer generation never felt like they had any obstacles, and had generally been happy to do what they wanted without repercussions, generating debt that they figured would just get paid off later, and enjoy their retirement years in the warm Florida sun. However, as their health began to fail, and as some watched their friends die off, they had little idea of how to handle the changes.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #555555;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #555555;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555;">"As Boomers have been hitting retirement, images of death have become triggering for them," he told us. "It's gotten so bad for many of these guys that we've spent some time re-writing the rituals to remove such imagery, so they don't have to think about it."</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #555555;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #555555;" /><em style="background-color: white; color: #555555;">The Past Bastard</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555;"> interviewed several anonymous Master Masons around Florida for some perspective.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #555555;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #555555;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555;">"I never really thought about it before, you know?" said a 68 year old past master, originally from Tacoma, Washington. "I mean, yeah, you got all these death symbols, but I never took them seriously. I mean, 'Father Time' with a scythe? An hourglass? That's, like, so cliche, you know?"</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #555555;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #555555;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555;">"Our lodge never did those etching board things," said a 73 year old brother from Hackensack, New Jersey. "So I never got the old guy imagery thing. But looking back on it, that thing where the guy gets killed, and he doesn't come back to life? That's just like what happens in real life. That's scary when you think about it." He added, "Which I try not to."</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #555555;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #555555;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555;">"The part that really gets to me, is that you can't leverage your way out of it," said a 67 year old Past District Deputy Grand master from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. "I've always been able to get enough funds together to shore up some stock, or to tide me over until the next mutual fund flip. But no matter how much you pay the damn doctors, all the seem to do is give you some pills to make you feel better. They aren't actually slowing down the aging process, are they?"</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #555555;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #555555;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555;">RW Dick Johnson told </span><em style="background-color: white; color: #555555;">The Past Bastard</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555;"> that these responses were pretty typical. "It's sad, when you step back and look at it. Those guys had no obstacles in their way, and now they don't know how to deal with this gracefully. That's why we're going to replace the hourglass with a digital watch, and the scythe with a Ginsu knife, and we're going to reword things to make the idea of mortality less threatening."</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #555555;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #555555;" /><em style="background-color: white; color: #555555;">The Past Bastard</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555;"> asked about the Master Mason degree.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #555555;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #555555;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #555555;">"Oh, yeah, that one was surprisingly easy to work out," he said. "In our version, Hiram is knocked unconscious, and has visions about the ruffians while he's out. In the raising ceremony we just wrote it so that he wakes up and realizes that it was all a dream, and that he's still a king. It's much less frightening or depressing that way."</span></span>Calvino Gliostrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04002132637637314829noreply@blogger.com1The Villages, FL, USA28.927019 -82.00376080000000928.704604 -82.3264843 29.149434000000003 -81.681037300000014tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196079893895091920.post-19768333907100076972019-08-29T08:42:00.000-07:002019-08-29T08:42:03.371-07:00PAST MASTERS DISAPPOINTED THAT NEW MEMBERS HAVE TOO MANY IDEAS (repost)<i style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: arial; font-size: 14.6667px;">(Note: The Past Bastard writers have accidentally locked themselves into sensory deprivation tanks.</i><br />
<i style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: arial; font-size: 14.6667px;">We are republishing some of their favorite articles until they return. -- the unpaid interns)</i><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Santo Alberto, CA -- After a number of initiatives to attract younger, new members, the lodges around Central California are beginning to see some results. Men in their 30s are beginning to join the lodges in small, but increasing numbers. This has led, however, to some unforeseen issues in many lodges. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 9.6px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 10px; text-align: center;">Members of Temperance Lodge No. 9744 don't understand<br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“These new kids are driving us nuts,” complained WB Ron McArnold of Temperance Lodge No. 9744. “All they do is talk about stuff. They talk about Freemasonry. They talk about fellowship. They talk about all sorts of ideas. We can’t keep up, anymore.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Indeed, that has been among the biggest complaints coming back up the hierarchy to the Grand Lodge officers: the new members are obsessed with Freemasonry, and their constant stream of ideas are getting on the nerves of the older, more established members. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“They’re constantly asking if they can try some new thing. One week it’s emailing the newsletters. Another week it’s having guest speakers in lodge. Another week it’s getting a blood drive at the lodge,” agreed WB Juan Flavian. “It’s crazy. I don’t understand why they can’t just sit there and just do things like we’ve always done them. What was the Grand Lodge thinking when they started trying to get all these new guys in here, anyway?”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Grand Lodge of California has not responded to inquiries about these issues. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">-- Conte Calvino Gliostro</span></div>
Calvino Gliostrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04002132637637314829noreply@blogger.com0California, USA36.778261 -119.4179323999999823.886426 -140.07222939999997 49.670096 -98.763635399999984tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196079893895091920.post-24675872285112542432019-08-21T08:37:00.000-07:002019-08-21T08:37:04.994-07:00PAST MASTERS DISAPPOINTED THAT NEW MASONS LACK KNOWLEDGE OF FREEMASONRY (repost)<i style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: arial; font-size: 14.6667px;">(Note: The Past Bastard writers have not paid their cable/internet bill, and have been shut off. </i><br />
<i style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: arial; font-size: 14.6667px;">We are republishing some of their favorite articles until they return. -- the unpaid interns)</i><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: 14.6667px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Watsumi, FL -- After enacting a number of initiatives to attract younger new members, the lodges around Central Florida are beginning to see results. Men in their 30s are beginning to join the lodges in small, but increasing numbers. This has led, however, to some unforeseen issues in many lodges. </span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: 14.6667px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 9.6px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 10px; text-align: center;">Older Masons are frustrated that new members don't understand<br />Freemasonry, and lack the resources to teach them.</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; clear: right; color: black; float: right; font-family: arial; font-size: 14.6667px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: 14.6667px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Yeah, we’re getting all these new members, and all, and the Grand Lodge said that we should take the time to get to know them, and to see of they have any ideas on how to improve the fraternity,” said WB Pat Vigoda of Citrus Lodge No. 588. “But so far, all these young guys have hardly said ‘Boo’ in lodge. All they do is keep asking us questions.” </span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: 14.6667px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: 14.6667px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Indeed, that has been among the biggest complaints coming back up the hierarchy to the Grand Lodge officers: the new members don’t know anything about Freemasonry, and end up having very little to offer the Craft. <b> </b></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: 14.6667px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b> </b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: 14.6667px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“You know, it wouldn’t be so bad if they just sat there and kept quiet, and all,” explained WB Bob O’Reilly of Sunlight Lodge No. 842. “But they’re so green that it’s a drain on our resources. They keep asking questions about Masonry, and we need to have all these guys available to teach them stuff. What was the Grand Lodge thinking when they tried advertising to get them in here?”</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: 14.6667px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: 14.6667px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Grand Lodge of Florida has declined to comment on plans to remedy the situation. </span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: 14.6667px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: 14.6667px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">-- Conte Calvino Gliostro</span></div>
Calvino Gliostrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04002132637637314829noreply@blogger.com0Florida, USA27.6648274 -81.51575350000001720.4803059 -91.842902000000009 34.8493489 -71.188605000000024tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196079893895091920.post-55803905563778720182019-08-13T08:32:00.000-07:002019-08-13T08:32:08.672-07:00REPORT: USAGE OF NOSTALGIA OUTSTRIPPING SUPPLY (repost)<i style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: arial; font-size: 14.6667px;">(Note: The Past Bastard writers are currently undergoing OSHA training for unsafe work practices. </i><br />
<i style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: arial; font-size: 14.6667px;">We are republishing some of their favorite articles until they return. -- the unpaid interns)</i><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: 14.6667px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Arlington, VA -- The Federal Department of Fraternal Societies has just released a status report, noting that the demand and usage for nostalgia has been increasing faster than the availability. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: 14.6667px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">FDFS Chief, WB Chris Anderson gave <i>The Past Bastard</i> a statement. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: 14.6667px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“While it’s typical to see members of fraternities and other organizations going through older books and articles for inspiration -- we call it ‘mining’ -- the fact is that in the last decade we’ve seen such an increase of authors doing this that in another eight to ten years, there may not be anything left to mine.” </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: 14.6667px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When we asked if he had any explanation for the upswing in demand, WB Anderson offered his opinion. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_12cO2cghoIc-F6ZsoNDtfIhhfv5gGnR2haiXA190ApghoWJhmCoiZnRQlPojy6dvbuR1nDFLA4WR_0CPBWQ_iNLeg4XPQi-drsKUhhWv9pNTqtRYg6erCr3e3tvIGzL5sGbOfgYGXcqS/s1600/Old-Tyler.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; color: #388dbd; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; outline: none;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_12cO2cghoIc-F6ZsoNDtfIhhfv5gGnR2haiXA190ApghoWJhmCoiZnRQlPojy6dvbuR1nDFLA4WR_0CPBWQ_iNLeg4XPQi-drsKUhhWv9pNTqtRYg6erCr3e3tvIGzL5sGbOfgYGXcqS/s320/Old-Tyler.jpg" style="background: transparent; border: none; padding: 0px;" width="206" /></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: 14.6667px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“I blame the internet,” he said jokingly. “Not the internet itself, but twenty years ago, it was difficult to mine and spread nostalgia except through print. Masons, in particular, passed around bit of Al Pike or Carl Claudy through those little MSA pamphlets, copied on ditto machines, or later, on office copiers. When email became more freely available, so did the spread of quotes and paragraphs bemoaning the loss of how things were in ‘the old days,’ but there was so much Masonic nostalgia built up over the years, that the supply was never in danger.” </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: 14.6667px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The problem surfaced when blogging became popular,” he continued. “Literally hundreds of Masons were blogging passages from Pike, quotes from Claudy, meanderings from Mackey, and pretty much any other old Freemason they could find. The nostalgia supply began dwindling, but we expected older Masons to be replenishing the supply. Unfortunately, there aren’t any current authors who write their own original ideas anymore.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: 14.6667px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">WB Anderson cited the FDFS report, saying “The number of brothers passing maudlin bits of nostalgia along on Facebook isn’t helping. True, most of them are very short snippets because Freemasons don’t read as much as they used to. But the sheer number of them doing so means that whatever nostalgia is left will be used up by the next decade, after which we’ll be be forced to endlessly recycle ‘The Old Tyler Talks,’ or ‘Red Skelton’s Pledge of Allegiance’ until the next generation begins to mine old blogs for material.”
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: 14.6667px; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">-- Conte Calvino Gliostr</span></div>
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<i style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: arial; font-size: 14.6667px;"><br /></i>Calvino Gliostrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04002132637637314829noreply@blogger.com0Arlington, VA, USA38.8799697 -77.106769838.7810832 -77.2681313 38.978856199999996 -76.9454083tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5196079893895091920.post-37955154088203116202019-08-05T08:24:00.000-07:002019-08-05T08:24:07.065-07:00MOVPER IS ON THE MOVE; GROTTO REBRANDS "POOR MAN'S SHRINE" IMAGE (repost)<div dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-f92d5eba-1be9-5961-c282-2a9cc5aa018d" style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>(Note: The Past Bastard writers are currently being sued for unpaid Mexican hospital bills, and have decided to stay off social media for a short time. </i><i>We are republishing some of their favorite articles until they get back. -- the unpaid interns.)</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline;">Damascus, OH -- Explaining that they no longer want to be considered “the poor man’s Shrine,” the Mystic Order of the Veiled Prophets of the Enchanted Realm, informally known as the Grotto, has been busy making some fundamental changes to their organization. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline;">“We have a new official motto that’s going to be going up on billboards and bumper stickers: ‘All the tassel and none of the hassle’,” said spokesman Ken White, “although we also have an unofficial motto that we’ve kept to ourselves: ‘All the Fez and none of the bullshit.’ Please don’t print that, okay?”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline;">White said that the mottoes reflect the new mission of the Grotto. Long thought of as the red-headed stepchild of the appendant bodies, the Grotto is trying to look more relevant to younger, and less affluent Masons by giving the fact that they do not have the resources of the Shriners a new spin.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline;">“Guys get tired of coming into an organization, getting hit up for a few hundred bucks in fees, dues, pins, and all that stuff, and on top of it getting hit up for even more money every time they come to a meeting. We want to be the ‘anti-Shriners:’ Come down, have a good time, and we won’t hassle you for money every week.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline;">When asked about continued support of their current charities, White confessed that he wasn’t exactly sure which charities were currently being supported, but promised to look into it. “It’s not just the charities that will be cut back,” he said, “but we’re also not going to bug you about joining the side things. Nobody is going to have to buy bagpipes, little cars, or dress like clowns. Most younger guys today just don’t want to be involved in that kind of thing, and I don’t blame them. I just want to relax with the guys, and enjoy a scotch and cigar or some beer and pizza.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline;">-Conte Calvino Gliostro</span></span></div>
Calvino Gliostrohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04002132637637314829noreply@blogger.com0Damascus, OH, USA40.9023023 -80.95542140.8782998 -80.9957615 40.926304800000004 -80.9150805