Welcome to the Scottish right Journal podcast an audio presentation of the Scottish right Journal brought to you by the Supreme Council of the Scottish right Southern jurisdiction mother Supreme Council of the world this week’s article is cultural differences are Masonic strengths by brother Mike Nelson 32nd degree and comes from the March
April 2018 issue of the Scottish right Journal I have often said that a lodge is like a Petri dish in which a masonic experiment is conducted more often than not I find that the results of that experiment are highly reflective of their environments and of society at
Large this makes perfect sense when you think of it because a lodge is its members and would certainly cease to exist without them those individual Masons come from all walks of life it is their obligations and sharing of ritual that unites them but more than that they
Come to find a shared Spirit among them and in a very real way when Masons come together they form a band of brothers with a culture all their own while principles of Freemasonry are certainly Universal these Lodge cultures are as individual as the Masons who build them
If a lodge of Freemasons is recognized as more than a place where Masons meet but as those Masons themselves we can see the structure as living and breathing masonry like men can survive and even thrive in Rural and auster conditions think of those military traveling lodges that were so prevalent
In early America without any need for the luxury of a fancy edifice indeed it is here that I have found a style of masonry best suited to who I am I belong to a lodge built by rough and rugged men who came West by any means available to
Them my Lodge was fostered by their Masonic descendants and the spirit of that Lodge is alive and well today geography positively plays a part in the creation of a Lodge’s culture a prestigious East Coast Lodge bearing the name of some founding father or another is going to be very different from a
Mining Lodge in Montana and that’s a good thing it is to be expected that the members of a downtown Lodge are going to be vastly different from the members of a more rural Lodge or even Country Lodge the simple truth is known as diversity and in my opinion is among the most
Beautiful aspects of free masonry it is the work that we share and our obligations that bind us together and our differences ought to be celebrated as additional strengths not weaknesses problems and concerns that exist in masonry are not however always confined to Geographic boundaries a downtown Lodge can experience many of the same
Challenges in survival that a rural Lodge can the solutions however are not always the same as with individuals the issues of a lodge must must be addressed independently but I believe that the place to start in either case is with their Brethren and their shared experience are they happy to travel
Perhaps dozens of miles or more to come to a Lodge On Any Given night do they enjoy each other’s company and share in each other’s Joys and Sorrows do they welcome new members and hear their voices as they hear those of the elders this is where true masonry exists and we
Can find that in an extravagant Temple a room above a bar a tent or under the star decked canopy of the heavens the true Mark of a Mason therefore is the ability to transcend his environment and realize the universality of Freemasonry like and share this article and don’t forget to subscribe to the
Channel if you wish to comment please leave one and as a reminder hit the notifications Bell any accompanying photographs or citations for this article can be found in the corresponding print edition the Scottish right Journal is published by the Supreme Council of the Scottish right Southern jurisdiction mother Supreme
Council of the World Mark dryson stock 32nd degree kcch managing editor I’m your host Matt Bowers
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