Hey Chris yeah Fred what’s a Mason that’s a really good question Fred you’ve reached the internet’s home for all things masonry join Chris and I as we Plum the depths of our ancient craft from the common gavel to the trout nothing is off the table so grab your tools and let’s get to work this is on the Level wow we’re here there it is the Rebel Yell from the rebel State no doubt South Carolina in the South I’m in the southern boy he’s in he’s a southern boy from the south wow Chris uh this is um this is different our Tech the tech side
Of it is a little little sketchy here I’m still working through some issues but for those of you listening um this this intro was probably our worst ever and the reason there’s a reason for that and the reason is is that uh my partner uh Chris Burns
Is in South Carolina calling in down to beautiful Florida what’s going on with that man hey your your technology skills are becoming way more important than they’ve ever been now all a sudden AR okay I I don’t have I don’t know I don’t know I well if you don’t know who knows this
Is uh I don’t know man this is there’s so much here the problem is and I’m gonna say this out loud okay uh the problem is is that we have a Mac OS which does not want to play nice uh with our recording deck so that’s the problem
I’ve been on I’ve been on the phone with Tascam with uh with all the different tech people and they they’re it’s it’s the same old thing Mac does not want to play with outside nonproprietary software it just doesn’t want it it doesn’t like it do doesn’t want to do it
There’s a roadblock at every turn and uh I’ve had it so we’re going to get M me that you made a breakthrough though I made a breakthrough I did I made a breakthrough I was able to download the firmware uh off the website which you have to download it off tascam’s website
You have to do all kinds of stuff because Mac again doesn’t want to accept it so you got to go round and round and round to get it on the on the computer from the computer it has to be downloaded onto the SD card on the deck
From there it must be uh downloaded onto the deck itself and Mac just doesn’t want to do it um and they’re all telling me that on a PC this is one click and it’s done and on a Mac it goes round and round and round and every single every
Process there’s some sort of proprietary thing that pops up doesn’t want to do it doesn’t like it doesn’t understand it it’s like so I I am not a Mac guy I did not I did not raise my children on MacBooks and I bought this thing because
I wanted to try it and give it a try and I so regret it I know there’s a lot of Mac people out there that are just yelling at the uh at their at me right now but I don’t care Brothers I don’t I don’t care I don’t care it doesn’t work
It just doesn’t work when it comes to nonpr rary applications it simply doesn’t want to play yeah well you got to use the proper tool for the proper job you can’t you know yeah gonna work all the time right that’s right so we’re gonna get a PC unforunately with h
Windows that’s right I said windows and it’s going to work like magic and uh I’m I’m pretty excited about that anyway how are you brother how’s how’s things going you moved to South Carolina um and um let me tell you uh I didn’t we did a stated meeting on
Tuesday night right I was there at a regular state of communication yes it was a great meeting Santa came I still got to upload photos of that and uh we had our elections and it was just this awesome night we did a give back and awarded an
Apron uh the guys wanted to go have a drink because everyone knew it was my last meeting and you had to get on a plane at 3:00 am well actually I drove oh so to the shrine please explain and done was the plan and after three shots of tequila
And four drinks and many karaoke songs I finally got the bed around 12:30 had to get up at 2:30 to pack the truck for another 45 minutes and then proceed to drive for 11 hours to get here wow so I had a rough rough night uh but it was
Well worth it because we had a great time with everybody that’s awesome and I’m coming back I’ll be right back tomorrow we’re going do a Master Mason degree for 10 Brothers another one this like the third time this year an outdoor Master Mason degree in Englewood for 10
Brothers yeah that’s that’s going to be awesome man Englewood lunch number 360 yeah and that’s dedication I just moved out of the state drove 11 hours coming right back two days later coming right back except you’re not driving you’re flying which is uh going to be just a
Little EAS we will meet up and talk some business and exchange some things you got to give me some things for up here and I need to give you some things for down there yep we’ll get it together we’re getting our stuff together yeah
And just a heads up uh and this is a heads up for anyone listening and a heads up for for you um partner um I Got a notification from Facebook that we are in violation of their Community standards yeah I think that’s a Spam thing that they send to everybody to try
To get you to click links and do things oh okay okay good good but worry about that okay so if we if for any reason we’re off of Facebook guys do not despair uh it’s clearly an error on their part and we’ll get it fixed so I
Just wanted to make sure that you can always you can always find us on the website um you can always go to uh on the level with Fred and chris.com and uh and catch our sh I think we’ll be okay on Facebook here’s the thing thing that
I am worried about we only have three weeks left to sell tickets for the Masonic education Symposium right we need to stop about a week beforehand because the our venue needs a headcount to prepare the food okay in advance and so we will stop selling tickets um the week
Before uh so what is that going to be like the 3 of January yes correct or the sixth uh something like that yep yeah the sixth I think is that Saturday after our installation on the fifth oh yeah so we we have three weeks guys please go to
On the level of frand chris.com and you’ll see right there on the homepage the event that we’re doing in Sarasota on January 13th starts at 9:00 a.m. and goes until 5:00 p.m. tickets cost $50 and we have uh three guest speakers and a keynote speaker uh these are amazing lectures
That are going to be talking about really cool Masonic education yeah topics and you get to talk to them you know part of this whole thing is that we are going to do what we always do have a conversation right that’s right with each of these people each of these
Brothers including our keynote speaker uh WR where Shalia atala who is one of our Grand Lodge officers and we’ll be talking about the future of Freemasonry with everyone that shows up I’m sure he’d love to hear your ideas about how the Grand Lodge could help improve Freemasonry in Florida so
Please come out and tell him right yeah yeah it’s going to be it’s going to be a great time and there’s dinner um is included um and and drink tickets and it’s at Sarasota sahib Shrine which has a gigantic Tiki Hut right out front really nice outdoor bar nice indoor bar
Uh the venue is real nice I mean it’s a great place it’s going to be a great time and sponsored by the three Ruffians premium cigars that’s right they’ll be out there today uh during the during the program that’s right Sarasota de chapter will be there assisting and if anyone
Else wants to sponsor we have room available for tables yeah that’s right so yeah we’re looking I’m looking forward to it it’s the first one of many that we’re going to do and um so we’re going to we’re all going to kind of pioneer this thing together this first
Time out um the goal and hope and goal is to do four a year um every quarter to do one every quarter uh and then we also kicked around we were up in Washington DC for those of you who didn’t see on the Facebook post we were up in
Washington DC to do the yearly um what is that what offici officially it’s the it’s the the annual re at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier um but uh it was a three-day thing for us that we went we went to Arlington obviously for the The
Reef Lane um and then we we spent a a good amount of time there man it was really awesome uh that day and then uh the next day we toured the capital not my favorite uh part of the part of the trip I was not not my house
Uh anymore but uh I I went and uh it was interesting for sure I learned a few things while I was there um and uh uh but then for me uh the the thing that really really stuck out to me was um being at uh pomac uh number five Lodge
For their installation and seeing you know um how they open uh in Master Mason degree and how they do their work which is very different than ours um and but the basics are there you know it’s it’s masonry you can see it you can understand it no matter where you’re
From you can still understand it but it’s different Absolut you know it’s different and it’s cool and also uh there in DC in that in that particular uh grand Grand Lodge um they have a bar uh there at the uh at the lodge itself which is very interesting you can drink
At Blue Lodge uh in DC which I found very interesting I found that very interesting there were several very interesting things about it right the ritual work was pretty fascinating especially I think we all agreed that when they level at the end it’s far more meaningful in the way that we level in
The State of Florida right and we can’t really say exactly what that means if you’re amazing you you probably know what that means but it was a really moving touching moment where uh you know where you felt part of something you felt part of it right everybody came to
This place you know and it was it was awesome man it was really good anyway the point is is that we kicked around an idea of doing doing a summertime uh DC trip as part of OTL as part of on the level once a year an annual on the level
Uh trip doing a tour a masonic tour of DC um in 20120 late 2024 um so that’s something we’ll be kicking around as well to kind of see if we can can do that I there’s just so much history Masonic history in that place yeah we found residents that lived
There their whole life didn’t even know about the Masonic connections yeah right which was really amazing it was amazing they had no idea the guy’s right down the street from the George Washington Memorial a masonic Memorial and he has no idea too I took her to the George
Washington Masonic Memorial and she was shocked that that was there in public and she’s had no idea her whole life that he was amazing right and if you walk into that building if I was blown away and and for anybody who’s been to the thing um the the the Washington
Masonic Memorial it’s no small deal man when you walk through those giant brass doors and the the front doors are six doors wide and probably four four floors in height of all brass old school brass um Framing and glass door system and that’s impressive because it’s super
High The Columns are there you walk through and you’re thinking man this is amazing and then you realize you’re standing in this this area of all this marble and these all Gran marble granite marble columns that Tower over you man they got to be 60 feet high man and it’s
Just it’s an absolute Marvel and it goes on from there the elevators which are pitched from outside to inside seven degrees each floor you go up they get closer and closer together till you get to the very top it’s all engineered that way and uh it’s just it’s just an
Amazing thing but um yeah so for me doing a summertime trip because it was really cold um it was it was brutal cold for us cold and rainy cold and rainy and overcast the whole time so doing a summertime trip up there uh with a group
Of guys we could meet from all over the country and finding a couple of people who can kind of put together an actual Masonic bus tour um where we just we we Charter a bus and then we go from Masonic thing to I thing and do the
Teaching and stuff on it I really think Jeremy Barnes could be a big help on this shout out to you brother um I know yeah brother Barnes I mean when we visited the capital I literally saw him chatting with the government employees there yeah and they knew him and he knew
Them yeah they know him so yeah he’s he’s definitely somebody that we want to get with on this and and try to try to put it together and bring bring people together and and really start educating people because I need a lot of education on it too there’s a lot more there than
I I think I think even as Masons we understand we’ve scratched the surface we know that they influen this or that but we don’t know the whole story yeah because if you look at you know I I um I haven’t really totally thought this through yet but what I one of the things
I noticed was um the Supreme Court building um if you look at the Apex going into the grand entrance of the Supreme Court building you’ll see the mural above and what you see is you see Moses in the center a statue of Moses in the center and sitting to his left and
His right is Aristotle and Socrates and Plato and it goes down through all of these different philosophers throughout all of history well that thing was built you know in the 18 in the early 1800s so so yeah if if the Constitution of the United States was ratified in 177
Was it was R I don’t know when it was ratified shame on me but in 1776 um the Declaration of Independence was was begun um and the the war for independence began and was fought and won by the time you get to the early 1800s that thing is being built on the
Apex of that building right there which is very Masonic um you know and I know my my everyone knows my Christian Brethren who want to say that this was a strictly designed as a Christian um government um I I think I think we we need to step
Back and have a conversation about that because um though most of the men uh were either either declared outright you know Christian men of Christian faith or they completely agreed with the tenants or precepts behind it like Thomas Jefferson but they were but they were Masonic in their application of the
Constitutional republic that they design that they designed and if you look at all the monuments if you look at everything that you see out there that’s pretty obvious to me if if you think about it uh we know the influence that the Masons had we know that the Masons were probably
Exclusively Christian there in that place at that time well they they they under if they weren’t actual you know Christian men who who held to the tenants of the Christian faith they were they were for lack of a better word sympathetic to the teachings and precepts behind the moral code it
Represents and I would I would bet that the majority were out practicing Christians but this is how you know the Masons influenced our government because although they were primarily Christian men they were Masons too and they knew the importance for tolerance of other religions as part of inclusion and
Making us one unit one whole family and I think that that comes through in our government because although we were founded by Christians I don’t think they intended it to be a strictly Christian Nation well you know what I mean well and and I think when when we talk about the word tolerance
That’s a modern word um now back then they would have not have known anything about that they the they were not necess they surely would have understood the importance of accepting what they were looking for was uh they didn’t want to create another government system that
Could impose its will on the people that that that’s what they were completely intolerant of they were intolerant of another king another monarchy so they crafted so they had to sit down and craft a government system um that would not allow for this type of thing and
That’s why I think what they settled for was is that the people I.E those who go to church those who don’t go to church those who are strong in their faith those who are not strong in their faith don’t have a faith at all the people are required to force the
State to remain within its jurisdiction and boundaries so we were we as the people were to hold this leviathon in distrust and not let it grow and not let it get out of control and hold it accountable now we have miserably failed um in this in that in that area but that’s what
They crafted and I think that is a very Masonic idea if you look at our Masonic government the Grand Lodge of Florida when you go there it’s a it’s a representative form of democracy it’s exactly like our government it absolutely is everything about it Executives we’ve got our legislators
With the vigilance committee all these other committees are the legislators and then we’ve got the House of Representatives that’s us we go and vote yeah that’s right of all the members it’s it’s completely representative so it’s not mob rule um it’s not every one man one vote which is Mob Rule and and
Of course uh Plato he explained that very clearly to us that it’s a failed system it is a constitutional representative Republic and uh it’s brilliant uh in its crafting but anyways we’re we’re down a little bit of a rabbit hole here but the truth is is
That when you tour when you drive around DC uh and you start to take it in and you start to see this stuff you realize that this this this this entire system was uh was Masonic at its core man and and there’s lodges all over the place
Out there and there’s there’s all kinds of symbolism and and stuff all over the place and it’s just interesting to me how how in our our day and age today masonry can be held in such suspicion you know having we have I guess so I guess we we
We’ve forgotten all of it I mean we’ve completely been we have not been diligent in any any of the things the founding fathers told us we needed to be diligent in no masonry as a whole isn’t particularly good at claiming credit for things right yeah well because to like
To just stay in the background and do our thing and not take credit yeah that’s right as individuals and as an entity and uh I think that’s a good thing in most cases but you know we do have a monument in Arlington right to Washington so the
Fact that it’s there and people still have no idea is a little scary yeah right it just it kind of shows and and like the bartender we were talking to you know who’s in the heart of his whole life he lived his whole life there in
The heart of DC and he had no earthly idea what masonry really was he’s just one of those guys what do you mean like brick layers you know he’s one of those guys you know it’s like and it was just that was shocking to me me is just it
Was like wow we really I think we’ve got to do some re-education to our citizens about the importance of masonry in our role in the formation of this country I agree hope the role we can still play and I you know and it goes back to that putting together that yearly that annual
Trip to uh you know to to DC the the the O the on the level on the level Masonic education trip to DC annually I’m going to be a bulldog on it so we’ll try to put that together guys and keep the keep the cost down as best we can and get
Everybody to come you know to come and put and and my thing is going to be to find a tour guide who really knows this stuff and maybe year after year kind of build this tour to the point where it is so informative and it is so dead on dead
On you know that uh that it becomes it becomes a a must you know for for every Mason to uh to either actually experience it or maybe we can do publications of it and do you know broadcasts from there to help people but the other thing is is that it goes to
What you and I are going to be talking about at the Symposium on January 13th get your tickets go online to uh what is the what is the online uh thing it’s the no no that’s you could just go to on the level Fred chris.com right there on the
Homepage tell yeah get your tickets right away don’t don’t wait they’re going to start selling really fast especially when as the holidays wind down um everybody’s going to want to get their tickets at the same time and there is a limited amount so please get on get
Online and get it and get it uh get those tickets but um the the talk that we’re going to do that we’re it’s going to be a very we’re going to be very brief uh the two of us because we’re going to let our guests do most of the
Speaking and we’re going to let our our our um the people who come in the audience do a lot of the questions and answers and speaking anyway it’s going to be an open Forum idea but our talk is is a basic theme is the basic theme for
OTL for 2024 and that is a question and the question is does masonry have something to offer to this hurting country and um we think the answer is yes and we’re going to try to develop that uh more and more that theme for 2024 um throughout the year does it does
Does masonry have something to offer young man a young man who doesn’t know who he is doesn’t know you know what to do in this world um has no purpose um feels like he has no purpose feels like he’s lost or or wants to become something you know part of something
Bigger than himself well I think I think and I know you do too Chris I think masonry has something to offer in that area yeah what we need are engaged Masons that’s right and informed informed and engaged yeah we we need to be active we need to be contributing and
We need to be visible and we haven’t been some of those things for a little while now and uh you know credit to right Wishful catellus and Silverman for yep what they’ve been doing here the last six or seven years because I think it is doing all those things it really is US
Visible we went around as a group of Masons dressed nice acting right in public yeah and I know a lot of people people were looking qu looking at us and asking questions and everyone there was a great representative to the community as Mason and we were there visible doing
Things right touring the capital is Mason that was pretty impressive it was a it was a trip I I had not been to the capital building since I was very young so I I really didn’t understand we had to basically bind you and blindf you and
Gag you to get you in there yeah it’s it’s it’s I well you know it does not represent us anymore those two houses represent themselves and that’s pretty obvious in their behaviors anymore but that that doesn’t mean we’re going to give up uh it’s worth fighting for uh
That’s for sure and I know I’m not alone U I’m absolutely not alone in that in that idea those old men the enemy isn’t the other guy on the street that’s not who we should be fighting with that’s right you have these corporations controlling our government those corporations and the politicians that
Sold out the corporations and the politicians that sold out to them is is really the enemy and those people are in their 80s late 80s uh hello you know they’re they’re very old they now they’ve turned you know the grift goes to their children uh but there’s still
Not that many of them there’s a lot more of us and um I think we can begin masonry can be pivotal in helping people to put away the left versus right lie um you know and I think you and I are a perfect example that we talk about it
All the time you know I would be I would be considered more of a center right uh person and you would be considered more of a center-left person but we but we’re able to be productive we’re very productive in what we do together well we share the same desires that’s right
At the end of the day and it’s true I think of everyone on the left and the right that are so passionate and hating each other they both want their government to be good that’s right that’s right they pick these tiny little details that we have differences on to
Keep us quarreling with each other about the nonsense well the big stuff just slides right out the door you know while we’re fighting and it’s working so the only way to stop this is for us to stop the bickering with each other about the nonsense and look at look at the back
Door and watch all the stuff they’re carrying out because we could stop them together and I think we both want that stuff to stay in the house yeah that’s right we both want the government that we started with that’s right yeah both sides very Limited in its scope and
Power right you know and and very much answerable you know and nation of individuals who prided ourselves on our our strength our tenacity our individual like we we we prided ourselves on that at one point and uh you know we’ve gotten a little bit dependent on things
Over time we have we have and we you know the founding fathers um they opinion of government employees would have been very different than ours you know we we we hold them up we hold them up as these Heroes and you know that can do no wrong and they’re
Somewhat somehow they’re a little better than we are um kind of idea they were trying to basically deify that man right right and he was saw many instances where their attempts were being made to make a deity out of the person right well that’s time he would not be who he
Was fighting against it absolutely so if you look at the capital rotunda so they wanted to bury him and the center point of the Rotunda and if you stand in the center and look straight up you will see uh you will literally see a a picture mural a whole mural system of Washington
As a deity and the idea was is that he was supposed to rise up from his grave where he was buried at the bottom of the Rotunda right there rise up into Glory to be this this deity they really really wanted a king man and they wanted him to
Be the king you know and you can see all of this and it it just and and we we as as as people who actually make this country work we need to fight against that my the point I was making was that our founding fathers would not have
Treated the average you know um government in air quotes employee with much respect they would not have understood OD them they they would not have understood the de the lady behind the DMV counter who treats you like a piece of garbage they they would not have understood that they would not have
Understood that they were in America you know the I I deal with building I’m in the trades dealing with Building Department officials all the time who treat you like you’re an absolute [ __ ] and have no time for you and lie to you and about you um and hold up jobs just
For their own ego’s sake our founding fathers would have taken up arms had they seen something like this leviathon that that holds Us in contempt you know every day of our life they would not have understood such a thing now I don’t know what the remedy is I
Say you know you you change hearts and Minds one person at a time and I think that’s what masonry does I agree and you’ve got to be you’ve got to show them people don’t believe things unless they see it with their eyes show them yep and you know it’s
Like like those people that built our country they built the house they built their own house right and the the respect the reverence they had for the thing that they built was probably off the charts yeah that’s right but when you get to a house that you built with
Your bare hands three generations later the great grandkids are ripping everything out they don’t care about the history of that house they don’t care that it was the first that this or that they’re like no take it out it’s old I want new new new I want new yeah and they lose their
History yeah and that’s what’s happened to us we’re Generations Generations generations and a large portion of our population have lost its history because they just don’t care and so as Masons I think we benefit from the fact that we rever our history and we teach it right and stud and not
Just American history but our history is a species on the planet yeah that’s right that’s right like uh I think the more that you try to lift up history I think the more successful your civilization is going to be yeah we need not not like the fact that you have to
Always live the way you did thousands of years ago but just understanding why they live the way they did will help you live a better life today yeah they wrote they they wrote a lot Thomas Jefferson left us a lot of the why he did what he
Did why he believed what he did you know he was he was a deist um he didn’t hold to the miraculous um but he he held to he was very much into the enlightenment you know that was that was his thing but he understood human nature he totally understood the checks
And balances that are that are built into this system um he that they’re there for a reason and now they’re gone you know and the checks and balances it’s all one lump of grift going on you know and and it’s it’s just well they’re playing to our base instincts now yeah
Right yeah used to appeal to our higher selves right and we revered virtues and things that you know were hard difficult but now it seems like all politicians play to your most Bas Primal instincts right yeah and all the while is a dangerous thing all the while
Getting richer and richer and that’s why you know you you you vote a guy into into national office who says who’s who’s got a a life of exemplary service you know I think of uh there was a a senatorial candidate that I helped support in Denver uh in Colorado um uh
Back in the late 90s and uh he was just a straight shooter he everything I mean his entire career he’d been in government since you know from out of high school for goodness sakes and the guy had exemplary marks of a guy that really did what he said he was going to
Do along the way and literally his first year in Washington DC he just reversed everything he’d ever believed in and became another grifter and to this day he’s one of the biggest grifters up there and uh yeah and it’s just amazing to me that uh there’s something about
The unfettered ability to take to to line your pockets that just the it doesn’t matter who you are you’re a human being and that temptation is going to get you man and that’s the problem what with what goes on up there we drove around problem oh yeah we drove around
There’s no IQ that’s to get into government first of all there’s no requirement that you have any knowledge of history or even the workings of government or our own Constitution there’s no test no that’s right get into government I mean anyone can get in there all they have to do is become
Popular enough that’s right that’s right I’d sure like to see some like let’s let’s make them take a test and exhibit that they understand our Constitution and that they know some important things that happen in our history before they go work in the government that we that represents us I
Think yeah well that would make them accountable to it so they don’t want to know anything about that and once you get into that position um once you’re in the position then you surround yourself with people who do all the work and keep you out of the loop so you’re not accountable you
Know for any of the things you do and that’s kind of the way it works they have these gigantic entourages of people that surround them that they put them put themselves you know in the center of this massive Entourage I think at at one point Harry Reid who was a Senator uh
From Nevada had had 380 people under him 380 people working for him I mean how do you that that’s a government he was a government unto himself now I could be wrong about that number but I think I seem to remember 380 of of of the people and and he was sponsored by
Every single um uh defense contractor in the state of Nevada and he was just he was just one of those you know one of those guys like Mitch McConnell same thing you know if you look into the man’s Financial past he and his his spouse um you would be outraged you know
I was I was outraged it’s like are you kidding me this man is worth hundreds of millions of dollars on a on a civil service uh pens uh you know salary um and has connections all over the world tight connections with China it’s like come on man and he’s he’s held up now
He’s a he’s a he’s a right side guy so he’s held up by the right as this stall worth of Freedom you know but he’s a grifter man he’s a total crook you know and if you look at a Chuck Schumer same thing man if you look into Chuck
Schumer’s life uh and and where he’s gotten his money he’s worth hundreds of millions of dollars and if you look at you look at their life it’s like you’d be shocked man you know that this is not the way it was all right we’re going down this Rabbit Trail don’t get me
Started like in most jobs you have like a a at least an annual review if not a quarterly review or go over like our successes and our you know are we getting better how about we do that for our politicians yeah well can we do a little review because once they’re in
They’re in they’re in yeah they’re in there’s no review there’s no way to get them out uh not not really other than taking Extreme Measures and wasting a lot of money to try to get done yeah but even that’s become political stunt now I think pretty much every president to the
End of time is going to impeachment proceedings will begin on day one of his inauguration oh yeah that’s what side you’re on that system is so broken it’s it’s it’s Banana Republic czy It’s a Banana Republic kind of idea anymore so if you’re listening right now and you’re
Thinking well it’s too big it’s too broken there’s nothing we can do that’s not true there is something you can do and you you can start it always starts Grassroots it’s all politics is local you can you can go to your Lodge uh you can begin to educate yourself you can
Begin to live your life in a way that promotes Liberty and freedom uh and fair trade uh and and begin to educate yourself your brothers around you and and your your children and those who are younger than you those who are coming up and we can do that one one person at a
Time we have a network of lodges all around this country yeah all around this country and we could access that Network and begin a movement um like I said does masonry have something to offer to this hurting country I think we have we do what I suggested that we do in
Government in our lodges in Florida yeah if you want to get into an elected position you have to do a certain amount of education and prove that you are educated enough to get the basic information you need to be one of those elected officers yeah that’s right
That’s right yeah yeah it’s not a popularity contest we’ve got to get away from that man yeah that’s a cheery note to Jerry not to end on well all right so you know what you know what’s cool though the going back to the DC trip we saw the um
When we toured the capital we actually saw the display case that the Washington gille sits in in the capital building where just tourists can come and see it and it’s on loan from pomac Lodge to the capital right and this is a masonic artifact but it’s also a government
Relic yeah it’s a national treasure correct with the people as Masons and we saw the TR is is belongs to another Lodge in the area and they also give their relics the capital to display to the people right and so we’re visible we right there in front of
Everybody it’s just crazy that uh people just still have no idea what’s happening I know I know but that’s that is our call and Mission right there there it is so if you are in fact a brother listening to the uh on the level podcast
With Fred and Chris uh then uh then you know you know what to do you know what to do uh go back to your Lodge and get involved educate yourself come to the Symposium uh if you’re in the State of Florida well if you’re anywhere in
Within the sound of our voice and you can make it please come uh and begin to get charged up um get yourself uh excited uh and get passionate about educating yourself about this country’s Masonic history uh and then and then prepare to do something to get out there and do
Something one of one of the things that we offer to the young men of this country is is a moral code um we we are a system of morality um we have a system of a system of of living your life in such a way that is productive and beneficial to yourself
And all those around you um and that’s huge we lack that in this country our young men are lost um they have no moral compass they have no Direction uh and and masonry and masonry in a very real way offers that to the young man who comes in you know we hold ourselves
Accountable um generally speaking We’re Men we’re flawed but we hold ourselves accountable to a higher standard um and and that is something that’s very much lacking and and that is something that masonry does have to offer uh to this hurting country again you’re going to
Hear me say that on the show over and over again that’s our theme for 2024 do we have something to offer and if we do how do we get it out there right I think we’ve been saying from day one you have to fix your house before you can go out
Aside of it and start trying to fix anything else so that’s right it really for us as a fraternity starts with fixing ourselves I think we’re we’ve been bleeding out through time a little bit and maybe a lot and we need to reconstitute ourselves and it starts at each individual Lodge
Not any Grand Lodge no jurisdiction is going to do this the Grand Lodge of Florida helped by sponsoring a program for The Lodges But ultimately it’s The Lodges that decide to do it or not do it and uh you know a lot of lodges are merging and some are going under and
That’s going to be your Lodge too if you don’t get on it yeah no that’s right you got to start fixing your own house got to build up your membership fix up your Lodge get yourself financially healthy and then you’ll be in a place to actually do some good and help people
Yeah that’s right but most lodges are just trying to fix help themselves at this point they themselves need charity how can you do charity when you need charity yeah right yeah first when the mask like they say on the airplane you know when the mask comes down secure
Your own before you help somebody else with theirs the Assumption the assumption there is that you’re going to be helping somebody else with their mask that’s the assumption but the the the the task at hand is make sure yours is first on correctly so you don’t die even
Your baby they’re like leave the child alone put your own mask on get your own mask on and then the imperative the imperative in that statement is then you will go help others right they’re not it’s not a suggestion it’s not a suggestion it’s and that’s the way I
Love the way it’s worded you know it’s always it’s always it always struck me whenever I’m on a plane and they say that I’m one of the Geeks Who are listening to them because I’m always listening for that but I’m a geek anyway you’re one of two people on the plane
Listening I’m one of two people on the plane listening because that’s what they say the assumption is that you will be helping others but first secure your own mask and that’s exactly what you were just talking about right there and we have the we have a plan for any Lodge to
Help themselves the oxygen mask is here it’s falling right out of our website that’s right got to put it on and do it secure it first yeah just do it start fixing your Lodge you know you’ve got to strengthen your numbers get and it will happen it
Will happen if you just start the steps today you will start to get new members those members are going to be extremely zealous they’re going to want to learn more about what Freemasonry is and where did all this come from right and then they’re going to want to teach it
Because that’s what you do once you have knowledge yeah that’s right you teach it to people coming up and now you’ve got a strong Lodge and you’re in a place where you can start to raise money where you can have influence and do things so we
Hope that you take all of that desire to change the government we just talked about and go change your lives with it first right ch right change yourself change your Lodge uh change change your community um and and maybe just maybe if we’re by the grace of God uh and by a
Lot of hard work maybe just maybe we could change the direction of uh this hurting land uh that would be that would be an amazing thing to see um yeah it’s Grassroots man if we can start fixing our own selves and building up our membership and our lodges we will have
Influence again right yeah that’s true everyone will know who we are again finally yeah and and like I hear people all the time uh who say you know my grandpa was amazing he was such a good man you know he was such a he was such a
Good man and I really loved him respect much yeah and he didn’t talk about it much right so that’s probably something we need to change we need to we need to talk a little more about it um but I get the point um for the oldtimers out there
Who are yelling at me right now the point is is that if you live your life uh if you live a life of of of uh of Integrity uncompromising Integrity uh if you’re an honest hardworking person people will know that about you that stands out in this world world and
People will trust you and you will earn the right to speak into their lives uh and that’s and that’s that’s the bottom line you know each person you know each person living the life uh of integrity and honesty you know and and praying that that that God would turn this
Country back to the kind of men that originally founded it uh would be an amazing thing so anyway so let’s talk a little bit about you my brother oh jeez I know right so so um this is uh last Tuesday was your last stated meeting as worshipful master of the mighty 147
Sarasota Florida um so now you’ve got uh what we’ve got one more meeting the day after Christmas you and I will be the only ones there um so we’ll that that’ll be your actual final gavl right that’s it you’re done well on we have a called communication on January that’s the
Installation that will be the installation of the 2024 officer line so I will open the lodge there okay officially so that’s officially and I will get to say some last words and then I won’t get the gavl down but I will get to pass my gavl to the next minut to to
Zach shout out to Zach there y that’s that’s awesome so now a lot of people are asking a lot of people W to you you um sold your home we talked about this on the last podcast too you you sold your home here in in Sarasota good on
You it was a dream that you had and a dream you fulfilled and I’m so I am so blessed to to know a man who actually did it well I I I shouldn’t brag too much I did it too but anyway uh did you
Did it do it again you did it and uh then you and you bought a really beautiful property something that you and your wife really desired uh up in in South Carolina that’s where you are now um but I have heard you say more than once that you will will always be a
Member of Sarasota 147 that’s um for the rest of your life so how’s that going to work tell people exactly what’s your plan as far as that goes well my business is headquartered in Sarasota all of my employees are there right directors and my employees and so uh the company still has regular
Meetings and I’ll be going to those meetings I’m only a one hour flight away right um and so I’m I’ve already got three planned three flights in the next in the first month to come back and uh one of those is coming to a our installation and another is a degree at
Another watch for our brothers and one is for this education Symposium and so it’s my hope that I can make it to at least one stated meeting a month and sit as a past Master quietly and uh enjoy so hopefully to watch the fruits of some of my labor and my predecessors
Labors yeah in front of us that’s my hope and we’re going to need you so you’re going to sit quietly but but we’re we’re definitely going to need your help in your leadership now as far as the reimbursement program goes for the for uh Grand Lodge um John Schaefer
Myself and you um we’re we are uh we’re committed for 2024 to be a part to be a part of that so and I know that will continue um to move forward so for our lodge I’m going to go back into those calls and scheduling appointments which
I haven’t been able to do all year nice yeah John schaer is going to get some much needed help yeah um and you know we brought in I think 16 ented apprentices this year and we raised 18 Master Masons something like that with our numbers yeah
Um next year planned for more like 25 or 30 entered apprentices yeah and a healthy amount of Master Masons and so our our lodge is in a place where it’s starting to become easier finally after a few years yeah and we’re getting more used to the growth and we have so many I
Wish I could express to you the level of quality of men that we’re bringing into the fraternity through this program yeah these are excellent men young men most of them are in their 30s yeah really really good men I just see them wow you really do see that it’s
True that you’re made a mason in your heart before you in a lot yeah that’s that’s very true it’s very true I um we didn’t do anything other than stay visible I think that people need and want what the fraternity has to offer right now it’s absolutely true visible
Yeah no it’s absolutely true you’re right and we we did the Symposium last year up in in Hillsboro and that was one of our our talks you know masonry now what and that was one of the things is that that it’s not we’re not we’re not we’re not sparking interest that isn’t
Already there we all we’re doing is we’re we’re making ourselves available to men who have already raised their hand and said I I need something in my life that’s bigger than me I need something in my life that’s reliable I need I need this and I want this a place
To feel safe and explore right you know my own thoughts and feelings and like for me I just I didn’t have any friends I literally didn’t have any friends I worked and I came home the same for me yeah yeah and now I have thousands of friends all over the world
Um who I can who I can call you know my Masonic Brothers I mean all over the world who would do anything for me and I’d do anything for them and and that’s what the reimbursement program is doing we’re not we’re not creating interest where there is no interest we’re we’re
Making ourselves available to those who already raised their hand and said I want something more in my life and uh and masonry is there we’re right there to say hey check this out this might be what you’re looking for yeah and 2020 is going to be all
About that because you me and John are going to kill the reimbursement program this year yeah we want to just make every Lodge aware of it make sure everyone’s tried it and if they’re trying it that they’re doing it right so that they see success and just watch our
State growth yeah that’s right in numbers and influence and hopefully save some lodges Yeah well yeah that’s right that’s right and because if we don’t do something we are going to lose lodges yeah that’s it’s just a fact there’s a lot of lodges out there that just there
Was uh who was telling the story about a lodge in Florida where um you know leadership just kept ignoring the pleas of the secretary over and over again guys we can’t keep going this way we can’t keep going this way and then finally at a meeting um the secretary
Got up in desperation and said I need to we need to pass a hat tonight guys because if I don’t pay the water bill uh on Monday they’re going to clo they’re going to turn the water off to the lodge on Tuesday got themselves in the place
Where they literally had to pass here’s the more here’s the point of the story uh nobody everyone was shocked they were shocked what I had no idea we had no idea it’s like you know it’s like they’re not listening no one’s listening no one’s listening yeah so and and
You’re right there’s a lot of lodges that are gonna going to end up closing and we’re going to lose them they’re going to sell off those buildings or do whatever they’re going to do and it’s that’s a shame that that we’re not going to let that happen and it doesn’t have
To happen if you’re passionate uh about this fraternity um and you want to see it uh available to your grandsons um because I do um then then get involved get involved this year make 2024 the year that you you take at least one step forward um towards towards
Helping masonry get back to the place where it used to be in this country that’s the key and if you’re in a place of leadership in a lodge or at a Grand Lodge your job isn’t to preside over the selling off of everything you own and making as much money as you can
As it on the way out your job is to save all that crap yeah your job is to stop it from being lost yeah that’s right so you gotta get off your butt and work hard if you’re in a position of leadership and do your job and start saving
Things yeah that’s right that’s right preserving things right like bringing them back all right so to recap builds to recap um everything’s good um I you know if if you’re out there thinking Chris uh worshipful Burns is uh going to abandon us for South Carolina you’re wrong
You’re wrong as a matter of fact the way uh you and I have talked about this I’m I’m thinking it’s going to be even more productive because when you’re here we’re going to have a limited amount of time face to face we’re going to have to
Get all of our things done now right now we have a luxury of time where we kind of take advantage of it we when we’re supposed to get together and do some business we don’t well that’s not going to be an option anymore when you come
Into town um we’re GNA have a limited amount of time we’re going to have to do business we’re going to have to get things set and working get our action items going and get out there and get things done so I’m looking forward to that it’s going to be a great year it’s
Going to be a good year for OTL it’s gonna be an amazing year yeah we’re gonna we’re GNA hit it hard and also we are dedicated to helping uh three ruffi and Cigar Company uh take its place uh amongst uh uh and be successful uh this coming year um we currently have a
Fundraiser going uh Liberty Lodge is doing a fundraiser and and um I don’t know where they’re at on their ticket sales but if you’re local well local or not doesn’t matter but if you’re if you want to uh participate and help out uh Liberty Lodge 31 right yeah Liberty
Lodge um here in 412 number 412 manatees 3 yeah sorry same build same building different lodges same building yep but uh they’re doing a fundraiser for a $20 uh ticket um you can you can enter um the fundraiser and help Liberty Lodge out and the payoff is a uh 25 um a box
Of three ruffi and Masonic cigars um which are custommade just for three ruffi and Cigar Company um and they’re really good every ‘s raving about them so uh shout out to us email us uh we’ll get you in touch with them and you can
Get a uh you can uh you can buy one of tiet I think you can do it on their Facebook page if I’m not mistaken but just shout out to us face on your website oh the raffle tickets no youve gota find somebody in person I think
Yeah yeah so shout out to us if you want to help out and buy a few tickets maybe want to buy 10 tickets sure we’ll sell you 10 tickets uh if you want to buy selling them at the Symposium I’m sure then we’ll be selling them at the
Symposium the the drawing is uh January 31st um and you could be one of two winners to receive a full box of uh three Ruffians uh cigars uh it is a it 10% of the proceeds of that company uh go to Shriners International of course and uh it’s a great company and we
Really want to see it explode um full disclosure I am um I am part of that company um so and yeah and so is Chris we we try to keep OTL and the cigar companies separate but uh full disclosure is that we are we are part of
It but it is just another way for us to advance the cause of masonry uh in this country and we do love cigars we like premium cigars uh and sometimes a little premium sales go to Shriners internation like I said y absolutely it’s it’s a it’s just another
Way a fundraiser you know if you’re a Mason you understand fundraisers we’re always we’re always getting the bite uh for a dollar here or $20 there put on us uh as Masons to try and help out uh the different causes that we’re all involved in and this is just another one so if
You’re so inclined shout out to us you can reach us by email Fred at onthel withth frand chris.com or Chris at onthe level with Fred and chris.com uh shoot us those emails um I still for the last year I’ve been threatening to uh do we have been threatening to do an episode
Just reading the email that we’ve gotten uh over the year I know we got to put that together because I’ve gotten some really encouraging emails lately uh from people from literally all over the world uh and it’s just so encouraging uh and humbling to think that you guys are out
There listening to us you’re taking back to your lodges a lot of the education and a lot of the stuff that we’ve been uh we’ve been getting into uh and and really fueling your passion uh for the fraternity and we just appreciate it uh more than we can say say that’s for sure
Well I know that I know that people really like the Morgan Affair uh episode that we did blew up man I would love to do a a taxel hoax episode mayy gritty of that whole thing because I think a lot of people aren’t aware of how influential that was and
How much B it was yeah like um I I didn’t know if if you’ve ever seen that picture of the goat man sitting on a throne with a bunch of children at his feet uh and the Masonic emblems the Masonic emblems that’s part of the hoax
That’s where that came from and a lot of people think that that picture is actually a masonic document and uh we get we that’s and that but it comes from a hoax um called the Trexel hoax which uh yeah and and there’s one of our brothers who’s going to be at the
Seminar uh teaching at the seminar did a talk on it yeah Daniel Molina did a talk on it uh it was really informative yeah let’s do it let’s uh let’s I’ll pull up we’ll pull up some of Daniel’s stuff and maybe we’ll even talk to him a little
Bit out and we’ll just we’ll get we’ll get everybody into it and uh learn more about it it’s more Masonic education you can’t learn enough about this stuff you know and at the end of the day if it makes you a better man um to your to
Your wife to your children to your your parents your church your job then then masonry is working because that’s where it starts uh making good men better making better men in the world um to to change the world for you know for the better uh that’s that’s really what this
Fraternity is all about and if you’re listening to this and you’re not am Mason well God bless you we really thank you for that uh and like we say all the time go down to your local go down to your local Lodge yeah just Google Freemason Lodge near me and find you’ll
Find one go down there and talk to them tell them you heard these two Knuckleheads uh on a podcast called on the level uh and they told me to come down here and talk to you because apparently you got something I need so do it do it
Today was great great to keep this going yeah yeah so we’ll still drop them gave some semblance of home which I needed like I told you last night uh you did not lose a home you just gained a second one man so that’s you’re a blessed
You’re a blessed man you got a home here and you got a home there man so you are truly blessed lucky I’m I’m lucky I’m even luckier because now I have a friend a brother who lives in a beautiful place uh in South Carolina so I can come up and
Visit you um and oh yeah and hang out yeah oh yeah I’m ready so whenever you’re ready you let me know I’m coming up buy this lock right next to me it’s G be yours yes my wife is on my my wife asks me about that almost every day so
I’m I’m ready right I’m gon to start making my inquiries do it do it man let’s do that that let’s get that done that way that way we can we can impact two states cuz South Carolina look out baby we’re we’re we got our eyes on you
Next man South Carolina Texas oh yeah Texas yeah what’s any update on the Texas situation I know we can’t really talk about it or talk to anyone about the Texas situation until after their installation or after January one I know we will be will be doing an interview
With uh the the primary person that’s right yeah that’s awesome I’m really looking forward to that I want to see Texas go from this this tangled up web or this mess that they’ve gotten themselves into if that’s what it is we don’t really know the
Truth about it yet but I I want to see I want to see them go from this to being just absolutely on fire and passionate about the fraternity going forward they got a lot of young men wanting to get up in there uh and and affect some positive
Change for the fraternity eternity uh and I’m I say bring it on man I’m I’m ready I’m ready to help OTL is ready to help in any way we can to make that happen let’s hope they take this situation and use it for positive change in the state of Texas right use your
Superpowers for positive change baby great responsibility yeah that’s right that’s right all right man well I uh I enjoyed it uh we’re you know we’re we’re 500 miles apart uh but we’re really not apart we’ve got technology it works as long as we don’t have any Mac OS involved the technology works well
We’ll fix that and we’re GNA fix that that’s right all right so you’re flying down you’re flying down Saturday morning yeah yeah yeah I’ll be there all day Saturday if you if you need anything from me you just let me know you need me
To pick you up you need me to drive you around whatever you need just holler out uh I’m always available to you brother you know that Reserve oh I’ve got it I’ve got it I’m looking right at it man it’s right here at my bar oh wow it’s a
Little early yeah well no no I’m not drinking it I’m just look okay sure but uh yeah so uh brother it’s it’s always a privilege always a joy to uh to do this with you I’m looking forward to 2024 um and if you’ve listened to the end here
Uh you are definitely one of our Rockstar Heroes we really appreciate you uh hanging with us to the very end um yes thank you take what you’ve learned take what you’ve heard back to your Lodge talk to your brothers um Talk tell them about the podcast uh we we would
Like to be able to speak to as many Masons as we can and we’d like to be able to hear from as many Masons as we can um for this new coming year 2024 uh does masonry have something to offer uh to this hurting country we uh uh
Worshipful Chris Burns and myself we believe it does and and we’re gonna do all we can uh to make that a reality Chris what do you got on our way out I’m looking forward to talking some more about taxel hoax and getting some more interest people on this sympos to
Come and join us in person uh I can’t wait you back and forth doing a Master Mason degree doing another lecture we have a lot going on it’s holiday season like we’re just really ready to end this year with a bang and then come into next
Year stronger than ever so buckle up and please join us in the adventure next year you got it man I I will see you on Saturday my brother have an awesome day and you guys listening you too have an awesome day get out there and make a difference see you yes please
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