Wednesday, August 25, 2021

Random Building Thoughts - 2021-08-25

 
-------------- HUMOR --------------  
 
 
FILED UNDER: 
What's on your McCraft menu?
 
Far too many Lodges serve up 
McMenu Style Freemasonry 
and find out afterward that 
the Brothers who hang around for it 
are only those 
who can stomach it.

-------------- ODC'S --------------
 
 
 FILED UNDER:  
How to Cheat Candidates

One Day Classers 
get to Third Base on the First Day. 
It's an Ill-Arranged Marriage 
with no Courtship, 
All Male Inlaws 
and a Cheated Groom.

(Don't let this be done to 
ANY ONE of your future Brothers!)
 
-------------- CHALLENGE --------------  
 

The Central Problem facing the Fraternity 
is accepting Candidates disinterested 
in Developing their own Potential. 
 
Once this Core 
is dealt with Effectively, 
it'll be faced with 
Overwhelming and Unbridled Improvements. 
 
Until it does, 
Masonry shall remain in the Shadows 
and the mass of men shall stagnate.
 
-------------- MYTH --------------  
 
"I think a person 
who takes a job in order to live
––that is to say, for the money––
has turned himself into a slave. 
WORK begins when you don't
 like what you're doing. 
 
"There's a wise saying: 
make your hobby your source of income. 
Then there's no such thing as work, 
and there's no such thing as getting tired.
 
"That's been my experience.
 I did just what I wanted to do. 
It takes a little courage at first, 
because who the hell wants you to do
 just what you want to do;
 they've all got a lot of plans for you. 
 
"But you can make it happen. 
I think it's very important for a young person 
to have the courage to do what seems to him 
significant in his life, 
and not just take a job in order to make money.
 But this takes a bit of prudence 
and very careful planning, 
and may delay financial achievement
 and comfortable living. 
But the ultimate result will be 
very much to his pleasure."
-- Joseph Campbell, 
An Open Life (with Michael Toms)
 
Of course, there are pros and cons to this.
 
 -------------- CHARACTER --------------  
 

“A master in the art of living 
draws no sharp distinction between 
his work and his play; 
his labor and his leisure; 
his mind and his body; 
his education and his recreation. 
 
He hardly knows which is which. 
He simply pursues his vision of excellence
 through whatever he is doing, 
and leaves others to determine 
whether he is working or playing.
 
 To himself, 
he always appears to be doing both.”
-- L.P. Jacks
 
(Hat tip to Brother, 
friend & fellow "Coach" Mike Clevenger!)
 
-------------- ALLEGORY--------------  
 
 
FILED UNDER: 
IN OUR FACE PSA

When you Can't Square Stones 
or you Build without Squaring,
And you Can't Create Cement 
and Only Spread what you're given,
You're a Cowan, 
and no Other Mask 
or Title shall ever Change This Reality, 
that is, until you Change for the Better.*
 
For Further Light:

*Ask yourself what is truly required 
to Square Stones, Build Square and Create Cement
 and remember that they all represent other things!
 
 -------------- RAISING QUESTION -------------- 
 
 
FILED UNDER: 
What REALLY Raises You!

Contrary to what many Masons have concluded, 
it is the Fellow Craft Work 
that Raises Perfected Ashlars. 
 
Masons who complete their Entered Apprentice Work 
become the “now ready for Raising” 
Perfected Ashlars.
 
 It is ONLY through 
their Fellow Craft efforts 
– Ascending the Winding Staircase
 disclosed within Ritual – 
that they are Raised.

In short: 
Your Climbing Effort Raises You! 
(and not your Brothers!)

For Further Light:
 
-------------- HARDWARE -------------- 
 


FILED UNDER: 
The hardware is the same, 
though some systems are quicker than others. 
The software varies greatly 
in both functionality and performance. 
The experience however is what you make it.
 
----------------------
 
Bu-di, Hin-di, I-slam, Ju-di, X-ian 
and a host of others are all software packages 
installed on the same machines
 and they all use the same Operating System. 
 
 Unfortunately, 
any machines lacking effective Translators 
and efficient Compilers
 shall poorly serve their End Users, 
shall cause undue frustration 
and stress for all involved 
and their Users shall never see that these packages 
all accomplish the same things, 
when used properly. 
 
As a result of these lacking, 
these Users suffer 
from the almost Universally Perceived Problem
 of Incompatibilities across Networks.
 
-------------- BE! -------------- 


FILED UNDER: 
Be the Experience!
 
I've come to Believe that Spirituality
 is all about Experiencing Open Source 
and doing so without Artificial Constraints.
 
--------------  WORKING TOOLS -------------- 
 
 FILED UNDER:
 
Why you have revolving door lodge membership
 rather than building men better.

WORKING TOOLS REALITY

1) You cannot Properly Apply your Fellow Craft Working Tools, 
The Plumb,  The Square and The Level,
 until you have Properly Developed them 
by doing the Work that 
the Entered Apprentice Degree points you toward. 
It is that Work that Develops each of them!
 
 2) You cannot Properly Apply your Apprentice Working Tools,
 The 24 Inch Gauge and The Common Gavel, 
until you Properly have Set your Plumb. 
You would not know how to determine your priorities!
 
3)  You cannot Properly Set your Plumb 
unless you Adhere to Specific Unwavering Standards
 that Align with and Support Sound Life-Nurturing Principles. 
Anything less would not support Building Well!
 
4) You cannot Properly Use your Master's Working Tool 
(American Rite), until you Properly Develop the Material 
intended for its Proper Use.  
The Good a Tool does 
is limited by the Good of the Material Worked!
 
5) You cannot begin your Masonic Journey 
until you do Item 3).  
 
6) You know what to do!  Who's stopping you?
 
-------------- TOOLS! -------------- 
 
 
Be the Tools!
 
 -------------- HUNGER --------------  
 
 
FILED UNDER:
 Why some Brothers walk away...

The Problem that so many Brothers Unknowingly face
 is not Realizing that Freemasonic Ritual 
(especially as it exists today)
 is only an Appetizer; 
It is not the Entrée 
and it shall never  be the Entrée in any way, 
at least, based upon current day Practice! 

Ritual only hints at the possible main courses
 but offers only those hints 
with no clear menu to see. 
 It should not cause any small wonder 
with a discerning mind 
as to why Brothers Leave 
due to Unsatiated Hungers. 
Appetizer do fill stomachs 
but never completely satisfy them 
in the long run. 
 
 -------------- BREADCRUMBS -------------- 
 
 
Freemasonic Ritual Provides 
a Plethora of Masonic Breadcrumbs.

Foolishly,
 far too many Brothers Grab them up
 Believing They are the Entire Meal
 and Never Follow their Trails.
 
-------------- PROSCRIPTION -------------- 


The Honest to Goodness Truth! 
Before you is the True Reason 
as to Why Females are not Allowed
 in Male-Craft Freemasonry.
(The Fear... She is Real...)
 
For Further Light:
 
 -------------- <SIGH> -------------- 
 

-------------- FIND HIM! -------------- 
 
 
 
Have you found him yet?
Finding Hiram 
in a lodge near you
  
 -------------- END --------------

 Be Well and Travel Light!
-- Coach Nagy ;-)

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