Author: Brother Smith

The month of July is special to all Americans because we celebrate the birth of our nation on the fourth of July. On that date in the year 1776, representatives of the thirteen American colonies, assembled at what is now known as Independence Hall in Philadelphia, adopted a manifesto asserting their political independence from the…

Dear Jaded Brother, Your Masonic journey has been one of ups and downs. A journey paved with the checkered pattern of light and darkness. But as builders, we should use our skills to construct and not to destroy. I am writing this letter to you because I have grown concerned with the habitual negativity with…

One of the means by which Freemasonry helps men become better is by helping them recognize that through labor they can achieve the things they desire in life. It helps them achieve great things for themselves, their families, their community and the world. However, it is important to recognize that those goals are achieved only through hard…

Among the first things that an Entered Apprentice hears at his Initiation into Freemasonry is the beautiful 133rd Psalm. It goes like this: Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!  It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s…

I attended a lodge inspection this week and heard again about “The Lost 30.” The lost 30 refers to the men in Ohio who were initiated into Masonry and for some reason or another didn’t continue through all of the degrees. As I thought about what might begin to solve this problem, I focused on…

Jim Collins’ book Good to Great was the result of a five year study to understand what made some good companies excel and become great companies, while others stayed at a level of mediocrity or worse off just died. The book identifies the elements that made the good companies great and uses them to provide a structure…

An article in the paper was about unusual first names. One name discussed that caught my eye was 7. This guy’s parents named him 7 after a man his father had become friends with in the military; his name was 7 or Sevin. This week I attended a workshop conducted by the District Education Officers…

The Masonic Fraternity with all its various organizations bestows a lot of titles. Most, who receive these titles, along with the fancy headgear, jewels, medals, and other emblems of rank that come with them, carry their titles with pride and have distinguished themselves as effective leaders. Unfortunately, there are a few men who receive titles…

In preparation for a MM degree I was rehearsing my small part which, in the lecture, explains the steps on the Master’s carpet.  I began to think about the line that explains in our youth we should “…occupy our minds in the attainment of useful knowledge.” The explanation then continues to direct us to use this knowledge…

 If we would survey the leaders in our various Masonic organizations and ask the question posed in the picture “Do you want to be a better leader?” I am going to assume that 100% of the men you ask would say “Sure, You Bet!” Although I guess there could be one or two who might…