Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
Hey, chris, yeah, fred, what's a Mason?
Speaker 2 (00:08):
That's a really good question, fred.
Speaker 1 (00:14):
You've reached the internet's home for all things
masonry.
Join Chris and I as we plumbthe depths of our ancient craft,
from the common gavel to thetrowel.
Nothing is off the table, sograb your tools and let's get to
work.
This is On the Level.
Oh no, we're back.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (00:35):
Reports of our demise have been greatly exaggerated.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
What Reports of our demise?
Speaker 1 (00:41):
No, I just I love that statement.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
It's one of my favorite statements ever.
I do like that actually.
Speaker 1 (00:46):
Reports of my death have been greatly over
exaggerated.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
That's pretty badass.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
I don't remember what movie that's from, oh wait, no,
I think it was a statement thata politician made back in the
70s, mark.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
Twain.
Mark Twain, did he?
He said to have read his ownobituary and then remarked the
reports of my death are greatlyexaggerated.
Speaker 1 (01:04):
There it is.
There it is Mark Twain.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
I just quoted Mark Twain and I didn't even know it.
What thing I noticed is we havethis new fangled device that
makes magic box stuff happen.
Okay, and our intro plays inour headset now before the
podcast, and man that gets meamped up.
Yeah, I love it.
We used to just turn it on andbe like we're live Right, we had
(01:28):
to actually be professionalsback then Now we can just rock
and roll it.
Yeah, I like it.
I like it.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
Yeah, amped up this part where, yeah, this works
much better.
This is the way it's supposedto be.
When it comes in, it comes inlive, live recorded in the
studio.
Recorded live in a studio,that's the word there.
Speaker 2 (01:47):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
So what's going on with you, man?
What's new lately, like I don'tknow?
Speaker 2 (01:53):
Let's see right.
Wishful Tom Haber and I got upto Temple Terrace Lodge, Nice,
Met a fan of the show.
There were still.
Master Christoph Seville.
Shout out I'm sorry youcouldn't be there.
Speaker 1 (02:05):
I know I huge fan of the show.
I apologize, brother, I willmake it next time.
Got just going through a bunchof different changes right now.
Changes some stuff up for thebetter in the long run.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
but little difficult right now.
You talked about that.
Yep, yep, yep.
How's that going?
Speaker 1 (02:22):
You know, the more you know, it comes back to the
same thing You're given one dayat a time.
We are given one day at a time.
Now.
It's smart to save and to haveinsurance and all that stuff is
wise and we want to be wise, youknow, in our lives and wise men
, but the truth is is that ifyou wake up in the morning,
(02:46):
you're given that day in frontof you and in that day one
should behave correctly.
You should walk as a man and dowhat is right throughout the
day to the best of your ability.
That's really what I'm beingtaught right now.
I had all these great plans andideas.
You know I don't know if youguys listened to the last
podcast.
I walked into work on a Fridayand the big Muckity Muck from
(03:11):
Fort Myers came up and said hey,we're firing you.
I'm like really why?
Speaker 2 (03:16):
Very good, thank you, turn around and walk out.
Speaker 1 (03:18):
Yeah, he wanted to just walk away.
Speaker 2 (03:21):
He thought it was going to be easy.
Speaker 1 (03:23):
He thought it was going to be easy.
It was not easy.
I sent him an emailsubsequently.
That wasn't the greatest email,but there was a bunch of truth
bombs in that email.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
Anything happened from that.
Yeah, I talked to him.
Oh, you did yeah.
Speaker 1 (03:36):
Yeah, and we're good, we're good.
He appreciated, you know, thetruthfulness of it and the heads
up.
You know that he's not as loved, he's not as beloved as the new
CEO and the corporation as hethought he was.
So I shed a little light onthat.
But I told him, I think what Isaid is I stand by what I said
(03:56):
factually, but the way Idelivered it was totally wrong,
brother.
Speaker 2 (03:59):
That's big of you.
Speaker 1 (04:02):
It's a hard thing to catch yourself, you know it's
important in life to keep shortaccounts with all of this kind
of stuff and it goes back towhat I started out with is that
you know you have today.
You know and I think it wasBenjamin Franklin who kind of
had that same idea that he hadthese 25 rules that he lived by,
(04:23):
that he wrote, he wrote themout and each day he would employ
these things in his life.
You know integrity and you knowhard work.
Never do this, do that andstuff.
And it's just super importantthat we keep short accounts If
you make a mistake, if you saysomething that's wrong, if you
post.
For goodness sakes, please stopposting people.
(04:45):
Stop posting negative thingsabout your brother online,
please.
Speaker 2 (04:51):
Anyway, if you do as a personal favor to me, if you
email me and say don't show thisto anyone, it's on the level,
and then I respond and youposted publicly online.
It's not good, that's maybedon't do that.
Speaker 1 (05:04):
Maybe, maybe, try not to try a bad idea.
Probably would have been a goodidea not to say anything in the
first place, but whateverhypothetically, we're speaking
here.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
Of course it's the kind of stuff you're talking
about, right?
It's like come on man.
Speaker 1 (05:18):
So for me, I'm on a personal journey and I've been.
I've been praying.
I am a man of prayer.
I get up very early every dayand I study and I pray and ask
God for wisdom and guidance inmy life.
And when you do that regularly,the first one that gets the
opportunity to change everythingis you.
And that's what I'm kind ofgoing through right now.
(05:39):
God's revealing a lot of thingsin my life right now that need
to change, and I'm willing to doit.
It's painful, you know the.
You know the scriptures saythat.
You know, don't, don't despisethe correction of God because
he's treating you as a son,because what father does not
discipline their sons right?
(05:59):
And then and that's what'shappening, and it's grievous and
it's tough and it's frustratingas all heck.
That's how you know it's goodfor you, but that's how you know
that you're a son, you're notillegitimate, you are an adopted
son and your father, who is inheaven, loves you.
And it's important to respondcorrectly, respond appropriately
, and for me, lately it's reallyjust been again.
(06:23):
I just keep going back to thisand if you're listening and if
this is speaking to you, there'sa reason for it.
One day at a time, you aregiven.
Today, that's what you're given.
You're not promised tomorrowand yesterday's gone.
You can't change it.
The day, the moment by moment,hour by hour, day by day, is a
(06:43):
good way to live your lifebefore men.
Speaker 2 (06:46):
Ben had been Franklin .
I'm reading this quote.
He said many people die at 25and aren't buried until 75.
That's so good.
Most individuals live lifewithout truly experiencing its
full potential or pursuing theirpassions and dreams.
I love that I go through, youknow, following the easy path,
(07:07):
but that's not really living isit Life isn't all sunshine and
rainbows.
Sometimes it's pain andsometimes it's hard yeah.
And as you go, many of the bestthings are on the other side of
pain and hardship, aren't they?
I would say, all of them right,it's sad, but it's true.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
Nothing worth having comes easy, nothing that you
desire, that you value.
You didn't get it because itfell in your lap, unless your
last name is Rockefeller.
Speaker 2 (07:33):
I mean, you know, maybe you got a small $5 million
loan from dad, you know?
Speaker 1 (07:37):
Oh well, that's possible.
Most of us not, I don't think Idid.
Let me check.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
Yeah, no, no same here.
I didn't even get old socks formy dad.
Speaker 1 (07:47):
Yeah, right, nothing.
Speaker 2 (07:51):
Which is a blessing in its own.
You know, when you got to makeyour own way, you learn about
life a lot more.
Well, that's right, that'sright.
Speaker 1 (07:57):
For me and people is the thing Lately.
That's what I'm learning, youknow is to forgive as you have
been forgiven and love as youhave been loved.
If you haven't been loved, itcomes out in the way you treat
other people.
We all need to take a step backand look at the way.
(08:18):
How am I treating people?
Am I manipulating a situationfor my benefit, you know,
because of some future gain?
I don't know?
You know, like maybe some bigmoney's coming your way or some
kind of thing you're trying toset yourself up for and you got
your eyes, you know, on the bigprize, but you're discarding the
(08:38):
relationships and the people inyour life along the way.
Speaker 2 (08:42):
Well, that's going to be a hollow victory.
Speaker 1 (08:44):
It's going to be a hollow victory man, and it's
going to be a disaster because,by the time you get there, that
big prize is going to be nothingbut a gigantic idol that you're
going to have to bow down toand you will forsake all the
people around you and you'regoing to end up.
You know you'll be alone.
You'll be alone with your thing.
Speaker 2 (09:00):
You'll be alone, you and your thing alone.
Speaker 1 (09:02):
You your thing and all the devastation around you.
Speaker 2 (09:04):
So that's oh, you know this has got me thinking.
So I was at Temple TerraceLodge, right right, right, and
they have a past grandmasterthere who's their secretary.
Speaker 1 (09:15):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (09:15):
Such an awesome fun guy.
I mean, I walked in and he'slike this is a fun lodge.
I was like, yeah, welcome tofun country.
He's like Masonry should be fun.
If you're not having fun witheach other, what are we?
Speaker 1 (09:27):
doing here Kind of signed up, you signed up for fun
.
Speaker 2 (09:30):
I did sign up for fun .
Yeah, oh, the ritual work onpoint.
I don't think they made asingle mistake, wow, and they
were closing, but they had funthe entire time.
I love that.
This is free.
Masonry is alive.
If they start the program there, they're going to have huge
success.
Speaker 1 (09:45):
That's great.
Speaker 2 (09:46):
And I think they are.
But where was I going with this?
Speaker 1 (09:50):
Something important Something important.
Speaker 2 (09:52):
It was important.
Oh, I was after the meetingasking this past grandmaster hey
, why is it that we don't have achamber of reflection anymore?
Oh, what is that about?
And he proceeded to tell mestories.
And everyone there is tellingstories because the guys from
the worship masters from France,they still do the chamber of
(10:13):
reflection required.
And this past grandmaster saidhe kind of had to go through a
very similar chamber ofreflection.
Yeah, it's great for the EA.
And I was thinking master Masonwould be more appropriate,
because they already know freeMasonry, they won't be as
freaked out by something asdifferent as that.
But they all said no, no, theEA should be a little freaked
(10:34):
out.
That's the point.
Speaker 1 (10:35):
That is, I get that Wake up guy, Wake up Right, yeah
, this is weird and scary, payattention.
Speaker 2 (10:42):
So they were all talking about who's going to put
forth the legislation, who'sgoing to do it.
Speaker 1 (10:47):
And I was like you me .
Speaker 2 (10:48):
Yeah, let's do it, let's do it.
We should do this.
We should write legislation tosubmit to Grand Lodge to bring
it back.
Let's let, on the level, leadthe way to bring the chamber of
reflection back as an optionalpractice option.
Option optional of course notrequired, that's right.
Let a lodge do it.
And, and I mean a lot of thestuff in our ritual could be
scary to somebody.
A lot of it could be.
Speaker 1 (11:08):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (11:09):
The reception could be scary.
Yeah, think about it Right sothat, even though it might scare
some people, I think if you doit and you have some rules and
say it has to be done tastefullyand nice and not not
intentionally, I'm sure there'sa.
Speaker 1 (11:22):
We could dig out the old archives.
I'm sure there's a procedure.
We have a procedure foreverything.
That's it.
Speaker 2 (11:27):
I think you just got to crab carefully enough and
like put the guard rails on thelegislation that everyone will
prove it.
So I say we go for it.
Yeah, I'm in.
Speaker 1 (11:36):
I'm in.
I don't know how do you do that.
Do you know?
Is there a process?
Okay, Anybody out there who'slistening, if you understand the
process of writing andsubmitting legislation, me or
Chris, and email and we'll startwe'll start working on it Help
us out.
Speaker 2 (11:51):
If you're a lawyer or attorney and you know and
you're good with legalese, let'sget crack a lacking.
Speaker 1 (11:56):
Let's, let's set a goal that June, middle of June
2024, we've got something inhand that that we could present.
That's plenty of time A sixmonths, a seven, eight months
from now.
So nobody can say that wedidn't you know that we didn't
give enough time, but let's workon it together as as a, as a
community, because I just reallythink the chamber of reflection
(12:19):
is so needed and so cool and socool.
Speaker 2 (12:24):
Yeah, I'm excited about that.
That's going to keep me up atnight thinking about doing it
All right.
Speaker 1 (12:28):
All right, we're in, we're doing it All.
Speaker 2 (12:30):
all we have more going on.
Um, we had a great conversationFriday night yesterday about
finalizing some of the lastdetails of the education
symposium coming up.
Speaker 1 (12:39):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (12:40):
January.
I am so excited and now, Ithink, officially announced our
ticket cost.
Speaker 1 (12:45):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (12:46):
Who the speakers are, yep, and when it's going to be,
and within the net, by the timeyou hear this, you should be
able to uh, at the next podcastyou hear after this, we'll
definitely have links and placesyou can go to actually get
tickets.
Speaker 1 (13:00):
Tell the brother and what they're going to get for
their $50.
Speaker 2 (13:02):
Okay, um, for $50, you will get a free drink ticket
at the shrine.
All right, I'll include beer,wine or well drinks, excellent.
And then we'll get an on thelevel and you're to bring home
uh for the symposium.
You will get to hear uh brother, uh Juan Sepulveda talk about
(13:23):
Masonry and astronomy.
Speaker 1 (13:26):
His presentation is awesome, by the way.
If you've not seen it, you needto see it and you'll hear it.
Speaker 2 (13:33):
We're Shroud Daniel Molina.
We'll be speaking.
Another great speaker.
We have a mystery guest speaker.
You'll hear from Fred and Chrisat the symposium talking about
we're going to talk about does.
Speaker 1 (13:45):
The question is does Masonry have something to
contribute to the future of thiscountry?
I can't wait to hear that.
I'm working on it.
It's tough, but we'll be ready.
Speaker 2 (13:57):
And we have a keynote speaker that we it was
difficult A very busy man.
He's in the middle of doingthree installations the day that
he speaks for us, so he's goingto be presenting in between his
installations and takingquestions and sitting with us
afterwards to talk aboutFreemasonry.
That's awesome.
That's right.
We're Shroud Talia Talia.
(14:18):
I don't know if I said his lastname right.
Speaker 1 (14:21):
You know who I'm talking about.
Speaker 2 (14:23):
I believe his are Grand Senior Warden this year.
Speaker 1 (14:25):
Oh, no, kidding Okay.
Speaker 2 (14:28):
So he'll be speaking, and this will be an event that
goes on from 9 am until 6 pm atthe Saheb Shrine in Sarasota,
florida.
Folks are going to get hungry.
Tell them all about what we'regoing to have Beef tips, mashed
potatoes, vegetables, caesarsalad, dinner rolls with butter,
and we'll have some kind of adessert there, all included for
(14:49):
your $50.
Speaker 1 (14:50):
For $50.
Yeah, that's a great deal Allday education.
Speaker 2 (14:52):
You get a nice all-you-can-eat buffet for lunch
.
The shrine does have abreakfast buffet that is very
cheap.
Speaker 1 (14:59):
Yeah, I think it's like ten bucks, nine, ninety,
five or something.
It's also all you can eatbuffet.
Speaker 2 (15:04):
It's outrageous, yeah , and you'll get your drink
ticket.
So from 9 to 6 we'll be takingmany breaks.
There'll be plenty ofopportunities to get a snack and
a little bit of it.
Speaker 1 (15:13):
Fellowship hang out.
Speaker 2 (15:14):
Yep, but we will have solid speakers and they're each
going to speak for an hour andyou and I will get to sit down
and have one-on-ones with themafter they speak.
Speaker 1 (15:22):
Yeah, it's going to be awesome.
Speaker 2 (15:24):
We're going to do a little on-the-level live
interview with these speakers infront of everybody, and we'll
culminate in a round table wherewe all take questions from the
crowd.
Speaker 1 (15:33):
Yeah, at the end of it.
Speaker 2 (15:34):
We'll have a real discussion with everybody that
comes about Freemasonry and anyof the stuff we talked about, or
really whatever anyone wants totalk about.
And so this is going to be.
We can house about 300 peopleat the shrine.
Speaker 1 (15:47):
If we were to get 300 there, that would be absolutely
off the chain.
Awesome, because the fellowshipand the camaraderie alone would
be just absolutely epic, butanywhere from 100 to 200.
Speaker 2 (16:04):
Hell, even if it's just me and you, we're going to
have fun.
Speaker 1 (16:07):
We're going to have fun and you know there's going
to be an after party as well, ohyeah there will be an after
party at the shrine.
Speaker 2 (16:12):
They have a full bar.
Yeah, two full bars.
Yeah, outdoor Tiki bar.
It'll be beautiful weather atthis time.
It's going to be January 13th,january 13th, saturday, january
13th, from 9 to 6.
Please mark your calendar off.
Yes, please plan on being there.
Speaker 1 (16:27):
Everybody.
Speaker 2 (16:27):
Please come and spend some time with us, meet us.
We will likely be broadcastinglive at points throughout the
day, right On the event, talkingto people getting their
opinions on things.
Speaker 1 (16:39):
If you're coming in from out of town and you need
accommodations, shoot us anemail.
Yes, if you're going to get ina block or something you know
for you, we'll help you put thattogether.
If you've got a group thatwants to come down.
Speaker 2 (16:50):
There's lots of space around there, oh yeah.
Plus I got extra rooms in myhouse, oh no don't say that.
You can help out some people ifyou needed to.
Speaker 1 (16:58):
All right, you heard it, folks.
Chris's house is open it is itis.
Speaker 2 (17:03):
I hope you like whiskey though.
Yeah, I hope you go ask yourwife, you don't have water.
Speaker 1 (17:07):
You might want to tell your wife about this offer
you just made to the entireworld.
She'll love that idea.
Speaker 2 (17:13):
No, no, you're a Mason right, so I can trust you.
Yeah, yeah, but this is reallyexciting.
Yeah, I'm excited, if you guyslike it if this winds up working
out, then we have big plans forother things, and if you don't
like it, we'll go away quietly.
Speaker 1 (17:30):
We'll go away quietly and sulk and come back with
something even better.
But we're all about education,right.
Speaker 2 (17:36):
And everybody says they want education.
So guess what?
For 50 bucks you can getMasonic education all the way,
masonic education all day.
We have a guest speaker fromNew York who we're about to lock
in, who's going to travel downon his dime because he's so
excited about speaking to thebrothers.
Speaker 1 (17:51):
What an honor, what an honor this is that.
That sounds like it's a donedeal.
We just can't really announcequite yet.
Just waiting for the finalconfirmation, waiting for the
final confirmation, but if it istrue, that's quite an honor.
Speaker 2 (18:03):
We'll probably have a raffle to get your tickets.
Speaker 1 (18:07):
Yeah, we'll put that together Sure.
Speaker 2 (18:10):
We'll put free tickets to listeners that are
interested in coming.
Speaker 1 (18:14):
Yeah, and we want as many people to come as possible.
It's not like we're makingmoney on this.
We are heart.
As you guys know, a podcastingis not a financial boon.
Speaker 2 (18:28):
Not a lot of millionaire podcasters out there
probably.
Speaker 1 (18:30):
Well, I don't know, unless you're Joe Rogan, right,
you're not.
Yeah, you're probably not doingit, but our goal is to reach,
as you guys know.
Our goal is to reach as manypeople as you can.
Our goal is to reach as manymasons out there with the actual
masonry, getting everyoneexcited to go back, pick up your
pamphlets that you havecollecting dust, go back to your
(18:51):
lodge and establish yourself asa brother who wants to see
masonry be what it's supposed tobe, and that's about brotherly
affection, it's about relief andit's about truth.
Speaker 2 (19:04):
I love it If you have the fortitude, temperance and
ready to reprehend with justice,we can get some business done.
Speaker 1 (19:11):
Yeah, man, right, and then we can answer the question
Does masonry have something tooffer to this hurting country?
Speaker 2 (19:19):
I think it does, maybe you can answer it if you
come.
Yeah, that's right.
That's right, tell us what youthink.
Speaker 1 (19:27):
Yeah, because that's what this is all about.
Education is about sittingtogether and talking through
these things and coming up withsolutions, perhaps, or direction
, or just something that youdidn't know before you came, and
now you know it and it willimpact your life and the life of
others.
That's kind of the whole ideabehind all of it, and we should
(19:48):
give credit where credit's due.
Speaker 2 (19:49):
We were invited to speak at the Hillsboro Lodge
number 25, masonic EducationSymposium this year.
Where are we?
Was it this year or last year?
Last year, it was last year 23.
Okay, and that's 22.
We were meeting education fromawesome speakers, some of the
same speakers that are cominghere and meeting some awesome
(20:12):
brothers, and we were like, wow,we need more of this.
And we asked them hey, would itbe offensive to you if we did
something?
And they said, of course not,we'd be so excited if we could
do something like this he's oneof our favorite brothers.
Speaker 1 (20:29):
We got to get up there.
That is my favorite.
Okay, we got to get up therebefore his term is up and just
go for a visit.
So we'll work on that.
Speaker 2 (20:38):
We were talking about that.
I'm like only four moremeetings.
He's like stop that, don't talklike that, I'm not coasting.
He's like I'm hitting the gasbaby, hit the gas baby.
That's why I like it.
Speaker 1 (20:48):
Hit the gas downhill, hit the gas Up hill, hit the
gas.
No coasting here, no coastingright Right on.
Speaker 2 (20:55):
Right up with your wheels on fire, all busted up at
the end of the finish line.
You did a good job, that'sright.
Speaker 1 (20:59):
That's right, I'm going to bounce from our
interview with Wright WarshfieldHart.
I'm understanding man.
That interview went.
I really enjoyed that man.
It was a lot of fun.
Speaker 2 (21:09):
The only negative feedback I got is like, hey, I
didn't even hear his voice till15 minutes in.
I'm like, yeah, that's kind ofour thing.
Have you listened to this show,have?
Speaker 1 (21:17):
you.
Speaker 2 (21:18):
Listen to us.
You don't hear anythingimportant until after the first
15 minutes.
Speaker 1 (21:22):
We're at 21 minutes right now.
Oh God, damn we're behind.
Speaker 2 (21:27):
But yeah, I mean, actually we should have him back
on, because it was so it was soso I was so excited to have him
here.
We didn't even talk about thefact that he went to school for
archaeology.
Speaker 1 (21:36):
I know right.
Speaker 2 (21:37):
He's like Indiana Jones in real life.
He's Indiana Jones and wedidn't even go there.
So I would really like to havehim back on and talk about his
careers as an archaeologist andsome of his thoughts on the
study of man in general.
Speaker 1 (21:50):
Yeah, absolutely yeah .
He and I have greatconversations.
We have a lot of differingopinions, he and I, and it's
always gentlemanly and scholarly.
Other discussions and I soappreciate men like him who are
able to articulate withoutinsult or some sort of rivalry,
(22:13):
but for the purpose of educationand learning and walking away
and remaining brothers, becausethat's what Masonry's about.
We don't all have the samebelief structures.
We don't have all the samepolitical backgrounds, familial
backgrounds.
We don't have any of that.
What we have in common is a setof principles that are laid out
(22:34):
in our ancient craft.
It makes it possible for agroup of men from diverse
backgrounds from all over theworld to actually get something
done, and for me, that's whatmakes Masonry special to me.
I have never been insulted orturned away because of my
(22:57):
particular faith or belief and Ihave never had occasion, nor
would I, to do that to any other.
It's always been very open andhonest.
I just want that for the entirestate, for the entire country,
for the entire idea of Masonryin the modern world is we have
got to get away from the oldguard idea that Masonry belongs
(23:22):
to the guy that's in charge, orI'm going to refashion Masonry
after my own image.
We see a lot of that lately.
The whole Texas thing we talkeda lot about the Texas thing.
You've got an update on that,don't you?
Speaker 2 (23:35):
Yeah, do you mind?
Speaker 1 (23:36):
Yeah, go.
Speaker 2 (23:38):
I actually reached out to Warshall Brad Billings,
who's one of the main peopleinvolved in the situation, but
he informed me thatunfortunately he cannot speak in
detail about what's happeningin Texas, which he did not.
No, he did not talk to me, evenprivately, about any details.
He said what would be great istheir grand lodges in January.
(24:01):
He would love to come on theshow after grand lodge and talk
to us in more detail about thesituation.
Will happen, because it needsto be in the past for him to
talk about it.
If it's happening or about tohappen, Texas law states he
can't talk about it.
Not only can he not talk aboutit, no one around him can talk
about it.
Even the lawyers and then thereare lawyers involved are not
(24:23):
allowed to talk about it, so hehas to wait for it to resolve a
grand lodge.
We really can't cover this inmuch more detail than what we
have given you.
There's a lockdown oninformation and free speech in
the state of Texas.
What, being from Texas, seems,I don't know in bad spirit.
Speaker 1 (24:44):
I'm looking, I'm looking at the situation now and
you know what.
You know what isn't happening aTon of back-and-forth,
misinformation and propaganda.
Speaker 2 (24:52):
That's true.
Speaker 1 (24:53):
It's a straight-up gag order.
You can't talk about it tillit's done.
Yeah but then, when it's done,you're free to speak, and that's
what.
That's what the brother hassaid.
Speaker 2 (25:01):
He'll come on the show.
Speaker 1 (25:02):
And, brother, you are more than welcome.
We will make time.
You just let us know when.
We'd love to hear from you,we'd love to hear from opposing
viewpoints.
Anything Florida can do,anything OT L Can do To help
Texas become, you know, bettermasons, we're willing to do man,
we're willing to step up andhelp out.
Speaker 2 (25:21):
Yeah, we don't have a dog in that fight.
No, we do not like.
Let's report on this almost asif we're Masonic reporters.
Speaker 1 (25:28):
Yeah, right we're the situation.
Speaker 2 (25:30):
This is what's happening.
Speaker 1 (25:31):
Why not?
Can't be any worse than any ofthe other reporters out there.
Speaker 2 (25:34):
Yeah, no.
Speaker 1 (25:36):
Journalism has fallen on hard times.
Pretty low there, yeah right.
Speaker 2 (25:42):
No, we don't have any interest in doing anything
other than getting to the bottomof yeah.
Speaker 1 (25:50):
Hello, one of the things you guys don't know here
in the studio is Chris is an armwaiver man.
Speaker 2 (25:54):
Why do I do that?
He likes to wave his arms andno one can see him, but he's.
Speaker 1 (25:58):
He's definitely Animated and usually sometimes
the microphone gets in the wayand that happens, but it hasn't
happened in a long, long time.
So I'm real proud of you, think.
Thanks.
Speaker 2 (26:13):
I need to bolt this thing down.
Yeah, no, that doesn't workeither.
So, yeah, so that's the updateon Texas we.
We can't get any more info tillafter January which is only a
couple months away.
That's right, that's right, Allright.
Speaker 1 (26:24):
So one more thing that I want to talk about is the
DC trip.
We're going to Washington DC.
Ot L Will be at the Washingtongavel.
What's it?
What's it officially called?
It's the the gavel presentation.
Yes.
Speaker 2 (26:38):
I believe, as well as the installation of that lodge
in DC and right, the laying ofthe wreath at the tomb of the
unknown soldier by the master.
They're gonna randomly pickmasons out of a lottery that
attend to help the Grandmasterlay the wreath.
We'll be there with theGrandmaster and his entourage
and all the brothers from DC.
In the lodge.
(26:59):
The house is the Masonic, theWashington gavel.
Wow, this is all because ofRight, where she'll build cats.
A list, shout out.
Who's really Helping us outwith this?
Speaker 1 (27:12):
fan of the show and we are a fan of him.
Speaker 2 (27:14):
You if we did interview him.
If you want to hear a dynamicMason that's got passion coming
out of his ears, for free Masonreath and listen to that, yeah.
Speaker 1 (27:22):
Yeah, good brother, you're not inspired by that.
I don't know what to tell youif you're not inspired by that,
check your pulse.
You could be dead yeah he mightbe dead.
Speaker 2 (27:32):
You may be dead inside.
He is a very dynamic Mason whocares a lot for the fraternity
and really, just like us, wantsto see it flourish, right and
brought to Heights of glory thatit deserves to be brought to in
today's broken world, yep, andhe's spreading light outside the
state of Florida.
He's been working with thosebrothers from DC to bring the
Washington gavel, as we talkedabout, to Children in Florida
(27:55):
and other places in Floridawhere people can see it and look
at it and be in the presence ofthat historic thing Right it's
no small nation of our country.
It's a man who fought, you know,for our freedom and
independence and and to buildthis country we live in.
That's an item that should berevered by everybody, not just
masons.
Speaker 1 (28:14):
That's right, it's a national treasure.
It is officially a nationaltreasure and it is guarded as
such.
Yeah, so it's not something youjust kind of take out out of
the case and say who checkedthis thing out?
You can't do that.
It's.
It's official, it's officiallysanctioned as a national
treasure.
So and it is.
It's handled accordingly andwe're gonna be there to witness,
(28:34):
I guess, the presentation of it, the movement.
I don't know exactly how itworks.
I've never done this before.
Speaker 2 (28:40):
I'm so looking forward to this also.
It's crazy.
I'm gonna fly up with the boysand you have other plans.
Speaker 1 (28:45):
Well, the other plan is is that John Schaefer and I
shout out Johnny, johnnySchaefer, a fellow three ruffian
, a fellow ruffian Are gonnaroad trip up from here in Sarah,
beautiful Sarasota, florida, upto the event, which Begins
November 30th, by the way, andyou can go online and get
(29:06):
tickets.
I think there's still room ifyou want to be a part of the
tour bus, but you better get onit because it's gonna sell out
fast.
It's a big deal, but here heand I are going to Road trip up,
and what we want to do, whatwe're trying to do, is we'd like
to use the Amity app to visitlodges along the way, because
(29:28):
we're big fans of Amity here atOTL, and we want to use the app
to kind of visit Lodges alongthe way and and, and, and you
know, showcase the power of this, of this app, and and what it
can do.
So we're looking forward tothat.
We're gonna we've got the GoProready, we've got video ready,
we're gonna just we're gonnamake it a Masonic journey from
(29:50):
beautiful Sarasota Florida towhat what promises to be
probably a chilly RichmondVirginia area.
So we'll have to bundle up.
We can't wear our sandals andour t-shirts like we like to do
here in Florida, but it's gonnabe a great time If you're going.
Shout out to us.
We want to see you there.
We want to, we want to.
We want to give you a hug.
Speaker 2 (30:12):
And you want you on the show.
We're gonna be live allthroughout.
Speaker 1 (30:15):
Yeah, we absolutely are.
It's gonna be.
It's gonna be a great time.
We're gonna make a big deal ofit.
That's and I'm really lookingforward to it.
Speaker 2 (30:22):
Thursday November 29th is when most people are
arriving, so that eveningthey'll be drawing names of the
wreath laying ceremony andthey'll be right in that night.
Friday morning we're busting tothe cemetery, do the wreath,
laying the trolley.
We'll have dinner lunch at theCapitol Saturday you say lunch
(30:45):
at the Capitol?
Yeah, wow, yeah, yeah, andwe'll be touring the temple, the
Scottish right temple, there.
Right yeah we'll have a privatetour as part of this trip.
Saturday afternoon will beinstalling the officers of
Potomac Lodge, number five.
Their installation starts atthree.
They have an after party at sixthat will be attending, and
(31:05):
then Sunday is a little bit offree time so we'll be
broadcasting and interviewingbrothers from Potomac Lodge, our
brothers coming up there, maybethe Grandmaster and some of our
grand launch that are there.
That would be an honor.
Obviously, bill Cattiless willbe oh yeah with us.
So yeah, this is gonna be superexciting.
I can't wait.
Speaker 1 (31:25):
Yeah, yeah, looking forward to it.
So mark your calendars.
It's gonna be the last weekendin November this month, so
coming up quick.
So if you're gonna make it, get, get it done.
Get on it, get it done.
Let us know if we can help.
All right, what else, man?
What else?
What's going on in the world?
I, I don't know in the world.
Speaker 2 (31:43):
I don't know nothing.
It's quiet out there, it'sreally quiet out there.
Speaker 1 (31:46):
Everything's great, everyone likes each other,
everything is awesome.
Speaker 2 (31:49):
We have no problems here at home.
Everything's great.
Yeah, yeah.
No, it's not that there's a lotgoing on out there in the world
.
Speaker 1 (31:57):
Yeah, there's a lot.
There's a lot of anxiety, a lotof fear.
Yeah, I again.
I think that fear sells.
You know, if you're a gigantic,over bloated government system,
having everybody a little bitafraid is probably an advantage
for you.
I am not afraid.
That's probably one of myproblems that I've had.
I'm not really afraid ofanything and Probably should
(32:21):
other than I fear God.
You know and and and and thatside of my life, but I fear no
man and I I don't know if it's agood thing or a bad thing.
Speaker 2 (32:31):
But I'm the opposite.
I'm pretty, I'm pretty afraid,I'm scared.
Speaker 1 (32:36):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (32:37):
I think this nuclear situation is the most terrifying
thing we're dealing with.
My my wife is 15 years youngerthan me.
Okay so she's shocked when Itell her of the nuclear drills
we used to do in high school.
Oh, right, Okay you did thoseYep, yep.
They were like okay, kids, getunder your desk, cover your
heads.
Right about to get vaporized.
I guess we're just gonna.
(32:57):
We want to go out like thePompeii people just covered up
under our desks.
I don't know it.
Looking back, it was silly.
If a nuclear strike happens,that ain't gonna help.
Speaker 1 (33:08):
Of course not.
No, but it did help.
Speaker 2 (33:10):
One thing oh, go ahead.
Good, she's shocked that weused to do that in school, right
, we did all do that in school.
We grew up with that fear ofthe Cold War that we had
missiles pointed us.
We had missiles pointed atRussia, and then it kind of went
away and it wasn't a thingpeople talked about for a long
time or feared that much.
But now we're back toescalating globally our nuclear
(33:30):
arsenals.
Everyone's making faster,bigger bombs, 100 times more
powerful, 200.
I'm like, geez how this isscary for, I think, us as a
species that we are so intent onmaking these weapons that can
wipe us all out, all of us.
It's not like just your enemies.
All of us get wiped out.
Speaker 1 (33:50):
Well, that that's the theory.
That's the theory that mutualdestruction.
Speaker 2 (33:54):
Yeah, and the somehow that's a good thing and some
people's well.
Speaker 1 (33:58):
Mutual destruction is the fear that if, if there's no
reason to do it because you'rejust, you might as well Just
light the thing off in your ownfront yard, because if we send
it your way, you're gonna sendit our way and there's that
mutual destruction.
But that's yes, that's a theorythat I that I hold to.
But here's the problem.
We now have countries thatreally don't care if you blow
(34:21):
them up.
There we're getting to thepoint where a nuclear weapon and
an actual deployable nuclearweapon is Obtainable.
Sure, by other nation states.
That may not be as sensible,but if they have.
Speaker 2 (34:36):
If they don't see a hope of the future, then what do
they have to?
Speaker 1 (34:41):
lose right or the, or they have some sort of broken
religious viewpoint that this isthe will of God.
Again, that they, you know have.
Speaker 2 (34:48):
They don't see a path into the future.
You know, for whatever reason,right, the better future is to
be dead.
Then it's scary, yeah well it'sin this that's nihilistic.
Speaker 1 (34:58):
You know, to the core .
But here's the thing.
I Know that the the actualthreat and this is might be a
little controversial, but theactual threat I'm listening
closer of nuclear war In the 70swas not as as close as they
would have you believe.
Like you said, having childrenduck and cover under their desks
(35:22):
is is ridiculous in Concept,because a nuclear weapon is not
going to save you if you'reunder your desk or not.
But it did do a lot to to drivefear.
Yeah into the hearts and mindsof children who grew up Like
Chris and I, who now, who grewup to believe that, you know,
the only thing keeping us fromnuclear Annihilation is this
(35:44):
great government that has allthis great money and power.
Not so much money anymore, alot of power, but not as much
money as it had before.
And I think that was really thepoint I've always maintained.
That the truth is is that the,the, the, the oppressive parts
of big governments throughoutthe world.
They want to keep you afraid,but they don't want you to die
(36:06):
in mass, because that would bekilling the golden goose, the,
the reason they exist is becauseof masses of people.
So I think I just don't see it.
Like I said, a rogue nation,potentially sure, but they don't
have the ability to fire onethrough the sky.
But a rogue nation could puttogether something and and light
(36:27):
off a nuclear weapon, as far asyou know, country a launching a
full, you know, strike againstcountry B, launching a
retaliatory strike whichannihilates all life on the
planet.
Speaker 2 (36:43):
Don't see that happening well, the United
Nations, as as of October 3rd,had the doomsday clock at 90
seconds to midnight againdoomsday clock.
Speaker 1 (36:54):
Going back to the inception of it.
Speaker 2 (36:56):
I don't.
It sounds pretty scary, it was.
Speaker 1 (36:58):
I think it was in 52, 1952, 1955 it was instituted
another.
In my opinion, it was justanother measure of driving fear
into the hearts of of thegeneral pop, general population.
I think it just that fear wenta long way in spending a lot of
money yeah, I'm building weaponsand for everybody, every.
(37:19):
It was a boon for, you know,the entire globe.
They spent trillions andtrillions and trillions of
dollars that they created out ofthin air on On what, getting
themselves and their families,you know, extremely wealthy.
Speaker 2 (37:34):
I'm sure that people listening have some strong
opinions about this, as we'retalking, absolutely of course,
revival of the human speciesright, a big deal.
Speaker 1 (37:41):
Yeah, I don't want to sound flippant, it is a big
deal, don't get me wrong.
Speaker 2 (37:44):
but I don't see it.
Not just the human species, butall life on earth Essentially,
is what we're talking about.
We can't end it and all ittakes is one mistake.
I'm one misidentified object inthe sky, one itchy finger from
a country, one unhinged leader,and it can all go away.
So I don't think I mean that.
(38:04):
That's the kind of stuff thatworries me honestly that it
could, it could happen and itwouldn't take much for that to
happen.
And we miss identify things allthe time, and we have insane
people in charge of countriesUnfortunately, more often it
seems like now, then maybe at atime to the past who have more,
(38:25):
more destructive weapons thatthey're disposed of than they've
ever had in the past.
Speaker 1 (38:29):
Yeah, I think that, um, my faith helps me a lot in
this area.
I think that I guess wise,because you know, if, if, if God
the architect of all things iswho he says he is, then he's
extremely powerful and extremelyall knowledgeable.
Nothing's happening on thisplanet that he has not ordained
(38:52):
to happen.
So the destruction of all lifeas we know it by nuclear means
would have to be ordained by him.
I don't see that happening.
I don't see it working that way.
So, in my faith tells me that Iguess maybe that's why I have
this flippancy.
If you're listening, thinkingI'm being flippant about, I'm
not.
It's just I don't believe thatwe are in charge of destroying
(39:15):
every single, you know, mammaland or roach, cockroach,
birdfish and human on the planet.
That's not our decision.
And we can boaster, we can, youknow we can.
We can put our chests out ateach other and create all these
new weapons and stuff, but atthe end of the day, that's not
our call and that's it's notgoing to happen that way, unless
(39:36):
it is ordained To happen.
And if that's the case, thenthere's a reason for it and I'm
gonna have to be good with thatreason.
I don't know what that reasonmight be.
I don't believe it is.
Speaker 2 (39:47):
But no, well, that's the thing.
It's just scary to me because Idon't have the faith that you
have in that particularsituation right in the case.
I think free will is a realthing and people are dangerous
with it.
Speaker 1 (39:59):
Yeah, no, I, I, I respect that man.
Yeah, it's just scary.
Speaker 2 (40:04):
It's a scary time and scary even when, then when I
was a kid, right understandthings and I know people better.
Speaker 1 (40:09):
The rationalist would say you know well, there's
nothing you can do about it.
Speaker 2 (40:13):
It's true.
Well, I worry about it.
Speaker 1 (40:14):
Why worry about it?
Because there's nothing to do?
Well, that doesn't change thefacts, right?
You believe that you know thesub, the, the Russian submarine
captain, who's got 24 nuclearwarheads on his submarine and
also all he needs is you knowone other man to turn that key
and fire those things off?
Actually goes crazy and does it.
Well you can't do anythingabout it, bro, so why worry
(40:38):
about it?
Speaker 2 (40:38):
doesn't help hunt for red October up in here.
Speaker 1 (40:41):
One of my favorite all-time movies, yeah it's a
great movie.
Speaker 2 (40:44):
Come on, you're not gonna find actors like Harrison
Ford and Sean Connery.
Speaker 1 (40:48):
Sean the movie together today.
Speaker 2 (40:50):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (40:50):
Harrison Ford wasn't in it You're thinking of Not.
When you said Harrison Ford, itblew my.
What's his name?
You know?
30 Rock, john.
Let's go, john.
No, I'm off.
One of my favorite actors ever.
I love John, let's go.
So she third rock.
What a great show.
Speaker 2 (41:08):
I love that show.
Speaker 1 (41:09):
I Could do some, john , let's go right now, but I
won't really.
Yeah, um, I can't remember theman's name.
Everybody out there is shoutinghis name at the radio right now
.
An actor, or, yes, an actor,and he did Jack Ryan Originally
he's not.
Harrison Ford.
That was in clear and presentdanger.
Jack Ryan is a character, yeahseveral different movies.
Speaker 2 (41:29):
Yeah, yeah, Jack.
Speaker 1 (41:30):
Ryan in hunt for red October was played by.
Oh wait 30.
Speaker 2 (41:35):
Rock.
Hold on, I'm gonna get you thename 30 Rock.
Sean Connery, alec Baldwin,alec Baldwin, thank you.
Thank you very much, neil.
Yeah, alec Baldwin, who played.
Speaker 1 (41:47):
Yep Tim Curry.
Speaker 2 (41:48):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (41:49):
Yeah, it was a great.
It's a great movie.
Go watch it everybody out therewe watch go watch it, rewatch
it.
It's really good.
It's really great it's it'sit's done so well.
Speaker 2 (42:00):
You know, it's just one of those movies where you
can tell well, it's in like atight space, so much, oh yeah
and drama like.
I remember feeling the anxietywatching it.
When it was over I was like, ohright.
Speaker 1 (42:09):
Yeah, it was so good.
Speaker 2 (42:11):
Yeah, there wasn't.
Speaker 1 (42:12):
There wasn't a lot of hokey, cringy moments in there
with those movies, kind of everyonce in a while Some some
stupid thing that they got todraw out.
You know none of that.
It was all just top-notch allthe way from beginning to end.
You know it's really good.
Speaker 2 (42:24):
Well, going back to the original issue, which is
thermal nuclear, Thermal nucleardestruction of all mankind.
There's two things that cansave us.
I think one is divineintervention, as you said yes
and one is our ability tocommunicate with each other.
Speaker 1 (42:37):
Hey, I know something about that.
Speaker 2 (42:39):
We can actually fix things if we could communicate
with each other and is there inour control, we could do that.
Speaker 1 (42:44):
Is there some sort of fraternity that could help in
that area?
Speaker 2 (42:48):
I mean, look, I'm dealing with a little drama in
my lodge at the end of the year.
No, honestly, all of it wouldhave gone away with some
communication.
Absolutely, it's a littlecommunication.
What a direct communication,not online communication Well
yeah, and I mean I, we had afinal conversation last night
about that situation and and itdid come down to an admission of
(43:11):
man I wish I communicatedbetter.
Speaker 1 (43:14):
Yeah, right, yeah.
Speaker 2 (43:16):
Because that really would have solved a whole lot of
issues.
There would have been really noissues with communication, and
I think with this issue, theproblem is we don't.
We're not communicating withour adversaries, and I Get it.
It's complicated.
It's always doing some crazybad things to certain people
that we want to protect.
So it's hard to talk and I knowI'm not Intelligent and I don't
(43:37):
have degrees and I'm not aleader of a nation but your.
It seems like communicationshould be a top priority.
Speaker 1 (43:43):
Well, in our fraternity I think we we kind of
boast about it we have a systembeing able to communicate.
We're supposed to be yeah youknow, brotherly love and
affection should opencommunication up in a very
Gentile, easy way.
If I have a problem, I shouldbe able to you know with
confidence and with love and andrespect, talk to my brother and
(44:05):
work it out Before it becomesan issue.
But I'm seeing in the last year, in Not just our lodge but all
over the place in Masonry, I'mseeing all of this angst and
maybe it's the sign of the times.
People aren't don't know how todeal with their feelings About
what's going on in the world andit's coming out.
Maybe it's coming out in theirhomes and they're in their
(44:27):
lodges, in their work, I don'tknow.
Maybe there's just more anxietyover all in the world right now
and definitely and we're kindof seeing that play out you know
throughout.
You know throughout alldifferent things, but I'm seeing
you know a lot of it in in howcould there not be?
Speaker 2 (44:43):
We're plugged in all day.
I get notifications on my wristfire brimstone warning, danger
all day.
Speaker 1 (44:49):
I turned it all off about two months ago.
I have not been happier.
Speaker 2 (44:53):
You know you're smart and I really think there's
gonna be a renaissance in theworld of a return back to a
simpler way.
Yes, face to face, seriously,like fellowship.
My wife showed me an ad that'sout now for a new phone and the
whole point of the phone is ithas no apps on it, there's no
notifications.
It's a phone it's used to makecall.
(45:13):
Wait, you mean it makes calls?
They call all you mean.
They call it light.
It's, it's just light.
It's nothing but a light littlephone that's meant to make
phone calls and, yeah, you canconnect to the internet and
search stuff if you want to, butit's like take control of your
life back.
It starts right here.
Speaker 1 (45:28):
Yeah, I, I like the idea.
If you are so so overly pluggedinto it, it might not be a bad
idea to cold turkey it out forme.
I just simply stopped listening.
I I've said this before on theshow I, I, I love current events
, news.
I love to get the facts and Ilike to dig in to find the facts
.
So what when somebody's tellingme all of these things about a
(45:50):
current situation take the Hamas, israel thing and, and they're
going on and on about it.
Everybody's got all theiropinions and stuff.
I like to dig into secondaryand and non-primary news sources
and dig deep into that stuff.
I love it.
It's called the light phoneright, I see the light phone
calls and text people and that'sit.
Speaker 2 (46:11):
No social media ever, wow.
Speaker 1 (46:14):
Which is good.
Like I said, if you're, ifyou're deep in knee, deep into
it, you can't get out.
You might want to try that forme.
Just first, the first thing Idid is I turned off all that new
stuff.
Yeah, you kind of, becausethat's to do this on your own
right and then and then Ithere's some podcasts, news
commentator podcast stuff that Iused to listen to.
I I'm just bummed out by itanymore and it's just not really
(46:36):
bringing any joy into my life.
And and what I found out isthat they're not saying anything
new For the last 30 days.
The situations change, but, butthe the base problem is still
the same and it's all from youknow, half a world away, which I
have no control over.
So I do have control over thethings in my life and the people
(46:58):
in my life I can care for, youknow, those who are hurting and
in need In my neighborhood.
I can do that and that's what Ichoose to do.
I'm not going to concern myselfWith the problems of the world
necessarily, because I have noway of doing anything about it,
but I do have a way of helpingthose in need that I can be face
(47:19):
to face with, and I think thatour craft masonry our craft has
a lot to say about that.
I mean, there's a lot we can doas a group of men who are
dedicated to becoming better menand helping our community.
And if you have anxiety aboutwhat's going on half a world
away, why not put that away, goback to Lodge and figure out hey
(47:40):
, how can we help the peoplethat are right around the corner
from us?
Speaker 2 (47:44):
What can we do?
Because a lot of us arearmchair.
Everything right.
Yeah, and when the COVID cameout, we were all armchair by our
armchair.
If this comes out, everybody'sgonna be an expert on that.
But the reality is, we can sithere and talk about how our
governments don't do thingsright, but do we?
Yeah right, do you deal withyour?
Speaker 1 (48:04):
problems correctly, because we are the government.
Speaker 2 (48:06):
We're supposed to be the government.
Do you govern your lodge theway that you wish the government
governed our country?
Speaker 1 (48:11):
Uh-oh, now you're meddling, do you?
Speaker 2 (48:13):
communicate.
Are you open, like, maybe westart by fixing ourselves and
thereby can help influence theworld in a positive way?
Speaker 1 (48:22):
Yeah, it's true, if you wanna change the world, you
must first change yourself.
And that was me I talked aboutat the beginning of the show
that I have been praying aboutjust my own life and direction
and stuff, and the first thingthat happened is my entire life
began to be dissected and forcedto review hey, this, that and
(48:44):
the other.
You know, and in my own life,if you want to change the world,
you must first change yourself.
And you're not gonna change theworld.
You and I, sitting here talking, are not gonna do anything with
the outcome of Russia, israel,hamas, blah, blah, any of it.
None of it.
All of our talking, all of ourarguing, all of our opinions
(49:06):
won't change anything.
But can we find a way here,locally, to do something to
impact the life of another?
Yes, we can do that.
And I say, brother listening,go do that.
Go and do that, because it willdefinitely lower your anxiety
in a big way.
All right, so why are we here?
What is our actual teaching?
Speaker 2 (49:29):
this week.
Speaker 1 (49:30):
Are we gonna do that or not?
Speaker 2 (49:32):
Yeah, of course.
Speaker 1 (49:34):
All right, we're still reading out of the, out of
the, out of the Masonicetiquette book, the large system
of Masonic education.
It's the yellow covered bookthat you got, gl 208, reprinted
in 2010.
We left off on page eight andthis week we're gonna talk about
grand honors and it actuallygoes.
(49:55):
It's actually like a full pageProbably won't go that far.
Speaker 2 (49:59):
I can summarize that for you.
Yeah, there are only a fewtimes in the Mason's life when
he's afforded grand honors,right, and it goes on to detail
what those times are likely.
Yep he does.
You get grand honors whenyou're installed as the worship
master of a lodge.
You get grand honors whenyou're awarded a 40 or 50 year
presentation.
Speaker 1 (50:20):
Yeah, it's 50 or more .
Speaker 2 (50:21):
Oh, only 50?
.
Speaker 1 (50:22):
That's what it says.
Speaker 2 (50:23):
Yeah, brother, receiving a 50 year membership
or more so the 40, you justdon't get the grand honors, no
50 and plus.
We ain't getting that one.
Nope, maybe our AI bodies?
Speaker 1 (50:32):
will, but we're not getting it.
Speaker 2 (50:35):
Yeah, okay, and the grand master gets grand honors,
as does the district deputy,when he's received in a lodge
officially.
Speaker 1 (50:44):
Right yep.
Speaker 2 (50:45):
So those are really important events in a Mason's
life and not everybody's gonnaget those moments that are
Mason's.
Speaker 1 (50:55):
Now, are grand honors something that can be done in
public, or is this only in atitle lodge Only in a title
lodge.
Speaker 2 (51:01):
So there are public grand honors used at a funeral
ceremony.
Oh okay, which differ slightlyfrom the grand honors we do in
closed tiled meetings.
They are different.
Speaker 1 (51:14):
Oh, okay, okay.
Speaker 2 (51:15):
So we have our private grand honors and we have
our public grand honors, andthe public, I believe, is just
in the funerals and we actuallyexplain what it means at a
funeral.
Each step is explained to thepresent and that's all written
out in the blue monitor if youwanna read it.
So we're pointing to heaven andsaying we can sign his body,
(51:37):
his spirit, to God who gave it.
We cherish his memories here inour chest.
We kinda hold our hands to ourchest and then we say we can
sign his body to the earth fromonce it came and we point down
Wow.
And so those are public grandhonors that are explained to
anyone.
That's in a Masonic ceremony.
But in our grand honors thatour district deputies and
(51:59):
worship masters get, it isslightly different and you
really feel that this is aunique once in a lifetime
experience.
I was installed and got thegrand honors, and that was the
moment where I felt like Iwasn't in my body anymore.
It was like I was watchingsomething happen to somebody
else, cause you just knowinstinctively, this is a one
(52:19):
time deal.
Right, right, yeah, I'm nevergonna get that again in my life.
And I didn't get it by accident, like I had done a lot of work
yeah, you had and like put in alot of time to get to that point
and it's the culmination of theend, the beginning of the end
of your Masonic career.
If you just go through thenormal officer line, that's
gonna be the end, which you did.
Speaker 1 (52:40):
Sure, I sat in every chair, you sat in every chair,
and you went through them insuccession.
Right, so you started.
Speaker 2 (52:45):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (52:46):
And as junior Deacon sorry, junior steward.
Speaker 2 (52:49):
Actually, that's the only chair I wasn't actually
installed and I've sat in itmany times.
Speaker 1 (52:54):
Senior steward.
That was my first installed andyou went all the way to
Warshall.
Master, yes, how many years.
Speaker 2 (53:00):
Ooh, that was five years, five years, wow, five
chairs, five years.
And then you end as the masterand that year is over when it
starts.
Speaker 1 (53:08):
Basically, you blink and it's gone.
Speaker 2 (53:10):
So, yeah, that installation is the beginning of
the end of your Masonic careerin the line and it's kind of
like a reward for all the effortand the time you've given the
Lodge and the brothers.
And you feel it, man, it's amoment.
Right, right and I can onlyimagine going further up at
District Apey and a Grand Masterbeing received amongst your
brothers is probably prettymagical too.
Speaker 1 (53:33):
Yeah, sure I get it.
Speaker 2 (53:34):
I saw, Wright, warshall Haber, and he seemed to
always get choked up every timeI was at all of his almost all
of his official visits when hewas at District Apey.
It seemed like quite anemotional experience every time
it happened.
So I'm sure it doesn't lessenas you get it over time.
But that is something we do tohonor our brothers for their
service and for their dedicationto the craft.
(53:57):
And the Grand Honors is one ofour secrets that we don't show
the public Correct, so we can'treally talk in detail about what
it is.
Speaker 1 (54:06):
Right.
No, that's right, that's ours.
So if you want to know whatthat is, go down to your local
Lodge and ask for a petition.
Speaker 2 (54:16):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (54:16):
That's what I would say.
Go ask for a petition, Find outwhat it's all about.
Ask them.
If you want to know, go askthem because there is a Lodge in
your town.
Oh yes, there is a Lodge inyour town.
So the next one is Grand Lodge.
Is the heading.
It's on page nine.
It says Grand Lodge is thegreat source of power in the
(54:36):
craft.
It has legislative,administrative and executive
jurisdiction over all matterspertaining to the fraternity.
Our Masonic traditions are inits keeping.
It is only right that ourrespect for its officers be
shown by adhering to certainrules of etiquette necessary to
maintain that respect.
And this etiquette must bepunctuously observed, Mm.
(55:00):
Yeah, punctuously observed.
Grand honors are symbols ofthat honor and respect.
Talking Permiscuous, movingabout the room failure to
address the grandmaster or touse his proper title when
speaking, are all violations ofcommon courtesy and gentlemanly
conduct.
It is an assemblage numberinghundreds.
(55:23):
It is essential that theserules be strictly adhered to in
order that business comingbefore grand lodge be dispatched
with promptness and in adignified manner.
Not only are these rulesrelating to decorum applicable
to grand lodge, but they mightwell be taken seriously by our
lodges, in which decorum issometimes conspicuous by its
(55:46):
absence.
Hello, are we meddling a littlebit?
There Is this thing on.
Speaker 2 (55:50):
Well, you've been to grand lodge now and you'll go
again and I encourage everybodyin the state of Florida.
Anyone can go, you don't haveto be an officer, you don't have
to be a master of that.
Anyone can go.
That's a Mason.
Please go.
There is nothing that's goingto compare in Freemasonry to
sitting in a room with over athousand other masons and, after
(56:15):
a prayer, hearing a booming,echoing somo to be throughout
the hall.
Man, that's a moment that Ilook forward to.
Every grand lodge, you knowyou're part of something real.
Speaker 1 (56:29):
And that's exactly what you're talking about.
Right, there is that when yougo to the grand lodge
communication every year here inFlorida, you realize just how
big the fraternity that youbelong to is and it really
really just for me, it justreally solidified.
Yeah, I'm in the right place.
This is something I should bedoing, you know, because we say
(56:50):
it all the time on the show man,we have brothers all over the
world.
Speaker 2 (56:53):
I mean it's big, it's not small.
Speaker 1 (56:55):
This is a big deal and it's worth preserving, it's
worth fighting for and I'm notgoing to go down that round.
Speaker 2 (57:02):
It's just people have an attitude of it's always
going to be there, come on,it'll be fine, you don't have to
worry.
But no, we do.
Speaker 1 (57:09):
You do, because it's not always going to be there.
If we don't fight for it, if wedon't stand for it and practice
its principles and do what DougDobbs would say lodge work no,
florida work, not lodge work andcarry the traditions forward,
it won't be there.
It won't be there.
Some version of it might bethere, but it's not a version
(57:30):
that any of us want to be a partof people with the attitude of
it's always be there are thereason we might lose our Masonic
all.
I am there.
Speaker 2 (57:37):
The reason that we might lose our grand launch
headquarters?
Speaker 1 (57:39):
Yeah, right, I don't know much about the headquarters
controversy, but I'm 100% withyou on the home.
I know it's expensive, I getthat and it's a it's.
It's not an easy thing to takecare of in this day and age, but
you know what You're gonna,we're gonna.
If this show has anything tosay about it.
I I lot, I want that thingthere.
Speaker 2 (58:00):
People that were in the know knew there was
something going on and knew theycould do something about it and
didn't act.
And I don't know who they were.
Yeah, right, but I know thishappened and that to that a
shame on them.
Like now, we have to deal withthis situation.
We're in where right not good,so please don't take the
attitude of it's always going tobe there.
If you're here, it's your jobto fight to keep it.
Speaker 1 (58:21):
Right.
Speaker 2 (58:22):
That's your part in this whole thing.
Speaker 1 (58:23):
That's right, yeah, that's right, and decisions can
be made to streamline it, to dothe work to it, but it needs,
somebody needs to figure it out.
There's always a man, a manwith a plan, a man with a vision
, a man with an idea, who can,who can rally men to himself to
(58:43):
make these positive changes.
But as it currently is and thepeople who are on the other side
of this debate will tell you,it's days, and it's days are
numbered, I mean because thenumbers don't lie.
But that does not mean we giveup, and that's what we're about.
Speaker 2 (58:58):
We want that home to be there.
Like all we can do is what wecan with what we're given Right,
like we're in the situation weare and I don't know that,
gandalf.
Maybe it is nothing we can do,I don't know, but still, let's
learn the lesson.
Let's definitely learn thelesson.
Let's not do this again.
Speaker 1 (59:16):
All right.
Well, listen, man, I don't knowwhat we want to do next.
What do you want to do?
Oh, I know how.
About jewels?
Let's talk about the jewels.
I got you jewels right here,boy.
According to the custom of thisgrand jurisdiction, the jewels
of the officers of lodges shallbe of silver or white metal.
Speaker 2 (59:40):
Now we read this and you inspected our jewels.
Speaker 1 (59:43):
They are not silver.
Well, they're silver in color.
I guess that would be whitemetal.
Speaker 2 (59:49):
Does it specify?
Speaker 1 (59:51):
It doesn't really say real silver it just says silver
.
Right, silver in color orappearance, I would assume Gold
is reserved for grand lodgejewels and should never be used
by the constituent lodges.
Cases have been observed oflodges accepting and using solid
gold jewels as a present fromsome outside organization.
(01:00:12):
This is improper.
The jewels of grand lodgeofficers are gold or the color
of gold yellow, not white andshould always be worn at grand
lodge functions.
Officers' jewels are a part ofthe official and necessary
insignia of the office and arebesowed as such at the time of
installation and should alwaysbe worn with respected and
(01:00:35):
respected as such, neverpersonal or private adornments.
Those jewels don't belong toyou.
They belong to the office as atreasurer, when I put that thing
on, it's signifying the officethat I hold.
They're not mine.
I don't get to wear them around.
They're not mine.
(01:00:56):
They belong to the craft theybelong to the office.
Speaker 2 (01:00:57):
You can't wear them to a party and be like hey, look
at me, look me up, baby, I gota gold shoe Baling, it ain't
that way.
Speaker 1 (01:01:03):
It ain't that way.
It's a sacred trust and it'spart of our ritual.
It's all part of the grandeurand the mystique and ritual of
our craft, which I love.
I love that stuff man, yeah, metoo.
I really do.
I love it.
I am of the opinion that itwill be part of my life for the
(01:01:25):
rest of my life.
We are a group of us diddedicate to get together this
coming year and work towards oursilver card Work towards your
gold card, gold card, both cards, that's right.
Speaker 2 (01:01:39):
By the end of the year we will have a gold card
next year.
Speaker 1 (01:01:42):
Which is a huge deal, because we want to be good at
it, we want to be proficient atit and we want to be able to
share with others that part ofmasonry, that secret part of
masonry, that we do our ritualwork, which is just so much fun.
Speaker 2 (01:01:59):
Well, what we're going to try to do is treat it
like a traditional catechismclass Correct.
We're going to be a group ofsix guys, hopefully, that meet
once a week and we'll start withthe give backs.
Yep, get our silver proficiencycard, work through the blue,
the green and then work on theoranges together as a group and
as you give them back, you'llget your cards and by the end of
(01:02:20):
the year, we should have sixnew gold card holders.
That would be awesome In ourlodge.
That would be a lot of fun.
Yeah, yeah, and you'll be ableto do lectures.
Oh, yeah, yeah, if you're soinclined.
Oh yeah, yeah.
I highly encourage you to do asyou learn a lot about yourself.
Speaker 1 (01:02:36):
If I could do it.
Speaker 2 (01:02:38):
I would do it, you can do it and you will do it.
We'll see.
Speaker 1 (01:02:41):
We'll see.
I'm up for it, do it withanother guy.
No, I'm open, I'm totally open.
Yeah, I would love to do that.
That looks like so much fun,but I'm totally open to the
learning process.
So in 2024, and maybe we'lljust do a little reporting on it
how it's going throughout theshow.
So folks can see you know howit's going.
We'll kind of give some updateson it and that'll be fun.
Yeah, watch our progressthroughout the year as we
(01:03:03):
attempt to do to go from no cardto gold card.
I can't wait.
Speaker 2 (01:03:09):
It's going to be fun.
Yeah, that's going to be a lotof fun.
Speaker 1 (01:03:12):
Think back to your catechism time.
Speaker 2 (01:03:13):
Those were fun times with the brothers.
Speaker 1 (01:03:15):
I've said it before that the, the fellow craft
degree, catechism and give backwas absolutely awesome for me.
Speaker 2 (01:03:24):
You had a great time.
I really had a great time withit.
Speaker 1 (01:03:26):
It was great Everything about the fellow
craft.
Everybody says that, but for meit was.
It was absolutely true.
It was just a really good time.
I was able to and I think Iprobably still could, with a
little brush up.
I can do the entire thing frombeginning to end, without you
know from memory which is whatwe do.
I think that the the other twoI'm going to have to brush up on
(01:03:50):
and work on I couldn't be asconfident, but that one I can
and I just like the way it flowsand I like I like being able to
stand up and do it.
You know which is part of thething.
It's the accomplishment of itall and the.
You know the unity that itbrings when you, when you do it,
and your brothers are thererooting for you and you get it
done and you do it right.
You know I hey, it's thisMasonry man.
This is why we love it.
(01:04:11):
One of the reasons why we loveit, one of the reasons why we're
so passionate about it, isbecause you know we love this
stuff.
Speaker 2 (01:04:18):
Yeah, it's, it's important, and it's important
for you as a person, it'simportant for your family and
your community to become better,so it is extremely important.
Let me tell you, if you happento be in the Englewood area on
November 11th Saturday November11th at 6pm, we will be having
(01:04:41):
an outdoor master Mason degree.
They have a dispensation fromGrand Lodge to hold their master
Mason degree outdoor in thewilderness.
Trees around you, torches, realfire.
Speaker 1 (01:04:52):
So cool.
Speaker 2 (01:04:53):
This is going to be special, and then again on
December 16th and at EnglewoodLodge, number 360, we will have
another before the end of theyear master Mason degree
outdoors, where we will have sixof our brothers.
Speaker 1 (01:05:09):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (01:05:10):
Being raised on December 16th.
We both have parts in thedegrees.
Speaker 1 (01:05:14):
Yeah, sorry to tell you that, oh, surprise, surprise
, surprise.
Speaker 2 (01:05:20):
If you've never seen an outdoor master Mason degree,
do yourself a favor and see ifyou can get there on November
11th or December 16th, startingat 6pm, and you'll get to see
some not just good ritual workbut experience it in the way
that we talk about it.
Speaker 1 (01:05:35):
Right, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:05:38):
Lodge being covering, being the clouded canopy.
Speaker 1 (01:05:41):
Right.
Speaker 2 (01:05:42):
See all of us.
You'll get to experience it,and it's pretty special to hear
the wolves in the background.
Speaker 1 (01:05:49):
And then there was a whipper wheel last time, if
anybody-.
Speaker 2 (01:05:51):
Yeah, what the heck is that?
Speaker 1 (01:05:52):
Whipper wheel is a bird that makes a sound that
sounds like whipper wheel.
Whipper wheel, whipper wheel.
It makes that sound and there'sa legend I think I've talked
about this before there's alegend of the whipper.
When you hear the sound of awhipper wheel, the legend has it
that that's God calling you torepentance for something that
you have done.
Oh Lord, so you're being calledout when you've done something
(01:06:14):
that you know is wrong, thatyou've got to make right, and
you hear that whipper wheel.
She's calling you out, man.
Speaker 2 (01:06:18):
We hear that on November 11th or December 16th
and I go away for four to fivehours.
You know what I'm doing, youknow?
Yeah, right, I got a lot ofrepentant to do to the whipper
wheels?
Speaker 1 (01:06:27):
Yeah, well, and you can guarantee that I just, I
just probably need to hear oneevery day.
Yeah, so that's the way mylife's going right now, but we
will prevail.
So, anyway, I think that'senough from the book for today.
We don't want to give it allaway.
Maybe we'll do well, there's somuch in the etiquette book.
It's really important that youknow it, that's true.
(01:06:47):
It's important that you know itbecause then that way you're
able to conduct yourselves inand outside of the lodge in a
way that is acceptable and it'suniformed.
If we all understood this book,we would all understand why we
do what we do and we wouldunderstand and be able to help
each other to behave correctlywithin the confines of the lodge
.
So I like it.
(01:07:08):
I think I have liked this.
I have liked this.
Sorry, I have.
Speaker 2 (01:07:17):
Hello, I have sorry Earth to Fred it was a cell
phone.
Speaker 1 (01:07:21):
Cell phone came through.
Sorry, you need a light phone,I need a light phone, the light
phone too.
The Masonic etiquette book thatwe've gone through here I've
enjoyed pretty much more thanany of the other ones.
I gotta say that Master Masonwas kind of fun going through
that one, but this was helpfuland I enjoyed it.
I got a lot of feedback frompeople that said they never
really opened it up and theynever really knew what was in
(01:07:43):
there and that because of theshow they've opened it up and
read through it and wereenlightened as to what Masonic
etiquette is.
It's gentlemanly behavior, guys.
You're a grown ass man andyou're a Mason, so we're
supposed to behave likegentlemen towards each other.
Speaker 2 (01:08:02):
This stuff is like movies when you watch a movie
and you're 12 and you go backand watch it when you're 30, it
ain't the same movie.
Speaker 1 (01:08:09):
It ain't the same movie man, it's the same here.
Speaker 2 (01:08:10):
I think you get more out of this stuff when you come
back at a different point inyour life and Masonic career and
read it.
Right, yeah, you'll get moreand different things out of it.
So it's good to come back andreread these important documents
.
Speaker 1 (01:08:21):
Yeah, I agree, I agree.
Speaker 2 (01:08:23):
Together, hopefully with friends, and get different
viewpoints on it, who are atdifferent points in their life,
and have a little chat.
Sees, that's right.
Speaker 1 (01:08:31):
So we do not have another esoteric discussion
group.
No, not this year, not thisyear.
So that's done.
Because of the holidays,everybody, we tried to put one
together for November becausethe weather's so good and we do
them outside Fire bits.
The more we talked about ourschedules, the more everybody
(01:08:51):
realizes like it ain't gonnahappen.
Man, the holidays are upon usand it's just absolutely
cranking down on us.
And this is just November.
Forget about December.
Speaker 2 (01:09:00):
So this may be a good time for us to put together the
agenda that we talked about andget it online for other people.
Speaker 1 (01:09:05):
That's not.
Speaker 2 (01:09:06):
Maybe going into next year, that can use it to host
them in their district.
Speaker 1 (01:09:09):
Yeah, no, I agree, that's a great idea.
Speaker 2 (01:09:12):
Let's put some resources together for people.
Speaker 1 (01:09:14):
Yeah, we can put that out on the website.
Speaker 2 (01:09:16):
Put it on the interwebs, on the interwebs Put
it on the line.
Put it on the interwebs Take apicture and put it on the line.
Speaker 1 (01:09:24):
So anything you want to share before we get out of
here.
This show's a little short.
I've shared enough, but I thinkwe've shared enough and, at the
end of the day, what Chris andI want anybody listening to know
is that our heart is always forthe benefit of the craft.
We don't always perform thatperfectly because we're flawed
(01:09:44):
men, but the reason we do thisshow and the reason we're so
passionate about it is becausewe want the craft to survive.
We want the craft to do what itdoes in the lives of men making
good men better.
And if you have a problem withthis show, if you have a problem
with anybody on this show, Iwould encourage you to mason up,
(01:10:06):
brother, square your work andcome forward and, with love and
gentleness and respect, sharewith us what your problem is
privately, and then we couldrejoice together publicly at
finding common ground, findinghow we might work and agree and
do things better together as acraft.
(01:10:26):
Because I say it all the time,if you have a problem with a
brother that is causing you togo outside of a dealing with him
directly, then you're wrong.
Even if your cause is right,your methods are wrong.
And if your methods are wrong.
No one's ever gonna get to thebottom of it, and there's a
(01:10:49):
couple of situations out thereright now that are like that
that we're not getting to thebottom of anything because
nobody knows the whole story,because the whole story is not
being you referring to our Texasbrothers?
Speaker 2 (01:11:00):
Sure, oh, okay, and others gotcha.
Speaker 1 (01:11:04):
At the end of the day , we're masons.
Square our work by the squareof virtue, circumscribe our
passions and super fluiditiesand act like masons.
Speaker 2 (01:11:15):
Act like men, that would be lovely.
Speaker 1 (01:11:18):
And it will work out.
We have a system that works,man, and when it works it works
really well, man, and I reallylove it when it works.
Speaker 2 (01:11:27):
Yeah, and we appreciate you guys for
listening.
I was always shocked when I gosomewhere and meet someone who
says they're a big fan.
I know right In every episode.
My first thing is give mefeedback.
What could we do?
Because you know we're heretrying to figure it out and we
don't get that direct feedback.
So yeah, give it to us if youhave it.
Speaker 1 (01:11:47):
That's right yeah, we're willing to listen, we
absolutely wanna listen and justbe on the back.
Speaker 2 (01:11:50):
although they're greatly appreciated, we wanna
get better.
Speaker 1 (01:11:53):
Yeah, we want this show to be all it can be, and if
you guys have listened to the,if you listen to the very end,
you're our hero man.
We really appreciate that.
We will do this again everyweek.
We will drop a show for as longas you and I are alive.
Boom, and it will happen.
So till next time, brothers,square your work, man, square
your work, build it strong,build it strong, be a Mason.
(01:12:16):
See you guys.
Hey, chris, yeah, fred, what's a Mason?
Speaker 2 (00:08):
That's a really good question, fred.
Speaker 1 (00:14):
You've reached the internet's home for all things
masonry.
Join Chris and I as we plumbthe depths of our ancient craft,
from the common gavel to thetrowel.
Nothing is off the table, sograb your tools and let's get to
work.
This is On the Level.
Oh no, we're back.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (00:35):
Reports of our demise have been greatly exaggerated.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
What Reports of our demise?
Speaker 1 (00:41):
No, I just I love that statement.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
It's one of my favorite statements ever.
I do like that actually.
Speaker 1 (00:46):
Reports of my death have been greatly over
exaggerated.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
That's pretty badass.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
I don't remember what movie that's from, oh wait, no,
I think it was a statement thata politician made back in the
70s, mark.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
Twain.
Mark Twain, did he?
He said to have read his ownobituary and then remarked the
reports of my death are greatlyexaggerated.
Speaker 1 (01:04):
There it is.
There it is Mark Twain.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
I just quoted Mark Twain and I didn't even know it.
What thing I noticed is we havethis new fangled device that
makes magic box stuff happen.
Okay, and our intro plays inour headset now before the
podcast, and man that gets meamped up.
Yeah, I love it.
We used to just turn it on andbe like we're live Right, we had
(01:28):
to actually be professionalsback then Now we can just rock
and roll it.
Yeah, I like it.
I like it.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
Yeah, amped up this part where, yeah, this works
much better.
This is the way it's supposedto be.
When it comes in, it comes inlive, live recorded in the
studio.
Recorded live in a studio,that's the word there.
Speaker 2 (01:47):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
So what's going on with you, man?
What's new lately, like I don'tknow?
Speaker 2 (01:53):
Let's see right.
Wishful Tom Haber and I got upto Temple Terrace Lodge, Nice,
Met a fan of the show.
There were still.
Master Christoph Seville.
Shout out I'm sorry youcouldn't be there.
Speaker 1 (02:05):
I know I huge fan of the show.
I apologize, brother, I willmake it next time.
Got just going through a bunchof different changes right now.
Changes some stuff up for thebetter in the long run.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
but little difficult right now.
You talked about that.
Yep, yep, yep.
How's that going?
Speaker 1 (02:22):
You know, the more you know, it comes back to the
same thing You're given one dayat a time.
We are given one day at a time.
Now.
It's smart to save and to haveinsurance and all that stuff is
wise and we want to be wise, youknow, in our lives and wise men
, but the truth is is that ifyou wake up in the morning,
(02:46):
you're given that day in frontof you and in that day one
should behave correctly.
You should walk as a man and dowhat is right throughout the
day to the best of your ability.
That's really what I'm beingtaught right now.
I had all these great plans andideas.
You know I don't know if youguys listened to the last
podcast.
I walked into work on a Fridayand the big Muckity Muck from
(03:11):
Fort Myers came up and said hey,we're firing you.
I'm like really why?
Speaker 2 (03:16):
Very good, thank you, turn around and walk out.
Speaker 1 (03:18):
Yeah, he wanted to just walk away.
Speaker 2 (03:21):
He thought it was going to be easy.
Speaker 1 (03:23):
He thought it was going to be easy.
It was not easy.
I sent him an emailsubsequently.
That wasn't the greatest email,but there was a bunch of truth
bombs in that email.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
Anything happened from that.
Yeah, I talked to him.
Oh, you did yeah.
Speaker 1 (03:36):
Yeah, and we're good, we're good.
He appreciated, you know, thetruthfulness of it and the heads
up.
You know that he's not as loved, he's not as beloved as the new
CEO and the corporation as hethought he was.
So I shed a little light onthat.
But I told him, I think what Isaid is I stand by what I said
(03:56):
factually, but the way Idelivered it was totally wrong,
brother.
Speaker 2 (03:59):
That's big of you.
Speaker 1 (04:02):
It's a hard thing to catch yourself, you know it's
important in life to keep shortaccounts with all of this kind
of stuff and it goes back towhat I started out with is that
you know you have today.
You know and I think it wasBenjamin Franklin who kind of
had that same idea that he hadthese 25 rules that he lived by,
(04:23):
that he wrote, he wrote themout and each day he would employ
these things in his life.
You know integrity and you knowhard work.
Never do this, do that andstuff.
And it's just super importantthat we keep short accounts If
you make a mistake, if you saysomething that's wrong, if you
post.
For goodness sakes, please stopposting people.
(04:45):
Stop posting negative thingsabout your brother online,
please.
Speaker 2 (04:51):
Anyway, if you do as a personal favor to me, if you
email me and say don't show thisto anyone, it's on the level,
and then I respond and youposted publicly online.
It's not good, that's maybedon't do that.
Speaker 1 (05:04):
Maybe, maybe, try not to try a bad idea.
Probably would have been a goodidea not to say anything in the
first place, but whateverhypothetically, we're speaking
here.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
Of course it's the kind of stuff you're talking
about, right?
It's like come on man.
Speaker 1 (05:18):
So for me, I'm on a personal journey and I've been.
I've been praying.
I am a man of prayer.
I get up very early every dayand I study and I pray and ask
God for wisdom and guidance inmy life.
And when you do that regularly,the first one that gets the
opportunity to change everythingis you.
And that's what I'm kind ofgoing through right now.
(05:39):
God's revealing a lot of thingsin my life right now that need
to change, and I'm willing to doit.
It's painful, you know the.
You know the scriptures saythat.
You know, don't, don't despisethe correction of God because
he's treating you as a son,because what father does not
discipline their sons right?
(05:59):
And then and that's what'shappening, and it's grievous and
it's tough and it's frustratingas all heck.
That's how you know it's goodfor you, but that's how you know
that you're a son, you're notillegitimate, you are an adopted
son and your father, who is inheaven, loves you.
And it's important to respondcorrectly, respond appropriately
, and for me, lately it's reallyjust been again.
(06:23):
I just keep going back to thisand if you're listening and if
this is speaking to you, there'sa reason for it.
One day at a time, you aregiven.
Today, that's what you're given.
You're not promised tomorrowand yesterday's gone.
You can't change it.
The day, the moment by moment,hour by hour, day by day, is a
(06:43):
good way to live your lifebefore men.
Speaker 2 (06:46):
Ben had been Franklin .
I'm reading this quote.
He said many people die at 25and aren't buried until 75.
That's so good.
Most individuals live lifewithout truly experiencing its
full potential or pursuing theirpassions and dreams.
I love that I go through, youknow, following the easy path,
(07:07):
but that's not really living isit Life isn't all sunshine and
rainbows.
Sometimes it's pain andsometimes it's hard yeah.
And as you go, many of the bestthings are on the other side of
pain and hardship, aren't they?
I would say, all of them right,it's sad, but it's true.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
Nothing worth having comes easy, nothing that you
desire, that you value.
You didn't get it because itfell in your lap, unless your
last name is Rockefeller.
Speaker 2 (07:33):
I mean, you know, maybe you got a small $5 million
loan from dad, you know?
Speaker 1 (07:37):
Oh well, that's possible.
Most of us not, I don't think Idid.
Let me check.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
Yeah, no, no same here.
I didn't even get old socks formy dad.
Speaker 1 (07:47):
Yeah, right, nothing.
Speaker 2 (07:51):
Which is a blessing in its own.
You know, when you got to makeyour own way, you learn about
life a lot more.
Well, that's right, that'sright.
Speaker 1 (07:57):
For me and people is the thing Lately.
That's what I'm learning, youknow is to forgive as you have
been forgiven and love as youhave been loved.
If you haven't been loved, itcomes out in the way you treat
other people.
We all need to take a step backand look at the way.
(08:18):
How am I treating people?
Am I manipulating a situationfor my benefit, you know,
because of some future gain?
I don't know?
You know, like maybe some bigmoney's coming your way or some
kind of thing you're trying toset yourself up for and you got
your eyes, you know, on the bigprize, but you're discarding the
(08:38):
relationships and the people inyour life along the way.
Speaker 2 (08:42):
Well, that's going to be a hollow victory.
Speaker 1 (08:44):
It's going to be a hollow victory man, and it's
going to be a disaster because,by the time you get there, that
big prize is going to be nothingbut a gigantic idol that you're
going to have to bow down toand you will forsake all the
people around you and you'regoing to end up.
You know you'll be alone.
You'll be alone with your thing.
Speaker 2 (09:00):
You'll be alone, you and your thing alone.
Speaker 1 (09:02):
You your thing and all the devastation around you.
Speaker 2 (09:04):
So that's oh, you know this has got me thinking.
So I was at Temple TerraceLodge, right right, right, and
they have a past grandmasterthere who's their secretary.
Speaker 1 (09:15):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (09:15):
Such an awesome fun guy.
I mean, I walked in and he'slike this is a fun lodge.
I was like, yeah, welcome tofun country.
He's like Masonry should be fun.
If you're not having fun witheach other, what are we?
Speaker 1 (09:27):
doing here Kind of signed up, you signed up for fun
.
Speaker 2 (09:30):
I did sign up for fun .
Yeah, oh, the ritual work onpoint.
I don't think they made asingle mistake, wow, and they
were closing, but they had funthe entire time.
I love that.
This is free.
Masonry is alive.
If they start the program there, they're going to have huge
success.
Speaker 1 (09:45):
That's great.
Speaker 2 (09:46):
And I think they are.
But where was I going with this?
Speaker 1 (09:50):
Something important Something important.
Speaker 2 (09:52):
It was important.
Oh, I was after the meetingasking this past grandmaster hey
, why is it that we don't have achamber of reflection anymore?
Oh, what is that about?
And he proceeded to tell mestories.
And everyone there is tellingstories because the guys from
the worship masters from France,they still do the chamber of
(10:13):
reflection required.
And this past grandmaster saidhe kind of had to go through a
very similar chamber ofreflection.
Yeah, it's great for the EA.
And I was thinking master Masonwould be more appropriate,
because they already know freeMasonry, they won't be as
freaked out by something asdifferent as that.
But they all said no, no, theEA should be a little freaked
(10:34):
out.
That's the point.
Speaker 1 (10:35):
That is, I get that Wake up guy, Wake up Right, yeah
, this is weird and scary, payattention.
Speaker 2 (10:42):
So they were all talking about who's going to put
forth the legislation, who'sgoing to do it.
Speaker 1 (10:47):
And I was like you me .
Speaker 2 (10:48):
Yeah, let's do it, let's do it.
We should do this.
We should write legislation tosubmit to Grand Lodge to bring
it back.
Let's let, on the level, leadthe way to bring the chamber of
reflection back as an optionalpractice option.
Option optional of course notrequired, that's right.
Let a lodge do it.
And, and I mean a lot of thestuff in our ritual could be
scary to somebody.
A lot of it could be.
Speaker 1 (11:08):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (11:09):
The reception could be scary.
Yeah, think about it Right sothat, even though it might scare
some people, I think if you doit and you have some rules and
say it has to be done tastefullyand nice and not not
intentionally, I'm sure there'sa.
Speaker 1 (11:22):
We could dig out the old archives.
I'm sure there's a procedure.
We have a procedure foreverything.
That's it.
Speaker 2 (11:27):
I think you just got to crab carefully enough and
like put the guard rails on thelegislation that everyone will
prove it.
So I say we go for it.
Yeah, I'm in.
Speaker 1 (11:36):
I'm in.
I don't know how do you do that.
Do you know?
Is there a process?
Okay, Anybody out there who'slistening, if you understand the
process of writing andsubmitting legislation, me or
Chris, and email and we'll startwe'll start working on it Help
us out.
Speaker 2 (11:51):
If you're a lawyer or attorney and you know and
you're good with legalese, let'sget crack a lacking.
Speaker 1 (11:56):
Let's, let's set a goal that June, middle of June
2024, we've got something inhand that that we could present.
That's plenty of time A sixmonths, a seven, eight months
from now.
So nobody can say that wedidn't you know that we didn't
give enough time, but let's workon it together as as a, as a
community, because I just reallythink the chamber of reflection
(12:19):
is so needed and so cool and socool.
Speaker 2 (12:24):
Yeah, I'm excited about that.
That's going to keep me up atnight thinking about doing it
All right.
Speaker 1 (12:28):
All right, we're in, we're doing it All.
Speaker 2 (12:30):
all we have more going on.
Um, we had a great conversationFriday night yesterday about
finalizing some of the lastdetails of the education
symposium coming up.
Speaker 1 (12:39):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (12:40):
January.
I am so excited and now, Ithink, officially announced our
ticket cost.
Speaker 1 (12:45):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (12:46):
Who the speakers are, yep, and when it's going to be,
and within the net, by the timeyou hear this, you should be
able to uh, at the next podcastyou hear after this, we'll
definitely have links and placesyou can go to actually get
tickets.
Speaker 1 (13:00):
Tell the brother and what they're going to get for
their $50.
Speaker 2 (13:02):
Okay, um, for $50, you will get a free drink ticket
at the shrine.
All right, I'll include beer,wine or well drinks, excellent.
And then we'll get an on thelevel and you're to bring home
uh for the symposium.
You will get to hear uh brother, uh Juan Sepulveda talk about
(13:23):
Masonry and astronomy.
Speaker 1 (13:26):
His presentation is awesome, by the way.
If you've not seen it, you needto see it and you'll hear it.
Speaker 2 (13:33):
We're Shroud Daniel Molina.
We'll be speaking.
Another great speaker.
We have a mystery guest speaker.
You'll hear from Fred and Chrisat the symposium talking about
we're going to talk about does.
Speaker 1 (13:45):
The question is does Masonry have something to
contribute to the future of thiscountry?
I can't wait to hear that.
I'm working on it.
It's tough, but we'll be ready.
Speaker 2 (13:57):
And we have a keynote speaker that we it was
difficult A very busy man.
He's in the middle of doingthree installations the day that
he speaks for us, so he's goingto be presenting in between his
installations and takingquestions and sitting with us
afterwards to talk aboutFreemasonry.
That's awesome.
That's right.
We're Shroud Talia Talia.
(14:18):
I don't know if I said his lastname right.
Speaker 1 (14:21):
You know who I'm talking about.
Speaker 2 (14:23):
I believe his are Grand Senior Warden this year.
Speaker 1 (14:25):
Oh, no, kidding Okay.
Speaker 2 (14:28):
So he'll be speaking, and this will be an event that
goes on from 9 am until 6 pm atthe Saheb Shrine in Sarasota,
florida.
Folks are going to get hungry.
Tell them all about what we'regoing to have Beef tips, mashed
potatoes, vegetables, caesarsalad, dinner rolls with butter,
and we'll have some kind of adessert there, all included for
(14:49):
your $50.
Speaker 1 (14:50):
For $50.
Yeah, that's a great deal Allday education.
Speaker 2 (14:52):
You get a nice all-you-can-eat buffet for lunch
.
The shrine does have abreakfast buffet that is very
cheap.
Speaker 1 (14:59):
Yeah, I think it's like ten bucks, nine, ninety,
five or something.
It's also all you can eatbuffet.
Speaker 2 (15:04):
It's outrageous, yeah , and you'll get your drink
ticket.
So from 9 to 6 we'll be takingmany breaks.
There'll be plenty ofopportunities to get a snack and
a little bit of it.
Speaker 1 (15:13):
Fellowship hang out.
Speaker 2 (15:14):
Yep, but we will have solid speakers and they're each
going to speak for an hour andyou and I will get to sit down
and have one-on-ones with themafter they speak.
Speaker 1 (15:22):
Yeah, it's going to be awesome.
Speaker 2 (15:24):
We're going to do a little on-the-level live
interview with these speakers infront of everybody, and we'll
culminate in a round table wherewe all take questions from the
crowd.
Speaker 1 (15:33):
Yeah, at the end of it.
Speaker 2 (15:34):
We'll have a real discussion with everybody that
comes about Freemasonry and anyof the stuff we talked about, or
really whatever anyone wants totalk about.
And so this is going to be.
We can house about 300 peopleat the shrine.
Speaker 1 (15:47):
If we were to get 300 there, that would be absolutely
off the chain.
Awesome, because the fellowshipand the camaraderie alone would
be just absolutely epic, butanywhere from 100 to 200.
Speaker 2 (16:04):
Hell, even if it's just me and you, we're going to
have fun.
Speaker 1 (16:07):
We're going to have fun and you know there's going
to be an after party as well, ohyeah there will be an after
party at the shrine.
Speaker 2 (16:12):
They have a full bar.
Yeah, two full bars.
Yeah, outdoor Tiki bar.
It'll be beautiful weather atthis time.
It's going to be January 13th,january 13th, saturday, january
13th, from 9 to 6.
Please mark your calendar off.
Yes, please plan on being there.
Speaker 1 (16:27):
Everybody.
Speaker 2 (16:27):
Please come and spend some time with us, meet us.
We will likely be broadcastinglive at points throughout the
day, right On the event, talkingto people getting their
opinions on things.
Speaker 1 (16:39):
If you're coming in from out of town and you need
accommodations, shoot us anemail.
Yes, if you're going to get ina block or something you know
for you, we'll help you put thattogether.
If you've got a group thatwants to come down.
Speaker 2 (16:50):
There's lots of space around there, oh yeah.
Plus I got extra rooms in myhouse, oh no don't say that.
You can help out some people ifyou needed to.
Speaker 1 (16:58):
All right, you heard it, folks.
Chris's house is open it is itis.
Speaker 2 (17:03):
I hope you like whiskey though.
Yeah, I hope you go ask yourwife, you don't have water.
Speaker 1 (17:07):
You might want to tell your wife about this offer
you just made to the entireworld.
She'll love that idea.
Speaker 2 (17:13):
No, no, you're a Mason right, so I can trust you.
Yeah, yeah, but this is reallyexciting.
Yeah, I'm excited, if you guyslike it if this winds up working
out, then we have big plans forother things, and if you don't
like it, we'll go away quietly.
Speaker 1 (17:30):
We'll go away quietly and sulk and come back with
something even better.
But we're all about education,right.
Speaker 2 (17:36):
And everybody says they want education.
So guess what?
For 50 bucks you can getMasonic education all the way,
masonic education all day.
We have a guest speaker fromNew York who we're about to lock
in, who's going to travel downon his dime because he's so
excited about speaking to thebrothers.
Speaker 1 (17:51):
What an honor, what an honor this is that.
That sounds like it's a donedeal.
We just can't really announcequite yet.
Just waiting for the finalconfirmation, waiting for the
final confirmation, but if it istrue, that's quite an honor.
Speaker 2 (18:03):
We'll probably have a raffle to get your tickets.
Speaker 1 (18:07):
Yeah, we'll put that together Sure.
Speaker 2 (18:10):
We'll put free tickets to listeners that are
interested in coming.
Speaker 1 (18:14):
Yeah, and we want as many people to come as possible.
It's not like we're makingmoney on this.
We are heart.
As you guys know, a podcastingis not a financial boon.
Speaker 2 (18:28):
Not a lot of millionaire podcasters out there
probably.
Speaker 1 (18:30):
Well, I don't know, unless you're Joe Rogan, right,
you're not.
Yeah, you're probably not doingit, but our goal is to reach,
as you guys know.
Our goal is to reach as manypeople as you can.
Our goal is to reach as manymasons out there with the actual
masonry, getting everyoneexcited to go back, pick up your
pamphlets that you havecollecting dust, go back to your
(18:51):
lodge and establish yourself asa brother who wants to see
masonry be what it's supposed tobe, and that's about brotherly
affection, it's about relief andit's about truth.
Speaker 2 (19:04):
I love it If you have the fortitude, temperance and
ready to reprehend with justice,we can get some business done.
Speaker 1 (19:11):
Yeah, man, right, and then we can answer the question
Does masonry have something tooffer to this hurting country?
Speaker 2 (19:19):
I think it does, maybe you can answer it if you
come.
Yeah, that's right.
That's right, tell us what youthink.
Speaker 1 (19:27):
Yeah, because that's what this is all about.
Education is about sittingtogether and talking through
these things and coming up withsolutions, perhaps, or direction
, or just something that youdidn't know before you came, and
now you know it and it willimpact your life and the life of
others.
That's kind of the whole ideabehind all of it, and we should
(19:48):
give credit where credit's due.
Speaker 2 (19:49):
We were invited to speak at the Hillsboro Lodge
number 25, masonic EducationSymposium this year.
Where are we?
Was it this year or last year?
Last year, it was last year 23.
Okay, and that's 22.
We were meeting education fromawesome speakers, some of the
same speakers that are cominghere and meeting some awesome
(20:12):
brothers, and we were like, wow,we need more of this.
And we asked them hey, would itbe offensive to you if we did
something?
And they said, of course not,we'd be so excited if we could
do something like this he's oneof our favorite brothers.
Speaker 1 (20:29):
We got to get up there.
That is my favorite.
Okay, we got to get up therebefore his term is up and just
go for a visit.
So we'll work on that.
Speaker 2 (20:38):
We were talking about that.
I'm like only four moremeetings.
He's like stop that, don't talklike that, I'm not coasting.
He's like I'm hitting the gasbaby, hit the gas baby.
That's why I like it.
Speaker 1 (20:48):
Hit the gas downhill, hit the gas Up hill, hit the
gas.
No coasting here, no coastingright Right on.
Speaker 2 (20:55):
Right up with your wheels on fire, all busted up at
the end of the finish line.
You did a good job, that'sright.
Speaker 1 (20:59):
That's right, I'm going to bounce from our
interview with Wright WarshfieldHart.
I'm understanding man.
That interview went.
I really enjoyed that man.
It was a lot of fun.
Speaker 2 (21:09):
The only negative feedback I got is like, hey, I
didn't even hear his voice till15 minutes in.
I'm like, yeah, that's kind ofour thing.
Have you listened to this show,have?
Speaker 1 (21:17):
you.
Speaker 2 (21:18):
Listen to us.
You don't hear anythingimportant until after the first
15 minutes.
Speaker 1 (21:22):
We're at 21 minutes right now.
Oh God, damn we're behind.
Speaker 2 (21:27):
But yeah, I mean, actually we should have him back
on, because it was so it was soso I was so excited to have him
here.
We didn't even talk about thefact that he went to school for
archaeology.
Speaker 1 (21:36):
I know right.
Speaker 2 (21:37):
He's like Indiana Jones in real life.
He's Indiana Jones and wedidn't even go there.
So I would really like to havehim back on and talk about his
careers as an archaeologist andsome of his thoughts on the
study of man in general.
Speaker 1 (21:50):
Yeah, absolutely yeah .
He and I have greatconversations.
We have a lot of differingopinions, he and I, and it's
always gentlemanly and scholarly.
Other discussions and I soappreciate men like him who are
able to articulate withoutinsult or some sort of rivalry,
(22:13):
but for the purpose of educationand learning and walking away
and remaining brothers, becausethat's what Masonry's about.
We don't all have the samebelief structures.
We don't have all the samepolitical backgrounds, familial
backgrounds.
We don't have any of that.
What we have in common is a setof principles that are laid out
(22:34):
in our ancient craft.
It makes it possible for agroup of men from diverse
backgrounds from all over theworld to actually get something
done, and for me, that's whatmakes Masonry special to me.
I have never been insulted orturned away because of my
(22:57):
particular faith or belief and Ihave never had occasion, nor
would I, to do that to any other.
It's always been very open andhonest.
I just want that for the entirestate, for the entire country,
for the entire idea of Masonryin the modern world is we have
got to get away from the oldguard idea that Masonry belongs
(23:22):
to the guy that's in charge, orI'm going to refashion Masonry
after my own image.
We see a lot of that lately.
The whole Texas thing we talkeda lot about the Texas thing.
You've got an update on that,don't you?
Speaker 2 (23:35):
Yeah, do you mind?
Speaker 1 (23:36):
Yeah, go.
Speaker 2 (23:38):
I actually reached out to Warshall Brad Billings,
who's one of the main peopleinvolved in the situation, but
he informed me thatunfortunately he cannot speak in
detail about what's happeningin Texas, which he did not.
No, he did not talk to me, evenprivately, about any details.
He said what would be great istheir grand lodges in January.
(24:01):
He would love to come on theshow after grand lodge and talk
to us in more detail about thesituation.
Will happen, because it needsto be in the past for him to
talk about it.
If it's happening or about tohappen, Texas law states he
can't talk about it.
Not only can he not talk aboutit, no one around him can talk
about it.
Even the lawyers and then thereare lawyers involved are not
(24:23):
allowed to talk about it, so hehas to wait for it to resolve a
grand lodge.
We really can't cover this inmuch more detail than what we
have given you.
There's a lockdown oninformation and free speech in
the state of Texas.
What, being from Texas, seems,I don't know in bad spirit.
Speaker 1 (24:44):
I'm looking, I'm looking at the situation now and
you know what.
You know what isn't happening aTon of back-and-forth,
misinformation and propaganda.
Speaker 2 (24:52):
That's true.
Speaker 1 (24:53):
It's a straight-up gag order.
You can't talk about it tillit's done.
Yeah but then, when it's done,you're free to speak, and that's
what.
That's what the brother hassaid.
Speaker 2 (25:01):
He'll come on the show.
Speaker 1 (25:02):
And, brother, you are more than welcome.
We will make time.
You just let us know when.
We'd love to hear from you,we'd love to hear from opposing
viewpoints.
Anything Florida can do,anything OT L Can do To help
Texas become, you know, bettermasons, we're willing to do man,
we're willing to step up andhelp out.
Speaker 2 (25:21):
Yeah, we don't have a dog in that fight.
No, we do not like.
Let's report on this almost asif we're Masonic reporters.
Speaker 1 (25:28):
Yeah, right we're the situation.
Speaker 2 (25:30):
This is what's happening.
Speaker 1 (25:31):
Why not?
Can't be any worse than any ofthe other reporters out there.
Speaker 2 (25:34):
Yeah, no.
Speaker 1 (25:36):
Journalism has fallen on hard times.
Pretty low there, yeah right.
Speaker 2 (25:42):
No, we don't have any interest in doing anything
other than getting to the bottomof yeah.
Speaker 1 (25:50):
Hello, one of the things you guys don't know here
in the studio is Chris is an armwaiver man.
Speaker 2 (25:54):
Why do I do that?
He likes to wave his arms andno one can see him, but he's.
Speaker 1 (25:58):
He's definitely Animated and usually sometimes
the microphone gets in the wayand that happens, but it hasn't
happened in a long, long time.
So I'm real proud of you, think.
Thanks.
Speaker 2 (26:13):
I need to bolt this thing down.
Yeah, no, that doesn't workeither.
So, yeah, so that's the updateon Texas we.
We can't get any more info tillafter January which is only a
couple months away.
That's right, that's right, Allright.
Speaker 1 (26:24):
So one more thing that I want to talk about is the
DC trip.
We're going to Washington DC.
Ot L Will be at the Washingtongavel.
What's it?
What's it officially called?
It's the the gavel presentation.
Yes.
Speaker 2 (26:38):
I believe, as well as the installation of that lodge
in DC and right, the laying ofthe wreath at the tomb of the
unknown soldier by the master.
They're gonna randomly pickmasons out of a lottery that
attend to help the Grandmasterlay the wreath.
We'll be there with theGrandmaster and his entourage
and all the brothers from DC.
In the lodge.
(26:59):
The house is the Masonic, theWashington gavel.
Wow, this is all because ofRight, where she'll build cats.
A list, shout out.
Who's really Helping us outwith this?
Speaker 1 (27:12):
fan of the show and we are a fan of him.
Speaker 2 (27:14):
You if we did interview him.
If you want to hear a dynamicMason that's got passion coming
out of his ears, for free Masonreath and listen to that, yeah.
Speaker 1 (27:22):
Yeah, good brother, you're not inspired by that.
I don't know what to tell youif you're not inspired by that,
check your pulse.
You could be dead yeah he mightbe dead.
Speaker 2 (27:32):
You may be dead inside.
He is a very dynamic Mason whocares a lot for the fraternity
and really, just like us, wantsto see it flourish, right and
brought to Heights of glory thatit deserves to be brought to in
today's broken world, yep, andhe's spreading light outside the
state of Florida.
He's been working with thosebrothers from DC to bring the
Washington gavel, as we talkedabout, to Children in Florida
(27:55):
and other places in Floridawhere people can see it and look
at it and be in the presence ofthat historic thing Right it's
no small nation of our country.
It's a man who fought, you know,for our freedom and
independence and and to buildthis country we live in.
That's an item that should berevered by everybody, not just
masons.
Speaker 1 (28:14):
That's right, it's a national treasure.
It is officially a nationaltreasure and it is guarded as
such.
Yeah, so it's not something youjust kind of take out out of
the case and say who checkedthis thing out?
You can't do that.
It's.
It's official, it's officiallysanctioned as a national
treasure.
So and it is.
It's handled accordingly andwe're gonna be there to witness,
(28:34):
I guess, the presentation of it, the movement.
I don't know exactly how itworks.
I've never done this before.
Speaker 2 (28:40):
I'm so looking forward to this also.
It's crazy.
I'm gonna fly up with the boysand you have other plans.
Speaker 1 (28:45):
Well, the other plan is is that John Schaefer and I
shout out Johnny, johnnySchaefer, a fellow three ruffian
, a fellow ruffian Are gonnaroad trip up from here in Sarah,
beautiful Sarasota, florida, upto the event, which Begins
November 30th, by the way, andyou can go online and get
(29:06):
tickets.
I think there's still room ifyou want to be a part of the
tour bus, but you better get onit because it's gonna sell out
fast.
It's a big deal, but here heand I are going to Road trip up,
and what we want to do, whatwe're trying to do, is we'd like
to use the Amity app to visitlodges along the way, because
(29:28):
we're big fans of Amity here atOTL, and we want to use the app
to kind of visit Lodges alongthe way and and, and, and you
know, showcase the power of this, of this app, and and what it
can do.
So we're looking forward tothat.
We're gonna we've got the GoProready, we've got video ready,
we're gonna just we're gonnamake it a Masonic journey from
(29:50):
beautiful Sarasota Florida towhat what promises to be
probably a chilly RichmondVirginia area.
So we'll have to bundle up.
We can't wear our sandals andour t-shirts like we like to do
here in Florida, but it's gonnabe a great time If you're going.
Shout out to us.
We want to see you there.
We want to, we want to.
We want to give you a hug.
Speaker 2 (30:12):
And you want you on the show.
We're gonna be live allthroughout.
Speaker 1 (30:15):
Yeah, we absolutely are.
It's gonna be.
It's gonna be a great time.
We're gonna make a big deal ofit.
That's and I'm really lookingforward to it.
Speaker 2 (30:22):
Thursday November 29th is when most people are
arriving, so that eveningthey'll be drawing names of the
wreath laying ceremony andthey'll be right in that night.
Friday morning we're busting tothe cemetery, do the wreath,
laying the trolley.
We'll have dinner lunch at theCapitol Saturday you say lunch
(30:45):
at the Capitol?
Yeah, wow, yeah, yeah, andwe'll be touring the temple, the
Scottish right temple, there.
Right yeah we'll have a privatetour as part of this trip.
Saturday afternoon will beinstalling the officers of
Potomac Lodge, number five.
Their installation starts atthree.
They have an after party at sixthat will be attending, and
(31:05):
then Sunday is a little bit offree time so we'll be
broadcasting and interviewingbrothers from Potomac Lodge, our
brothers coming up there, maybethe Grandmaster and some of our
grand launch that are there.
That would be an honor.
Obviously, bill Cattiless willbe oh yeah with us.
So yeah, this is gonna be superexciting.
I can't wait.
Speaker 1 (31:25):
Yeah, yeah, looking forward to it.
So mark your calendars.
It's gonna be the last weekendin November this month, so
coming up quick.
So if you're gonna make it, get, get it done.
Get on it, get it done.
Let us know if we can help.
All right, what else, man?
What else?
What's going on in the world?
I, I don't know in the world.
Speaker 2 (31:43):
I don't know nothing.
It's quiet out there, it'sreally quiet out there.
Speaker 1 (31:46):
Everything's great, everyone likes each other,
everything is awesome.
Speaker 2 (31:49):
We have no problems here at home.
Everything's great.
Yeah, yeah.
No, it's not that there's a lotgoing on out there in the world
.
Speaker 1 (31:57):
Yeah, there's a lot.
There's a lot of anxiety, a lotof fear.
Yeah, I again.
I think that fear sells.
You know, if you're a gigantic,over bloated government system,
having everybody a little bitafraid is probably an advantage
for you.
I am not afraid.
That's probably one of myproblems that I've had.
I'm not really afraid ofanything and Probably should
(32:21):
other than I fear God.
You know and and and and thatside of my life, but I fear no
man and I I don't know if it's agood thing or a bad thing.
Speaker 2 (32:31):
But I'm the opposite.
I'm pretty, I'm pretty afraid,I'm scared.
Speaker 1 (32:36):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (32:37):
I think this nuclear situation is the most terrifying
thing we're dealing with.
My my wife is 15 years youngerthan me.
Okay so she's shocked when Itell her of the nuclear drills
we used to do in high school.
Oh, right, Okay you did thoseYep, yep.
They were like okay, kids, getunder your desk, cover your
heads.
Right about to get vaporized.
I guess we're just gonna.
(32:57):
We want to go out like thePompeii people just covered up
under our desks.
I don't know it.
Looking back, it was silly.
If a nuclear strike happens,that ain't gonna help.
Speaker 1 (33:08):
Of course not.
No, but it did help.
Speaker 2 (33:10):
One thing oh, go ahead.
Good, she's shocked that weused to do that in school, right
, we did all do that in school.
We grew up with that fear ofthe Cold War that we had
missiles pointed us.
We had missiles pointed atRussia, and then it kind of went
away and it wasn't a thingpeople talked about for a long
time or feared that much.
But now we're back toescalating globally our nuclear
(33:30):
arsenals.
Everyone's making faster,bigger bombs, 100 times more
powerful, 200.
I'm like, geez how this isscary for, I think, us as a
species that we are so intent onmaking these weapons that can
wipe us all out, all of us.
It's not like just your enemies.
All of us get wiped out.
Speaker 1 (33:50):
Well, that that's the theory.
That's the theory that mutualdestruction.
Speaker 2 (33:54):
Yeah, and the somehow that's a good thing and some
people's well.
Speaker 1 (33:58):
Mutual destruction is the fear that if, if there's no
reason to do it because you'rejust, you might as well Just
light the thing off in your ownfront yard, because if we send
it your way, you're gonna sendit our way and there's that
mutual destruction.
But that's yes, that's a theorythat I that I hold to.
But here's the problem.
We now have countries thatreally don't care if you blow
(34:21):
them up.
There we're getting to thepoint where a nuclear weapon and
an actual deployable nuclearweapon is Obtainable.
Sure, by other nation states.
That may not be as sensible,but if they have.
Speaker 2 (34:36):
If they don't see a hope of the future, then what do
they have to?
Speaker 1 (34:41):
lose right or the, or they have some sort of broken
religious viewpoint that this isthe will of God.
Again, that they, you know have.
Speaker 2 (34:48):
They don't see a path into the future.
You know, for whatever reason,right, the better future is to
be dead.
Then it's scary, yeah well it'sin this that's nihilistic.
Speaker 1 (34:58):
You know, to the core .
But here's the thing.
I Know that the the actualthreat and this is might be a
little controversial, but theactual threat I'm listening
closer of nuclear war In the 70swas not as as close as they
would have you believe.
Like you said, having childrenduck and cover under their desks
(35:22):
is is ridiculous in Concept,because a nuclear weapon is not
going to save you if you'reunder your desk or not.
But it did do a lot to to drivefear.
Yeah into the hearts and mindsof children who grew up Like
Chris and I, who now, who grewup to believe that, you know,
the only thing keeping us fromnuclear Annihilation is this
(35:44):
great government that has allthis great money and power.
Not so much money anymore, alot of power, but not as much
money as it had before.
And I think that was really thepoint I've always maintained.
That the truth is is that the,the, the, the oppressive parts
of big governments throughoutthe world.
They want to keep you afraid,but they don't want you to die
(36:06):
in mass, because that would bekilling the golden goose, the,
the reason they exist is becauseof masses of people.
So I think I just don't see it.
Like I said, a rogue nation,potentially sure, but they don't
have the ability to fire onethrough the sky.
But a rogue nation could puttogether something and and light
(36:27):
off a nuclear weapon, as far asyou know, country a launching a
full, you know, strike againstcountry B, launching a
retaliatory strike whichannihilates all life on the
planet.
Speaker 2 (36:43):
Don't see that happening well, the United
Nations, as as of October 3rd,had the doomsday clock at 90
seconds to midnight againdoomsday clock.
Speaker 1 (36:54):
Going back to the inception of it.
Speaker 2 (36:56):
I don't.
It sounds pretty scary, it was.
Speaker 1 (36:58):
I think it was in 52, 1952, 1955 it was instituted
another.
In my opinion, it was justanother measure of driving fear
into the hearts of of thegeneral pop, general population.
I think it just that fear wenta long way in spending a lot of
money yeah, I'm building weaponsand for everybody, every.
(37:19):
It was a boon for, you know,the entire globe.
They spent trillions andtrillions and trillions of
dollars that they created out ofthin air on On what, getting
themselves and their families,you know, extremely wealthy.
Speaker 2 (37:34):
I'm sure that people listening have some strong
opinions about this, as we'retalking, absolutely of course,
revival of the human speciesright, a big deal.
Speaker 1 (37:41):
Yeah, I don't want to sound flippant, it is a big
deal, don't get me wrong.
Speaker 2 (37:44):
but I don't see it.
Not just the human species, butall life on earth Essentially,
is what we're talking about.
We can't end it and all ittakes is one mistake.
I'm one misidentified object inthe sky, one itchy finger from
a country, one unhinged leader,and it can all go away.
So I don't think I mean that.
(38:04):
That's the kind of stuff thatworries me honestly that it
could, it could happen and itwouldn't take much for that to
happen.
And we miss identify things allthe time, and we have insane
people in charge of countriesUnfortunately, more often it
seems like now, then maybe at atime to the past who have more,
(38:25):
more destructive weapons thatthey're disposed of than they've
ever had in the past.
Speaker 1 (38:29):
Yeah, I think that, um, my faith helps me a lot in
this area.
I think that I guess wise,because you know, if, if, if God
the architect of all things iswho he says he is, then he's
extremely powerful and extremelyall knowledgeable.
Nothing's happening on thisplanet that he has not ordained
(38:52):
to happen.
So the destruction of all lifeas we know it by nuclear means
would have to be ordained by him.
I don't see that happening.
I don't see it working that way.
So, in my faith tells me that Iguess maybe that's why I have
this flippancy.
If you're listening, thinkingI'm being flippant about, I'm
not.
It's just I don't believe thatwe are in charge of destroying
(39:15):
every single, you know, mammaland or roach, cockroach,
birdfish and human on the planet.
That's not our decision.
And we can boaster, we can, youknow we can.
We can put our chests out ateach other and create all these
new weapons and stuff, but atthe end of the day, that's not
our call and that's it's notgoing to happen that way, unless
(39:36):
it is ordained To happen.
And if that's the case, thenthere's a reason for it and I'm
gonna have to be good with thatreason.
I don't know what that reasonmight be.
I don't believe it is.
Speaker 2 (39:47):
But no, well, that's the thing.
It's just scary to me because Idon't have the faith that you
have in that particularsituation right in the case.
I think free will is a realthing and people are dangerous
with it.
Speaker 1 (39:59):
Yeah, no, I, I, I respect that man.
Yeah, it's just scary.
Speaker 2 (40:04):
It's a scary time and scary even when, then when I
was a kid, right understandthings and I know people better.
Speaker 1 (40:09):
The rationalist would say you know well, there's
nothing you can do about it.
Speaker 2 (40:13):
It's true.
Well, I worry about it.
Speaker 1 (40:14):
Why worry about it?
Because there's nothing to do?
Well, that doesn't change thefacts, right?
You believe that you know thesub, the, the Russian submarine
captain, who's got 24 nuclearwarheads on his submarine and
also all he needs is you knowone other man to turn that key
and fire those things off?
Actually goes crazy and does it.
Well you can't do anythingabout it, bro, so why worry
(40:38):
about it?
Speaker 2 (40:38):
doesn't help hunt for red October up in here.
Speaker 1 (40:41):
One of my favorite all-time movies, yeah it's a
great movie.
Speaker 2 (40:44):
Come on, you're not gonna find actors like Harrison
Ford and Sean Connery.
Speaker 1 (40:48):
Sean the movie together today.
Speaker 2 (40:50):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (40:50):
Harrison Ford wasn't in it You're thinking of Not.
When you said Harrison Ford, itblew my.
What's his name?
You know?
30 Rock, john.
Let's go, john.
No, I'm off.
One of my favorite actors ever.
I love John, let's go.
So she third rock.
What a great show.
Speaker 2 (41:08):
I love that show.
Speaker 1 (41:09):
I Could do some, john , let's go right now, but I
won't really.
Yeah, um, I can't remember theman's name.
Everybody out there is shoutinghis name at the radio right now
.
An actor, or, yes, an actor,and he did Jack Ryan Originally
he's not.
Harrison Ford.
That was in clear and presentdanger.
Jack Ryan is a character, yeahseveral different movies.
Speaker 2 (41:29):
Yeah, yeah, Jack.
Speaker 1 (41:30):
Ryan in hunt for red October was played by.
Oh wait 30.
Speaker 2 (41:35):
Rock.
Hold on, I'm gonna get you thename 30 Rock.
Sean Connery, alec Baldwin,alec Baldwin, thank you.
Thank you very much, neil.
Yeah, alec Baldwin, who played.
Speaker 1 (41:47):
Yep Tim Curry.
Speaker 2 (41:48):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (41:49):
Yeah, it was a great.
It's a great movie.
Go watch it everybody out therewe watch go watch it, rewatch
it.
It's really good.
It's really great it's it'sit's done so well.
Speaker 2 (42:00):
You know, it's just one of those movies where you
can tell well, it's in like atight space, so much, oh yeah
and drama like.
I remember feeling the anxietywatching it.
When it was over I was like, ohright.
Speaker 1 (42:09):
Yeah, it was so good.
Speaker 2 (42:11):
Yeah, there wasn't.
Speaker 1 (42:12):
There wasn't a lot of hokey, cringy moments in there
with those movies, kind of everyonce in a while Some some
stupid thing that they got todraw out.
You know none of that.
It was all just top-notch allthe way from beginning to end.
You know it's really good.
Speaker 2 (42:24):
Well, going back to the original issue, which is
thermal nuclear, Thermal nucleardestruction of all mankind.
There's two things that cansave us.
I think one is divineintervention, as you said yes
and one is our ability tocommunicate with each other.
Speaker 1 (42:37):
Hey, I know something about that.
Speaker 2 (42:39):
We can actually fix things if we could communicate
with each other and is there inour control, we could do that.
Speaker 1 (42:44):
Is there some sort of fraternity that could help in
that area?
Speaker 2 (42:48):
I mean, look, I'm dealing with a little drama in
my lodge at the end of the year.
No, honestly, all of it wouldhave gone away with some
communication.
Absolutely, it's a littlecommunication.
What a direct communication,not online communication Well
yeah, and I mean I, we had afinal conversation last night
about that situation and and itdid come down to an admission of
(43:11):
man I wish I communicatedbetter.
Speaker 1 (43:14):
Yeah, right, yeah.
Speaker 2 (43:16):
Because that really would have solved a whole lot of
issues.
There would have been really noissues with communication, and
I think with this issue, theproblem is we don't.
We're not communicating withour adversaries, and I Get it.
It's complicated.
It's always doing some crazybad things to certain people
that we want to protect.
So it's hard to talk and I knowI'm not Intelligent and I don't
(43:37):
have degrees and I'm not aleader of a nation but your.
It seems like communicationshould be a top priority.
Speaker 1 (43:43):
Well, in our fraternity I think we we kind of
boast about it we have a systembeing able to communicate.
We're supposed to be yeah youknow, brotherly love and
affection should opencommunication up in a very
Gentile, easy way.
If I have a problem, I shouldbe able to you know with
confidence and with love and andrespect, talk to my brother and
(44:05):
work it out Before it becomesan issue.
But I'm seeing in the last year, in Not just our lodge but all
over the place in Masonry, I'mseeing all of this angst and
maybe it's the sign of the times.
People aren't don't know how todeal with their feelings About
what's going on in the world andit's coming out.
Maybe it's coming out in theirhomes and they're in their
(44:27):
lodges, in their work, I don'tknow.
Maybe there's just more anxietyover all in the world right now
and definitely and we're kindof seeing that play out you know
throughout.
You know throughout alldifferent things, but I'm seeing
you know a lot of it in in howcould there not be?
Speaker 2 (44:43):
We're plugged in all day.
I get notifications on my wristfire brimstone warning, danger
all day.
Speaker 1 (44:49):
I turned it all off about two months ago.
I have not been happier.
Speaker 2 (44:53):
You know you're smart and I really think there's
gonna be a renaissance in theworld of a return back to a
simpler way.
Yes, face to face, seriously,like fellowship.
My wife showed me an ad that'sout now for a new phone and the
whole point of the phone is ithas no apps on it, there's no
notifications.
It's a phone it's used to makecall.
(45:13):
Wait, you mean it makes calls?
They call all you mean.
They call it light.
It's, it's just light.
It's nothing but a light littlephone that's meant to make
phone calls and, yeah, you canconnect to the internet and
search stuff if you want to, butit's like take control of your
life back.
It starts right here.
Speaker 1 (45:28):
Yeah, I, I like the idea.
If you are so so overly pluggedinto it, it might not be a bad
idea to cold turkey it out forme.
I just simply stopped listening.
I I've said this before on theshow I, I, I love current events
, news.
I love to get the facts and Ilike to dig in to find the facts
.
So what when somebody's tellingme all of these things about a
(45:50):
current situation take the Hamas, israel thing and, and they're
going on and on about it.
Everybody's got all theiropinions and stuff.
I like to dig into secondaryand and non-primary news sources
and dig deep into that stuff.
I love it.
It's called the light phoneright, I see the light phone
calls and text people and that'sit.
Speaker 2 (46:11):
No social media ever, wow.
Speaker 1 (46:14):
Which is good.
Like I said, if you're, ifyou're deep in knee, deep into
it, you can't get out.
You might want to try that forme.
Just first, the first thing Idid is I turned off all that new
stuff.
Yeah, you kind of, becausethat's to do this on your own
right and then and then Ithere's some podcasts, news
commentator podcast stuff that Iused to listen to.
I I'm just bummed out by itanymore and it's just not really
(46:36):
bringing any joy into my life.
And and what I found out isthat they're not saying anything
new For the last 30 days.
The situations change, but, butthe the base problem is still
the same and it's all from youknow, half a world away, which I
have no control over.
So I do have control over thethings in my life and the people
(46:58):
in my life I can care for, youknow, those who are hurting and
in need In my neighborhood.
I can do that and that's what Ichoose to do.
I'm not going to concern myselfWith the problems of the world
necessarily, because I have noway of doing anything about it,
but I do have a way of helpingthose in need that I can be face
(47:19):
to face with, and I think thatour craft masonry our craft has
a lot to say about that.
I mean, there's a lot we can doas a group of men who are
dedicated to becoming better menand helping our community.
And if you have anxiety aboutwhat's going on half a world
away, why not put that away, goback to Lodge and figure out hey
(47:40):
, how can we help the peoplethat are right around the corner
from us?
Speaker 2 (47:44):
What can we do?
Because a lot of us arearmchair.
Everything right.
Yeah, and when the COVID cameout, we were all armchair by our
armchair.
If this comes out, everybody'sgonna be an expert on that.
But the reality is, we can sithere and talk about how our
governments don't do thingsright, but do we?
Yeah right, do you deal withyour?
Speaker 1 (48:04):
problems correctly, because we are the government.
Speaker 2 (48:06):
We're supposed to be the government.
Do you govern your lodge theway that you wish the government
governed our country?
Speaker 1 (48:11):
Uh-oh, now you're meddling, do you?
Speaker 2 (48:13):
communicate.
Are you open, like, maybe westart by fixing ourselves and
thereby can help influence theworld in a positive way?
Speaker 1 (48:22):
Yeah, it's true, if you wanna change the world, you
must first change yourself.
And that was me I talked aboutat the beginning of the show
that I have been praying aboutjust my own life and direction
and stuff, and the first thingthat happened is my entire life
began to be dissected and forcedto review hey, this, that and
(48:44):
the other.
You know, and in my own life,if you want to change the world,
you must first change yourself.
And you're not gonna change theworld.
You and I, sitting here talking, are not gonna do anything with
the outcome of Russia, israel,hamas, blah, blah, any of it.
None of it.
All of our talking, all of ourarguing, all of our opinions
(49:06):
won't change anything.
But can we find a way here,locally, to do something to
impact the life of another?
Yes, we can do that.
And I say, brother listening,go do that.
Go and do that, because it willdefinitely lower your anxiety
in a big way.
All right, so why are we here?
What is our actual teaching?
Speaker 2 (49:29):
this week.
Speaker 1 (49:30):
Are we gonna do that or not?
Speaker 2 (49:32):
Yeah, of course.
Speaker 1 (49:34):
All right, we're still reading out of the, out of
the, out of the Masonicetiquette book, the large system
of Masonic education.
It's the yellow covered bookthat you got, gl 208, reprinted
in 2010.
We left off on page eight andthis week we're gonna talk about
grand honors and it actuallygoes.
(49:55):
It's actually like a full pageProbably won't go that far.
Speaker 2 (49:59):
I can summarize that for you.
Yeah, there are only a fewtimes in the Mason's life when
he's afforded grand honors,right, and it goes on to detail
what those times are likely.
Yep he does.
You get grand honors whenyou're installed as the worship
master of a lodge.
You get grand honors whenyou're awarded a 40 or 50 year
presentation.
Speaker 1 (50:20):
Yeah, it's 50 or more .
Speaker 2 (50:21):
Oh, only 50?
.
Speaker 1 (50:22):
That's what it says.
Speaker 2 (50:23):
Yeah, brother, receiving a 50 year membership
or more so the 40, you justdon't get the grand honors, no
50 and plus.
We ain't getting that one.
Nope, maybe our AI bodies?
Speaker 1 (50:32):
will, but we're not getting it.
Speaker 2 (50:35):
Yeah, okay, and the grand master gets grand honors,
as does the district deputy,when he's received in a lodge
officially.
Speaker 1 (50:44):
Right yep.
Speaker 2 (50:45):
So those are really important events in a Mason's
life and not everybody's gonnaget those moments that are
Mason's.
Speaker 1 (50:55):
Now, are grand honors something that can be done in
public, or is this only in atitle lodge Only in a title
lodge.
Speaker 2 (51:01):
So there are public grand honors used at a funeral
ceremony.
Oh okay, which differ slightlyfrom the grand honors we do in
closed tiled meetings.
They are different.
Speaker 1 (51:14):
Oh, okay, okay.
Speaker 2 (51:15):
So we have our private grand honors and we have
our public grand honors, andthe public, I believe, is just
in the funerals and we actuallyexplain what it means at a
funeral.
Each step is explained to thepresent and that's all written
out in the blue monitor if youwanna read it.
So we're pointing to heaven andsaying we can sign his body,
(51:37):
his spirit, to God who gave it.
We cherish his memories here inour chest.
We kinda hold our hands to ourchest and then we say we can
sign his body to the earth fromonce it came and we point down
Wow.
And so those are public grandhonors that are explained to
anyone.
That's in a Masonic ceremony.
But in our grand honors thatour district deputies and
(51:59):
worship masters get, it isslightly different and you
really feel that this is aunique once in a lifetime
experience.
I was installed and got thegrand honors, and that was the
moment where I felt like Iwasn't in my body anymore.
It was like I was watchingsomething happen to somebody
else, cause you just knowinstinctively, this is a one
(52:19):
time deal.
Right, right, yeah, I'm nevergonna get that again in my life.
And I didn't get it by accident, like I had done a lot of work
yeah, you had and like put in alot of time to get to that point
and it's the culmination of theend, the beginning of the end
of your Masonic career.
If you just go through thenormal officer line, that's
gonna be the end, which you did.
Speaker 1 (52:40):
Sure, I sat in every chair, you sat in every chair,
and you went through them insuccession.
Right, so you started.
Speaker 2 (52:45):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (52:46):
And as junior Deacon sorry, junior steward.
Speaker 2 (52:49):
Actually, that's the only chair I wasn't actually
installed and I've sat in itmany times.
Speaker 1 (52:54):
Senior steward.
That was my first installed andyou went all the way to
Warshall.
Master, yes, how many years.
Speaker 2 (53:00):
Ooh, that was five years, five years, wow, five
chairs, five years.
And then you end as the masterand that year is over when it
starts.
Speaker 1 (53:08):
Basically, you blink and it's gone.
Speaker 2 (53:10):
So, yeah, that installation is the beginning of
the end of your Masonic careerin the line and it's kind of
like a reward for all the effortand the time you've given the
Lodge and the brothers.
And you feel it, man, it's amoment.
Right, right and I can onlyimagine going further up at
District Apey and a Grand Masterbeing received amongst your
brothers is probably prettymagical too.
Speaker 1 (53:33):
Yeah, sure I get it.
Speaker 2 (53:34):
I saw, Wright, warshall Haber, and he seemed to
always get choked up every timeI was at all of his almost all
of his official visits when hewas at District Apey.
It seemed like quite anemotional experience every time
it happened.
So I'm sure it doesn't lessenas you get it over time.
But that is something we do tohonor our brothers for their
service and for their dedicationto the craft.
(53:57):
And the Grand Honors is one ofour secrets that we don't show
the public Correct, so we can'treally talk in detail about what
it is.
Speaker 1 (54:06):
Right.
No, that's right, that's ours.
So if you want to know whatthat is, go down to your local
Lodge and ask for a petition.
Speaker 2 (54:16):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (54:16):
That's what I would say.
Go ask for a petition, Find outwhat it's all about.
Ask them.
If you want to know, go askthem because there is a Lodge in
your town.
Oh yes, there is a Lodge inyour town.
So the next one is Grand Lodge.
Is the heading.
It's on page nine.
It says Grand Lodge is thegreat source of power in the
(54:36):
craft.
It has legislative,administrative and executive
jurisdiction over all matterspertaining to the fraternity.
Our Masonic traditions are inits keeping.
It is only right that ourrespect for its officers be
shown by adhering to certainrules of etiquette necessary to
maintain that respect.
And this etiquette must bepunctuously observed, Mm.
(55:00):
Yeah, punctuously observed.
Grand honors are symbols ofthat honor and respect.
Talking Permiscuous, movingabout the room failure to
address the grandmaster or touse his proper title when
speaking, are all violations ofcommon courtesy and gentlemanly
conduct.
It is an assemblage numberinghundreds.
(55:23):
It is essential that theserules be strictly adhered to in
order that business comingbefore grand lodge be dispatched
with promptness and in adignified manner.
Not only are these rulesrelating to decorum applicable
to grand lodge, but they mightwell be taken seriously by our
lodges, in which decorum issometimes conspicuous by its
(55:46):
absence.
Hello, are we meddling a littlebit?
There Is this thing on.
Speaker 2 (55:50):
Well, you've been to grand lodge now and you'll go
again and I encourage everybodyin the state of Florida.
Anyone can go, you don't haveto be an officer, you don't have
to be a master of that.
Anyone can go.
That's a Mason.
Please go.
There is nothing that's goingto compare in Freemasonry to
sitting in a room with over athousand other masons and, after
(56:15):
a prayer, hearing a booming,echoing somo to be throughout
the hall.
Man, that's a moment that Ilook forward to.
Every grand lodge, you knowyou're part of something real.
Speaker 1 (56:29):
And that's exactly what you're talking about.
Right, there is that when yougo to the grand lodge
communication every year here inFlorida, you realize just how
big the fraternity that youbelong to is and it really
really just for me, it justreally solidified.
Yeah, I'm in the right place.
This is something I should bedoing, you know, because we say
(56:50):
it all the time on the show man,we have brothers all over the
world.
Speaker 2 (56:53):
I mean it's big, it's not small.
Speaker 1 (56:55):
This is a big deal and it's worth preserving, it's
worth fighting for and I'm notgoing to go down that round.
Speaker 2 (57:02):
It's just people have an attitude of it's always
going to be there, come on,it'll be fine, you don't have to
worry.
But no, we do.
Speaker 1 (57:09):
You do, because it's not always going to be there.
If we don't fight for it, if wedon't stand for it and practice
its principles and do what DougDobbs would say lodge work no,
florida work, not lodge work andcarry the traditions forward,
it won't be there.
It won't be there.
Some version of it might bethere, but it's not a version
(57:30):
that any of us want to be a partof people with the attitude of
it's always be there are thereason we might lose our Masonic
all.
I am there.
Speaker 2 (57:37):
The reason that we might lose our grand launch
headquarters?
Speaker 1 (57:39):
Yeah, right, I don't know much about the headquarters
controversy, but I'm 100% withyou on the home.
I know it's expensive, I getthat and it's a it's.
It's not an easy thing to takecare of in this day and age, but
you know what You're gonna,we're gonna.
If this show has anything tosay about it.
I I lot, I want that thingthere.
Speaker 2 (58:00):
People that were in the know knew there was
something going on and knew theycould do something about it and
didn't act.
And I don't know who they were.
Yeah, right, but I know thishappened and that to that a
shame on them.
Like now, we have to deal withthis situation.
We're in where right not good,so please don't take the
attitude of it's always going tobe there.
If you're here, it's your jobto fight to keep it.
Speaker 1 (58:21):
Right.
Speaker 2 (58:22):
That's your part in this whole thing.
Speaker 1 (58:23):
That's right, yeah, that's right, and decisions can
be made to streamline it, to dothe work to it, but it needs,
somebody needs to figure it out.
There's always a man, a manwith a plan, a man with a vision
, a man with an idea, who can,who can rally men to himself to
(58:43):
make these positive changes.
But as it currently is and thepeople who are on the other side
of this debate will tell you,it's days, and it's days are
numbered, I mean because thenumbers don't lie.
But that does not mean we giveup, and that's what we're about.
Speaker 2 (58:58):
We want that home to be there.
Like all we can do is what wecan with what we're given Right,
like we're in the situation weare and I don't know that,
gandalf.
Maybe it is nothing we can do,I don't know, but still, let's
learn the lesson.
Let's definitely learn thelesson.
Let's not do this again.
Speaker 1 (59:16):
All right.
Well, listen, man, I don't knowwhat we want to do next.
What do you want to do?
Oh, I know how.
About jewels?
Let's talk about the jewels.
I got you jewels right here,boy.
According to the custom of thisgrand jurisdiction, the jewels
of the officers of lodges shallbe of silver or white metal.
Speaker 2 (59:40):
Now we read this and you inspected our jewels.
Speaker 1 (59:43):
They are not silver.
Well, they're silver in color.
I guess that would be whitemetal.
Speaker 2 (59:49):
Does it specify?
Speaker 1 (59:51):
It doesn't really say real silver it just says silver
.
Right, silver in color orappearance, I would assume Gold
is reserved for grand lodgejewels and should never be used
by the constituent lodges.
Cases have been observed oflodges accepting and using solid
gold jewels as a present fromsome outside organization.
(01:00:12):
This is improper.
The jewels of grand lodgeofficers are gold or the color
of gold yellow, not white andshould always be worn at grand
lodge functions.
Officers' jewels are a part ofthe official and necessary
insignia of the office and arebesowed as such at the time of
installation and should alwaysbe worn with respected and
(01:00:35):
respected as such, neverpersonal or private adornments.
Those jewels don't belong toyou.
They belong to the office as atreasurer, when I put that thing
on, it's signifying the officethat I hold.
They're not mine.
I don't get to wear them around.
They're not mine.
(01:00:56):
They belong to the craft theybelong to the office.
Speaker 2 (01:00:57):
You can't wear them to a party and be like hey, look
at me, look me up, baby, I gota gold shoe Baling, it ain't
that way.
Speaker 1 (01:01:03):
It ain't that way.
It's a sacred trust and it'spart of our ritual.
It's all part of the grandeurand the mystique and ritual of
our craft, which I love.
I love that stuff man, yeah, metoo.
I really do.
I love it.
I am of the opinion that itwill be part of my life for the
(01:01:25):
rest of my life.
We are a group of us diddedicate to get together this
coming year and work towards oursilver card Work towards your
gold card, gold card, both cards, that's right.
Speaker 2 (01:01:39):
By the end of the year we will have a gold card
next year.
Speaker 1 (01:01:42):
Which is a huge deal, because we want to be good at
it, we want to be proficient atit and we want to be able to
share with others that part ofmasonry, that secret part of
masonry, that we do our ritualwork, which is just so much fun.
Speaker 2 (01:01:59):
Well, what we're going to try to do is treat it
like a traditional catechismclass Correct.
We're going to be a group ofsix guys, hopefully, that meet
once a week and we'll start withthe give backs.
Yep, get our silver proficiencycard, work through the blue,
the green and then work on theoranges together as a group and
as you give them back, you'llget your cards and by the end of
(01:02:20):
the year, we should have sixnew gold card holders.
That would be awesome In ourlodge.
That would be a lot of fun.
Yeah, yeah, and you'll be ableto do lectures.
Oh, yeah, yeah, if you're soinclined.
Oh yeah, yeah.
I highly encourage you to do asyou learn a lot about yourself.
Speaker 1 (01:02:36):
If I could do it.
Speaker 2 (01:02:38):
I would do it, you can do it and you will do it.
We'll see.
Speaker 1 (01:02:41):
We'll see.
I'm up for it, do it withanother guy.
No, I'm open, I'm totally open.
Yeah, I would love to do that.
That looks like so much fun,but I'm totally open to the
learning process.
So in 2024, and maybe we'lljust do a little reporting on it
how it's going throughout theshow.
So folks can see you know howit's going.
We'll kind of give some updateson it and that'll be fun.
Yeah, watch our progressthroughout the year as we
(01:03:03):
attempt to do to go from no cardto gold card.
I can't wait.
Speaker 2 (01:03:09):
It's going to be fun.
Yeah, that's going to be a lotof fun.
Speaker 1 (01:03:12):
Think back to your catechism time.
Speaker 2 (01:03:13):
Those were fun times with the brothers.
Speaker 1 (01:03:15):
I've said it before that the, the fellow craft
degree, catechism and give backwas absolutely awesome for me.
Speaker 2 (01:03:24):
You had a great time.
I really had a great time withit.
Speaker 1 (01:03:26):
It was great Everything about the fellow
craft.
Everybody says that, but for meit was.
It was absolutely true.
It was just a really good time.
I was able to and I think Iprobably still could, with a
little brush up.
I can do the entire thing frombeginning to end, without you
know from memory which is whatwe do.
I think that the the other twoI'm going to have to brush up on
(01:03:50):
and work on I couldn't be asconfident, but that one I can
and I just like the way it flowsand I like I like being able to
stand up and do it.
You know which is part of thething.
It's the accomplishment of itall and the.
You know the unity that itbrings when you, when you do it,
and your brothers are thererooting for you and you get it
done and you do it right.
You know I hey, it's thisMasonry man.
This is why we love it.
(01:04:11):
One of the reasons why we loveit, one of the reasons why we're
so passionate about it, isbecause you know we love this
stuff.
Speaker 2 (01:04:18):
Yeah, it's, it's important, and it's important
for you as a person, it'simportant for your family and
your community to become better,so it is extremely important.
Let me tell you, if you happento be in the Englewood area on
November 11th Saturday November11th at 6pm, we will be having
(01:04:41):
an outdoor master Mason degree.
They have a dispensation fromGrand Lodge to hold their master
Mason degree outdoor in thewilderness.
Trees around you, torches, realfire.
Speaker 1 (01:04:52):
So cool.
Speaker 2 (01:04:53):
This is going to be special, and then again on
December 16th and at EnglewoodLodge, number 360, we will have
another before the end of theyear master Mason degree
outdoors, where we will have sixof our brothers.
Speaker 1 (01:05:09):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (01:05:10):
Being raised on December 16th.
We both have parts in thedegrees.
Speaker 1 (01:05:14):
Yeah, sorry to tell you that, oh, surprise, surprise
, surprise.
Speaker 2 (01:05:20):
If you've never seen an outdoor master Mason degree,
do yourself a favor and see ifyou can get there on November
11th or December 16th, startingat 6pm, and you'll get to see
some not just good ritual workbut experience it in the way
that we talk about it.
Speaker 1 (01:05:35):
Right, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:05:38):
Lodge being covering, being the clouded canopy.
Speaker 1 (01:05:41):
Right.
Speaker 2 (01:05:42):
See all of us.
You'll get to experience it,and it's pretty special to hear
the wolves in the background.
Speaker 1 (01:05:49):
And then there was a whipper wheel last time, if
anybody-.
Speaker 2 (01:05:51):
Yeah, what the heck is that?
Speaker 1 (01:05:52):
Whipper wheel is a bird that makes a sound that
sounds like whipper wheel.
Whipper wheel, whipper wheel.
It makes that sound and there'sa legend I think I've talked
about this before there's alegend of the whipper.
When you hear the sound of awhipper wheel, the legend has it
that that's God calling you torepentance for something that
you have done.
Oh Lord, so you're being calledout when you've done something
(01:06:14):
that you know is wrong, thatyou've got to make right, and
you hear that whipper wheel.
She's calling you out, man.
Speaker 2 (01:06:18):
We hear that on November 11th or December 16th
and I go away for four to fivehours.
You know what I'm doing, youknow?
Yeah, right, I got a lot ofrepentant to do to the whipper
wheels?
Speaker 1 (01:06:27):
Yeah, well, and you can guarantee that I just, I
just probably need to hear oneevery day.
Yeah, so that's the way mylife's going right now, but we
will prevail.
So, anyway, I think that'senough from the book for today.
We don't want to give it allaway.
Maybe we'll do well, there's somuch in the etiquette book.
It's really important that youknow it, that's true.
(01:06:47):
It's important that you know itbecause then that way you're
able to conduct yourselves inand outside of the lodge in a
way that is acceptable and it'suniformed.
If we all understood this book,we would all understand why we
do what we do and we wouldunderstand and be able to help
each other to behave correctlywithin the confines of the lodge
.
So I like it.
(01:07:08):
I think I have liked this.
I have liked this.
Sorry, I have.
Speaker 2 (01:07:17):
Hello, I have sorry Earth to Fred it was a cell
phone.
Speaker 1 (01:07:21):
Cell phone came through.
Sorry, you need a light phone,I need a light phone, the light
phone too.
The Masonic etiquette book thatwe've gone through here I've
enjoyed pretty much more thanany of the other ones.
I gotta say that Master Masonwas kind of fun going through
that one, but this was helpfuland I enjoyed it.
I got a lot of feedback frompeople that said they never
really opened it up and theynever really knew what was in
(01:07:43):
there and that because of theshow they've opened it up and
read through it and wereenlightened as to what Masonic
etiquette is.
It's gentlemanly behavior, guys.
You're a grown ass man andyou're a Mason, so we're
supposed to behave likegentlemen towards each other.
Speaker 2 (01:08:02):
This stuff is like movies when you watch a movie
and you're 12 and you go backand watch it when you're 30, it
ain't the same movie.
Speaker 1 (01:08:09):
It ain't the same movie man, it's the same here.
Speaker 2 (01:08:10):
I think you get more out of this stuff when you come
back at a different point inyour life and Masonic career and
read it.
Right, yeah, you'll get moreand different things out of it.
So it's good to come back andreread these important documents
.
Speaker 1 (01:08:21):
Yeah, I agree, I agree.
Speaker 2 (01:08:23):
Together, hopefully with friends, and get different
viewpoints on it, who are atdifferent points in their life,
and have a little chat.
Sees, that's right.
Speaker 1 (01:08:31):
So we do not have another esoteric discussion
group.
No, not this year, not thisyear.
So that's done.
Because of the holidays,everybody, we tried to put one
together for November becausethe weather's so good and we do
them outside Fire bits.
The more we talked about ourschedules, the more everybody
(01:08:51):
realizes like it ain't gonnahappen.
Man, the holidays are upon usand it's just absolutely
cranking down on us.
And this is just November.
Forget about December.
Speaker 2 (01:09:00):
So this may be a good time for us to put together the
agenda that we talked about andget it online for other people.
Speaker 1 (01:09:05):
That's not.
Speaker 2 (01:09:06):
Maybe going into next year, that can use it to host
them in their district.
Speaker 1 (01:09:09):
Yeah, no, I agree, that's a great idea.
Speaker 2 (01:09:12):
Let's put some resources together for people.
Speaker 1 (01:09:14):
Yeah, we can put that out on the website.
Speaker 2 (01:09:16):
Put it on the interwebs, on the interwebs Put
it on the line.
Put it on the interwebs Take apicture and put it on the line.
Speaker 1 (01:09:24):
So anything you want to share before we get out of
here.
This show's a little short.
I've shared enough, but I thinkwe've shared enough and, at the
end of the day, what Chris andI want anybody listening to know
is that our heart is always forthe benefit of the craft.
We don't always perform thatperfectly because we're flawed
(01:09:44):
men, but the reason we do thisshow and the reason we're so
passionate about it is becausewe want the craft to survive.
We want the craft to do what itdoes in the lives of men making
good men better.
And if you have a problem withthis show, if you have a problem
with anybody on this show, Iwould encourage you to mason up,
(01:10:06):
brother, square your work andcome forward and, with love and
gentleness and respect, sharewith us what your problem is
privately, and then we couldrejoice together publicly at
finding common ground, findinghow we might work and agree and
do things better together as acraft.
(01:10:26):
Because I say it all the time,if you have a problem with a
brother that is causing you togo outside of a dealing with him
directly, then you're wrong.
Even if your cause is right,your methods are wrong.
And if your methods are wrong.
No one's ever gonna get to thebottom of it, and there's a
(01:10:49):
couple of situations out thereright now that are like that
that we're not getting to thebottom of anything because
nobody knows the whole story,because the whole story is not
being you referring to our Texasbrothers?
Speaker 2 (01:11:00):
Sure, oh, okay, and others gotcha.
Speaker 1 (01:11:04):
At the end of the day , we're masons.
Square our work by the squareof virtue, circumscribe our
passions and super fluiditiesand act like masons.
Speaker 2 (01:11:15):
Act like men, that would be lovely.
Speaker 1 (01:11:18):
And it will work out.
We have a system that works,man, and when it works it works
really well, man, and I reallylove it when it works.
Speaker 2 (01:11:27):
Yeah, and we appreciate you guys for
listening.
I was always shocked when I gosomewhere and meet someone who
says they're a big fan.
I know right In every episode.
My first thing is give mefeedback.
What could we do?
Because you know we're heretrying to figure it out and we
don't get that direct feedback.
So yeah, give it to us if youhave it.
Speaker 1 (01:11:47):
That's right yeah, we're willing to listen, we
absolutely wanna listen and justbe on the back.
Speaker 2 (01:11:50):
although they're greatly appreciated, we wanna
get better.
Speaker 1 (01:11:53):
Yeah, we want this show to be all it can be, and if
you guys have listened to the,if you listen to the very end,
you're our hero man.
We really appreciate that.
We will do this again everyweek.
We will drop a show for as longas you and I are alive.
Boom, and it will happen.
So till next time, brothers,square your work, man, square
your work, build it strong,build it strong, be a Mason.
(01:12:16):
See you guys.
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