tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25683662.post7859002866079380299..comments2024-03-26T12:05:58.591-04:00Comments on Freemasons For Dummies: The Atlantic Asks Massachusetts Brethren What It's Like To Join The FreemasonsChristopher Hodapphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04201859873755654395noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25683662.post-40553360224276932672019-07-28T22:41:09.364-04:002019-07-28T22:41:09.364-04:00The last time I was asked that at lodge (for the b...The last time I was asked that at lodge (for the benefit of a curious visitor) the best I could come up with on the spur of the moment was 'I thought it would be good for me, and it was.'Robert Walker-Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05870696495187653875noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25683662.post-13182408319879558832019-07-27T01:35:33.860-04:002019-07-27T01:35:33.860-04:00From my experiences with Freemasonry and Kiwanis, ...From my experiences with Freemasonry and Kiwanis, I would have to say that a smaller but coherent lodge or club is much more preferable to a large conglomerate of people who joined for the sake of joining something. At the very least, it means that a small group of dedicated members make service projects move more smoothly, and guarantee that changes in club officer positions will not interfere with club activities. My Kiwanis club consisted of people who were all dedicated to helping children. My lodge consisted of people who wanted to improve themselves and improve society. Quite frankly, as a Millennial, I cannot understand the idea of joining a group for the sake of being a member of something (and I say that as someone who abandoned groups like the Sons of the American Revolution and the Society of Mayflower Descendants, because that means nothing to me although my parents involuntarily created memberships for me). I am a Mason and a Kiwanian because those organizations fit my worldviews. I know Kiwanians of my generation who are Elks and Eagles, because those groups fit their worldviews. I know Kiwanians, male and female, who are not Freemasons because Freemasonry does not fit their worldviews. And that is fine. As a former Kiwanis officer, the "joiners" bug me immensely because they create the false sense of strength and size. Nothing worse than organizing a service project when 90% of the club is not interested in participating. I would rather see lodges of people dedicated to the craft, instead of lodges of people who joined for the sake of finding something to do after the whistle blew at 5:00.<br /><br />What I suspect is that the immediate post-war society does not fit with modern technology. I follow a particular wool-based hobby on Facebook and on various websites, and the people who follow that particular hobby are spread throughout the United States and the world. If I wanted to bring my model airplanes and miniature soldiers out of storage, I could communicate with people throughout the world about that hobby. Internet access means I can talk to complete strangers thousands of miles from my home, about subjects and hobbies that literally do not exist in my present town or city. I have this suspicion that people who complain about changes within society simply do not want to adapt to those changes. Maybe it is the Millennial in me, but I like change. Routine and repetition are boring.Michael R.https://nmmasons.orgnoreply@blogger.com