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Message from the Grand Master

2/6/2017

 
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​The Masonic Fraternity
          The origin of Masonry began hundreds of years ago as a skill based upon a need. It then became a trade which was organized into a guild. It required diligence and a commitment to quality work. Not just any man was taken in as an apprentice. Men were asked to measure up for a job he sought before he was allowed to do it. More important, no man who was unwilling to work to learn how to produce good work was allowed to remain very long with the Craft.
          Speculative Masonry also has the same requirements, but because the work expected is that of improvement of the individual it is not as easy to evaluate the quality or the results. But here again, any man who is unwilling to learn to produce good work should also not be allowed to remain in our Fraternity.
          For years we have been telling men who ask about the value of Masonry that what you get out of it is what you put into it. I hear this almost everywhere I go. I have never told a Brother that what you put into Masonry is what you will get out of it. This is a lazy non-answer and the result of it has been that men have been allowed to bring anything they enjoy from their daily lives into the craft and call it Masonry. The reasoning behind this appears to be that so long as what we are doing is good and will make the person a better man. Therefore, he believes this is what Masonry is all about. It cannot be just getting out of it what we put in, or we will have ended up nothing more than what we started with.
          Undoubtedly, the world we live in needs more acts of loving kindness and concern for our fellow man. Masonry calls us to perform such as part of our obligation to humanity. However, this is no more the sum of Masonry that it is in math. Every human being should be called to display goodness and love toward their fellow man as it should be with every Mason. But what the observant Mason must ask himself is how Masonry distinguished itself from other fraternal organizations. We must ask ourselves why seek membership in our Fraternity as opposed to any group of well intentioned people who do good things for humanity. When they do seek membership and have truly advanced beyond the door of the Lodge it is our obligation to help them understand the teachings which they are receiving. We must start by understanding that Freemasonry, unlike other fraternities, is not for everyone, and should never be offered as such. Masonry is and was always intended to be an organization that an individual must seek to join. The quality of the individual far outweigh the number of men knocking at our doors, quality of character far outweighs quantity of candidates, and less is more. If we select ten exceptional men to whom he can teach the whole of the craft, each of those ten men can in turn teach ten others. By working with fewer but dedicated men, the Fraternity gains substantially. We thereby gain the survival of the Craft. We have some who believe that more men are needed in order to save dying Lodges from extinction.
          The man who knocks at our door, in full knowledge of both the risk that he may be rejected, and yet proceeds anyway because the search for light is that important to him. Only such a man is one who should become a Mason. Why? Because such a man will understand that as with all things worth doing or having, the “true knowledge of the art” takes time, and cannot be achieved in a day. It requires a sincere pledge of time and effort. Men who should be Masons will make time for the Craft. They must not change its principles, methods or techniques in order to take all men at all cost, especially those who have told us that they do not have the time for it. Freemasonry does not offer itself to those who are outside the doors of the Lodge, or even to those who may simply be curious about its contents. The real reason for membership in the Craft is that it must be sought. The experiences of an Entered Apprentice’s and Fellowcraft’s first few months and a new Master Mason’s first years will determine how they view Freemasonry for the remainder of their lives. This is why our commitment to mentoring and the sustaining of fellowship is relevant, now more than ever. I believe our Lodges should strive for better Masons rather than more Masons.
          Freemasonry is oldest Fraternal Organization in the world. We owe no explanation to anyone for who we are, what we do, why we do it or how we do it, and no one has the right to demand an explanation from us.
Fraternally,
William B. Rogers
William B. Rogers
Grand Master

280th Grand Lodge Annual Communication

2/5/2017

 
​GRAND LODGE ANNUAL
COMMUNICATION
The 280th Annual Communication of the Grand Lodge of Ancient
Free Masons of South Carolina will be held on April 27th and 28th, at the
Embassy Suites, Greenville Golf Resort & Conference Center located at
670 Verdae Blvd, Greenville, SC 29607.
The Religious Service will commence on Thursday, April 27th at 9:00
AM and will be conducted by Reverend and Right Worshipful A. Robert
Nix, Grand Chaplain. Following the Religious Service, the Grand Lodge
will be officially opened at 10:00 AM by Most Worshipful William B.
Rogers, Grand Master with the assistance of the Grand Lodge Officers
and Brethren. The Annual Banquet will be held on Thursday, April 27th at
7:00 PM in the Ball Room of the Embassy Suites, Greenville.
The Embassy Suites, Greenville will be the Headquarters Hotel. Those
desiring to stay at the Headquarters Hotel are encouraged to make reservations
as soon as possible since there is a limited number of rooms
available. Elected Grand Lodge Officers, Appointed Grand Lodge Officers,
Past Grand Masters, and Committeemen are requested to stay at the
Headquarters hotel and to make their reservations promptly. Each person
including Grand Lodge Officers, Past Grand Masters, and Committeemen
are responsible for making their own reservations.
Reservations may be made by calling the Embassy Suites, Greenville at
1-864-676-9090. When calling, you must ask for group reservations and
identify yourself as being with The Grand Lodge of Ancient Free Masons
of South Carolina (code GRA) in order to obtain the special room rate of
$143.00 plus tax per night. Since the Headquarters Hotel will be unable
to accommodate everyone attending the Annual Communication of the
Grand Lodge, the following is a list of nearby hotels for your convenience:
Holiday Inn Express & Suites
1036 Woodruff Road
Greenville, SC 29607
864-678-5555
La Quinta Inn & Suites
31 Old Country Rd.
Greenville, SC 29607
864-297-3500
Microtel Inn & Suites
1024 Woodruff Rd.
Greenville, SC 29607
864-297-3811
Comfort Inn Millennium
2756 Laurens Rd
Greenville, SC 29607
864-288-6900

Masonic Education Corner February

2/5/2017

 
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The Future Begins Now With a New Year! - Fresh Start Initiatives
HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL FREEMASONS!
As we begin the new Masonic Year, it is a great time to embrace
and improve the Masonic experience for your Lodge Brothers. As
previously stated, I believe that fear is the most crippling attitude
that must be removed before our Lodges can progress and increase
our member value. Often Lodges are crippled by fear of trying new
things or trying to raising the quality standards of the Lodge, and it
is true that not all will like changes, changes are needed to continue
to improve our Masonic Experience for our current and future members. Indeed change is happening whether you plan for it or not!
Men are changing. Complacency is our number one issue. Choose
not to be complacent! It will take work and working together!

EMBRACING THE YEAR TOGETHER!
As we all begin our new year, with our officers taking their respective
leadership roles in our Lodge, it is important that we take time
to plan for this year! Will it be better than last year? Will our Lodge
make a difference to our existing members?

Your Lodge can greatly prepare for success by ALL officers attending your District Instructional Meeting together. Your experience is important so that you can lead the Craft of your Lodge. To prepare for your Instructional Meetings, review the “Lodge of the Future” series of Lesson Plans and Lodge Education Topics, you may find these at www.scgrandlodgeafm.org under the Resources Tab. Use these for enhanced education, analysis with your officers to plan and lead discussion in your Lodge.

Several key events are planned for your Instructional Meetings with time set aside for your specific office and materials for your use this year. If you are a first time officer in any chair in the Masonic Lodge, your will get specialized training for your specific office. We ​will also have time at your meetings to discuss common items, and some of the best instruction from the Masonic Education Committee on the standard Lodge practice and procedure.

Finally Gentlemen, remember that we learn best from each other, so offer to share your experience and your Lodge History with your members. After all, that is the way we have taught for centuries! Many great Freemasons have passed through your doors. Document and share your Lodge history before it passes another generation.

​I hope to see many of you at your District Instructional Meetings, and Worshipful Masters, the upcoming Grand Masters Workshop for Worshipful Masters on January 28, at the Columbia Scottish Rite Center.

Chairman, Masonic Education Committee
Michael D. Smith, Sr., Senior Grand Warden

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