A Final Thought...
Brethren,
I’m not going to reply to the specifics of Bro. Casey’s last post, because there is a proper Masonic forum for resolving such questions of fact between Brothers and, if he persists in his slanderous accusations, I suspect that this is, sadly, where this matter will finally end. Besides, I suspect he’s just seeking attention, or perhaps pity, and I have better things to do.
Rather, I’d like to address the rest of you.
My anger (and I admit I was angry when I wrote my last post) stems from the fact that I heard about this when it was being discussed by some of Bro. Casey’s own lodge brothers who, apparently, had negative opinions of our bodies based on his comments. And since he identified his Blue Lodge and mentioned that his Dad was Worshipful Master, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out who he is and, therefore, the Council and Commandery he’s talking about.
I was responding to some very pointed and totally unfair attacks being openly and maliciously leveled in a public forum against our Recorder/Deputy Division Commander, who happens to be one of the hardest working, most dedicated young Masons I know.
So, Brother Winter, where was your sense of Brotherhood when it was being suggested that this Recorder should be run out of office? Or when other posts suggested that he be called to account for his actions to Grand Commandery?
Did anyone stop to question whether these charges were really true?
Did anyone think to ask him to evaluate if he was, perhaps, blowing this out of proportion or overreacting for some reason?
Where was your sense of Brotherhood when you all jumped on the bandwagon of these criticisms?
It seems to me that everyone was very quick to assume these charges were true, and convict the recorder as well as the Council and Commandery in what has become a very scurrilous personal attack…with such brotherly advice as “Why throw a firecracker in the bathroom to just make noise when you can put a cherry bomb in the toilet and blow it up!”
For a group of people who claim to be dedicated to Freemasonry, it seems to me that you were all very eager to assume the worst.
Where was a single voice defending our fraternity?
As I said, I hope Brother Casey will have the good sense not to try to make an issue of this and, in the future, to keep his negative comments to himself, because the facts simply don’t support his claims.
I just wish he’d done that before he started this thread, and before so many of you jumped on his bandwagon to encourage him.
Freemasonry faces enough challenges today without making up new ones.
I just hope, my Brothers, that in the future, you let the mantle of Masonic Brotherhood extend to both sides of a dispute instead of jumping to conclusions, and go so far as to even give a Secretary or Recorder the benefit of the doubt before assuming he’s guilty.
Now, those of us who really care about the York Rite and these two bodies have to try to undo the damage that has already been done to our reputations.