Which Rite is right?

Ashlar2006

Ashlar2006

Masonic Mafia
It is interesting .

I agree with the line of thought that the Craft Lodge and Chapter degrees are Craft Masonry . I found the Capitular degrees in the YR far more satisfying than anything in the SR and the rest of the YR for that matter . I always ask , when asked by new MMs' which body they should petition , if they actually want to go through the degrees as they did in the Craft Lodge or do they want to see a play .
 
Gary2112

Gary2112

Troll Stomper
Staff member
Some of the SR plays can be pretty profound too. I guess it just depends on what your interests are.
 
Duncan1574

Duncan1574

Lodge Chaplain & arms dealer
I still believe that the appendant bodies (AB) are extraneous and dilute the Craft Lodge, because of the dwindling population in our Blue Lodges is not helped by giving Masons other Masonic things to do. Perhaps a solution would be to incorporate some of each AB into the Blue Lodge, not as additional degrees but rather as 'ratings' (to use a pilot term).
 
Gary2112

Gary2112

Troll Stomper
Staff member
In my case, I joined the SR, and use the educational research access only. I havent been toy valley since I went through the degrees. So for me, its not a distraction from the Craft Lodge.
 
2SONDAD

2SONDAD

Husband, father, son, Mason.
I found this to be a really interesting blog. Why? Because I am now at that point in my Masonic journey towards more light, where the usual questions from my lodge brethren have begun. "When are you joining York Rite?" & "The Valley just started the Spring Reunion- how come we didn't see you there?" (Although, I admit, very few of the brethren have asked me- the prevailing attitude in my lodge isn't to ask and recruit.)

I admit to having an interest in both, but I sense that my interest is fleeting. Is it because I want more light or because I want more social interaction? It's probably somewhere in the middle of the two and I don't believe that is a great reason to join either one.

The more I think about it, I know my heart is in the Craft Lodge. I feel I would get more out of a research lodge and/or an emulation lodge than in joining either SR or YR at this point in time. I have discovered that most Masons do not realize how much there is to learn just from the Craft and I do not want to be a badge collector.
 
Duncan1574

Duncan1574

Lodge Chaplain & arms dealer
One of my objections is cost. I would rather give the SR/YR dues to my Lodge and help it to survive.
 
Gary2112

Gary2112

Troll Stomper
Staff member
Duncan1574 said:
One of my objections is cost. I would rather give the SR/YR dues to my Lodge and help it to survive.
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Funny that you mention that. My SR dues are 1/3 the cost of my Lodge dues. Unfortunately I get more light in SR than I do in my mother Lodge.

Id be willing to invest those dues to the Craft if the same type of education was available though.
 
Duncan1574

Duncan1574

Lodge Chaplain & arms dealer
Gary2112 said:
Funny that you mention that. My SR dues are 1/3 the cost of my Lodge dues. Unfortunately I get more light in SR than I do in my mother Lodge.

Id be willing to invest those dues to the Craft if the same type of education was available though.
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Bummer, My Lodge dues are a 5th of the SR dues.
 
MWS

MWS

Active Member
My SR dues are lifetime membership. My YR is held in the same temple as my Craft Lodge...in a sense both dues go towards the maintenance and upkeep of the building.
 
Gary2112

Gary2112

Troll Stomper
Staff member
MWS said:
My SR dues are lifetime membership. My YR is held in the same temple as my Craft Lodge...in a sense both dues go towards the maintenance and upkeep of the building.
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At least the money is flowing to your Craft Lodge. Now, what about attendance? Do you spend more time at SR or YR functions? Just curious.
 
MWS

MWS

Active Member
I completed my Consistory degrees exactly 2 years ago...and have only been back to play a role in the 31st. The reunions just fall on weeks when I've been away, unfortunately. I hope to remedy that in the future - I'm glad Masonry is a lifetime committment. YR and Craft are 5 minutes down the road, I enjoy regular and extracurricular attendance.
 
Ashlar2006

Ashlar2006

Masonic Mafia
Gary2112 said:
Some of the SR plays can be pretty profound too. I guess it just depends on what your interests are.
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This is true , I have no interest in the SR and did not have any interest going into it . I only petitioned for my father-in-law who passed away not long before the reunion and wanted me to be a SR Mason like him . I promised him I would attend the Fall reunion right before he died .

I tried to like it , I really did , but the fire is/was just not there . I even feigned excitement just hoping that a flicker of interest would develop , but in truth and after a few days of thinking about the degrees , I was really unimpressed . I was unimpressed because I was sitting on the sidelines watching the plays as a spectator ( this is why I do not like watching sports also ) . And this is why I dislike festivals or large classes in the YR . I would rather have 3 or 4 candidates at a time so they can all act as candidates rather than have one exemplar while the rest sit and watch .
 
Gary2112

Gary2112

Troll Stomper
Staff member
Im tempted to switch to a Lodge with dirt cheap dues just so I can get a perpetual membership, and then switch back to my mother Lodge. It is just sort of unfair that the daytime Lodge that rents the space for meetings at my lodge building is paying less than half of what my dues are. Those guys use the building just as much if not more than we do, and also have the luxury of being able to have a perpetual membership that is very affordable. 20 x yearly dues at 50-80 bucks a year vs. $120/year x 20 is a huge difference for that sort of thing.

Don't get me wrong, I'm happy that they have it good, I'm just ticked that I'm getting the shaft.
 
Z

Zack

Active Member
And if your lodge didn't have the daylight lodge paying rent think what your dues would be.
We use it 5 times a month. One meeting and 4 practices.
 
Gary2112

Gary2112

Troll Stomper
Staff member
Zack said:
And if your lodge didn't have the daylight lodge paying rent think what your dues would be.
We use it 5 times a month. One meeting and 4 practices.
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Wouldnt be my Lodge anymore. Im not willing to pay any more than I already do. I cant justify doing that when I compare expense to value ratios.
 
jaya

jaya

Active Member
I am sitting here at our spring reunion right now. I love the SR degrees. We are getting ready to put on the 29th right now in full form for the first time in 20 years. I will not neglect my blue lodge. It can be done. Your blue lodge is not doing something 365 days a year. It is possible to be active in both AP and blue lodge. You have to set your priorities and determine what is important to you. I really enjoy the SR because they are active. The YR is not active here. I will eventually join the YR but will wait until I am no longer in line in the blue lodge.
 
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