For five years or so I spent a fair amount of time on leveling up both sides of the ladder. Got to Knight Templar on the one side and 32nd degree on the other. One night not long after my daughter was born one of the brothers took me aside. He was a long lean fellow who rarely said much but laughed often, flashing one of those easy smiles only unassuming regular folk can give. Like most of the brethren who showed up regularly he had several decades on me in terms of age. Anyway, dude looked me right in the eye and said "Here's some advice: Don't come back to lodge until your daughter is good and grown. You only get one chance to raise her and you don't want to reach my age wishing you had spent more time with her."
I haven't been back since. Maybe when Elizabeth is a teenager and hates my guts I'll start going again.
%202.png)
.JPG)
.png)
.gif)
Posts
Appropriately full of Gygaxian complexity. ;)
ReplyDeleteVery cool Jeff.. and excellent advice :)
ReplyDeleteI'm deeply impressed by that story.
ReplyDeleteThat's excellent advice. :)
ReplyDeleteThat's an awesome story Jeff.
ReplyDeleteI'm beginning to think Bill and Ted were Masons. "Most Excellent Master" indeed . . . :)
- Ark
Now, you ain't breaking any oaths by disclosing any of this are you? Aren't you Illuminati supposed to keep all this to yourselves? ;-)
ReplyDeleteGreat chart! I love 'Knight of the Brazen Serpent."
ReplyDeleteBut, I have to ask: what sorts of duties does the Intimate Secretary perform?
After I missed my daughter's first two birthday parties because I was at work, I figured she needed my presence more than my money. Hence I quite my job, became a real estate agent who spends lots of time with his daughter (who is now already 6 years old), and became much poorer in terms of money.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't change a thing. The world is full of money, but time is our one non-renewable resource.
This gives you four counts of creepy and fives counts of warm and fuzzy so I guess you come out ahead.
ReplyDeleteIf only freemasonry in the US didn't have the "believe in god" provision, I'd finally have a valid reason for wearing fez's in public...
ReplyDeleteI like the "Super Excellent Master Council" myself. Sounds like a little kid made it up, trying to sound impressive.
ReplyDeleteWow - that's a very cool story. I have never heard of any Mason with the courage and foresight to actually say something like that.
ReplyDeleteSadly, my friends and I got turned off to Masonry (although I did get my Entered Apprentice Degree eventually) because every time we went to a Masonic function while we were in DeMolay, we would get surrounded by all of these older guys basically looking at us like "Oooh, fresh meat." It was very "Dawn of the Dead" except that most of the Masons didn't move as fast as the zombies.
Then they would try to guilt-trip us into joining by saying it was our responsibility since they had funded some of our DeMolay chapter programs. That probably wasn't the best argument they could have used.
Awww... we've got a number of Bros in our Lodge with kids of various ages.
ReplyDeleteIt's like anything else -- you can overdo it and it can take over your life. But as a couple of hours once a month, I think it works out for them.
(Obligatory OSR content: The directions on the treasure map refer to the *symbolic* East, not the actual compass direction.)
(I think blogger ate my previous comment.)
ReplyDeleteWe have Bros in our Lodge with kids of various ages. Seems to work out okay for them.
I think it's like anything -- you can overdo it and it can take over your life. Or it can just be something you do for a few hours once a month.
Bonus OSR content: The treasure map's directions refer to *symbolic* East, not the literal compass direction.
Bonus bonus word verification: Supecu: A form of ritual suicide practiced by Kryptonians.
Yeah, I was in DeMolay for awhile. The main problem I had with transitioning to the Masons was that they all were just drinking buddies. Not exactly a compelling reason to join...
ReplyDeleteWord verification:
bibeepya: what happens when a person of broad sexual appetites decides to honk their horn at you...
You're missing Daughters of the Nile and the Order of the Amaranth on that chart...
ReplyDeleteAnd isn't your Daughter about the age to enter Rainbow?
And while I can't fault your actions, I remember Michael's face lighting up the first time I opened the KT room and let him look at the banners and swords.
I'm hoping to finish his KT when he comes home for summer, and I think he'd like to see you there...
Nicely
ReplyDeleteWow - never would have guessed, Jeff!
ReplyDeleteI've often wondered what percentage of gamers were also attracted to the ritual nature of masonry.
I'm in our lodges line (Jr Warden) but have made it clear I'm not ready to take on the time commitment of Master in just two more years - or join Royal Arch, etc., etc. All in good time and my family comes first.
I believe posting this is a violation of your obligation brother
ReplyDeleteI don't see how this is any violation, Brother. No "secret" was described or pictured here. Just the progression chart.
DeleteI don't believe so. Feel free to correct me via email. Jrients, gmail, etc. Be prepared to cite, please.
ReplyDelete