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Masonic Briefs: Chapter 6 – The Lodge as a Sacred Space
By: John Barling. Past Master and Secretary of Hyde Park Lodge 370 In the last chapter, we explored the culture of a Lodge, how it’s created, how it’s protected, and how it grows. But if culture is the soul of Freemasonry, then the Lodge itself is its heart. Not just the building, but the space…
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How Pleasant It Is For The Brethren To Dwell Together in Unity
“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” – Psalm 133:1 These ancient words, familiar to every Mason who has witnessed a certain Masonic degree, capture something profound about our fraternal experience. Yet their full meaning becomes most vivid not in the quiet contemplation of the lodge room,…
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The Vital Role of Knowledgeable Brothers: Mentors, Examples, and Challenges to Surpass
By W. John Barling – Secretary of Hyde Park Lodge 370 In every lodge, there are Brothers whose presence alone brings a sense of steadiness and legacy. These are the men who carry with them not only years of experience but a depth of knowledge and wisdom that cannot be replicated by books or lectures….
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Masonic Briefs: Chapter 5: The Culture We Create – Living Freemasonry Every Day
By: W. John Barling, Secretary of Hyde Park Lodge 370 Last time, we talked about mentorship, leadership, and succession. These are the building blocks of a strong and lasting Lodge. But even with the best plans for the future, we still have to ask a deeper question: What kind of culture are we creating? Freemasonry…
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When Honor and Agreement Collide: The Peril of Conflating Respect with Consensus
In many corners of American society, particularly in regions with strong traditions of honor culture, a dangerous conflation often occurs: the mistaking of disagreement for disrespect. This confusion—between honoring someone’s worth as a person and agreeing with their ideas—creates ripple effects that extend far beyond personal relationships into the very fabric of civic discourse, organizational…
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Politics and Religion: Why They Don’t Belong in the Lodge Room
By: W. John Barling – Secretary of Hyde Park Lodge 370 While scrolling through Facebook recently, I came across a post from a Past Grand Master of Masons in Florida. He reminded his audience that politics and religion have no place in the Lodge room. His point was correct; they don’t. But it made me…
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Masonic Briefs: Chapter 4: Building the Future: Mentorship, Leadership, and Succession
By: W. John Barling – Secretary of Hyde Park Lodge 370 In the previous Masonic Briefs, we talked about engaging fully in Freemasonry, guarding the West Gate, and making the Lodge experience meaningful. Now that we are building strong foundations, the next question naturally arises : How do we secure the future of our Lodges?…
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The Leadership Cost of Mean-Spiritedness
In the pursuit of leadership excellence, character often proves more consequential than competence. I’ve found this especially true for myself. One of the hallmarks of my own personal development as a leader has been intellectual honesty – a willingness to face one’s self in the mirror and admit when I’m full of it. I look…
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Masonic Briefs: Chapter 3 – Making the Lodge Experience Meaningful
By: W. John Barling – Secretary of Hyde Park Lodge 370 Now that we’ve talked about how to engage in Freemasonry and the vital importance of guarding the West Gate, it’s time to turn our attention to something just as critical: making sure that once a man joins, he stays, and not just stays, but…
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Masonic Briefs: Chapter 2 – Guarding the West Gate
By: W. John Barling – Secretary of Hyde Park Lodge 370 Best Practices for Preserving the Integrity of Florida Freemasonry One of the most sacred responsibilities we, as Florida Masons, hold is to ensure that only worthy men are admitted into our Craft. The phrase “Guarding the West Gate” refers to this solemn duty, its…