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Post by waynecowley on May 19, 2005 11:06:48 GMT
Good news Lee - I'm sure you will enjoy it
Mark is a lovely ceremony
Wayne
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bod
Member
UGLE - MM (London), MMM RAM(Middx), OSM (London)
Posts: 1,296
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Post by bod on May 19, 2005 11:49:03 GMT
In the diary - I really hope to be able to make it!
And good luck to Wayne for tomorrow.
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Post by waynecowley on May 19, 2005 15:14:56 GMT
Just got to hope I don't get blackballed as I saw happen on Tuesday Wayne
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Post by taylorsman on May 19, 2005 16:22:06 GMT
Without causing embarassment, if you wish to please tell us more Bro Wayne.
Now as you know I DO fervently believe that the right of a Brother to anonymously Blackball a Prospective Candidate is inviolable and indeed there is no point in a Secret Ballot of one is then expected to disclose one's vote. However I also believe that it should NOT be used lightly and I can only think of about 3 men I would personally Blackball but the chances of them being Prospective Candidates in any Lodge I belong to are hundreds of thousands to one.
I have not yet heard of anyone being Blackballed from RAM or any of the Higher Degrees and Orders. If you are being proposed for these then Brethren know you well enough as a Man and a Mason to endorse you. I have only been present at one meeting, as a Guest, when a Candidate was Blackballed. It wasn't the happiest of Meetings as he was waiting outside and would have been Initiated if the Ballot had gone his way, but I subsequently found out that there were very good reasons why two Brethren had Blackballed him but that these could not be disclosed for legal reasons.
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Post by waynecowley on May 20, 2005 7:49:02 GMT
It was a Craft meeting on Tuesday night - I was a visitor and waiting outside the door whilst the brethren of the lodge ballotted for a joining member (a PM of his mother lodge which had recently surrendered its warrant and a Provincial GL Officer (past)). I was actually talking to him whilst the ballot was being taken as I had sat with him as a visitor in that particular lodge on a number of previous occassions.
His proposer then came out, face like thunder and took him into the Tyler's room - they then came out, went downstairs and thence home.
During the course of the evening the story became clearer
Apparently on the ballot 3 blackballs were found to be present. As there were a number of junior present the WM thought there may have been a mistake made and explained in detail the ballotting process and ordered the ballot to be retaken (rightly or wrongly). The second ballot found 4 black balls
The atmosphere in the lodge was terrible for the rest of the evening and I suspect that it will get worse before it gets better
I agree with you about the higher degrees - I have only ever heard of it happen once - in my own Chapter - but that was many years ago so hopefully it will all be OK tonight
Wayne
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bod
Member
UGLE - MM (London), MMM RAM(Middx), OSM (London)
Posts: 1,296
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Post by bod on May 20, 2005 9:00:09 GMT
Sad news indeed - not only for the harmony of the lodge in question but also for the brethren involved - both the PM and his supporters.
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Post by taylorsman on May 20, 2005 10:37:23 GMT
Don't get me wrong. It is always a pity when this happens but there must have been a very good reason if after the WM re-convened the Ballot "in case there had been a mistake" (technically he was wrong to do so with 3 Black Balls but I would possibly have done the same in the circumstances) , the count of Black Balls rose from 3 to 4!
I do not know the PM or lodge involved nor do I want to, but there must be something he did to offend 4 Brethren to the extent that they persevered with Blackballing him. Had they only wished to make a gesture they could have abstained on the Second Ballot.
As I always say, if The Craft did NOT wish to afford Brethren the Right of Anonimity-a far better one than that given in the recent General Election where Ballot Papers are numbered and the Electoral Number written on the Counterfoil- then it would have had the Ballot for a Candidate or a Joining Member by Show of Hands.
I fervently believe that the Brethren who put the Black Balls in the Ballot have the absolute right to remain silent about this and no attempt should be made to coerce or cajole them into disclosing their identities. Pace Ruff, but the Commitee only RECOMMENDS whilst the individual Member has to make up his own mind. There may have been very good reasons why they could not speak to the Secretary, WM, Proposer, VGO etc, given our strict Libel Laws or the effect on third parties, or on themselves in their work, business or other affiliations. I can think of some men, both Masons, and Cowans, that I would Blackball and keep the matter "healed". Thankfully there would only be about 5 in total who would fall into that category, and 2 of them are more likely to have been elected as Pope than join The Masons.
Like you I feel sorry for the WM, Officers and Brethren of that Lodge and hope they will be able to put this behind them. It does however point up the advice of Dr George Oliver about being very careful whom one Proposes into a Lodge or equivalent.
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Post by waynecowley on May 23, 2005 7:34:10 GMT
Well I now stand before you as a Royal Ark Mariner
It was indeed a lovely ceremony - as I had been told it was
In part it reminded me of elements of the 1st Degree TB and of some of the other lessons also taught in the 1st
I was also struck by the explanation of the Working Tools
I'm sure that as I get more familiar with the degree I will notice other parts that resonate with me as well
The only, albeit slight, downside was that the individual that was going to explain the signs etc was unable to be there and so they were read by someone whilst another Brother demonstrated them but that scarcely affected my enjoyment of the degree
Wayne
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Post by taylorsman on May 23, 2005 8:31:07 GMT
I am glad that you enjoyed it, Wayne.
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