Introducing "The Anchor"
From the East
Hello Brothers and friends of the Bell!
I first want to thank the brothers for a stellar first few months of the year, which really came out strong, even slowed by the December and January wave of Omicron.
I would like to also congratulate our newest Entered Apprentices, Brother Matthew Williams and Brother Timothy Nickloff, and thank the officers for putting on meaning and reverent degrees.
Our first planning meeting in a while was a great success, hosted by Wor. Monaghan at the California Yacht Club.
The second quarter is now in full steam, a Festive Board, St. John's feast and a few social events are coming your way, please see the calendar.
Also, the Officers have already started practicing for a set of Second Degrees in July.
I am pleased to say there will be educational presentations at our April, May, and June stated meetings!
Thank you truly to all the Brothers of the Bell for all the dedication and support
Worshipful Matthew Dove
Master of Anchor Bell Lodge No.868
From the West
Greetings from the West!
Our candidates’ proficiency coaching and Masonic education are moving along well despite all of this Covid madness. We have two Entered Apprentices who have recently completed their full form proficiency examinations and have presented wonderful, thought provoking pieces of architecture. We are all very proud of them. On July 8 and 15 we will be passing these brothers to the degree of Fellowcraft. We would love to see you there.
We also have two new Entered Apprentices who are now just beginning their Masonic journey and education. We are very proud and excited to have them as Bellmen.
If you have any questions about our upcoming degrees or education curriculum, please contact us through our website.
Bro. Geoffrey Counter
Senior Warden
From the South
Greetings from the South!
Upon request by our Worshipful Master, I've been asked to share something educational or thought provoking for the occasion of this, our premiere edition, of The Anchor.
While reflecting on the symbolism of our recent Entered Apprentice Degree, I began to review that august moment when we are brought from darkness to light, shedding our candidacy and being made one, as initiates of the same noble craft.
We are often taught to focus on that which is immediately brought to our attention and identified as our guiding lights, in this, our masonic profession. However, perhaps we are too soon distracted from acknowledging something equally important, whose intrinsic light, though never attributed as such, radiates while concealed.
I am reminded of something once illuminated by an esteemed philosophical scholar, and brother Mason, Manly Palmer Hall, who said that, "Darkness is light, the human eye cannot see." So what then is that light, our eyes nor minds, can we not conceive, without the aid of another source? Maybe, we should be made to contemplate those series of lights, that stood aligned shoulder to shoulder, at attention, ready at a moment's notice to aid, support, and protect us, when, we were vulnerably transitioned from that uncertain darkness, to the light by which we masons work.
Consider then, as a charge unto all Bellmen, that the man to your left and to your right, maybe guided by his own greater and lesser lights, but always remember that he himself is a light, that guides each one of us, to better be enabled to see as Masons do.
Lux et Veritas,
Bro. Daniel Navama,
Junior Warden
From the Secretary’s Desk
Brethren, we are excited to be introducing our new quarterly Trestleboard, fondly titled “The Anchor.” Expect to see quarterly updates for upcoming degrees, festive boards, and educational presentations. In the next 12 weeks we will be enjoying both our April festive board as well as our June celebration of St. John. Tickets for April’s event are available now! Anchor Bell is not only back in full vigor, but we have so much in store for this year. More education, more degrees, more fellowship. Here’s to the best year at The Bell yet!
W. Bro. Bryan Godwin
Secretary
Calendar Highlights:
Friday May 27th, Stated Meeting and presentation on “Observant Masonry” By W. Brother Jeriel Smith
Friday June 24th, Stated Meeting and Feast of St. John
On Harmony
“Harmony,” a word which outside of its musical context means “in agreement, or concord.” The word is present in our degrees,opening and closing our meetings, and considered the strength and support of our fraternity. We pledge the concept in all of our doings within, and hopefully without the lodge. This concept is so overarching that it pervades many of the operational aspects of our lodges including planning, voting, and organizing. It is emphasized so much so that it can govern our actions and our spoken opinions. With such an apparent correlation that harmony is equal to the concept of who can best work together and best agree, why is conflict and tension so prevalent in our organization?
We all experience conflict every day. In some ways, life is a constant state of conflict that we attempt to resolve, and bring order to; moment to moment, year to year. If you have been a Mason for any significant amount of time, it is likely that you have been party to or witness to conflict within the walls of your own Lodge. Indeed, to some it might even seem that there is constant conflict in Lodge as members propose ideas, disagree on dues, or argue over what we should be eating for dinner.
Appropriately managed conflict can lead to a place where people feel free to disagree with each other and lobby for different ideas, often resulting in a more thorough study of courses of action and concepts.
Clarity can be a positive outcome of managed conflict. Disagreements and contention build in the darkness of ambiguity. When team members stay silent in hopes of reducing conflict, contention and resentment often builds. This concept is important for upper management as well. When team leaders withhold information or try to avoid conflict, team members can quickly come to supposisitions with regards to the intent or goals of upper management. This ambiguity leads to deepening resentment within the group. Where effective leaders excel, is by managing conversations through steering debate towards resolving ambiguity and bringing about clarity.
Freemasonry is like a school. It is a school for all manner of good men to improve themselves, and experience things they may not experience elsewhere in their lives. Apart from the education in morality and mortality, a Mason is exposed to public speaking, event planning, financial management, organization, and group leadership. Our membership being as diverse as it is, nearly guarantees a mixed level of experience and proficiency in each of these skill sets.
Conflict is inevitable in this construct, but perhaps the brilliant architects of our craft engineered our traditions in such a way as to both introduce meaningful conflict, while also giving us the tools to resolve it in a way that pushes our organization further. Conflict, or disagreement is not necessarily the same thing as contention. Conflict can promote mutual understanding of different values and aspirations. It can promote social change and progress in the culture of an organization. The process of resolution of conflict is in and of itself a mechanic for growth of each person involved, provided the conflict is managed correctly towards clarity and ultimately resolution.
Perhaps the phrase best work and best agree might not mean “you should always agree with your brothers,” it may allude to the idea that the process of coming to an agreement is the actual work, and that as masons, we need not avoid conflict per se, but that we should use our tools to come to a harmonious conclusion or resolution of the conflict at hand.
Consider as well the use of the phrase “contention, or rather emulation.” Why do we suggest that emulation of working together can take the place of contention, or that there is even a “noble” idea of contention that is in contrast to the common definition. Emulation can be defined as “an effort to match or surpass a person or achievement.” This phrasing suggests that we can in fact have productive conflict in lodge, that contention can be noble when the conflict is resolved by doing our best to emulate, match or surpass a goal or potential achievement. Taken in this manner, is expressly how we can work well together, despite being free to have varying points of view.
Whether we manage conflict in lodge effectively or not, everyone comes out of the other side of a disagreement stronger than before, more so if the tools at our disposal as Masons are used effectively. Even if conflict leads to the proverbial destruction of the temple, another will be rebuilt stronger than ever.
It seems that dissent, rather than conflict, is the problem that needs to be addressed in our organization. There is a stark difference between dissent and disagreement.
To quote Daniel Boorstin;
“Disagreement produces debate, but dissent produces dissension. People who disagree have an argument, but people who dissent have a quarrel. A free society thrives on disagreement but is killed by dissension. Disagreement is the lifeblood of democracy; dissension is its cancer. Disagreers seek solutions to common problems; dissenters seek power for themselves.”
Perhaps we should further embrace productive disagreement in our lodges and make use of the gavel to chip off the rough edges of a proposed idea, while still embracing the harmonic bond that can be fostered with the trowel. A Masonic Lodge is an incredibly unique incubator that often creates a decades old and ever changing experiment. One that forces men to come together and unite in a common goal. The complexities of this experiment lead its members over a rough and rugged road beset with many problems to solve, both internal and external. The rules of this experimental system are not accidental, including the furnace of conflict that it can create. When focused, this furnace can indeed calcify dissent and create the purity that is Masonic harmony and brotherly love.