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September-October 2020 The mission of the Freemasons of Minnesota is to engage and inspire The Minnesota good men, who believe in a Supreme Being, to live according to Masonic tenets of Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth. MASON September–October 2020 VOL. 68, No. 3 Grand Lodge of Minnesota adopts new Social Media Policy On Saturday, September 12th, the Board of Corporate Trustees of the Rather than recapitulate the contemporary words of others, our Grand Grand Lodge of Minnesota officially adopted a new social media policy Master, MW Brother Ethan A. Seaberg, prefers the following quote from for our jurisdiction. This policy, the text of which follows, is now in full the Charge at Initiation– “There are three great duties, which, as a effect for Minnesota Masons. Please review the policy and its several Mason, you are charged to inculcate to God, your neighbor, and yourself points, and let it be a rule and guide to your conduct. ... to your neighbor, in acting upon the square, and doing unto him as Grand Master Many articles and edicts have been published by this Grand Lodge you wish he should do unto you.” Masonic Service and others, on the subject of appropriate behavior towards our fellowmen. Grand Lodge Grand Lodge of Minnesota News pages 1–3, 8 Social Media Policy (Adopted by the Board of Corporate Trustees 12 September 2020) In your Entered Apprentice Degree, the Worshipful Master for the express purpose of allowing business connections clearly told you, “There you stand a just and upright Mason, and I between Brothers are exempted from this restriction. give it you strictly in charge ever to walk and act as such.” Are you • A Mason may not use social media to contact other Grand doing it? Do your words in Lodge match your actions in society? Jurisdictions unless you are a member of that jurisdiction. When we represent ourselves as members of the Fraternity, Remember that all intra-jurisdictional communication is, by we become someone’s impression of Freemasonry. As such, it is Masonic protocol, conducted by and between Grand Lodge important that we act accordingly and subscribe to the lessons offices. Minnesota we are all taught as Masons in terms of how we communicate • No discussion or other information regarding to an applica- Masonic and interact with Masons and non-Masons. tion, background, investigation, or ballot of an applicant is Charities Your individual postings reflect on the entire Fraternity as ever appropriate or condoned. well as you as an individual. Be mindful that your image online • Nothing may ever be written or discussed relative to the pages 4–5 could be viewed by your colleagues and co-workers, future business of a Lodge or of any discussions/actions which have employers, as well as your Lodge Brothers and their families. If occurred behind Tyled doors, with the exception that official we promote anarchism and chaos, or if we address each other Lodge pages may promote events, raisings, etc. within the with hate and vitriol, some will believe that those ideas come bounds of the Code and other rules set forth herein. from Freemasonry. This may seem to be an extreme perspective, • Information about Lodge or District social activities must but society views us as thought leaders, and many in society want comply with the Grand Lodge regulations already in place to tear us down. Let’s not give them the ammunition to do that by for such events. being careless on social media. • The Grand Lodge of Minnesota AF & AM is the absolute Social Media Policy of the Grand Lodge of Minnesota Masonic authority in this jurisdiction. Only the Grand The Grand Lodge of Minnesota recognizes that social Lodge of Minnesota AF & AM can make authoritative Lodge News media has grown exponentially in recent years and has a goal statements on behalf of Minnesota Masons. of supporting the regular and extensive use of it. We know that & Views • To ensure our fraternity represents itself to the high standards many Brethren regularly connect by Facebook, Twitter, we must regulate our actions by individual restraint and through page 6 LinkedIn and other means. We as Masons must be mindful that Brother-to-Brother intervention. As a Freemason, quietly advise our individual postings not only reflect our own character but a Brother if you feel that what he has posted is improper within Masonic that of Freemasonry across this Grand Jurisdiction. To this end, the framework of our Grand Constitutions, laws, rules, regula- Family News the following policy will apply to all those under the jurisdic- tions, edicts and the general regulations of Freemasonry. page 7 tion of the Grand Lodge of Minnesota, AF & AM: • Actions taken which violate this policy may be construed as Social Media Policy unmasonic behavior and may subject the violator to charges • A Mason must conduct himself with the same courtesy he and discipline as such, conformant to the Minnesota would in front of the general public. As a Mason, he must Masonic Code. be aware that his postings are a permanent record; there- fore, his conduct may influence the world with a positive or Ultimately, your actions as a Mason online should promote the negative opinion about him personally and about the organi- highest standards of morality and integrity. You should always be zations to which he belongs. mindful of the penalties as described in the Grand Constitution • A Mason may never use disparaging comments, profanity, etc. relating to trial, suspension, and/or expulsion for any un-Masonic when posting; including, but not limited to, graphic, video, behavior. Posting a comment related to the Fraternity and then and audio recordings. posting a disparaging comment about a social or political stance • A Mason may never identify any man as a member of the can easily be misconstrued by readers that your stance is represen- Craft unless he has provided his consent or has already identi- tative of Masonry and all Masons. Remember that the public and fied himself as such on that specific social media network. members of the Masonic Fraternity are reading your posts online. • A Mason may not post secret portions of the ritual, nor If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to “tyled” information. contact the Grand Lodge Webmaster or the Grand Secretary. We encourage you to be a positive and proactive force for projecting • Masonic pages are to be supportive of the organization and Freemasonry in the world! its members, promote upcoming events, discuss past events, video sharing, and discussion of times of fellowship and “A Brother who has a proper appreciation of our ancient promotion of Masonic bodies. institution, of its beauties, its ties, its requirements, or its privileges, will under no circumstance give utterance, even outside the Lodge, to • A Mason may not use Social media to obtain personal opinions or sentiments that will make him obnoxious to his Brethren advantage in promoting political, religious or business or wound their feelings.” activities by targeting other Masons. Social media pages or MWB A.T.C. Pierson, 1861 groups set up or endorsed by the Grand Lodge of Minnesota As restated by MWB Ethan Seaberg, 2020 Harvest time Lessons from the Leadership Committee by Larry Lyman As Summer wanes and Autumn their position for several days, unassisted, Masonic Service arrives, this is a great time to review where until relief troops could arrive. Though we’ve been, assess where we are and plan they were outnumbered and outgunned, M.W.B. Ethan A. Seaberg for the future! We have been challenged to they survived, held their position and as a work in an environment that none of us result many of the survivors were awarded Grand Master had seen coming a year ago. Some Lodges the Silver Star. These heroes could have have continued to thrive, though certainly bemoaned the loss of comrades, the fact in a different way than originally intended, that they had not been able to complete I hope you’ll forgive this step away and though I’d never met him he certainly while others are struggling. As always, the fortifications before engaging an enemy from columns about policy and strategic seemed someone worth meeting. Then, at Leadership Committee wants to assure you and their supplies had almost entirely goals and dread viruses, and give license the end of the remarks, rose from the back that we will respond to any request for been exhausted. I know one of these brave for a more personal message. Had tradition of the room a man who was soon to cement assistance to the best of our ability. You, soldiers, a survivor of an unbelievable prevailed and we met in Grand Session in my perception. Brother, are the heart of Masonry, and we challenge. What does he talk about? The are here for you. great camaraderie, the fact that they never April, a number of people from my home- I unfortunately do not recall the man’s As you look back, how well had you lost heart, and today they still have a bond town planned to attend our installation. name, so for the sake of this narrative I’ll planned for 2020? Were your goals, and the of brotherhood that he cherishes! May we None are Masons, but supportive to a per- call him John. And to say he rose from the plans to reach those goals, carefully thought all look back and celebrate the great and son and kind enough to spend part of a back of the room is hardly accurate. out, written down and ready to be imple- good things accomplished during this perfectly good Saturday afternoon honor- Struggled mightily to stand might be more mented? Or, were you counting on things challenging year, and may the memories ing a friend.
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