Cow Birds

[Torence]

Yesterday, I had the chance to go for a swim in Lake Michigan with a particularly good friend, an uncommonly intelligent individual who I met while working my store in Whiting last year. She shared with me a video that her sister took from her camera of a Robbin’s nest on her window sill. Over time, the birds grew up and graduated to flight leaving the parent a bit confused by their absence; but hopefully satisfied.

Surrounded by nature on the shore there, I commented to her how I had noticed that by my house there were many Robbins early in this season; but not so many now. They have been replaced by an uncommon number of Cow Birds whose life cycle is based upon a false premise. Cow Birds enjoy a short gestation period. They lay their eggs in the nests of other species and after hatching, being naturally larger, they push any adopted siblings out to obtain more of what the parent has to offer. Eventually, should they succeed in a neighborhood, there are no other birds; and they also die out as there are no more hosts to feed them.

Earlier in the morning, I had been conducting a forum discussion online with two young men who were interested in Masonry. One was a former Latter Day Saint who was worried that the Church was promoting support for the Republican Front Runner in that he would be full filling a promise and a prophesy that Joseph Smith had made for himself. Another is now a Methodist, a former Missouri Synod Lutheran who chose not to join his Church after spending time amongst us heathens. Both wanted to know if Masonry saw the religions in which they were raised as incompatible organizations. Both shared one thing in common between themselves. As younger men they were both encouraged by their churches to go into scouting. The notion of their Church Leadership, then, was that it was easier for their religion to take an existing organization over rather than start one from the ground up and the scout troops offered up just such an opportunity for them.

Of course, I told them of our Demolay club and how a neighboring district was successful in beginning a new Chapter, “Swordsmen.” That, no outside group would be likely to stage such a “take over” of our group; but then again I wonder if I am right? I think about the Lodges that I knew when I first started out. The Old Arcadia, the Old Triune, the Old Palace, Old Neighbor, Old Lamoille, Old Calumet and Old Triluminar and I wonder. We discussed online how it was that the Old Bodley, Springfield, Harmony and Rushville Lodges were so certain that they were Right in their Masonry, to do away with Keokuk, Far West, Rising Star, Nauvoo, the Old Columbus and Warsaw Lodges to prevent the Mormon invasion, then, even to the extermination of their “Prophet,” who served for a brief moment as our Grand Chaplain and his Brother the Senior Warden of the Nauvoo Lodge.

So I pose to the group my own personal thoughts and this question. Not because anything has happened but because in my experience those who do not learn from the past are destined to relive it. Are there any Cow Birds left in Free Masonry? And, are our current Lodges harboring any among us and doing enough, instead, to support the fledglings who are needed to build us up?

[Janet Wintermute]

This is such an interesting post on so many levels that I'm leaving it
intact, below, for any who might have missed it.

The takeover of masonry by the cowbird analogues took place in the years
after World War II here in the United States, when the Grands decided to
throw the lodge doors open to returning soldiers. The high-school
dropout here nationwide was 50% in 1950. The education level of
draftees, most of whom made up the non-officer ranks of the army that
defeated Hitler, was certainly lower than the average of the whole
population. So basically we're talking about the admission of scads of
men who, before WW2, would not have been considered suitable candidates.
Of course, the second degree should have inspired management to educate
the new breed of applicants, but that would have been a lot of hard work.

So, instead, management began gutting the Craft of its esoteric content
to make it "accessible" to the newbies, the cowbirds. Pretty soon the
qualities of masonry that used to attract the rich, powerful, and highly
educated men diminished and they stopped viewing masonry as the
organization of choice. Membership has gone from 4 million in 1958 to
under 2 million today. That decline is all the more drastic when one
considers how the population has increased over the same period. Now
it's the postwar cowbirds in the catbird seat: they're the generation in
the GLines.

The resurgence of interest in European-style masonry is manifesting in
the creation of so-called traditional observance lodges where degree
progress is slow and candidates must write papers on masonic topics,
present them in open lodge, and discuss their points with the audience.
Obviously a TO experience would appeal more to men cut from the prewar
cloth than to the cowbird set.

So, personally, I don't think Freemasonry is likely to be "taken over"
by cowbirdy types today. I think that happened decades ago. If anything,
it might be taken back over by the robins who used to dominate the
neighborhood.

--Janet Wintermute
Master Mason
Atlanta Lodge No. 23, Atlanta, GA
Eastern Order of International Co-Freemasonry
and
Liberty Lodge No. 3, Bethesda, MD
George Washington Union
(the latter a European-style masonic outfit top to bottom)

Post by Torence
Yesterday, I had the chance to go for a swim in Lake Michigan with a particularly good friend, an uncommonly intelligent individual who I met while working my store in Whiting last year. She shared with me a video that her sister took from her camera of a Robbin’s nest on her window sill. Over time, the birds grew up and graduated to flight leaving the parent a bit confused by their absence; but hopefully satisfied.
Surrounded by nature on the shore there, I commented to her how I had noticed that by my house there were many Robbins early in this season; but not so many now. They have been replaced by an uncommon number of Cow Birds whose life cycle is based upon a false premise. Cow Birds enjoy a short gestation period. They lay their eggs in the nests of other species and after hatching, being naturally larger, they push any adopted siblings out to obtain more of what the parent has to offer. Eventually, should they succeed in a neighborhood, there are no other birds; and they also die out as there are no more hosts to feed them.
Earlier in the morning, I had been conducting a forum discussion online with two young men who were interested in Masonry. One was a former Latter Day Saint who was worried that the Church was promoting support for the Republican Front Runner in that he would be full filling a promise and a prophesy that Joseph Smith had made for himself. Another is now a Methodist, a former Missouri Synod Lutheran who chose not to join his Church after spending time amongst us heathens. Both wanted to know if Masonry saw the religions in which they were raised as incompatible organizations. Both shared one thing in common between themselves. As younger men they were both encouraged by their churches to go into scouting. The notion of their Church Leadership, then, was that it was easier for their religion to take an existing organization over rather than start one from the ground up and the scout troops offered up just such an opportunity for them.
Of course, I told them of our Demolay club and how a neighboring district was successful in beginning a new Chapter, “Swordsmen.” That, no outside group would be likely to stage such a “take over” of our group; but then again I wonder if I am right? I think about the Lodges that I knew when I first started out. The Old Arcadia, the Old Triune, the Old Palace, Old Neighbor, Old Lamoille, Old Calumet and Old Triluminar and I wonder. We discussed online how it was that the Old Bodley, Springfield, Harmony and Rushville Lodges were so certain that they were Right in their Masonry, to do away with Keokuk, Far West, Rising Star, Nauvoo, the Old Columbus and Warsaw Lodges to prevent the Mormon invasion, then, even to the extermination of their “Prophet,” who served for a brief moment as our Grand Chaplain and his Brother the Senior Warden of the Nauvoo Lodge.
So I pose to the group my own personal thoughts and this question. Not because anything has happened but because in my experience those who do not learn from the past are destined to relive it. Are there any Cow Birds left in Free Masonry? And, are our current Lodges harboring any among us and doing enough, instead, to support the fledglings who are needed to build us up?
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[Doug Freyburger]

Post by Janet Wintermute
The takeover of masonry by the cowbird analogues took place in the years
after World War II here in the United States, when the Grands decided to
throw the lodge doors open to returning soldiers. The high-school
dropout here nationwide was 50% in 1950. The education level of
draftees, most of whom made up the non-officer ranks of the army that
defeated Hitler, was certainly lower than the average of the whole
population. So basically we're talking about the admission of scads of
men who, before WW2, would not have been considered suitable candidates.
Of course, the second degree should have inspired management to educate
the new breed of applicants, but that would have been a lot of hard work.

The nature of the fraternity changes every few generations. The century
before it had been viewed as a benefit society. The century that just
ended it was viewed as a social club and/or a charity club. Such
evolutions are the nature of the beast and they will continue. As each
generation that pushes a change reaches critical mass they will be
viewed as cuckcoos by the previous generation. That too is the nature
of the beast.

Post by Janet Wintermute
So, instead, management began gutting the Craft of its esoteric content
to make it "accessible" to the newbies, the cowbirds. Pretty soon the
qualities of masonry that used to attract the rich, powerful, and highly
educated men diminished and they stopped viewing masonry as the
organization of choice.

When I went through my degrees in 1993 it took years before I
encountered more than a couple of brothers who even knew that Masonry
had mystical meanings. Now I am gratified to learn that very many of
the young guys are interested in the topic. At a recent discussion
group meeting I stayed after talking with a young brother. I mentioned
that the due guards and signs have to do with energy centers and asked
if he knew the word "chakhra". He pulled out a note book, turned to a
page and showed me a color coded chart about chakhras! We went though
the due guards and signs comparing the positions and movements to what
chakhras are involved. I described the detailed differences of the
signs as taught in California versus Illinois. He pointed out that the
different movements of the right and left arms did positive and negative
movements of energy. That's not something that would have been interest
to almost any Mason I've ever met who was raised in the generations of
1930 through 1980.

There's also the fact that there was a significant effort to get along
with stricter and stricter churches to attact members. I don't know if
that happened outside of the US. Because we never discuss religion in
lodge and because the free thought and philosophy aspects got little
attention the membership went from not teaching the mystical aspects to
not learning the mystical aspects to denying that there are any mystical
aspects to welcoming members who would not tolerate any mention of
mystical aspects.

But the mystical aspects remain anyways and so there are still churches
not comfortable with their members becoming brothers. That's a
conflict we've seen in the past and I don't think the young guys are
aware that they are headed straight back into it like a jaugernaut on
collision course. There's going to be a lot more conflict as we pick up
more and more young guys interested in the mystical stuff and I for one
and quite comfortable with that notion.

Post by Janet Wintermute
Membership has gone from 4 million in 1958 to
under 2 million today. That decline is all the more drastic when one
considers how the population has increased over the same period. Now
it's the postwar cowbirds in the catbird seat: they're the generation in
the GLines.

Are we mixing cause and effect here?

Masonry has undergone century long swings in popularity. Brothers who
are now getting their 50 year pins have seen Masonry decline in
popularity their entire lives. Brothers who are now being raised are
likely to see Masonry rise in popularity until they get their own 50
year pins. Having always seen it that way they will tend to think in
those terms. But our Craft has seen several such swings across the
centuries.

Masonry has also seen evolutions in focus. From trade union to
philosophy club to benefit society to charity group to social club. And
now there's the start of a swing back to the philosophy again. How much
of these changes have reflected the interests of society and had little
to do with the swing of popularity? I suggest the two are less linked
than you appear to think.

Post by Janet Wintermute
The resurgence of interest in European-style masonry is manifesting in
the creation of so-called traditional observance lodges where degree
progress is slow and candidates must write papers on masonic topics,
present them in open lodge, and discuss their points with the audience.
Obviously a TO experience would appeal more to men cut from the prewar
cloth than to the cowbird set.

It is consistant with the young guys having an interest in philosophy
and the mystical. It is also consistant with a societal move away from
union labor. Cause and effect or two different effects? I go with two
different effects.

Post by Janet Wintermute
So, personally, I don't think Freemasonry is likely to be "taken over"
by cowbirdy types today. I think that happened decades ago. If anything,
it might be taken back over by the robins who used to dominate the
neighborhood.

I have walked on egg shells in lodge worrying I might offend some
brother from a very strict church and I have gradually become
comfortable not worrying about it. Masonry is what it is and that
includes the mystical stuff and always has included it. With certainty
some of the social club or charity club brothers from strict churches
watch me gradually open up about the mystical stuff and think I'm one
of the cuckcoos. I do not have a problem with that happening.

Am I a throw back to a previous century or a front guard for the next?
If the philosophers do end up the majority I could see myself in that
light. But Masonry is cyclical not really linear. I'm more out of
phase than ahead of behind. A minority opinion member. A cuckcoo or
cow bird? It would be nice.