I remember being in high school and staying away from the violence. I remember seeing guys chased down the streets with machetes, hearing about fights being organised, and seeing people I would have called friends getting seriously hurt or injured as part of this.

Back then it was about Gang Pride, wearing a colour or being of a certain ethnicity and having issues with other ethnicities. It felt like it was always between the Asian or Middle Eastern groups. This evolved to also include the Islanders (Tongans/Kiwis/Samoans).

None of this ever impacted me directly, although the things I saw and stories I heard still stick with me to this day.

The interesting thing that I remember is that the violence never involved females!

Watching this video made me sick to my stomach. The girls being photographed look ridiculous. I’d have loved to be at the photo shoot to hear the advice that was being given. These girls think that they are on the streets of South Central LA.

These girls have fights to join a gang. What the hell is the point of joining a gang? Get your ass to school and study. Being part of a bunch of girls who beat up other girls as part of an initiation rite is ludicrous. How does this serve to benefit you? What’s it going to take for you idiots to wake up?

This stuff seems to be running rampant in the streets of Inner Western Sydney, along with the Western Suburbs. Wasn’t it but 18 months ago when 2 girls under the age of 18 bashed and (if I remember correctly) killed a taxi driver? WTF!?!?

I’ve seen people like this before. I’ve had mates who are 2Pac wannabes in public, then attend church on a Sunday with their family and act all innocent. I’d love to see if these girls do the same. What would their Parish Priest say? Actually, let’s get the Religious aspect out of this, what the hell do the schools have to say about this?

There was a teacher ranking system that was in the news 6 to 12 months back that allowed students to rate their teachers. I’m surprised that there isn’t a Board of Education database that tracks the marks and infringements of all the students. This information could be used for multiple purposes. By Mental Health specialists to research what is going on with the kids of today. Has mobile phone radiation made the youth more angry? To the police to map out underage crime – and track or monitor suspected future problem adults. There are probably heaps more but I am coming down off a beer infused BBQ high and my innovation has decided to take the rest of the night off.

Regardless, the crux of the matter is that this crap does not belong in society. It shouldn’t be glorified in the news. These girls should be put in handcuffs and taken to a female prison with the craziest bitches you can think of and scared into reality! Do the same thing for all the gangsta guys who get caught for “petty crime” and let off with a warning.

Are the kids of today bored? Has so much changed since I left school? Damn I feel old!

Sometimes I think, just bring back the cane (although I never had it in school and would have threatened violence on anyone who tried to discipline me in that manner).

Does this go back to the parents? Do they even know?

Doubt my post will do anything to change what is going on, but a nice rant always makes me feel better!

Ciao for now.

Mark

I do hope that one day, these girls will look back on their extreme stupidity with some sense of horror or disgust (and hopefully a huge amount of regret!)

I wanted to first, wish all my friends, family and Brethren, along with all the innocent bystanders all the best with coping in such an ugly situation.

I’ve watched a number of YouTube videos with clips of the looters setting fire to innocent businesses and ultimately wreaking havoc across the country.

These criminals are not protesting peacefully! They are making a mockery of the freedoms and liberties they are given. The police seem to be stretched to their limits.

I would love to see a case of Police Academy 1 – C.O.P. – Citizens on Patrol

People power. The innocent victims of these youths that are looting and rioting should combine, and retaliate. The thugs will lose to real people power!

I generally would try to use an analogy and reflect on a way to live your life in peace, however, if for some reason this happened in Sydney, I would assemble the largest group of FREE men to unite and fight the stupidity, selfishness, greed and agony that the few are unleashing upon the many.

Food for thought?

An awesome evening where a young Brother and good mate of mine was among 3 candidates passed to the 2nd Degree in Freemasonry. The night flew passed, and before I knew it, we were enjoying a lovely dinner at a local Greek restaurant.

During the course of the evening, and the reason I right this post right now, I managed to show the Grand Master the photo of one of the tomb stones I photographed earlier today.

Lodge Number 11, is no longer in existence, and the GM has issued a challenge for me to get it back up and running again.

Challenge has been accepted, although this is a 3 year revival plan. Lodge University of New South Wales is priority #1!

When taking a job order from one of my clients or stakeholders, I always ask what are their mandatory requirements. As a Freemason, our prerequisites are the following.

1. You must be a Male and at least 18 years of age.
2. You must not have a criminal record.
3. You must believe in God or a Supreme Being of sorts (God, Allah, Buddah, etc)

As most of you who know me are aware, my beach of choice is Coogee, just down the road from where I live.

I thought something wasn’t right when the low tide, coupled with the big waves had whitewash 5 foot high. To avoid this and the excessive amounts of seaweed, I swam out a little further (about 50m from the waters edge). Instead of being able to rise over the waves calmly, I continued to get smashes by 12 foot monster waves.

Treading water and utterly exhausted, with arms and legs cramping, and being crushed under another monster wave, I thought that I was getting ready to meet my Maker… and at that point, I felt a behemoth of a wave hit me with great force… I felt seaweed wrapped around my neck, I opened my eyes to see more seaweed around me, I held my breath for as long as I could…

The movies get you to think that your life flashes before your eyes… Mine didn’t. I saw Mary. My parents. I saw grief and dispair in their eyes. I heard Mary crying… and then I heard the voice of my recently deceased best mate, Dave Coburn saying

“You haven’t finished working in the quarries my Brother!”

I saw myself in a coffin and heard people say “how disappointing!”

I felt lifeless… Paralyzed by fear! I reached up to the my throat and untangled the seaweed that was strangling me and swam like a crazy man to the surface.

Emotionally charged, yet physically depleted, I managed to bodysurf along a few waves til I could lay my feet firmly in the sand, then slowly, trudged my way out of the water to where my towel awaited me.

I wrote the majority of this while in a state of shock, still coughing up water and feeling like if I had waited any longer, I would not have been here today.

I remember thinking, that I never want to see the faces of my soon to be wife, and parents filled with such grief, nor do I want to disappoint those who put their trust in me.

Have you ever thought you were going to die?

Have you done anything different since that moment?

I’ve spent the majority of today in Zahle, a small village which seems like a combination of punchbowl and cabramatta malls, running around looking for shoes, clothes and jewelry to buy.

I spent the night with my uncles friends talking about Religion and politics, and then the topic of Zionism and ultimately, Freemasonry!

Not being the best at speaking Arabic, it was tougher than normal trying to explain the massive misconceptions about the Craft, however, I’d like to think I did well. I find it hilarious how an organisation that has such a little presence in a country can still have negative connotations about it.

I then start to think about Freemasonry on a global level and how we could best utilize the skills and experience of all the Crafts members to assist society as a whole.

Conspiracy theorists may jump on this and say that I am implying world domination, however it is quite the contrary… I think that if we work together, we can make wonderful things happen.

The best way to do this would be something like what is listed below.

• Establish a leadership team in your Lodge.
• Work together to build your community in your Lodge.
• Try to transcend what you have successfully implemented in your lodge in your district.
• When your district is strong, use what has been implemented at a regional level…
• You have now created a solid track record.

Think big, start small.

Maybe if we were to use this model more with our interaction with the wider community, the negative connotations that exist at present would cease.

All it takes is one good idea… Look at Google, Facebook, Microsoft. One good idea.

Work with your team to implement your strategy and great things may come of it.

I write this from the garden of my cousins uncles house… I have the setting sun shining in my eyes through the clouds, its rays reflecting off the snow covered mountain tops. Behind me, I have an empty sand bed, which stretches up to another set of mountains, running adjacent to a church, a cemetery, a number of villages and up to the beautiful mountain.The sand bed is full of sandstones, and a heap of litter lies among it. This is winter time in Raas Baalbak. A tiny village 2.5 hours north west of Beirut.

The community in this village is a mix of Christians and Muslims. It is a pretty quiet place, people tend to stick to themselves, but they are all part of the same community, they are proud to live here, proud to say where they are from, and assist others within it in times of need.

I hear the sounds of nails being driven into timber, as this community works on the formwork to build a bridge, which will connect both sides of the town together when summer arrives and melts the snow from the mountains, which runs down along the sand bed and through this town.

My brothers, the builders of the bridge and the unification of this town in an country that is divided, reminds me of our community…

Just as seasons change, do we welcome new Brothers to our community, and we, being of all ages, races and creeds accept one another because of the moral worth of a Freemason, working together, to build a bigger and better future for us all.

Freemasonry is described as being “veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbols,” but I ask the question, why is it that when we deal with one another, that our comments seem more vague than direct? Why are our conversations veiled in allegory?

During my involvement with Freemasonry, I have asked many questions of both younger and senior Masons, and I find it increasingly upsetting, and entertaining, watching the answers formulate in response, specifically from our more esteemed senior Masons.

I ask the question, “Why did you join the Craft?” Write down your answer to this question.

Now ask yourself, “What do I hope to achieve in Masonry over the next 5 years?” Write down the answer.

Finally, ask yourself, “Why am I still a Mason?” I think that the answers will shock all of us.

Freemasonry is a wonderful thing. The ceremonies we go through within the Lodge room are amazing, however once you enter the world of Lodge management, or 2020, or being to converse with senior Masons, everything becomes cloudy.

To all my Brothers in this wonderful Craft, I ask you for the following. Look at the questions above, reflect on your answers, see how your thoughts of the Craft have changed since you began your journey as an EAF and most of all try to get back on track.

Be direct in your conversations. Remember that we are all Brothers and that we should all look out for one another. Be mates, be honest…

Fraternally,

Mark

I like to think of myself of a black and white communicator. Things are or they aren’t. I’m a firm Believer that transparency in communication is key to ensure relationships thrive.

On Saturday, I attended a lodge and invited a brother with whom I’ve witnessed his initiation and passing. This brother has not been at lodge for
6 months and has only stayed in touch with one person from the lodge.  Neither the Master, or any of the officers including membership officer had been in touch.

This Brother had accepted a promotion that involved him switching to shift work, which redoubtably affected his ability to attend Lodge. He has tried to touch base with little success…

When we talk about membership, most people don’t realize that this falls into many other areas… IT, marketing, ritual, the South, fraternity,
mateship, communication!

This man has stayed a Mason as he sees there is value… However, I ask you to think about the number of brothers we will lose because they have no contact from other members of the Lodge? No-one that they feel they can truly connect with.

I read an email from a brother recently who said that most people aren’t aware of his personal situation; which got me thinking… “Brotherhood means different things to us all.”

To me, Brotherhood is very important. I’ve got a terrible relationship with my brother. He is a drug addict that has defrauded me of thousands of
dollars, tarnished mine and the family name in the community, whilst creating friction in the family and making life hell for my parents.

Why do I say this on a public forum… My brothers, before joining freemasonry, the idea of brotherhood was long lost to me. I was admitted
into Freemasonry in darkness having to place my trust in someone I barely knew. Trusting someone was so damn hard to do… The only person I trusted was Mary… At times it felt like I didn’t trust myself. So, being in a state of darkness was so tough… I had to be passive and not on the front
foot or defensive as I’ve felt like I had to be in all other aspects of my life.

This is the reason that being a Mason is huge for me… I now have Brothers that I trust as much as my better half. Brethren that I know will be there for me in my darkest moments. Brothers that truly care about my health (physical and mental) and general well being.

My brothers, every brother has a story, and the Craft is unique because it moulds itself to the individual. However, if we are unable to guide our
newer members, as we would our own blood in their day to day lives, what good is the reference to brotherhood in our Fraternity?

I ask you all to keep your lines of communication transparent with all members… Stay in touch with all your brothers and try to get to know them outside of Lodge. Being a Freemason isn’t just 4 hours a month… or when you are in a Lodge room. We are Freemasons every second, of every minute, of every hour in the day.

Brethren, by staying in touch with this brother and getting him to Lodge, he has met a brother that actively visits and happens to live 100m from his front door!

It is said that “Visiting is the life blood of Freemasonry!”, however, I disagree. Communication is the key to life. If we are unable to speak to
someone who we say “meets us on the level”, or is a Brother, then what is the point of being a Freemason???

The next time you are at Lodge, whether it be your own, or when visiting, seek out the person you would never associate with and sit with him. Join him in the South. Talk to him. This person could reveal things to you about yourself that you would never know.

I hope you are all having an awesome week so far and look forward to seeing you all out and about.

KFR,
Mark