EP 124 Masonry in the Not-So-Good Old Days: Jeff Bayer on Lodge Culture and Texas

Were the old days of Masonry really that good?In EP 124 of Masonic Muscle, our resident Curmudgeon, Jeff Bayer, Past Master, returns to talk about how his journey in Freemasonry began, how the Craft was practiced when he came in, and how we eventually created something “not-so-new” at Palm Springs Lodge No. 693 before he left for Tennessee.This episode asks:How can Masons learn from the past without turning the “good old days” into a fantasy?We discuss:Jeff Bayer’s early journey in Freemasonryhow Masonry was practiced when he joinedthe not-so-good old daysPalm Springs Lodge No. 693 historyfilling gaps in our lodge storyMasonic educationBlue Lodge culturementors, fellowship, and foodold ways versus useful wayshow we built something not-so-new at our lodgeJeff’s thoughts on the Grand Lodge of TexasTrivium influence and lodge improvementThe phrase “good old days” can be dangerous.Sometimes the past gives us wisdom.Sometimes the past gives us bad habits with better lighting.A serious Mason should not worship the past.He should study it.What worked?What failed?What was worth preserving?What should have been corrected years ago?That is the real work.Freemasonry does not need nostalgia.It needs memory, judgment, standards, and men willing to build something worth inheriting.Follow Masonic Muscle:Instagram: @masonicmuscleTikTok: @masonicmuscle357Have a lodge story, Masonic question, old document, origin theory, fitness transformation story, or want to come on the show?Write to me at:[email protected] and follow Masonic Muscle on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Overcast, or wherever you get your podcasts.