Election Grand Style

by RmOlano
11Dec06

Questions and Truth.
Instead of writing separate responses to offline emails with same topic, allow me to post my thoughts in regards to your inquiries through this medium of pinoymasons group.

I never meet nor heard of Bro Jimmy Gonzales until I saw his entry to the guestbook. Some of you vouched for his character and qualification which I don’t doubt to be true. I was taken back by the statement posted not only to a different jurisdiction (Arizona) but in Internet as well. We are talking about an election process here and for someone to openly say that one will be elected was a powerful statement of a very confident person. I guess I am expecting some resemblance of humility from those who will or aspiring be entrusted to wield power.

Let us get the facts and avoid the hearsays and speculation as to what is the intent or reason of the message. Certainly, I will not even delve into "correctness" or otherwise, as some hypothesized from previous postings.

Fact 1: Whoever signed the guestbook declared with certain confidence that the election result is already preordained as in "will be."

Fact 2: There was no caveat in the statement as in "maybe," or "if." It is a done deal.

Fact 3: The statement was true since the Brother was elected and the current Deputy Grand Master of GLP.

Election is a process where a vote is to be caste by qualified individual. A motion could be made to have the Secretary cast a unanimous vote BUT anybody could dissent to such motion or have the option to leave and refuse to participate. We could argue that the motion is rather polished way of ensuring the continuity of those who are serving or on-line. I do not agree on this method as it defeats the meaning of the word "election" but that is acceptable and that's how our system works. Not all Junior Wardens automatically assumed the next higher chair due to various reasons, non-qualification, withdrawal, political moves, etc. which is normally manifested by being NOT elected.

Talking about politics, the same good old boys network is alive even within our Order and to deny this fact will never change an iota of reality. Our Order is still composed of men---though flawed but still striving to be a better man. This is a fact of life not borne of speculation which brings us to the topic of truth. Often time's truth hurts and normal people avoid pain, we rather pat ourselves in the back and sing kumbaya while praising each other how good we are. Pity for those who bring discomfort by asking relevant questions, nine lashes for those who bring pain by soliciting for changes, and brand them as not loyalist or even clandestine as if the judges themselves never had spots on their purple aprons.

Some of you asked pointed question such as change in the process, some of you boldly raised issues on electoral change, some wonders what will happen if the research contradicts the current practice, my Brothers there are group of Masons who asked the same questions and concerns, they are now branded as "clandestine."However, if you are just lambasting the powers that be, you'll just a received a copy of poem about don't question your boss or you can get hell out of Dodge because you are a pain in the ass.

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