Bridging the Gap of Expectations | Avoid disappointment

Bridging the Gap of Expectations in Freemasonry Avoiding disappointment and making the journey more fulfilling Before Men join Freemasonry, they might have an expectation of what really happens behind closed doors. That expectation, often-times fantastic and unrealistic, tends to be shaped by misinformation and ignorance. A members of this Fraternal organization, we should understand before hand, what people expect of us and how much of those expectations we can actually meet. Are you tired of hearing people bad-mouthing our Order? Did you expect things out of Freemasonry, which never materialized? Is there anything you can do as an individual to curve the erroneous expectations that people have of us? These are some of the questions we explore in this episode of The Winding Stairs and hope that you are able to find good answers that can help you make a real difference. The Candidate Before being given admittance into our Lodges, the candidates might have a very fantastic idea of what really happens behind our closed doors. Doors guarded by a Tyler must be holding back all kinds of awesome, right? Well, although our ritual is amazing and contains great lessons that have the potential of changing a Man's life forever, some candidates might have been aligning their expectations with movies and books, which is a recipe for inevitable disappointment. If we can better understand these preconceived expectations, then we can either work diligently to meet them or help the candidate curve his expectations and shift his focus to the great assets contained within our walls. Some of the things that people expect of our fraternity are supposed to be there but have been either neglected or ignored for various reasons. Here is where we have room for improvement and have the young impressionable mind of the candidate in our hands. The Newly Initiated Brother is thirsty for knowledge and oftentimes overwhelmed by data. It is essential that we understand the individual reasons each new Brother had to knock at our door. Some join for the pride of following in their Father's footsteps, others are desirous of the camaraderie and Brotherly love and others come to fulfill a deep desire for the Esoteric and the knowledge of the ages. With this information in mind, we can ensure that Brothers are receiving that for which they came to Freemasonry and do not leave dissatisfied. Our membership numbers would be much more impressive if everyone made it his commitment to find a Brother and ensure his expectations of Freemasonry are being met. The Lodge Officer Finally, Lodge officers might begin their Journey due East with great expectations of what they will achieve once they are sitting in the Worshipful Master's seat. They might have seen how other Brothers who came before managed their year as Masters and begin crafting a plan to achieve the previously impossible. However, the real focus should be on doing the best work in each of the chairs of the Lodge Officers. Understanding what are the expectations of you as a Lodge Officer in your respective chair, meeting and exceeding those expectations. Therein lies the great achievement of your Journey due east. That you best worked on every step of the way.