Eastern Star (rant?)

[msmemory_archive]

Just ruminating for the moment.

Right now, I can't think of any good reason to stay in the organization.

I'm tired of being nagged about scholarship committee stuff. Yes, I realize I've held up the checks to the people who returned their paperwork promptly because I was waiting to get the paperwork from the procrastinators and send my documentation to the Treasurer. Yeah, I just got the first four together. Maybe I'll hear from the other three sometime.

I don't want to go to ceremony rehearsals; I don't want to go to the meetings when I could be doing something far more pleasant that doesn't involve skipping dinner, squeezing into evening clothes and high heels, and insincere "worship."
ETA: I'm tired of the rehearsals and ceremonies being based so carefully on exact reproduction of the text and floor work. So what if I turned a round corner there? Or said "said" instead of "saith"? Too much energy expended on carefully listening and critiqueing and too little on emotion and meaning.

I'm tired of being smothered by the TLC of my fellow chapter members (with 2-3 particular exceptions, who happen to be in my own age group). They're all ready to send me get well cards, but not so ready to cut me slack when I don't meet obligations because of illness.

I'm tired of being pressured to take offices or committee seats, bring potluck, help with catering, etc. Especially I'm tired of being guilted into doing stuff "because you young people should take up your share."

I won't have to feel apologetic for an organization allegedly open to any theistic person with the proper Masonic connection, which actually and explicitly expects Christianity in its ceremonies and modes of recognition. (Every time we get a Jewish applicant, it upsets me that we sing "Blest Be the Tie That Binds Our Hearts in Christian Love.")

Yes, if I drop out, either casually by skipping meetings or more formally:

I'll leave a gap on the Hundred Year Anniversary Committee.

I'll never be appointed to a Grand Chapter office, like Grand Star Point -- but I'll never have to deal with the resulting burdens of travel and fundraising. (And staying does not guarantee me such an appointment, either.)

I'll miss having excuses to buy pretty evening gowns.

I'll miss particular people in my chapter: JMA, KMB, DMG, PSI.

Comments

[msmemory.livejournal.com]

Heh. I am darn close to being the youngest active member of my chapter. We have younger members, mostly other members' kids, but once initiated they never became active.

[rufinia.livejournal.com]

I toyed with the idea of applying (because I've got the lineage to do that, but not get scholarships :P), and may again ponder it, but realized from s afew comments you made that I'd be the youngest one around by FAR- and didn't want to be that position at this time in my (zomgcrazy) life.

[msmemory.livejournal.com]

You might get scholarships, though I think we require some minimum number of years of membership by you or your ancestor, just to keep people from joining to get money. Of course, by that time hopefully you'll be Dr. Rufinia, and it'd be too late.

[rufinia.livejournal.com]

The scholarship requirements said the relative has to be grandparent or closer, and the closest I've got is great-grandparents and a great-uncle. (Grampa wanted nothing to do with it, and was irked that his daughters did.)

[oakleaf-mirror.livejournal.com]

I can well believe that. My father and brother are Masons, and I've heard any number of stories about lodges where the only active people are retirement age or older.

They belong to what sounds like one of the very few active lodges that is bringing in, and involving, young people. But it took them a while to get there, and three lodges merged into the current one (and oh, the drama there!).