A LETTER TO A LODGE MENTOR

Dear W.Bro. Kyeremanteng,

      Last regular meeting you were no where to be found, I had a couple of questions for you. Oh,I just remembered that, the one before the recent meeting too, you were absent and the secretary like always, said "W.Bro. Kyeremanteng is unavoidably absent with an apology of ghc5". Do you know a secret?, I don't even know you.

Brother Mentor, are you sick abed? or you are the busiest person in this touch screen world?. In fact, I am covetous of your position, so much that, I wish to be given such an honourable office in the lodge and never show up. So that newly initiated Brethren will keep divagating from the mainstream Freemasonry. Afterall who will punish or hold me accountable for my rather worsening behaviour.

When I was an Entered Apprentice, I had so many questions about the order. They ranged from the many conspiracy theories I had read online prior to my entry to the inner workings of the initiation ceremony. Each time the question of why I had joined the fraternity came into mind, I answered myself in that unfaithful inner voice "because I want to be a better man". You also wanted to be a better man?, thats sweet, I guess you are now. Oh yes, I don't know you but I think you are the best man ever in the lodge. You alone, give alms in ghc5 note even in your somehow perpetual absenteeism.

Two weeks after my long and silent walk in the order, I had rigorous recourse to the same old map, which led me to those funny writings against the beautiful fraternity. I mean the internet. So even after my membership, I still relied on some uninitiated folks online, to teach and counsel me. One of them corrupted my interest and nearly took me out of the order. On other platforms where open discussions were held, I tried to antagonize their filthy points but I always lost the battle because I didn't even know who I was as a Mason. Those days, I too said, "to hell with Freemasonry" and then at the next turn "I want to be a better man too oo". So Bro. Mentor, you now have another view of why you remain my best man.

One day when I couldn't deceive myself anymore, I decided to talk to the secretary. I was surprised when he said it was your peculiar duty to educate me, answer all my questions and assist me in making daily advancement in masonic knowledge. Do you know I started taking pictures of you?, I saw you to be another masonic professor, I saw you to be the most disciplined Mason, I knew you were one to whom the Duke of Kent had bestowed such honour, well, if that picture still existed, I would have printed it out of my mind and better left it with the Temple care taker, his kids may need it.

Out of my own industry and of course, the assistance of some senior Brethren, I started seeing the light and keep searching for further lights.
But I have come to tell you that, two more Masons have been initiated and they don't even know the name of their lodge. Are you surprised?. Okay, in your reply state whether you are or not, so I can communicate to them your state, good works and excellence.
Let me quickly add that, a fellow craft before me, asked me many interesting questions, of them included; why we wore only black suit and white shirt and white gloves, why the lodge had a chequered floor and why etc.

I think am talking too much, as a last general information, am sure you are already aware three EAs have left the lodge, because they don't seem to duly appreciate the society they had become members through a long and tiring ceremony. The WM and other Senior Brethren were as busy as you, so no one could help them crawl in the light, they preferred running in their darkness than be left alone in a supposed light.

Before you make up your mind, let me advise you in my humble little self, never to send those ghc5 again, I think we don't need them more than you.

Fraternally Yours
Bro. Oppong Clifford Benjamin.
Excelsior Lodge No. 7670 EC.

#Cliffmasonicletters ---- are just open thought letters, not referring to anybody in particular but to address a general concern in Freemasonry lodges in Ghana.