With the decline in membership, and the loss of revenue from dues, in recent years Grand Lodges have become especially alarmed. They have often committed vast amounts of capital to homes for the elderly, and these can’t simply be abandoned. While they have encouraged Lodges to initiate more and more men, and to make the initiation process easier, they have not instituted policies that – to use the cold language of the modern age – give value for money. They have been reactionary rather than pro-active; and they have largely promoted the Craft in a way that appealed to them when they were young men, or, perhaps, that appealed to their fathers, who introduced them to the Lodge in the first place. Consequently new members often disappear after a short while.
But the situation cannot be entirely blamed on the various Grand Lodges and the elder statesmen that populate them either. Simply, put, they cannot legislate initiative. Freemasonry is, and has always been, a voluntary society, and has always required its members volunteering their talents, knowledge and understanding. In the eighteenth century when it was enormously popular Freemasonry was characterized by creative zeal. Men painted their own Masonic aprons, or their wives sowed and embroidered them. They made the tools for the Lodge, painted tracing boards, or drew illustrations directly onto the floor in chalk. Moreover, Freemasons discussed and even argued over Freemasonry. They delivered lectures. They ate, drank, sang, and even put on Masonic plays together. It deserved the name, “the Craft.”
There is another important change. If in the eighteenth century the philosophical and so-called “esoteric Freemasons” were particularly active and vocal – writing books, lecturing, creating Rites and Degrees (even if these were frowned upon) – today they a silent, and one might say a rather guarded group. Such Freemasons are, typically, aware of the esoteric tradition generally (the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, alchemy, Cabala, etc.), and, as such, they may be more knowledgeable about related traditions than the average Brother. They have something to contribute to the Lodge, but, instead, it seems they want to hoard their knowledge, as if it is a finite resource which will run dry if shared. Some of them have expressed to me that their Grand Lodge may disapprove or even punish them in some undefined way if they hear of their interests.
No doubt I am an esoteric Mason of sorts. I have given talks on the Golden Rosicrucians in Lodge, and in May my book, ‘The Forest of Symbols,’ specifically charting the impact of Freemasonry on the Western Esoteric Tradition, will be published. So far I have encountered no hostility from the Grand Lodges, and have even been praised by many of the members of the Grand Line, and asked to do more. I am not trying to inflate my importance, but simply to point out that the fears of esoteric Freemasons are probably not justified. Most Brothers did not join the Craft because of fraternity or charity. To differing degrees most have an interest in philosophy, symbols, mythology, esotericism, etc., and all have a burning interest in the Craft itself.
Grand Lodges might be faulted for not encouraging a lively intellectual tradition within Freemasonry, but those of a century ago were no better than those of today. Indeed, one might cite positive examples of our own time, such as the Grand Lodge of New York’s publication of a manual for Masters of Lodges, containing history, lectures, and even a few texts from the eighteenth century, and the Grand Lodge of British Columbia and Yukon posting of an extensive list of papers on Freemasonry and esotericism on its site. In Europe, where Freemasonry is flourishing, Entered Apprentices are expected to give lectures on the Craft. It’s a good practice. New Brothers get to learn a lot in a short time, and Lodges ensure that they have knowledgeable members who are getting the most out of Lodge, and who are able to give the most back, and mentor younger Brothers, or simply answer their questions intelligently, when the time comes.
Brothers in English-speaking countries may bewail the promotion of the Craft as a fraternity-cum-charity (certainly I do), especially when it is currently attracting global attention as a Mystery tradition. But unless individual Freemasons as well as Lodges take the initiative, go out on a limb, and give talks on the Craft, and cultivate the kind of enthusiasm for Freemasonry inside the Lode that one regularly experiences with Brothers outside of the Lodge, then Grand Lodges will be unable to promote it as a Mystery tradition, or a school of philosophy or esotericism, etc. Masters and Officers of a Lodge are responsible for encouraging discussion of Freemasonry in Lodge, but Brothers who are philosophically or esoterically inclined are equally responsible. Lodges need to be the one place a man can go to learn about Freemasonry. They have to be places of ‘mutual education,’ not entertainment. Only in this way will it remain a rewarding experience for men of our time.
There may be some good news in this regard. The internet – love or hate it – is connecting enthusiastic Masons with one another, and it is becoming increasingly clear that the interest that Freemasonry generates really is in its rituals, symbols, etc., not especially in its charitable works, wonderful though they may be. Brothers are gaining mutual support outside the Lodge, and they are getting quite a bit of information too. However, if it is not to end up comparable to the Lodge dinner, then those who are active online need to be active in Lodge. An article for an online Masonic forum needs to indicate a talk given in Lodge. A comment in a blog needs to suggest a Mason that gives sound advice to younger Brothers. In effect, from Grand Master all the way down to the Entered Apprentice, we are going to have to reinvigorate the Craft ourselves, by bringing it back into the Lodge. We need not worry that every word of a lecture is delivered like a professional speaker, or every talk crafted like the work of a historian or philosopher. We are members of the Craft, not the art. We have to expect the rough with the smooth, but, like online communities, members of Lodges need to share what skills and understanding they have.
used by permission
Sunday, January 27, 2008
The Problem of Fraternity, By Angel Millar (Bro.)
10 Planks of Lodge-Building, by WB William A. Isabelle
A lot of people right now are complaining about what Freemasonry isn't to them. I submit that if the following initiatives were put into practice, things would improve dramatically and quickly.
1. We need to immediately start taking ourselves much more seriously than we currently are.
There is nothing more noble and valuable to this Craft, fraternity, culture and society of Freemasons than taking pride in ourselves as Freemasons and bringing honor to our institution will follow accordingly.
2. Don't walk, but rather run to your Blue Lodge and start giving a damn about the kind of Masons we bring into our midst!
Immediately cease the flow of the unprepared into offices of power that wield consequence to the detriment of all those in their care.
3. If your Lodge is broken and beyond repair, don't waste any more of your precious time listening to stupid, childish, nonsensical bluster and fuss over nothing.
Take charge of your own Masonic experience and go start your own Lodge with a group of like-minded and equally motivated Masons. You will be amazed at the social-alchemy that will be wrought amongst those who work together, to achieve a SHARED VISION.
4. Make Masonic Charity mean Masonic Charity!!!
Stop shoveling money to the administrative fees of faceless charities that don't need your money. Instead, go visit a widow of one of your departed Lodge Brothers and see if her home is in disrepair. Find out if her yard is in need of attention, or even go to lengths to see if she is eating cat food because she is in financial peril and too proud to say so.
If one finds such a situation in their midst, then fix it and stop writing checks to organizations that are endowed beyond this lifetime. Masonic Charity should look after its own house first, and then worry about those beyond our existing responsibilities and obligations.
5. Set an example.
Stand up in Lodge and show the new members that they too can stand up and voice their opinions or offer their individual expertise to benefit the Lodge. Read your Lodge By-Laws and identify the things that must change to adapt to the world we live in today, and vote it so. Read your Grand Lodge Constitution and By-Laws and identify what needs to be changed to adapt to the world we live in today, and write a Resolution or Amendment to that effect.
6. Nobody, and I do mean nobody, has any right to push anyone around in this organization and fraternity of enlightened souls!
If you see someone taking advantage of whatever pitiful authority they think they have, that has convinced them that it's OK to push around the new guy or an Entered Apprentice that doesn't know any better, then it's your immediate and imperative responsibility to step in and correct the situation!!!
7. Bring an immediate end to the promotion and acceptance of incompetence and arrogance!!!
To do so is despicable and patently un-Masonic. I don't know when or where the tenets of Masonry became trifling and petty favors to be bestowed upon the undeserving.
8. Make sure that every man who passes the West Gate of your Lodge has a solid and deepest understanding of how honored he should feel to have been accepted into your Lodge and that he realizes that it is he who owes his Lodge and not the other way around.
9. Past every other trifling concern and non-priority, ensure beyond all else that the ritual which your Lodge represents to its members and to its initiates is deserving of being labeled Masonic and enlightening.
Be ever watchful and ever-ready to provide resources for additional Masonic education to the occasional bright-eyed and overly-interested newly-minted Master Mason.
10. Call your Brothers, go for a beer or a Scotch!
Hang out with your Brethren, get to know each other and start building on the relationships that will define the necessary development of the Masonic community that you will ever be proud of , honored by and grateful for, to have the opportunity to support for the rest of your years.
If we start with this list, I guarantee that the resulting positives to the Craft and your individual journey will be swift and priceless and more than that, you will be on the road you were looking for when you first petitioned the Lodge.
Sincerely & Fraternally,
WB William A. Isabelle
New Forum: We are Live!!
If you haven’t heard of it, there is finally an online Masonic discussion forum that is specifically geared towards Regular Masons by Regular Masons, and interests pertaining to their mutual associations as such.
Finally, there is a place to refer Masons to, new and not, young and old, on the internet, where there isn’t a concern that they will encounter the negative information that seems to fill the majority of the web pages out there.
I look forward to seeing you there, whether you just want to read and watch. If you have a desire to participate in the discussions being had, or even if you might feel compelled to start one of your own, you can.
This forum is for Regular Masons and those who might have questions about perhaps becoming a Freemason.
Best of all, it’s free!! If you like what you find there, feel free to spread the word and forward this message as appropriate.
Check it out and have fun, and enjoy meeting some good brothers from across the world.
Be well brothers.
Sincerely & Fraternally,
WB William A. Isabelle
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
What Are We Going to Do with Masonry? by Br. Ronald D. Martin
I have been pondering a potential comparison to our question of, "what do we do with Masonry." I, like many of you am just a rough ashlar that spends my days working in the Masonic mines. As such, I have come to realize over these many years the repetitive nature of all that we do.
This made me think about a little known psychologist in the early 1900's by the name of Karl Duncker. Duncker was one of the early psychologists that performed experiments that dealt with problem solving. Of course, many of you might ask, what does problem solving have to do with Masonry? We don't have any problems; at least we wouldn't if people would just do things the way we use to do them. Back when our halls were full; when brothers fought to get in line for the chairs (and that wasn't dinner chairs); you know, back when, well…when all was well.
Well let me tell you a little more about Mr. Duncker's experiments, and then maybe you can let me know what you think. Mr. Dunker use to set a table in the middle of a room and place a wide assortment of seemingly unrelated objects on the table. He would then call in a group of volunteers (subjects) and ask them to perform some task utilizing the objects set before them; none of which on the surface appeared appropriate. His goal was to see if the subjects could determine other possible uses for the objects and under what conditions.
In the first experiment, the subjects were asked to mount three small candles on the wall at eye level. Duncker had placed on the table; tacks, paper clips, paper, string, candles, and three small boxes. After pondering the situation all of the subjects realized that they could attach the boxes to the wall and use them as platforms for the candles.
In the second experiment, utilizing the same materials and instruction, Duncker filled the three boxes with the other items that had previously been placed separately on the table. This time very few of the subjects were able to solve the problem. This time the subjects viewed the boxes as serving a specific purpose, simply because they were holding the other items. Therefore, the subjects had a hard time seeing another use for the boxes.
Duncker coined this impediment to problem solving "functional fixedness." This happens when someone that is expected to solve a problem sees the object as having only one specific function (sometimes due to repetitive exposure of a singular use and under repetitive singular understanding) and it becomes much more difficult for the subject to see any other use or function for the object. Duncker considered this a very important discovery (not quite as valuable as discovering the lost word; however, maybe close in our situation). Duncker explains that this is why, in many situations, the most knowledgeable people in any subject are the least likely to deduce a good solution to a new problem in their field of expertise. In a similar fashion, education can create expertise but also functional fixedness. The experts see their tools in terms of functions that they know they serve. He suggests that neophytes may, while coming up with uninformed and even absurd suggestions, see them more creatively. In addition, he suggests that it is no accident that most scientists generally make their most original and important contributions early in their career before suffering, “functional fixedness.”
So, is Masonry suffering from functional fixedness? Here are your three boxes, now tell us “what You are going to do with Our Masonry.”
Monday, January 21, 2008
Obligations. Who Cares, Right? by Br. T. Justin Robinson
There are many things that I consider sacred in my life: my beliefs, my family, my word and my bond.
I was raised a Master Mason in 2005 and jumped right into the lodge. I have had many masonic experiences, both in lodge and on the internet; many good and some not so good. But when it comes down to it I have no regrets.
I have been asked countless times, What do I think needs to be done to improve the craft? What needs to be done to help retain membership? For a long time I have pondered questions such as these.
It wasn't until recently that the answer hit me like a bolt of lightning on a clear sky.
There is one thing at the heart of Masonry that is often overlooked or not taken seriously--our Obligations. It is this more than anything that I believe has led to the deradation of our fine craft. So many good and true Brothers have very deep discussions regarding regularity, PHA, Ancients and Moderns, etc...that they easly miss this simple truth. Many Brothers take their obligations with a grain of salt.
I have seen on several occasions a brother attacked, on no credible grounds, by both a non-mason as well as a brother. When I have seen this happen it has been rare to witness a fellow Mason come to the defense of said brother and much less vindicate him as we are obliged to do.
I have seen worthy, distressed brother Master masons seek assitance and find none. I have seen and heard secrets sworn before God let out on loose lips. I have seen brothers keep secrets from eachother regardless of their common bond of trust and many many more examples of disregard to our obligations.
These things are done, and then they ask, Whats wrong with our Fraternity? Why do brothers not take our Craft seriously? Why can't we retain our membership? The answer is before them, yet they seek it not; they wish others to seek it for them and then argue when it is presented.
When the day comes that our brothers truly feel connected, not only through beliefs and actions, but through our own obligations which are held sacred and invaluable; when the day comes that brothers unite in defense of one another, stand together through thick and thin; when the day comes that we are able to share secrets regardless of content without hesitation...that will be the day that this Fraternity regains its former grandeur.
Until that time, I will continue to do my part, Brothers...let us always meet on the level and part on the square!
Sunday, January 20, 2008
How Do We Know When Our Strategic Mission Is Complete?, by Bro. Ronald D. Martin
There once were grand temples that resonated with life. The thousand seat auditoriums would be filled with enlightened brothers listening to traveling orators who spoke from the inner chamber of their souls and presented laudably lofty speeches. Every brother in the room was seated on the edge of his chair, attentively listening to each word spoken. Each brother's heart and mind was enriched by Masonic philosophy, and an ever so descriptive picture of how Masonry can change the world.
Many of those buildings now resonate only from their own death rattle. The thousand seat auditoriums are now empty. There are no more traveling orators making laudably lofty speeches. Brothers seated in a room on the edge of their chairs, is now probably a good sign they are ready to leave. The once discerning hearts and minds of those who were being enriched by listening are now seeking the answer to the question, what has been lost?
There is something to be said about seeking for that which was lost. This is the life long quest of a true Master Mason. As Scottish Rite Masons and Master’s of the Royal Secret, we are presented with knowledge, that when applied correctly will become the wisdom of equilibrium in all our endeavors and understanding. If we seek to find the answer to the question, what has been lost, we may also find the answer to, “where have all the Masons gone?”
Human ignorance lives in the darkness of Wrong Thought, Wrong Desire, and Wrong Action. Some might say, “tell me that isn’t so,” and “what does that have to do with our fraternity?”
As brother Manly P. Hall stated, “a Mason is a builder of the temple of character. He is the architect of the temple of character. He is the architect of a sublime mystery; the gleaming, glowing temple of his own soul.” He realized that he best serves God when he joins with the Great Architect in building more noble structures in the universe below.
Why haven’t we been building all those noble structures that were once honed from so many rough ashlars? Are the quarries in which we look no longer marked by Brotherly Love, Truth, Relief, and Charity? Are the rough ashlars we accept as the underpinnings of our grand structure no longer on that personal journey in search of that which was lost?
Illustrious Henry Clausen, Past Sovereign Grand Commander, once stated, “We seek to instill into the hearts of our members a love of knowledge and thereby inflame their souls with a passion for mental and spiritual growth. They then may devote themselves to a search for the truth that should dominate their lives. The marks of a true Scottish Rite Mason are not glib phrases, nor ready answers, or shining jewelry, but an insatiable curiosity, a love of learning, and a desire to know and to find the radiant truth.”
Do not all great men learn from the words of other great men; is that not the building plan of the Great Architect of the Universe? The Ancient & Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry is the repository for that knowledge; it is the College of Freemasonic thought, and education. This Masonic organization, being the greatest that there is, has the grand responsibility of conveying this wisdom to mankind; so that it will be endowed, to shine the light, the whole world over, for time immemorial.
Have we been living up to our responsibility?
Emerson once said, “There is a time in every man’s education when he arrives at the conviction that envy is ignorance; that imitation is suicide; that he must take himself for better or worse. It is the harder because you will always find those who think they know what your duty is better than you know it. It is easy in the world to live after the world’s opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd, keeps with perfect sweetness, the independence of solitude.”
Have we let the rest of the world redefine our duty for us? Are we living after the world’s opinion instead of our own? In our current solitude have we convinced ourselves all is fine? When is the last time we stood in the midst of the crowd, and unwaveringly knew exactly who and what we are?
Masonic education brings about human enlightenment, and the enlightened live in the light of Right Thought, Right Desire, and Right Action. So how will we know when our Strategic Mission is Complete?
I would suggest; we will know our mission is complete when, every candidate that enters through the West gate has an insatiable curiosity for knowledge and the truth. When the quarries in which we work are marked by Brotherly Love, Truth, Relief and Charity. When each of us has honestly embarked on that personal journey to find that which was lost.
When each of us has achieved the wisdom of equilibrium and is applying it in all our endeavors and understanding. When each of us has realized that we best serve God when we join with the Great Architect in building more noble structures in the universe below. When each of us learn one from the other.
When each of us in the midst of the crowd, keeps with perfect sweetness, the independence of solitude. When each of us lives in the light of Right Thought, Right Desire, and Right Action.
When our temples can once again be called grand, and each one resonates with life. When the seats are filled with enlightened brothers, listening to traveling orators who speak from the inner chamber of their soul and present laudably lofty speeches about Masonic philosophy, and poetically convey how the teachings of Freemasonry can change the world.
Then and only then, can we say, as Scottish Rite Masons, that Our Strategic Mission has been Accomplished!
Saturday, January 19, 2008
The Moderators Rule!!!
As I'm sure you have heard by now, The Sanctum Sanctorum is in the middle of getting ready for the big move! Cool huh?!
This discussion forum has become such a smashing success and the brothers here are enjoying such 1st Class fellowship that we have put into motion a plan to acquire our own dedicated space at
www.TheSanctumSanctorum.com,
so be sure to bookmark the domain name to your favorites now!
Since this kind of major move requires intensive, time consuming effort, your TSS admins have been busy getting ready and putting all the pieces of the puzzle together to make it happen.
So with that, the admins are going to be locked up in their basements, with nothing but the dim light of their computer screens, until they have our new home ready. As such, we have decided that since there is so much activity here, we needed help!
Therefore, we have invited a handful of brothers to help us out by joining the Moderation Team, which will be headed up by Damocles, our Moderator Admin, and Maximus, our Moderation Team Leader, both of whom will be working with our new team members to help our fellow forum members, wherever needed.
Thank you brothers, for your time, your effort and your energy, as your help will make all the difference while we are working to ensure a smooth transition to our new home!
I look forward to seeing you all there.
Friday, January 18, 2008
Masonry & Fish Fries, by Bro. Ronald D. Martin
I agree that what most young Masonic applicants are seeking is Light! Let’s just analyze it from a realistic stance; from the outsiders’ view, the profane-the uninitiated; he that seeks admission through the West gate. There aren’t thousands of books written about Masonic picnics, nor Masonic fish fries, nor first Sunday breakfasts, nor Kazoo bands for entertainment, nor “yawn,” stated business meetings! However; there are thousands and thousands of books that have been written about Masonic History. There are thousands and thousands of books that have been written about Masonic Philosophy. There are thousands and thousands of books that have been written about Masonic Esoterica. What do these books offer a man in search for that which was lost? Hope, answers, a way to view and engage life for the betterment of himself, those around him, and the world at large!
We already know that many men did not become interested in Masonry in the past couple of decades because their fathers and grandfathers didn’t talk to them about Masonry. We already know that the local men of our union shops, our mills, the power company, the County and State workers no longer think they have an advantage at work by becoming a Freemason. We already know that a man simply interested in charity can give to any of a thousand plus good organizations without having to leave his home.
So who do we think would be interested in “us,” Freemasons that is? Well; maybe the guy who is seeking light! Maybe the guy who has read some of those thousands of books on Masonic History, Masonic Philosophy, and Masonic Esoterica! Why are we always so shocked with that Correlating Equation? Well I could tell you; however, I think you already know the answer!
Some would argue that these are men who don’t have a nuclear family; however, I would argue based on many Brothers responses that that simply isn’t true. Many of these men have families and young children; what they don’t have is time to waste. That means time to waste on Masonic picnics, nor Masonic fish fries, nor first Sunday breakfasts, nor Kazoo bands for entertainment, nor “yawn,” stated business meetings! That is because they already do picnics, fish fries, Sunday breakfast, entertainment, and meetings with their family and business associates.
What they have time for is something meaningful. They have time for something that provides them with the tools to make themselves better men; time for something that provokes thought, understanding, and makes them ask one more question about life’s mysteries. Asking a question of course requires someone to provide an answer. (I would interject here and say, “if we provide the answers then we might become part of their family and thus picnics, fish fries, Sunday breakfast, and entertainment.”)
Well; historically, intrinsic in the attributes of a College are answers for those who have questions. There are also some other intrinsic attributes; a well planned program, an appropriate time allotted for learning, an inherent mentorship, a fellowship, and a sense of something gained at a cost of both time and finance.
Now, if we provide those intrinsic attributes of what we claim to be, “the College of Freemasonry,” how does that play out with our long time members?
Well; some of the brightest and most knowledgeable men I know relative to the teachings of the Craft are guess what? Freemasons! Many of them have been members of our Craft for 50+ years. Surprising, some might say, but think about it; who wrote all those Masonic books in the last 50+ years on Masonic History, Masonic Philosophy, and Masonic Esoterica?
Then there are all those Masons who didn’t write any books. Some of them were the mentors for all those young initiates during the past 50+ years. Then there are those 50+ year Masons who wanted to learn more about the History, Philosophy, and Esoterica of the Craft during that time period; but Masonry didn’t fulfill its promise. Then there are those men that joined during that time period; but they didn’t join for the educational reasons, however, they did join for the right reasons in their mind, and that was to be amongst other good men and do the best they could as men with their own lives. Some of these men may not know much about Freemasonry relative to our History, Philosophy, and Esoterica; but, these men did what their Masonic leaders told them. These men took care of our buildings, they made dinner, they performed in the degrees, they did “whatever” was asked of them. Those men are no less a Mason than any of us, and in many cases showed greater Masonry than any of us will ever have the chance to display.
Many of these men helped change the world whereby other countries and its peoples were liberated. These men accomplished what many people thought was too lofty of a pursuit. And when finished on foreign soil, these men didn’t leave their ideals, devotion, and good works on the sands of some far away beach; these men came home and became Freemasons. Each one of these Brothers are men of great character! Each one of them personally knows the cost of Freedom. These are men who are use to giving when asked, and I would suggest if we ask properly, these men will give of themselves, too us, once again!
There is no doubt that the majority of men who seek admission into our “Gentle Craft,” today, are seeking that College education; however, not all of our caretakers of the Craft are College professors. (I might add here: and thank God!).
You see, the issue we face today has two faces due to the way in which we have framed it. The young man; who’s mirror tells him that he is strong, on a quest, and without question will quench his thirst for knowledge. Then there is the old man; who’s mirror tells him that he is not quite as strong as he once was, much of his quest is behind him, and much of his thirst for knowledge has already turned into a gain of wisdom.
If each would only stand side by side in the mirror; I believe that each would then see a complete Master Mason.
It is not them against us; it is the Master Mason against himself! Certainly we can find a way to accomplish that which we desire without splitting the Master Mason. Change must occur; as the true seeker for that which was lost understands. The true Master of the Royal Secret is the Architect of his own life; no where is it written that he is the Architect of melancholy of the spirit.
Our change must be Decisive! It must be Powerful! It must lead to Light!
A halfway attempt will not fill the needs of the new young Seeker of the Truth; and a halfway attempt will not fill the needs of the old Master of the Royal Secret! We will loose both; and then what will become of our “Gentle Craft?”
Let us be Architects, steadfast in our purpose, one working with the other!
used by permission of the author
Leadership Development, by R.W. Bro. Errol Hinton
So what makes a great Masonic leader? It starts with that small seed within us. First and foremost, we need to honestly love and care about what we do. It is an honest desire to do well that starts the seed growing. Someone wrote that true Masonic leaders don’t relay the message, they are the message. Wanting to succeed and do a good job is the very basis for successful leadership. That is why the men who we choose to lead our lodges must want to sit in the chair of Worshipful Master. The mentality of drawing straws to see whose turn it is to sit in the East is recipe for disaster. The lesson of the lesser lights in the first degree illustrates the personal growth that is the foundation of all future leadership skills. In “The Meaning of Masonry”, William Wilmhurst writes that the three lesser lights represent the sun, moon, and Master of the lodge. “The Master of the lodge,” Wilmhurst writes, “is the candidate himself and the lodge is his personal temple and well being.” The lesser lights illuminate the Holy Bible, Square and Compasses. The sunlight rules the day, the moonlight governs the night. The Mason therefore, is to govern his personal temple with the same zeal and fervor, enlightening and growing that seed of personal growth that lies within. That these lesser lights illuminate our three great lights, shows the importance of personal development.
The next important step in leadership development is that of education. Education in this sense is not that of the deep philosophies of Masonry or even the admission ceremonies of the three degrees. A newly elected Master of his lodge, or even the line officers as they progress through the chairs, should have a great working knowledge of his jurisdiction’s Masonic code, and of the customs of the lodge. It is important to have a working knowledge of Masonic law so that when the occasion arises, all issues are handled in a timely manner. The customs of the lodge are important to know as well. Knowing who to turn to in handling key events such as dinners and paying the taxes, will give the leader the extra time to focus on the important things in Masonry. All Masonic leaders should be able to flawlessly open and close the Masonic lodge equal to the position that they hold in the lodge. This will ensure that when a brother is elected to the office of Worshipful Master, he can not only open and close his lodge flawlessly, but will be able to coach his junior officers so that in turn when they progress through the chairs, they may do the same.
There is no simple way towards leadership development, but with these simple steps, our leaders will have the desire to do the job well, the knowledge to communicate and share their vision, and the tact and compassion towards their brethren to get the results. A great entrepreneur of the 20th century, Ray Kroc said it best. “None of us is a good as all of us”
used by permission of the author
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Call for Blog Submissions
The Sanctum Sanctorum seeks submissions to our new public blog that is geared primarily towards North American regular and regular "Prince Hall" Freemasons.
We invite the submission of Masonic articles that address relevant topics on any of the following subjects:
Masonic Education and Improving the Craft
Mentoring for the future
Leadership
Pride in My Freemasonry
e-Freemasonry
Masonic Esoterika
Brotherhood
Relief
Truth
etc.
www.TheSanctumSanctorum.com
www.TheSanctumSanctorum.com Blog
thesanctumsanctorum@gmail.com
Guest Commentator: Pride in My Freemasonry, by "The Hammer"
I believe that the Craft of Ancient Freemasonry is the most important fraternity ever to appear in
My transformation came about in the last 3 years, after recovering from a tumultuous 2 years as Master, struggling to keep my Lodge with a history of over two hundred years together, and pruning some poisoned branches from the tree. I had some time to reflect upon the meaning of the words which compose our Masonic ritual. I learned, studied and in time, understood. What finally struck me like a bolt of lightning was the practical wisdom contained in Freemasonry. Masons believe in God, the immortality of the soul and the paramount importance of good character. We really are builders who believe that if we construct lives of good character, the Supreme Architect of the Universe will reward us with "a glorious immortality" for our souls. To all regular Freemasons this expresses profound truth.
Indeed, as a fraternity, we do have our secrets--but it is these very secrets which reveal to us the tenets of our Craft. In turn, these tenets set the standard of good character by which we live and display to the world as how we conduct ourselves as Freemasons. How well we accomplish this determines the success of the fraternity.
What are the tenets of Freemasonry? There are many, but here are a few examples, which are stated clearly in the Third Degree.
• We must not have two personalities--one for private and another for public.
• We must treat women the same way we want other men to treat our sisters.
• We must use the same language before women as we do before men.
• We must make the best and the most of ourselves.
• Above all, we are told to make sure "others know always that a gentleman stands before them."
I'll bet that George Washington lived by our tenets. Today, his life is known throughout much of the world. Why? He lived it as a Freemason. I am certain he demanded respect from his neighbor, just as I'll bet he first earned his neighbor's respect. There was nothing more intolerable in his sight than the letting down of himself to a lower level. He must have bid men come up to him, refusing to descend a single step to them, or he would never have been America's first and greatest leader--the man whom this country still reveres today, 200 years after his death; the great Freemason, who led this country through its struggle for independence.
The more I observe the world and study history, the more I learn about our beloved Craft, the more I am convinced that this Nation is the great country that it is because many of its original thinkers, so many of its first serious citizens were Freemasons. Thomas Jefferson, John Adams and John Carroll may not have been Freemasons, but they conversed with George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, John Hancock, Robert Livingston and others who were Freemasons. And the Freemasons’ influence "passing through and to those whom that circle may surround" refined and shaped the path that our Founding Fathers chose.
Think about it: just because not all of
Pride in Freemasonry is really what this is all about. Pride in being a member of the Craft, expressed by us as individuals to all men by our actions cannot help but attract good men to our fraternity. By making the most and best of ourselves, each and every one of us will be doing the most and best for our families, our communities, our country and Freemasonry.
Used by permission of the author.
Guest Commentator: How To Make A Mason, by WB William A. Isabelle
I am here to talk to you about how to make a Mason.
I am as active as I am in our Fraternity not because I am retired or wealthy, or because I am foregoing other commitments so that I may participate in Masonic activities. This is not the case at all.
I am as active as I am because I am the product of very involved Mentoring on the part of my Degree Coach, the Worshipful Master who conferred my degrees and my mother Lodge, all who supported me in my journey to become a Master Mason. When I was contacted with instructions of when to appear at the Lodge for my 1st Degree, I didn’t sleep the night before. I was absolutely elated that I had been accepted into the Lodge.
As soon as I had finished my Entered Apprentice lecture, I was re-conducted to the East and told to learn the Working Tools of the Entered Apprentice Mason, and be ready to present them in a week. I went home and spent another sleepless night pondering Masonry.
The following week I proved up on my Entered Apprentice Degree proficiency examination, acted as a supernumerary by helping to conduct a candidate for the Degrees of Masonry as a Junior Steward, and then presented the “Working Tools” to the initiate, as they had been given to me a week prior.
The point of this story is that I became involved in the Lodge and Masonry by being given an expectation of immediate participation, essentially I didn’t have a chance to become apathetic, melancholy or lethargic about my Lodge attendance because I had been given a responsibility to perform a function in Lodge. I certainly did not want to let myself down, and I certainly didn’t want to disappoint the new friends I had made who now called me brother.
In this same vein, I made a commitment to certain responsibilities within this Fraternity that I must follow through on because I agreed to do so when I was obligated as an Entered Apprentice Mason. To say that I don’t have time, or that coming to Lodge isn’t convenient, just is not acceptable. Why take on any responsibility that you are not fully prepared to live up to?
The members of my Mother Lodge, made such an indelible impression on me Masonicly, that I felt compelled to spread the word if you will. As a result of the very favorable opinion that I was left with after becoming a Master Mason, I brought 7 of my closest friends into my Lodge.
Brethren, it was because I had no idea what to expect from my first entrance into the Lodge, that I accordingly assumed that all Masons felt as I did about their initiation, that I was truly welcomed into an esteemed and vaunted ancient secret society, a sacred band of friends and brothers.
It was because of my ignorance that my Lodge was able to aptly mine and exploit my energy and participation in Lodge activities, besides how would I know any different? My Lodge set a very high standard for participation in ritual work, degree work, and friendship.
Brothers, our fraternity is not a secret society, it is a society with secrets, and even those can be easily gleaned at the library next door to us. It is more than acceptable to talk to non-Masons about your Masonic experiences and share with them some of the insights that you may have gained since you became a Mason.
Each of you has at least one male friend who is of age, who meets all of our minimum requirements and is eligible to become a Freemason, and I challenge each of you to make a commitment to ensure that this friend of yours becomes a Freemason in the next year.
Alright, I know what you’re thinking, “we’ve heard all of this before, and we will most assuredly hear it all again, with some new spin…” Well… that may be the case, but what have you done about it since the first time you heard this speech?
Brothers, there is one thing different about this speech, because you have never heard it from me. I am a new Mason, I am generation X, and when the 1 and a half million Freemasons that we have in North America right now, shrink to less than 500,000 in the next 7 years, I will no longer be the future of Freemasonry, I will be it’s present.
Since we all acknowledge that mortality is an ever-present looming shadow for each of us and that we only have so much time left, what are we doing to reinforce the fraternity right now?
Are we each individually doing our part?
Friendship, Fellowship, and Follow-Through are the three factors I want to focus on in this presentation regarding membership development and Masonic education.
How many of you speak to friends of yours who are non-Masons about Freemasonry? If they know you are a Freemason, then they no doubt have at least one or two questions about what you do at Lodge.
How many of you here tonight have obeyed your first obligation to the Fraternity by immediately replacing yourselves in your Lodge twice over?
How many of you brothers are or have been Mentoring Coaches for an initiate?
How many of you have brought your friends to the beauty and light of our Craft?
How many of you have brought the beauty and light of our Craft into the lives of your friends?
What are you brothers going to do today to make sure that I have co-workers to labor next to me in the quarries of our Craft tomorrow?
Brothers, what I am asking you is this, have you identified your successor, are you training your prodigy to be at least as competent as yourself, so that his contribution will be a reflection of your effective Mentoring and the wisdom of your experiences will be a base for his decision making process in the future?
I am gravely concerned, enough so to want to speak to each of you tonight, concerned enough to ask each of you if you are absolutely sure that there isn’t at least one man you know who should be a Freemason.
Brothers we can no longer afford to wait for the new guys to show up in the next wave of candidates. We must focus on being ever so much more proactive in our membership development efforts, but first we must educate ourselves so that we may share a cohesive understanding of what our organization is and is not in the world of today.
Brothers, I would like to share with you some insights from different conversations I have had with the 15 candidates that I have been the top-line signer, and proficiency coach for while they completed the Degrees of Freemasonry. Getting new members in the door is only one step; it is not the sum total of your obligation to your Lodge either.
Once you bring a man into the Lodge and he becomes a Mason, you are his Mentor Coach and friend for life. You must make even more effort to guide this new Mason to endeavors that will benefit him, the Lodge, and the Craft, in that order. Fellowship is the key component to maintaining Masonic relationships with your Candidate and developing new friendships with Masons whom you have known for years.
How many of you socialize with men outside of Lodge who are not Masons?
How many of you socialize with brothers from your Lodge or others Lodges in the area, outside of Lodge?
How many of you have called on a brother after a Lodge meeting when he was absent from the meeting?
How many of you have called on a brother before Lodge to see if you could give him a ride to the meeting?
How many of you regularly visit the other Lodges in your area?
How many of you brothers leave immediately after the stated business meeting, and forego the opportunity to have fellowship with your brethren?
How many of you brothers currently know of brothers who have not completed their Degree work?
The answers to these questions are your own, but as such you should use them to consider if there isn’t perhaps the opportunity to create new fellowship experiences within your Lodge, as well as setting an example to any Mason that you impact with your participation and visitation.
Follow through brothers, follow through is the key, you must stay in regular contact with your candidates as they progress in the Craft, if you don’t follow through, then both you and your candidate lose out on each other’s perspectives, activities and ultimately your developing friendship.
If the activities that you steer him toward do not benefit him as a man and as a Mason, then he is not going to make a concerted effort to follow through on his end because he has not realized a positive return for his expended energies.
· Ensure that your candidate has the means to get to Lodge
· Meet with your candidate twice a week to ensure his progression in the degrees
· Make sure that you have the right information to share with your candidate for the moment that he asks for more light
· Dedicate time outside of Lodge for your own Masonic education
· Get a schedule of the Lodge meetings in the area, and go visit other Lodges with your candidate
· Present your candidate with a Masonic book or other reference material
Brothers we must identify current examples of successful Masons and Masonry, we must stop relying on past glory and the deeds of others to tell the story of the beauty of the Craft to its newest initiates. Who are the leaders of modern society, who are the explorers, scientists, poets, actors, politicians, businessmen, teachers, athletes, philanthropists, and doers-of-good deeds in our society today, and how many of them are Masons?
If we don’t know, then we should collectively make it our business to find out, because those are the examples that we should be using today to shape the minds of the Masons who will ultimately govern our Fraternity tomorrow.
Brethren it is our responsibility today to actively seek out those among us who should be Masons for the future. It is our job, our obligation to give back to our Lodges by providing for the future in the Masons that we make and keep today.
Used by permission of the author.
Building A Positive Masonic Culture of Change, by Paterson Burns
As Masons, we are by our own admonition an institution that has flourished over the centuries and eons of evolution, adapting to suit the needs of the members of the time. Think of the social change that we as Masons have been fortunate enough to participate in. We all agree that the fraternity of today is "Night & Day" different from the fraternity it was 50, 100, 200 years ago.
Just as we the Craft, will continue to evolve over the course of the coming years and adapt to the further change and evolution that will occur, and become the norm of tomorrow.
I support my Blue Lodges because frankly, if it is within my power to influence one Master Mason's journey, from his entrance to the Lodge, to his place in the East, I certainly will do my best to convince him to put forward his best, and to expect it in others as well.
Having access to a Blue Lodge atmosphere that is not a vacuum, but is in fact a nexus and a conduit for like-minded progressive Master Masons to assemble, share and discuss their perspectives and goals for the individual Lodges that they represent, is a positive for any Masonic community. It is also an opportunity to agree on and pursue shared positive change related agendas, and impact the outcome of such endeavors that require group support and the votary of officers from many Lodges, in many districts.
Unfortunately in today's society, we are told to accept mediocrity, because its all about everyone getting a chance to participate and nobody’s a winner or a loser. Well, I personally didn't go to all the trouble of becoming a Master Mason, Master of the Royal Secret, Knight Templar and Noble of the Mystic Shrine, and everything else that I make a commitment of my time to...to discover that I should be comfortable with social mediocrity.
I want to socialize with brother Masons who share my interests in philosophy, who devote a portion of their time and effort to improving their Masonic surroundings. I want to have conversations about the essence of the Fraternity, not the cost of gas.
Too often, the lonely voice of evolution is drowned out by the roar of the sound of resistance to change, and isn't then heard by those who would listen, subscribe and apply. However, if we band together, and choose to make an individual commitment to supporting and maintaining the machinery of change, the vehicle will serve its purpose and again have a life of its own.
Adaptability and evolution are ever-present forces in our Masonic culture; perhaps you could say they are the survival mechanisms, or safety resets for the machine of Freemasonry.
Used by permission of the author
Young Masons & Social Capital, by Paterson Burns
How many of you are or have been fortunate enough to have had the benefit of ongoing relationships with those you would consider to be your Mentors?
How many of you are, or have been Mentors to new Masons?
It would seem that most of the resistance encountered by our respective Peanut Galleries comes from those who perhaps don't actually live a Masonic life.
I interpreted the lessons, symbols and charges delivered to me to mean that by matriculating through the proscribed Masonic process of self-discovery and enlightenment, that I would become better enabled and prepared to self-actualize.
At this point, I can't say that I see myself ever living my life any differently, because I can't. How could I unlearn all that I have been exposed to and unthink all of the thoughts that come from studying and appreciating our Craft?
What I'm getting at is that it is conceivable to believe that a large measure of our constituency doesn't have a clue what the hell they're talking about as they deliver rote historical lectures to moony-eyed newly minted Entered Apprentice Masons.
If for two generations, this fraternity has not been realizing new membership from Baby Boomers and the Viet Nam generation, that suggests that those who we met when we first entered the Temple, are the ones who outlived the rest of the greatest generation of joiners from the last great surge.
So, if for fifty years these guys just sat around going through the motions, and did nothing to improve the fraternity over that period, why should we expect them to just jump on board with our platform and promote our agendas like they were their own?
Not gonna happen.
Sure, there are lots of Grand bodies waiving flags designed to get the attention of Generation X, but they're really not adding any new line items to the Grand budgets being proposed, are they?
How many grand jurisdictions have a Membership Development Committee whose focus is to attract young people to the Craft?
Every one of them.
Now how many grand jurisdictions have any young people on these committees whose purpose is to identify ways to attract young people?
I'm betting the answer isn't every one.
The reality is this, the kinds of initiatives that we like minds work to promote and support, are the same kinds of things that get the more wizened brethren all riled up and cogitating on our "Innovations" to the Craft, long and short is that for Grand Lodges to support us, the very small minority statistic in their membership, they inevitably alienate the greater, much larger majority of aged brothers who don't want a damn thing to change, for fear that they will lose control (over what I don't know, control for the sake of control I guess) and be replaced.
So, now we're down to the crux of it, these guys must think they're going to live forever because they have no interest in succession planning or the downloading any of their social capital.
Why?
I guess one could surmise this phenomena exists because they feel they own their Masonic jobs, offices, chairs or whatever because no one ever replaced them, as would have happened, if the Lodges they belong to were doing their job and bringing new candidates, to generate protégés.
So in ten years, when 80-90% of them are dead, those of us who have not thrown up our hands in disgust and quit, will inherit the onerous task of sorting through our fraternity and the administration of the same, with no real good guide to follow, because we were not mentored and our coaches didn't ensure that we were at least as competent as they assumed themselves to be.
Any thoughts brothers?
Used by permission of the author
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Paying Your Dues, by Paterson Burns
The following is reprinted with permission from the original author.
When a Master Mason begins his journey in the fraternity, he obligates himself to and accepts that he will contribute to the well being and success of all the organizations of which he becomes a member.
"Paying your dues" is a phrase one hears in our fraternity, and every other part of our society, and most people have a good sense of what it means and some don't, but we're all learning as we go. What it can mean in Masonry is that when you pay your dues, you support the causes and costs of your Lodge, Valley, Chapter, Council, Commandery, Shrine, Masonic Youth, charities, fundraisers, operating costs, depreciation, steadily increasing property taxes, maintenance, repairs, upgrades, administration, over-reliance on declining dues revenue, limited returns on capital investments due to poorly guided investment strategies, increasing insurance costs, issues meeting building code standards for public venues forcing major renovations or closure, renting space for events and having to compete with public pricing, all of these factors are associated with the day-to-day operation costs of Masonry today, and compose the majority of what it means to "Pay Your Dues" as a Master Mason.
As with many, many others here, I belong to a number of organizations within this great fraternity of ours and as such there is more than just Lodge dues to consider, you also have to factor in wardrobe costs since various organizations require different uniforms and regalia, travel costs if you choose to participate in Masonic activities outside your area, or internationally, scheduling vacation time, leisure and entertainment costs, and all of that activity becomes a responsibility if you become an officer in an organization, then your attendance becomes expected and in some cases mandatory, so...how much does all that cost? Supporting the Masonic activities and organizations that I participate in, with my time, my energy and my resources, is a responsibility I'm happy to accept, because I can't put a price on the value of what I have learned in Masonry, I feel indebted to the fraternity for all that I have learned and I feel compelled to give back.
My Masonic journey and corresponding education thus far, is priceless to me. I am quite looking forward to a lifetime of the same level of enjoyment and personal satisfaction deriving from the practice of what Masonry has to give to all of us, being a better man for it. So to be frank David...I really don't know what the cost of Life Membership is in my Lodge because I haven't paid it yet, but I do know that our Grand Lodge offers an endowed membership, with cost determined by a graduating scale based on age.
Tipping Over Apple Carts, by Paterson Burns
The following is reprinted with permission from the original author.
Let's talk about tipping over apple carts for a minute.
Our lodge would not exist if there were not a need to start new lodges in our vicinity. A goodly contingent of our upper management locally have been nurtured by the same content that spawned the "Dilbert" cartoon strip, and have been guided by the same management mindset that governed their working lives when making decisions about the volunteer organizations they oversee in their fraternal preoccupations.
Many of the tenured governors and administrators in our storied subculture have been actively disengaged from the currencies of the working world of today for 20 years or more and have had limited contact with the philosophies and attitudes that have come to set the tone for the modern development of the white collar workplace.
What does that mean? That means that in most cases the mindset occupying the management structure of our fraternity is out of touch with the interpersonal conduct expectations that occupy the professional environments of the current generation of men now becoming Freemasons. In other words, Management isn't listening to the Membership.
Look around, would there be new lodges forming across this country if the existing lodges were actually meeting the needs of the new membership? I travel regularly across North America to participate in a variety of different Masonic activities and the new Masons I'm meeting are in their twenties and early thirties. The really active Masons that I'm meeting, have been Masons for 3 - 6 years and joined in their twenties, 5, 6, 7 years ago.
Young Masons who after sitting in the status quo lodges of this fraternity, have either quit altogether or started getting together with other similarly disaffected and like-minded brothers and have started new Masonic organizations. The precedent in Scottish Rite Valleys across the Southern Jurisdiction, of new Scottish Rite Masons forming chapters of the Knights of St. Andrew is a big statement.
People don't generally undertake to burden themselves with the extremely difficult and time consuming process of starting a new lodge or service club, if they are getting what they need from the existing opportunities for participation in their Lodge or Valley. The common denominator here is that if the folks who have the authority and influence to support the ideas being presented by young Masons, are not listening or don't care, then one of two things happen to those young Masons, they either quit, or they decide that they are going to follow through with creating their own Masonic real estate and make their own ideal Masonic venue for themselves and others like them.
Young Masons across North America are actively initiating new Masonic organizations in many different formats and manifestations, tailored to fit the needs of the individual group and their philosophy and perspective. The trend of young Masons forming new Lodges and clubs, whatever the planks of their platforms may be, is going to continue and in fact grow as stronger and stronger precedent is set and developed by those young Masons who are successful in establishing the continuity of their Lodge building efforts.
Like it or not, young Masons are not going to sit around and wait for the rest of the fraternity to die before we get a chance to drive. We make plenty of money, we can buy our own car.
Masons Are Cheap, by Paterson Burns
The following is reprinted with permission from the original author.
Masons are cheap. Why?
Because most Lodges barely subsist financially, when your only income is DUES from a dwindling membership and 2 or 3 percent interest on BONDS or CDs, you don't really have a lot of extra coin to toss around. If you want to propose something to your Lodge for their endorsement or sponsorship, you had better have already figured out how to pay for it.
If you're not at least 65 YO, most of the established membership in Lodges, aren't going to know what you're talking about because most of them are out of the loop. There is no reason to hold that against them, explain it to them, take the time to thoroughly articulate your idea or suggestion and go over the details with the senior members of your Lodge. Age is not the enemy, it's apathy we're at war with.
As a rule, it's not generally accurate to use blanket generalizations that paint any demographic with the same brush. No one man can make any one change to modern Freemasonry, unless he finds the Ark or the Grail, himself, and lives to talk about it. Change doesn't really exist, nothing really changes, everything is in some constant state of flux between reversion and evolution. What we do do though, is we adapt and assimilate to promote our Masonic culture and traditions, with peace and harmony well in mind.
Something all Masons are heartfeltly encouraged to do is not to give up. As a Master Mason, each of us has been given the tools to build our own temple, ourselves. However, there are those who snuck in the door unnoticed and advanced because no one said no. Yes, we do have those, but very few.
One of the most important dynamics present in Masonic culture is the appreciation and application of credibility. If you want to participate in "changing" things, then get into the line of your respective Lodge(s) and do something about it. If you're not willing to pay your dues, then how are you going to convince others to spend theirs on your say so? Every Master Mason should go through the chairs, in a perfect world.
However in a day and age where men go through the chairs and they can't remember their own name, we have to do the best with what we've got. My brothers and I started a Lodge, a new Lodge, a Specialty Lodge because we were motivated to apply our resources and energies to creating something greater than ourselves.
However, if it wasn't for having the "Old Coots" around to help us and guide us, and tell which were the right forms to use, we might have reached our goal, but not with the same kind of class. The moral is don't mess with the old coots; they are there because they have been waiting for us to come and relieve them. I certainly look forward to the day when I'm the old coot, I should be so lucky.
Monday, January 14, 2008
Voting With Your Feet, by Paterson Burns
How many of you are familiar with the term "Vote With Your Feet"?
What does it mean to you? Do you vote with your feet?
Have you ever participated in a boycott? Have you ever boycotted a business or organization?
What would compel someone to participate in or support a boycott?
Would someone acting not like a Mason should act, be enough for you to boycott their business? Would you be content to window-shop their business, without stopping to buy anything?
If such a person or group of people generated conflict for the sake of drawing attention to, oh I don't know, let's say a website. A website is a business if it sells something online right? If their business profited from conflict or sought to generate and maintain conflict, at the expense of the Masonic fraternity, to boost advertising and sales, would you boycott it?
People boycotted "Conflict Diamonds", and Imperial Oil during Apartheid, what would compel you to participate in a boycott within the confines of the Masonic fraternity?
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Several Conservative Arts, by Paterson Burns
Brothers,
Why do young men come in to Masonry and become disinterested and ultimately disappear? False advertising and a lack of practical Content.
I would submit that the reason many young Masons enter a Lodge, go through the process of initiation, become dues-paying members and leave, is because of a lack of content. The content being offered to the new member of the Lodge is nothing that a member of generations X and Y hasn't already run across on the internet in the numerous tens of thousands of websites that are advertising the "Secrets of Freemasonry", that peaked his interest in the first place.
When he Googled Freemasonry, scrolled through the search results, jumped to a local Lodge listed in Yahoo Local and then printed off driving directions from Mapquest, to get to the Lodge that he submitted his Petition for the Degrees of Masonry to, he was hoping to find more than what he had already found on Google.
Upon his first entrance into Lodge, he was not looking for a group of men, huddled into a handful of separate cliques around long folding tables slurping weak burnt coffee, wearing powdered blue blazers with bolo ties, sporting white patent leather dress shoes, waiting for the "Nickel-Nasty" pre-meeting bowl of pork & beans with Costco bagged salad and too-thinly spread margarine on a bun, served on a paper plate with plastic utensils.
Too often brothers, that is the image of the Lodges and Valleys nationwide, and it is not the image that is portrayed in the books, movies, magazines and variety of other media vehicles which are lapping up subscription dollars while they have a field day titillating and stimulating the public's interest in "Secret Societies" and "World Domination" conspiracies and the like. We as Masons, Scottish Rite Masons especially must do a much, much better job of living up to our "press" and media generated reputations.
There is a ton of free publicity about our fraternity and our endeavors, and we are doing a really poor job of stepping up to the plate and maintaining our facilities and organizational appearance to new members as a whole. We should be dumping a supertanker of cash into maintaining, renovating, remodeling and improving our Masonic Temples and facilities, so that when a new member, or more importantly, the new member's friends come into our halls and temples, they are awestruck and dumbfounded by the impressive and awe-inspiring condition, appearance and gilding of our Masonic locales. The sad truth is that the average Starbuck's or MacDonald's is a more inviting and comfortable place to meet than the local Masonic Lodge.
As far as the content of information and education that we as Masons provide to our initiates and candidates, I would submit that we would do a much better job of retaining new Masons and compelling them to enroll their closest friends, if we were to perhaps offer them education that they need to be successful in today's society and business and professional environments.
Education and Information such as:
• balancing a checkbook
• the impact of compound interest on high interest credit card debt
• the amortization prospects of a 40year 7% variable rate mortgage
• sound investment strategies for developing a stock portfolio grounded in long term growth (retirement)
• reviewing the rate of depreciation and loss of equity involved with the purchase of a new vehicle
• how to structure tax shelters for single professionals with no dependents to write off on their taxes
• how incorporating as an individual can save you thousands a year on basic costs of living
• basic asset management and wealth preservation
• how to run a non-profit organization
• basic fundraising strategies for developing long term financial stability for the Lodge or Valley
• how to communicate with the press and make use of the "community pages" that every print newspaper maintains, for the sake of promoting activities in the community
These are just a small fraction of the skills and components that are required to become stable and successful in today's society and sometimes shaky economic environments, as an individual and as a fraternity. Basically, if we as Masons make our new Candidates and Initiates more successful by educating them with practical and applicable personal development skill sets, we will only ensure our own Lodge and Valley futures, and the future success of our Fraternity overall.
The same way they brought a man to light 200 years ago, by expanding his understanding and thusly his horizons and his future contribution to the Craft.
How to Improve the Craft, by Arthur Peterson
You have a great idea that you think will benefit the lodge.
What do you do with this idea?
My experiences have shown that no single man can change Freemasonry or a lodge. You can have the best idea in the world, but if it does not sit well with your other Brothers, it will never blossom.
Here are my tips:
1. Thoroughly research your idea. Know what it costs, know how much time it will take out of your lodge, know what kind of manpower it is going to require.
2. Sell the idea. Discuss it with members of your lodge outside of lodge. Find supporters. Find the men who will dedicate the manhour time you have come up with.
3. Present it to the lodge. Give a full presentation. Explain the costs and how you budgeted it, explain who is going to dedicate the manhours to it, explain, explain, explain!
4. Be prepared for rejection. Even the most thought out plan does not necessarily get the majority of Brothers to agree with it. Be prepared for them to say no in the worst case, be also prepared for it to be refered for committee. If it goes into committee, meet with the members and assist them in developing a plan to implement your idea.
5. Never stop trying to improve the craft. Don't count the rejections, only count the approvals! All it takes is one improvement to make the craft better today than it was yesterday. Rejoice if you ever get just one improvement implemented!
Calling a Spade a Spade, by Paterson Burns
Why should anyone apologize for calling a spade?
You shouldn't.
Imagine that you have just won the championship game and the ref comes over tells you that you're going to have to share your trophy with the losers, because they tried....?
Did they win?
No.
Why then, should they be recognized for losing?
Wouldn't that defeat the purpose of trying, being the achievement of excellence, ie. winning, if you were willing to reward those who don't try as hard as those who win, with the same reward as those who try and succeed?
Sounds like a good way to engender and promote an entitlement society of whiners who expect to be rewarded or applauded for trying out for the team, let alone being on the winning team at the end of the season.
If someone quits the team, say a week before the final cuts from tryouts, before the season even starts,... should they be allowed to call themselves champions?
Or more rightly, wouldn't they be referred to as quitters?
Is calling a quitter, a quitter, a crime?
Me, I'd be awful proud to be on the winning team, holding that trophy and feeling the satisfaction that comes from actualizing goals, I can't see me handing over that trophy to the guy that quit the team before he could get cut, let alone play in a winning season with me and my teamates.
Why Do You Go to Lodge? by Arthur Peterson
At our last stated communication of the last year, I asked my Brothers why they came to lodge, and what they thought would make for an occasion that others would be eager to experience.
I received a lot of great inputs. My lodge is has a membership of about 119 of which only about 10 regularly attend.
Asking that question in lodge revealed a lot to me. The 10 who come regularly come because they feel obligated, for the camaraderie, but even they admit it is a stale experience.
So...why do you go to lodge?
Is it everything you think it should be?
If not, have you discussed it in open lodge?
Useless Content & Extraordinary Content, by Paterson Burns
It seems that some "Masonic" discussion boards are full of witty banter over useless nonsense that has nothing to do with Masonry.
I realize some folks have compulsivity issues when it comes to hitting the reply button, but wouldn't it be dynamic if the content of this board in particular were filled with the reflections, experiences and exchanges of thoughful, intelligent and articulate regular Freemasons, working to promote honor to the fraternity?
Can you imagine truly filling the void left by others and being a resource for those seeking relevent, referenced and accurate content, and Mentors to help explain it and provide context?
Here lies the opportunity to create a relevent resource for "Mainstream" Regular Masons and those seeking to become the same. I know that if I can actually confidently refer a friend to an online discussion forum for regular Freemasons, I will.
There is a short list of discussion boards that are worthwhile and not a total waste of time, and hundreds that are garbage.
Give them what they're looking for, not what they've seen.
Are You a Regular Mason? by Paterson Burns
Are you a Mason? How do I know, if I don't know you?
There are those who are engaged in professional endeavors that require confidentiality and discretion, and then there are the rest of us.
So, with the rest of us in mind, how do we prove your regularity if you're anonymous and you would offer opinions about our Craft, yet not stand behind your own words, or prove your membership?
Since it is inevitable that regular Masons will want to communicate with regular Masons, on matters of shared interest and association, how does a discussion forum such as this prove that those who claim regularity, can prove the same?
Obviously we know this has been a contentious issue, that for the most part has been swept under the carpet on other discussion forums because the sponsors of the same believe in it to have too much potential for rudeness.
Well, I believe that a productive and represented discussion can be had here, by regular Masons, on the discussion of what is regularity in North American Masonry, and what isn't, without representing the opinions of irregular, clandestine or expelled Masons desiring to provide their agenda delivery to the conversation being had.
There are already a score of "Masonic" discussion forums that house expelled and clandestine malcontents for the sport of watching the fur fly, which is lame and in poor taste.
Nobody here has any discord for any of the individuals who have a shared interest in the other brands of "Masonry", there is no disdain for here for "Co-Masons", or "Female-Craft" or any of the other groups of searchers in the world who have been inspired by the tenets and traditions of regular Masonry, to explore the same in the form of starting new Masonic organizations, knowingly independent of recognition from regular Masonry.
Good for you. Emulation is the sincerest form of flattery.
We do appreciate the nod, it's nice to know that there are folks out there who are truly inspired by what we offer to our members, and seek to honor us by using our name in homage.
The problem is when the name and credibility of regular Masonry is used to represent credibility to the endeavors of those not entitled to call themselves "Regular Masons" or even Masonic, as they advertise themselves to an unsuspecting public, as a genuine article.
So, how do we know you're a genuine article?
