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!

Masonry & Fish Fries, by Bro. Ronald D. Martin

Question: What are most young men looking for in Masonry?

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