Monday Masonic Minute - Vol. 4, Issue 3
Welcome to our newest issue of the Monday Masonic Minute!
Each week we will attempt to bring you a few Masonic interest, educational or discussion topics that we hope will inspire thought, contemplation and ultimately begin discussion that will strengthen and deepen the influence Freemasonry has on each of our lives.
Before we begin, a few disclaimers. The information provided has been culled from many different sources and time periods, including Short Talk Bulletins, Masonic blogs, etc., and credit will be given where due, wherever applicable, to the original source. Even though some of these postings may be dated, please note how well most all of the information stands as well today as it did in its original time period. Also, the topics discussed here in no way express my own personal thoughts and policies, neither are they endorsed or supported by the Grand Lodge of Tennessee nor of any subordinate body thereof. The topics here are offered for consideration of each reader of their own accord and may be accepted or refuted accordingly. I also have taken no liberty to correct any punctuation, spelling or grammatical errors of any kind. All topics are presented precisely as received, without manipulation.
If you are new to the Minute and might have missed some previous issues, every issue delivered so far can be found at our website by clicking here -> Past Articles.
Lastly, please send any thoughts, commentary on any of the topics, or feedback to mondaymasonicminute@gmail.com. We absolutely welcome any and all comments, encouragement or critique.
Without further ado, let's dive into the topics for this week. I hope you enjoy
Tim Roberson, PM
Freemasonry has a membership problem (which has caused a leadership problem)
by Midnight Freemason Contributor
WB Darin A. Lahners
Emeritus contributor Robert Johnson published an article this past Wednesday on this blog, The Midnight Freemasons: Not Leadership, which has these key takeaways (From his TL/DR version of the article):
Freemasonry as an organization has no stance, responsibility, or obligation to teach Leadership.
Leadership can be learned within Freemasonry, but it is no different than how it is learned in other organizations – including real-life work experience. We are not special – which means, it isn’t our mission.
There is nothing wrong with hosting leadership training as long as it is: 1. Secondary or tertiary to the understanding, application, and continuing study of the Philosophy of Freemasonry. 2. Does not demand a Grand Lodge Budget line-item expense that surpasses that of Masonic Education. 3. Qualified individuals who are leaders in the real world, with actual credentials, and have resumes that have been validated, must lead these workshops or camps.
RJ asked me to write a follow-up to his article, so without further ado, I wanted to expand on some of what RJ had to say as well as how it relates to some current issues that our Fraternity is facing. I believe they are interrelated as we discuss leadership.
Point One:
Freemasonry has a membership problem which has caused a leadership problem.
You might want to write this down:
Freemasonry has a membership problem which has caused a leadership problem.
Freemasonry has an obsession with membership numbers because we have been declining from our post-WW1/WW2 numbers. These numbers were artificially inflated by the men who came back from those conflicts and felt that they were missing the comradery that many of them had become accustomed to during their combat tours. The graph below shows that we hit our high watermark of membership in 1959 when we had a total of 4.1 million members, out of approximately 53.3 million males over the age of 20, meaning that around 7.7% of the eligible male population were Freemasons. In 2022, there were 881,219 members in the US according to MSANA out of approximately 128.4 million males over the age of 20, meaning that less than 1% (approximately .06%) are Freemasons. I used the age of 20 because some jurisdictions require a man to be 18 years of age while others require 21 years of age for membership, so I settled on 20 years of age as a median. The US census data usually had an age distribution in units of 5 years, so 20 years of age was also easier to use as a starting point. Even though the peak of our membership happened sixty-five years ago, it seems that we keep chasing this unicorn.
Graph courtesy U.S. Membership Statistics – Masonic Service Association of North America (msana.com)
Masonic bodies have decided that quantity of members is the measurement of the success of our organization, instead of the quality of our membership. Because of using an incorrect metric to judge the success of our organization, and not upholding our standards for membership, some masonic lodges have collectively turned the ballot box into a turnstile. In some cases, the only qualities that they look for are a heartbeat, a bank account, and the ability to say yes or no to the investigation committee. In fact, the only thing that might get a candidate black-balled from joining a lodge or Masonic body are qualities that shouldn't even be discussed in our Fraternal gatherings, like a member's sexuality, race, religion, or political affiliation.
We need to stop pretending that every man who is a Mason is good. We have some members that aren't good men. Some of these men, men who should never ever have set foot into a Masonic lodge, now are appointed and elected leaders in our fraternity.
In the real world, leadership problems occur when employees are promoted based on their job skills and not their leadership skills. When employees in the real world are promoted based on their job skills, and they need formal, ongoing training on how to be good supervisors or leaders, they usually end up as poor leaders and end up having the below leadership problems.
They have communication issues.
They are in constant conflict with other managers or employees.
Difficulty dealing with their employee's demands.
They are resistant to change.
Their employees have low morale.
They do not take responsibility for their decisions or have no initiative to make decisions.
Their employees have low motivation.
They use an outdated leadership style, usually one which is authoritarian.1
In theory, Freemasonry should not have any of the above leadership issues. Our leadership is elected democratically to the main leadership positions in almost every Masonic organization. At least, that's what is supposed to happen, more on that later. Reading the above leadership problems, how many of you feel that many of those could apply to at least one or more Masonic bodies you belong to? The fact that you said yes, says all you need to know.
Why is this? We currently have men in leadership positions in Freemasonry who have no business being in a leadership position. Freemasonry is a bureaucracy, and it requires a lot of members to serve in leadership positions to keep the Masonic machine running. Members who are appointed to leadership positions at the District and Area levels are usually not appointed based on their leadership abilities, but because they are good at memorization and mimicry. Furthermore, because some of these men have waited patiently in the progressive line of whatever body, kept their mouths shut, and placated the current leadership, membership advances them election cycle after election cycle.
In Freemasonry, like in business, when bad leaders are put in positions to appoint others into leadership roles, they will appoint those who also believe them to be good leaders. This leads to them surrounding themselves with sycophants that will further inflate their belief that they are entitled to their leadership roles. These men end up getting a fancy title and apron, and with it, the power and influence to maintain the status quo. The law of probability means that there will be a distribution of men who are good leaders with those who are terrible ones in these positions, and varying degrees in between.
While I agree that leadership training should not be Freemasonry’s primary objective, I do believe that Leadership Development training is desperately needed in our organizations, usually at every level. I will go a step further than RJ and state that if Masonic bodies are going to do leadership development training, the training needs to be taught by an accredited organization that specializes in Talent Development. We can ill afford to use Masonic Leaders who are not qualified or accredited to teach leadership development. Just because I have taken multiple leadership training courses, I do not consider myself qualified to instruct one. On top of this, some of the elected officers in the Grand Lines of Masonic Organizations and some of the members appointed to the Masonic bureaucracy are the members who need the leadership training the most, so they should not be involved in teaching something they are not good at.
We also have to acknowledge that no amount of leadership development training will turn a bad leader into a good leader. We have those predisposed to the philosophy of Servant Leadership within our fraternity, and these are the leaders that Freemasonry needs to promote and elect. Servant leaders put the needs of their team members first and strive to create an environment where everyone can thrive. This style of leadership is particularly well-suited for all-volunteer organizations, where the success of the organization depends on the dedication and hard work of its volunteers.2 The experience of leadership in any organization can help men predisposed to be good leaders become better ones,. However, those who are bad at leadership will believe themselves to be great leaders. They will learn nothing from their leadership experience because they believe they have nothing left to learn.
Furthermore, the Progressive Line often means that when we have bad leaders in our organizations, they continue to get promoted or elected because:
Point Two:
The majority of Masonic membership is only concerned with maintaining the status quo.
You might want to write this down:
The majority of Masonic membership is only concerned with maintaining the status quo.
Freemasonry suffers from the Status Quo bias. The status quo bias is a type of cognitive bias that involves the preference that things stay as they are or that the current state of affairs remains the same.3
Progressive lines of leadership keep advancing. On the rare occasion where there is competition for an office, we see the membership side with the status quo.
In some cases, when it’s time to elect the junior most officers into the Grand progressive lines, these lines will ask for interested men to apply. However, when it comes time to vote for the leadership of the Grand Line at the Grand session, only one candidate is offered to the membership. Membership usually is not allowed to know anything about the other applicants, as the applicant put forward is the one who best fits the siloed group think of the other Grand officers in that line. I envision a scene similar to what I’ve illustrated below from Todd Browning’s Freaks. Imagine the officers of that Grand Line dancing inebriated on the table screaming: “One of us! One of us!”
While these other candidates can run from the floor at these Grand Sessions, they are not the candidates who have the backing of the bureaucracy of the Masonic leadership of that particular organization. The only way wholesale change can happen at a Grand level requires the membership to revolt against the status quo, and put leaders into each office in that line who would be willing to make wholesale changes to their organization and they would have to replace each cog in the Masonic bureaucracy with those who would implement their vision. Membership would also have to be willing to be courageous enough to vote for legislation that would implement change.
Unfortunately, a majority of our members are unwilling to vote for change. This means that our leadership problems are a direct result of our membership. Regardless of what majority of the vote an election for a leadership position requires or an amendment needs to pass, both require a majority of our member's vote. Ergo: The problematic leaders in our organizations are a direct result of the membership. The members who voted them into the fraternity, the members who cast votes for them to remain in power, or the members who appointed them to a leadership position.
Let's be honest with ourselves, on the off chance that a visionary leader or leaders would be elected or appointed into these bodies, they immediately put a target on their back by those who defend that status quo if they rock the boat too much. As Freemasons, even though it might not be our jurisdiction, what is happening in Texas, and DC, and apparently in upper echelons of leadership in Appendant Bodies should make us all embarrassed. Is this really how we want to portray ourselves to the profane world? I realize that there are two sides to every story, but from an outsider looking in, it reaffirms everything I've said so far.
As an organization, Freemasonry is so beholden to our past, our history, and our sacred landmarks, to the status quo; that we seem incapable of thinking about the future. The landscape of decaying Masonic temples that exist in small towns across America proves me correct. In many cases, our departed brethren built magnificent structures, never thinking once that at some point, the cost to maintain the building might cause the lodge they so dearly loved to merge with another or close entirely. And yes, while I said membership numbers are not the measurement of our organization's success, we still need a membership to continue to be an organization.
Yet, instead of focusing on making decisions about what we want for our future, we have members and leaders who continue to kick the can down the road. Because our average age of membership is in its early to mid-'60s, the members that are in my age demographic and younger are going to be the ones who are going to have to make the difficult decisions to close and consolidate our masonic lodges, temples, chapters, councils, valleys, etc. in the next ten to twenty years, again because the brethren who protect the status quo didn't have the forethought to start the conversations, the hard conversations early. Hopefully, I'm wrong, and we have enough good leaders in place who have created five-year plans, and succession plans, and they have started to have these conversations.
Even one of the most successful marketing campaigns that Freemasonry has ever had, the "Not Just a Man..." marketing campaign, is five years old, which in marketing terms is ancient history. In my own personal opinion, the one thing that we could use to help market Freemasonry to men today is Masonic Education. Why Masonic Education? Masonic Education is like a gym workout for your brain.
RJ states that Leadership Training should not demand a Grand Lodge Budget line-item expense that surpasses that of Masonic Education. This is because, in our personal experience, Masonic Education is not thought of or utilized as an asset to the fraternity or to its membership, so it is not prioritized. What men get out of Masonic Education is something that a majority of other civic organizations cannot provide, yet, many of our members and leaders eschew it.
Why is this? They do not understand what Masonic Education is. There seems to be a prevailing thought that Masonic Education equals teaching of Esoteric philosophy. Because of this, Masonic Education is either thought to be of little or no value to the practical application of Freemasonry. Often Masonic education is pushed as things that classify as Masonic Instruction, Leadership training, Officer Training, or teaching ritual and floorwork. While both develop membership, there is a distinct difference between Masonic Instruction and Masonic Education.
Point Three:
Masonic education is not Leadership training, Officer Training, or Ritual/Floorwork instruction.
You might want to write this down.
Masonic education is not Leadership training, Officer Training, or Ritual/Floorwork instruction.
Masonic Instruction is learning the ritual, floor work, and everything else that relates to the work being performed within a tyled lodge. It is also the teaching of those skills that will help develop members' leadership and management abilities. It is part of member development which requires the instructor to be proficient in the skill that they are teaching, which is why you see those who have passed the Board of Grand Examiners tests instructing ritual and floor work. This is why I will reiterate the point I made above, leadership development training needs to be taught by an accredited organization that specializes in Talent Development.
While I have a great appreciation for our Ritualists and those who do excellent floor work, I am always amazed that some of these men have no desire to understand where the ritual or floor work came from and what it actually means. Masonic Education is learning about the meanings behind the work being performed within a tyled lodge space. It is a study of the philosophies of the world, the liberal arts and sciences, Masonic ritual, the sacred volumes of law from the various world religions, Masonic history, and esoterics. It is the nurturing of the member's intellect, imagination, and spiritual growth. It is the key to understanding how to follow the instructions left on the trestleboard which guide us as we struggle to shape our rough ashlar into a perfect one in our personal quarries. It is part of member development which can be undertaken alone, but it really should be done in a group setting, which is why it should be prioritized as a part of our meeting experience.
When done properly in a group setting, men will let their guard down. When this occurs, you see the actual working of brotherly love. You see men who might be polarized oppositely from each other in the profane world agree on something. Every member has a voice during Masonic education. Because of this, it allows the exchange of differing ideas and concepts to flow freely. It is through Masonic education that our membership develops their ability to think independently and philosophically and take the lessons taught by our kindred science and apply them in the profane world.
This being said, maybe we should not be surprised when some of our Grand Lines promote Masonic instruction as Masonic Education. An educated membership is a membership that will ask questions, study the constitution and bylaws of that particular body, and demand change. It is much easier to instruct the membership how to memorize our rituals and mimic floor movements, what duties they should perform in each chair in the lodge room, and how they should manage the lodge when they become the presiding officer. It is easier to have a membership full of parrot masons squawking in unison: "One of us, One of us" than to have a membership that asks questions and demands accountability and transparency of its leadership.
Our leadership problems have been caused by membership, and they can only be fixed by membership. Each of us must begin to be courageous at our local lodges and tell our brethren who want to give signed petitions out like candy on Halloween that you will blackball any candidate they bring to the floor for a vote if they do not make a concerted effort to get to know that man for months before offering them membership. We must identify and vote alternative candidates into power in cases where the leadership of that organization is not doing its job. We must bring up legislation at our grand sessions that will move Freemasonry forward into the future, and if it does not pass, we must continue to bring it up until it does, no matter how long it takes. Change in Freemasonry doesn't happen overnight, it happens very slowly, but we'll get there eventually. It's just a matter of time. We must have the patience and stay the course.
~DAL
1. https://businesstrainingexperts.com/common-problems-caused-by-poor-leadership-skills-and-how-to-fix-them/#:~:text=A%20list%20of%20the%20most%20common%20problems%20your,Low%20motivation%208%20Problems%20managing%20peers%20More%20items
2. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/servant-leadership-all-volunteer-organizations-lanning#:~:text=Servant%20leaders%20put%20the%20needs,hard%20work%20of%20its%20volunteers.
3.https://www.verywellmind.com/status-quo-bias-psychological-definition-4065385#:~:text=The%20status%20quo%20bias%20is,of%20affairs%20remains%20the%20same.
Darin Lahners is our Managing Editor. He is a host and producer of the "Meet, Act and Part" podcast as well as a co-host of an all-things-paranormal podcast, "Beyond the 4th Veil." He is currently serving the Grand Lodge of Illinois Ancient Free and Accepted Masons as a member of the Committee on Masonic Education He is a Past Master of St. Joseph Lodge No.970 in St. Joseph. He is also a plural member of Homer Lodge No. 199 (IL), where he is also a Past Master. He’s also a member of the Scottish Rite Valley of Danville, a charter member of Illinois Royal Arch Chapter, Admiration Chapter No. 282, Salt Fork Shrine Club under the Ansar Shrine, and a grade one (Zelator) in the S.C.R.I.F. Prairieland College in Illinois. He is also a Fellow of the Illinois Lodge of Research. He was presented with the Torok Award from the Illinois Lodge of Research in 2021.
AN ADDRESS OF WELCOME TO A NEWLY-MADE ENTERED APPRENTICE MASON
By Maurice Benedictus, M.P.S.; Antwerp, Belgium
(Translated from the French by the late Leo Fischer F.P.S.)
ONE OF the prerogatives of the office which I occupy this evening is to deliver to you the lecture in the Degree of Entered Apprentice, and to give you an explanation of the purposes and meaning of the ceremony which has taken place upon the occasion of your first step into the Craft.
Your emotions have been taxed since your first contact with this new and strange world which our Order is to you, and for this reason I shall be brief and will not tire you with lengthy dissertations of a historical or philosophical nature. Of course, you will not be spared these, as there will be plenty of them in the course of your Masonic life which, I hope, will be a long and active one. My present purpose is to give you an impulse of a lasting nature in the motives which have caused you to enter our ranks and I hope it will stay fresh in your memory and become the guiding force of the new structure which you are beginning on this memorable day.
You came of your own free will and accord, without constraint or outside pressure, to affiliate with a group of men and a society the particular form of which as it is today goes back very far into the history of the evolution of human thought. One of the numerous reasons for this is to be found in a deep sentiment, the need for perfectibility which we all feel at a given moment of our existence.
Permit me to dwell a few moments on the sense of the words "Need for Perfectibility." The last decades of our lives have unfortunately demonstrated to us that man can still be inhuman to mankind, that the progress of which we are so proud has largely been made in connection with work of destruction and negation such as the human race has never known before. To the superficial mind these facts constitute sufficient reasons for giving himself over to absolute pessimism, leading a selfish life, without any hope. This is not the way of the thinking of a Freemason, without abandoning himself to stupid optimism he knows or feels that real human destiny is not to be found thus; that in spite of all obstacles the flame of hope of a better world burns in the hearts of all free men. This flame may flicker, but it will never go out. From this, then, is derived one of your first obligations; which is to struggle with all the strength that is in you against that lassitude and despair of which there is so much in our present time. You have a right to ask how that struggle must be undertaken, because wherever you may look and whatever you may think, the forces of evil seem to overwhelm victoriously the efforts of those who are striving for a better future.
Freemasonry will teach you that, and that is why in the Degree of Entered Apprentice you represent a Rough Ashlar. The initial work to which you are assigned is that of smoothing the latter so that it may some day fit harmoniously into the building which generations of Freemasons strive to erect by strength, wisdom and beauty. This is the noblest work that a man can undertake, but it is a labor where nothing will be spared you, and I am intimately convinced of that because of my own personal experience.
As a first condition for doing your work successfully, you must bare your soul and see yourself as you really are, and sincerely lay aside qualities which you believe you possess. You must take into consideration the fact that your knowledge and experience of life, sometimes acquired with much trouble, are worth relatively little and will be of only scant value to you as you take the gavel and chisel which will hereafter be your working tools and daily companions during all the hours of the struggle which you have undertaken in order to shed more light and beauty upon your nature and the world. This work is one of the purest forms of altruism; it demands serious and constant effort, numerous sacrifices which do not exclude tears and blood. Our long and sad martyrology is too tangible a proof of this, and the names appearing on it and those that have been added recently, are men who, like you, have worked on the Rough Ashlar. You are thus in good company and will not shrink from this somber image. Remember that all those whom you see present here are living up to it within the full measure of their means; and they are ready to aid and encourage you. But know one thing that is essential: the initial effort must come from within yourself and you will receive the impulse from the study of our symbolism. You have, no doubt, chosen the hardest path, and I would be violating the first duty imposed upon me by the Craft if I told you the contrary. The work of Freemasonry is no sinecure; it is done in silence and has no end. But fear nothing; it procures intense joy and great satisfaction, and you will quickly gain the conviction that you now belong to a group of men who, without endeavoring to appear better than their fellows, have ideas of life and death that you find nowhere else.
These men of whom I am speaking to you and of whom you already know a certain number, are all human beings, with the qualities and defects of such We do not pretend to be better, and you must not believe that we are. You are going to meet here all sorts of men, and you will hear the most diverse opinion. Here the spiritualist discusses matters amiably with the materialist. In our world the extremes touch each other but seldom clash, because we have one thing in common, . . . the absolute respect for individual liberty, a respect which does not mean abdication to the opinion of others, but which teaches us to listen to the latter with tolerance, in the knowledge that it is sincere and in harmony with the sentiments and thoughts of the person uttering them.
If you can evaluate what I have just said, you will not exactly commit the error that is so human; you will not judge our Institution by its members. You will quickly realize, if that is what you desire, that Freemasonry, as far as the institution is concerned, is a splendid ideal which exercises a happy influence upon all of its members. This does not by any means exclude the possibility of imperfection because, as I have already told you and now repeat, we are neither supermen nor saints. If you should some day meet with disillusion, do not accuse the Order because one of its members fails to measure up to the image which you have formed of the perfect Freemason. Do not forget that we are all prone to err. The law of silence which governs your Degree of Entered Apprentice is not a vexatory measure, but is based on wisdom and prudence, for which we must be grateful to our illustrious forebears.
Now I must speak to you of some of our usages and customs, and I shall be brief. It is possible that upon your entry into the Order these may seem old-fashioned and even melodramatic to you. Before being too critical in that regard, however, go to the trouble of studying them carefully, and I am convinced that you will soon become an intelligent and understanding defender of our rituals, the somewhat archaic charm of which cannot but leave your sensibility indifferent. Reasonable sentiment plays an important part in our entire ceremonial, but never excludes pure reason. You will hear the same ritualistic phrases repeated thousands of times, and on certain evenings that repetition may appear monotonous to you; but be assured that there will be occasions and moments when you will find in those simple words a hidden profound meaning, and sometimes even a balm for secret deep wounds. Be careful, therefore, and do not criticize too easily the customs and usages which have withstood the test of time; realize that our rituals contain spiritual treasures that give satisfaction to any mind, whether it be that of a savant or of a simple person endowed with intelligence and kindness.
Do not conclude from what you have heard here that we are conformists or stubborn traditionalists; but consider that before changing anything that has served us well we must be certain that the innovation benefits the whole of our ceremonial which, under aspects that seem strange, forms a very harmonious whole.
It is time for me to close, and, in doing so, I cannot refrain from thinking of that great lesson in philosophy contained in the splendid sonnet of our illustrious fellow-citizen, Christophe Plantin, consecrated to the happiness of this world. I take from it the following lines on which I pray you to meditate:
"Adjust all one's plans to a just design,
Preserve the mind free and the judgment strong."
This is the task which awaits you. Take it up courageously and let me dedicate to you, on behalf of all the Brethren here present, and in my own personal name, this wish: May your Masonic life be a long, ardent and enthusiastic one; may it be useful to yourself and to all those dear to you, to the Order in general, and to this Worshipful Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons in particular!
STEMMING THE FLOW
M.W. Brother E. R. Minchew, PGM of Louisiana, and Director of Masonic Education for the Grand Lodge of Louisiana
Most Grand Jurisdictions, if not all, are concerned with the loss of members. Basically, there ar e three categories of membership losses that claim their attention: by demits, by nonpayment of dues, and by candidates who fail to complete the degrees.
With reference to the first category demits. In Louisiana, as an example, the number of demits that were granted in 1976 was 284; in 1977, the number was 64; in 1978, the total was 317. While it is true that some of the demitted Masons affiliated with other lodges, it is roughly estimated that two-thirds did not. This is a loss that is worthy of attention. Louisiana has about 47,000 Masons. Other Grand Jurisdictions report comparable losses through demit.
What can be done to reduce the losses by demit? It appears that the cause for demit losses should be examined. There are at least three reasons why a Mason gets a demit and never affiliates with another Lodge:
First - He feels that he is too old to be of service to Masonry.
Second - He has lost interest in the Fraternity.
Third - He cannot attend Lodge.
There are probably other causes for a demit, but these three are certainly worthy of consideration.
The solution to the problem must rest with each lodge, particularly with the three principal officers. There is no doubt but that some members of the Lodge have been neglected.
A well-planned program by the Lodge is necessary, a program that will involve as many members as possible. Specially planned programs will attract and encourage the presence of members. Homecoming, Father-and-Son Night, etc. Each Lodge meeting should include a discussion of some Masonic topic for information when no degree work is on the agenda. There are many sources for information topics on Masonry; probably the best is the Short Talk Bulletin. (Ask M.S.A. for the catalog listing the more than 680 titles.) Most Masons are interested in learning more about the history, heritage, philosophy, famous men in Masonry, and ideals of the Fraternity. Open meetings, where the doors are opened to non-Masons, are excellent opportunities for good fellowship and for improving the image of Masonry.
In other words, A MASONIC EDUCATION PROGRAM in each Lodge is a MUST. In such meetings, a special effort should be made to acquaint all members with what the Lodge is doing and how each member is a part of the program. The Lodge program should include opportunities for the members to discuss what each wants out of his Masonic life. It is surprising how many good ideas for improving the interest and attendance of the members can be provided by the members. Too frequently they are not encouraged to let their wishes be known.
Some Lodges send out questionnaires to all members asking for the. members' desire to do a certain work in the Lodge. This method gives every member the opportunity to let his wishes be known. A follow-up use of members is the result. Other Lodges have seminars with members to get the members' reaction to what the Lodge should do. It all boils down to what has often been said, "A working Mason is an interested Mason."
Some Lodges use a Contact Committee to get in touch with Masons who do not regularly attend Lodge and inform them that they are missed and that they are needed. When such efforts are exerted the members will feel a part of the Lodge, and many even become regular in attendance.
Members who are unable to attend Lodge meetings should be visited by the Contact Committee as often as possible, and by the principal officers. Telephone calls can be used by the Committee to prevent disabled Brethren from feeling a sense of neglect, and to assure the aged and infirm that they are still a part of the Fraternity of Free and Accepted Masons. On special occasions, such as when honoring the members with long years of service to the Craft, the Committee should arrange transportation for the disabled.
The second category of membership losses is through suspension for nonpayment of dues. Some Grand Jurisdictions report as many as five to eight hundred per year. Of the total number that are suspended, about fifty percent request reinstatement. Again, a sufficient loss to cause concern.
There are sundry reasons for failure of Masons to pay their annual dues. The primary causes might be loss of interest, living in another location, financial difficulties and a feeling of neglect.
Some Lodges have sought to solve this problem by making personal calls on the delinquent Brothers. When this is not 'possible, Masons in the vicinity of the domicile of the delinquent Mason are asked to make a personal contact. In some Lodges the Worshipful Master appoints a committee to visit a Brother who is suspended and persuade him to pay his dues. Other Lodges use different appeals. Financial aid is often provided for the Brother who is in financial straits. Whatever is done when a Mason becomes delinquent is like locking the barn after the horse is stolen. Rather than treat the disease, perhaps more attention should be given to prevention.
Again, a well-planned program of Masonic Education that will touch the lives of all of the members is suggested. Several Grand Jurisdictions are making much improvement in Grand Lodge oriented and sponsored educational programs that are directed toward improving attendance at Lodge meetings and having a better informed membership on Masonry. There remains much to be done. Perhaps too much money is being spent on administration and other acute needs of Masons and Masonry. There should be some kind of an annual program in every Lodge to reach as many members as possible.
The third category of membership losses, and the one in which the writer is personally interested, is in the loss of candidates who take the first degree and then drop out of Masonry. This problem has been discussed with Grand Lodge officers of several Grand Jurisdictions and there is a kindred anxiety and concern.
For instance, in Louisiana in 1976, 1187 candidates were initiated and only 874 were raised. In 1977 there were 1279 who were initiated while only 901 were raised. In 1978 the number initiated was 1139 with 886 being raised. In three years there was a total loss of 944 Master Masons. Most of these will probably not repetition for advanced degrees. There would have been a gain in membership in Louisiana if the losses due to not completing degrees could have been drastically reduced.
Why don't candidates complete the three degrees? The writer has made a study of this problem and presents one actual case.
In one of the Louisiana Lodges there were twelve petitions for degrees that were formally approved by the Lodge. Seven of the applicants completed the degrees within the required time. The other five went no farther than the first degree. The degrees, in each instance, were well conferred. Each candidate received the same information before and after each degree. The five who did not pursue advancement in Masonry beyond the first degree were interviewed and asked "why"? Here are the answers: Two said they did not have time to learn the catechism; one said that he petitioned only because his wife wanted him to become a Mason, and that Masonry demanded too much of him; another said that he could not abide by the moral teachings of Masonry as exemplified in the first degree, especially the obligation; the last one said he couldn't learn the work.
The result of the interviews were reported to the Master of the Lodge. He appointed a committee to visit each of the five candidates and to persuade him to continue his Masonic career. The committee was successful with only one 'can you guess which one? Yes, it was the one who said he couldn't learn the catechism. He tried, did his best, was not perfect in his recitation but was passed and finally became a Master Mason. You will be glad to know that this Brother is now one of the most used Masons in his Lodge in everything except degree work.
The reasons given by the five Entered Apprentice Masons in the example that has been cited are probably the most often found excuses for not completing the degrees. They might give a hint as to what is needed to be done.
In Louisiana the Grand Lodge is working on a statewide program to educate the applicants for Masonry through the appointment of a committee in each Lodge to visit the petitioner after he has been accepted for the first degree. This is called the Lodge Program of Masonic Education. The appointed committee (this committee is not the investigating committee), visits the candidate and his wife (and older children if possible) to give to them the philosophy of Masonry that will inform him of the step he is about to take. After the discussion, the committee gives to the candidate a copy of SEARCH FOR MASONIC LIGHT entitled PREPARATION. (This is the first of four small books that have been prepared by the Committee on Education of the Grand Lodge of Louisiana and are available from the Service Committee of the Grand Lodge.) Preparation further enlightens the candidate on Masonry. After the first degree is conferred, the committee again visits the E. A. Mason, further enlightens him on the Philosophy of the E. A. Degree and answers any questions that may be asked. This process is continued through the second and third degrees. The program reduced the losses by seventy-five in 1978. (A similar program is contained in the new M.S.A. Digest, "Tried and Proven.")
Another suggestion for reducing the losses through failure to complete the degrees is that of "Sponsorship." When the applicant's petition is presented to the Lodge and favorably received, the Master appoints a well-informed Brother to act as the candidate's sponsor. The sponsor works with the candidate throughout his degree career. The duties of the sponsor supplement the work of the Education Committee and assures the candidate that he has a friend to guide him through the three degrees, to arrange for a lecturer and assist the candidate in any way necessary. (In some Jurisdictions, this is called "the Mentor System.")
In summary (1) Losses in Membership must be the concern of both the Grand Lodge officers and the Lodge officers; (2) The Lodge must include and involve as many Masons as possible in the annual program of the Lodge; (3) A definite program of Masonic Education on a personal basis is essential.
AN ERRING BROTHER
by: RWBro Author Unknown
Next to the word Mother, no word in our language has more meaning and music in it than the word Brother. It is from above, and it reaches to the deep places of the heart. It is religion on its human side; and in it lies the hope of humanity. The highest dream of the prophets is of a time when men shall be Brothers.
When used Masonically, the word Brother has a depth and tenderness all its own, unique and is beautiful beyond words. It tells of a tie, mystical but mighty, which Masonry spins and weaves between man and man, which no one can define and few can resist. In time of sorrow it is a tether of sympathy and a link of loyalty.
Of course, like all other words, it is common enough, and may be glibly used without regard to its real meaning. Like the word God, it may be a coin worn smooth, or a flower faded. But when its meaning is actually and fully felt, no other word is needed among us, except on occasions of high Masonic Ceremony, when we add the word Worshipful, or some other term of title or rank.
No other word has a finer import or a more ample echo, expressive of the highest relationship in which dignity and devotion unite. If we are really Brothers, all the rest may go by the board, save for sake of ceremony. If we are not truly Brothers, all titles are empty and of no avail. For that reason, to omit the word Brother when speaking Masonically is not only a lack of courtesy, but shows a want of fineness of feeling.
What does the word Brother mean, Masonically? It means the adoption of a man into an inner circle of friendship, by a moral and spiritual tie as close and binding as the tie of common birth and blood between two brothers in a family. Nothing else, nothing less; and this implies a different attitude the one to the other - related not distant, united not opposed, natural and unrestrained - wherein are revealed what the old writers used to call “The Happy and Beneficial Effects of our Ancient and Honorable Institution.”
Since this is so, surely we ought to exercise as much caution and judgment in bringing a new member into the Lodge as we do in inviting an outsider into the family circle. Carelessness here is the cause of most of our Masonic ills, frictions and griefs. Unless we are assured beyond all reasonable doubt that a man is a brotherly man to whom Masonry will appeal, and who will justify our choice, we ought not to propose his name or admit him to our fellowship.
Still, no man is perfect; and the Lodge is a moral workshop in which the rough Ashlar is to be polished for use and beauty. If the Lodge had been too exacting, none of us would have gained admission. At best we must live together in the Lodge, as elsewhere, by Faith, Hope and Charity; else Masonry will be a failure. The Brotherly Life may be difficult, but it is none the less needful. Our faith in another way may be repelled, or even shattered - what then?
Nothing in life is sadder than the pitiful moral breakdowns of good men, their blunders and brutalities. Who knows his own heart, or what he might do under terrible trial or temptation? Often enough qualities appear or emerge of which neither man himself or his friends were aware, and there is a moral wreck. Some “Defect of Will or Taint of Blood,” some hidden yellow streak, some dark sin shows itself, and there is disaster. A man highly respected and deeply loved goes down suddenly like a tree in a storm, and we discover under the smooth bark that the inside was rotten. What shall we do? Of course, in cases of awful crime the way is plain, but we have in mind the erring Brother who does injury to himself, his Brother or the Lodge. An old Stoic teacher gave a good rule, showing us that much depends on the handle with which we take hold of the matter. If we say, “My Brother has INJURED me,” it will mean one thing. If we say, “My BROTHER has injured Me,” it will mean another; and that is what the Brotherly Life means, if it means anything.
Every Master of a Lodge knows how often he is asked to arraign a Brother, try him and expel him from the Fraternity. It is easy to be angry and equally easy to be unjust. If he is a wise Master, he will make haste slowly. There is need of tact, patience; and, above all sympathy - since all good men are a little weak and a little strong, a little good and a little bad; and anyone may lose his way, befogged by passion or bewitched by evil. It is a joy to record that Masons, for the most part, are both gentle and wise in dealing with a Brother who has stumbled along the way. Masonic charity is not a myth; it is one of the finest things on earth.
What shall we do? If we see a Brother going wrong in Masonry, or in anything else - “Spoiling his Work,” as the old Masons used to say - well, we must take him aside and talk to him gently, man to man, Brother to Brother; and show him the right way. He may be ignorant, weak or even ugly of spirit - driven by some blind devil as all of us are apt to be - and if so our tact and Brotherly kindness may be tested and tried; but more often than otherwise we can win him back to sanity.
Have you heard a tale about a Brother, a suggestion of a doubt, an innuendo about his character, some hearsay story not to his credit? If so, did you stand up for him, ask for proof, or invite suspension of judgment until the facts could be heard; remembering that it is your duty as a Mason to defend a Brother in his absence? Such things are seldom said in his presence. It is not fair to tell him what is being said and learn his side of the tale? If we fail in our duty in such matters we fail of being a true Brother.
When we have learned the truth and have to face the worst, what then? Long ago we knew an old Mason, long since gone to the Great Lodge, who was chided by a Brother for continuing to trust a man they both knew was taking advantage of the kindness shown him. The old man replied:
“Yes, but you never know; I may touch the right chord in is heart yet. He is not wholly bad, and some day, perhaps when I’m dead and gone, he will hear the music and remember.” And he did!
Hear the music? Ah, if we would hear it we must listen and wait, after we have touched “the right chord.” And if the right chord is “In Us” something in him will respond, if he be not utterly dead of soul! If he does respond, then you will have gained a friend who will stick closer than a Brother. If he does not respond - and, alas, sometimes they do not - then we must admit, with a heart bowed down, that we have done our best, and failed. Some inherent failing, some blind spot, has led him astray, dividing him from us by a gulf we cannot bridge.
So a Mason should treat his Brother who goes astray; not with bitterness, nor yet with good-natured easiness, nor with worldly indifference, nor with philosophic coldness; but with pity, patience and loving-kindness. A moral collapse is a sickness, loss, dishonor in the immortal part of man. It is the darkest disaster, worse than death, adding misery to guilt. We must deal faithfully but tenderly, firmly but patiently with such tragedies.
It is facts such as these which show us what charity, in a far deeper sense than monitory gifts, really means. It is as delicate as it is difficult in that we are all men of like passions and temptations. We all have that within us which, by a twist of perversion, might lead to awful ends. Perhaps we have done acts, which, in proportion to the provocation, are less excusable than those of a Brother who grieves us by his sin. “Judge not lest ye yourselves be judged.” Truly it was a wise saying, not less true today than when the old Greek uttered it long ago, “Know Thyself.” Because we do not know ourselves, it behooves us to put ourselves under the spell of all the influences God is using for the making of men, among which the Spirit of Masonry is one of the gentlest, wisest and most benign. If we let it have its way with us it will build us up in virtue, honor and charity; softening what is hard and strengthening what is weak.
If an erring Brother must be condemned, he must also be deeply pitied. God pities him; Christ died for him; Heaven waits to welcome him back with joy. He has done himself a far deeper injury than he has done anyone else. In pity, prayer and pain let our hearts beat in harmony with all the powers God is using for his recovery. “There remaineth Faith, Hope and Charity; but the greatest of these is Charity.”