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must be obtained from the copyright holder directly by contacting The
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nking@freemasonry.org or nking@onramp.ca




                           MASONIC RESEARCH
                   by Fred Lamar Pearson, Jr., MPS
   (Reprinted  by permission of The Philalethes  -  December 1988)

     We  have  heard  repeatedly that  Freemasonry  is  a  progressive
science. It would logically follow that its devotees must never  cease
in  their  search for knowledge and understanding. All  students  have
questions, and these should, in turn, develop into still further areas
of  inquiry.  Unfortunately  in most cases they never  do.  There  are
several  legitimate  ways  to  answer  questions  about   Freemasonry.
Obviously  the candidates coach is a logical starting place.  But  too
frequently coaches know the catechism and little about it. They  teach
their  students  to memorize a battery of questions and  answers,  but
very  little  Masonic  education takes place. A good  coach  will  not
hesitate  to confess his lack of knowledge and will in turn  recommend
more  informed Masons as well as Masonic literature. Ideally both  the
coach  and  the inquisitive candidate will undertake  the  search  for
information  together. Hopefully their quest for more light will  lead
them in time to join Masonic Research Lodges.

     For  it  is in Masonic Research Lodges that the  Masonic  student
travels on the cutting edge of involvement. Here he meets brothers who
share  his interest in broadening intellectual horizons. Listening  to
the  fruits of others labor helps to sharpen ones focus  considerably.
One moves from a shot gun to a rifle in approaching a problem. In  the
process  the Masonic student learns how to formulate more  effectively
his own ideas and concepts. Ideally the Masonic investigator will  now
read widely and in depth in search of answers.

     there  are  indeed  lots of places from  which  to  obtain  solid
information.  The excellent publications of several  Masonic  Research
Lodges  immediately come to mind such as: Missouri,  Texas,  Illinois,
Maine,  Iowa,  Southern  California, American Lodge  of  Research  and
Georgia.  All  of these Research Lodges have "Transactions",  and  the
joining-membership  fee is nominal in each case. Most of  them  either
own or have access to good libraries.

     There  is no question that the best Masonic Lodge of Research  is
Quatuor  Coronati, the premier Research Lodge and a model  indeed  for
all  Research Lodges to emulate. Started late in the 19th century  the
"Transactions" number almost one hundred. This London based lodge  has
40 full members and thousands of corresponding members. One  fortunate
enough  to  earn election as a full member is a student who  has  done
well  in the quarries. Thus far the Grand Jurisdictions of the  United
States  have  been  fortunate to have brothers so  honored.  The  late
Brother  Alphonse Cerza received preferment shortly before his  death;
Past Grand Master Dwight Smith, editor of the "Indiana Freemason", was
elected in the year as Brother Cerza. To our immediate north,  Brother
Wallace  McLeod is a member and holds the distinction of being a  Past
Master  of Quatuor Coronati. Brother McLeod has brought much honor  to 
Canada and is a most prolific and erudite scholar.

     In  the  United  States  of America the  best  place  to  conduct 
research  is at the truly outstanding Grand Lodge of Iowa  Library  in 
Cedar  Rapids,  Iowa. Next in importance is probably  the  Library  of 
Congress.  The Grand Lodge Libraries of New York and Pennsylvania  are 
great  repositories and of course the holdings of the  Scottish  Rite, 
Southern  and  Northern  Jurisdictions, are  superb.  One  should  not 
neglect the Scottish Rite Library in Dallas, Texas which has  acquired 
the monumental Harry Carr Collection.

     The inevitable first question that confronts the Masonic  student 
is how to do research. One trained in an academic discipline knows how 
as  a matter of course. But what about the neophyte, the  brother  who 
has   not  received  such  training.  First  off,  research   requires 
discipline and patience. One absolutely has to learn how to stick to a 
particular  line of inquiry and not fish in every interesting pond  at 
the same time. Also, one has to keep moving, even when it seems that a 
particular well is dry.

     The  beginner should start with the usual Encyclopedias  such  as 
Mackey's  and  Coil's.  Then he should read  widely  articles  in  the 
various  periodicals  such  as: The Royal Arch  Magazine,  The  Knight 
Templar Magazine, The New Age, The Indiana Freemason, The Empire State 
Mason,  The  Texas Freemason, The Masonic Messenger  of  Georgia,  The 
Northern  Light  and  especially The  Philalethes.  Dues  required  to 
receive  the  publications are nominal. The  Philalethes  Society  has 
reproduced  on microfiche all of its issues and at a  very  attractive 
cost.  In  addition,  it  has microfiched  issues  of  "The  Builder", 
published  by  the  National Masonic  Research  Society.  Joseph  Fort 
Newton, H. L. Haywood, among others, served as its editors.

     Then,   the  Masonic  student  should  delve  into   Transactions 
published  by the various state Research Lodges. He should  also  read 
widely  in Masonic Histories of the Grand Jurisdictions and  appendant 
bodies.  Having  acquired  the fundamentals, the  Masonic  student  is 
hopefully  ready  to  move  on to the  great  collections  of  primary 
material  found  in  Grand Lodge  Proceedings  and  manuscripts,  both 
published an unpublished. Not to be neglected are Lodge Minutes.  They 
can  be especially valuable when one encounters a lodge that has  well 
preserved   and  long  runs  of  minutes.  In  reading   the   minutes 
personalities begin to emerge. Often this directs one to newspapers to 
see if and how extensively lodge events might have been covered in the 
local  paper. Also, one is led to contact families in order to  gather 
information and sometimes a rare photograph of a Cornerstone  Ceremony 
or  a  public  procession. One learns from  these  sources  about  the 
involvement  of  a brother in the life of the community  in  which  he 
lived.  Local historical societies often have letters and  photographs 
that  can add flesh to the narrative. And of course one does not  want 
to pass up the manuscript holdings in the several universities. Here a 
diary  often  sheds  interesting light on an event.  And  finally  one 
should utilize to the fullest interviews with old lodge members.

     The student is now ready to accumulate a body of information on a 
subject  in  which  he  has particular interest.  And  this  is  where 
intellectual   discipline   is  especially  important.   Ideally   the 
researcher  will have acquired several packets of 3" x 5" and 4" x  6" 
cards. He should utilize the 3" x 5" cards for bibliography and the 4" 
x  6" cards for notes. One can utilize other types of paper and  sizes 
but  the above mentioned ones are most convenient to use; they can  be 
easily  purchased, and there are readily available boxes in  which  to 
store  the  cards. It is recommended that a  researcher  give  serious 
consideration to indexed cards. These provide easy means of organizing 
materials according to subject, author, title, etc.

     A  researcher should consider carefully using only one  card  for 
each  piece  of bibliographical information and one for  each  bit  of 
factual data. The note card should have a bibliographical note at  the 
top to indicate where the information was obtained. At the upper right 
hand  side, one should insert a slug to indicate what the  note  below 
relates  to.  It  is useful when taking notes to  write  the  material 
exactly as it appears in the source, bracketed of course in  quotation 
marks.  This  saves  the researcher from repeated trips  to  the  same 
source  to make certain the writer gives proper credit to his  sources 
and that he avoids plagiarism.

     In special cases a writer will wish to copy a quote that required 
him  to use several cards. Consideration should be given  to  xeroxing 
the particular passage and placing it in a manila file folder properly 
identified  as  to  subject  and  content,  so  as  to  insure   ready 
utilization when needed.

     The slugs on the several note cards enable the writer to organize 
his  materials  quickly  according to  subjects.  Once  organized  the 
various  slugs  facilitate the preparation of an outline.  Here  again 
discipline is required. The author, especially the beginner, will take 
far  more notes than he will utilize. This is proper, for  better  far 
too  many  than not enough. When the writer has  combed  his  material 
thoroughly,  then  he  is ready to sift his data and  apply  it  in  a 
logical and cohesive manner to the ribs of his outline.

     The  outline,  which the slugs have helped  the  author  prepare, 
should  be  rather comprehensive, at least in its embryonic  form.  It 
should  reflect  sufficient  depth of development  to  permit  a  full 
treatment,  narrative  as  well as analytical, of  the  subject  under 
investigation,  so  as  to  focus  on  a  limited  objective.  Masonic 
Presidents  might  well be the subject under  investigation,  but  the 
researcher  will be more effective in dealing with one or a few  in  a 
particular lodge or research paper. The paper should be well-developed 
and  also short in length. Fuller treatments can and should emerge  in 
articles  and monographs. Writers must keep in mind that the best  way 
to bore an audience is to try and tell those assembled all the  things 
that  they  did  not know. Save some for  future  meetings;  keep  the 
presentation under thirty minutes.

     Once the writer begins to commit his thoughts to paper, he should 
pay  especial  attention to the development of  paragraphs.  The  best 
writing  still  reflects  the  use  of  a  topical  sentence  in  each 
paragraph. Develop one idea and only one in a paragraph.

     Next,  the  author  needs  to work hard  on  the  development  of 
transitional  sentences.  These sentences soften the  shift  from  one 
paragraph  to the next. They constitute an important language  bridge. 
There is little doubt that constructing good transitional sentences is 
one  of  the hardest tasks confronting authors, beginners as  well  as 
seasoned professionals.

     Authors should strive diligently to avoid using the passive voice 
as  much  as possible. The verb to be is irregular in  conjugation  in 
practically  all  languages. Using it takes away  strength  from  ones 
literary  efforts.  Therefore,  writers  should  utilize  the   strong 
historical  past  tense as much as they can. This requires  a  lot  of 
discipline and patience, but it is worth the effort.

     Writers should have readily available a "Webster's  International 
Dictionary"  as  well  as a thesaurus. Especially  should  the  author 
employ simple, concise English. He should write and rewrite to achieve 
a balance of short and long sentences. One sentence paragraphs  should 
be   eliminated,  and  authors  should  never  begin  three  or   more 
consecutive sentences with the same word.

     A  writer must not hesitate to write and rewrite. Bit by  bit  he 
eliminates  the unnecessary and tightens the overall construction  and 
organization.  At  this point it is useful to farm the effort  out  to 
others  for evaluation. Learn to accept the red critical  comments  as 
positive steps in the development of a research paper.

     One  positive  feature is to record the paper and spend  lots  of 
time  listening  to  it.  This  often  enables  one  to  spot  errors, 
especially parts of the paper that are poorly developed. Listening  to 
the  paper helps one to empathize more effectively with his  audience. 
Things  the  author  hears and does not like are not  likely  to  gain 
appreciation from a captive audience.

     After the presentation of the paper one should, if time  permits, 
put  it on a shelf and preferably for several weeks. Returning to  the 
paper  after  a  cooling off period often enables one  to  spot  flaws 
quickly.  Also, this respite frequently helps one to look at his  work 
from  a  new perspective. Consequently the writer often  sees  exactly 
where to add new material to strengthen a section and also it  enables 
him to delete extraneous material.

     Having  done as much as one can to gather the data,  organize  it 
and  write an account in as coherent form as he is able, the time  has 
now arrived to give the work a final typing. The author should  double 
space  the sentences, allow ample margins to the left and right  sides 
of  the pages, and type it as neatly as possible. He should  proofread 
the manuscript carefully, and he should ask others to check his  work. 
When this task is completed, it is time to xerox additional copies and 
mail the original to an editor.

     It  goes without saying that the author should include  his  name 
and complete address on a cover sheet. Do not be afraid of  rejections; 
in  fact,  be  eager  to take  advantage  of  the  criticism,  swallow 
artificial  pride and do the things necessary either to resubmit it  or 
to select a new potential publisher.
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