

COMMENTS RE:  THE NEXT GENERATION OF FREEMASONS
I have read with considerable interest the paper found in the reading
room entitled  PREPARING FOR CHANGE - THE NEXT GENERATION OF FREEMASONS
BY W.BRO. MAX RUSH.   The difficulty I have with W.Bro. Rush's paper is 
that it remains quite unclear as to the changes which he is suggesting are 
either desirable or inevitable.  Therefore the following comments may in 
fact miss the mark.

It is interesting to see him refer to the familiar phrase "It is not within 
our collective power as masons to make innovations in the body of 
Freemasonry."  No doubt this phrase has been indelibly imprinted on the 
minds of the members of the Craft and has unfortunately served as an 
impediment for sensible adaptation of the structure and operation of the 
Craft as an organization to changing times.  However, it is my view that 
such an attitude is founded in a FUNDAMENTAL MISUNDERSTANDING  of the phrase 
itself.  Consequently, our refusal to adapt is based on the Crafts inability 
to interpret the phrase in a symbolic or philosophical even though it seems
reasonably clear that the Draftsmen so intended.  A brief explanation my be 
useful.

If the phrase were to be interpreted and applied literally, it would mean that
someone intended that the Craft in its organization, practices, and structure, 
would remain unchanged "until time should be no more."  It is doubtful that 
the Draftsmen of our ritual who were themselves steeped in the thinking of 
the enlightenment and of whom many were spearheads for social change within 
the outside world had any such intention.  

The question then lies "well what did they mean?" or "why was the phrase 
included?" The answer to this, I would respectfully suggest, lies in 
philosophy.  However, before we delve into the argument it is necessary to 
make one vital distinction in relation to our ritual.  The ritual often 
refers to physical or structural things .... but this is solely to give 
imagery and concreteness to a purely conceptual idea.  A simple example of 
this may suffice.  In the first degree in the Canadian rite we see a reference 
to the fact that our lodges "stretch from east to west, from the surface of 
the earth to its centre, and even as high as the heavens."  It is of course
quite absurd to interpret this phrase in a literal sense because it is 
perfectly obvious that our lodges in physical dimensions are quite limited ... 
and in fact occupy a single room within the Temple.  Although there are many 
interpretations of this phrase .... one possible explanation shows that it is
intended to be interpreted symbolically.  That interpretation is this..... 
that when the Junior Warden refers to LODGES  he is not talking about a 
room where masons meet .... he is talking about THE MIND OF MAN.  In this 
sense the Junior Warden is bringing to the candidate that lesson which the 
Enlightenment had taught the world, namely, THE MIND OF MAN IS A WONDROUS 
AND LIMITLESS CREATION.   It is a testimony to "Man's Unconquerable Mind."

In like manner the phrase "It is not within our collective power as masons 
to make innovations in the body of Freemasonry" IS NOT INTENDED to be a 
statement that the organizational structure and the methods of operating of 
Freemasons cannot change.  It is intended to invoke an infinitely more 
philosophical train of thought.  Freemasonry here is, I suggest, synonymous 
with the concept of RIGHTEOUSNESS and the concept of UNIVERSAL MORALITY.   
If it is understood in this way then the phrase in question lays down a very 
profound {albeit debatable point} .... that there is a universal righteousness 
which pervades the earth and which like natural law ... no man can change.   
This idea is reflected in the writings of that outstanding American moralist, 
Emerson whose equation of fundamental and basic moral values with nature 
suggests the eternal and unchangeable quality  of Universal Goodness.  If the 
quoted passage from our ritual is understood in this sense then it has some 
validity and relevance to modern freemasonry.   What the passage is intending
to teach is that there exists a Universal Law of Morality and by its very 
nature it pervades all the universe and is a constant a priori truth which 
mere mortal men cannot change.   It is difficult to believe that the phrase 
was ever intended to be so shallow as to suggest that we cannot change the 
procedures of the sociological structures or physical organizations which 
Freemasons create to administer there affairs.  If the foregoing is incorrect 
then one wonders why we faithfully have Grand Lodge Communications to deal 
with amendment to our Constitutions and other matters.  

Having made the foregoing argument I must confess that I see no impediment 
to our making changes in the organization.   However at the same time I often 
think that some of the proposed changes are motivated by the same 
misunderstanding of our ritual as I have attempted to expose in my previous 
argument.

However, the one REALITY which we must address our attention to is the one 
outlined by Worshipful Bro. Rush when he refers to the fact that in this 
busy world imposed on young men they only have 5 hours a month to devote to 
the organized events of Freemasonry.   If we combine this with a second 
REALITY namely:  that young men have a wide diversity of interests and then 
look critically at our lodge structure and recognize that we have only one 
career path for masons .... namely through the chairs to the Throne of King 
Solomon,  we will begin to see one of the major dilemmas in our system of 
doing things.   Our problem is that not every young man who kneels before 
the alter wants to become a ritualist and proceed through the chairs to become 
the worshipful master of his lodge.   They have other very masonic interests 
which they would like to pursue within the lodge structure and yet there is 
in reality no other career pattern for them within the Craft Lodge structure.  
As a result they either lose interest and stop coming to Lodge, or they are 
forced to proceed with the only career pattern that we offer and we lose 
their talents in the field of Charity and a host of other legitimate 
activities.  The net result is that our lodges become degree factories in 
which the only objective is to ensure that the ritual is performed.  
Possibly thoughtful masons such as W.Bro. Rush may consider that there is 
merit in an idea which has evolved in discussions between myself and Bro. G. 
Helmer.  Maybe we should have several career paths within a Lodge and those 
masons who dedicate several years to promoting charity, masonic education, 
public service or whatever could ultimately become rewarded with the rank of 
VIRTUAL PAST MASTER.   In this sense the Craft would know that they had not 
served as the Master of their Lodge, but their masonic contribution was of 
such a nature to establish that they are a Master of the Royal Art.

I would appreciate any comments whether favourable or unfavourable to the 
foregoing proposition.   In so saying, I have never held to the view that 
a mason who bluntly disagrees with my ideas is acting unmasonically.   In 
fact most masons who know me intimately consider it an integral part of 
the fulfillment of their obligation to explain to me that I am quite full 
of it.   However, I would ask you to consider the idea since it may not be 
the solution to the problem I have pointed out, but if we do not make 
some change in our method of operating the problem will continue to exist.

Cameron D. MacKay  P.M.
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