FREEMASONRY & COMPUTERS



INTRODUCTION





	For those who see Freemasonry as a conservative tradition bound
institution, it may come as a considerable surprise to see
Freemasons actively participating in the information revolution
which is occurring at this time in history.  For those who have
a deeper understanding of  both the ritual and the history of
the craft, Freemasons and computers are a natural alliance.



	Since the earliest days of Freemasonry, the Craft has held a
great affinity to learning and knowledge.  This love of
knowledge remains integral to  the modern day Craft since every
candidate is counseled with these words: "The study the liberal
arts, that valuable branch of education which tends so
effectively to polish and adorn the mind is earnestly
recommended to your consideration...."



dispute with Church and State

	This love of knowledge brought on one of the great historical
disputes the Craft has had with both with the Church and the
State. Freemasons adopted the idea that education and knowledge
were tools which should be in the hands of each and every person
and that possessed with these tools every individual would be
able to improve their material lot in this world and cultivate a
greater and deeper understanding of God above.  Both the Church
and the State, on the other hand, felt that education of the
masses could lead to discontent, unhappiness with their station
in life, and ultimately to revolution.  This great division over
the right to learn forms a center stage in the history of
Freemasonry.  The dispute with the state over this principle
resulted in the Craft operating as a secret society and this
discreteness remains with us to this very day.  Its dispute with
the Church is well documented and formed a central theme in the
Protestant reformation  and it is only recently that a partial
reconciliation has occurred with the Roman Church.  What remains
clear is this, that throughout the ages Freemasonry has held
firm to the principle that each and every individual should be
free and have the opportunity to learn and cultivate their mind
to the maximum of their human potential ... and in so doing they
would become happy in themselves and communicate that happiness
to others.



	It is therefore not surprising that when the micro chip was
invented Freemasons quickly recognized this tool's potential for
individual empowerment.  As a consequence, computers and all the
software programs involved are becoming more and more integrated
within the workings of the Craft.  Today our Grand Lodge
utilizes the computer in its processing and communication of
information on a daily basis.. But the factor which has more
potential for the Craft is the development of the Masonic
Bulletin Board Service.





masonic bulletin boards

	  All across North America, without any compulsory or coercive
forces whatsoever, individual masons began building computer
bulletin board services in their homes.  These bulletin board
services were styled and dedicated to the furtherance of the
Craft and the use of the Brethren. These little beacons of light
began to flicker and in so doing became sources for masonic
information and  means by which masons within an area could
communicate with each other cheaply and efficiently.  Gradually,
these little beacons discovered each other across the continent
and now they are networked together and have become a modern,
efficient broadcasting system for Freemasons throughout Canada
and United States.   These little beacons once united are
starting to cast a stronger and clearer light.  And it is the
potential of these little beacons to carry the great and noble
message of Freemasonry to mason and non-mason alike which I
would like to discuss with you tonight.





	THE COMPUTER BULLETIN BOARD SERVICE



explanatin of bulletin boards

	Before we examine the potential of the BBS, let me first give
you a brief explanation of this dimension of personal computers.
 I am not going to bore you with a great long discussion
punctuated with the computer jargon of bits & bytes;  I am not
going to embark on a long winded discussion of how to log on to
a bulletin board.  Suffice is to say that all these bulletin
boards are designed so that a person can quickly learn how to
use them .... and like anything else ... the more you use them
the more proficient you become and the more fun you have with
them.  However, let me see if I can paint you a picture of a BBS
so that we all have an image in our mind for purposes of this
discussion.



	An electronic Bulletin Board is exactly as described.  It is
just like the Bulletin Board that you had in school where
everyone could stick a note "Grade 11 Chemistry Book for Sale
... call Sally Smith 456 -1234 price $15.00 ... good condition" 
Anybody who walked by could read the note and if they wanted the
book could get a hold of Sally and buy the book"  In its
simplest form, the BBS works the same way except it uses the
electronic media.



	So Bro. George Helmer goes to work and sets up an electronic
bulletin board on his computer.  Now if another mason has a home
computer, a telephone, and a modem, he can phone into George's
computer and see what is on the bulletin board.  He sees that
Sally has a book for sale ... and he can now leave her a message
that he will buy it. .... OK. so what is the big deal about that
... why get excited??????



	Well the difference is in the medium of communication. The
media totally changes the dimensions of the old bulletin board
into something much more dynamic.  First of all, George can
leave his computer running 24 hours a day so you don't have to
wait for the school to open .. you check it at your convenience.
 Secondly, an old school bulletin board is limited to those who
walk by and see it ... George's bulletin board is not so
limited.  Anyone, anywhere in the world can phone 475-6061 and
for the price of a long distance call can learn that Sally has a
book for sale.  So now Sally can send her message not only to
the kids in school, but in fact can spread it out all over the
place.  Thus the electronic BBS becomes like her own private
newspaper advertisement. It is a much more powerful tool in the
hands of the workman.



	The second difference with the traditional bulletin board is
obvious but should be mentioned.  The computer of course acts
like a television screen.  Therefore one is not restricted to
words but can in fact transmit pictures and images from one
person to another.  Thus the electronic bulletin board becomes
much like your own private television station.  



	The third difference from the traditional bulletin board in
your old school is that it is impervious to distance.  A phone
caller from New York could see Sally's message from Sanguido for
the cost of the long distance call.  In this manner the computer
eliminates distance and geography and we see the effects of what
is commonly called  "the global village".  



	The fourth difference is the speed in which volumes of
information are now transmitted from one part of the world to
another by means of the modem.  The modem is a little box which
has the ability to transform the digital language of a computer
into electrical impulses which can be transmitted over a
telephone.  It acts like a converter.  Its key attraction is
that it transmits at speeds very much faster than you can
transmit information by talking on the phone.  A 25 page paper
could be sent over modem in just a few seconds.  A whole book
can be transmitted in 30 minutes with two high speed modems
"talking" to one another. So once again the medium itself
changes the dimensions and changes the things  which are
possible.



	The fifth dimension which makes the electronic bulletin board
attractive is the ability to control who gets your message.  The
software which runs these bulletin board services can be
instructed that your message is private, or public, or is to be
delivered to certain specified people. Thus you can see that
unlike the old bulletin board, the electronic bulletin board can
act as your own private post office.



	The sixth dimension which gives the electron bulletin board
life is the quantum of information which you can store on it at
any one time.  The old bulletin board is a 4 x 8 foot space. It
is limited to the amount of scraps of paper that it can hold.  
The electronic bulletin board can store unlimited information. 
Some commercial bulletin boards store so much information that
it would take every room in the entire school to hold all that
information if it were printed out in hard copy. 



	The seventh dimension which makes these electronic bulletin
boards powerful is the result of human ingenuity. Computer users
have linked their computers together so that at preset times
these computers automatically call another computer and transmit
messages.  In this manner they have formed vast electronic mail
networks through which information, conversation, and files have
been transmitted.  





	The importance of all of this is not the technological
wonderment of it all.  The important dimension is the good it
has done and can do for mankind.  For the first time in history
the common man is empowered with his own broadcasting system. 
No more is the ability to mass communicate restricted and
controlled by the rich, the government, and the large
corporation.  Let me give you an example.  A message placed on
Internet could in a very short period of time be transmitted to
over 35 different countries with an estimated 50,000,000 users
on board.  It is estimated that by the turn of the century
Internet's membership will reach the 100,000,000 mark.  



the uses of a bbs

	This computer networking and use of the BBS is not just to
acquire intellectual information. Kids play games on computers
so that 25 kids from the Edmonton area will have a space war
going on among themselves.  Much of the information that is
passed along ... is just conversation.  People become friends ..
they have something in common ... and a culture has developed
which is going to have far reaching significance in the next
decade.  It is not accidental that President Clinton talked in
his election campaign about creating an "information
superhighway" since the experts within Governments have not
recognized that this is the next great revolution.  You all know
and can now realize the significance of Guttenbergs invention of
the printing press.  You could not imagine your world without
it.  What I am asking you to recognize is that this development
of the computer micro chip together with electronic
communication will generate a geometrically greater effect than
the printing press ever did.





WHAT HAVE MASONS DONE WITH THIS ELECTRONIC MEDIA?

	

	As mentioned, Freemasons have become actively involved in this
transformation of our society.  About 2 years ago,  Bro. George
Helmer started a masonic BBS called Magna Borealis Lux. [The
Great Northern Light]   With hundreds of hours of work he has
developed probably the most extensive masonic BBS in North
America.  It seems clear that we have the largest electronic
library of masonic writings anywhere in North America and
probably in the world.  Magna Borealis Lux has been networked
with several other masonic BBS's in Canada and United States so
that now we have an electronic mail system whereby masons can
communicate across the continent.  We are now even starting to
receive calls from Scotland as the Secretary of the Masonic
Dormer Publication has been on board.  On of the most active
participants is a member of this lodge, Brother George Jendyk. 
This little beacon of light is starting to flicker more strongly.





WHAT SHOULD ALBERTA FREEMASONS BE DOING WITH THIS MEDIA?



	Brethren, let me assure you that we have not even scraped the
surface of the potential that exists with this technology..  
Let me also assure you, that if we are to start to reach our
potential, it is going to take a lot of help from masons who
themselves are not computer literate.  A lot of masons react to
Magna Borealis Lux by saying "Well it could be a lot of fun ...
but I don't know how to operate  a computer"  Well Brethren, I
know absolutely nothing about how to fix or install a toilet ...
but I've not only found it convenient but indeed a social nicety
to use one on a regular basis"  It is the same thing with
computer's ... you do not need to know how to operate one to
reap the benefits.  Let me explain......



	In this lodge you have a knowledgeable and sophisticated
computer user in the name of Bro. George Jendyk.  So let me ask
you some questions.....



1.	Why do you not within your lodge form a small committee whose
job it would be to gather up questions from the Brethren to give
to George.  George would in turn contact MBL or some other board
such as CompuServe an get the information.	These could be
strictly masonic education questions ... questions in relation
to your chill's education .. technical information which would
be useful in your farming or other occupation.  Once this stream
of information started to flow through and by means of your
Lodge, I suggest that the members within would find freemasonry
more meaningful to them ... and men who have not joined the
lodge ... would start to consider the question.



2.	Why do you not have 2 or 3 or you members contact the
Southern California research lodge with a very simple message. "
I do not use a computer myself ... I would like to be able to
communicate with another mason who is not a computer user
through the auspices of Masnet."  You better be careful though
... if you do that you may end up with 5 or 6 good masonic
friends from anywhere in North America.  You have heard it said
many times that one of the great privileges of Freemasonry is to
visit ... if that is so ... why not visit the Grand Lodge of
Southern California ... you could do it for $ 0.50.



3.	Why not consider sponsoring a computer club for boys and
girls in this area.  It has been proven that children who are
computer literate increase their overall scholastic averages by
about 10%.  But be careful ... if you started something like
that you would be exposing young men and women to Freemasonry
... and later in their life they may join the Eastern Star or
the Freemasons and we certainly would not want that to happen. 
Also be careful ... these young men and women may start to think
of Freemasonry as something useful and relevant in their lives
... and they may be influenced and look up to the institution of
Freemasonry as an example ... and we wouldn't want that to
happen ... it would spoil our present image.



4.	Why not consider starting a computer club in one of the
senior citizen's homes in the area.  It is a total fallacy that
older people cannot learn to use a computer.  Two computer
whizzes in California put a computer in an old folks home and
started classes.  They found that these people learned as fast
as younger people ... were more dedicated ... and were one of
the best classes they ever had.  The result of their experiment
was as follows:  instead of these older people sitting around in
loneliness ... suddenly they had friends from all over.  Instead
of having time on their hands ... they were now busy answering
all the letters they were getting from all over the world.  They
even started to do their banking by computer .. and were no
longer dependent upon someone else.  Some of them did their
Christmas shopping by computer.  It filled their lives with
happiness and activity.  But you had better be careful  .... if
you did that .... people would stop walking around saying "what
do those masons do anyway????" and again you would be spoiling
our image.



CLOSING



	In closing my Brethren, I would like to return to my opening
thoughts.  I had reminded you that Freemasonry, in its infancy,
had fought both the State and the Church for the right for every
common man to be educated and develop his potential to the
maximum.  In so doing, Freemasonry lit a light which to this day
has not been extinguished.  In the middle ages, our forefathers
build Cathedrals as monuments not simply to God ... but as
physical symbols of the knowledge, abilities, and aspirations of
mankind.  Today we live in a high tech information society.  The
few little Masonic Bulletin Boards that have been pioneered are
in their own way modern man's cathedrals.  They represent the
state of the art in man's knowledge, his technology, and his
desire to learn and know more about his world.  These little
beacons of light which a few brave masons have pioneered
represent to my mind a potential for Freemasonry which we are
blithely letting pass us by.  And so the question lies ... is
the modern Freemason prepared to take up the task of his
forefathers and start to build these little Temples of Light 
into magnificent cathedrals in the tradition of his forefathers.



	I for one certainly hope so ... and I hope you do to.

  





Cameron D. MacKay

Redwood Lodge 3 193

Grand Lodge of Alberta

Canada

c/o Magna Borealis Lux

Telephone # 475-6061 



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