                 Place Your Trust (Hope) In The Craft
                         by Denis Scott, MPS
     (Reprinted by permission of The Philalethes - August, 1989)

     Worshipful  Brother  Friedman,  in his article, "Hope  is  not  a 
Method," in the April 1989 issue of The Philalethes, states that there 
should be a modernization of the Craft in order to make it more viable 
for  younger men. He then resurrects most of the old familiar  changes 
that have been put forward since our Craft was formed. Changes that he 
believes  will  bring our beloved and ancient Craft into  the  "modern 
era."

     When  one  considers recommendations made by an  individual  that 
will seriously affect the way you conduct your life, and that is  what 
Freemasonry  is, a way of life, then it is important to  consider  the 
recommendations very carefully. One must also consider the  experience 
the  recommender has in Freemasonry, and also his compliance with  the 
laws  of the Craft. It would appear that five years allows  sufficient 
time for a person to become learned, and more importantly wise in  the 
ways of the Craft. It also appears that the Charge a Master agrees  to 
abide by before he becomes Master, does not have any value.

     What  all  Freemasons must remember is, that the Craft is  not  a 
civic  organization.  It is also not a  charitable  organization,  and 
neither is it a religious organization.

     It is an organization a man can join in order to become a  better 
man.  It is an organization that provides a method of ritual  teaching 
which  will  key the member's conscience to become more aware  of  his 
shortcomings.  It  is an organization that through  its  precepts  and 
principles, will encourage a greater understanding of his relationship 
with his God. It is an organization that will enhance a members  life, 
and  through his spiritual growth, provide a more loving  husband  and 
father, a more charitable man and a more civic minded man.

     Worshipful  Brother  Friedman  makes the  usual  mistake  of  all 
newcomers  to an organization. He feels he has all the answers to  the 
present  day  problems, as if they had never existed before,  and  had 
never been considered before. If one would read the Proceedings of the 
Grand  Lodge  of New Jersey from 1920-1940, one would  find  that  the 
problems we read about in Freemasonry today existed then. It would  be 
safe  to say that all Grand Lodge Proceedings would reflect  the  same 
problems.

     A  Master agrees that it is not in the power of any man, or  body 
of  men, to  make innovations in the body of Masonry. A  Master  Mason 
can not become a Master until he agrees to abide by that statement. It 
is impossible for a Master Mason not to know of that requirement prior 
to  taking  that  oath. A Master Mason is not forced  to  accept  that 
Masonic Law, he does so of his own free will and accord. However, many 
Masters conveniently forget their sworn obligation.

     What  we must remember as we consider the changes recommended  in 
the  article,  is that we must first determine in our own  minds  what 
constitutes  the "body" of Masonry. Surely the first change  advocated 
in the article, a major rewriting of the Ritual, must be considered an 
innovation  in the "body" of Masonry. Despite the relative  merits  of 
the  reasoning behind the change, it would be a violation  of  Masonic 
Law.

     Racial  bigotry has existed since time began, and it is not  only 
centered  on color. The secret ballot is according to Masonic Law  and 
is not to be violated. We cannot legislate morality, nor can we  force 
our  bigoted  Brothers to sit in Lodge with men  they  are  prejudiced 
against. The Peace and Harmony of a Lodge is so vital to the  strength 
of a Lodge, and it must be left to the Supreme Grand Master to judge a 
bigot  by  His  Square,  not  ours. It  is  so  easy  to  forget  that 
Freemasonry is a program for the individuals advancement according  to 
his Twenty-four inch Gauge, and not anyone else's. You must not  judge 
another  Freemason by your Square, but try and judge a Brother by  his 
Square.  It  is not easy, but that is what makes a  Freemason  a  True 
Brother.

     We must also remember that for a Master Mason to become a  Knight 
Templar,  he must apply or be invited. Either way, the choice is  his. 
He would also know that York Rite and Scottish Rite are not  essential 
to  being a Master Mason, and it is believed that  Worshipful  Brother 
Friedman's  article related directly to the Symbolic Lodge,  therefore 
his criticism of hypocrisy in this regard is not valid.

     Advocating  that  a Master Mason can become Master of  his  Lodge 
without studying the Ritual is tantamount to hiring an illiterate High 
School  dropout to teach Nuclear Physics. Freemasonry is built on  the 
Legend,  which  is recounted in the most beautiful  way,  the  Masonic 
Ritual  of  the Three Degrees. Freemasonry does not  demand  that  all 
Masters must be excellent orators, nor does it call for all Masters to 
be excellent managers. Freemasonry accepts all men at their level  and 
attempts  to  improve them. If we follow the  concept  of  segregating 
Masons  according  to their respective talents, as  suggested  in  the 
article,  we  will  see the formation of a Lodge within  a  Lodge,  ad 
infinitum. We will have a Master of Opening and Closing. We will  have 
a Master of Ritual, and we will have a Master of Management. It  would 
also  follow that we would have a separate line of Officers,  one  for 
Opening  and  Closing, and one for each Degree. We  could  conceivably 
have  three  different  Senior  Deacons, a  multitude  of  Masters  of 
Ceremonies and Stewards and may Chaplains. Who could be 'The Master'?
Surely   the  Master  of  Management,  because  he  has   the   fiscal 
responsibility  of the Lodge. but what about the Master of Ritual?  He 
must  be ultimately responsible because he has worked the  hardest  in 
learning the ritual. And what about the poor Master who only opens the 
Lodge that makes it all possible?

     How easily we forget that the challenge to improve ourselves  was 
the  reason  we became Masons. 'The Ritual must  remain  the  stepping 
stone  to  the  East.'  If  one  cannot  labor  in  the  quarries   of 
Freemasonry, then one is not worthy of becoming Worshipful Master.  We 
cannot  reorganize the Lodge hierarchy because it is  against  Masonic 
Law.

     The desire to promote Community Service Projects is  commendable, 
but again our Brother forgets why he became a Freemason. It was not to 
promote  Community Projects. There are enough excellent  organizations 
existing  for that, and they are eager for men to join them. The  main 
purpose  of Freemasonry is to make Freemasons. The Fraternity  teaches 
men  to  be Brothers under God. The Fraternity reinforces  the  belief 
that there is life after death. The Fraternity exists to prove to  men 
that  there  is a God and that He loves all men, regardless  of  race, 
religious beliefs and proficiency. The excellent work that was done in 
Brother  Friedman's district should be exemplified, but it should  not 
become  a  requirement for a Masonic Lodge. The result of  our  labors 
should be unheralded. We should not seek reward. We should  understand 
what is meant by receiving Masters Wages. The true meaning of being  a 
Freemason seems to have been lost in the minds of modern day Masons.

     An  article on change would not be complete without the  cry  for 
solicitation. Our learned Brother even goes one step further and calls 
for  advertising of the Craft. First of all, where does it say in  the 
Craft's teachings how to recognize a man who would be worthy of  being 
a Freemason? How does one know that the candidate you invite into  the 
Lodge   will  not  be  blackballed?  Are  we  willing  to  risk   that 
embarrassment,  to ourselves, but more importantly, to the  Candidate? 
The  eventual answer would be of course that since the  Candidate  was 
invited  by a Member of the Lodge, he would be guaranteed  acceptance. 
If that happens, then the secret ballot is removed and another Masonic 
Law  is violated. There are many more reasons against inviting  a  man 
into our Fraternity, but it is incumbent upon a Freemason to  discover 
those for himself.

     the  call for advertising the benefits of belonging to the  Craft 
is  not  new, but it is ludicrous. What are we going to stress  as  an 
inducement? That we do not condone excessive drinking; that we do  not 
condone  immorality;  that we do not condone a bad credit  rating.  We 
would be setting ourselves up as the moral conscience of America,  and 
have  we the right to do that? A holy man tried that once and His  own 
people  crucified Him. Imagine what our detractors and  enemies  would 
make  of  the advertising campaign. We do not need  to  advertise  our 
Fraternity.  Our daily living should be advertisement enough. If  not, 
then  the  fault  lies with us, not the Craft.  When  will  Freemasons 
learn?  A  Master Mason is charged that he should not let  any  motive 
sway  him from his Masonic duty, nor violate his vows, nor betray  his 
Masonic  trust. The Masonic trust is that he accepts the Craft  as  it 
is,  and how it has been from time immemorial. What is it in men  that 
make  them  desire change? That does not mean to say  that  change  is 
unnecessary  in our fraternity, but the mistake most Freemasons  make, 
is  that  they  think the change is required in the  Craft.  There  is 
nothing wrong with the Craft. The problem is in the Freemasons.

     The  Craft  has  existed for centuries  and  is  practiced  today 
throughout the world in many different ways. The same principles apply 
and the same tenets are encouraged. The Legend of the Third Degree  is 
taught to men of all denominations, and it is hoped (that word  again) 
that  when  Freemasons meet, wherever it may be,  that  they  practice 
fraternal Brotherhood under the Fatherhood of their respective God.

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