A Tribute To
Masonic Researchers

by Allen E. Roberts

The most important function in Free-
masonry is research. The most impor-
tant men are researchers.

I can hear the howls of rage from cer-
tain elementsl They will claim the ritu-
alists are the most important members.
Without ritual there would be no Free-
masonry. This ritual must be kept pure
and unsullied. Therefore it takes long
hours of work to learn to dot the i's and
cross the t's in this work we must keep
pure and unsullied.

So, to keep them happy I'll readily
concede the importance of our Masonic
ritualists. But I'll continue to insist
they aren't more important than the
researchers.

Long ago the ritualists gave Freema-
sonry a theme to work within. Much of
their work was good, but more of it left
much to be desired. They weren't always
careful with facts. They often began a
tale, but not knowing where to go with
it, left it for the hearer to ponder its
meaning.

Researchers have tried to take over
where the ritualists left off. They have
tried, and are still trying, to give the
often obscure Masonic ritual some mean-
ing. Researchers have searched for truth
and they still are searching. It's a never-
ending quest.

Freemasonry owes a debt of gratitude
to those few organizations within the
Craft that devote time to the search for
truth .

And Freemasonry owes a greater debt
of gratitude to the wives of our view
researchers. They do the suffering while
their men work long lonely hours search-
ing for truth. These ladies miss out on
many social events, movies, and other
pleasures of life. And they never com-
plain. If they did there would be no
writersl

We have some Research Lodges and
Research Chapters. Virginia Research
Lodge No. 1777 was organized in 1950
and received its charter in 1951 . For
many years it had but a handful of
members, but the work they did will live
forever. From this Lodge came the A.
Douglas Smith Jr. Lodge of Research
No. 1949. Membership in these, and all
other Research Lodges in the country,
are open to all Master Masons.

There is now a Chapter of Research
in Virginia, and there are a few others
in the United States. These accept mem-
bers from Royal Arch Masons.

Each of these bodies is doing needed
work for the Craft in general. But there
is much, much more that must be done.

On a national scale we have the
Allied Masonic Degrees. Each of its
Councils is a small research group.
Many of them have enriched the litera-
ture of Freemasonry. Its members must
be Royal Arch Masons, and they must
be invited to join.

The Grand College of Rites has been
concerned with degrees and rituals of
the past. These have helped us unlock
some of the secrets of bygone years.
Membership is open to all Master
Masons.

The SRICF (Masonic Rosicrusians)
has been doing research into the many
facets of Freemasonry for many years.
Membership is by invitation only.

Then we have The Philalethes Socie-
ty, the only Research Society in the
world. During its 61 years of existence it
has published every point of view of
every organization that depends on Free-
masonry for its existence. It publishes
an excellent magazine bimonthly. It's
membership is open to all Master
Masons of recognized Lodges. Any per-
son may subscribe to its publication.

We must not forget the few individu-
als who belong to no Masonic body
other than the Lodge. Some of them
prefer to work alone; others have nevel
been invited to membership in some of
our exclusive invitational bodies. Many
of them never will be invited to become
members. In their search for truth they
have stepped on too many egos.

All of these have been and are impor-
tant within the body of Freemasonry. A
few, too few, of their members have ad-
ded to the knowledge and light Freema-
sons should be seeking. They perform a
necessary function and add vitality to
the body of the Craft.

This work, this research has been
done without searching for Masonic
honors, because there are too few re-
wards for these men. That is, with a
couple of exceptions.

In 1931 the Society of Blue Friars was
established. It honors one Masonic
Writer, editor or author a year. It holds
one meeting a year, along with the
meetings of the Allied Masonic Degrees.
No man can seek this honor. There are
no dues or fees.

This, unfortunately, only scraped the
surface of those Master Masons who
should be applauded with gratitude.
This consideration brought into being
another fellowship.

To recognize the worth of our Mason-
ic researchers, educators and writers
The Masonic Brotherhood of the Blue
Forget-Me-Not was founded in 1971.
The blue forget-me-not, a little flower,
was worn in the lapel of a handful of
German Master Masons in defiance of
Nazi terror. Hitler had abolished all
Freemasonry at the beginning of his
regime. Known Masons were murdered
or thrown into concentration camps.
Few men had the courage to stand
against the one-time paper hanger and
his terrorists.

Because of the courage, integrity and
occasional persecution by the hierarchy
of Freemasonry, of some workers in the
quarries of Freemasonry, this flower was
chosen as the emblem of the Brother-
hood. Only those who fulfill these high
ideals are chosen for membership. And
no man can seek membership. There are
no meetings, no dues, no fees. It's in
every sense an honor for a Master Mason
to be chosen.

Titles, Masonic or others, mean
nothing in the selection of those to be
honored by these two bodies. The col-
lection of large fees and dues never
enters the picture.

Contrast this with many of the hun-
dreds of "exclusive" bodies that have at-
tached themselves to the Craft.

In many of these bodies medals,
awards, high degrees, and other honors
are passed out. Too often high fees must
be paid to obtain them. For other "hon-
ors" high titles must have been obtain-
ed. Even then high fees are often paid.
And these are called awards and honorsl

These are the organizations I call
"Parasites on the Body of Freemasonry."
They have forgotten, or never learned,
the principles of Masonry.

Did their leaders, or founders, learn
that "Freemasonry considers no man for
his worldly wealth or honors?" Do we
forget when we become Masonic leaders
that we entered our Lodges penniless,
that all worldly material was left
behind? Did these founders understand
that when the cabletow was removed
from us as Entered Apprentices we
became obligated to the Fraternity?
Perhaps more important, but often for-
gotten, the leadership of the Fraternity
became obligated to each of us?

Have we forgotten that each of us
plucked off a shoe as a testimony of our
faith in our fellowman, and humility
before our God? Doesn't this mean that
we must treat our fellow man fairly?
That we won't march to the ballot box
and keep a good Freemason out because
he's not wealthy or have a high title?
cont~nued on pa~e 21
Researchers have learned that there
are organizations that have attached
themselves to the Craft with the express
purpose of controlling Freemasonry.
Some of them have done an excellent
job in achieving their goal. Their work
is continuing. How, the skeptical may
ask.

The answer for control is really sim-
ple--withhold sought after honors from
those who don't conform to the mores
and doctrines of the bodies involved.

Ironically the bodies doing the con-
trolling are the parasites on the body of
Freemasonry. They often eat away the
flesh and leave nothing of substance for
the benefit of the Ancient Craft. Most of
them are wealthy; the legitimate bodies
struggle .

Research points to the fact that only
one--one--body can legitimately be
considered a part of Ancient Craft Ma-
sonry. This is the Holy Royal Arch. All
others are impostorsl Many of us are
members of these impostors.

Remember, earlier I mentioned a few
Masonic research bodies. Those I men-
tioned are legitimately a vital part of the
Craft. They are working for the benefit
of Freemasonry in general.

Let me hasten to add: Any group of
men or women have the right to form
any organization it pleases. It may call it
any name it pleases. It can establish its
own rules and regulations. It can accept
or reject anyone it pleases. BUT when it
attaches itself to a parent body, these
rights are limited. It must follow the
laws and customs of the parent.

My time has expired. I'll leave you to
do the necessary research to prove me
wrong. Perhaps we'll find more of the
researchers we must have if Freemason-
ry is to once again become a viable force
in the world.

But let me ask you to remember--and
never forget--the first lessons you learn-
ed in Freemasonry. Its tenets are Broth-
erly Love, Relief and Truth. Each is im-
portant, but the latter is more so.
