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Freemasonry, Change?

by Charles A. Jacobi, MPS

Because God created all exist-
ences--the physical and
metaphysical--and because
God's laws are love and spiritual
realization; and because you and
I are drawn toward His Great
Light; and because Masonry is a
majestic institution inspired and
directed by the Great Architect
to enlighten the spiritual
aspirant; and because Masonic
teachings are eternal; and be-
cause eternity has no beginning,
nor end; Masonry, therefore, al-
ways was, and is and will forever
be.
"How old is Masonry? As old as
spiritual longing and as new as
spiritual awakening. " (1)

As a result of our declining member-
ship, we are often subjected to the ques-
tion, "What is Wrong With Masonry
Today? " I say nothing is wrong with
Freemasonry today or at any time in the
past, nor shall it be in the future! Rather,
we should ask, "What is Wrong With Us
Today" that we would think Freema-
sonry needs to change?

"Heraclitus, the Greek philoso-
pher, observed that nothing is
permanent except change. Some
things change at an alarming
rate, others so slowly a time-lapse
camera cannot record the action.
We are not conscious of change
as we live in the present. And we
can only suppose that there will
be change in the future. But
when we look back, we come to
realize that change is irrevocable,
benign, devastating or beneficial,
as the case may be.

"Freemasonry seems changeless.
That it is slow and deliberate in
conforming to changing condi-
tions may, in many ways, ac-
count for its stability and longev-
ity. Its Ancient Landmarks have
been impervious to transforma-
tion. Even the process of adjust-
ing to changing social customs
and conventions is slow. Masons
have never hastened to change
the order of things. The final ap-
proval of the admission of the
physically handicapped to mem-
bership is typical.

"But change, unhurried and
gradual, is now in evidence. The
Duke of Kent, Grand Master of
the Grand Lodge of England, not
only suggests that Lodges con-
tribute to non-Masonic charities,
but that Masonry become more
visible publicly. The Grand
Lodge of Pennsylvania, as well as
England, is considering the re-
moval or modification of the
penalties of the obligations. Mis-
sissippi, Kansas and other Grand
Lodges are studying the shorten-
ing of the memory work to signs,
grips and obligations. Member-
ship proposal is being ex-
amined.(2)
"Change is unerring. It is a con-
tinuing process. And as Disraeli
wrote, 'Change is inevitable in a
progressive country. '
" If we are reluctant to accept its
inevitability, we may find as-
surances in the words of Francis
Bacon, 'It is sufficiently clear that all
things are changed, and nothing really
perishes, and that the sum of matter re-
mains absolutely the same. ' So will
the sum of Freemasonry remain the
same. "

Modern Speculative (Symbolic) Free-
masonry began in 1717, A . D. Obviously,
times were remarkably different then than now.
Our Nation began officially with the
Declaration of Independence July 4,
1776, and its Constitution (actually, a
Masonic Document) was ratified by the
13 States (Rhode Island being the last)
May 29, 1790; the first 10 Amendments
(Bill of Rights) were ratified March 1,
1792. Though each of these events oc-
curred in the same (18th) Century, con-
ditions were different than in 1717; the
people had changed!

In this last decade of the 20th Century
our way of life in these United States is
remarkably different than was that of its
citizens of the latter 18th Century.
Today's world requires different uses of
our talents, our time, ourselves, and the
ways in which we are family members,
and either we change and adapt ourselves
to these changing times or we (as a
Fraternity) die. Why then, can we not,
in our changed way of living, recognize
the necessity of altering our viewpoint of
Freemasonry without trying that which
has been eminently enduring since its
origin(s)? Actually, can we, mere mor-
tals, even attempt to change that which
has been with us forever?

As Masons we are quite familiar with
allegorical teachings, and we employ ad-
ditional allegories to continue our educa-
tion. If one travels by personal auto from
Portland, OR to Portland, ME in the
summer, selection of I-84, I-80, I-90 and
I-95 is a good choice of routes. However,
if one makes this trip in winter, it will be
far better to choose a combination of
highways that avoid the very cold
weather with its accompanying snow, ice
and potential blizzard conditions. We
will have arrived in Portland, ME just
the same! Stating this "allegory" differ-
ently, why should anyone suggest that we
change this content and style that has
existed for nearly three centuries; i.e.,
Modern, Speculative Freemasonry and
its Rituals? Rather, we should change
our approach (our route) to, and visible
exemplification of, that which is good.

"The principles (of Freema-
sonry) are transmitted unim-
paired, but the vehicle through
which they are expressed changes
as the years go on. " (3)

Assume that Freemasonry is the peak
of a mountain which forms the border
between any two countries. Is it not true
that a citizen from each country can
reach the summit of this mountain by
traveling a trail (from his country) to the
summit? Then can we not, also, assume
that each country's citizen can become a
Mason through traveling his country's
Masonic Ritual? Each man has adapted
his modus operandi to fit his needs in
reaching the summit of the mountain, or
of receiving the teachings of Freema-
sonry. We need to continue to change our
modus operandi of imparting the teach-
ings of Freemasonry to those who will
seek them, and in so doing, it is within
the limits of probability we will find new
ways to attract worthy and well-qualified
young men to petition our Fraternity.

Aside from the LANDMARKS OF
FREEMASONRY, about which there is
considerable confusion as to the mean-
ings (even the authenticity), a most ex-
cellent reason for not ' proselyting' young
men into our ancient Fraternity is that
we must choose only the best as we plan our
future. With this in mind, pray tell me
what is wrong with suggesting to any
upstanding man, regardless of his age,
that men of his character have always
sought each others companionship in our
Fraternity; that he would be the better
for being a Mason and that Freemasonry
will benefit from his mental and moral
convictions and contributions. After-all,
do we not seek to make good men better?

How many of us, each day, attempt to
impress our youth with the qualities of
ourselves that exemplify Freemasonry?
Doyou always identify yourself as being a
Freemason? Do you? When any person
thanks you for something you have per-
sonally done or enabled to be done for
that person, do you indicate, in your own
way, that you are a Freemason and that
this is the way we Masons live and
believe? A great number of my students,
throughout the 32-plus years of my pro-
fessional teaching career, have expressed
their thanks and appreciation for 'help-
ing them on the way' (and there have
been many more than a few), my usual
response was: "Just remember that what
benefit you may have received from me,
you received from a Freemason, and that
is our way of living. " We can never
repay those who have befriended us in
the past, we can only do for others in the
future what has been done for us in the
past.

Freemasonry, change? No, what
changes are necessary will come about
and we will probably not recognize the
change nor be aware of it; BUT we
Freernesons need to change, and we need to
change radically and quickly. We need to
be the KNOWN, RECOGNIZED
LEADERS in assisting in and with the
very necessary changes in our public
school curricula, and we need to be
known equally well for our forward-look-
ing stand on public-school-finance. We
can no longer tolerate our own young
people being denled education at any
level from first through sixteenth grade
(or a comparable grade in technical, vo-
cational or trade school).

It is not enough to sit back on our
laurels, knowing how many dollars each
day are given by the Masonic and affil-
iate bodies; we need to make ourselves
visible in ways more comprehensible to
our youth.

When we recognize and admit our
general apathy toward educational offer-
ings and to the stumbling blocks placed
in the way of our youth in its efforts to
gain an education, and when we "lead"
the drive to remedy the problems with
curricula and financing, then we have
made ourselves as Freemasons, very vis-
ible to our youth, and we have shown
ourselves to be examples of leaders with
which our youth will desire to become
associated--no longer will we have de-
clining membership.
Bibllography

I . The Scottish Rite Journal  Vol. XCVIII, #4, page 48

2. The California Freermason, Vol. 133, #2, March 1,
1986 .

3. The Craft and its Symbols, Allen E. Roberts (J.
Hugo Tatsch), page 11 .
Feb 1992
