The President's Corner
by Royal C. Scofield  FPS

For over forty years it has been my
belief that the future of Freemasonry
rests on Masonic education. That Ma-
sonic education is the key to our pro-
gress in the future. Far too many of our
older Master Masons were not in-
formed about the craft when they were
candidates. It seems that many officers
and members felt that memorization of
the ritual proficiency tests for candi-
dates was sufficient. Now with the con-
ferring of the three symbolic degrees in
one day, by some Grand Lodges and in
others the reduction of the candidates
memory work leaves even less informa-
tion with our new members.

Our fine magazine, the philalethes, is
the center of our effort to inform our
Society members about Freemasonry.
This same Masonic information is ur-
gently needed by thousands of symbolic
lodge members. No longer can we ig-
nore this need. It is essential to the fu-
ture of our Craft that our Masonic
lodge members know and understand
the organization to which they belong.
They must be taught that the three
degrees are not just three session of
ceremonies. The degrees do teach les-
sons to be placed in our hearts and ap-
plied to our daily lives. It is that applica-
tion that really makes us Master Masons.

Members of The Philalethes Society









The Philalethes, August 1996

Scofield, FPS

are the fortunate ones to be in a position
to help protect the future of Freema-
sonry. The Grand Master of California,
M.W. Brother William F. Stovall said in
his 1995 annual report, "we must grab
every opportunity presented to us to
talk Freemasonry, to write about
Freemasonry and to show off Freema-
sonry, and if the opportunity is not pre-
sented to us we should create that op-
portunity every chance we can. "

I believe that the members of The
Philalethes Society have an obligation to
Freemasonry. To help their Masonic
friends to know about the Society and its
work, to write short interesting factual
articles for their lodge bulletins or meet-
ings and to help the Society to grow.
Our Society needs more active Chapters
to which interested Master Masons can
be invited to attend. The creation of
more interest in the Craft will be an
advantage to all of us.

Many Chapters hold monthly or quar-
terly meetings and dinners to which the
wives are invited to attend. There is
nothing secret in The Philalethes
Society so any member can invite a non-
Masonic guest to come and enjoy the
dinner and speaker. It is a fine opportu-
nity to show your friends what Freema-
sonry is all about. Such activity helps
bring Freemasonry out in the open
where non-Masons can see it. Help us
grow, it will be good for Freemasonry
and the Society.




CARPE DIEM!
by Sidney Kase, MPS

What does this mean? As Entered Ap-
prentices we were taught the use of the
twenty-four inch gauge and the com-
mon gavel. We each are given the same
number of hours in the day, and
complete freedom to dispose of them as
we wish. Carpe Diem is Latin for
"Seize the Day." How we do so, and
what we accomplish is governed by our
attitude. If you think "IT" can't be
done, "IT" can't and won't. The op-
posite is also true.

We learn from Life' s examples . A
famous Doctor, Sir William Osler had
three personal ideals we could well
emulate": One: to do the day's work
well and not to bother about tomorrow;
Two: Act the Golden Rule, as far as in
me lay, toward my professional
brethren and toward the patients com-
mitted to my care (substitute co-work-
ers for professional and customers for
patients as pertinent); Three: cultivate
such a measure of equanimity as would
enable me to bear success with humility,
the affections of my friends without
pride, and be ready, when the day of
sorrow and grief came, to meet it with the
courage befitting a man. "

"Dear Abby" once ran a column
which furnished many pearls of wis-
dom. Here are a few examples of
strength coming from adversity: (a) Spit
on him, humiliate him, then crucify
him, and he forgives you and you have
Jesus Christ; (b) Strike him down with
Polio and he becomes Franklin Delano
Roosevelt, the only President of the
U.S. to be elected to four consecutive
terms, (and incidentally a Freemason);
(c) Raise him in abject poverty and you
have Abraham Lincoln and the
Emancipation Proclamation; (d) Call
him a slow learner, retarded, and write
him off as uneducable and you have an
Albert Einstein and the Theory of Rela-
tivity.

I can relate to this. I grew up in the
slums of New York City during the
Great Depresslon (what was so great
about it?). At the age of ten I knew I
wanted to be a doctor, but was dis-
couraged by my family because we
could not possibly afford it. God, how-
ever, works in mysterious ways, and no
one can tell me otherwise. During
World War II I was drafted into the
Army Medical Corps, as an enlisted
man, a medic. Upon honorable dis-
charge, I was able to go to Medical
School under the G.I. Bill of Rights
(without which it would have been im-
possible ). Of course, I had to work in
the industrial area every night, after
school, to supplement my budget. I vir-
tually went four years without a decent
night's sleep, but somehow I made it. I
was in the practice of medicine forty-six
years when I decided to retire. There
must be something to this " Time,
Patience, and Perseverance thing. "

Becoming a Freemason was good
enough, but becoming the Grand
Master of Masons in the state of Wash-
ington was undreamed of. Not bad for a
kid from the slums of New York!
Freemasonry's future depends on its
attitude. Its attitude is the consensus of
its members' attitudes. Just as harden-
ing of the arteries can prove fatal to a
body, so can hardening of the attitudes.
We must be flexible. Members are the
life blood of any organization, including
us .

We have a product of great value,
Freemasonry. Each of us represents
Masonry to someone. We must become
so educated and so dedicated that we
can explain Masonry to others, be an
example for others, and thus, sell
others, motivate them to become mem-
bers of the Craft . We are a " People
Business" As such, we need to learn
how to attract desirable "customers,"
and to keep them interested and dedi-
cated to the "product." The basic re-
quirement is education. First, of our
present members so they can be effec-
tive salesmen, knowledgeable in the
"product," Freemasonry. Secondly, we
must utilize every ethical and effective
means of selling, that means Public Re-
lahons.

Practical methods include T. V. and
radio (videos, spot-ads, interviews,
special-events), newspaper (ads, arti-
cles, interviews, human interest sto-
ries), magazine, and billboard advertis-
ing. Testimonials from influential Ma-
sons, both national and local. Masonic
functions open to the public, such as
Installations, cornerstone layings,
funerals, and "Friends Night." Public
services such as coffee-stops, Shrine
Hospitals, and other local charitable
acts (publicity in good taste can't hurt ).
Don't expect a surge of interest in these
latter. One frequently heard misconcep-
tion is that Masons extend charity only
to their own members.

Most of the public knows little or
nothing about Freemasonry, or perhaps
they have heard only untruths and mis-
conceptions. These must be strongly re-
futed, otherwise the naive public will
believe them to be true. I, personally,
think that we will be plagued by Ma-
sonic detractors as long as they can
benefit monetarily or otherwise. This
can be stopped if one or more Grand
Lodges get off the defensive and sue
these detractors for libel or slander.
This will take money and effort. Ma-
sonry can expect to have these problems
unless it faces up to them and deals ap-
propriately with them.

The fewer Masons there are, the more
responsibility, financial and otherwise,
it will take from those remaining. We
know Masonry is good, now let's con-
vince the rest of society.

Yes, Masonry is a people business,
and it has a slogan . . . we call it Ma-
sonry's " Grand Design ": " To en-
deavor to be happy, and to communi-
cate that happiness to others. " Some
years ago there was a popular song that
declared, "People who need people are
the luckiest people in the world. " I
once read an item about "How to Kill
Your Business in 9 Easy Steps"( I don't
remember the source). Substitute "Ma-
sonry" for "Business" because it is
equally applicable.

(1). Just pretend everyone knows what
you have to sell. Don't advertise.

(2). Convince yourself you've been in
business so long customers will auto-
matically come to you. Don't adver-
tise.

(3) Forget there are new potential cus-
tomers who would do business with you
if they were invited to do so. Don't
advertise.

(4) Tell yourself you just don't have
time to spend thinking about promot-
ing your business. Don't advertise.

(5) Forget you have competition trying
to attract your customers away from
you. Don't advertise.

(6)Tell yourself it costs too much to
advertise and that you don't get enough
out of it. Don't advertise.

(7) Overlook the fact that advertising is
an investment in selling- not an ex-
pense. Don't advertise.

(8) Don't keep reminding your estab-
lished customers that you appreciate
their business. Don't advertise.

(9) Be sure you don't provide an ade-
quate advertising budget. Don't
advertise.

As one of three ruffians once said,
" Now is the time, and here is the
place! " Carpe Diem !
