
The Philalethes, October 1996

Are We Really Making
by C. Donald Prosser, MPS

Definition: Make - To Bring Into
Being: Put Together: Build: Form;
Shape.

My own Grand Lodge, the Grand
Lodge of Florida, instituted a Masonic
Education Program for their candidates
in 1954. This Masonic Education Pro-
gram was built on the premise that the
Fraternity should be "MAKING MA-
SONS." Prior to this, only a program
of catechism in the Three Symbolic
Degrees was being used. The Grand
Lodge Masonic Education Committee
was concerned that our candidates were
not receiving sufficient education for a
man to truly become a living and think-
ing Freemason.

This new Masonic Education Pro-
gram stressed the importance of Ma-
sonic History, Masonic Philosophy, and
Masonic Tradition of the Fraternity as
well as the personal enrichment and
growth that each candidate would ex-
perience as a man when he became a
True Freemason. It also brought into
focus the basic lessons of life and the
principle that Freemasonry has so long
stood upon; "to Make Better Men
Out Of Good Men. " This Masonic
Education Program was designed to
help a candidate comprehend and un-
derstand that great Masonic Founda-
tion Cornerstone "the Brotherhood Of
Man Under The Fatherhood Of
God."

During a survey that I undertook to
ascertain which Grand Lodges had a
Masonic Education Program, I found
the following statistics; of the 21 Grand
Lodges that responded only 2/3 had any
type of program at all. Half had con-
verted to a simple catechism program
with some Masonic Education and the
other half had no Education Program
for the candidates, Lodges or their
Lodge Officers.

Lately we have heard a new theory
promoted, that we must change to fit
modern times, eliminate or shorten our
process whereby our candidates receive
the Three Symbolic Degrees of Freema-
sonry. To do this, these so-called mod-
ernization experts tell us we must re-
duce or eliminate the memory work to
facilitate the fast pace of today's life and
our lack of available time. It is no secret
that our Fraternity has been losing
membership for more than 50 years,
but are we really looking at the root
cause of this decline in membership, by
saying that it is the speed of modern
society and lack of personal time that is
causing this? Can it be that today's man
is looking for something or some place
where he can have time away from
today's hectic pace? Some place where
he can find kindred spirits, and some
peace and quiet to contemplate, reflect
and refresh his very soul? Why has
Freemasonry remained alive and able
to influence men's lives and through
them society at large during the past
270 years, when all other fraternal and
social organizations have appeared and
died? I think the answer lies within
Freemasonry's very being and founda-
tion. RELIEF, TRUTH AND
BROTHERLY LOVE are not hollow
words; to help those who are in distress,
to be truthful in everything we do in our
lives, and to love all mankind as
Brothers is the very essence of what the
world is searching for and needs in this
so called fast paced modern world.

A man comes to the door of Freema-
sonry in search of filling a void that now
exists in his life. He is looking for a
higher plane upon which to live his life.
When he encounters the teachings of
Freemasonry, taught as they should be
taught, this void becomes direction and
inspiration and therein lies the problem.

Lodges are not teaching any of these
great Masonic principles. They are
merely pushing their candidates
through the Three Symbolic Degrees by
teaching either a full or shortened form
of catechism or possibly no catechism at
all with no other form of Masonic Edu-
cation, to enlighten him with knowledge
about the Fraternity and its way of life.
Is it any wonder that Lodges are having
extreme difficulty in obtaming instruc-
tors and Lodge Officer candidates,
when a candidate completes the Three
Symbolic Degrees and still knows noth-
ing about what Freemasonry's basic
fundamental beliefs are, and the prin-
ciples which we as Freemasons are to
live by in our daily lives? Is it any
wonder that our new members are
dropping out after 2-3 years because
Freemasonry has given them nothing
that we promised in the beginning of
their Masonic life?

The answer lies within us and
Freemasonry. We must give our candi-
dates more Masonic Education, not
less. We must revise our current think-
ing that a man must progress from one
degree to the next in the minimum time
possible, that a Lodge's only aim is to
make him a Master Mason as quickly
as possible. The catechisms must con-
tinue to be taught, but with increased
emphasis that the teaching process is
also meant to explain and enlighten the
candidate about what the catechism
means in relation to Freemasonry and
how it binds each and every Brother to
each other and to the Fraternity. To
teach our candidates the catechisms
without the explanations and accom-
panying Masonic Education is wasting
his time and eliminating the very
process whereby he becomes a living
and thinking Mason

A Masonic Education Program should
be the foundation of every Grand
Lodge's candidate process. If we do this
then we are truly "making Masons"
and giving them " Masonic Light . "
The definition of LIGHT in regard to
Freemasonry is as follows; Light =
Knowledge, Information, Mental Or
Spiritual Illumination. Anything less
and the Fraternity is giving up the very
principles of Freemasonry MAKING
BETTER MEN OUT OF GOOD
MEN. " We are throwing away the
very reason for the existence of our
Symbolic Lodges. According to the Ma-
sonic Principles laid down by our Ma-
sonic Forefathers, the ONLY purpose of
a Masonic Lodge is to "make Masons."

If the Fraternity returns to teaching
and emphasizing to our candidates and
Brethren, the Masonic cornerstones of
our Fraternity, Relief, Truth And
Brotherly Love, they will again ex-
perience an awakening in their lives and
the lives of their Lodges. All people
with whom they come in contact with,
will know that something dramatic has
happened to them. If we do not return
to the foundations and basic teachings
of our gentle Craft, we will indeed not
survive, because these beliefs have
down through the ages, been what has
made our Craft distinct and unique
among all organizations. We will be-
come what some of those who would
institute or called modernization upon
Freemasonry seem to want, just
another social or civic club without
direction, education, philosophy or
foundation.

I urge each Lodge, its Lodge Instruc-
tors and Officers to dedicate themselves
to "making Maoons." I urge all those
Brethren who have not received the
Masonic Light they should have had,
to seek that Light and request their
Lodges to insist that their Grand
Lodges institute a Grand Lodge Ma-
sonic Education Program for their can-
didates, Lodge Officers and Brethren.
The Program can and should be used
for ALL Brethren, whether he is an
Entered Apprentice, Fellowcraft or
Master Mason.

If we as a Fraternity fulfill this basic
requirement to our candidates and
Brethren, the men coming into our il-
lustrious Fraternity will be "True
Freemasons," not card carrying mem-
bers and Masons in name only. By the
way they lead their daily lives, the out-
side world will again know and respect
Freemasonry and its Brethren. Our
Brethren will be truly living examples of
Freemasonry. Non-Masons will notice the
shange in our candidates, Brethren and will
be interested in the change and inspire its
members. We will begin to see our mem-
bership roles grow, our suspensions for
nonpayment of dues will cease to be a prob-
lem except for our Brethren in distress,
which is not a problem but a duty which we
are called upon to help with, and a lack of
Lodge Instructors and potential Lodge Of-
ficers will also decline.

In essence we must; strengthen our
Fraternity by increased Masonic Edu-
cation and instruction of our candidates
and Brethren, not weaken it by
no Instruction.

