
An Editorial
Reprinted from:
'The Hesperian'            QUALITY

     The call has gone out, near and far, that the kingdom is in
trouble.  You would think the Saracens were at the threshold ready
to beat down the door.  The Generals are all in a tither, the
engineers are laboring over their plans, the Bishops are whipping
the people up into a frenzy.  "More members, More members!!!"; the
chant has begun. And if all goes well, we will soon have an army of
strapping young men ready to go...to where?...for what?

     If we are bringing in new members to "save Masonry" or to keep
our lodges from "going under" then we are not only doing a
disservice to the new members, but in the long-run we are hurting
ourselves by diverting our resources to the wrong front.  It takes
time and energy to give degrees to these new members.  And most of
the time, it's the same brethren who show up to give the degrees as
showed up in the 1940's & '50's.  Where are the others?  Home
asleep?  Yes, and why shouldn't they, they might as well sleep in
their own bed rather than on a hard lodge pew.

     From the '40's to the mid '50's Masonry just about tripled in
membership in many states; now its about where it was back in the
'40's again.  Have any of our Masonic teachings changed during this
rise and fall?  Has the need for our teachings changed?  Have all
those men who became Masons died?  Where are they?  If every Mason
moved out of his mother state, then other Masons would be moving
in...then gain and loss should be about equal...unless they are
simply not coming back to lodge at all.  Thus, a successful Masonic
membership revival may give us another 20 year surge, but unless we
fortify our real substance, the Saracens will defeat us by the
thousands, rather than by the hundreds.

     What is our substance?  It is our teaching and philosophy.
Our Ritual. We have depth.  We have myth.  We are unique from every
other fraternity.  We are the oldest and we have carried with us
the best from the past and we preserve it for the future.  And it
doesn't take thousands to do this; only a few of the best.

     Allow me to recant a myth from the Crusades, known to our
Masonic Knights Templar affiliates.  In 1118 an order was created
by Hugh de Payens known as 'The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and
the Temple of Solomon'.  This order took vows of poverty, chastity,
and obedience; devoting themselves to the military protection of
Christian pilgrims from bandits and of course the dreaded Saracens.
They vowed never to retreat from battle lest they were out-numbered
three to one.  For nine years their heroic fame and adventures grew
to mythical proportions inspiring all of Europe.  There were only
eight of them.

     In my home state of Illinois there are over 115,000 Masons.
That's 15,000 more members than the original army amassed for the
First Crusade. I don't think the issue and concern should be over
more members, but better membership by those already within.  Maybe
the value of a vow has changed since 1118.  Those original eight
Templars had depth, they had an internal heroic myth that gave them
strength and immortality.  Maybe it's because there is no threat of
a 'Mad Caliph' riding horse-back through our backyards that we
aren't motivated to 'amass' into our lodge temples.  It's easier to
sleep and watch television.  Talking about the 'old days' while
complaining about the new.

     Well in the 'old days' one would have their head struck off by
now. While we talk about using new media to 'reach' new members, we
forget our old substance, our identity.  How can so many be so
involved in bringing in new members into a system they hardly
adhere to?  What do you think would have happened in the days of
Hugh de Payens, the first Grand Master, if more than two thirds of
the army refused to report?  And this is what happened here in
Illinois in 1992.  Only 200 of 676 lodges bothered to send in their
trestleboard as directed by the Grand Master, most in open
rebellion.

     There are many opinions about the state of Masonry and which
remedy would do best.  But making a mockery of the lessons of the
third degree isn't what's called for.  One might as well throw a
brick at our Grand Masters' head for all the respect our state has
given him.  We must remember that this office exists because
ultimately we want someone to lead.  But if we disagree with him,
it is dishonorable to walk off the battle-field.

     As 'Master' Masons, we are leaders.  We have been given the
tools to lead and are taught valuable lessons about leadership.
Many of us have become Masters of our lodge, an opportunity to
achieve experiences in leadership. But do we lead?  If so, to
where?

     The vary nature of our order has its roots in the heart.  The
journey begins in the heart and ends in the heart.  By this is
meant the internal. The Knights of old stood above the common
soldier because their inner myth, their belief.  We must stand
erect in our many stations, and this is no easy thing.  For some,
it may even be heroic.  How can one lead in an internal journey...?
By example.

     We must discover the myth within Masonry, learn from it, and
live by it. We must believe in it, and pass it on, as our flame and
light.  This process excludes the measure of numbers and media
events, for the inner myth is very different from the outer draping
put on by those who sell the craft.  Masonry is not a commodity to
be sold by advertising/media and public relations specialists.  For
which aspect will they use for a gimmick?

     Would they promote that most of the signers of the Declaration
of Independence were Masons?  Not true, only a few were.  That x
number of presidents have been Masons; partially true, most were
only honorary not having taken a single degree.  That the fellows
from the Boston Tea Party were Masons and that Masonry has played a
large part in the formation of this country; not so, for Masonry
has never recommended any particular political activity and the Tea
Party enthusiasts acted as individuals, not as a lodge (they knew
better).  The only truth in these things is that Masonry promotes
leadership.

     Lets not even bring up the hundred different external myths
about the beginnings of Masonry which have been used to sell
Masonry to the masses in the past, each story gets better per
telling.   I have even heard that Masons have been hoarding and
disseminating the vast wealth of the Templars for centuries and
that's why so many are so rich.  How about the one that says that
Masons give a million and a half dollars a day to charity!?  When
was this, in 1955?  I think that's when they started saying that.
Once the ball starts rolling, its hard to stop.

     Lets return to the heart of the matter, Brotherly Love, Relief
and Truth; and to the Virtues.  These things are found within and
are shared within. How many Master Masons can even remember the
Brothers that were there the night they were raised, do you know
where they are now?  When you lost contact, did it concern you?
Have you tried to look them up?  Did they pass on, did you even
know?  They were the men that for a time took you in as one of
their own.  Accepted you as a brother and shared their table with
you.  This is a matter of the heart, it was never meant to be a
social event.  Sociability and charity should be fruits of good
Masonry, not the ends.  If you never knew this experience, then you
never found nor lived the great Masonic myth and you will not
receive your wages.

       I am not against there being more Masons, but the health of
Masonry should not be measured by its numbers.  For while less
Masons do not imply a higher quality, likewise, neither do more
Masons imply well-being.  Measure not by number, but by
'understanding'.  Do we as Masons comprehend what has been given to
us from the past?  There are quite a few symbols and allegories
that have been handed down to us from antiquity.  Have we made them
a part of our lives?  Enough to go out and teach others?  Are we
prepared to change the paths of other men in the world into our
craft?  Who and why?  Where will they be led?  Just some and not
others?  Which ones?  Who will we reject or can just about anyone
enter anymore?  Who shall we deprive of what we have or is the
value of what we have not that important?  Wouldn't the Moose or
Elks serve a better vehicle for simple association?  Are the tenets
of Masonry really the first thing on our minds?  It must also be
realized that not everyone agrees with what is in the depths of our
teachings.

     All rhetoric aside,  I think that public relations methods as
proposed by so many these days are good.  Radio interviews, video
tapes, books, pamphlets for wives, in fact, all forms of
communications are good for Masons to reaffirm and deepen masonic
self-discovery, and are good for the non-masonic general public.
But it is so easy to get lost in this external panorama of
activities; caught between the depth of self-discovery and the song
and dance of self-explanation to others.

     We must constantly ask why we are bringing in a new member
into our lodges.  While our teachings are ethical and moral, they
are not evangelical. For generations we have resisted hook and
crook techniques of bringing in new Brethren.  "They must first
ask...of their own freewill and accord" has always been the
hallmark of Masons.  A matter of pride.  While we revere the bible,
we are not 'bible-thumpers' standing on street corners.  And the
more we stand in the public eye, be aware that the anti-masonic
attacks will also increase.

     Well I think I hear the hoof-beats of the Saracens coming over
the hill, I had better Fortify with great Prudence.  We have quite
a few of those new 'strapping youths' to train before they arrive.
I hope I have enough time to get to know them before the "demise of
Masonry".  Perhaps one day there will only be one lodge left in all
the world, and if they have truly assimilated all the teachings of
Masonry, I'll bet they will never go out of existence - let alone
be intimidated by a few hundred thousand Saracens.

By David Randel

Uploaded to Compuserve from: 'The Trestleboard' BBS Chicago, Ill. (708) 366-0803



