"Masonic Leadershlp: It's Time to Set the Pace"

A presentation of John R. Graham, 33, consultant In public relations and fund
raislng to the Northern Jurisdiction Scottish Rite and other Masonic Bodies, at
last year's Scottish Rite regional work shops. The written word is not as
effective as he, a former minister, who really fires up an audience. You will
like some parts and not like other parts - but please - think about it.

More than anything else, this is a time for Freemasonry to face reality and to
be absolutely honest about the state of the Fraternity. We've looked in the
'rear-view' mirror long enough. The glory days are behind us -- and not even a
miracle will return us to the 1950s and 1960s when many Lodges were holding
special meetings in order to accomodate all the new initiates.

In all honesty, we must ask, "Why would a man want to become a Mason today?"
There were very good reasons to become a Mason 40 years ago.

Being a Mason brought a man prestige in the community. It set you apart. A
member of the Masonic Fraternity was a member of an elite group. This has all
changed. Recently a Grand Master talked to two U.S. Senators about becoming
Masons. Both turned him down!

What's the popular view? Simple. People think we're either dead or dying. Or,
worse yet, irrelevant. There was a time when being a Mason put a man in touch
with the right people. In many communities, the Masonic Lodge was the key to
rubbing shoulders with the decision-makers, the movers and shakers-- the
business and civic leaders. Everyone was a Mason. Only in rare instances is
this true today.

Forty years ago, being a Mason made a difference in your career. We all
remember the so-called "Masonic companies," firms that were filled with Masons
from bottom to top. If you wanted to get ahead, you became a Mason.

The same was true if you were a local insurance agent or real estate broker, a
barber or a butcher. Being a Mason gave you a network in the community. That's
how your business grew and prospered. In other words, there were power
incentives for a man to become a Mason. Masonry conferred upon its members
status, prestige and influence.

This is not the way it is today -- at least our sons and their friends are not
impressed. When a friend of mine walked into my office and saw Masonic
momentos, he said, "Why in the world do you want to be a Mason?"

In spite of the dramatic and far-reaching change in Masonry's status in
American society, there is no reason for despair. Masonry still fits the times
-- not withstanding the fact that we have been horribly negligent in
communicating the message. As much as in any other period, Freemasonry has a
powerful role to play.

Masonry sets forth the values that make life worthwhile. It is clear that the
1990s are a period when there is public recognition that traditional values make
a difference. Having "discarded" the importance of basic ethics for the past 25
years, there appears to be a return to the bedrock beliefs that made this
country great -- the family, loyalty, hard work, honor and integrity. The basic
-- and essential -- virtues.
In his recent book, More t ike Us, James Fallows makes the issue crystal clear:

"In the long run, a society's strength depends on the way ordinary people
voluntarily behave."

This has been the message of Freemasonry for the past three centuries! And it
is just as true today as it was 40 or 200 years ago.

Masonry gives a man a positive picture of what it means to be a man. In a time
when numbers are more important than a man's name, this is a message that makes
sense! No group or organization gives recognition to the worth of a man's life
as does Freemasonry. The Masonic message is simple: "You're important."

As Masons, we make one thing clear. "As a man, you have tremendous potential
and we're going to show you how to become the best." Masonry never looks down
on a man. Masonry denies that a man is basically "bad." Masonry sees the
possibilities in a man and gives him a way to reach for the stars.

Masonry separates a man from the crowd. The most incredible fact about being a
Mason is that you can never, never forget that you are one. You can forget your
wife's birthday, but you can't ever forget that you are a Mason. Show me a
group that can make such an indelible impact on a man's life?

As a Mason, I can never forget that I have a responsibiiity to live and to
conduct my business according to the tenets of Freemsonry. I can never be lost
in the crowd. For a man to say, "I'm a Mason" sets him apart from other men.

Why, then, with all that we have to offer are we, as a Fraternity, slipping
into the darkness of obscurity? Why are we not just fading away, but actually
disappearing in an ever increasing rate?

The problem is not Masonry. The problem is not our beliefs or our ideals. The
problem is one of leadership. Or, more to the point, our total lack of
leadership at every level! For the past several decades, we have been in the
midst of a leadership crisis -- and it's killing us.

Let's take a look at "Masonic leadership." The major qualification for being a
leader in our Fraternity is time. If you can devote the time, you can get to
the top. In the same way, leadership in Masonry is viewed as a "reward for good
behavior." If you do what you're told, attend a thousand meetings, and stay in
line (in more than one way), you'll get a jewel hung around your neck.

We even think that "going through the chairs" is "training." As a matter of
fact, it is training of sorts. But what does a man learn? One thing that's
important, he learns how to play the game so that by the time he gets to the top
he has achieved total ineffectiveness. He is completely useless as a leader!

If we take a closer look how we behave when it comes to leadership, the picture
becomes quite clear. To put the matter bluntly, we are experts in putting the
emphasis in all the wrong places. In other words, we do it backwards.

Masonry suffers from what I call "The Mussolini Syndrome." Benito Mussolini's
greatest achievement was making the trains run on time in Italy. The nation was
in total chaos, but the trains left the station on time -- every time. This is
the way we are as Masons. Here are just a few examples.

We are experts in getting meeting notices out -- on time. We meet every dead-
line. We take pride in such an accomplishment. The fact that no one comes to
the meetings because they are so dull and boring doesn't seem to distress us.
We are experts in keeping accurate records. No one in the world can hold a
candle to us when it comes to record keeping! We are the best! The fact that
the statistics are going down hill at an ever increasing rate doesn't seem to
bother us. The accuracy of the figures is more important than their meaning.

We are experts in making reports. Our reports are always in proper form. We
always use just the right words and no one's name is ever left out. We take
inordinate pride in our reports. The fact that 99% of our reports are totally
meaningless doesn't seem to faze us. We ignore the fact that our reports are
all form, totally lacking in meaningful content. And then we have the audacity
to repeat them year-after year! Only the names and dates are changed.

We're experts in holding perfect ceremonies. Frankly, we're good at ceremonies.
We practice and practice. We aim at perfection. I suppose that's a noble goal,
in a way. What seems to escape us is that there's no one there to see them.
The membership is disappearing and all we're left with is empty Temples. For
some reason, this doesn't seem to disturb us because we just keep on repeating
the same old ceremonies -- all by ourselves.

We're experts in taking care of our buildings. We are proud of the way we
respect our Masonic property. Certainly, taking care of our buildings is better
than to allow them to fall into disrepair. Put, once again, we always seem to
miss the point. Buildings are for activity -- and there's nothing happening of
any significance in our Temples 99% of the time. Again, this doesn't bother us
enough to demand action from our leaders.

We're expert at putting men on committees. Take a look at the roster of any
Masonic organization and you'd think that with so many men involved, mountains
could be moved. every name is there. All are neatly printed. All are in
proper order. Yet, it doesn't seem to bother us that our committees are little
more than empty shells. They lack talent, skill and ability. For the most
part, they have no power or authority. They are to do as they are told. For
the most part, they are to do nothing.

If we happen to find a man with talent, we toss a cabletow around his neck to
make sure he doesn't do anything new or different! Or, as we say in the west,
we hog-tie him. We only want him to repeat what's been done the last 40 years.

With all this in mind, why doesn't Masonry get strong, creative leaders -- men
who are capable of taking our Fraternity into the 21st century?

The answer is clear: We don't want strong leaders! We don't want new ideas.
We don't want interesting programs. We don't want excitement. We don't want
the boat rocked. Anyone who tries to be "different" by being innovative or
creative will have his wings clipped quickly by a group of men with the term
"Past" after their names. This is why we have the type of leaders -- at every
level -- we do today.

Let's face it. Our leaders clone themselves by bringing in replacements who
are like themselves. Over and over again it happens -- and nothing changes
because nothing can change. This is our problem.

A competent man with real leadership potential may love Freemasonry, but he is
not going to spend his valuable time "doing what he is told," knocking his head
against a brick wall, or going through the motions just to get to the top.

In effect, the Masonic leadership message is clear: Behave yourself. Put in
the time. Don't rock the boat. Do as you're told. Keep your mouth shut. If
you speak, just echo what the "leader" has just said. don't come up with new
ideas. Bow and scrape. Don't question anything. And, if you're a good fellow,
you'll get the Masonic goodies. In other words, we have exactly what we want
and what we deserve: a Fraternity of petty and pathetic bureaucrats -- and it's
killing us.

If this is the current leadership situation, what needs to change to meet the
challenge of the decade ahead -- and beyond? We need leaders with very
specific qualities:

Our leaders must possess imagination. We need leadership standards. We need
job descriptions for leadership positions. We need to get down on paper what
we expect from those who guide us. What are their goals and objectives? What
do they want to accompliish while in office? The membership has a right to know
what our leaders are thinking. What are their ideas? Are they just carhon
copies of those who have gone before them, or do they possess the abilities
necessary to move our Fraternity forward.

Our leaders must be able to bring a sense of excitement to the Fraternity.
Frankly, we should get down on our knees every day and thank God for our
members. No single group of men puts up with more dull nonsense than do the
Masons of America! And then they keep on paying their dues year after year!

Leadership means being able to move men's hearts, to make them proud of their
Masonic membership. Leadership means being able to motivate men to action. It
means getting Masons to come out of the closet and demonstrate their enthusiasm
for the Fraternity.

Masonic leadership means a willingness to take bold steps. The job today is one
of getting Masonry on TV and in the newspapers. It's being out in front and
highly visible. Yet, we seem to think we're doing something important if we
have a booth at a county fair. That's nothing. We need blimps! If we don't
start thinking big, we're through.

Our leaders must possess a new vision for our Fraternity. Where do we want
Freemasonry to be in the year 2000? How are we going to get there? What must
happen to get things moving? How are we going to mobilize the resources so that
we make a difference? This is the vision that can put Masonry on the map --
where it belongs.

If a man does not have this kind of vision, if he does not possess the skill to
make things happen, then he should not be elevated to a leadership position.

Masonry can once again provide men with status, prestige and influence. That's
possible because the times are right. But it will only happen if we have
leaders with courage and conviction.

So, what's my advice? How do we get leaders who can make a difference?
Frankly, we need men who are willing to be daring. I recommend this approach:

"If you have a good idea, go ahead and do it because it is much easier to
apologize then it is to ask permission."

I realize that such a strategy is subversive, but saving our Fraternity makes
it right for the times. In the same way, we must start ignoring the past and
start adoring the future. We've looked in the 'rear view' mirror long enough.

Finally, we must stop worrying about how important we are and start thinking
seriously about what it's going to take to save Freemasonry. That's leadership.
And that's setting the pace.
