          This file is copyright (c) 1995 The Philalethes Society and all
          rights including any redistribution rights are reserved by the
          copyright holder. Permission to quote from, redistribute or to
          otherwise use these materials must be obtained from the
          copyright holder directly by contacting The Philalethes,
          Nelson King, FPS, Editor, 2 Knockbolt Crescent, Agincourt
          Ontario Canada, M1S 2P6. Tel: 416-293-8071 Fax:
          416-293-8634 or CIS: 71202,22
          
          HEIRS TO THE MASONIC TREASURE
          
          Reflections of a Contemporary Mason
          
          by Lawrence J. Kascht, MPS
           
           
          There is a Mason...
          
          There is a legendary Mason I began to hear about shortly
          after joining our Brotherhood six years ago. He was usually
          referred to indirectly, as part of sadly wistful remembrance
          by older Brethren of golden days gone by, idealized times
          with full membership rolls, constant degree work, and
          humming lodge activity. But it took some time for me to
          understand that this Mason was not just a fabricated
          enhancement of the nostalgic past.
          The Mason I speak of was at one time the backbone of
          successful lodges. He participated in the lodge's ritual, took
          part in the development of the lodge's intellectual and
          fraternal life, and did all this with a consistent excellence that
          assured the lodge would be excellent. His involvement in his
          lodge, and in Masonry, contributed vitality, and imagination,
          and leadership. He carried the lodge into the future. He
          exerted his intelligence on behalf of Masonry, and came to
          know more and more of what Masonry was, and he
          integrated this into the values of a vibrant, active life. And he
          brought in new candidates by the strength of his personality,
          character, and example to those outside, at a time when
          there was no such thing as appropriate solicitation.
          The Mason I speak of was young enough to be in the thick of
          the balancing act of loving and raising a demanding family,
          and pursuing a demanding job. He was also old enough to
          have attained substantial reputation in his work, and a
          significant weight of responsibility. He was an energetic man,
          a man of accomplishment through a careful balance of
          priorities. He was a man of strong values and interests, with
          no patience for fakery. He was someone who made an
          impression, who stood out from the crowd. He was the busy
          man whom everyone wanted to get even more involved,
          because his involvement was seen as a cause of success.
          But he kept control of his destiny, choosing for himself what
          he would and would not do, based on well-founded values
          and priorities within, not on peer pressure. And as he would
          become an older man, he would keep the perspectives
          learned during his years in the thick of the fight.
          I saw my older Brethren wistfully sad over grand times gone
          by. But I came to recognize that the legendary Mason I
          speak of does still survive in our midst. The men I came to
          recognize as this Mason are few, but their strength,
          intelligence, perspective, and dedication seem to provide the
          conduit that will serve to carry the ancient traditions of
          Masonry safely and authentically into the future. These
          masons I have sought to know better.
          It was about a year ago that I woke up to a personal
          realization: that I have the potential to become the Mason I
          speak of.
          Or a version of him, at least. I say this without any intended
          arrogance, and as a kind of personal challenge to
          excellence. It also troubles me, since I struggle with many
          conflicting demands and interests, and the balance I reach
          never seems as satisfactory as what the legendary Mason
          would be capable of. But I aspire to be a version of the
          legendary Mason, traditional and committed, in the midst of
          a modern man's chaotic and demanding life. This is a
          paradox, but I believe there may be others like me, either
          within the Brotherhood, or waiting to discover it. It has
          occurred to me that I might have something helpful, and
          perhaps new, to say about the problems and prospects that
          face our ancient Brotherhood, in connection with a new
          generation of traditional, potentially excellent masons.
          I find, quite frankly, that many of my Brethren do not seem to
          know what makes me tick. It is not that I expect to be
          catered to. But it seems they do not understand very much
          about the reasons I became a Mason, or the ways I want to
          grow and progress in Masonry, or the ways that Masonry fits
          into the life of my family. I see the very things that drew me
          to Masonry, and that captivate me about Masonry, being
          diluted or possibly even lost....under the pretext of making
          Masonry more attractive to the busy, contemporary man. If I
          am just possibly a version of this busy, contemporary man
          that lodges ought to be seeking, then let my words be a
          wake-up call.
          Whence I came...
          I did not come from a Masonic family. In my family, fraternal
          organizations were not a focus of any interest or attention;
          when they came up at all, it was in a trivial, somewhat
          mocking context. I point this out only to emphasize that the
          things which drew me to Masonry were things I discovered
          for myself as an adult, without the benefit of any positive pre-conditioning. I believe I am representative of many
          contemporary younger masons in this respect. The many
          non-masons of my generation are not likely to flock to us
          through pre-existing ties; they will mostly have to discover
          Masonry on their own, as something they, in the midst of
          busy and complex lives, can notice as interesting.
          The thing that pulled me into Masonry was the mystery of it. I
          was not looking for a social life; I already had one. I was not
          even particularly looking for new friends, although I have
          found rich friendship among my Brethren. I was hooked by
          the idea of an ancient organization with ties to past history
          and mysterious legend, a Brotherhood that taught morality
          and philosophy by secret ritual, and kept alive an ancient
          tradition extending to the roots of human society. I have
          developed an insatiable curiosity about all of this, and as my
          time permits, I have tried to become a student of it. It is
          inevitable that I would gravitate toward other masons, and
          toward Masonic groups, that share these interests. What
          puzzles me is the number of Brethren who seem not to
          share them. The amount that many intelligent long-time
          masons do not seem to know about our Brotherhood is
          disturbing. The ease with which so many seemingly
          traditional, older masons go along with proposals to dilute
          our memory work reveals a lack of understanding of the
          nature of an oral tradition, and seems to me symptomatic of
          a lack of passion for our traditions and ritual. The
          assumption that new masons might want a diluted Masonry
          specially served up for them is patronizing, and wrong-headed. It is precisely because contemporary younger men
          are so busy that the Masonry available to them must be
          strong and interesting, and vibrant with the esoteric traditions
          that make Masonry unlike any other institution. Otherwise it
          will not be something to hold their interest or commitment.
          
          There seems to be an assumption that when a man joins a
          Masonic lodge, the lodge will become a focus for
          recreational socializing by the new Mason and "his lady".
          This in turn appears to be based on two unconscious
          assumptions: that the opportunity for recreational socializing
          as a couple was a reason for joining the lodge, and that the
          couple enjoys the particular social activities the lodge
          engages in. Certainly all these assumptions could prove true
          for a given Mason and his lady, but there is no particular
          reason why they should.
          My wife supports my Masonic involvement because it
          interests me and brings me satisfaction. However, my wife is
          very much someone who wants to be in the thick of life's
          game, not watching from the sidelines. She knows me to be
          a serious person, and she knows my reasons for being a
          Mason are serious. She also knows that as a woman she
          may not participate in the things that are central to Masonry.
          She accepts this, but it does not especially predispose her to
          hang around the outskirts of Masonry. Masonry is my thing,
          and my wife has personal interests of her own, in which she
          can fully participate. This I completely understand, since I
          would feel exactly the same way.
          When I joined my lodge, I found its social and community
          activities dominated by the accepted preferences of a
          different generation with different interests. I see my lodge
          now making some changes in this regard, and broadening
          the base of both its social amusements and its involvement
          in the community. But I also see that my wife and I will
          probably never focus our social life on lodge-planned
          activities. It just isn't a natural focus for us as a couple, in
          spite of the personal importance Masonry has for me. The
          seeming paradox that I, a devoted husband and family man,
          will be involved in lodge activities primarily in solo fashion, is
          something that many of my lodge Brethren seem to find
          difficult to accept. But I suspect there are other masons of
          my generation who will share this position. No doubt it will
          seem strange to many older Brethren, for whom participation
          in lodge social activities as a "Masonic couple" is very
          important.
          Masonry as a Vehicle...
          History, and historic tradition, reveals Masonry as a means
          for important intellectual and social accomplishment. What
          we know of the origins and evolution of our Brotherhood
          shows that it has existed in the interstices of developing
          society, aiding and abetting and facilitating the movement of
          other institutions, a vehicle for human progress. I believe that
          this concept of Masonry as a vehicle provides an important
          basis for the assessment of Masonry today. A vehicle must
          carry, convey, or support something. During various times,
          Masonry has received definition from the things it carried,
          conveyed, or supported. These things have, in fact, become
          part of what we understand Masonry to be. Perhaps we can
          use some of them as a sort of mirror, to see whether our
          Masonry is being true to itself.
          The Worship of God...
          The religious character of Speculative Masonry is abundantly
          evident to us all. Although the Mystery sects of ancient times
          (possible antecedents of Masonry) qualify as actual
          religions, modern Masonry is not itself a religion. Rather,
          Masonry acts as a pedestal for religion, a frame around
          religion. It gives a set of teachings and symbols that
          enhance and elevate the particular religious belief and
          practice of each individual Brother. Toleration of religious
          variety is a Masonic trademark, and something we cherish
          and proclaim, rightly, as a great virtue of our Brotherhood. I
          believe that a new generation of traditional masons, faced
          with a modernization of the ritual in church liturgy, may be
          drawn to the religious dimension of Masonic ritual. We are
          proud that Masonry is a vehicle for religion. And yet we read
          responses to the challenge of anti-Masonic groups,
          responses by our own Brethren who seem inclined to dilute
          and explain away our vital religious tradition, and deny its
          vibrant life. Why can't we proudly and honestly admit that
          religious bigotry is not compatible with Masonry; that those
          who claim that "their way is the only way" are not worthy of
          our conciliation.
          Keeping Secrets...
          Masonry and its antecedents have always been a vehicle for
          private knowledge. The purpose of secrecy is three-fold: to
          protect the private knowledge from being revealed to those
          who are not entitled to possess it, or are unworthy of it; to
          protect the institution from its enemies; and to protect the
          members from persecution. The operative stonemasons of
          the Middle Ages protected the private knowledge of their
          learned art. In so doing, they safeguarded their system of
          training and the quality of their work, and protected their
          livelihood and their place in society. The initiates of the
          Ancient Mysteries protected the private knowledge of their
          rituals and esoteric traditions. In so doing, they reserved the
          reward of knowledge for those who had proved their
          worthiness; they were able to preserve both the purity of
          their teachings and the quality of their membership. The
          fugitive Knights Templar of the 14th Century used secrecy to
          protect themselves against persecution, allowing many of
          them to ultimately escape into anonymity within medieval
          society. Masonic secrecy thus has a long and varied
          tradition, and an undeniable usefulness.
          American masons have the good fortune to live in a time and
          place in which secrecy is not a matter of life and death.
          However, this does not entitle us to dilute a vitally important
          part of our traditional heritage. It is part of what we hold in
          trust from the past, to pass on intact to the future. And who is
          to say whether Masonic secrecy might ever acquire life-and-death significance again. In the meantime, our secrecy is
          good discipline, and a protection for our Brotherhood on
          many levels.
          It is disturbing to read the replies of well-meaning Brethren to
          the critics of Masonry, in connection with Masonic secrecy.
          Our enemies decry our secrecy, and fantasize all sorts of
          nonsense as the explanation for what we must be hiding.
          Our Brethren present replies that try to downplay our
          secrecy, or even seem to deny that it is really there at all.
          They seem to want to make Masonry appear as un-threatening, as innocuous, as insipid as possible. Maybe the
          anti-masons will get bored and go away?
          For masons to attempt to dilute Masonry, in order to make it
          appear more acceptable to its critics, is the abandonment of
          a trust. It is also a futile exercise, since our critics will still
          dislike us, no matter what we do.
          Mutual Aid and Protection...
          The image of a lodge of operative stonemasons providing for
          the well-being of its members is a thought-provoking
          metaphor. In the midst of medieval society, the masons'
          lodge would have facilitated the masons' successful work by
          providing security and support to their families, and helping
          with their most basic needs. This would have included food,
          lodging, schooling, and transportation. It would have been
          concrete and practical. It would certainly have been centered
          around the lives of working, busy, young men. This sort of
          lodge would have been the envy of outsiders, who would see
          it helping to ensure the good life for its members. This sort of
          lodge might even have acted as a sort of subtle
          advertisement for new candidates to the stonemason's trade:
          hard work, but what benefits! A thought-provoking metaphor
          indeed.
          I present for consideration a short list of potential lodge
          ventures which would directly support the needs of active
          young families (and the active young men whose families
          these are). The angle is obvious. For masons such as
          myself, these activities would demonstrate the lodge's
          awareness of our concerns and needs, and could provide a
          natural and logical avenue for our involvement in additional
          lodge-sponsored activities. In a larger context, they would
          also help establish the lodge as an authentic participant in
          the practical life of the local community. Instead of being
          seen as some sort of arcane curiosity, the lodge would
          become a real-world provider of services people need to
          take advantage of. These people would of course be
          coincidentally faced with the presence of Masonic symbols in
          the building, and the awareness that the masons who meet
          there have some special basis for association. But these
          discoveries will be rendered non-threatening by the
          neighborly helpfulness of the service being utilized, and by
          the lack of any overt solicitation. The questions will come,
          and the knocks at the door, promoted passively by the
          service being provided to the community.
          So, then, my list. These ventures could be initiated by
          lodges, could utilize lodge building space, and could involve
          lodge members as volunteers (under the direction of
          appropriate professionals), or as managers. They could
          serve the needs of a new generation of masons, and of the
          community. They could be a powerful catalyst for a new,
          appreciative public awareness of masonry.
          --day care center for pre-school children
          --tutoring center for school children
          --community education center, featuring CPR/first aid
          classes, self defense training, driving instruction, language
          classes, adult education classes
          --meetings for support groups--weight loss, AA, others
          --baby-sitting service
          --scout programs
          --sponsorship of athletic activities for children, including little
          league, T-ball, soccer
          --immunization clinic for children
          --activity center for elderly adults
          --exchange center for pre-owned children's clothes, toys,
          and books
          --special interest groups such as classic films, theater
          groups, book clubs, folk dancing
          --center for music lessons, dance lessons
          --meal program for needy families
          --tax assistance
          --transportation service for people with disabilities
           Better that our good works should recommend us to the
          community, and that curious seekers should come to find the
          Masonic Treasure un-diminished. Better this than to
          cheapen the Treasure, in the misguided belief that more
          seekers will be attracted if the reward is easier, or that the
          gain will be worth what is lost.
          A Refuge for Ideas, an Occasion for Learning...
          The Masonic traditions of toleration of diverse points of view,
          and of secrecy, ought to predispose the lodge as a place of
          intellectual ferment. This certainly was true in Europe in
          centuries past, as scholars, artists, scientists, and esoteric
          thinkers found the Masonic lodge a haven for their new
          ideas. But I am afraid that this enlightened and exciting
          situation has declined in our time. Most lodges seem to limit
          their intellectual activities to their ritual, degree work, posting
          and exams, and perhaps occasionally, some sort of Masonic
          education talk. Although the pursuit of excellence in these
          activities is a full menu for many lodges, I should like to see
          our Brotherhood re-capture its enlightened pursuit of
          knowledge on a broad scale. The investigation of Masonic
          history and traditions ought to be an ongoing source of
          fascination, research, and programs in our lodges.
          Presentations on historic periods of significance to Masonry,
          or of interest to our members, ought likewise to be frequently
          available. Discussions, led by qualified Brethren, of loaded
          topics such as applied Geometry or the principles of
          Architecture ought to occasionally challenge our attention
          span.
          Yes, I am serious about this. Too many lodge
          communications act as the prelude to a card game. Those
          Brethren who, like me, were brought to Masonry by a
          fascination with its intellectual content are in need of
          increased exposure to this content in lodge, both as
          presenters of it and as recipients of it. Private research in a
          library, solely for one's own private interest, just isn't the
          same thing. And men of intellect who might conceivably
          become masons one day need the fascinating dimension of
          Masonic intellectual content as a basis for the interest and
          motivation to join.
          Let us not lose sight of what self-improvement means. It is
          more than fellowship, more even than moral truths cloaked
          in ritual and allegory. It is these things joined to the
          refinement and expansion of our minds. Our Brethren of past
          centuries knew this to be true. Let us discover it again for
          ourselves, within our lodges.
          Masonic Friendship...
          No doubt some Brethren will criticize me for not focusing on
          Masonic fellowship and friendship earlier and more
          prominently in these reflections. To them I would answer,
          "where does Masonic friendship come from?" I do not
          believe any friendship exists without shared values and
          interests, and significant shared experience, which creates a
          bond. The experiences of masons in Masonry are
          extraordinary, or should be. The more these Masonic
          experiences contain the richness, the heritage, the
          fascination, the values they properly should have, the more
          they are able to bond us in unique friendship.
          I feel a bond of over-arching friendship with all masons, and
          all members of my lodge, based on the idea of our shared
          Masonic experience. But my bond of Masonic friendship
          becomes personal and unique with a Brother who shares my
          perspective and experience as a would-be student of the
          traditional, historic, and intellectual content of our
          Brotherhood. It is he whose journey to light I can best
          understand and share.
          Future...
          Our Brotherhood is now full of ruminations and inventions,
          full of new schemes and plans to re-package and market
          Masonry to a modern world. Some of these new tactics may
          be good; some assuredly are not. Ironically, those best
          suited to tell the difference may be those who are the target
          of the sale.
          I worry that fears over declining membership will make
          fearful masons try to change Masonry into something easy,
          convenient, and non-controversial, so as to supposedly
          attract contemporary men. This is misguided, and it will
          backfire--a self-defeating exercise in diminishing return. I
          believe I may speak for a new generation of masons, and
          potential masons, with modern lives and traditional hearts,
          who would not be interested in a diluted, emasculated
          shadow of the Real Thing. It would not be so bad if this new
          generation of masons, perhaps not so numerous as those
          before, but having passion for the traditional masonry of old,
          should inherit the Masonic Treasure. They could discharge
          the responsibility of carrying it, authentic and un-diminished,
          into the future, toward a time when the pendulum swings
          back again, a new golden age. They could be that legendary
          Mason we have heard of. Do not assume that this age is any
          less capable of producing him than ages past. Do not
          squander his inheritance. Do not lose something which
          cannot then be found again. The Masonry of the future must
          recognize itself.