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The Measure of a Mason
by Mervin I. Hogan, FPS

Berea College of Berea, Kentucky, has
stated that its philosophy, dream, and
hope for the future are summed up by the
statement:

If your plan is for one year, plant
rice; for ten years, plant trees; for
a hundred years, educate men.

Freemasonry is the sublimated essence
of the ages and, always looking to the
future, has never viewed time other than
a parameter to which it conforms and
with which it patiently, wisely, and con-
structively works. Never, at any time, is
it crowded or panicked into expediency
by the unenlightened, injudicious error
that time is imminent and impending.
Nevertheless, time as viewed from the
standpoint of history of the race is quite
a distinctly different commodity when
observed and weighed by the individual
from the perspective of the frighteningly
short flicker of life span. Between these
two extreme concepts of time, Masonry
must accomplish its mission of educating
men and working for the uplift of the
human race.

While the fraternity moves ever on-
ward, unruffled and undisturbed by
time, it must yet accomplish its objec-
tives through the integrated and dedi-
cated efforts of individual Masons. And,
these members, each fully realizing his
life is extremely finite in its length and
potential, must weigh well and judi-
ciously how they will distribute and
apply their time, that precious element
which constitutes life.

In the growth and development of
Freemasonry, there has evolved an
image or scale by which a Mason's sta-
tus, accomplishment, or significance as
a member is appraised by his brother
Masons in particular and by the public
in general. In this country at least, this
stature of position has become identified
almost entirely in terms of the number of
Masonic administrative offices he has
held. You will note the use of the term
"administrative of fices" rather than
"leadership," since there is a significant
difference between the two.

To many people, both within and with-
out Freemasonry, one's stature in the
fraternity is gauged almost solely by his
activity in " going through the chairs" of
the various bodies. One reason why this
has come about is the obvious aspect that
such tenure of office is a readily identifi-
able and specific factor to which one may
easily refer and the listener as readily
identify and understand. If you were to
state to someone that Richard Roe is a
distinguished Mason because he is a
"Past So and So," listing the several
titles one after the other, each title is
effortlessly tabulated and the list
counted. Ajudicious and discriminating
listener might not agree with your set of
values, but there would be no question
in his mind as to what you were saying.

On the other hand, if you were to ob-
serve that Barry Blackacre was an out-
standing Mason because by his strength
of character, capability, and disinterested
service he had impressed his ideals, con-
victions, and basic values upon his lodge,
associates, and neighborhood, many
would not understand you in the least. It
would doubtless require considerable
further amplification and explanation
before the concept you had in mind
would take on explicit meaning in the
mind of your listener.

This rather disconcerting circumstance
would seem to merit some objective at-
tention and consideration. It appears to
present a very real and sizeable stum-
bling block squarely in the path of
Freemasonry's progress, advancement,
and achievement. Hopefully, Freema-
sonry should be able to fill its adminis-
trative offices with men possessing
marked administrative and leadership
talents, and not be restricted or limited
to a choice of men having no stronger or
significant recommendation to those
posts of authority, responsibility, and
preferment than simply individual will-
ingness and availability, or personal am-
bition.

No one should disparage ambition
when it is judiciously controlled and ap-
propriately directed. Ambition is an
attitude, motivation, and drive which is
basic and vital to the advancement and
accomplishment of every endeavor of
mankind. However, injudicious or un-
controlled ambition can prove disastrous
to the individual personally and man-
kind generally. Ambition, to be effective
and successful, must be augmented, sup-
plemented, and implemented by indi-
vidual talent and capability. Without
such personal qualities ambition quite
generally results in negative rather than
positive accomplishment.

Placing value on the appraisal of Ma-
sonic distinction by the tabulation of of-
fices held too frequently leads to the
Mason' s becoming so overloaded and
overworked administratively that he ac-
tually executes no office even well, let
alone with distinction or creative contri-
bution. He is so busy straining himself to
sustain himself on the treadmill of rou-
tine meeting attendance, perfunctory
dispatch of the regular business (with the
assistance of the secretary), and has no
time or strength to study, observe, in-
spect, and evaluate the welfare and sta-
tus of any body he is presiding over.
Besides, his obligation of actively earn-
ing an income for his family and himself,
his reputation as a worker, or his profes-
sional standing and reputation may be
seriously jeopardized or affected.

For the future welfare and advance-
ment of Freemasonry, it is imperative
that we de-define and re-orient our
thinking, concepts, and values as to what
constitutes the successful Mason or
Mason of achievement.

As every past-presiding officer has
learned from experience, the choice and
selection of obviously able and gifted
men for appointment to the line presents
no difficulty whatever. The problem
arises immediately, however, when the
chosen prospective appointee is ap-
proached and asked to accept the pro-
ffered appointment. Then, the polite,
tactful, and discreet, but inexact and
oblique excuses are voiced as the ap-
pointment is "regretfully" declined.
After having tired or worn himself out in
fruitlessly and unsuccessfully going
down his list, one by one, of selected
potential officers, he is finally forced to
start considering the personal possibili-
ties of the individuals who have made it
plainly evident they are willing and
available.

The one pronounced reason readily as-
certained from those selected individuals
who declined appointment, is the fact
that each couldn't see his way clear to
spend the required number of years in
succession in the line before he would
attain the position of principal responsi-
bility or the opportunity to preside.

As a corollary to the scale of values
based on the number of presiding offices
held, the Fraternity has naturally and
inevitably drifted into an implied system
of established "apostolic" succession.
This has had the appeal and attraction of
assuring the man of limited and even
mediocre ability that he will not be
dropped from the line or lose his place in
the line but, rather, that he is virtually
certain to be retained until his routine
election and installation in the East.

It is no new thought in the fraternity
that this situation is precluding and sti-
fling imaginative, energetic, and vigor-
ous leadership in many of our highest
and basic offlces. One imperative aspect
of the answer to the need for dynamic
and creative leadership is to revamp our
practices and habits and introduce the
prospective top officer much nearer to
that position than at the bottom of the
line.

It is well that this situation be squarely
faced in a consistory whose commander-
in-chief serves two years. The adherence
to the established tradition of assured
succession subsequent to appointment as
guard, through master of ceremony, sec-
ond lieutenant-commander, first lieuten-
ant- commander, and then commander-
in-chief obviously requires eight years
before election and installation for the
final two presiding and executive years.

Many men can't so control their per-
sonal lives, under today's restless and
mobile economic conditions, as to justify
their acceptance of the initial step in this
time-consuming progression with much
hope, let alone assurance, that they will
be in the vicinity or valley some eight
years later. Obviously it would also de-
tract markedly from the stature, signifi-
cance, and recognition of the 33rd degree
if it were to be conferred primarily for
being a survivor in an endurance contest.

A realistic source of unusually well-
qualified leadership skill and experience
may frequently be found among the re-
tired brethren. This fount of prospective
officers has to be utilized judiciously,
however, or the aspiring younger mem-
bers are apt to feel eliminated and dis-
couraged, and start referring to the orga-
nization as an "old men's club."

Having scanned some of the facets re-
lating to the common, everyday ap-
praisal of Masonic distinction, it is well
to consider other bases for evaluating the
measure of a Mason. Actually, there are
so many ways in which a Mason may act
to enhance the prestige and image of
Masonry, by activity and service both
within and without the Fraternity.

In the presence of limited or uninspired
vision as to how to contribute and serve,
it is obvious that all the customary com-
mittees require, in addition to leader-
ship, those to assist in the execution of
proposed plans and policies. This caliber
of activity and participation may not be
so easily described to the non-Mason as
the office-holding type, but within the
bodies of the Craft such service and its
quality will not go unobserved, unappre-
ciated, or unrecognized. In these organ-
izational areas of basic activity, innova-
tion, new ideas, new programs, and in-
spired concepts are always direly needed
and eagerly anticipated by the member-
ship.

The Mason with a modicum of ability
or talent above the run-of-the-mill level
will readily endeavor to assess the needs
of the Craft and then devise a correlation
between his potential as a possible con-
tributor and those evident needs. He will
then take positive action and proceed to
make the contribution called for by the
situation.

By disinterested service in the commu-
nity, in his profession, or in areas related
to his business, a Mason may attain rec-
ognition and distinction which always
redounds to the credit of the Craft and
simultaneously elevates his stature
therein. It is well to always remember
that a so-called honor is of little conse-
quence if it elevates the individual and he
anticipates its bestowal from that stand-
point. An honor has genuine stature and
significance only when the recipient is of
such distinguished attainment himself
that he enhances and elevates the con-
ferred recognition.

In any discussion of the state of the
Craft and its future welfare, most of the
thoughts sketched here are bound to
arise and be part of the interchange of
ideas. As would be expected of an insti-
tution hoary with age, such as Freema-
sonry, change comes slowly and almost
imperceptibly. The salient point is that
we recognize our problems and continu-
ously work toward their solution. It may
help to keep in mind the admonition:

"God grant me the serenity to accept the things
I cannot change, courage to change the things I
can, and wisdom to know the difference."

Phlalethes  October 1993


