THE BUILDER APRIL 1917

CORRESPONDENCE CIRCLE BULLETIN---No. 7

Edited by Bro. Robert I. Clegg, Caxton Building, Cleveland Ohio

THE OFFICERS OF A LODGE AND THEIR DUTIES
by Bro. Robert I. Clegg

If we may properly assume that the officers of the Lodge form the
machinery of Masonry, the means to make its labor most useful and
efficient, the power plant of the institution; then the Master is
the governor or regulator, the very spark-plug of the motor. Upon
him rests responsibility for the rate of progress, the dignity of
the work, the spirit of the labor. With him much may be done,
without him all is undone.

Of necessity, therefore, he must be obeyed and he ought to be
worthy of such obedience. So it was of old. Let us turn to that
ancient account of bygone laws and read from the White Book of the
City of London of what in those days of the past they esteemed due
and right from the members to the officers of the "mysteries," the
gilds of the Masons and the other operative and speculative crafts
seven centuries ago. 

OF THE PENALTY FOR REBELLING AGAINST THE MASTERS OF THE MYSTERIES

"Item, it is ordained that all the mysteries of the City of London
shall be lawfully regulated and governed, each according to its
nature in due manner, that is no knavery, false workmanship, or
deceit, shall be found in said mysteries, for the honor of the good
folk of the said mysteries, and for the common profit of the
people. And in each mystery there shall be chosen and sworn four or
six, or more or less, according as the mystery shall need; which
person, so chosen and sworn, shall have full power from the Mayor
well and lawfully to do and perform the same. And if any person of
the said mysteries shall be rebellious, contradictory, or
fractious, that so such persons may not duly perform their duties,
and shall thereof be attainted (convicted), he shall remain in
prison, the first time, ten days, and shall pay ten shillings for
such contempt."

It was further provided that on a second offense he should go to
prison for twenty days and pay a fine of twenty shillings, and on
a third offense he paid thirty shillings and was imprisoned thirty
days, and so on for every further case of the like wrong doing.

Why were the authorities so very clear and helpful in stating what
the City officials held proper to be done in supporting the hands
of the respective Masters ? It is not necessary to guess at the
motives behind their action. We can find them on record in the very
same code of laws. In the introduction to an ordinance relating to
the admission of members to these gild bodies, we note: "Because as
well as in times past, out of memory, as also in modern times, the
City aforesaid is wont to be defended and governed by the aid and
counsels as well of the reputable men of the trades merchant as of
the other trades handicraft; and from of old it hath been the
usage, that no strange person, native or alien, as to whose
conversation and condition there is no certain knowledge, shall be
admitted to the freedom of the City, unless first, the merchants or
traders of the City following the trade which the person so to be
admitted intends to adopt, shall be lawfully convoked; that so, by
such his fellow citizens, so convoked, the Mayor and Aldermen
aforesaid, being certified as to the condition and trustworthiness
of the persons so to be admitted, may know whether such persons
ought to be admitted or rejected;--the whole community demands,
that the form aforesaid, so far as concerns the more important
trades and handicrafts, shall in future be inviolably observed,
that so no person in future may against the provision aforesaid be
admitted to the freedom of the City."

There indeed are the reasons why any city or community might well
have a lively interest and a friendly confidence in the
long-established practices of such an institution as ours, and to
rely upon the aid and the counsels of good men and true assembled
lawfully and governed wisely by competent officers.

From the same source as the foregoing quotations we take the
approved obligation prescribed for the officers of the old gilds.

OATH OF THE MASTERS AND WARDENS OF THE MYSTERIES

"You shall swear, that well and lawfully you shall overlook the art
or mystery of Masonry, of which you are Master, or Wardens, for the
year elected. And the good rules and ordinances of the same
mystery, approved here by the Court, you shall keep and cause to be
kept. And all the defaults that you shall find therein, done
contrary thereto, you shall present unto the Chamberlain of the
City, from time to time, sparing no one for favor, and aggrieving
no one for hate. Extortion or wrong unto no one, by colour of your
office, you shall do; nor unto anything that shall be against the
estate and peace of the King, or the City, you shall consent. But
for the time that you shall be in office, in all things pertaining
unto the said mystery, according to the good laws and franchises of
the said City, well and lawfully you shall behave yourself. So help
you God and the Saints."

Today the Master of a Lodge also promises faithfully and
impartially, to the best of his ability, to perform all the duties
belonging to the office to which he has been elected; that he will
conform to the "constitution, laws, rules, and regulations" of the
Grand Lodge and will enforce a strict obedience to them. He is
likewise at installation required to give his assent to the old
charges pertaining to the position of Master. These are in general
the following:


"You agree and promise to be a good man and true, and strictly to
obey the moral law; a peaceable citizen, and to cheerfully conform
to the laws of the country in which you reside; not to be concerned
in plots and conspiracies against the government, but patiently to
submit to the decisions of the supreme legislature; pay a proper
respect to the civil magistrates, to work diligently, live
creditably, and act honorably by all men; hold in veneration the
original rulers and patrons of the institution of Masonry, and
their regular successors, supreme and subordinate, according to
their stations, and to submit to the awards and resolutions of your
brethren, when convened, in every case consistent with the
constitutions of the order; to avoid private piques and quarrels,
and guard against intemperance and excess; cautious in carriage and
behavior, courteous to your brethren, and faithful to your Lodge;
to respect genuine brethren, and to discountenance imposters, and
all dissenters from the original plan of Masonry; to promote the
general good of society, to cultivate the social virtues, and
propagate the knowledge of the art; to pay homage to the Grand
Master for the time being, and to his officers when duly installed,
and strictly to conform to every edict of the Grand Lodge, or
general assembly of Masons, that is not subversive of the
principles and ground-work of Masonry; that it is not in the power
of any man, or body of men, to make innovations in the body of
Masonry; to make a regular attendance upon the committees and
communications of the Grand Lodge, on receiving proper notice, and
to pay attention to all the duties of Masonry, on convenient
occasions; that no new Lodge shall be formed without permission of
the Grand Lodge; and that no countenance be given to an irregular
Lodge, or to any person clandestinely initiated therein, being
contrary to the Ancient Charges of the Order; that no person can be
regularly made a Mason in, or admitted a member of, any regular
Lodge, without previous notice, and due inquiry into his character;
that no visitors shall be admitted into your Lodge, without due
examination, and producing proper vouchers of their having been
initiated into a regular lodge."

Various implements of Masonry are at the same time called to the
Master's attention. Among them are the Holy Writings, the Book of
Constitutions (Masonic Code), and the By-laws of his Lodge. Of
these he is thus admonished:

"The Holy Writings, that great light in Masonry, will guide you in
all truth; it will direct your path to the temple of happiness, and
point out to you the whole duty of man.

"The Book of Constitutions you are to search at all times. Cause it
to be read in your Lodge, that none may pretend ignorance of the
excellent precepts it enjoins.

"You will also receive in charge the By-laws of your Lodge, which
you are to see carefully and punctually executed."

Several symbols, as the Square, the Compasses, the Rule, and the
Line, are at the same time used to impress upon the Master's mind
with renewed force on this solemn occasion the principles of
morality, the just limit of desires, the eminence obtained by
merit, the upright walk in the path of virtue, and the standards of
rectitude. Upon the Master is especially placed the duty of
diffusing light and instruction to the brethren of his Lodge.

Having selected and installed the Master, a brother "of good
morals, of great skill, true and trusty, and a lover of the whole
fraternity, wheresoever dispersed over the face of the earth," we
may indeed further fairly assume that he will "discharge the duties
of the office with fidelity."

THE WORSHIPFUL MASTER

The prerogatives and duties of the Worshipful Master are many and
various. His very title, quaint and old, throws a flood of light
upon his place and power. Master he is truly, but much more than a
mere ruler. "Worshipful" means one worthy of honor deserving of
respect and deference. For many hundreds of years it has been
employed toward those attaining high position in English civil
life. Magistrates are still so addressed in that country; their
"Your Worship" being equivalent to our "Your Honor," and meaning no
more or less. To many of our brethren it may strike upon the ear at
first as savoring of irreverence the misuse of a word commonly
employed for religious purposes only. But to us it has no such
significance. We so designate the officer so addressed because it
is he who holds greatest preferment in the Lodge and thereupon we
continue in speaking to or of him to use that subtle word of
distinction implying the very aristocracy of pure personal worth
and mental merit among his skilled fellows.

From the decision of the Master there can be no appeal save only to
the higher body; he can invite any member to preside over his
Lodge; he can issue a proxy to any member to represent him at the
Grand Lodge Communication; at the Communication of the Grand Lodge
he is independent in action--voting as he pleases irrespective of
any action taken by his Lodge; he alone is the judge as to
convening and opening Lodge and of the conduct of its business; he
determines when special communications of his Lodge shall be held
and what shall be done therein; he may cut short discussion on
other business at any time and close the Lodge; he controls the
admission of visitors; his permission is essential, whenever he is
present, to the admission of members and candidates; he has charge
of the charter or warrant; he appoints whatever officers are
appointed and he may install all the officers whether elected or
appointed if so he chooses; in the absence of an officer he
appoints the substitute; he announces the result of balloting and
elections; he appoints all committees; and while this is seldom
insisted upon he has from of old the privilege of being present at
the meetings of all committees and of presiding over them at his
pleasure --following the ancient practice recorded by Anderson
nearly two centuries ago that wherever Masons congregate together
the Master is entitled to govern and direct their labors on all
Masonic matters; he may vote and also cast another vote in the
event of a tie but this is not universal though of ancient usage;
he is immune from trial by his Lodge; he decides points of order
without appeal permitted to Lodge, and he presides at trials and
determines questions of law. 

Before the installation of the Master-elect it is no means uniform
in the several jurisdictions. usually required that he shall have
received the Past Master's degree.

THE SENIOR WARDEN

In the absence of the Master the Senior Warden governs the Lodge;
in the presence of the Master the Senior Warden assists him in the
Lodge government. At the Communication of the Grand Lodge the
Senior Warden is one of the three officers, Master, Senior and
Junior Wardens or their proxies, charged with the duty of
representing the Lodge.

In 1721 we find that the regulations specified that "In case of
death or sickness, or necessary absence of the Master, the Senior
Warden shall act as Master pro tempore, if no brother is present
who has been Master of that Lodge before. For the absent Master's
authority reverts to the last Master present, though he cannot act
till the Senior Warden has congregated the Lodge."

Under some foreign Constitutions it is the case that among the
sitting officers of the Lodge is the Immediate Past Master and upon
him devolves the duty of taking up the work in the absence of the
installed Master of the Lodge, the Senior Warden assembling the
Lodge but the I.P.M. assuming the East for all ritualistic and
monitorial purposes while the Senior Warden is in charge of other
matters. With us there is not that established method. The Master
being absent the Senior Warden takes his place and calls to his
assistance whatever help he may find is requisite in conducting the
affairs of the Lodge, opening and closing and performing all other
functions as if he be indeed the Master of the Lodge.

THE JUNIOR WARDEN

The Junior Warden is presumed to have especial control of the
brethren at refreshment, as the Senior Warden is assumed to be in
charge of the Craft when at labor. These changes of control within
the Lodge are signified by the position of the columns placed at
the respective stations of the Senior and Junior Wardens. When the
Master and the Senior Warden are absent or incapacitated in any
way, the Junior Warden succeeds to the position in direction of the
Lodge.

Let it here be stated that the several officers of a Masonic Lodge
do not in the event of any vacancy each move up one station or
position. The various officers remain as they were, as far as this
is practicable, and the vacancies are filled for the time by
appointment.

One of the prerogatives of the Wardens that they share with the
Master and Past Masters is that of being eligible to election to
the East.

In the absence of the Master and the two Wardens a Lodge can only
be opened and transact business by special dispensation.

Mention has been made of the Master making appointments. It was one
time the custom, (which yet prevails in some jurisdictions) that
the Senior Warden appoints the Junior Deacon, and the Junior Warden
in turn appoints the two Stewards. Custom as to the election and
appointment of the respective officers is by no means uniform in
the several jurisdictions.


THE TREASURER

The Treasurer is the banker of the Lodge and has nothing to do with
the collections which are made by the Secretary and duly turned
over to him. Of the receipt of these monies he must make due
entries and pay them out only on the order of the Master and with
the consent of the Lodge. Worth while is it to note here that the
old custom of the Grand Lodge of England provides for the election
only of the Master and the Treasurer, all other officers being
appointed by the former. Evidently the idea behind this practice
was to avoid any appearance of collusion between the two officers
and to make each of them all the more directly responsible to the
electing body, the Lodge. Bonds are commonly and should always be
exacted of the Treasurer for the faithful performance of his
duties. An honest man as Treasurer will not object to every
safeguard being thrown about and around his financial relations to
his Lodge.

THE SECRETARY

The Secretary receives all money due to the Lodge and pays them
over to the Treasurer, taking his receipt therefor. He also
observes the proceedings of the Lodge and makes a suitable record
of all things proper to be written. Both the Secretary and the
Treasurer make an annual report to the Lodge and the former is as
a rule also required to transmit this and a copy of the membership
roster with all other desirable particulars of the work done to the
Grand Secretary at such dates or times as the laws of the Grand
Lodge require. The Secretary is indeed the recording, the
corresponding and collecting agent for the Lodge. From him proceed
all the summonses for meetings, regular or special. All dimits,
diplomas, and communications are issued by him. He is in charge of
the seal and the archives. In common with the Treasurer he submits
his books and Lodge property to the examination of a committee at
such stated intervals as the by-laws or the pleasure of the Master
may dictate.

THE CHAPLAIN

Among the appointive officers is the Chaplain. Upon him rests the
duty of performing such parts in our public and private ceremonies
as are required. Manifestly Freemasonry pretends not to be a
religion but does act as an auxiliary to whatever is great and
good, "a pillar of cloud by day and of fire by night pointing the
way, teaching a gospel of love, leading men to light and life
everlasting." To further this practice and profession is primarily
the place and function of the Chaplain.

THE DEACONS

The Deacons have especial duties. The Senior Deacon is the first
lieutenant of the Worshipful Master, carrying out his orders in the
management of the affairs of the Lodge. The Junior Deacon acts in
the same capacity to the Senior Warden. The Senior Deacon is the
immediate connecting link between the Master and all candidates,
and similarly with all the members and visitors. The Junior Deacon
assists the Senior Warden upon the inside of the inner door in
guarding the proceedings against the intrusion of all those not
qualified to enter. The two Deacons jointly carry out the
respective orders of the presiding officer in the proper
preparation of the Lodge and its adaptation to the several
ceremonies.

The handling of the ballot box, the reception of visitors and their
introduction and accommodation, the care of the altar and lights,
all belong peculiarly to the duties of the Senior Deacon.
None enter or leave, no one opens the Lodge door, no one instructs
the Tyler, but with the co-operation of the Junior Deacon.

THE STEWARDS

The Stewards assist the Secretary in the collection of dues and
subscriptions, keep track of the Lodge table expenses, see that the
tables are properly furnished at refreshment, that every brother is
suitably provided for at the banquets, and generally assist the
Deacons and other officers in performing their duties. So
substantially has been the labor set for the performance of the
Stewards from the days certainly of Preston and of Webb who so
record their functions. Yes, it is even older for ten centuries ago
in the old Constitutions we note that then "The Steward shall
provide good cheer against the hour of refreshment, and each Fellow
shall punctually defray his share of the reckoning, the Steward
rendering a true and correct account."

THE TYLER

The Tyler permits none to pass or repass unless they are fully
qualified and possess permission. Upon his early and punctual
attendance will depend very much of the success of the Lodge
labors. He serves the summonses of the Lodge, prepares the room for
the Lodge meetings, lays out the jewels and other requisite items
(as gavels and so forth) for the use of the Lodge, and in the
anteroom and the preparation room he provides a supply of aprons or
whatever else may be required. He is never to open the door from
without, nor permit it to be opened from within, without the
exchange of the preliminary alarms between himself and the Junior
Deacon.

REFERENCES--

Mackey's Encyclopedia: Seal.
Appeal, Right of. Secretary.
Oath, Tiler's. Tiler.
Obedience. Treasurer.
Officers. Wardens.
Past Master. Worshipful.

The Worshipful Master's Assistant, by Robert Macoy.
"Worshipful" as title, THE BUILDER, Vol. I, p. 96.
The Worshipful Master's Assistant, by Delmar D. Darrah.


AN APPEAL TO OUR MEMBERS

Up to the time this issue of the Correspondence Circle Bulletin
goes to press more than 1,000 Lodges and Study Clubs throughout the
United States and Canada were considering, or had already gone to
work on, our plan for the systematic study of Masonry.

We know there are thousands of other Lodges that would welcome the
opportunity to take up this plan if it were presented to them.

But how are we to reach the remaining 13,000 Lodges ?

We should like to be able to do so at an early date as possible in
order that they may take up the work before the course is much
further advanced.

We have printed in circular form under the heading "1,000
Wide-Awake Lodges" a complete list of suggestions for organizing
Study Clubs or introducing the study feature into the Lodges at
regular or special meetings once each month.

Will you help us to place this circular in the hands of the
officers of your Lodge? Many of them are not members of the Society
and we can not reach them except with your co-operation.

Read on page 8 of this Bulletin what a New Mexico Brother has to
say anent this movement. Note especially what he says in the fifth
paragraph about a brother taking his degrees. Does not this
parallel your own experience? You will also agree with what he says
a little further on, that there is something in Masonry that most
of us failed to get. There is yet time for us to get this
"something," and the way to get it is through our Study plan. We
shall also be helping each newly-raised Brother in the future in a
way that we ourselves were not helped.

A number of interested members have heeded our call to send in
complete lists of the officers of their Lodges. This has enabled us
to get in touch with these Brethren who might otherwise never have
heard of the Society or its work, and as a consequence committees
have in a majority of these instances been appointed to put the
Study plan into effect.

The fact remains that, numerically speaking, we have as yet only
scratched the surface. If our members who are interested in the
progress of the Society and its activities in promoting the study
of Masonry will lend their assistance very much can be
accomplished.

Brethren, the ultimate success of this movement depends as much, if
not more, upon YOUR INDIVIDUAL HELP, than the work of Brother Clegg
and those of us in the Secretary's office.

Therefore we ask you to lend your aid to this movement by sending
in a full list of the officers of your own Lodge, from the
Worshipful Master down to the Tiler. Do not depend upon some other
member of the Society in your community, but send in the list
YOURSELF. We would much rather have the lists duplicated than not
to receive them at all.

WHAT AN ENTERED APPRENTICE OUGHT TO KNOW

BY BRO. HAL RIVIERE, GEORGIA

(The following article, prepared as an address to a newly-made
Entered Apprentice, appeals to the Editor of this Department as
peculiarly in harmony with the purposes for which the Department
itself is designed. It would seem to be a worthwhile presentation
of fundamental facts not now provided for in any Jurisdiction with
which we are familiar. That it answers many of the questions asked
by Initiates, and at the same time gives the candidate a glimpse of
the high idealism of the Fraternity at a time when his mind is most
receptive, commends the lecture to us as of great value. We believe
that a Worshipful Master who desires to give his candidates the
best possible conception of Masonry, could do no better, on the
First Degree, than to present this lecture.)

Once upon a time a certain man named Philip, while traveling from
Jerusalem to Gaza, came upon a man of Ethiopia, a Eunuch who was an
officer in the court of an Eastern queen. This Ethiopian was
reading the Holy Scriptures but being of a foreign tongue and
unfamiliar with the history of the Scriptures and the idioms and
symbols with which they were illustrated, he was not able to
interpret what he read to his satisfaction. Philip drew near to him
and seeing his perplexity asked, "Understandest thou what thou
readest?" The man replied, "How can I understand unless some man
shall guide me?" So, my Entered Apprentice Brother, if I should ask
you tonight if you understand what you have passed through, you
would doubtless reply in the words of the Ethiopian, "How can I
understand unless some one shall guide me?" Will you permit me to
perform that service for you ?

Masonry, has been defined as a beautiful system of Morality, veiled
in Allegory and illustrated by symbols. Now an allegory is a story
told to illustrate or convey some truth. Some of the most important
truths have been handed down to us through allegories, that being
one of the favorite methods the Master used to convey his
teachings. It is one of the peculiarities of an allegory that its
message may not be understood by all men. One must be prepared
within his own mind and heart to receive the truth or else he sees
it not. It is only a few of all those who hear who perceive the
lesson designed to be taught by the allegory. The great majority,
having ears to hear, hear not; having eyes to see, see not the
beautiful lesson but hear only a pretty story that interests for a
short while and then is lost. But the earnest seeker for truth, he
who is duly and truly prepared for its reception, sees beyond the
veil of the allegory and perceives the beautiful simple truth which
it conceals from the multitude but reveals to the chosen few.

A symbol is a visible sign for an idea. From the earliest dawn of
creation, man has realized that there is a Supreme Being, a Creator
who is all powerful. Many were the ancient names he bore. As the
sun was the most powerful, most wonderful object visible to the
primitive peoples, they used it as a symbol of the Supreme Being.
The majority, seeing no further than the symbol, worshiped the sun
itself; but the learned, the wise, the thoughtful ever regarded the
sun as only a symbol of God's power and saw beyond it to the Great
Father over all.

So, my Brother, Masonry teaches by allegories and symbols, and it
is your part to extract from them the truths that will be of
service to you in the building of an upright Masonic character. If
you perceive only the stories that Masonry presents to you and do
not see deeper into what they are designed to teach, you will miss
the best part of Masonry, yet you may comfort yourself with the
thought that by far the great majority of Masons are no wiser than
yourself. But if by pondering over the allegories and symbols of
these degrees you find the hidden truth, a new world of wisdom,
strength and beauty will be revealed to you.

In order to understand the symbols of the three degrees it is
necessary for you to know that, broadly speaking, Masonry has come
from two general sources. One of these was the societies of stone
masons who flourished in medieval times, and who were the builders
of those great cathedrals that are being so ruthlessly destroyed in
France and Belgium today. These societies gradually ceased to be
bands of operative workers and admitted men not really connected
with the actual work of building. By the year 1717 Masonic lodges
had become purely speculative. But the working tools of the
operative Masons, the square, level, plumb, rule, gavel, etc., were
still retained as symbols to teach important truths in character
building. We, as Masons, no longer build temples and cathedrals of
stone but we build spiritual temples, temples of character, temples
of upright manhood and integrity.

The second great source from which Masonry derived its symbolism
was the ancient Mysteries. The relation they bear to our order will
be unfolded to you as you advance in the degrees. It is only
necessary to tell you here that in every ancient nation that
attained any degree of civilization, were secret organizations
known as the Mysteries, having initiation ceremonies. These
organizations were composed of the wisest men of those nations, and
all the higher knowledge of religion, art, and science was taught
in them alone. Men waited and labored for years to become prepared
or worthy to be initiated into the Mysteries. It is said that the
great philosopher, Pythagoras waited for twenty years to be
initiated into the mysteries of Egypt. Moses seems also to have
been an Egyptian initiate, while St. John the Baptist came from the
Jewish sect called Essenes, which practiced the mystical rites. It
has been claimed that Jesus of Nazareth was an Essene, his
teachings conforming somewhat closely to their practices.

In the ancient Mysteries of India, the candidate might receive the
first degree as early as eight years of age. Then began a severe
system of mental and moral training to fit him for advancement, for
with every degree it was intended that he should attain more of
perfection. He was invested with a three-ply cord called the
zennar, emblematic of their tri-une God. From that cord we get our
cable tow. The candidate was kept a long time in darkness before
taking a degree, to reflect upon the seriousness of the step he was
about to take. Truly wanting light, he was taught to worship God as
the Source of Light. He was conducted regularly around the room--
usually a cave or grotto hewn out of solid rock--passing from East
to West by way of the South, his right side being next the altar;
the priests chanted, "I copy the example of the Sun and follow his
benevolent course." He next made a declaration that he would keep
himself pure, that he would be obedient and would maintain secrecy.
After that, he was divested of his shoes and clothed in a white
linen robe. We read in the Book of Ruth that it was a custom in
Israel that, to confirm a contract or agreement, a man took off his
shoe and gave it to his neighbor. You see in all these ceremonies,
the beginnings of some of our Masonic customs; and with these
general principles in mind you are ready to hear an explanation of
some of the teachings of the E. A. Degree.

Before initiation, Masonry demands that a candidate be duly and
truly prepared. This preparation should be mental and moral as well
as physical. Our Order subscribes to no system of religious
doctrine, but it requires that every man who presents himself as a
candidate for initiation shall declare a belief in one God,
all-wise, all-powerful, all-good, who reveals himself to mankind;
also teaches that there is life beyond the grave.

The candidate must come of his own free will; must be a man, free
born, twenty-one years of age, able to read and write, and his
moral qualities must be such as will bear a rigid investigation by
a committee of Master Masons appointed for that purpose. Masonry
tries to exclude those who come through mere curiosity or through
a desire for business or social gain. To be a member of the
investigating committee is one of the most serious duties a Mason
is called upon to perform, and every candidate deserves careful
consideration; even then, many duly and truly unprepared make their
way into our lodges.

Masonry invites no man. He knocks at the door of the lodge of his
own free will, bearing nothing that will indicate poverty or
wealth, rank or station. At the inner door of the preparation room
all are equal, and entrance through this door into the lodge room
is only granted after the candidate has satisfied all present that
he is worthy and well qualified to gain admission, and comes as an
earnest seeker for Light and Truth. Gold cannot buy, rank cannot
demand; neither can learning guarantee admission unless a
reputation for generosity, truthfulness and rectitude of conduct be
coupled with it.

Secrecy is the first great lesson of the E. A. degree. This great
virtue is necessary in our order so that Masons will appreciate the
lessons taught. As a secret shared between two people binds them
together, so the secrets of our fraternity bind the Brethren
together. If our teachings of beautiful truths were scattered
broadcast through the world, they would become commonplace; so they
are taught under secrecy, only to those deemed worthy to receive
and practice them. Taken with the salt of curiosity and
expectation, they are the more readily perceived.

Nothing can more torture a man than the pangs of remorse which a
guilty conscience can force upon him. Sharp instruments may torture
the flesh, but unless the torture be unto death a few short days
suffice to heal the wounds and only the scars remain to remind of
the agony endured. But the torture of a guilty conscience is not
so. Memory of pledges violated, evil deeds done, kind actions left
undone comes to us after years have passed; comes as we lie upon
our beds and chases "Sleep, tired Nature's sweet restorer" from our
eyes, and makes our bed a hell; comes amid our innocent social
pleasures and turns our joy to pain; a face, a word or an odor may
bring back the hateful incidents of a scene that no subsequent life
of purity and holiness and rectitude of conduct can banish from the
memory. Brother, guard well your actions, that henceforth no memory
of evil deeds disturb your peace or rack your mind and conscience.

We are taught that a Mason should never enter upon any great or
laudable undertaking without invoking the aid of Almighty God. In
the light of that lesson, prayer becomes a duty as well as the
privilege of every Mason. How few understand the nature and effects
of prayer. Prayer that has become merely a bed-time custom is not
a prayer; it is an incantation to soothe the conscience or satisfy
the demands of a habit formed in more innocent and unsophisticated
days. The object and effect of prayer are to bring the soul into
conscious harmony with the all wise Father, whose laws are true and
just and righteous altogether.

"Prayer is the soul's sincere desire," so says the old song. If
that be true, (and who says not?) how earnestly should the
compasses be used to circumscribe our desires and keep our passions
within due bounds, so that no unrighteous, no unworthy, no
covetous, no licentious prayer insult the Father whose all-seeing
eye looks into the innermost recesses of our being. Prayer reveals
a man to himself. For what do you pray; on what do you meditate;
what thought do you ponder over and keep within your heart? Be sure
that it will find expression in your outer life, for "the within is
ceaselessly becoming the without." Guard well your thoughts, the
source of all your deeds and actions.

The trust of a Mason is in God. But before a man can trust in God
whom he cannot see, he must learn to trust in his fellow man who is
made in God's image. As you placed yourself in the hands of this
lodge and followed your conductors through the ceremonies of
initiation, you exemplified your trust in your fellow man. So ever
place your trust in God and walk uprightly through life, fearing no
danger; know that a man's worst enemy is himself, and that one with
God is a majority.

Masonic Light is the object of every Mason's search. That is truly
a laudable object. Light, ever and ever more light; from the first
faint perception of those Three Great Lights, the Holy Bible,
Square and Compasses, until he shuffle off this mortal coil, the
earnest Mason seeks for Light; seeks in the Holy Bible, that
inestimable gift from God to man which is given us as a rule and
guide for our faith and practice; seeks in the symbolism of the
Square and Compasses; seeks in the great book of Nature; seeks in
the hearts and lives of men. If he realize that Masonic Light is a
symbol for Truth; if he see beyond the symbol to the Truth itself,
comprehending it by the light of knowledge and wisdom, then the
full glory of Masonic Light will shine in his heart, and he will go
forth to bear the light aloft and let it shine among men.

As the lodge is a symbol of the world, in the circumambulation of
the lodge room the candidate symbolizes the progress of a man from
ignorance to knowledge, and also the progress of the human race
from savagery to civilization. Cares and temptations of business
and pleasure throw obstacles in the way of men and of nations, and
challenge their capability and integrity. Both individuals and
nations must overcome obstacles and demonstrate their right to
advance to broader fields of usefulness.

As seen in the West, the light of the sun is ever a declining
glory. The East, as the birth-place of the sun and source of light,
has always been venerated by primitive peoples. As devout Moslems
pray with their faces toward Mecca, the birth-place of their
prophet, and as the ancient sun worshipers bowed to the rising sun,
so Masons give the highest place to the East, as the true source of
all Masonic Light and it is there the Worshipful Master has his
station. Hence a Mason travels from West to East on his search for
Masonic Light, and hence also the regular upright manner of
approaching the East and rendering it due respect.

While demanding that all Masons yield obedience to the tenets of
the order, Masonry requires no act or belief that will conflict
with any of the exalted duties that a man owes to God, his country,
his neighbor, his family or himself. Reverence for God, patriotism
and brotherly love are so frequently inculcated and so forcibly
recommended in the lodge, that the Mason who does not practice
those virtues is recreant to the trust imposed in him by his
Brethren. Truth being the center of all Masonic teaching and the
highest principles of reverence, patriotism and charity being
founded on Truth, it follows that he who lives up to the highest
principles of Masonic duty will naturally practice all moral,
social and religious virtues.

He who is in conscience bound to perform an act, to accomplish a
purpose or to keep a secret, is bound by ties though invisible,
that are stronger than any bonds that could be forged or contrived
by man. The release of the candidate from the last ties that bind
him to the world he has left outside the lodge room, coupled with
the reception of light is a symbol of a new birth, a birth from the
darkness of ignorance and superstition to the light of wisdom,
toleration, generosity and all commendable virtues.

Charity should be a distinguishing characteristic of every Mason.
It is in the practice of this virtue that man most nearly reveals
his kinship to God. Hear Buddha on the charitable man: "The
charitable man is loved by all; his friendship is prized highly; in
death his heart is at rest and full of joy for he suffers not from
repentance; he receives the opening flower of his reward and the
fruit that ripens from it. The charitable man has found the path of
salvation. He is like the man who plants a sapling, securing
thereby the shade, the flowers and the fruit in future years. Even
so is the result of charity, even so is the joy of him who helps
those who are in need of assistance." If the cardinal virtues of
Freemasonry, which are Temperance, Fortitude, Prudence and Justice,
were practiced by all mankind, then charity, as an act of
almsgiving, would cease. For ignorance and intemperance and
injustice would be banished from the world, and the woes of misery
and penury that follow them would then give place to joy. But the
poor we have with us always; so, as we administer our charity let
us remember that it is not only those who are in straightened
financial circumstances who need our assistance, but that the poor
in spirit, the despondent, the discouraged may be heartened and
lifted up by kind and encouraging words. Let us give bountifully of
our love and sympathy to every Brother in distress.


HAVE A QUESTION BOX IN YOUR STUDY CLUB!

Assuming that your Lodge or Study Club has determined to undertake
Masonic study on a serious basis, and is working toward our
"Bulletin Course," the arrangement of a program, in order to hold
its interest, should be given careful attention. We are able to
say, from actual experience, that the reading of Brother Clegg's
paper, and the supplemental papers which are prepared by the
Brethren, should occupy in a formal way, no more than one hour.

Some of the papers will provoke discussion. Others will not, since
the material used in their preparation will tell practically the
whole story, and the authorities given will only serve to clinch
the argument.

In any event, discussion aroused will probably not, on the average,
consume more than another half hour. Experience shows that when the
Brethren get themselves comfortably seated for Masonic discussion,
the formal paper arouses in them an ordinarily latent curiosity.
And after the pre-arranged discussion is concluded, more than one
of the faces will suddenly light up, and immediately there will
come forth some question which has been bothering the Brother. And
no sooner will he have propounded his, than someone on the opposite
side of the room will remember that he, too, has a question which
he has tried to answer, and failing this, to get answered, to no
avail.

Here is one of the very best of symptoms. A discussion of these
questions should by all means be entered into. Let the presiding
officer of the meeting answer them if he can. If none of the
committee in charge of the meeting are able to answer them all,
have the Secretary take the unanswered questions down. Let the
Chairman then parcel out these questions, answers to be brought in
at the next meeting. Here are samples of the questions that were
carried over in one meeting of the kind:

Why did a Protestant Minister move to take the Bible off the Altar
in Lodges working under the jurisdiction of the Grand Orient of
France ?

What is the symbolic significance of the position of the square and
compasses in the Blue Lodge Degrees ?

What Grand Lodges does our Grand Lodge recognize?

What does the word "Orientation" mean, as applied to Masonic
Temples ?

What is the present-day tendency in the administration of Masonic
charity?

What is the significance of "The East" in the Masonic sense ?

These questions (all of them inspired by Brother Clegg's paper on
"Foundations and Fundamentals") were carried over to the next
meeting. At least six other questions were asked and answered.
There were brethren present who rather thought that they could
answer some of the above questions offhand, but it was thought
advisable to work them up more carefully and give all the best
authorities on the subjects presented.

At the succeeding meeting all but one of the above questions were
answered, most of them fully and all to the satisfaction of the
Brethren present.

Can anyone doubt that this particular meeting was a success ?

Ninety-six per cent. of the Brethren present at the beginning
stayed through until after 11:00 P. M., when the meeting closed!
Many Lodges will feel that this hour is too late. That may be true.
But the fact remains that young men, finding all at once that the
study of Masonry, when directed along definite lines, holds a
fascination for them, and offers them a welcome diversion from the
routine of business cares, will want to stay by it. And they will
go out from these study meetings, not only inspired to further
work, but actually elated with the opportunity to discover what
other men of the Fraternity are thinking. This is as it should be.
It brings back the Masonry of other days, when men glorified in its
fellowship, using each meeting of the Lodge to ripen the man-to-man
intimacy which results in true Brotherhood.

The plan works. It is working in many, many Lodges. It will work in
yours. With three or four Brethren willing to make some search--and
if necessary research--the full attendance of a Lodge can find
themselves absorbingly interested in the discussions that will be
born, almost automatically, from the reading of a formal paper.

TRY IT!

A NEW MEXICO ESTIMATE OF OUR STUDY CLUB MOVEMENT

In my search through the Masonic exchanges which come to this
office, there is no item of news more gratifying than that Clubs
for the Study of the Science and Philosophy of Masonry are being
formed all over the land.

This is truly the supplying of a "long felt want" and is an augury
for better things both civically and Masonically.

It is neither my purpose nor province to be a scold, but in common
with many of my Brethren the realization has been painful that we
as Masons are not getting the good out of Masonry that we should
and we are not giving to the young members that to which they are
entitled.

The true story of the average Lodge would read about as follows:

A profane petitions for membership, he is elected, he is given the
first and second degrees with little more than the necessary quorum
of members present. In order to have a respectable number of
Craftsmen present at his raising, the Master orders a "feed," and,
to make sure that they will not slip away, he puts on the second
section before the feast is spread; then, sad to relate, not more
than a handful remain to give the "newly Obligated Brother" a
prefunctory congratulation at the close of the Lodge.

Whether they have made a Mason or just a member is not the concern
of the majority; nor are they to be severely criticised, for they
received the same kind of a welcome from those who preceded them.

In very truth Brethren it is surprising, with the circumscribed
opportunities for learning what Masonry really is, that the
Brotherhood entertain so high a regard for the order in the
abstract. They must instinctively feel that there is a something in
Masonry that they have failed to get, and that feeling prompts
those who become students to dig out for themselves those beauties,
which with a little help from their "better" informed Brethren,
could have been acquired in half the time and with more accurate
deductions.

The teachings of Masonry are sublime and ennobling, but these
teachings must be sought elsewhere and beyond the rituals and
monitors of our symbolic Lodges.

The first two degrees are only introductory to the third, and all
Masonic students concur that the Master's degree contains the basic
principles, and is the "stone of foundation" upon which the entire
superstructure of Masonic philosophy has been erected; but how few
of us ever realize what that degree really contains.

It does not make the same impression upon any two men, and the
exchange of impressions in an hour's fraternal gathering, at the
close of the Lodge, or on some other night in each month, would be
far more beneficial to Masonry in general and the Lodge in
particular than the making of any number of new "members of the
order."

It is readily perceived that the organization of these Study Clubs
has been undertaken with the determination to stop the trend of
making "members" by giving all, present and to come, an opportunity
to become Masons in fact as well as in name.

In this work the Fraternity in New Mexico cannot afford to lag
behind, for there is as great need of real Masonry here as in any
other jurisdiction; and, an appeal is hereby made to our Scottish
Rite Brethren to take the initiative in the work of organizing
Study Clubs all over the state. You know much better than they know
themselves the imperative need for Masonic study by the mass of
members with whom you come in contact

These clubs are in no way to conflict with our Scottish Rite Clubs,
nor need the Scottish Rite be ever mentioned therein; and yet, your
patently superior knowledge of Masonry, acquired in the Scottish
Rite, will prove to be a stronger incentive for others to seek what
they can there secure than any direct appeal. 
--Scottish Rite Bulletin, Santa Fe, N.M.

