                                    MASONRY
                                       
                      Serving the Needs of Men in Society
                                       
                       Presented as a keynote address at
                                        
                                  "2000 PLUS"
                                       
                         A seminar on Masonic Renewal
                                       
                         South Huron Masonic District
                                      by
                                       
                             W.Bro. W.B. Bill Carr
                       22 Deerwood Crescent, Kitchener,
                           Ontario. Canada. N2N 1R3
                                       
                                March 27, 1993
                                       
                                       
Brethren, several months ago R. W. Bro. Dave Redfern asked me to
participate in today's symposium.  My love and concern for the Craft prompted
an immediate response.
                                       
To Masons, life and the living of it is pretty serious business, not from
the perspective of daily routine, but more from the long-term influences each
society imposes on civilization's progress. Freemasonry has succeeded in
crystallizing all the secret teachings of all the ages into a simple and
concrete practical philosophy of "LIVE... AND HELP LIVE".
                                       
Brethren, how many of us truly realize the importance of this
accomplishment. To be able to boil the progress of civilization down into four
small words is no mean feat.  And to be able to recommend to all men for all
time those same four words as a beacon for civilization's advancement is the
epitome of self-confidence.
                                       
So why, in the name of the Great Architect are we here today?  I'll tell you
why.  Because we are having an identity crisis!  Because we have lost our
self-confidence!  Because our sense of mission has been misplaced! Brethren,
60 years ago the Masonic Lodge was in full bloom. Brethren, 50 years ago
society began to take a different turn. Brethren, 50 years ago, Freemasonry
stopped growing. Western society  slowly began to move away from Masonic
thought.  The lessons of history began to be discarded.  Not by Freemasons,
mind you, but by society. Here is where we began to make our big mistake.  We
arrogantly kept marching to our own drummer until now we are finally waking up
to the fact that nobody is following.
                                       
So the FIRST THING I want you to be assured of this morning is that we are not
wrong.
                                       
Masons and Freemasonry have progressively come to be thought of as
old-fashioned and irrelevant. So much so that today, even we ourselves,
question whether we have anything left to offer. Brethren, way down deep in
our heart, each and every one of us knows that we have much to offer.  So
let's dispel these self-doubts now. Brethren, Freemasonry, with its feet
firmly planted on the foundation of past civilizations with thousands of years
of successful experience of life and the living of it, is not wrong.
                                       
Its society that is wrong - Not Freemasonry.
                                       
Each and every one of us for hundreds of years now, literally millions upon
millions of us took a solemn vow not to change the teachings of Freemasonry
one iota. It's we who have stayed the course.  It's society that has changed.
What we are experiencing are the symptoms of a sick society.  In nursing
ourselves back to health we will be doing society a tremendous favour.
                                       
                           A NEW "SENSE" OF MISSION
                                       
Brethren, the Mission of Masonry was laid down for us many years ago now.  We
do not need a new mission for the one we have is never ending.         What we
need is a new "Sense" of Mission. What we have to do is to reach into our
Masonic arsenal and pull out that one single ingredient that will help address
the needs of men in society today. Freemasonry recognizes that God works for
man through man and seldom, if at all, in any other way.  And when our ancient
brethren designed our philosophy, they created the most powerful philosophy
ever devised by man for man. The genius of Freemasonry lies in its resilience,
its flexibility.  "Our fraternity is of all men and for all men; it is to be
of all time and for all time.  Hence it is no reproach to Masonry to have,
along with lessons and tenets for all times, a special lesson and a special
tenet for each time... If the Craft is to be perpetual, it must appeal to each
time as well as all times.   It must have in its traditions something that
today can use although yesterday could not use it and tomorrow need not.".
(POUND)
                                       
                                       
                              OUR BIGGEST PROBLEM
                                       
The way I see it, we only have one problem:  "We are no longer  addressing the
needs of men in our society." We are maintaining a course designed for another
society in another  time.  We have lost our influence and our self-confidence.
Yet we smugly  maintain our course while society marches by us oblivious to
our presence.
                                       
                                   RELEVANCE
                                       
Relevance brethren!  We are not "perceived" as relevant by many men both in
our order and outside it.  And unfortunately PERCEPTION IS THE REALITY.
                                       
Example: I was one of those brethren who was ready to leave the Craft because
it wasn't relevant to me here in the twentieth century.         My lodge
taught me NOTHING about Freemasonry, except RITUAL, and ritual, by itself was
not relevant. Think about this, brethren:  We attract only about 10% of our
membership to our lodge meetings.  Our lodge meetings consist primarily of
ritual. From this we can deduce that the needs of 90% of the brethren are not
being met.  Now don't get me wrong!  The ritual is important!  The ritual is
designed to create the SPIRITUAL BONDING, brother to brother, brother to
Craft, brother with Supreme Being.  The ritual is designed to build TRUST;
trust in the brethren, trust in the Craft, trust in the Supreme Being, trust
in our teachings. But the ritual is not the be all and end all.  It cannot be
for several reasons, not the least of which is the fact that much about
Freemasonry is not as obvious to some as it is to others. Secondly, many who
come to the Craft just don't have the time to study it.
                                       
Individualism, Fraternity, Equality, Truth, Charity, Happiness, Honour,
Morality. These are all words whose meanings have changed dramatically over
the years.  Inside the Fraternity they mean something quite different from
those outside the Craft. It is extremely difficult for me to believe that
these words and many more, were not discussed at length in the tiled recesses
of the lodges of the 18th and 19th centuries.  It's time to start discussing
these concepts again.
                                       
By teaching we learn... and lead.  Many brethren need to be nudged, guided,
pointed in the right direction.  We are half-way there with our **mentors
program.    Men  come to the  Craft  of their own free will,  not to learn
ritual - but to learn Freemasonry. Make this one basic assumption and you will
plug the hole that drains us of good men.
                                       
Another Example: Being  asked to provide some Masonic Entertainment one
evening, I decided to experiment with this whole idea.
                                       
I took the word EQUALITY, probably one of the most abused words in our society
today  and searched the WORK for a Masonic Definition.  My researches were
indeed enlightening. My short talk then explained what the concept was
comprised of, its four foundation stones and how it was rooted in the
teachings of past civilizations. I then took our concept and compared it to
today's concept simply by relating it to some of the hiring practices in vogue
today. When lodge was over, one of our Junior Officers approached me
and thanked me. He confided that he had serious by been thinking of taking his
demit.  He could not see how Freemasonry was relevant to him. Brethren
that short talk convinced him that there was more to Freemasonry than just
ritual. For that young man, "the light went on". Needless to say, he has not
taken his demit.
                                       
Relevance Brethren;  relevance,  relevance,  relevance. The relevance of
applied philosophy.  Younger  men will be attracted  to Freemasonry  if we
simply concentrate on its practical relevance to his society.
                                       
                      FREEMASONRY:  A REAL PHILOSOPHICAL
                                  ALTERNATIVE
                                       
Brethren, I started out talking about our Masonic Philosophy.  Few of us
realize that until 50 years ago, Masonic Philosophy played a profound role in
Western Society. The Western world was structured largely by Freemasons
espousing the Masonic way. But for 50 years now, philosophers, 'if you want to
call them that, have insisted that there can be no valid philosophical
systems.  That there is no such thing as Reason, No God, No Free Will, No
Truth, No Faith.
                                       
One of the most obscene and insidious "ISMS" created in the past 50 years was
that of "relativism". Some philosopher (?) somewhere decided that he could
take a scientific theory and overlay it on philosophy and for years now
everyone has been walking around saying "everything is relative". Let's take
Truth as an example just to show how really stupid this thought direction
really is. If we have 10 men in a room, and truth is relative to each man's
viewpoint how do we find the man who is not telling the truth? If every man is
telling the truth then there is no such thing as untruth; lies no longer
exist.

It's no wonder our society embraced this philosophy so readily. It made
everything, including his search for truth, really easy. Brethren, it's  no
wonder  our society  is  so confused.   It's  no wonder that we have succeeded
in creating two whole generations of psychotic wrecks.  It's no wonder that
these psychotic wrecks are ever more turning to such escape mechanisms as
drugs and alcohol.  Look at the emptiness from which their spirits must view
the world.
                                       
Freemasonry, brethren, provides the men of our society with a real choice.  We
offer men everywhere a process of thought:  a conscious, rational, disciplined
process of thought. For over fifty years we as Masons have not set the tone of
our culture, and look what has happened. This is an excellent example of the
power of philosophy.  There isn't an organization anywhere in our society that
holds more power and influence than our Masonic fraternity. It's time to get
involved again brethren. It's time to once again place our emphasis on our
view of life; a view that will serve as a base   a  frame  of  reference for
all  men's actions,  mental,  physical,  psychological, epistemological. What
a breath of fresh air for the men of our society.  What a breath of fresh air
for the men of the 21st century to start out on.
                                       
                                       
                              VOLTAIRE'S BASTARDS
                                       
If the men in our society have been staggering around in a philosophical
desert for the last 50 years, what kind of a society has been built to contain
them? John Saul in his recent book "Voltaire's Bastards" has managed to create
one of the most comprehensive analyses of our modern society that I have every
read.  I credit him with much of what follows.

Have you ever noticed that the world is full of specialists? Everyone's an
expert in some field or another. Specialization today has been taken to its'
extreme.   There are no generalists any more. Everybody lives in a box. The
lawyer, the accountant, the engineer, the scientist, the bureaucrat.  Each box
also contains influence and power.         And for each little box of
expertise to maintain its power and influence, it commandeers that part of the
language necessary to couch their expertise in verbal obscurity.  The language
in each box becomes evermore complex and private. This, in turn, results in a
society in which communication becomes ever more difficult. Nobody can
understand what anyone else is saying. Words in one box often don't mean the
same in another box. The meaning of words is relative to what box you're
speaking. Is this the reason words don't mean what they used to? Is this the
reason why we are having so much difficulty understanding what is going on? Is
this the reason why simplicity and common sense no longer seem effective? Now,
living in a society such as this can be pretty stressful.  Not only can it be
pretty stressful, it can be dehumanizing.

Individualism, for example, has to take a back seat to the collective, and the
collective can impose some pretty serious constraints on some of man's basic
freedoms. We live in a society of unparalleled conformism, where individuality
can only be expressed through personal choice.  And self-centred expressions
of personal choice, after twenty years, have resulted in a general rejection
of society, of personal public commitment, of ambition, of self-restraint and
of responsibility. The individual in our society has been effectively rendered
impotent.  Fear and anxiety grip everyone, particularly those under 40.
                                       
                 So brethren, in a scenario such as this, is there any wonder
that the men of our society are not attracted to Freemasonry?  But, take
heart, they are not attracted to anything today except a self-centred
life-style that is quickly coming to an end. It's important that we grab the
ball and run with it - again.  It's important that we be there with a real
alternative! Brethren, at any one time, Freemasonry is addressing the needs of
three generations of men:  21 to 40, 41 to 60, over 60.
                                       
                                       
                       ADMINISTERING TO THE 60 YEAR OLD
                                       
Many of our brothers over 60 still have their feet firmly planted on the
ground.  It was too late for them to be very much influenced by the last forty
years.  Common sense and moral values were pretty much a part of their being
when modern influences started to take shape. It's these brethren that we are
going to have to depend on to help lead us out of this situation we find
ourselves in.  The biggest job these brethren are going to have to address
themselves to is the fact that we can never go back to the way it was.  But
these brethren can help us by looking to the past in order to help us compare
it to the present and seek guidance for the future.  The lessons of recent
history are too valuable to be lost so quickly. These men can help us, the
younger men of the lodge. But we can also help their generation.  By employing
these brethren in the proper way, we can bring the present closer and the
future within grasp for all of them.

I recall vividly when I was going through the Scottish Rite an 84 year old man
asking me: "Will you be my friend?" "You see, " he said, "many of my friends
are gone so I have to start making new friends and I'd like you to be one of
them."

Brethren, that was ten years ago.  My friend is now 94 and still looks forward
to getting up each day and doing his own thing.  I have helped him keep
looking to the future.  He has helped me by providing me with a tremendous
example of human resilience.  Together, we have lived and helped live. But
it's the men between 40 and 60 that we can really help.
                                       
                      ADDRESSING THE NEEDS OF MEN OVER 40
                                       
Over the years I've noticed that at a certain point in a man's life, he all of
a sudden looks up and says to himself, "Is this all there is?". I get up in
the morning, I go to work, I come home at night, I go to bed, I get up in the
morning, I go to work, I come home at night, I go to bed, I get up in the
morning... and on it goes.
                                       
And for what?  The freedom to buy whatever I want?  The freedom to buy
whatever my kids want?  The hope somewhere down the road when I'm old and
feeble, I'll be free to start living my life over again?
                                       
Brethren our bellies are full of garbage and our spirits are empty? We're
racing through life, forgetting to live as we go.
                                       
Interestingly enough, studies indicate that when a man approaches 40 it is
then that he starts to look around, to look inwardly for some meaning to his
life.  And what does he look for?  Books and programs on self-improvement.
                                       
Well now brethren!  This is right up our alley! And what a market for
Freemasonry. There is a gold mine of men out there brethren, all softened up
and receptive to input. We can help these men. Life for them has become a
devalued currency. Liberty in an individual sense has been lost for them, has
become meaningless, and the pursuit of happiness has become the new deity to
be worshipped, and the deity is dying. Let's digress here.  Happiness is a
Masonic end - for a man to be happy and to convey that happiness is important
to Masonry.  But hold on here, Masonic happiness is not the happiness of the
current self-indulgent type.

We can help this man today. We can help him redefine his happiness. We can
teach him contentment. We can help him determine when enough is enough.  We
can show him how to achieve contentment and peace of mind, how to slow down
and proceed to truly enjoy his life. There are a tremendous number of men in
society today who have sacrificed the liberty for the illusion of security.
During this recession they have found that they have lost both. Men need more
than security. They need to know true friendship with people who truly care
about their well-being.

But this man has to come of his own free-will. Tradition dictates that we
must be very discreet in our approach. this we can do in several ways, not
the least of which is displaying openly our own enthusiasm for the Craft and
what we have learned from its teachings.
                                       
There are all kinds of ways to generate interest. There are so many men out
there who know absolutely nothing about Freemasonry, that any information at
all can generate an expression of interest. Once that happens you're free to
find out what it is he's missing in life and link that up with the appropriate
Masonic answer. And it doesn't matter what it is he's yearning for, the
Masonic Lodge can provide it.
                                       
                                       
                    ADMINISTERING TO THE 21 TO 40 YEAR OLD
                                       
Almost no one travels today to see the future unless he's a trekker with Jean
Luc Picard each week. Let's  digress  here  again.   How  many  brethren  here
watch Star Trek  - The  Next Generation? Brethren - this is the most popular
TV show presently running.  Personally, I am absolutely fascinated by it.  The
late Brother Gene Roddenberry was truly a brilliant man.  I call him brother
not really knowing if he was a Mason or not.  If he was we can all stick our
chests out with pride.  If he wasn't I'm a little disappointed.  But there's
no doubt in my mind whatsoever that he was truly a brother to all mankind.
Star Trek, brethren, is literally chock full of Freemasonry.  It points to a
futuristic society which could easily be described as the Masonic Ideal.

The bridge of the Starship Enterprise brings the lodge room into the living
rooms of twentieth century man every week.  And just look again at the name of
this starship. ENTERPRISE.  Is not this the same purpose of the lodge? And
look at the labours carried out on the bridge of this ship.  An enquiry into
the beauty of wisdom and virtue; a study of moral geometry; moral instruction;
social intercourse. And the crew, free and devout men, true to their moral
ideals, guided in all their decisions by  a  healthy balance  between  reason
and humanitarianism,  spiritual faith and  moral idealism.

A crew whose make-up is devoid of the barriers of race, of creed, of casts, of
habit.  Who work together men as men, without vanity, without pretence,
without fear, and without reproach.  Who recognize that while "some of
necessity rule and teach, so others must of course learn to submit and obey;
and both displaying humility as an essential duty". The crew of the Enterprise
toil hard to make men better, to refine thought, to purify sympathy, to
broaden outlook, to lift atitude, to establish amplitude and resoluteness in
life in all its relations. That show, like Freemasonry, has no other mission
than to exalt and ennoble humanity  to bring light out of darkness.  To be
friends with all mankind.

I repeat Brethren, this is the most popular television show running. This
means that our young people are thirsting for the guidance that such a show
can provide. I was watching Star Trek one evening when a 16 year old nephew
and I couldn't help but notice how completely engrossed he was in this show.
Now this young  lad comes from a broken family, has had a tough time adjusting
to school, and devotes much of his time and energy to hockey. He has received
little or no religious or spiritual guidance. When the show was over, I asked
him what it was about Star Trek that he found so absorbing. He answered
hesitatingly that he liked the drama, the mysteries, the way the problems are
solved.  For a 16 year old he did a pretty good job.

Brethren, men of all ages hunger for what we as Masons can provide. Brother
Roddenberry is managing to get our message across much more effectively than
we are.
                                       
                                  CONCLUSION
                                       
It's important to realize that we are the true architects of Society.  Man to
Man, we square each stone, each block, each brick, and we help and assist
those around us to do the same.

We are the true builders; the real builders of societies; each society
standing squarely and firmly on the foundation of the past, ever forming this
temple called civilization and the future.

The "social engineers" of today know nothing of the building trade and care
little for the future.  The social engineers of today build walls on sand
foundations with removable bricks and putty for mortar. Contemptuous of the
individual in society  they continually experiment by herding society first in
this direction then in that.

And we in society allow them to do it.  We allow ourselves to be seduced into
believing they know what they are doing.  And we, as Masons, know full well
that the direction in which we are heading is wrong. We, as Masons, know full
well that much of what is happening around us is not what we envisage at all.

Brethren, our society is about to collapse, morally, intellectually,
physically.  The men and women of society are already looking for a new
direction.
                                       
                                       
                        AND WHAT'S OLD... IS NEW AGAIN!
                                       
We owe it to the people of our communities, to start now to help rebuild the
future.  And we can do it.  We can start today by administering once again to
the needs of men in society.

Brethren if we focus on the relevance of our practical philosophy and how it
can help the men of today, our problems will dissipate in a puff of smoke.
But nothing will happen without that all important desire to help.  The desire
to help men keep their feet firmly planted on the ground; to put their lives
back together again; to turn their own lives around so that they too will want
to help someone.
                                       
Your own desire to "LIVE... and Help Live".
                                       
Brethren, Masonic thought knows no bounds save those of prudence. When you
retire to discuss the ways in which you and your Lodge can take a leadership
role in restoring Freemasonry's health in your community, don't be afraid to
be creative.  Roll up your sleeves and help to mold our institution to the job
at hand; to bring it more in tune with the needs of men in our society.

When our ancient brethren received the "Mason Word", it was believed that he
received also "Second Sight".  This implies a supernatural ability to peer
into the future.  But I don't think it was anything quite so exotic.

The study of Freemasonry so elevates a man's vision of himself and the world
around him that obstacles to achievement no longer exist. He begins to
recognize that long-term problems require long-term solutions.  Wisdom,
foresight, patience,  perseverance and hard work eventually win  out and it's
then that mankind observes the "Mason's Second Sight"
                                       
                                       
                            THE MASONIC LODGE ROOM
                                       
                          An Educational Institution
                                       
How many brethren here today come from a community fortunate enough to have a
university on its doorstep?  How about a professional theatre company?  A
symphony orchestra?
                                       
Well, in the traditional sense of the words, only a few of us can claim these
communal assets. But I would like us all today to begin to think of our
lodges and Freemasonry in a little different perspective. How proud the people
of your community would be if they just knew that the Masonic Temple was the
closest thing to a university that they could get. That's right brethren!
Your Masonic Temple is an educational institution whose curriculum teaches the
secret teachings of all the ages; a university teaching the arts and sciences
of the soul."

Those of us not fortunate enough to achieve higher education can find it here,
in the Masonic Lodge, an education that cannot be found anywhere else in the
world. And you're right, you may not have a symphony orchestra, or a theatre
company, but you do have entertainment at your lodge room no less elegant or
culturally rewarding. The Masonic Lodge is a cultural jewel in every
community.

But if you are going to lay claim to the educational aspect of Freemasonry,
it's really important that you have a library. How many belong to
lodges with a Masonic Library?  How many have used it.  How many feel it's
adequate enough to help a new brother start to appreciate the organization he
now belongs to brethren, starting today we are going to  commence to turn our
fraternity's fortunes around. But you can't do it without the books and
information necessary to good teaching. You can't present a new brother with
the gift of Freemasonry without first of all knowing yourself what it is all
about and secondly being able to provide him with that source of information.

In  travelling around, all too often I see Masonic Libraries comprised of
dusty old encyclopedias of Freemasonry. Brethren these are nice to have, and
look pretty nice on the shelf, but they are not and will not be relevant to
our new 21 st. century student. Modernize your library. Make it relevant.  For
$500, $750, or $I,000 you can obtain a modern Masonic Library.
                                       
And here is another idea.  Why not create a library of Masonic Exposures.
Brethren, you can learn more about Freemasonry from Masonic Exposures than you
can from within the Craft, and you can  learn it quickly.  Nothing can
generate Masonic enthusiasm like an Expose telling the world that you are
wrong... or right as the case may be. The Brotherhood, Inside the Brotherhood,
The Temple and the Lodge, Born in Blood, Holy Blood, Holy Grail, these are
just a few of the most recent exposes that will pique a brothers interest and
motivate him to read more.  Questions! Questions! Questions! They will a all
demand:  Answers!  Answers!  Answers!
                                       
                      THE RITES:  A TEACHING ALTERNATIVE
                                       
Our lodges are fast becoming Freemasonic wastelands. Fewer and fewer brethren
exist who really know and understand Freemasonry.  Fewer still, have the skill
and ability to convey the lessons.

Brethren, it took the Scottish Rite to show me the relevance of Freemasonry.
It also showed me that the Craft in general could do a lot more to help itself
by emphasizing its own relevance. The light went on for me during one of the
Scottish Rite degrees.  I cannot recall what degree it was,  but I can recall
the pure excitement of discovery when I exclaimed to myself:  "Now I see what
they are trying to teach me!  Now I understand!". Let me assure you brethren,
if it had not been for the Scottish Rite, I would have taken my demit a long
time ago.

Let me assure you brethren, if it had not been for the Scottish Rite, I would
have taken my demit a long time ago. It's unfortunate that many of our senior
brethren hold the rites, and particularly the Shrine, with some degree of
disdain. Brethren, the Rites and the Shrine today are all part of the
"Masonic System".  We should all be confident that by the time a brother
reaches the Shrine, Freemasonry and its practical applications for him will
have been realized.

Brethren, the Rites can provide a tremendous amount of Masonic knowledge that
for one reason or another is not available in our lodges. Encourage the
brethren to proceed.  It will do nothing but help.
                                       
                                       
                                       
                                    NOTES. **........The Mentors Program is
offered and endorsed by The Grand Lodge of Canada in the Province of Ontario,
whereby two experienced brethren are appointed to guide a candidate through
the first steps of his journey.  The appointment is after a successful ballot
and stays in place until after proving up the Third Degree.  They meet with
the candidate before and after each degree, to help and assist where
necessary, and to go through training materials supplied by the Grand Lodge.
If more information is required, please ask.
                                           
**The brochure "Freemasonry, A Friend to All Mankind"  was distributed at the
Conference. The text is available as an appendix at the end of this document,
I have a few original glossy printed (three-fold) copies left. Please ask
                                       

                                       
                   INTERNAL CHANGES FOR MEMBERSHIP RETENTION
                                       
                                       
                                       
1.      Ritual The ritual should be de-emphasized as a self-evident teacher.
The ritual itself takes years of study to understand.  It should not be relied
upon to teach Freemasonry. Remember:  No one joins Freemasonry to learn
ritual. They join the Craft to learn about Freemasonry.
                                       

2.      Renew Your Enthusiasm for Freemasonry Get ready to teach.  Prepare
yourself to pass on what you know about the Craft to new brethren.
Become  an expert in  Masonic trivia and impress your new candidates
with entertaining facts about Freemasonry.
                                       
3.      Modernize Your Lodge Library The twenty-first century student will not
be motivated by Masonic Encyclopedias. Update your library with 20th
century writings. Read these books yourself and be prepared to guide
the new candidate to his particular field of interest.
                                       
4.      Emphasize Practical Freemasonry The new Masons of tomorrow will not be
armed with the guideposts to good living that we take for granted.
Stress the teaching of our practical philosophy.  It is through our
philosophical teachings that Freemasonry can maintain it's relevance
and it's influence in society.
                                       
5.      Establish Study Groups to Help Divide your lodge into study groups;
those brethren interested in history philosophy, symbolism, ritual,
etc. When a new candidate enters the lodge, he picks a Masonic Hobby
and commences to learn Freemasonry.
                                       
6.      Appoint a Lodge Orator It could be the job of the Lodge Orator to
maintain Masonic relevance for the brethren.  It could be the Lodge
Orators job along with new Master Masons to direct studies into the
practical aspects of Freemasonry and report back to the Lodge.

7.      Encourage and Promote the Rites The York and Scottish Rites exist to
promote more Masonic knowledge. In the absence of sufficient brethren
knowledgeable in Freemasonry, new brethren should be encouraged to
proceed.  Keep the fires of enthusiasm burning.  Do not let them go
out.

8.      Perform Multiple Degrees On conducting 2, 3, 4 or more candidates
through the degree work, we can facilitate the teaching of
Freemasonry. We now have group of individuals learning together, and
bonding together. The Mentors and education chairman can now work in
tandem and our candidates are no longer left to their own resources.

9.      Free Up Your Meetings If Point 8 is followed, this will free up your
regular meeting night for educational and social pursuits.  Who knows?
You may even find a desire for an emergent meeting just for the fun of
it.

10.     Find a Youth Project Influence a young person in his life and you
plant the seed of Freemasonry in his mind.  DeMolay is creating
considerable interest in Ontario at this time.
                                       
11.     Lighten Up Young men will want to maintain a balance between
intellectual and physical pursuits. We should be prepared to promote their
interest in hockey, baseball, darts, etc. Masonic "teams" can create a
healthy competitive spirit in the community. This could be extended to any
number of inter-lodge competitions. Look for ways to make all new ideas work -
not for reasons they won't.
                                       
                                       
                                       
                                       
HOW TO ATTRACT GOOD MEN
                                       
                                       
                                       
I.      Realize that long-term problems require long-term solutions - and hard
work. Develop a sense of urgency as if it all depends on you. Take a
leadership role. Do not wait for others to lead. Have faith in our own
teachings.
                                       
2.      View the conferring of Freemasonry on new candidates as a treasured
life long gift. In doing so you will automatically demonstrate good judgment
in who you choose to receive that gift.
                                       
3.      Arm yourself only with methods that work. Do not burden yourself with
interpretations from the past. Example:  We are finding that our excessive
secretiveness has only succeeded in hamstringing us in our efforts to attract
good men. This method may have worked one day but it is no longer valid today.
                                       
4.      Focus on the needs of men in society. We are taught to seek the solace
of our own distress  by extending relief and consolation to those in need.
Brethren,  let's follow our own advice and stop thinking of "our" needs and
focus on the personal and social needs of the men in our society.

5.      Display your enthusiasm for the Craft openly. Be proud of your
association with the fraternity and use every opportunity to because of our
fetish with secrecy, few if any men know anything about Freemasonry. Hence any
mention of the Craft can invariably lead to an expression of interest.
                                       
6.      Familiarize yourself with your ***new brochure.  Be aware of the
personal and social Problems men are experiencing in society and be prepared
to assure the prospective new member that what he is looking for he can find
in Freemasonry.
                                       
                                       
                                       
A Modern Masonic Library
                                       
                                       
The Builders
Coils Masonic Encyclopedia
Facts for Freemasons
Did You Know?
The Freemasons
The Meaning of Masonry
Masonic World Guide
Masonic Addresses and Writings
The Men's House
Conversations on Freemasonry
                                       
                                       
A Modern Library of Exposes
                                       
                                       
English Masonic Exposures
Freemasonry Exposed
The Brotherhood
Inside the Brotherhood
Holy Blood Holy Grail
The Temple and the Lodge
Born in Blood
                                       
                                       
Total cost for both Libraries is $334.95  (Canadian dollars)
                ...............................................
                                       
                                       
                                       
                                       
(This is the text of a 3-Fold brochure, intended for distribution at Open
Houses and similar events, it was printed as a high quality handout, on glossy
paper, with photographs)
                                       
                                       
                                       
Freemasonry A Friend to all Mankind
                                       
                                       
                                       
To the Man who expressed an interest in Freemasonry:
                                       
Freemasonry is the oldest and largest Fraternity in the world. It is
international in scope existing in 164 countries around the globe. It's
membership today is approximately 5 million men. Freemasonry is a fraternity
and as such admits men 21 years of age or older who are of mature mind, fine
character, good reputation, and who have a firm belief in the existence of a
Supreme Being.
                                       
Modern Masonry, for over 300 years now, has been addressing the needs of men
in society. It has been the steady unvarying friend of man for an even longer
time. It's teachings have influenced the lives of untold millions of men from
all walks of life. Freemasonry is of all men and for all men. It is of all
time and for all time, it contains special lessons and special guidelines for
each time. Freemasonry, at any one time, is addressing the needs of three
generations of men in society. In doing so, young and old alike meet regularly
in a friendly atmosphere to share and experience life to it's fullest.
                                       
Freemasonry and the Young Adult:
                                       
The young adult who involves himself in Freemasonry early in life can look
forward to an entire lifetime of tremendous satisfaction. The "Craft", as it
is commonly called, with it's feet firmly planted on the ground, gives it's
members the proven secrets of successful living discovered by those who have
gone before.
                                       
Practical Freemasonry: An Applied Philosophy
                                       
Freemasonry promotes a positive and uplifting philosophy of life. It is a
conscious, rational, disciplined process of thought which, when followed,
provides it's adherent with a solid perspective from which to view the world,
and his place in it.
                                       
Friendship.
                                       
Freemasonry is a fraternity devoted exclusively to friendship; enduring
worldwide friendship built on love, tolerance, respect and understanding.
Happiness
                                       
Freemasons have but one aim: to enjoy each others company and unite in the
objectives of being happy and communicating that happiness. Mature men of all
ages find pleasure and contentment in the Masonic lifestyle. Freedom and
Individuality
                                       
Freemasonry is of a highly personal nature and can assist the individual
greatly with the emotional, mental, social and spiritual guidance necessary to
get the most out of life.  The young man who is successfully admitted into the
Craft is welcomed to adulthood, with all it's privileges and attendant
responsibilities, in a respectful and highly dignified manner. Freemasonry for
the Mature Adult
                                       
Freemasonry can have a tremendous impact on the mature adult. The mature male
in todays society comes to a point in his life when he suddenly realizes that
there has to be more to life than the monotony of everyday living. The search
for meaning to ones' life is a never ending process. The study of Freemasonry
can bring a new meaning to every man's life: Introspection. Self realization,
self improvement.
                                       
The Lodge: A School of Continuing Education
                                       
For men who would like to continue their educational pursuits, Freemasonry
offers a curriculum not found anywhere else in the world. I has been said that
more has been written on Freemasonry than any other particular topic known to
man. Some Masonic libraries contain more than 60,000 volumes. Masonic scholars
have spent entire lifetimes in pursuit of intellectual excellence. The Masonic
Lodge is a cultural jewel in every community.

The Lodge as Sanctuary
                                       
The Masonic Lodge provides a sanctuary unlike any other. A place where, for a
few hours, the hustle and bustle of modern day living is completely shut out
and trust friendship takes on new meaning.
                                       
Success
                                       
Millions upon millions of men have been influenced by the tried and true
secrets of successful living offered in Masonic teachings. They all stand
witness today to one of the most highly successful societies in the history of
civilization
                                       
Freemasonry and the Senior Adult
                                       
The senior who comes with the experience of life tucked under his arm is no
less welcome in Freemasonry than the young adult starting out on life's
journey. To Freemasonry he is the thread that keeps us in touch with recent
historical perspectives; perspectives that help us all in interpreting the
present and planning the future.
                                       
Freemasonry: A Solid Institution
                                       
Freemasonry is probably the only institution left untouched and unaltered by
society's rush to the future. The lessons of the past are cast in stone and
there is a no more solid foundation than the practice of social and moral
virtue.
                                       
New Friends
                                       
Freemasonry offers the senior in our society an opportunity make new friends
and to stay active. The social life surrounding the Craft and it's appendant
bodies can provide a fresh breeze of enthusiasm for more of life's
experiences.
                                       
New Understanding
                                       
Freemasonry teaches the meaning of life in all of it's various aspects by
involving it's members in dramatic illustrations, lectures, parables and
demonstrations Here men find the keys to ancient wisdom and withy them new
understanding to those vital human questions: What am I?. Where do I come
from?, Where am I going?

New Members
                                       
Because the brotherhood is human, it may not be able to satisfy the hopes of
every individual, yet the record is clear.....most members find their efforts
rewarded. The Masonic Order is built on friendship, and from the first moment
of involvement it offers men the gift of brotherhood and support. On this
foundation, the road to personal discovery is opened. This gift is not, and
should not be taken lightly. Freemasonry therefore, reserves the right to
decide who may participate in it's work. To become a member of the Masonic
Fraternity requires that you be admitted of your own free will and accord.
Desire for personal or monetary gain, or other unworthy motives must not be
factors in your decision, or else your experience will be a disappointing one.
Indiscreet solicitation by members, therefore, is frowned upon. But any Mason
will be more than pleased to greet your expression of interest with
enthusiasm.
                                       
for more information contact......
                                       
                                       
