RAH991ED.TXT     EDITORIAL  SEPT 1991  RALPH A. HERBOLD

1 September 1991      SOUTHERN CALIF. RESEARCH LODGE

Brethren:

If you have followed my writings for a bit you may recall that I
like to play with a sentence or phrase that intrigues me for
possible variations in meaning, sometimes by changing a word or
two. Or to put it another way, when reading a sentence or phrase it
jumps out and causes me to stop and think and write.

While reading our 1990 Proceedings one such sentence leaped off the
page and literally held me spell bound and it was in the Committee
on Policy and General Purposes report on proposed legislation for
a "Shortened Proficiency as alternate to Candidate's Lecture."

"There is no better source of petitions than an enthused, excited
newly raised Master Mason whose enthusiasm is the result of a well
founded foundation of Masonic knowledge. "

Rather than a word I see that a change in one letter that would
give this sentence greater, at least to me, meaning.

Our First Degree Candidate Lecture, and these are the actual words
of a newly initated brother to me, gives him exactly nothing he can
tell his friends about. And the same goes for the two succeeding
Proficiencies when taken literally, including their prohibitions.

Remember this, the average coach in many Lodges is a comparative
newcomer who was taught little or nothing beyond the Candidate
Lecture and was not excited into gaining additional knowledge
because in the words of a coach, quoting again, all one needs to
know is in this lecture.

There is a lapel pin you may have seen that looks like a golf club
or cane with a ball on each side of the shaft. There is a story
about one who was wearing such a pin being asked what it stood for.
"A golfing group I belong to," was the answer.

Why this devious answer? The man, obviously a Freemason, has not
been equipped with information by which he can discuss Freemasonry
with a stranger or friend.

The Shawano (Wisconsin) Experiment, later Experience, is a well
rounded proficiency, a combination of the candidate being exposed
to the traditional Candidate Lecture plus being given a practical
course of instruction that gives him information by which he can
discuss Freemasonry with his family and friends and anyone else who
might make an inquiry.

This Experience does exactly what the quoted sentence says with the
exception that now one letter of the alphabet, as said above, has
been changed:

"There is no better source of petitions than an enthused, excited
newly raised Master Mason whose enthusiasm is the result of a well
rounded foundation of Masonic knowledge."  (f(r)ounded)

Fraternally,   /ss/ Ralph Herbold

Publications included in this mailing have been purchased for our
members. Sent to my Lodge, Lynwood Lodge No. 600, and because it
caused considerable discussion, mostly agreement, thought you might
enjoy and profit from it. Must say, as I see it, principally a
California situation - or problem.

These monthly messages accompanying the Trestle Board might, in
some instances, be termed editorials. This particular one is an
editorial and as such is the opinion of the writer, who, at least
in his own mind, is a creditable ritualist.

As a member of our Lodge, I proposed, during comments on our
probable consolidation, that the new, combined, Lodge schedule be
twice a month rather than the ever prevalent, for some reason, no
one knows why, although I was once told it was because we always
did it that way, once a week.

As a result of Research Lodge activities, I receive a number of
Lodge bulletins. Because some are little more than meeting
schedules, this feature became evident, and the realization came
that as degree work and programs became less and less, practices
became more and more, seemingly a way of life.

This could be similar to our county and state welfare programs in
which welfare becomes a way of life to the detriment of its
recipients. Practice becomes a way of life but the work does not
improve because there is no goal, just more practices, apparently
the means, not the end. The excuse then, for lack of improvement,
is that even more practices were needed.

If each participant at the practice knows his part but practice is
needed to make the parts into a polished whole, practice is
logical. And, one, two at the most, practices will accomplish the
purpose.

But if any one participant at the practice does not know his part,
practice is not logical for this one participant demands the entire
attention of the director who is then powerless to make the parts
into a polished whole.

My point is - constant practice does nothing but perpetuate the
work of the time, really a crutch, for if it is not up to standard
it will not come up to standard with a hundred practices. (And we
probably reached that figure because we practiced twice a week for
some time.) If it is up to standard, excessive practices are not
needed. And shame on us, our ladies in the Eastern Star practice
only one or two times a year. When I worked in the degrees in the
Scottish Rite we practiced only when needed, usually when a change
was made in the work. Now I understand they do practice each degree
once or twice a year.

And there is a negative effect as a result of all these practices
and a good example is in our Lodge. And because I have always
believed the organization is bigger than the individual I will pull
no punches so you will have little about which to guess.

One of the hardest workers, maybe the hardest and most dedicated
worker in our Lodge, is not a Past Master. I mentioned this to him
and even asked him if the number of times his presence would be
required if he was an officer had anything to do with it. Exactly
that, he said. See what we lost. How many more?

Think about this as we go through our reorganization.

Fraternally,
