Fraternal Review

No. 679

10-1-93

PROGRAMS
Interesting goings on at the Chancellor Robert E. Livingstone Masonic Library
and Museum at the Grand Lodge of New York.  You will note, and this is getting
to be a habit, that Masonic or Masonic related programs and books are not
necessarily by Freemasons.  Would such be available in your area?

On September 22, 1993, Mary Anne Mrozinski spoke on "Brother Rufus King, his
Role in American History, and the Restoration of King Manor."  On October 21,
Bruno Bertuccioli will speak on "The Level Club: A New York Masonic
Architectural Story" and on November 3, Kathleen Kutolowski will present
"Freemasonry on the New York Frontier: Genesee County, 1803-1826."

MASONIC EDUCATION - CANDIDATES
The Grand Master's (Alfred Allsbrook) Message in the August 1993 Masonic Light
of the Grand Lodge of South Carolina included:

"Many volumes have been written and countless words spoken concerning every
aspect of Freemasonry.  Depending upon the person, certain phases are more
appealing than others.  The opportunity for self-improvement is one phase that
is of great interest to me, and, hopefully to you.

"It may be said that few men will fail to receive something worthwhile from
Masonry.  They will surely get something out of it to make them a better man.
Some will benefit more than others.  What the individual Mason will receive
depends a great deal on himself, but also on Lodge efforts.

"A Mason's continuing search for truth should proceed from a basic knowledge and
understanding of Freemasonry - its origin, structure, rituals and symbolism and
the ceremonies.

"Certainly the person's intellect must have some effect on what he learns.  I
think, however, it really comes down to how much the new Mason is willing to
strive and work to comprehend the new teachings, and more importantly, how much
the teachers are willing to strive and work to hand down that wisdom and
learning to the candidate and new Mason."

Comment:  The "What the individual Mason will receive depends a great deal on
himself, but also on Lodge efforts."  Many times you have heard the phrase "You
will get out of Masonry only what you put into it."  That is the meaning of the
first half of the sentence, but how about the last half.  The Lodge has a
responsibility to create a desire in the mind of the candidate to want more.
Much like the story of the olive or whatever it is, that one has to create an
appetite for, one has to create an appetite in the mind of the new brother.  You
just can't put the task off on him, literally making him fend for himself.

More on this under "Sponsor Responsibilities" by R.W. Douglas F. Hulsman in the
Summer 1993 Trowel of the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts:


"Is the sponsor ready and willing to make sure the applicant is aware of his
obligations after the ballot is taken; willing to make him aware of a dress
code; apprise him of the need to attend Lodge of Instruction; assist him in
class work; and to attend Lodge while he is receiving his Degrees; and to make
sure he is properly cared for in all phases of his Initiation into the great
Fraternity.  Know who you are sponsoring for membership and follow through to
completion."

Comment:  And that "completion" should not be confined to the basics.

And still more in the September 1991 Waikato (New Zealand) lodge of Research No.
445 bulletin quoting from questions to Bro. Rev. Neville Cryer at his 1990
Verrall Lecture and his answers:

"We are going to insist in the future that sponsors of candidates must look
after their candidates for five years.  You see, what goes wrong is a chap
proposes somebody 'oh, it is a good pal of mine, he is a good fellow' and the
Lodge committee accepts him and then the sponsor lets him go through first,
second or possibly third degree and then says, 'You are  on your own,' at the
very point at which he needs help.

"He has learnt an enormous amount and he needs care until he is fostered into
the Lodge and makes his own friends or gets on the ladder and then he is in.
Now we have got to stop that because we have had a lot of dropping out after the
third degree and it has got to stop.  lt can only stop when a good sponsor and
seconder care for the man they brought in and say, 'look if there is any problem
let me come around and talk it out with you, or if there is anything I can do to
help or explain, please let us do it.'  I think that is something that we have
got to give a lot more attention to, plus the committee when it is interviewed,
being very, very careful about whom it takes, and not just taking people
because, 'oh, we do need a candidate."'

Comment:  Brother Cryer is from England and talks about the situation there.

POTPOURRI
Grand Master Robert F. Hannon, SCRL member, in the Summer 1993 Arizona Masonry:

"If your goal for Freemasonry is to get smaller, to decline to 30 lodges
instead of 70, to have 5000 members in the state instead of 12,400, then tell
me and I will help you achieve your goals, but if your vision of the craft is
13,000 members by year 1995 and 20,000 by year 2000, then tell me and I will
help you achieve your goals.  We must start doing things differently, we must
plan and work together as a team to make Arizona Freemasonry an organization
that each of us will always be proud of and we must do it with quality and
excellence in every thing we do."

Grand Master Francis R. Mitchell in the June 1993 New Jersey Freemason:

"Goethe, the eminent German philosopher and a Master Mason, wrote, 'If we are to
inherit that which has been bequeathed to us we must earn it anew.'  Brethren,
we have inherited our Freemasonry from the Master Masons who have preceded us
and where we have permitted this inheritance to fall into disuse we must indeed
earn it anew."

A "Quick Quote" in the May 1993 The Northern Light (N.M.J., A.A.S.R.)
"When two people in business always agree, one of them is unnecessary."
                                  -William Wrigley, Jr.


