The Philalethes, October 1996

From the Editor's Desk


Some Masons say that Masonry today
is not being practiced as it once was. Do
we want to revert back to "the good old
days?" Will it work in today's environ-
ment? Let me tell you of two Lodges
160 years apart, and how they practiced
Masonry and what it accomplished.

In the early 1800's True Briton's
Lodge in Perth Ontario voted to buy a
cow for the benefit of the Widow
Motherwell and her family, the cost not
to exceed 10 pound sterling. Brother
Motherwell had died earlier in the year
clearing the land around his property.
Of course the whole town knew what
the Lodge had done, and the whole
town knew who the Masons were. Yes
most of the men in the town where
members. One of the Motherwell sons
grew up to be an important elected
Member of the Canadian Government
and both became Masons as did their
sons and their sons. This is how Ma-
sonry was practiced. Not only was it a
social gathering, it was taking care of
each other. There are numerous nota-
tions in the minute books True Briton's
of firewood being delivered to needy
Masonic families and non-Masonic
families. They practiced Masonry.

One hundred and sixty years later we
look at a Confederation Lodge in the
City of Toronto. They also lost a Mem-
ber and the Member's widow was going
to have to sell her home in order that
she could make ends meet. There just
was not enough money. The Lodge
members got together and renovated
her home, so that she would have a flat
in the basement and then be able to rent
the rest of the house. This was also done
without fanfare. But the neighbors saw
the Masons working on the house and
they offered to help work on the house
also. One thing lead to another and two
of the neighbors joined the Lodge. Not
only had the Lodge practiced Masonry
but its membership increased because
of it. This is practicing Freernasonry . . .
Would it work in today's environment?
I think it would. Don't you?

       Nelson King FPS










The Heart and Center of Masonry
by Forrest D.  Haggard   FPS

Masons engaged in research have a
different way of looking at the world.
For example, if they stopped at a Quik
Trip store that has a sign saying "We
are open 24 hours a day, 365 days a
year" The researcher would ask "Why
do you have locks on your doors?". I
had a hard time with memory work be-
cause I continually interrupted to ask
"What does that mean?".

Masonic Education is the heart and
center of our Fraternity. We have a real
problem called lack of understanding as
concerns the purpose and intent of
Freemasonry. Our Gentle Craft suffers
from what may well be a fatal injury at
the hands of our leadership. We are ego
driven locally or Grand Lodge. We
suffer financially at the hands of Grand
Lodge officers who have unlimited
access to funds. Large egos combined
with nonrestrictive spending can lead to
disaster. Many local leaders are elderly,
overworked, under compensated, and
unwilling to learn new technology.
Many of our Craft Lodges as well as
local appendant and concordant bodies
are nearly nonfunctional being unable
to fulfill their Officer quotas. All this is
happening at a time when we are still
under harsh and dishonest criticism at
the hands of the religious fundamental-
ists. But also at a time when many
young American males search for a cen-
ter point in their life that is firm and
teaches morality.

There are three elements in Masonic
Education. They form the basis or
foundation of an educated articulate
Freemason. They are: Knowledge of
Rules and Regulations; How you Play
the Game; and lastly Knowledge of the
Why and What--that is The Under-
standing of Freemasonry.

Every Mason needs to know what the
rules, law, constitutions, bylaws and
general regulations of Freemasonry in
his jurisdiction. At the same time it is
necessary that we understand that these
rules and regulations are absolute and
still understand that all rules and regu-
lations are subject to change and inter-
pretation. Not knowing the rules and
regulations will cause you to error. You
can be a GREAT basketball player and
head for the final four but a lack of
knowledge of the rules and regulations
will cause you to make an error that
could cost your team the championship.
It is difficult to comprehend but our
rules and regulations are 'cut in stone'
but the stone can be changed.

Secondly you need to know how to
"play the game" - to perform. Playing
the game means you can run the lodge
with good leadership and business
skills. Ritual is a part of knowing how
to play the game. It is important as a
vehicle to transport the ideals of our
Craft. It is the container of the con-
stants of our Fraternity. In our Western
Masonic World we have moved from
seeing the ritual as the container to
seeing it as the whole event. We go
around polishing and inscribing the
containers but never seeing the contents
as important. Ritual, public relations,
leadership and business skills, up to
date technology are all important to
membership. We will not survive
without knowing how to play the game
and play it well.

There is a third ingredient without
which we are subject to failure. We
must know who and why and what we
are all about. We learned this in recent
time when the Southern Baptist Con-
vention raised the issue of Freemasonry
and Organized Religion. We learned, to
our sorrow, that even the best run lodge
could not provide factual answers to the
serious questions being raised about our
Fraternity. The Research Groups in
Masonry understand the importance of
our knowing who and why we are.
Thanks to the Scottish Rite, S.J. and
the Masonic Service Association who
stepped forward with money, energy
and leadership to answer the charges
against us. Thanks to the Philalethes
Society for spearheading the return to
reality about the regularity of Prince
Hall Masonry and to Grand Lodge of
Kansas who led the way in experimen-
tation of the ways in which we convey
the message of Masonry to the young
men of today.

Growth and expansion of our mem-
bership is essential for our existence but
the understanding we are about is critical for
our life and well heing.

