THE TRESTLE BOARD

BY BROTHER H.L. HAYWOOD, IOWA

THE BUILDER JANUARY 1923

IN THE French town of Caudebec, which stands on the Seine River, is the
grave of one "Guillaume Letellier, master mason of the church, who had the
conduct of the works for thirty years and more, and erected the choir and
chapels." On the grave stone of this long forgotten Masonic brother who
was once a master builder is an inscribed drawing the plan of a building. 
It was the custom of builder in those days to have their tools engraved on
their grave stones, just as knights and lords made use their heraldic
devices.  Brother Letellier chose to be remembered as one who made
designs for buildings and therefore selected a building plan for his own
during remembrances.

We do not need to be told how important in th work of Operative Masons
was the making of a plan for a building.  "What has the Master on his
trestle board?" was a question often asked with keenest interest by the
workman.  And because of this importance the trestle board, which
represented the whole labour of making plans, came to be used as a
symbol, just as we found Brother Letellier using it as a symbol his own life's
work.  When Masons ceased to be Operative Masons, and turned their
attention to the building of men in fraternal life, they retained the trestle
board as a symbol.

The trestle board in Speculative Masonry is a symbol of that which we call
an ideal.  One should not be frightened by the use of this word.  It does not
refer to something visionary, or far away, or, as our slang expression has
it, "highbrow." Quite the contrary! 

Before we go on a journey we plan our travels, our railway connections, our
stop-overs, and our destination.  Before we undertake to erect a building
we are so careful to have a plan that often we pay an expert to make one
for us.  It would be equally wise if each of us were to have a plan similarly
for his own life.  A plan for one's life is what we mean by an ideal.  It is a
plan for doing things.

Also, an ideal is a plan for improving actual conditions.  If our lodge room
were too small, or is badly ventilated, or inadequately lighted, or the
members quarrel among themselves we might feel very unhappy because
of such conditions: and some of us might put our heads together in an
effort to better conditions.  We would say, "Let us do this, and that, and the
other thing, so that we can be happier in our lodge work." Such a plan for
bettering unsatisfactory conditions would be an ideal.  It is something that
we would draw, to speak figuratively, on the trestle board of our lodge. 
Such an effort to better actual conditions would not be "high brow"; on the
contrary it would recommend itself to men of sense and sagacity.

We Masons believe that condition could be improved in our human world.
We are too busy to dream impossible dreams about mankind: we are too
practical to wish to waste time and energy on unattainable aims.  We do
not try the fantastical.  But we know there are some things to be improved
by plain common sense efforts, and we are leagued together and solemnly
sworn to assist in such endeavors.  This program for improving conditions
among men is what we mean by the Masonic ideal; it is what the Fraternity
has drawn upon its trestle board.

For instance, we Masons believe that much of the unhappiness in the world
is due to ignorance, and we believe that if all men were well educated they
would be happier than they are.  We Masons, therefore, wish to do all we
can to uphold and improve the whole public school system, and to try to
make it possible for all the children of all the people to have all the
enlightenment that is possible under the circumstances.  Brethren, let us
each one as individual Masons put that down on our own private trestle
board.

Another example.  Those of us who are acquainted with any community
know that men and women very seldomly live as happily with each other
as well as might be.  We are all bound up together.  We are compelled to
live in neighbourhoods.  We must live together whether we choose it or not. 
Is it not wise, then, for us to learn how to live happily together? The effort
to bring men and women into harmony with each other is the great aim of
Brotherhood, and this practical, common sense, hard-headed effort to
organize human neighbourhoods into human happiness, that is one of the
great purposes of our Fraternity.  It is on our trestle board.

A final example.  Nations, like individuals and families, are also compelled
to live together: there is no escape from that! But unfortunately, nations
have not as yet learned how to live happily together. Ever so often they go
to war, and then men and women suffer the most terrible unhappiness
known to our race.  How can we eliminate war and do away with national
antagonisms is a difficult problem; the ways and means cannot be
discussed here.  But we men, we Masons, know that it can be done, and
we are dedicated to the effort to do it.  How to bring nations to live happily
together, that also is on our trestle board.

None of these things are impossible dreams.  The more experience and
wisdom and common sense a man has, the more hard-headed he is, the
more will he wish these things to be.  They, and the other plans we have
for improving conditions, will give us more prosperity, more money, more
health, and more happiness.  It is to such an ideal that Masonry is
dedicated.  Brethren, let us ourselves become dedicated also.  Let us make
such an ideal the symbol of our lives, just as did the good Master Mason,
Brother Letellier, long ago!

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