                    MASONIC SPRING WORKSHOP 1980
                         BEYOND THE RITUAL
                          THEME SPEECH #1

                          Bro. J. A. Lore


In 1979 R.W. Bro. Herb Laycraft discussed with us our Masonic
purpose. It is pertinent to follow this discussion with a topic
such as this.  Having decided what our Masonic purpose is how do we
apply this Masonry to our every day life.  In the first charge we
are admonished to practice every moral and social virtue.  There
are numerous sources to guide us in this application of Masonry to
our every day life.  In the course of the next few minutes, I want
to refer to some of these sources.

I recall soon after I joined Masonry I was present when a 50 year
jewel was presented to a very fine gentleman.  I did not know he
was a Mason until that evening, although I knew him as an
honourable man, he was rarely at lodge. When the jewel was
presented, it was observed that one did not have to go to lodge to
be a good Mason.  We often find that honourable men, noted men, are
Masons.  The recipient, on acceptance, said he regretted not having
attended lodge more, but that he had "lived" Masonry since he was
initiated.  Well, what does "living" Masonry mean, if it doesn't
mean going to lodge, or doing lodge work?  Initially, the
requirement for membership is set out clearly on the application
form, that is a belief in a Supreme Being.  He further must be well
and worthily recommended, and be of good report.

The men who come into Masonry are usually men of some stature. 
They are leaders more often than followers.  This is no
coincidence, partly because they are well and worthily recommended,
partly because a men must show the interest and initiative to
apply, and partly because of a desire to improve himself.

The lambskin apron which we wear has numerous lessons.  It reminds
us to pursue a purity of life and conduct.  But perhaps, sometimes,
we become so familiar with our apron that we forget its lessons,
and need to be reminded again.  We also need enlargement and
elaboration on what purity of life and conduct is in our every day
life.

When we first are clothed we learn that we should never take a
difference to lodge with us.  That love and harmony must prevail. 
At this early stage of Masonry, we learn that life within the
Lodge, and life "Beyond the Ritual" are interdependent.  The
lessons of brotherly love, relief and truth are to be used as a
philosophy of life.  They are not something we praise inside the
lodge, and forget them as we walk out the door.

In our every day life, our values, our landmarks, if you will, are
assaulted constantly.  Advertising assaults our priorities.  Our
competitors, indeed, even our colleagues display ethics that shock
us.  Society accepts conduct that was not acceptable only a few
years ago.

I am sure that this truth is obvious to us all.  But let me give
you a few examples.  A California millionaire recently contacted a
number of Nobel prize winners asking them to donate sperm to a
"Repository of Germinal Choice".  The idea is to supply this sperm
to young, bright, healthy women and produce presumably, superior
offspring to those that most of us could sire.  This proposal is a
serious one, and as far as I know, is now in business.  I don't
know how many takers there have been to date.  One is reminded of
George Bernard Shaw's observation when a notable beauty suggested
she and Shaw could have a child superior in intellect because of
Shaw's genes and superior in beauty because of her genes.  Shaw
declined because the child could inherit his looks and her brains.

Barbara Ameil in a recent MacLean's column discusses some issues
that certainly have some implications that I didn't learn about in
Sunday School.  Apparently in response to a question asking "When
is sex sinful?", a member of a church task force on human sexuality
replied, "When love is not present, when it is exploitive, when it
is not socially responsible.  Sin is Alienation."

It is easy to become confused about what purity of life and
conducts means in our complicated society.  What is there in
Masonry to guide us "beyond the ritual"?

The General Charge describes Faith, Hope and Charity as the
theological virtues.  These virtues are taught early in the Entered
Apprentice Degree.  How do these virtues affect us beyond the
ritual?  Faith is declared at the door of the lodge.  Faith helps
us to establish priorities.  It helps us set our in our own mind
what is important, and what isn't.  It sets out for us the
importance of virtue over material things.  We are invited to
reflect on our doom's day and to keep in perspective what is
important and what is not.

The Volume of the Sacred Law tells us "A faithful man shall abound
with blessings, but he that makes haste to be rich shall not be
innocent".

Why should a faithful man "abound with blessing"?  He abounds with
blessings because he is at peace with himself.  He has it all
together.  Blessings are not necessarily material.  It is a state
of mind, but to enjoy that state of mind, he must have faith. 
Faithful people are necessarily religious, but religious people are
not necessarily faithful.  Faith is necessary for the chief point
in Masonry "to be happy and communicate that happiness to others".

He that makes haste to be rich shall not be innocent because it
suggests that materialism has become his priority.  Oscar Wilde
said that ordinary riches can be stolen from a man.  Real riches
cannot.  In the treasure house of your soul there are infinitely
precious things that may not be taken from you.  It isn't always
easy to sort out priorities.

Faith can be shaken.  There was a hiker who slipped over a ledge
and slid down a steep hill.  He was almost to a vertical drop of
some hundreds of feet when he caught a small bush and it stopped
his slide to death.  He called out several times "Is there anybody
up there?  Please help me!", hoping someone else on the trail above
might hear him.  Finally a voice answered "I am up here, and I will
help you but first you must let go of the bush."  The hiker looked
down the hundreds of feet to the rocks below and said, "who are
you?"  The voice answered "I am God and I will help you but first
you must let go of the bush".  Then the hiker called our "Is there
anybody else up there?"  The hiker had not enough faith.

Hope is expressed in the self improvement to be gained through
Masonry.  Hope is defined as "an expectation that what one desires
will happen".  A synonym is optimism.  There are many references to
the hope or expectation that a Mason has or should have for an
everlasting life.  Optimism is necessary to be happy.  It is the
opposite of despair.  We enter Masonry with a hope of self
improvement.  As we grow in Masonry our hope grows which brings
peace and happiness.  The hiker was short of hope as well.

The lesson in charity is received early in Masonry on the NE Angle. 
Remember the humiliation of being asked to give, when we had
nothing to give. We were poor and penniless.  Remember how it was
to have nothing.  The General Charge tells us to act towards our
neighbour on the square, by relieving his distresses and soothing
his afflictions with justice and mercy.

Masonic charity then is a very personal thing.  It is giving of
one's self.  It is a dignified relationship between the donor and
the donee.  It can be financial, but often it is a kind word or a
reassurance when it is really needed.  An apology when there has
been a misunderstanding.  It is not a put down, it is a "lift up". 
To give Masonic charity our own ego and self assurance must be such
that we don't need to put someone down.  We can "lift up" them, in
true charity.

A man approached the pearly gates on his departure from earth.  St.
Peter asked him if he had ever done anything charitable.  After
some thought he said he recalled having a deduction from his wage
for the United Fund, but he petitioned to have the deduction
refunded since it was done without his permission.  After further
thought he said he remembered throwing 25 cents in a Salvation Army
pot one Christmas.

St. Peter asked his assistant "What should we do with this man?"

The assistant replied "Let's give him his 25 cents back and tell
him to go to hell."

It is important to realize that our obligation is not completed by
throwing 25 cents in the Salvation Army Christmas Fund.  Charity is
an obligation through life to act in a charitable manner with all,
on a PERSON TO PERSON basis.

Many of us perform our charity through some type of organization. 
There are many of them in the form of Service Clubs, religious
organizations United Appeal, various organizations for specific
diseases.  This does not exhaust the list and does not suggest that
these are not worthy of support.  But Masonry teaches charity on a
personal basis.  Giving to the needy is not money; throwing a few
dollars in a charity does not fulfil one's charitable
responsibilities.  It is time, it is love, it is understanding,
support, defence.  Any one of us will need these charities from
time to time.  Charity is defined not only as "giving help to the
poor" but also "kindness in judging the faults of other people".

Our society tends to look on charity as limited to material things. 
Those who have faith and hope realize that one can be rich in
material things yet be very poor indeed.  The converse is also
true.

Charity is for the benefit of the receiver.  When the Volume of the
Sacred Law says, "it is more blessed to give than receive," it is
not referring to the income tax deduction available to the donor if
the donation is to a registered charity.  It is not referring to
the ego building or public relations value of a well publicized
charitable act.  It is referring to the self satisfaction of
helping someone in need, whether it was material goods, given with
dignity, or trust, love and understanding given at a time it was
needed, to a stranger, a friend, or a member of the family.

I walked into a friend's place of business in his busy season.  In
the discussion he revealed plans to travel to B.C. for 3 days.  He
was an ambitious and conscientious man.  Taking a holiday in a busy
time was not like him.  I asked him if his business extended into
B.C.  He said "no".  I pried further.  He finally told me of a new
immigrant to Canada who had been killed in a logging accident.  His
wife spoke little English and did not understand the laws or the
customs in Canada.  She had no one to turn to so he was helping her
settle the estate and adjust through those difficult times.  He is
a Mason, and this act was one of his charities.

Another friend invited my wife and I to a Christmas Eve sing-song. 
A third friend was also invited, but did not arrive till close to
midnight.  He was single and took much ribbing about where he had
been, answering us only with a smile.  Several years later I
learned by accident that it was this man's practice on Christmas
Eve to visit about a dozen families who were hard pressed
financially, with a Christmas turkey apiece and all the trimmings. 
A gift given with spirit and dignity.  It was not even tax
deductible.  That man is a Mason, and this Christmas Eve travel was
one of his charities.

These two examples demonstrate masonic charity.  It relates back to
faith, and our priority.  If our priority is material wealth,
charity gives way to selfishness.  If our priority is in
character,, charity becomes a way of life.
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