                    MASONIC SPRING WORKSHOP 1981
                        MEMBERSHIP OR MASONRY
                          THEME SPEECH #2

                          Bro. M.G. Merner


Let us get back to the subject at hand.  I'm certain that we were
in agreement yesterday that there is a difference between
Membership or Masonry or members and Masons.  It naturally followed
that all Masons are members but not all members are Masons.

I hope that you agreed with me that perhaps the main reason that
members do not advance is through the lack of Masonic Education.

I quote from the Indiana Freemason in support of that reasoning.

"The main purpose of Freemasonry is to give Light.  To the man
newly brought to Masonic light the world about him is puzzling and
mysterious."

"He is dazzled and can see only through a haze."  "His eyes must be
trained so that by sight he can begin to understand what has
already been introduced to him by sound and touch."  "He must be
given something to work with."

"It is no accident that the tools of Masonry are called working
tools."

"Masons must be given an intelligent and authentic knowledge of
what Masonry is and means.  The very future of the Fraternity
depends upon what it will be willing to do with its own members in
the field of Masonic education."

I have before me the nucleus of a Masonic library.  I'm not selling
books, I am selling Masonic education and its value.

If we are to establish an educational program we must have
reference material text books, letters, Bulletins, Speeches,
Magazines.  In other words we must have a library and many lodges
do not.

They receive copies of the Grand Lodge Proceedings but these are
frequently put away and no one sees them.  Every Lodge Library
should have all the copies of the Grand Lodge of Alberta
Proceedings.  They never become obsolete, they are always of
interest.  Any copy of the Proceedings of your Grand Lodge contains
enough information to provide the basis for many evenings of
interesting entertainment and Masonic Education.

Consider the Grand Master's address or the address of the banquet
speaker.  Are we interested in the financing of Grand Lodge or of
the Budget for next year?  Read about the splendid work of Alberta
Masons and the Annual Bursaries given to so many young people.  do
you know how many bursaries are given or who received them?  It's
all published.

Do you know, is membership up or down and by how much?

Read the Notices of Motion so that you may vote knowledgeably and
correctly.

What about the Condition of Masonry?  The Grand Lodge Bulletins,
Research and Education.  Have you read these reports?  If not your
Masonic education is not complete and this very important part of
your library is being neglected.

The cost of these Proceedings to your Grand Lodge is great.  The
value to your Lodge and its members is unbelievable.

Masters should appoint a committee to study and pass on this
valuable information to all members.

I have before me reports of the Masonic All Canada Conference and
the reports of the Banff Conference of the Four Western Provinces. 
They contain some of the finest Masonic addresses available on this
continent.  They are obtainable from the Grand Lodge office as are
great numbers of Masonic books covering many subjects.

Tribute must be paid to M.W. Bro. Jack Collett for our splendid
Grand Lodge Bulletin.  The articles report outstanding events in
Masonry and are all of interest and are educational.

I suggest that you each set up a file, that you save all copies of
the Bulletin, as reference material, as a history of the Craft and
to keep us all up to date on matters Masonic, there can be none
better.  No Masonic library is complete unless it has a file of
Grand Lodge Bulletins.

I said that I wasn't selling books, perhaps I am.  Look over the
stock of books on display at this Workshop and make certain that
your library has a copy of each.

Each of us participate in some sporting activity, some curl or golf
or play tennis or do all of them.

I suggest that we look back on the day that we started.  Remember
you golfers, how you sliced and stood too close to the ball after
you hit it.

You curlers couldn't throw the proper turn and had no idea of
weight.  We all had these problems when we started.  What did we
do, did we quit, did we stay away, did we not attend?  Certainly
not, we were at the rink or the golf course or driving range at
every opportunity.  We watched those who were expert at the sport,
we asked for their advice, we had them show us how it was done. 
Then we practised and practised and took lessons, then more lessons
and we practised some more.  We got our handicaps down to a
reasonable level and we found ourselves curling 75% or better.

Why do we work so hard at our chosen sport?  Because we enjoy it,
because it's exciting, it's fun, it presents a challenge, we want
to excel or be at least as good as our associates.

We should all practice our Masonry with the same enthusiasm as we
do our sports, and ask questions of those more knowledgeable, and
seek guidance from experts.  We should enjoy our Lodge, we should
excel and get our attendance and participation score up to a
reasonable level.

We need sports and enthused sportsmen, we need Masonry and
enthusiastic Masons.  The requirements for success are similar. 
Let us give our Masonry the same chance to improve as we do our
tennis, curling or golf or other sports.

He who professes to be a sportsman knows the value of
concentration.  If someone or something distracts your attention
you lose your concentration and your game suffers.  Let us
concentrate on our Masonry and may nothing disturb our
concentration as we work toward Masonic knowledge.

We have an example in OUR lodge of the powers of concentration. 
Our W. Bro. Bill Davidson is 84 years of age.  He is a dedicated
Mason.  In every degree he gives a lecture or a charge.  He never
falters, never needs to be prompted.  When Bill was 80 he announced
that he was going to learn the General Charge and he did.  Bill is
in great demand and travels throughout our part of the Province
giving this Charge at many installations.  Those who observe Bill
are astounded that he never misses a word.  His powers of
concentration are tremendous and he is a splendid example to those
of us who are rapidly approaching an age when we may be excused
because of our frailties and the difficulty of concentration.

Some Masonic districts hold Schools of Instruction, others
Mini-Workshops.  Subjects of a Masonic nature are covered fully and
those in attendance reap great benefit.

One such School of Instruction is suggested in your Grand Lodge
Bulletin of February 1978. R.W. Bro. Bob Juthner of District No. 20
called a special meeting of that District for the purpose of
holding a Lodge of Instruction.  The notice stated that Avon Glen
would demonstrate work in the Canadian Rite and East in the Ancient
York Rite.  Topics to be discussed are signs, grips, penalties,
perambulations, floor work, balloting.  Reception of Candidates,
reception of Grand Lodge Officers and many other items.

The Committee Chairman of the Committee on the Work will be in
attendance.

A great meeting and a full meeting and an example of Masonic
education at work that could be adapted to any area.

We are all most conscious of the need of Masonic Education, we have
demonstrated that at all levels.  We know that Masonic Education
absorbed by members makes them Masons practising Masonry as we want
them to.

All Schools of Instruction, Lodges of Instruction, Committees on
the Work are functioning well and are providing Masonic education
and educational materials for which we are grateful and we
congratulate and thank them.

In analyzing what is happening we find that those in attendance at
these educational events are interested Masons, educated Masons,
well informed and consequently attending Masons.  By their very
attendance they indicate the desire to obtain and gain knowledge of
Masonic Education.

It is most important that those in attendance at all meetings of an
educational nature be prepared to share the knowledge which it has
been their privilege to receive.

Using information from their meetings and notes, someone or more of
their number should be prepared to carry these important findings
back to their lodges.  They should, in as interesting a way as
possible, convey their message to those who did not or could not
attend the educational event.

The message to the lodge designed to make all Brethren informed
Masons could be incorporated into a part of the work in open Lodge,
or if more convenient, or comfortable, during the banquet hour.

We are assembled here today over 500 strong.  The knowledge
received, the information passed on at our formal sessions or
informal get togethers will be great.  Some lodges have from 10 -
20 Brethren in attendance.  I suspect that in many cases no one of
the 10 - 20 will consider it his duty or responsibility to pass on
this knowledge to those at home.  Perhaps someone will report that
a group attended Banff, that everyone had a good time and that may
be the complete report in some lodges.

Will each lodge represented please make an organized effort to
designate someone or two or more of your Brethren to report back to
your lodge the important details of this Workshop.  Arrange this
report to fit the plans of your Master and Wardens.  This is an
exciting, challenging, enjoyable, fun filled yet serious event in
our Masonic year and should be shared with all Masons.

We talked earlier about the excitement and fun of sports.  With
proper leadership and guidance on the part of the Wardens our
Masters and committees of each lodge, our meetings too can reach
new heights of enjoyment and a pleasing result will be increased
attendance and a rapid change of members to Masons.

I hope that my remarks today have not indicated that every Mason
must be a ritualist and that education is always essential.  I hope
that I have not given the feeling that all Masons must fill
offices, or be leaders.  I have an extract from a Grand Lodge
Bulletin of December 1980.  It has been used many times.

I quote from "A Great Mason."

"Once there was a Mason who found it really hard to learn the
ritual and he never was much help in conferring the degrees.  He
was extremely self-conscious and had no real ability to fill
positions of authority; he was not officer material and he never
held a lodge office.  He never achieved financial success and he
could not be one of the larger contributors to lodge charities or
the building fund.  In all these respects, he was rather an
insignificant Mason.

He did attend every Lodge meeting he possibly could, always
arriving early enough to assist the Tyler and Stewards in getting
things ready.  He visited the sick and the widows.  He went to see
and talk to that brother who suddenly stopped attending lodge.  He
made sure that each visiting brother was never made to feel a
stranger.  He praised the officers, encouraged new members, put his
arm around the shoulders of any who were troubled or discouraged,
and had a smile and a cheery, "Hello, my Brother", for all he met,
every time.

Eventually he died.  The church could not hold all those attending
his funeral.  Even the cemetery was crowded.  The next meeting of
the lodge was just not the same.  Everyone missed him, terribly.

An insignificant Mason?  Certainly not!  He was a GREAT Mason. 
Perhaps no greater ever sat in Lodge!

Who was he?

Nobody in particular.  Most lodges have known him or his like.  And
he is still around, still attending his lodge, still doing those
little things.  DO WE TREASURE HIM AND HONOUR HIM?  We certainly
ought to, for he is a GREAT Mason!"

We have many such Masons at home and many are in attendance at this
Workshop.  His contribution has been a great one and whether we be
leaders or followers we can be a better Mason by emulating his fine
qualities and his example of splendid Masonic behaviour.

May I quote again from your own "Bulletin" on January 1981.  I
quote:

"Here perhaps is where we come to the crux of the matter.  We
cannot retain a Brother's interest if he sees nothing but the same
ceremonies, often indifferently done by the same people year in and
year out, without any explanation of their meaning, interpretation
of their significance or encouragement to study, to search out the
age old lessons behind them.

I suggest that we all lend our full support to our Education
Committee in every way we can, and that individuals with a
particular bent or enthusiasm for Masonic instruction seek out
opportunities to serve this often exciting area."

Many Lodges realize the importance of an educational program.

I hold in my hand just some of the material published by Redwood
Lodge No. 193.

Steve McVittie, Worshipful Master
Ron Dockery, Editor

"The Master's Trestle Board" published monthly.  You may never know
or predict what the next issue will contain but what is apparent is
that it will be instructive, inspiring interesting and educational. 
It will do much for all Masons who see it and it is an example of
what one or two brothers or a committee or a lodge can accomplish. 
I have no doubt that the effort being exerted will improve
attendance not only in Redwood but throughout the Jurisdiction.

Last month the mail brought me a large envelop on which 26 cents
postage had been paid.  It contained the most recent "Trestle
Board" as well as three well set up pages of Masonic Truth,
suitably printed and set up for framing.

        1.  "A Mason"
        2.  "I am Freemasonry"
        3.  "The Ten Commandments of a Mason"

My thanks to Steve McVittie, to Redwood Lodge and all other lodges
following a program similar to this one that can be of such value
to us all.

Mr Brethren, you have been a splendid audience.  I thank you for
your attention and it is my sincere hope that perhaps we may be
more successful in our Masonic endeavours as a result of your Banff
Workshop and that many more of our Members may become Masons as a
result of your endeavours.

May I bring these remarks to a close by quoting a Masonic Charge
that is available to each of you if you will ask for it.

"We are now about to leave this sacred retreat of friendship and
virtue."

Forget not the duties we owe to God, our neighbours and ourselves.

Let us be happy ourselves and endeavour to Promote the Happiness of
others.

Live in peace and may the God of Love and Peace delight to dwell
with you and bless you.

        TILL WE MEET AGAIN.
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