This makes sense to me. Freemasonry was built upon the ruins of what? Alchemy, Hermeticism, Rosicrucianism? Most likely. Before that, who knows? All the way back to the Ancient Mysteries though, we can see the roots there I think. So what will, in time, be built upon the ruins of Freemasonry? Something else, surely, but much the same.
I think that comports with some of the symbolism of the Craft Lodge. The Sun - The Moon - The Master. Male - Female - Result. Active - Generative - Creation.
it hurts a little to say this, but mostly, I agree. Part of our problem is our recruiting effort (or lack there of) We focused for a long time on "let's make it easier." Easy isn't how you get new men that really want to do something. It's how you get dilatants who will play around the edges until they find the hard parts, then go to the next new thing.
It's time to use the Recruiting style of the USMC. "Are you good enough to be one of us?"
“Are you good enough..?” is confrontational and hubristic, so I think it’s not the best approach for Freemasonry. Then there’s the reality. If a lodge does pitch that question, the lodge experience had better be like transportation to another world.
Maybe that's exactly the point: the lodge experience should be "like transportation to another world"... Otherwise why bother to even go to or open the lodge?
As for the "hubristic"(?) question: Why are the North American Masons afraid to be the intellectual and spiritual *elite* of their land with very high demands and exclusive requirements, instead of a wishy-washy charity club without character?
Perhaps the answer to the question is contained within it? Did we begin, decades and decades ago to start seeing ourselves as nothing more than a charity club?
And to be quite frank, if we do see ourselves that way, it is only fair to ask if we are any darn good at that anyway. Certainly the Shrine is, some of the Scottish Rite is. Are our Lodges? Our Grand Lodges?
Your point is well taken. We must be 'good enough' if we are going to ask a man if he is 'good enough.' But, I don't think that is a bad goal for us to work towards.
I do agree, easy is counterproductive. Men who are serious about becoming Freemasons don't mind the path being a bit difficult, particularly if they are learning something of value while walking that path.
Total membership per year is only a number recorded in Masonic history. In 1968, when my father was WV Grand Master, there were a total of 47,369 members. In 2006, there were only 24,047 members. Computers and TV in homes, has replaced memberships in fraternal organizations. Masonry continues, though numbers may continue to decline.
You are undoubtedly right that membership is collapsing across all fraternal organizations. Not just Freemasonry. In fact, if my little city is any indication, Freemasonry is doing far better than all of the others.
But, I've often doubted that we can pinpoint the cause as being greater entertainment opportunities in the home. While that does seem to make sense, I wonder if available and open time really can be one of the issues. My great-grandfather was a Mason throughout his adult life, covering all of the boom decades from before the 1920's through the 1960's. And for most of those decades he worked on our farm 6.5 days a week, taking off every other Sunday. If the men of rural areas found the time, given work schedules like that, it certainly seems that men of today could find the time given the much more slack normal work schedule.
Most of what is happening is because the real meaning and reason of Freemasonry has been lost. For most is now a place to reunite with friends or hang out. The sacredness of the Masonic Temple and it teachings are not important anymore
On the other hand, in the occultists circles there is a period of time to go dormant and then wake up again. Maybe we are getting into that period.
The interesting part is that during the dormant period, changes can occur. And when the wake up period comes, the whole thing may have change.
The use of the tools as method of teaching has not change is just a matter of looking at who was using the tools for something diferent than working the stone.
Having relocated four times during my career with GM, I've had the opportunity to visit lodges in several states since being raised in 1974 under the GLoNY. I've noticed that those lodges providing varied extracurricular activities have experienced respectable growth and enthusiastic membership. I'm encouraged by the influx of younger men inspired by our shared belief that through Masonry every man can become his best self while making a difference in the lives of others. And as an Air Force/Army veteran I've found in Freemasonry something else that’s found in the military – men you can trust; men who will back you, no matter what; men who understand what it means to live lives of honor and integrity; men who won’t leave you to face the enemy, or the world, by yourself. So mote it be.
My experience mirrors your own. Lodges that have a full and varied program seem to invariably thrive and be filled with excitement. Those that don't, aren't.
I suppose the issue I see is the fact that most of the Lodges I encounter are in the 'don't' category. And they will fail because of it. And the sad part is that they know it. They can see the thriving Lodges and what those Lodges do as clearly as I can, but they won't work to bring forth improvement.
And I just find that super sad.
But, on the other hand, and fulfilling my need for hope...
Our Lodges (And Temples) were largely created before the building of the interstate highway system. Maybe, most likely, Freemasonry does not need as many Lodges as it had before. Because we have modern transportation. We needed a Lodge in the City of Bremerton, and another one a mile east of Bremerton, because that mile contained a major body of water. Now there is a bridge.
I have grown recently grown accustomed to telling my Brothers that Freemasonry could stand to be a little smaller.
I say this because we have many brothers who affiliate with Lodges in far-flung areas in an effort to keep historic Lodges alive, even as the town dies around the Lodge and there is no effort among the brethren living in said town to spread Freemasonry within their locality.
Brethren from 50-100 miles away can't actively work to save a Lodge that isn't in a position to grow its membership with new blood.
I think we arrived here because of the non-sensical "knock three times" unwritten policy that many of my Brethren, myself included, faced when we first approached Lodges in the 80s and 90s. But now that we're here, those remote Lodges that embraced that suicidal strategy need to be allowed to surrender their Charter.
We try desperately to hold onto the Past when what we need to hold onto is the perfection of the Craft.
Freemasonry doesn't need to be saved, but we must make the necessary sacrifices to make it stronger again.
I think we should be careful to define what kind of masonry we are trying to "rise from the ashes." Are we rebuilding an organization where our members are merely customers to be served and entertained or, are we on a mission to provide men an opportunity to improve themselves in masonry? If it is the former, it is unlikely that masonry will win the battle for modern man's time and attention. If the answer is the latter, then our lodges need to shed the exoteric facades of the past 100 years in favor of building that spiritual house, eternal in the heavens.
There is a lot of wisdom here I think. Thank you. A charitable social club won't rise from the ashes because it is called Masonic any more than the decimated Eagle's clubs will rise again. But men will value an organization that helps them to improve themselves, their families, and the world around them.
Maybe masonry is intended to be small. We keep comparing ourself to post world war era. I have read (somewhere) that lodges shouldn’t be large. Once they hit a certain number ( I believe it was 30) another lodge should be formed. That keeps it personal.
In my neck of the woods, 30 active members would be a big Lodge. We generally have between 15 and 20 active members. That translates to somewhere around 100 total membership.
That seems like a natural amount that happens anyway. Even Lodges with a couple hundred members generally only have 20 or 30 show up regularly. Perhaps that is some sort of ideal group size that evolved into us?
I think that a return to the principles of Freemasonry, rather than traditions, could result in significant benefit in short order.
What would happen to our organizational growth if we build value into our meetings? What if we taught skills that apply to and benefit Brothers in their daily lives, intertwined with the mystery, allegory, and fellowship of Freemasonry?
What would happen if we were to create opportunities to learn? Establishing new resources while supporting social good efforts in our communities. What if we built Brothers, Lodges, and communities through aligned efforts and interests?
What would happen if we assisted and encouraged our Brethren to follow the obligations taken during the second degree?
There are many younger Brothers seeking sound council, self included, that seek to work towards positive change in their communities.
I have met many a Brother who found the craft due to legacies of past Brethren and their accomplishments. I sometimes wonder if we are doing enough to leave a similar legacy for future Brothers to follow.
If there are those seeking growth, journey, and purpose, will they find it here?
When building a foundation in life, investing in your future, what would you look for? Can it be found here?
It is essential that we retain the spirit of our foundations, building in the present, with vision for the future if we are to successfully navigate these challenges and stand the test of time.
Working on the district level with "Prospects", men who would like to join the Fraternity. I believe there is a renaissance occurring. These Prospects have been on the internet, read about our values, morals, philosophical instruction, founding forefathers, and most importantly that we are men, helping men become better men. They need and want to be part of the institution which will live up to those expectations.
Charity is good. Social lodges are good. They are a by-product of a healthy lodge. I'm not finding that men would like to join us primarily to be social or charitable first.
It is past time we follow our ancestors' footsteps, rebuild and remake the temple.
I tend to agree, there is a Renaissance occurring within our Craft. But, only within certain parts of our Craft. Some Lodges are thriving, most are not. It is the same with our Appendant/concordant bodies, some are thriving, most are not.
And ultimately, I do think it comes down to Lodges that are willing to break away from the model of 1960. Those that are, have an opportunity to thrive. Those that don't won't have that opportunity.
My fear, frankly, is that we are governed by overarching institutions that are much less quick to change than their components. Ultimately Grand Lodges and other Grand bodies will have to change as well, not only local Lodges, Chapters, &c.
“Might we be better off if we were to simply recognize that the Freemasonry that existed from the 1920’s to the 1960’s is well and truly dead? A shattered Temple, its columns fallen, never to rise again as they once were?”
I have thought a lot about this, and have on occasion come to the conclusion this statement is true. But then I always come back to the idea that if we do that, we could become unmoored from our identity as Freemasons. I have seen institutions burn everything to the ground and start over, and sometimes it works, and sometimes it blows apart in a chaotic mess.
I have been concerned about our decline for some time, and have often felt despair at the lack of a coherent plan to turn it around. Mostly I have seen plans that were either overly idealistic or simply doing the same things harder. Clearly, they are not working. Recently I have noticed the beginnings of what might be a natural and organic process that may save our fraternity.
In general, if we subtract the esoteric from Masonry, we become what every other social club is, positive influences on their community focusing on charity, community service and fellowship. What makes us different is the tiny percentage of our craft originating in the esoteric.
Dedicated, well-grounded brethren, evidencing strong academic and communication skills as well as zeal for the fraternity are beginning to explore the esoteric branch of Masonry and publishing their thoughts and practices. It is my hope that the work of these well-grounded brethren will revitalize our uniquely spiritual fraternity. These brethren are not writing about the pop culture version of esoterica, but the deep rooted Western Mystical Tradition. I believe and hope that these brethren will provide the spark that re-lights the fire that drives Freemasonry.
I agree, wholeheartedly, Freemasonry without spirituality is the Grange, the Eagles, the Lions, Rotary, &c. Spirituality is what makes our Craft unique. And because of that, it is, as you say, from where it will rise again.
There is danger involved with becoming unmoored from our past, as you mention, but there is also danger in remaining moored, in that it could drag us down. Likely, for success, a balance must be found.
I joined Freemasonry with the idea of gaining some teaching to make myself a better man. What I got was a slightly strange social club. I've thought to myself many times, "If I wanted to join a social club, I would have joined The Lions".
I had to search on my own to find the teachings within Freemasonry. I'm now trying to get some education going within our lodge. It's been difficult.
I think of it like this. If a Man comes into Freemasonry without knowing anyone in the lodge, thus he will most likely not know what goes one within said lodge, will he be happy with what he receives? Seems to me after the three degrees, there's nothing left but a social club. While that's important, I truly believe Men are joining for more than that.
All that to say I believe a small lodge of 20-30 fully engaged men who are looking to better themselves through the teachings of Freemasonry is better than 200 men who are members strictly for the social aspect.
We can thrive as a niche organization, similar to how it was prior to the influx of membership after WWII. Yes, we can still thrive with 20-30 members.
Bringing meaningful education into a Lodge can be difficult, as it isn't what the men of the past are used to. But, it is vital if we hope to see our Lodge thrive, and it can be done. Slowly but surely we see it happening in more Lodges within my Jurisdiction, and those Lodges are becoming the most successful.
The trick is, I think, to just keep on pushing it, eventually the naysayers come around.
But yes, if after the Third Degree we offer a man nothing of value to take back from our meetings, he will stop coming.
I have said, perhaps a bit morosely, that the only treason the economy of my home city (Buffalo, NY) turned around is because all the people wanting the steel plants to reopen are finally dead. We finally embraced a service and technology economy, and brought in younger people from other cities who didn't want to relive some good ole days.
Anyway, I said what I said, and I meant it.
And I mean the same for Freemasonry. I don't even want us to go back to those bloated days of so many members but likely few more real Masons.
That makes a good deal of sense to me. My little city was founded on coal mining (completely done now) logging (mostly done now) and a bit of farming (mostly done now.)
When these things went away, or largely went away, the place stagnated and slowly died, for decades. But it has really begun to turn around now, without those industries. We are slowly getting a vibrant downtown again, slowly finding prosperity again.
I once heard a brother say, “…we’re giving masonry away…” When I contemplated about what he said I came
to the conclusion it has already been given away. It’s a habit now. A compulsory practice like going to work, or church. I am uncertain when or where but I get the feeling it was well before the 90 year old member joined.
Obviously semantics and the centers of cultural gravity shift with time. However even in comparison the overall spiritual mystique of the perennial philosophy found in old masonic text is utterly absent, better sanitized from contemporary works.
I love the community and charity aspects. However when I watch a lodge barely squeak by on its annual budget with no fund raising planned I get the feeling we’re putting the charity (energy?) in the wrong place. Like the meetings we’re doing it just because we’ve always done it.
How it can change, well I don’t have much of a suggestion to such a multifaceted question. I need more experience before I would even dare.
I do foresee an inevitable transition to smaller numbers,
and a need to spend more time refining masonry. Opposed to by the numbers meetings and endless regulations most don’t follow usually out of ignorance. Too worried about the flowers in spite of the roots.
I think that's true, we are 'giving it away.' I think that began in the 1920's, and accelerated in the 1940's, when so many men were being Initiated, so quickly, that everything that made Freemasonry unique among social organizations was largely lost. No one had a chance to truly learn, because it became an initiation machine, faster and faster, around and around it went.
And I don't think anyone noticed it happening until it all ground to a halt and decades were spent looking backwards.
But, we can look at very successful Lodges now. We have them, not a lot, but they are out there. Lodges that are truly thriving, and exploring Masonry as it was intended. They can serve as examples to all of the rest, show us the path forward. (Or, perhaps better said, the path backward.)
I agree that large numbers of masons seem to be a big issue. Quality is not quantity. Please understand I am not saying I recognize of necessarily qualify for what a quality mason is. I am too short for a high horse. 😉
Some brothers and I spoke about just that at the klatch today. That there seems to be a whole generation absent in the lodges. Left wondering what happened exactly.
Odd thing too, because his very best friend, as an adult, was an extremely avid Freemason (and the reason I became a Freemason.) My hunch is that his friend never hinted that he should consider membership, had he, I assume that my dad would have jumped on it.
This makes sense to me. Freemasonry was built upon the ruins of what? Alchemy, Hermeticism, Rosicrucianism? Most likely. Before that, who knows? All the way back to the Ancient Mysteries though, we can see the roots there I think. So what will, in time, be built upon the ruins of Freemasonry? Something else, surely, but much the same.
I think that comports with some of the symbolism of the Craft Lodge. The Sun - The Moon - The Master. Male - Female - Result. Active - Generative - Creation.
it hurts a little to say this, but mostly, I agree. Part of our problem is our recruiting effort (or lack there of) We focused for a long time on "let's make it easier." Easy isn't how you get new men that really want to do something. It's how you get dilatants who will play around the edges until they find the hard parts, then go to the next new thing.
It's time to use the Recruiting style of the USMC. "Are you good enough to be one of us?"
“Are you good enough..?” is confrontational and hubristic, so I think it’s not the best approach for Freemasonry. Then there’s the reality. If a lodge does pitch that question, the lodge experience had better be like transportation to another world.
Maybe that's exactly the point: the lodge experience should be "like transportation to another world"... Otherwise why bother to even go to or open the lodge?
As for the "hubristic"(?) question: Why are the North American Masons afraid to be the intellectual and spiritual *elite* of their land with very high demands and exclusive requirements, instead of a wishy-washy charity club without character?
Agree 100%. Unfortunately the USA mason does not want to look outside and see how beautiful Masonry is. A really deep and esoteric Initiatic School.
And I do know that Freemasonry is thriving and growing in some other parts of the world.
Perhaps the answer to the question is contained within it? Did we begin, decades and decades ago to start seeing ourselves as nothing more than a charity club?
And to be quite frank, if we do see ourselves that way, it is only fair to ask if we are any darn good at that anyway. Certainly the Shrine is, some of the Scottish Rite is. Are our Lodges? Our Grand Lodges?
A while ago, I wrote something about related ideas... https://masonicfootnotes.com/lodge-house-is-burning/
An excellent essay. Thank you Brother.
Your point is well taken. We must be 'good enough' if we are going to ask a man if he is 'good enough.' But, I don't think that is a bad goal for us to work towards.
I do agree, easy is counterproductive. Men who are serious about becoming Freemasons don't mind the path being a bit difficult, particularly if they are learning something of value while walking that path.
Total membership per year is only a number recorded in Masonic history. In 1968, when my father was WV Grand Master, there were a total of 47,369 members. In 2006, there were only 24,047 members. Computers and TV in homes, has replaced memberships in fraternal organizations. Masonry continues, though numbers may continue to decline.
You are undoubtedly right that membership is collapsing across all fraternal organizations. Not just Freemasonry. In fact, if my little city is any indication, Freemasonry is doing far better than all of the others.
But, I've often doubted that we can pinpoint the cause as being greater entertainment opportunities in the home. While that does seem to make sense, I wonder if available and open time really can be one of the issues. My great-grandfather was a Mason throughout his adult life, covering all of the boom decades from before the 1920's through the 1960's. And for most of those decades he worked on our farm 6.5 days a week, taking off every other Sunday. If the men of rural areas found the time, given work schedules like that, it certainly seems that men of today could find the time given the much more slack normal work schedule.
Most of what is happening is because the real meaning and reason of Freemasonry has been lost. For most is now a place to reunite with friends or hang out. The sacredness of the Masonic Temple and it teachings are not important anymore
On the other hand, in the occultists circles there is a period of time to go dormant and then wake up again. Maybe we are getting into that period.
>>>in the occultists circles there is a period of time to go dormant and then wake up again. >>>Maybe we are getting into that period.
Interesting. I wasn't aware of this.
The interesting part is that during the dormant period, changes can occur. And when the wake up period comes, the whole thing may have change.
The use of the tools as method of teaching has not change is just a matter of looking at who was using the tools for something diferent than working the stone.
Having relocated four times during my career with GM, I've had the opportunity to visit lodges in several states since being raised in 1974 under the GLoNY. I've noticed that those lodges providing varied extracurricular activities have experienced respectable growth and enthusiastic membership. I'm encouraged by the influx of younger men inspired by our shared belief that through Masonry every man can become his best self while making a difference in the lives of others. And as an Air Force/Army veteran I've found in Freemasonry something else that’s found in the military – men you can trust; men who will back you, no matter what; men who understand what it means to live lives of honor and integrity; men who won’t leave you to face the enemy, or the world, by yourself. So mote it be.
My experience mirrors your own. Lodges that have a full and varied program seem to invariably thrive and be filled with excitement. Those that don't, aren't.
I suppose the issue I see is the fact that most of the Lodges I encounter are in the 'don't' category. And they will fail because of it. And the sad part is that they know it. They can see the thriving Lodges and what those Lodges do as clearly as I can, but they won't work to bring forth improvement.
And I just find that super sad.
But, on the other hand, and fulfilling my need for hope...
Our Lodges (And Temples) were largely created before the building of the interstate highway system. Maybe, most likely, Freemasonry does not need as many Lodges as it had before. Because we have modern transportation. We needed a Lodge in the City of Bremerton, and another one a mile east of Bremerton, because that mile contained a major body of water. Now there is a bridge.
I have grown recently grown accustomed to telling my Brothers that Freemasonry could stand to be a little smaller.
I say this because we have many brothers who affiliate with Lodges in far-flung areas in an effort to keep historic Lodges alive, even as the town dies around the Lodge and there is no effort among the brethren living in said town to spread Freemasonry within their locality.
Brethren from 50-100 miles away can't actively work to save a Lodge that isn't in a position to grow its membership with new blood.
I think we arrived here because of the non-sensical "knock three times" unwritten policy that many of my Brethren, myself included, faced when we first approached Lodges in the 80s and 90s. But now that we're here, those remote Lodges that embraced that suicidal strategy need to be allowed to surrender their Charter.
We try desperately to hold onto the Past when what we need to hold onto is the perfection of the Craft.
Freemasonry doesn't need to be saved, but we must make the necessary sacrifices to make it stronger again.
I agree men are trying to save a building instead of the lodge of men.
And in a lot of cases, expending tremendous amounts of energy to do so.
>>>We try desperately to hold onto the Past when what we need to hold onto is the >>>perfection of the Craft.
A truly excellent nugget of wisdom for us to hold onto. Thank you very much!
I think we should be careful to define what kind of masonry we are trying to "rise from the ashes." Are we rebuilding an organization where our members are merely customers to be served and entertained or, are we on a mission to provide men an opportunity to improve themselves in masonry? If it is the former, it is unlikely that masonry will win the battle for modern man's time and attention. If the answer is the latter, then our lodges need to shed the exoteric facades of the past 100 years in favor of building that spiritual house, eternal in the heavens.
There is a lot of wisdom here I think. Thank you. A charitable social club won't rise from the ashes because it is called Masonic any more than the decimated Eagle's clubs will rise again. But men will value an organization that helps them to improve themselves, their families, and the world around them.
Maybe masonry is intended to be small. We keep comparing ourself to post world war era. I have read (somewhere) that lodges shouldn’t be large. Once they hit a certain number ( I believe it was 30) another lodge should be formed. That keeps it personal.
When I first read you're post I thought "30 is too small". But if the lodge was 30 ACTIVE members, I believe you are correct.
In my neck of the woods, 30 active members would be a big Lodge. We generally have between 15 and 20 active members. That translates to somewhere around 100 total membership.
We have 196 members, and have about 20-30 show up on a regular basis, so your numbers match ours.
That seems like a natural amount that happens anyway. Even Lodges with a couple hundred members generally only have 20 or 30 show up regularly. Perhaps that is some sort of ideal group size that evolved into us?
I think that a return to the principles of Freemasonry, rather than traditions, could result in significant benefit in short order.
What would happen to our organizational growth if we build value into our meetings? What if we taught skills that apply to and benefit Brothers in their daily lives, intertwined with the mystery, allegory, and fellowship of Freemasonry?
What would happen if we were to create opportunities to learn? Establishing new resources while supporting social good efforts in our communities. What if we built Brothers, Lodges, and communities through aligned efforts and interests?
What would happen if we assisted and encouraged our Brethren to follow the obligations taken during the second degree?
There are many younger Brothers seeking sound council, self included, that seek to work towards positive change in their communities.
I have met many a Brother who found the craft due to legacies of past Brethren and their accomplishments. I sometimes wonder if we are doing enough to leave a similar legacy for future Brothers to follow.
If there are those seeking growth, journey, and purpose, will they find it here?
When building a foundation in life, investing in your future, what would you look for? Can it be found here?
It is essential that we retain the spirit of our foundations, building in the present, with vision for the future if we are to successfully navigate these challenges and stand the test of time.
I think we need a Lodge of Builders.
Very well said, Brother. Thank you!
Working on the district level with "Prospects", men who would like to join the Fraternity. I believe there is a renaissance occurring. These Prospects have been on the internet, read about our values, morals, philosophical instruction, founding forefathers, and most importantly that we are men, helping men become better men. They need and want to be part of the institution which will live up to those expectations.
Charity is good. Social lodges are good. They are a by-product of a healthy lodge. I'm not finding that men would like to join us primarily to be social or charitable first.
It is past time we follow our ancestors' footsteps, rebuild and remake the temple.
I tend to agree, there is a Renaissance occurring within our Craft. But, only within certain parts of our Craft. Some Lodges are thriving, most are not. It is the same with our Appendant/concordant bodies, some are thriving, most are not.
And ultimately, I do think it comes down to Lodges that are willing to break away from the model of 1960. Those that are, have an opportunity to thrive. Those that don't won't have that opportunity.
My fear, frankly, is that we are governed by overarching institutions that are much less quick to change than their components. Ultimately Grand Lodges and other Grand bodies will have to change as well, not only local Lodges, Chapters, &c.
“Might we be better off if we were to simply recognize that the Freemasonry that existed from the 1920’s to the 1960’s is well and truly dead? A shattered Temple, its columns fallen, never to rise again as they once were?”
I have thought a lot about this, and have on occasion come to the conclusion this statement is true. But then I always come back to the idea that if we do that, we could become unmoored from our identity as Freemasons. I have seen institutions burn everything to the ground and start over, and sometimes it works, and sometimes it blows apart in a chaotic mess.
I have been concerned about our decline for some time, and have often felt despair at the lack of a coherent plan to turn it around. Mostly I have seen plans that were either overly idealistic or simply doing the same things harder. Clearly, they are not working. Recently I have noticed the beginnings of what might be a natural and organic process that may save our fraternity.
In general, if we subtract the esoteric from Masonry, we become what every other social club is, positive influences on their community focusing on charity, community service and fellowship. What makes us different is the tiny percentage of our craft originating in the esoteric.
Dedicated, well-grounded brethren, evidencing strong academic and communication skills as well as zeal for the fraternity are beginning to explore the esoteric branch of Masonry and publishing their thoughts and practices. It is my hope that the work of these well-grounded brethren will revitalize our uniquely spiritual fraternity. These brethren are not writing about the pop culture version of esoterica, but the deep rooted Western Mystical Tradition. I believe and hope that these brethren will provide the spark that re-lights the fire that drives Freemasonry.
I agree, wholeheartedly, Freemasonry without spirituality is the Grange, the Eagles, the Lions, Rotary, &c. Spirituality is what makes our Craft unique. And because of that, it is, as you say, from where it will rise again.
There is danger involved with becoming unmoored from our past, as you mention, but there is also danger in remaining moored, in that it could drag us down. Likely, for success, a balance must be found.
I joined Freemasonry with the idea of gaining some teaching to make myself a better man. What I got was a slightly strange social club. I've thought to myself many times, "If I wanted to join a social club, I would have joined The Lions".
I had to search on my own to find the teachings within Freemasonry. I'm now trying to get some education going within our lodge. It's been difficult.
I think of it like this. If a Man comes into Freemasonry without knowing anyone in the lodge, thus he will most likely not know what goes one within said lodge, will he be happy with what he receives? Seems to me after the three degrees, there's nothing left but a social club. While that's important, I truly believe Men are joining for more than that.
All that to say I believe a small lodge of 20-30 fully engaged men who are looking to better themselves through the teachings of Freemasonry is better than 200 men who are members strictly for the social aspect.
We can thrive as a niche organization, similar to how it was prior to the influx of membership after WWII. Yes, we can still thrive with 20-30 members.
Bringing meaningful education into a Lodge can be difficult, as it isn't what the men of the past are used to. But, it is vital if we hope to see our Lodge thrive, and it can be done. Slowly but surely we see it happening in more Lodges within my Jurisdiction, and those Lodges are becoming the most successful.
The trick is, I think, to just keep on pushing it, eventually the naysayers come around.
But yes, if after the Third Degree we offer a man nothing of value to take back from our meetings, he will stop coming.
I have said, perhaps a bit morosely, that the only treason the economy of my home city (Buffalo, NY) turned around is because all the people wanting the steel plants to reopen are finally dead. We finally embraced a service and technology economy, and brought in younger people from other cities who didn't want to relive some good ole days.
Anyway, I said what I said, and I meant it.
And I mean the same for Freemasonry. I don't even want us to go back to those bloated days of so many members but likely few more real Masons.
That makes a good deal of sense to me. My little city was founded on coal mining (completely done now) logging (mostly done now) and a bit of farming (mostly done now.)
When these things went away, or largely went away, the place stagnated and slowly died, for decades. But it has really begun to turn around now, without those industries. We are slowly getting a vibrant downtown again, slowly finding prosperity again.
I once heard a brother say, “…we’re giving masonry away…” When I contemplated about what he said I came
to the conclusion it has already been given away. It’s a habit now. A compulsory practice like going to work, or church. I am uncertain when or where but I get the feeling it was well before the 90 year old member joined.
Obviously semantics and the centers of cultural gravity shift with time. However even in comparison the overall spiritual mystique of the perennial philosophy found in old masonic text is utterly absent, better sanitized from contemporary works.
I love the community and charity aspects. However when I watch a lodge barely squeak by on its annual budget with no fund raising planned I get the feeling we’re putting the charity (energy?) in the wrong place. Like the meetings we’re doing it just because we’ve always done it.
How it can change, well I don’t have much of a suggestion to such a multifaceted question. I need more experience before I would even dare.
I do foresee an inevitable transition to smaller numbers,
and a need to spend more time refining masonry. Opposed to by the numbers meetings and endless regulations most don’t follow usually out of ignorance. Too worried about the flowers in spite of the roots.
I think that's true, we are 'giving it away.' I think that began in the 1920's, and accelerated in the 1940's, when so many men were being Initiated, so quickly, that everything that made Freemasonry unique among social organizations was largely lost. No one had a chance to truly learn, because it became an initiation machine, faster and faster, around and around it went.
And I don't think anyone noticed it happening until it all ground to a halt and decades were spent looking backwards.
But, we can look at very successful Lodges now. We have them, not a lot, but they are out there. Lodges that are truly thriving, and exploring Masonry as it was intended. They can serve as examples to all of the rest, show us the path forward. (Or, perhaps better said, the path backward.)
I agree that large numbers of masons seem to be a big issue. Quality is not quantity. Please understand I am not saying I recognize of necessarily qualify for what a quality mason is. I am too short for a high horse. 😉
Some brothers and I spoke about just that at the klatch today. That there seems to be a whole generation absent in the lodges. Left wondering what happened exactly.
Yep, we certainly missed my father's generation.
Odd thing too, because his very best friend, as an adult, was an extremely avid Freemason (and the reason I became a Freemason.) My hunch is that his friend never hinted that he should consider membership, had he, I assume that my dad would have jumped on it.