Man School

Let's Go!

This week, I’ve been writing my little essays, inspired by the ‘other fraternity’ that has been steadily growing through the same decades in which Freemasonry has been collapsing.

I mentioned in my first post that they do something that we don’t do.

That thing is what I’m going to call Man School.

They intentionally teach men what a man is. Then intentionally teach a men how they should live their lives as men.

Photo by Deleece Cook on Unsplash

I do believe that Freemasonry communicates this same information through its ritualistic work. But I don’t believe that Freemasonry does so in an effective manner for the majority of men today.

And I believe that may well be why our membership is in free fall, while this ‘other fraternity’s’ membership is growing. Because they are giving the men of today something that they want and need. Something beyond what we effectively teach within our Craft today.

I don’t think that I would be exaggerating if I were to say that in my years as a Mason, I have visited more Masonic meetings, in a greater number of places, than 99% of all Masons out there. I don’t travel as much now as I previously did, but I spent years continually on the road, bouncing from Lodge to Lodge.

In all of those meetings and activities, I have never seen a Masonic discussion with the topic: “What is a man?” I have never seen a Masonic discussion with the topic: “How should we live our lives as men?”

These things are in our ritual. They can also be found in Lodge by looking towards the men we admire.

But we don’t intentionally teach them.

And I think that is a failing. A failing that we can and should address.

The ‘other fraternity’ is extremely intentional about this.

They have a written work that answers many of these questions. They have a series of videos that explain perspectives on these questions in more detail. Lastly, they have what they call a workbook to be utilized along side of the written and video presentations.

They break men up into small groups. I presume, but don’t know for certain, that these groups are of similarly situated men. Over the course of eight to twelve weeks, meeting weekly, these small groups read the written material, watch the videos, and then sit down to discuss the points made in that week’s materials. The workbook suggests other readings, and sample questions that can be utilized to spur far ranging and in depth discussion.

They also ask men to make goals based on the material, and discuss their individual progress towards meeting those goals week to week. This as a way of holding each other accountable to not only learn the information, but to put it into practice in daily life.

I notice, in my review of the materials, that they are not milquetoast. They don’t pull punches. Right and wrong are clearly called out, and why.

I’ve never encountered anything similar in Freemasonry.

And, I think that we are missing the boat.

If a young man was raised by a single mother, no father in sight; taught predominantly by female teachers in school; had mostly female leaders for his after school activities; where would he have learned what it means to be a man? Where would he have learned what the purpose of man is during his time here on earth?

I would argue that young man, through no fault of his own (and no fault of the women who stepped up when men did not) entered adulthood with a big hole inside. A hole left from the absence of men.

I would think that he would be a prime candidate for Freemasonry. If we developed an effective method of teaching the tenets of our Craft to a broad cross section of men.

Now multiply him by tens of millions. For surely tens of millions of men are in that exact place in our society today.

Esoterics, history, symbolism, ritual. All of these, and more, are wonderful things to learn about in a Masonic context. They are things that a good Lodge will at least attempt to discuss.

But, should we not go back to basics as well? In addition to all those fancy things, do we have to also teach what a man is, and what the duties of manhood are?

I am arguing that we do. We owe it to the young men of today, and to ourselves.

The bell is ringing, time for us to go to Man School!