Now Is The Time
There has never been a better time to bring positive change to our Ancient Craft
This is the perfect time to bring change to our Fraternity. Right now, no one can make claims like ‘we have always done things this other way.’ Those claims can’t be made because of course we have not done anything for over a year now.
We haven’t had Stated Meetings, we haven’t conferred Degrees.
Right now, bad old habits that had long plagued our Lodges, and old Lodge traditions that outlived their purpose decades ago, are dead. Undoubtedly the restrictions placed as a result of Covid have been difficult for our Lodges and our Masons. But, there is a great silver lining. That is the fact that we will soon be starting from scratch.
When we do, our Lodge leaders need to focus on creating a superb Lodge experience for our Masons. If they won’t do that, then the members of our Lodges should force it to be done.
We need to take a good look at things, and honestly face the facts.
In the Jurisdiction of Washington, most Lodges have more inactive Masons on the rolls than active and engaged Masons. In most cases, a lot more.
In Washington, we Initiate enough new men each year to sustain ourselves well into the future. Yet in most Lodges, we fail to retain a large percentage of these men. In some Lodges, large numbers of them don’t even remain long enough to receive the Three Degrees. Don’t believe me? A Lodge in Western Washington recently purged its records of over 90 men who were Initiated EA, but never Raised MM. Over 90 men.
This is shameful. As Masons, we should be ashamed when we look at the true state of many of our Lodges. More than that though, this should serve as a wake up call for us. It should drive us to work to improve our Lodges.
We need to work, each and every one of us, to ensure that our Lodges are improved enough so that we have more active and excited Masons on our rolls than inactive Masons. We should fix the problems that plague many of our Lodges so that the men we Initiate end up becoming Masons for life, not Masons for a year or two. We should ensure that our candidate mentoring and education is such that having men drop out during the Degree process is a rare exception, not an all too frequent occurrence.
We haven’t done that in the past few decades.
Rather, we have hidden our heads in the sand, and pretended that it wasn’t happening.
The prime example of this?
It used to be the case that EA’s and FC’s that failed to advance remained on the Lodge’s page in Grandview. Every time a Lodge member logged on, he would be faced with a list of names of all the men that his Lodge did not make enough of an impression on for them to stick around and complete their Degrees.
Did the majority see this list as a call to action? Did they figure out a plan to get these men back on track? No. The majority went to the Annual Communication, and voted that henceforth, a Lodge could simply remove these names from the list, as if they never even existed. A Lodge could now do this, and would no longer be reminded about the men it had failed.
These are the horrible practices of the past.
We need not repeat our history. We can have a much better future.
On January 21, 2020 the Sun Set in the West in the Jurisdiction of Washington when we had the first case of Covid. Before long, the pandemic had spread across our nation, and not long after that our Lodges closed their doors.
For Freemasonry, it has been the darkest of nights, for over a year.
But the Sun is starting to Rise in the East. We can, today, see the first glimmer of light on the horizon. It is the beginning of a new day.
The mistakes of the past, are in the past. They belong to a different day. This is the birth of a new day, we can easily start things anew.
As we start our labors on this new Masonic day, let us actually perform that most noble of arts, Freemasonry.
Let’s make certain that only the best men in our communities are given the Degrees of Masonry, by taking our obligation to guard our West Gate seriously. Lets truly get to know a man, investigate him, seriously interview him, let’s make sure that he is a very good man before we ever let him enter into a Lodge of Masons.
Let’s never forget that Masonry needs a few men of excellence. It does not need large numbers of questionable men.
Once we have the man we want, let’s make certain that our Degree teams are up to snuff. We need to practice, and ensure that we can deliver a Degree that will have a powerful and transformative impact on our new Mason. If we can’t do it alone, let’s ask our neighboring Lodges to loan us their best Degree ritualists to help.
When we have initiated this man, we need to make certain that the most capable teachers within our Lodge are assigned to help mentor and educate him as he goes through the Degrees. Let’s make sure that we welcome and involve him in the life of the Lodge, and do all we can to ensure that his experience moving through the Degrees is so profound that he will never forget it.
Our new Mason will join us for dinner. Let’s make certain that it is excellent. Freemasonry was founded around feasts, and feasts were the order of the day for hundreds of years. Only in recent decades was it decided that soup and sandwiches were somehow appropriate to the greatest Fraternity that has ever existed on the face of the globe. If we can’t pull off a fine meal, and very few Lodges can, then let’s start having our meals at restaurants or bring in catering.
He will attend Lodge. Every single Worshipful Master within the Jurisdiction of Washington, and one assumes in all Jurisdictions, has knelt at the Altar of God, placed his hand on the Volume of Sacred Law, and solemnly promised to propagate the knowledge of our mystic art. In other words, to give Masonic education, or as the Worshipful Master is reminded at every meeting he presides over, to give good and wholesome instruction. Let’s make certain that our Worshipful Masters are providing Masonic education. If they aren’t, let’s remind them that they are violating their obligation as they are standing in the East. In other words, let’s require them to do the job they swore they would do.
He will seek fellowship. Let’s make certain that we spend time with this new Brother, outside of the Lodge as well as inside of it. Welcome him with joy and share with him in his triumphs and struggles, just as friends and Brothers should do.
When he talks with us, let us not minimize or somehow try to hide the esoteric, mystical, spiritual side of our Ancient Craft. Masonic buildings are properly styled Masonic Temples, not Masonic Centers. Freemasonry does hold esoteric practices and knowledge, our new Mason knows that to be true, and is interested in it, so let’s be open when talking with him about it.
If we do these things, we will be doing Freemasonry.
As I type these words, the sun is rapidly rising in the East. A new day is dawning, let us make it a great day for Freemasonry.
Zoom Ho!
As with every Sunday, I’ll open a Zoom gathering tonight at 7:30 PM, Pacific Time. Login information will go out via email to those with a paid subscription to Emeth at 5:00 PM.
If you would like to join in this Zoom gathering, but need to upgrade your subscription to do so, please do it before 5:00 this afternoon to ensure that you receive the information.
As in previous weeks, we can talk about what was discussed on Emeth over the past week, talk about what we would like to discuss in the future, and of course toast each other and our Ancient Craft. The meeting agenda will be tight, and like always, limited to 40 minutes.
I look forward to seeing you this evening!
Discussion Recap
Last Sunday’s post, Masonic Education generated a great deal of discussion. Ideas about how to improve the Lodge experience by focusing on what is truly important, and a lengthy side discussion about the esoteric aspects of the Fraternity. The comments received added a great deal to the post itself, and I thank everyone who took the time to share their thoughts.
In Let’s Discuss Cliques some horror stories of poor Lodge behavior were shared, proving that if not seen for what they are, our cliques can become problematic. Very importantly though, strategies for proactively addressing the need of Lodges to be open and welcoming were given, and should prove very easy for a Lodge, or a group of Brothers within a Lodge to put into practice.
Let’s Discuss The Trivium comes as a result of our Second Degree. A robust discussion was had about how badly the thinking and communication skills encompassing the trivium are needed in today’s world, and how a study of these arts; grammar, logic, and rhetoric by Freemasons can improve our lives.
No concrete facts were found in Let’s Discuss Our Origins but of course no concrete facts can be found, for the origin of Freemasonry truly is lost to the mysts of time. Personally, I think that the theory outlined by Jack comes closest, but that is just my own opinion, those who hold a different theory have just as much chance of being correct as I.
Our discussion in Let’s Discuss Change was less lively than in the other threads this past week, but it did contain interesting discussion about a couple of different facets of Freemasonry. The powers of District Deputies of the Grand Master, and Plural Memberships. I think that the former is something that the Craft will continue to refine as time goes on, but the second is something that I think we should discuss here on Emeth in much more detail. Please watch for that discussion coming soon.
Let’s Discuss District Deputies included disagreement about just what the proper role of DDGM’s is, and in my view, the proponents on both sides of the issue made strong arguments for their positions. It also showed that many have much love for the men who have served in that position. Lastly I’d like to mention that Bob asked some factual questions about how DDGM’s are selected in the Jurisdiction of Washington. Having recently selected a large number of DDGM’s I was able to answer his questions, and I presume that others would likely be interested in that information as well.
As with last week, significant discussion took place in our paid subscribers only Live Open Thread No. 2 the feel of the discussions, in these more restricted threads is different from those of the other threads. Not better or worse, but different, perhaps almost feeling as if they are more intimate, and therefore more open somehow. For those who may have missed it, there is also some good discussion in the other restricted post, Thank You.
All of these discussions remain open. Please feel free to add your own comments to them. The more voices that participate, the better they will become.
As Always, Thank You
To all those who read Emeth, thank you! It is great knowing that my words reach so many Masons.
To those who add their voices to our discussions, thank you very much! Your willingness to share your knowledge and wisdom is greatly appreciated.
To my paid subscribers. Thank You! You make Emeth possible. With your support, we are making a difference. We are improving Freemasonry, one new reader at a time.
A Personal Note
Yesterday I held the first meeting of the 2021-2022 Grand Lodge of Washington team. Please know that if I am elected Grand Master in June, I will do all that I am able to advance the cause of Masonry, and I will do my very best to make each and every Washington Freemason proud.
Just in case you missed it:
Just sent over my edited recruitment letter to form a new lodge with these goals in mind. We will be reaching out to all those dropped candidates we can find contact information for.
Great article. I really enjoyed the team meeting yesterday, your sentiments and expectations for the jurisdiction for next year, and hopefully for years to come, are very much aligned with my thoughts on the matter. And you are right. If not now, when?