Tiny Book Club No. 10
Raising Standards and Bringing Accountability
This is the second discussion about recommendations made in the important book, The Laudable Pursuit. In all there were thirteen specific recommendations made, and we are discussing each of them, in groups of three.
Click: The Laudable Pursuit to read the short book for yourself.
If you missed it, our discussion about the first three recommendations is here:
Tiny Book Club No. 9
We haven’t had a meeting of the Tiny Book Club here on Emeth since August of 2021, so it’s about darn time! You’ve got to slap the guy who runs Emeth around once in awhile to keep him on track I guess! Back when I was a brand new Mason, a young and impressionable whippersnapper, I ran across a short online book call…
With all of that out of the way, here’s the next three recommendations. Let’s discuss them in the comments. I’ll start of off with a very brief thought after each one.
“4. Educate our members and our officers in our history, in our customs and in our duties. That means Masonic education, leadership training, and the simple skills of being gentlemen.”
I think that my Grand Lodge has done a good job bringing leadership training to our membership with the Lodge Leadership Retreat, and other training endeavors. And I think that we can see a marked difference between those Lodges that send their Officers to these trainings, and those that do not.
But, I think that Lodges themselves could also offer Leadership training, and I think that doing so would not only be of great value to the Lodge, but also to the individual Mason, both in his Masonic work, and outside of it. What Mason doesn’t want to be a better leader at work and for his family? We could offer that in our Lodges.
As for more general Masonic Education, I think that many of our Lodges are striving to provide that now. Much more so than in the past. And that is a very good thing, because men join Masonry for only two reasons. To learn about Freemasonry, and to practice Freemasonry. If we don’t offer those two things, we are no different than any other group a man can join.
“5. Raise the standards of our conduct and our work, not lower them. That means proficiency and attendance requirements, dress codes, and real investigations of new members. That does NOT mean that we should be excluding men because of social standing, profession or religion. It DOES mean that once a man is a Mason, he is to strive to be the best.”
I don’t know that the Lodges of my Jurisdiction have truly done these things on the whole. There is much talk about some of them, and some Lodges are doing them, but overall, I’m not sure that much progress at all has been made.
And that begs the question. Do we think these are worthy of making progress on?
“6. Curtail the power of the Grand Master to suspend without an immediate trial. When the GM suspends a member, a Trial Commission should be convened within a reasonable period of time, and must be made up of Past Masters, NOT Past Grand Masters or Grand Line officers.”
In essence this is how it works within the Grand Lodge of Washington. Everyone is entitled to a trial, and indeed appeals of an adverse verdict. It is, in my view, a very solid policy.
Three very important recommendations.
What do you think of them?
Let’s chat about it below…
I would like to address this point in number 5 >>> That means proficiency and attendance requirements, dress codes, and real investigations of new members. >>>
Proficiency is a must (especially concerning opening/closing lodge) and should be an absolute requirement before becoming WM. In our jurisdiction there are programs to certify a brother in this, and even a resolution up for vote during our annual communication to make it required. Being proficient is not about rote memorization. It is about being professional, being organized, and being respectful of the craft. It is its own badge of honor.
As far as attendance requirements, I would welcome some form of this. It bewilders me that we have brothers that simply pay their yearly dues and stay on the books, but you never see them in lodge. If they have some sort of reasoning for not attending, they should address it to the lodge or WM in order to resolve it, or dimit and join another lodge that best suits them. Are you really a Freemason if you never attend lodge?
With the exception of disabled, sick and elderly brothers that can no longer physically or mentally attend lodge, there is no excuse for the rest of us. Yes, we all may miss a night or two due to life events, but I think having some sort of requirement, for example attendance of at least 50% of stated meetings, is reasonable.
Dress codes – I welcome them. However, they mean different things to different lodges and is subject to the lodges culture. Whereas one lodge may require dark suits, white shirt and black tie, another lodge may require khakis and a black polo (or a specific lodge polo that is given to each new Mason). It could be less noticeable too, for example all brothers wear the exact same tie and lapel pin. Point is, a dress code can be seen as a point of pride and honor in the lodge and helps define its culture.
Real investigations of new members, I see as Guarding the Westgate. Quality versus quantity. A lodge should really get to know a seeker before simply handing him petition because he showed up for two dinners. This goes for legacies, too. IMO legacies should not be handed a petition just because their father or grandfather was a Mason. The lodge still needs to get to know the seeker and exercise due diligence to ensure a man (legacy or not) is a good fit for Masonry and that lodge.
Thank-you
4. I certainly agree that Freemasonry needs a systematic course of leadership education. I have seen so many Masonic training programs labeled “leadership” but mostly deal with lodge management type issues. In my opinion, true leadership education teaches the attitudes, behaviors, and skills for visioning, team building, collaboration, problem solving, and dealing with people for effective relationship building.
Mason education needs a definition. If you asked the question, “what is Masonic education” to 100 Masons, you might get 100 different answers. In my experience the programs offered in most lodges are just short informational pieces (some having nothing to do with Masonry), and not a systematic learning experience to actually help a man improve and practice the virtues and lessons imparted in the degrees. Grand Lodges, for the most part, have not developed strong programming to support a sustained learning program for lodges.
I encourage everyone to listen to an online video discussion with Masonic Author Dan Hrinko by the Ohio Lodge of Research. Dan discusses what the education of a Mason should look like from initiation through the Brotherhood. Additionally, Bro. Hrinko provides a summary of "The Purple of the Fraternity" His other writings include "The Craft Driven Lodge." And "From Man to Mason: A Transformation Through Education." https://youtu.be/gXde8jzxxBk?si=1tT9JD-jFLq5HmBI
5. I have often said that we have relaxed standards and become more common. When we cease to be unique, we will fail.
6. If a GM suspends a member for just reasons, a process should begin immediately. I don’t think the trial commission needs to be Past Masters, but should be brothers who will conduct the proceedings impartially.