On Being Thankful

I spent a lot of time yesterday thinking about Thanksgiving, what it means to me, and figuring out all the things I am grateful for this year. In his proclamation declaring the last Thursday in November to be a day of Thanksgiving, President Abraham Lincoln wrote: To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God.

If you are a regular reader of this blog, you will know that I spent the last year and a half in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and that I am now home, among friends and brothers once more. On this, my first Thanksgiving home, I want to give thanks for, in no particular order:

1. My brothers in freemasonry, who were sad to see me leave, and glad to see me return.
2. My brothers in Saudi Arabia, who I cannot discuss, but you all know who you are, thank you for your support!
3. My wife, for all her support while I was over there supporting us.
4. My family, for supporting, and aiding and assisting my wife while I was away.
5. To my country, for while I do not always agree with every action she takes, her protection sheltered me even while in Riyadh.
6. For my friends, for supporting me while I was gone and welcoming me when I returned.
7. My new job, close to home, that allows me to travel and support myself and my family.
8. For the opportunity to travel to another country and live there, to learn about the customs and traditions in that country, and to learn that what we read in the media is hardly complete, or accurate.
9. For my Saudi friends, who welcomed me into their homes, helped me to learn, and befriended me.
10. For my cat, Afwan, for keeping me sane when I was alone and so far from all my friends and everything familiar.
11. To be alive at this time. Every day I get up and look down at the grass instead of up at it is a good day.
12. For my brothers in all other countries of the world, to Bill and Gio, especially.
13. To Manny Blanco, John Cover-Spear, George Geanoulis, Adam Kendall, John Cooper, Dennis Chornenky, Prometheus (you know who you are) Bill McElligott, Giovanni Lombardo, and many many more for your good words, excellent advice and moral support while I have been traveling.
14. To the brothers in London who welcomed me with open arms, and my brothers in Madison New Jersey.

This has been an awesome year, one that has taught me much... what to do, and from some, what not to do.

What are you grateful for? What in your life has touched you that you have taken for granted? We are only vouchsafed this moment in time, and not a moment more. Our moments in life are not measured in the breaths we take, but in the moments that take our breaths away. How about you?

May the blessings of heaven rest upon us and all regular masons. May brotherly love prevail, and every moral and social virtue, cement us!

A Broom Named Harmony

There is a brother on one of the few Masonic Forums I do not post on who is always on about his “broom named Harmony”. He wields this “broom” to sweep away any discussion that in his opinion, creates discord or “disharmony”. The fact is, the use of this “broom” actually creates dissention, and drives away good men.

The “broom” he uses is intimidation, censorship, and outright banning of people who do not toe his line in the sand. The fact is, he uses this “broom” to sweep away any opinion at variance with his own about what is “ok” to talk about. It is this “Conformity or Coventry” and that is why I am writing today about his broom.

I will not name the brother, or the forum, as it is really unimportant. I use his “broom” only as a metaphor for what seems to be a challenge today. Masonry is about freedom, to think, to talk, to act, to chose, yet there are those who, in favor of something they call harmony, are willing to shut down conversations.

Why and how did this come about? How can a fraternity, dedicated to freedom, come to a place where that very freedom is curtailed in the name of something called harmony? There is but a single word to describe it, and it is, unfortunately, simply fear. Fear of having your cherished world view challenged, fear of different thought, fear of other facts, fear of change.

Yet, as freemasons, we should be able to examine any issue, thought or problem, openly, as intelligent men. Benjamin Franklin wrote that intelligent men should approach issues with an open mind. That means we should hear out all sides, weigh the facts, then make a rational decision.

Unfortunately, that does not seem to be the American way these past few decades. “Debate” seems to have gone from rational examination to demonization. The process no longer seems to be one of the exchange of ideas, but one of demolishing your opponent, of crushing them, not only on the merits of the argument to hand, but also personally, and often professionally.

Masonry, fortunately, gives us a way to learn from each other, to exchanges points of view, to discuss issues on their merits, as brothers, circumscribing our desires so that we can meet on the level and act by the plumb. When we meet on this basis, as masons, we should be able to discuss any issue, no matter how contentious, without resorting to the tactics of personal destruction.

Experience demonstrates that most people that have opinions about issues, but if we act as brothers, as adults, as men and of course, as masons, we can share and learn from each other. When we act as masons, there is no reason to use the broom named harmony, because real harmony exists, and there is no need to sweep things under the carpet.

Instead of a broom named harmony, freemasonic principles offer us the methodologies to work together.

Keeping Charity in mind, we can remember that our brothers are never villains, by keeping brother love in mind, we can remember that our brothers are our friends, and that they have only our best interests at heart, even when we view the world differently. Keeping prudence in mind, we can chose our words carefully, and remember that our brothers are doing the same.

Keeping all the tenets of Freemasonry clearly in mind, we can speak openly and freely, so that even as we disagree, because men of good will can and will disagree in a most friendly manner, we can remain brothers. Most of all, we should recall Masonic tolerance, so that as we deal with our brothers, we listen to what they are saying.

It is our differences that make us whole, not our similarities. If we keep that in mind, we will have no need of false harmony, created only by sweeping our differences under the carpet. We can join of differences, and by understanding each other, understand ourselves. To use a Masonic metaphor:

When polishing a stone, we do not use a smooth stone, but a rough stone, that by rubbing the two together we end up with a smooth surface, a perfect ashlar.

May the blessing of heaven rest upon us and all regular masons. May brotherly love prevail, and every moral and social virtue, cement us.

Out of the Sand Box

Most of my blog entries to date have been about Masonry in general, exoteric and esoteric issues and my understanding of them. Today, I want to take a stab at something just a tad different… what it’s like to live where Freemasonry is illegal.

For the last year and a half, I have been living and working in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, as an ex-pat employed by Computer Science Corporation, Arabia, Ltd., employed as the Enterprise Training and Documentation Manager. There are many things we have heard about Saudi Arabia, some true, some REALLY true, and some untrue.

The first is that Freemasonry is considered illegal in Saudi Arabia. There has even been at least one fatwa, or religious ruling, issued against our ancient and honorable fraternity:

College of Islamic Jurisprudence, Makkah, 15th July 1978 - concerning: Freemasonry

“The College of Islamic Jurisprudence, in its session convened at Makkah on 15th July 1978, examined the issue of Freemasonry, of those affiliated with it and the legal Islamic judgment on it, after adequate study of this dangerous organization, and the boy of literature on it, inclusive of the College’s own published documents, books, and newspaper and journal articles.

From the totality of writings and texts which the College examined, the following was evinced:

Freemasonry is a clandestine organization, which hides as well as reveals it operations as it sees fit. Its true principles are guarded from all but its most venerated masters, who have, by virtue of their consecration at Freemasonry’s highest order degrees, proven worth of this honor. It establishes the relation of its members one to another, in all places of the earth, as is the alleged human brotherhood among all entrants in its organization, without discrimination as to race, religion, and creed. Such overt misrepresentation of “fraternity” is simple-minded, at best. It attracts persons whose affiliation is practicable for the organization; its allure is largely of a personally lucrative nature for the individuals sought. The high-minded principles of this recruitment entail; pledged assistance to any Freemasonic brother the world over; firm support of any Freemasonic candidacy to public office; and unconditional loyalty in all Freemasonic endeavors, even in those where the individual must compromise his sense of honour, justice, truth and right.

Such lofty appeals often amass considerable financial contributions. Admission to Freemasonry is based on the celebration of the new member’s affiliation through symbolic and awe-inspiring ceremonies which serve to frighten the initiate if he is at variance with the instructions; the more threatening orders are issued successively with rank. Gullible members are left free in the exercise of their religious beliefs; if they do not choose to benefit from the directives of guidance and the assignment of task appropriate to their status (they remain in lower degrees. As to the heretics, rank is calibrated in relation to individual experience and mastery, as well as demonstrated readiness to serve Freemasonry’s purposes, principles, and plans. It has political aims, and in most political and military upheavals, it has a visible, as well as an invisible, role. Its original organizational roots are Jewish; its secret global high administration, Jewish; and its activity, Zionist.

In its secret real aims, it is against all religions: in general it seeks to destroy Islam for its Muslim adherents. It strives to select its membership from among positions of influence - financial, political, social or scientific status ( and to draw to its ranks kings, presidents and ministers, as tools to be manipulated in the forging of its dogma. It has branches which adopt other names to thus misrepresent and divert attention away from activities which encounter resistance to the name of Freemasonry. Among the most conspicuous branches operating under pseudonym are the Lions and Rotary Clubs; many, under multiple guise, similarly contradict the fundamentals of Islam. It has become evident to the College of Islamic Jurisprudence the strong relation of Freemasonry to world Zionist Jewry. Thus it has been able to dominate many officials in the Arab countries concerning the question of Palestine, and to interfere in the Palestine question on behalf of the Jews and world Zionism.

Therefore, and for the detailed data on Freemasonry’s activity, its considerable danger, its wicked dressing and its cunning aims, the College of Islamic Jurisprudence considers Freemasonry one of the most dangerously destructive organizations to Islam and to Muslims

Whoever would associate himself with it while in knowledge of its true nature and aims, would be a non-believer in Islam and uncounted among its adherents.”

On the 1-10 paranoia scale, this Fatwa rates a 14, and of course, on the ignorance scale, it rates a 25… but we are used to this type of thing from Christian zealots. In fact, it reads much the same as the tinfoil hate brigades, same ignorance, same paranoia, same Konspiracy Kookery.

For the last 18 months, I have lived in a place where that type of paranoid delusion was de rigueur. Living in a place where a fundamental part of your life, your philosophy, are illegal was… entertaining, to say the least.

However, Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism and all OTHER ism’s are also illegal. In fact, anything that is not fundamental Islam is illegal in Saudi Arabia, and actively enforced. I know men who tried to sneak bibles into the country, for their own use, of course, only to have the books confiscated, destroyed, and themselves fined for trying.

The good news is there are thousands of freemasons in Saudi Arabia. WE know how to recognize each other without square and compasses. I wore a common cane every day, and often a flower as well to identify myself… and as a result, met many ex-pats in that country.

Islam is not evil, nor are Muslims… the purposes to which it is put, however, like any other religion, can be turned to evil. Religion has been historically used to control the populace, though the degree to which Islam is used to control people in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is… scary.

Its scary, not because it exists, all religions have been used to control people, but its scary because the people seem to LIKE it. Saudi Arabia is the direct opposite of everything Freemasonry stands for: Freedom. As a freemason in Saudi Arabia, the lack of freedom was like the stink of decay, omnipresent, cloying… and unavoidable.

Some brothers complain about complying with the rules, obligations and traditions of Masonry, and others grind other issue axes. Live in a place where you have to hide the very fact that you are a mason, where the things you consider important and fundamental to your life are not only unimportant, but not even understood.

When you live for a time under a true religious theocracy, a fundamentalist police state, though granted, a velvet lined one as long as you act “right”, you will once more value the freedoms that Freemasonry advocates and embodies. Remember, in the west, we have freedoms that are not only unheard of in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, but frankly, not understood.

Thank g-d for Freemasonry… its philosophy, tenets, and my brothers worldwide kept me sane and on an even keel while I toiled there. And thank g-d you are not a woman living in that place! Today, I sit once more in the west, breathing freedom like the very air in my lungs… but unlike two years ago, I no longer take those freedoms for granted.

May the blessing of heaven rest upon us and all regular masons. May brotherly love prevail, and every moral and social virtue, cement us.

Chain Of Union

Freemasonry is a peculiar system of morality, veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbols. Symbols are something that stands for or suggests something else by reason of relationship, association, convention, or accidental resemblance. In Freemasonry, we have the Compass, the Square, the Level, the Plumb and so on, visible, physical symbols of philosophical principles and elements.

There are also symbols that are enacted, for instance the due guards and signs by which we can recognize each other. There is another type of enacted symbol, the Chain of Union.

Generally, it is formed at closing a lodge, and usually only in the first-degree. Some do it immediately before the closing, others after, and some as a part of the ritual of initiation where is it done in an evocative manner: Immediately after closing the works, the novice is placed “between the pillars” where he is able to see the formation of the chain. After it is formed, by order of the master, the circle is opened towards the West so the candidate, crossing the threshold, is welcomed into and becomes an integral part of it. The chain is closed, locked “with force and vigor,” having assimilated the new ring in an almost organic way.(1)

To form the chain, the brethren descend to the level, and assemble in a circular shape around the altar or tracing board in the center of the lodge. If the lodge wears gloves, the brethren should remove them, then standing shoulder to shoulder, they should stand with heels together, their feet forming the angle of a square, their toe tips touching that of the brother on each side.

The brethren should cross their arms over their chest, right arm over the left joining hands with those of his neighbors so the right hand takes the neighbors left, with the right hand covering and the left hand supporting.

The brethren should rest their chin on their chest, close their eyes and concentrate on the intent of the Worshipful Master, remaining silent and meditative. The master says: so mote it be, and the brethren raise and drop their arms in unison three times, then release the hands to break the chain and release the joined will of the brethren.

The chain of union reminds us of the indissoluble chain of sincere affection which unites us all, the high and low, the rich and the poor into one society or band of brothers. The Chain of Union also represents the knotted cord that runs around the temple walls. It indicates that we are all links belonging to the same chain.

This practice has seemingly fallen into disuse in many jurisdictions, and is one that symbolically unites us, physically, psychically, morally, and masonically.

May the blessing of heaven rest upon us and all regular masons. May brotherly love prevail, and every moral and social virtue, cement us!

References:

(1) Chain of Union, Giovanni Lombardo, Lodgeroom International Magazine, June 2006, pp 7

That which you get cheaply, you hold cheaply

Advice is worth what you pay for it…

What you get cheap, you hold cheap…

These are two aphorisms that seem to best describe the dues policy in many lodges in the United States. I can’t speak to the dues structure in any other country. I will use the Grand Lodge of California as an example here, since I am a member of that Grand Lodge.

I am told that when my grandfather joined the Glendale Masonic Lodge in 1944, the entry fee was $10, and yearly dues were about $15. To give context to that, $10 was about two weeks wages for an skilled laborer in 1944, and my grandfather was a journeyman printer and 39 years old.

Today, the average initiation fee is $150 and the average dues in our lodges are $49. Per capita in 2005 was about $23, so the lodges are, on average, keeping $26 of each members dues for rent, upkeep, utilities and fraternal activities. Many lodges had hundreds of members, so this was a tenable situation, and one which has created the problem we now face.

In 1944, it took two weeks wages to be initiated and three weeks wages to be a member of a lodge. Today, the initiation fees are one day to a few HOURS wages, and dues are at most, 4 hours wages even at minimum wage.

Over the past 50-60 years, masons have kept our dues unreasonably low, because the vast number of brothers entering the fraternity supported such a thing. There was little looking toward the future, for whatever reason, so the dues structure has not changed.

Today, we have a decline in membership that is due, I think, to three things:

The first is the brothers who joined in the 1940-1970 time period are aging out of the craft (in California, the average age of joining has been 44 years of age since the Grand Lodge FORMED in 1850). The second is the 1960’s. The hippies rejected everything their parents stood for, from their morality to their clubs to the entertainments. As a result, we have lost a generation which would have started joining the lodges in the late 1980’s.

Third, and perhaps most damaging to all volunteer organizations is the change in culture overall. People just don’t join volunteer organizations like they did in the past. Every organization from the local bowling league to the local church have seen declines in membership, and Freemasonry has been no different.

In fact, a rational argument could be made that Freemasonry has done itself no service by becoming insular and turning inward, away from the communities. That, however, is an issue for a different paper.

As the membership has started to decline, a number quick fixes have been proposed, from Recently, I had occasion to rise at my Grand Lodge in opposition to a one day conferral program offered by the then Grand Master. Most Worshipful felt very strongly about the program.

We spoke about the issue of dues, and he was concerned with the declining membership that Grand Lodge would have to raise the per capita significantly to meet the financial responsibilities of the Grand Lodge, and he felt the only way to get numbers into the lodges quickly was one day conferrals.

As noted above, the dues are an average $49, which is about $4 per month. If the dues in 1944 were the equivalent of about three weeks wages, and we carry that forward to today, with an average wage of $60,000 per year, three weeks wages would be about $3,500 per year, per brother.

This is a tad high, even today, but imagine what your lodge could do if every brother contributed $3,500 per year to the activities. One can assume that the 80% that do not, or rare do come to lodge would be there every time there was something happening!

So, talking reasonably, the dues should probably be $240-$360 per year. Why this figure? Well, its $20 to $30 per month, which, while low for the amazing value Freemasonry provides us, is a more reasonable fee. Yes, this structure is 8 times higher than the current average in California, but it is a reasonable amount to support our lodges.

More than that, as was noted above, we have all seen that the vast majority of brothers in our lodges never darken the doorways. Why? Is it because the dues fee is low enough that many can afford to be stick and pin Masons there?

We would be better to have 100 active members in our lodges at $240 per year each than 400 at $49 each. This is where the title of this paper falls into place: What a man gets cheap, he holds cheap, but what a man pays dear, he holds dear.

This may sound arrogant on its surface. We all know brothers that struggle to make the rent every month, and we all have brothers in the lodge that are retired on social security and little each, who have trouble buying food and medications every month.

The dues structure is not about keeping out men that are not rich, nor is it meant to run men out of the lodges. There is not however, anything in Masonry that says the lodge cannot aid a brother in paying the yearly dues, in fact, quite the opposite is true! It is part of our obligation to aid and assist a worthy brother master mason.

To make the dues easier, the lodges could actually join the twentieth century and create a subscription, so dues could be paid monthly instead of annually. There are many things we could do, after all, we are a fraternity of brothers, with an obligation to each other. If a brother simply cannot afford the dues, the lodge should remit his dues for him, no questions asked, with the brother paying what he can.

We have a duty, an obligation, to aid, support, and protect each other, and this obligation should extend to our lodge, and to our future brethren. Yes, to the future. The lodge may not need $240 per brother per year today, but if the lodge is to be able to aid, support and protect the brothers, it needs to have more than the minimum operating funds.

It seems it is our duty to consider raising the dues, and to stop worrying about numbers. If we pay reasonable dues to ourselves through the lodges, we can concentrate on Guarding the West Gate, and keeping the standards of Freemasonry high. That way, we can do the work of Freemasonry, making ourselves better men before g-d and man.

May the blessing of heaven rest upon us and all regular masons. May brotherly love prevail, and every moral and social virtue, cement us.

Is Masonry Elitist?

First, let us look at the definition of elitist. Merriam-Webster defines it as:

Main Entry: elite

Function: noun

Etymology: French élite, from Old French eslite, from feminine of eslit, past participle of eslire to choose, from Latin eligere

1 a singular or plural in construction : the choice part : Cream (the elite of the entertainment world) b singular or plural in construction : the best of a class (superachievers who dominate the computer elite -- Marilyn Chase) c singular or plural in construction : the socially superior part of society (how the elite live -- A P World) (how the F.-speaking eliteEconomist) d : a group of persons who by virtue of position or education exercise much power or influence (members of the ruling elite) (the intellectual elites of the country) e : a member of such an elite -- usually used in plural (the elites ..., pursuing their studies in Europe -- Robert Wernick) ... was changing --

The definition of Elite and by extension, elitist seems to indicate that we are a group of elitists in that we only select, or, rather, allow, only the best, most honorable men into the fraternity. Now the question is, is that necessarily a bad thing?

Masonry, as all Masons know, is a group of good men, dedicated to god, seeking to be better men through fellowship with other good men, cleaving to a higher level of morality than society in general. If we claim a higher ground, that is, we claim to be a fraternity of good men, how exactly do we determine that, and how do we define it?

We know the requirements to be made a mason:

1) A belief in god, however the candidate knows Him

2) That the candidate be a free man, and freeborn

3) That the candidate be under the tongue of good report and come well recommended... ie, that he is a moral man.

Ok, the first two are pretty straightforward. One requires a profession of faith and no further inquiry, and the second is fairly self evident, and the manner of dress in the ritual puts a fine point on observation. Since there is no longer any slavery, the last two are pretty much givens.

The third, now, that is the one that requires examination and is the one that most likely will define the answer to my question. We know what it is to be under the tongue of good report… a moral, upright, level headed, honorable man with integrity, right?

The issue, then, is morality... does a man come to us under the tongue of good report, and does he come well recommended?

Masonry is not a church, but it IS a group of good and honorable men. The question we have to ask ourselves is what we are looking for as members for the fraternity. It is certainly not every Joe on the street, but it is, I think, every GOOD and HONORABLE man that seeks to make himself a better man.

In Guarding the West Gate I wrote that we need to ward Freemasonry against the less than upright in society. It is essential we do so, because of the peculiar system of Freemasonry, which I described here.

It is my opinion, as I stated in Peculiar System of Morality, that we are to use the freedom we take from away from outside authority, the freedom to chose, the freedom to think, the freedom to act… essential freedom. Yet, that essential freedom must be circumscribed by morality and ethics, for freedom without tempering, is evil incarnate.

Masonic principles are taught to us for a fundamental reason: It is essential that men who would grasp the ring of true choice, to ascend above the mere mortal, must have themselves under control. We must circumscribe ourselves, and to do that, we must have a moral compass in hand.

The churches were our fathers; they kept us safe from having to grow up. The churches taught us what to think, how to act, and how to worship. They taught us to be content in the circumstances in which we found ourselves, which is limiting.

When a man takes freedom in his own hands, he takes the first step away from away from “dad” and begins to grow his spirit. It is essential as we grow spiritually, TO grow spiritually, that we begin to take responsibility for our actions. However to take responsibility for our actions, we must first be moral people, and have a firm grounding in morality.

This is why Freemasonry teaches us and inculcates in us a strong sense of morality and ethical action. Of course, this is just reinforcing what we came to the fraternity with, honing, and polishing our morality… our perfect ashlars.

The freedom that Freemasonry teaches has succeeded so well that it is now taken for granted by western societies. Unfortunately, society has lost the underpinning of morality that made the personal freedom safe, and Freemasonry, which promulgated that freedom, may well become the anchor of morality for society, as we were for the freedom that is now running rampant without the moderation of morality Freemasonry provides for Freemasons.

So, back to the question I proffered at the start: Is Masonry and elitist group, and is that a bad thing?

Yes, we are an elitist group… we only accept the best, most honorable men, with demonstrated integrity and a faith in g-d. So much for the first half of the question.

The second half is even easier. Is this a bad thing? The answer, in my mind, is NO, it is not a bad thing. In fact, because of the nature of the secrets of freemasonry, it is an essential thing.

May the blessing of heaven rest upon us and all regular Masons. May brotherly love prevail, and every moral and social virtue, cement us.

A Peculiar System of Morality, taught by allegory…

As Masons, we often hear this explanation: Freemasonry is a peculiar system of morality, veiled in allegory, illustrated by symbols. We hear it so often, in fact, that we have come to accept it without thinking about what it means. I am going to try to change that today.

A Peculiar system of morality…

What about the Masonic Morality is peculiar? To understand that, we first need to look at what Freemasonry teaches. As I mentioned in Masonic Principles, Morals and Ethics, Freemasonry teaches us a set of PRINCIPLES as a foundation upon which we can erect of future moral and Masonic edifice.

Principles are fundamental to human life, regardless of where or how the humans live, or what understanding they have of g-d. Our principles are like the very air we breathe, they are essential to any human society. One way to quickly grasp the self-evident nature of the principles is to simply consider the absurdity of attempting to live an effective life based on their opposites.

Masonic Principles

Masonic principles, as taught in the degrees, are, for instance: Temperance, Fortitude, Prudence, Justice, Integrity, Silence, Brotherly Love, Relief, Truth, Hope, Faith, Charity, Freedom, Fervency, and Zeal. There has been a lot of discussion lately about morality, for morality, is, really, at the heart of whether a man is under the tongue of good report and can come well recommended.

There are some things upon which all of us can agree. Truth, integrity… do you say what you mean and do what you say? Faith, brotherly love, charity… these we can probably agree upon in broad strokes.

Masonic Morality

What about the sticky issues, the ones that an individual brother must grapple with in his soul, and find a position he can live with… for instance, abortion, gay rights, genetic engineering, giving a job to a brother mason instead of a stranger? Is it necessary that we agree upon every issue of morality for masonry to be an institution of morality?

I would argue that the answer is no, for we are a religious organization, without ascribing any one particular religious faith, but that faith upon which we can all agree… the fatherhood of god and the brotherhood of man. Morality, as much as religious faith, is matters of the individual brother.

Masonry takes no stand on the individual brother’s faith in god, how he knows Him, how he worships Him. However, morality, in many cases, is intricately intertwined with religious faith, dogma, and societal expectations and norms.

Defining Morality?

What and whose morality are we to use in making this decision? More fundamentally then, can we, as a fraternity, define morality? More to the point: SHOULD we, as a fraternity, even try to define morality? This is an intensely personal issue, and it seems to this writer, one of the peculiarities of the Masonic morality is that it is left to the individual brother to define for himself.

Culturally, at the time the lodges were forming, the prevailing opinion was that the church defined morality… and enforced it. The very idea that individuals, separate from the church could make and define their own morality and ethics was, to say the very least, threatening to the church, and very peculiar.

The lodges teach principles to her members and offers examples of morality, most notable that of Hiram Abiff and his death. An example of Masonic Morality is of restriction of political and religious discussion in lodges.

What is the Peculiar Morality of Freemasonry?

The explanation we are offered, that these are not allowed because they are divisive is indeed, a moral lesson. The Senior Warden notes: … harmony being essential to all societies, especially our own. This is a moral lesson. In fact, the peculiar morality of Freemasonry may very well be that we encourage free speech, free thought, freedom of religion, the freedom to ask questions.

The problem is, we have come so far away from the social and moral climate of the early 18th century that we have forgotten how important that peculiar morality of our was… and is, and what a difference it made on western society. Today, the very ideas freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of thought, freedom of choice have become the very water and air of our society.

THAT is the change that Freemasonry’s peculiar morality has made, and is the morality of Freemasonry that we must preserve. Those who would impose their own personal morality, or their understanding of “societal morality” upon the fraternity revile and tarnish our ancient and honorable fraternity.

Freemasonry: It’s not about me changing them, it’s about me changing me.

May the blessing of heaven rest upon us and all regular masons. May brotherly love prevail, and every social and moral virtue, cement us!

The Staircase is Upside Down

At the onset, I want to acknowledge that the idea for this entry came from a conversation with Br. Jeff Peace in a phone conversation that was also fleshed out in an article written by Worshipful Jarrod Morales about four years ago. There is truly nothing new under the sun, but the words here are mine.

Warning: The following discusses non-ritual symbolic aspects of the second and third degree.

So, what is wrong with the staircase? Let me start by laying a foundation, as all good masons should do when starting. The staircase is divided into 3, 5, and 7 steps; the first flight, we are taught represent childhood; The next, we are taught, represent youth, and the last, maturity. This staircase is ascended on the way to the middle chamber of King Solomon’s Temple, where the Fellowcraft, who has acquired knowledge and some experience, is worthy to receive pay.

This is the overarching theme of the Second Degree of Masonry as presented in lodge. Later, we are taught that a lodge of Entered Apprentices consists of no less than seven, one master, the others Entered Apprentices; that a lodge of Fellowcrafts consists of no less than five, two masters, the others Fellowcrafts; and that a lodge of Master Masons consists of not less then three Master Masons.

Notice, One Master is required in a lodge of Entered Apprentices, Two in a lodge of Fellowcrafts, and Three to make a lodge of Master Masons.

If the above is true, why is the staircase in the Fellowcraft trestleboard lecture always displayed as 3, then 5, then 7 steps? Shouldn't the staircase more accurately be 7, then 5, then 3? It seems the staircase has been reversed somewhere along the line, and we must ask, is it reversed to hide the true meaning that it teaches and more importantly, why have we forgotten that it is reversed?

With that in mind, lets take another look at the Staircase and see if the true meaning doesn’t leap out at us. The first level is the Entered Apprentice, Seven Steps. Coincidentally, this is the lodge that requires but ONE Master Mason to form. One is a clue to the first level.

As Entered Apprentices, we are to learn, that is our task, to labor in the mind. As speculative, not operative Masons, our task is to improve the mind, to begin our journey away from the material world of the profane outside the temple.

The seven steps are, we are told, represent the seven liberal arts and sciences: Grammar, Rhetoric, Logic, Arithmetic, Music, Geometry and Astronomy. These can be broken down into two groups, the quadrivium and the trivium.

In medieval educational theory, the quadrivium consisted of arithmetic, geometry, music, and astronomy. These followed the preparatory work of the trivium, made up of grammar, logic (or dialectic, as it was called at the times), and rhetoric. In turn, the quadrivium was considered preparatory work for the serious study of philosophy and theology.

Let me repeat that last again: The Liberal Arts and Sciences are preparatory work for the serious study of philosophy and theology. They are the foundation and the preparation necessary to advance into the philosophy of speculative masonry.

The subject of music within the quadrivium was originally the classical subject of harmonics, in particular the study of the proportions between the musical intervals created by the division of a monochord. A relationship to music as actually practiced was not part of this study, but the framework of classical harmonics would substantially influence the content and structure of music theory as practiced both in European and Islamic cultures.

In modern applications of the liberal arts as curriculum in colleges or universities, the quadrivium may be considered as the study of number and its relationship to physical space or time: arithmetic was pure number, geometry was number in space, music number in time, and astronomy number in space and time. Morris Kline classifies the four elements of the quadrivium as pure (arithmetic), stationary (geometry), moving (astronomy) and applied (music) number.(1)

Let us make an advance. The second flight of steps would remain the same: the Five orders of Architecture. Strangely, only three of these orders are important to Masons, and then there are the five senses of human nature, of which only three are important to Masons. This is the intermediary flight or stage of growth. It is symbolically the “operative” step, where we begin to apply what we have learned on the first flight of stairs.

Let us make another advance, my brothers, which would bring us to the flight of three steps. This flight represents the three degrees of Masonry, the great lights of Masonry, the three principles officers of the lodge, and the three supports of Masonry. These are the highest level of speculative Masonry in the second degree. They are symbolic of the speculative nature of Freemasonry, the spiritual side of the craft, and the first step above the mental plane toward the spiritual. It is the last advance a man makes before entering the middle chamber, that area between the material, mortal and the ethereal, spiritual world.

Edgar Allan Poe, who, strangely, was one of the antimasonic pinhead brigade, though a brilliant writer, taught us that sometimes the best place to hide something is in plain view. I wish to submit to you all that the staircase, presented to us and explained at length in the second degree, is a symbol and lesson hidden in plain sight.

The lesson however, is not the one we are taught and lectured on… oh, to be sure, the lesson taught is true, on a superficial level, and at that time and in that place, it is a valuable lesson. However, like calculus, the seeds of which are contained when we teach a child addition and subtraction, the true lesson of the staircase may only become visible on further contemplation.

We learn in Freemasonry that it is a peculiar moral science, taught by allegory and illustrated by symbols. It appears that perhaps some symbols are well and truly hidden. What else, my brothers, may be hidden in the recesses of the craft whose depths we are told to plumb in the lecture of the Fellowcraft degree?

With that, I leave you with a quote from Br. Giovanni Giacomo Cassanova:

Those who become Freemasons only for the sake of finding out the secret of the order, run a very great risk of growing old under the trowel without ever realizing their purpose. Yet there is a secret, but it is so inviolable that it has never been confided or whispered to anyone. Those who stop at the outward crust of things imagine that the secret consists in words, in signs, or that the main point of it is to be found only in reaching the highest degree. This is a mistaken view: the man who guesses the secret of Freemasonry, and to know it you must guess it, reaches that point only through long attendance in the lodges, through deep thinking, comparison, and deduction.

He would not trust that secret to his best friend in Freemasonry, because he is aware that if his friend has not found it out, he could not make any use of it after it had been whispered in his ear. No, he keeps his peace, and the secret remains a secret.(2)

May the blessings of heaven rest upon us and all regular masons. May brotherly love prevail, and every moral and social virtue, cement us!

References:

(1) Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quadrivium
(2) Memoirs, Volume 2a, Giovanni Giacomo Casanova, Paris, p. 33

Of Masonic Regularity

No single issue is more divisive than that of the Regularity of a lodge. If you are a member of a regular Grand Lodge, you have millions of brothers around the world, and tens of thousands of lodges will open their doors to you. As a regular Mason, you know that your masonry can trace its roots back to the Premiere Grand Lodge of England and that you are heir to a rich heritage of Masonic history, tradition and learning.

Defining the Terms

Regular: Regularity is a constitutional mechanism whereby Grand Lodges or Grand Orients give one another mutual recognition. This recognition allows formal interaction at the Grand Lodge level, and gives individual Freemasons the opportunity to attend meetings at Lodges in other recognized jurisdictions.

Irregular: This is a description of practice. For instance, a regular lodge can confer a degree in an irregular manner: George Washington was raised as a master Mason before he was 21 years old, a practice that, at the time, was considered irregular. This does not change that he was a regular Mason.

Clandestine: A clandestine lodge is one that pretends to be Masonic but is without a warrant, dispensation, or charter from a regular/recognized grand lodge. Mackey (History of Freemasonry) states: “The (Anderson) Constitutions declare, Section 8, that where a number of Freemasons shall take upon themselves to form a Lodge without a Grand Master’s Warrant, the regular Lodges are not to countenance them nor own them are fair brethren, and duly formed. In other words, Lodge formed without a Warrant from the Grand Master (we now say Grand Lodge) is “clandestine,” and so a “clandestine Masons” is one made in a Lodge without a Warrant.”

Recognize: When One Grand Lodge recognizes another, it acknowledges its Masonic regularity, authority, and territorial integrity. Such recognition, in order to be effectual, must be mutual. When such a recognition is finally given by a more senior Grand Lodge to a Junior Grand Lodge, (it is always the Junior Grand Lodge that applies for recognition) the two Grand Lodges are said to be in amity, mutual intercourse, or fraternal relations. The processes whereby one Grand Lodge recognizes another often involve, and are sometimes preceded by a settlement of prior differences, if any. The most usual method of assessing the regularity of an unrecognized Grand Lodge petitioning for recognition involves the seeking out of the opinions of other Grand Lodges already recognized. (Henderson, op cit. p. 15)

Amity: Grand Lodges and Grand Orients that afford mutual recognition and allow intervisitation are said to be in amity. As far as the UGLE is concerned, regularity is predicated upon a number of landmarks, set down in the UGLE Constitution and the Constitutions of those Grand Lodges with which they are in amity. Even within this definition, there are some variations with the quantity and content of the Landmarks from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.

There are two major branches of Freemasonry which consider their Lodges to be "regular", and both branches consider the other to be "irregular". The first, oldest and significantly largest of these two groups are those Grand Lodges in Amity with the United Grand Lodge of England. The other group are those Orients and Grand Lodges in amity with the Grand de France. The UGLE branch is commonly referred to as being "regular" (or "Mainstream") Masonry, while those Grand Lodges and Grand Orients in amity with GOdF are commonly referred to "liberal" or "irregular" Masonry.

For most regular, Mainstream Masons, there is little or no thought given to clandestine masonry, what it is, what it does, what it looks like, who are its members. They are not demonized to any extent, though they are not, for the most part, considered to be “real” masons. On the rare occasion that clandestine Masonry is considered at all, it is to ensure that the lodge you are visiting is in the Lodges Masonic publication, or, if you have met a brother on the street, to ensure his lodge is in that book before you invite him to your lodge for a degree.

So, Why Regularity?

Regularity is the tool we have devised to keep Masonry… well, Masonic. With anything in life, one must have a definition. In the case of Freemasonry, we have a definition of what is, and what isn’t, Masonic. In Freemasonry, what is Masonic is defined by the use of Regularity, recognition, and amity.

A Google search will show that there are many groups around the world that style themselves as Masonic, from outright frauds, such as the American Masonic Federation founded by Matthew McBlain Thomson upon the premise of selling degrees, to the United Grand Lodge of England, and hundreds of variations in between. Pretenders to masonry are groups like the Regular Grand Lodge of England, and the Grand Lodge of All England at York and of course, the American Masonic Federation noted above.

Yet, in between those extremes, the entirely irregular and clandestine to the very definition of regularity are orients, grand lodges and obediences that have as their members men, and yes, women, who name themselves Masons and brothers. What is a non Mason, no less a regular Mason to make of this spectrum of masonry that confronts them? How is one to decide, and does one need to decide?

We are told by irregular and clandestine Masons that the definition does not matter. Of course that is the position they would take, they must, or they would have to quit their group and join a regular lodge. At the other extreme you have the regular masons, who stand on the ground that the definition is essential, and they must take this position as well.

There are endless papers written on regularity, the Grand Lodges that participate in the system have committees and rules that define regularity. These seem to be pretty cut and dried things, but they aren’t, and therein lies the fault of the whole system. Of course, any system devised by man has faults.

In an earlier blog entry I wrote about the difference between regularity and recognition. In that article, my point was that, while the grand lodges and grand orients need to wrangle over the issue of regularity and amity and recognition, brothers, members of those orients, do not… as long as it does not entail Masonic communication.

Masonic communication, or as it is alternately called, Masonic intercourse, involves any type of communication involving sharing the secrets of masonry. Primarily, that is sitting in a tyled lodge session, which is any type of Masonic meeting where the general public is NOT allowed, or where the qualification for attendance is being a Mason.

For most Masons in the United States, regularity is not an issue. Rare is the case where you will meet a member of a non regular obedience in your travels. In other countries, for instance, in the United Kingdom or France, the probability rises that in your life you will meet at least one female Mason, or a man that is a member of a co-ed lodge. Try not to back away in horror if you do, as they are, for the most part, as is true with all regular masons, good brothers.

That is the rub, and the cause of much… hurt feelings. As a member of the Grand Lodge of California (just to reinforce, I am NOT speaking for the GLoCA here, only for ME), it is my understanding that I cannot hold Masonic intercourse with a clandestine Mason. My grand lodge does not recognize him/her as a Mason, however, on a personal level, its not about what the Grand Lodge does or says. Its about me, and the other Mason.

When I meet a Mason, it is not about whether they are regular. My first reaction is not to ask if they are a member of a regular grand lodge, that doesn’t even come up… unless they ask me to visit their lodge. THEN and only then, do I need to consider if I can do so legally and within my obligation.

Yet, brothers from lodges that are not recognized as regular do have a problem with the whole issue of regularity. Those in co-ed lodges are very interested in getting my grand lodge to recognize them and allow intervisitation, or at least allow the members to chose to attend a co-ed lodge. The question that has to be asked is: Why should the grand lodge do so?

The assumption being made, by the co-ed Mason, is that regular masons want to attend their sessions, that regular masons have an overwhelming curiosity about their sessions. The truth couldn’t be further from the truth, but it is hard to communicate that to our brethren in the co-ed obedience. The other, often unstated but clearly felt opinion by our brethren in the co-ed community is that the grand lodge fears them, that if they could somehow convince their regular brethren to visit that the regular brethren would be so smitten by what they see and experience that they would dimit and join the co-ed lodge on the spot.

This seems a pretty arrogant, though understandable conceit. The co-ed brethren are also, at least this has what has been communicated to me so often I assume it is true, of the opinion that many regular masons would leave the regular grand lodges if they just, somehow, knew that co-ed masonry existed in the world for them. Again, it’s an arrogant thing for them to feel, though as noted before, it is an understandable conceit.

As brothers, we can tie ourselves in knots over the regular/clandestine issue, or we can recognize that regularity is only a tool, one that has served the grand lodges and freemasonry well for almost 300 years. It is a tool for GRAND LODGES, however, and is not a tool of a master mason. We have other tools at our disposal, one of which is the level.

Let us, as brothers then, apply the Level to our non tyled meetings. If a person claims to be a Mason, let us, in the spirit of brotherly love, accept the claim on its face and grant them the respect they are due as masons. Leave the issues of regularity to the grand lodges to wrangle over.

May the blessings of heaven rest upon us and all regular masons, may brotherly love prevail, and evey moral and social virtue, cement us!

What's Wrong with this Picture??

So, what is wrong with this picture. Its a white and blue map of the United States. It’s not a Democrat/Republican white state blue state map. No, this map shows a deeper divide, one that should not exist among Masons. The blue states in this map represent states where the Mainstream Grand Lodges have at least recognized that Prince Hall Masonry is regular masonry. Most of these states have also instituted some kind of mutual intervisitation.

The ritual of the Grand Lodge of California, in the first degree, speaking of Brotherly Love states:

By the exercise of brotherly love, we are taught to regard the whole human species as one family, the high and low, the rich and the poor, who, as created by one almighty parent and inhabitants of the same planet, are to aid, support and protect each other. On this principle, Masonry unites men of every country, sect and opinion, and causes true friendship to exist among those who might otherwise remain at a perpetual distance.

This is pretty typical of the teaching in all grand lodges, and that is what makes the map above so wrong. You see, the states in red are those states that do not recognized that Prince Hall Masonry is FULLY REGULAR MASONRY. In some cases, for instance North Carolina, the issue has come up at their Grand Communication and received a majority vote, but has yet to receive the supermajority that Masonic tradition requires for changes to be implemented.

It is not the intention of the author to hold any one Grand Lodge, any brother, or any group of men up to ridicule, but to question a status that is simply unmasonic and untenable in this day and age. One of the Grand Lodges that, as of this writing, December 10, 2006, still do not recognize the legitimacy of Prince Hall Masonry stated, as recently as 1990 and upheld this in 1991:

… Grand Lodge adopted a resolution that included: "...the Grand Lodge of xxx ... has always considered ... Prince Hall affiliate, to be totally irregular and clandestine, having absolutely no Masonic authority, and the members thereof not to be Masons ... the Grand Lodge of xxx ... most strongly disapprove and condemn in the strongest terms available that action of any other Grand Lodge that may hereafter extend fraternal recognition to any Prince Hall affiliate organization at any time and anywhere located ... any contact or communication whatsoever between a xxx Mason ... and any Lodge under the jurisdiction of any Grand Lodge that does now or may hereafter make any fraternal recognition of any Prince Hall affiliate organization, or between a member of any Lodge under the jurisdiction of such a Grand Lodge ... shall be cleared through the ... Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge of xxx ... and approved by the Grand Master of Masons in xxx, on a case-by-case basis."

So, you are a Mason as long as you are white… according to this Grand Lodge. Some of these Grand Lodges make the, weak, argument that Prince Hall is not regular Masonry because of its provenance. However, a cursory, or in-depth review of the facts of the matter show the Prince Hall Grand Lodges to predate the antecedents of most existing grand lodges today, AND their original charter was issued by the Grand Lodge of England, a charter still on display at the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Massachusetts once per year.

Then, as we look at the map, we see among the states that do not recognize the legitimacy of the Prince Hall Masonry to be many of those that were members of the Confederacy, where a war was fought, in part, to end slavery. Is this a coincidence? This author will not go so far as to stipulate cause and effect, but a brother has to wonder why all the Grand Lodges of those states, including most recently (this year) the Grand Lodge of Texas, recognize the legitimacy of Prince Hall Masonry, and only the southern states, do not.

This situation needs to be remedied, but how can it be fixed from outside, and more importantly, should it? Each grand lodge is sovereign unto itself. This was settled in the late 1700’s when Wr. George Washington was offered the position of Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of the United States, and rejected the idea. The whole concept of a single, overarching United Grand Lodge of the United States died, though it is occasionally revisited, never very seriously. As American’s, we value our independence.

The whole idea of territorial sovereignty is a new one, created, it seems, out of whole cloth. The rationale for it was to deal with Prince Hall Lodges. It gave the “Mainstream” grand lodge a way to consider a Prince Hall Lodge as clandestine and irregular for violating its territorial sovereignty. This left African American men on the horns of a dilemma: They could not join a mainstream lodge because of racism, but if they joined a “black” lodge, they would be treated as clandestine and irregular, that is, not recognized as regular Masons, by their brother Masons. Their choice was one of: Give up Freemasonry or be an “irregular” Mason. Tough choice. Thankfully, many men chose to be considered irregular and to pursue Freemasonry anyway.

Territorial Sovereignty is ingrained in freemasonry today, at least in the United States, and it is unlikely that it can be addressed simply or easily. There is, however, a recent example of other grand lodges influencing the behavior of another grand lodge using recognition.

Strangely enough, this issue comes from the recognition of the Regularity of the Grand Lodge of France (GLdF) by the Grand Lodge of Minnesota. The GLdF is considered clandestine because they have mixed member lodges, women’s lodges, and do not require a profession of a belief in a deity to become a Mason. Almost immediately upon recognizing the regularity of the GLdF, United States Grand Lodges began withdrawing their recognition of the Grand Lodge of Minnesota.

As Wr. Tim Bryce notes in Recognizing Prince Hall Masonry: To Be or Not To Be?:

…A few years ago the Grand Lodge of Minnesota created a stir in the fraternity when it recognized the GLdF which was considered clandestine by many grand jurisdictions. Consequently, many jurisdictions rescinded their recognition of the Grand Lodge of Minnesota until they finally revoked recognition of France. Using this same logic, if the Dixie jurisdictions truly consider Prince Hall Masonry as clandestine, they should revoke recognition of all grand jurisdictions who recognize Prince Hall (including the UGLE). Failure to do so is hypocrisy. This of course won't happen as the Dixie jurisdictions would face isolation in a remarkably similar fashion as the southern states did in the American Civil War.

If any grand lodge in the United States were to remove its requirement that a candidate acknowledge a faith in god, or allow women as members, the other 50 grand lodges in the United States (AT LEAST) would withdraw their recognition and declare them to be clandestine and irregular in their practice before the ink on the declaration had time to dry. That being the case, and seeing as the use of recognition DOES work, and keeping in mind that we are to WHISPER good counsel and thereby seek to bring about a reformation, perhaps something along the following lines might be offered:

At the Grand Master’s Conference on Regularity, the following resolution might be offered:

Resolved: That Prince Hall Masonry is regular Masonry in all respects, and Resolved: That the exercise of brotherly love requires that we extend the Masonic hand of friendship to all regular brothers;

Be it resolved that all Grand Lodges, whithersoever dispersed around the globe that two years from the date of this resolution that any grand lodge that has not extended and amended their constitutions, codes and rules as necessary to recognize Prince Hall Masonry as regular in ALL respects shall have its intervisitation rights withdrawn.

Be it further resolved that all Grand Lodges, whithersoever
dispersed around the globe that three years from the date of this resolution that any grand lodge that has not extended and amended their constitutions, codes and rules as necessary to recognize Prince Hall Masonry as regular in ALL respects shall have their recognition withdrawn entirely and that/those grand lodges deemed clandestine and irregular.

Be if further resolved that all Grand Lodges, whithersoever dispersed around the globe that four years from the date of this resolution that any grand lodge that has not extended and amended their constitutions, codes and rules as necessary to recognize Prince Hall Masonry as regular in ALL respects will have its lodges offered a new charter under this grand lodge and all members healed and action taken to ensure that good men of color are offered the ability to join the lodge by vacating the use of the SECRET ballot for a period of five years.

This resolution and practice would give the brothers of a grand lodge that does not recognize the regularity of Prince Hall Masonry four years to make the necessary changes so they can be considered regular. As has been noted before: “All it takes for evil to succeed is for men of good will to do NOTHING.” It is time Freemasons stood up and said in a loud and clear voice, NO MORE.

There may be brothers in these grand lodges that have not taken a stand against this practice of ignoring our Prince Hall brothers because they do not know about it, or because there are other issues before them, or because it does not affect them. Its time that we let them know about the issue, that we made it an issue before them, and that we make it affect them. If a man rejects a brother Mason because of the color of his skin, we must take the time to whisper good counsel in his ear.

Its time we stopped waiting on each other. Some GLs have stated they wanted to wait for the Prince Hall Grand Lodge to ASK for recognition. That should not be a condition, as brothers, we should extend unilaterally the hand of friendship. The whole map should be blue, for we are either all brothers before god, or none of us.

By the exercise of brotherly love, the very least we can do is extend our hand to our brothers.

By an extreme coincidence, the Burning Taper published a similar comment today. Please take a moment to read my brother's comment at the Burning Taper.

May the blessing of heaven rest upon us and all regular masons, may brotherly love prevail, and every moral and social virtue, cement us.

Guarding The West Gate

What is it to guard the West Gate? We are told, as entered apprentices, and as Masters, that we should never recommend a man to a participation in our degrees unless we feel that by a similar fidelity he would bring honor and respect to our ancient and honorable fraternity.

For the past few years, decades even, the fraternity seems to have shirked that duty, or taken it less… seriously than in times past. There have even been grand lodges that have instituted one day conferrals, where a profane might be taken, through watching the performance of some plays, to the 32nd degree in a single day.

This seems to have come about through a series of slow changes, each seemingly innocuous on its own, but as usual, taken in concert, have reduced our vigilance. Then there is the concern for the decreasing numbers, which seems to have been taken as a justification for allowing quantity rather than quality through the gates.

The purpose of Freemasonry was never to admit every man into the fraternity! The purpose was to take men who were already upstanding, good men, and through the principles of the fraternity, make them in to better men. It was never to take every man and reform them into adequate men… yet in the name of numbers, we seem to have lost sight of that goal.

This may sound elitist, so lets take a look at the definition of elitist. Merriam-Webster defines it as:

Main Entry: elit•ism
1 : leadership or rule by an elite
2 : the selectivity of the elite; especially : SNOBBERY 1 (elitism in choosing new members
3 : consciousness of being or belonging to an elite

Main Entry: elite
1 a singular or plural in construction : the choice part : CREAM (the elite of the entertainment world) b singular or plural in construction : the best of a class (superachievers who dominate the computer elite -- Marilyn Chase) c singular or plural in construction : the socially superior part of society (how the elite live -- A P World) (how the F.-speaking elite ... was changing -- Economist) d : a group of persons who by virtue of position or education exercise much power or influence (members of the ruling elite) (the intellectual elites of the country) e : a member of such an elite -- usually used in plural (the elites ..., pursuing their studies in Europe -- Robert Wernick)

The definition of Elite and by extension, elitist seems to indicate that Masons are elitists only in the sense we only select, or, rather, allow, only the best, most honorable men into the fraternity. Since our goal is to take GOOD MEN, and make them better men, we have to ask: Is that necessarily a bad thing?

Masonry, as all Masons know, is a group of good men, dedicated to god, seeking to be better men through fellowship with other good men, holding a higher level of morality than society in general. If we claim a higher ground, that is, we claim to be a fraternity of good men, how exactly do we determine that, and how do we define it?

1) A belief in god, however the candidate knows Him.
2) That the candidate be a free man
3) That the candidate be free born (not born into slavery).
3) That the candidate be under the tongue of good report and come well recommended... ie, that he is a moral man.

Ok, the first is pretty straightforward. Most regular grand lodges require a profession of faith and no further inquiry, and the second is fairly self evident; the manner of dress in the ritual puts a fine point on that observation. Since there is no longer any slavery, number three is pretty much a given and a traditional carryover.

The fourth, now, that is the one that requires examination and is the one that most likely will define what watching the West Gate is all about. We know what it is to be under the tongue of good report… a moral, upright, level headed, honorable man with integrity, right?

The issue, then, is morality... does a man come to us under the tongue of good report, and does he come well recommended? The first step is the requirement that two brothers recommend the petitioner for the degrees. As I am a member of the Grand Lodge of California, F&AM, I will speak to my understanding of the rules of that Grand Lodge. Your Grand Lodge rules may vary.

The Petition of the Grand Lodge of California asks that you know that candidate for at least a year before a brother sign a petition. In practice, this is rarely the case, and of course, this is an incremental change that has contributed to the problem.

In the past, we lived within 8 miles of where we were born, and chances are, brothers knew petitioners for many years in the community. Today, that is no longer the case, with men traveling thirty miles or more just to get to work, and our extreme mobility. A man can express interest in joining, and after a few hours talking with him, a brother will be willing to sign as a recommender.

Then the petition is read and accepted, and the master appoints a secret investigative committee, who is charged by the master to look into the character of the petitioner. As an aid in that effort, the Grand Lodge helpfully provides a list of questions that the candidate must be asked. This is a good step, unfortunately, it appears that the investigative committeemen often ask only the questions on the list.

The reason the committeeman often asks only those questions on the list is twofold. The first is because the questions are… to a certain degree, embarrassing. One of the questions we ask is if the petitioner makes enough money to support his family, and another if he has sufficient insurance. I understand the reason for the question, but these are difficult questions to ask someone the committeeman has only known for ten minutes. It does not exactly lead to ongoing general conversation.

The second reason is the committeeman is often untrained for this job on any level, other than by being a good man and a brother. He may have been chosen because the master knows he will fulfill the task, or hopes he will, or because he has done so in the past.

The committeeman often does little more than ask these questions, fill in a sheet and turn it in to the master with a recommendation for membership or a non recommendation. Basic investigative methods aren’t even known often, to the committeeman, so the references aren’t usually called.

Nor are the references asked for other names that may know the candidate so those people may be called. Any investigator should know that the best references are the ones on the petition, and that the true picture of the candidate will come from the secondary or tertiary references. Sometimes, the candidate is interviewed by phone, not even face to face.

Then there is an awesome tool at our fingertips that few of us even consider: The Internet.

I have been on many investigative committees, and one thing I always do is look the candidate up on Google, full name, first name, initial and last name, initial and last name and so on. Until recently, I also checked the public criminal records as well. Its amazing what can be found on the internet.

So, regardless of how well, or how poorly the committeemen do their job, and they can hardly be criticized for how they do their job, they have no training at all, they make a recommendation. If at lest two of the three committeemen make a positive recommendation, the lodge ballots on the petition. If the master does not get at least two recommendations, the petition is held over for another month.

Then of course, there is the ballot box, where one black cube eliminates a candidate. How can you rationally ballot on someone you do not know? So what we do is vote based on the recommendation of the investigative committee. The same committee that is often doing the minimum to carry out an investigation is the basis upon which the lodge makes the decision to initiate a candidate.

So, through a series of simple changes, each made to make it easier to qualify a candidate, we are not watching the west gate, and some men who should never have made it into the lodge are being raised as master masons. Of course, some are caught during the degrees, and not passed or raised as a result… their degrees just never get scheduled and they eventually go away.

I think there are a few things we can do to fix this problem, but they are going to be difficult. First, we need to decide that a man must be known by his top line signers at least three months, by attending public lodge functions or by working with him, or community meetings or… whatever. They should be known before they are allowed to face the investigating committee.

The members of the investigation committee should have some training, at the very least, in how to conduct an investigation. A process should be defined, and at least one of the committeemen should look the man up on the internet, and preferably, the lodge should invest $35 in having a private investigator do a basic background check.

The candidate should at the very least, be introduced by his top line signer to the brethren before a ballot is taken, and the brothers should be encouraged to meet and talk to the candidate prior to a ballot. However, there is no way to eliminate the ballot box, it is a tradition. We might want to consider whether one black cube is enough to disqualify a man. Perhaps at least two for a second ballot and three to disqualify might be a good step.

We must guard the West Gate better, or we can become little more than Rotary with Regalia.

May the blessing of heaven rest upon us and all regular masons, may brotherly love prevail, and every moral and social virtue, cement us.