Half Empty or Half Full

Another reunion of the Valley of Bay City Scottish Rite has come and gone. In terms of things working as planned the reunion was fairly successful. The fellowship, portrayal of the ritual, and the food was all very good.

The only real glitch was one of the degrees being cancelled due to a lack of participation. To fill the void a DVD was shown. We are very blessed in the Valley of Bay City to be able to present for the most part the necessary degrees. We later found out that this is not the case in all of the valleys of the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction, thus the availability of the DVD.

The class of candidates was unusually small even by today's standards....three instead of the usual 8-12. If one takes a look at some of the class pictures from years gone by they pale in comparison, as far as numbers go. Another interesting note was that in 1983 I spent a half day Wednesday and Thursday, three-quarters of a day Friday and all day Saturday to get my 32nd degree.....talk about numbers now it is a day and a half or one day if needed.

It seems that everything we do in life is now measured by numbers. In my business one lives and dies by the numbers. Our fraternity as well has become one of numbers.

In the days gone by a Mason who desired to be a Shriner had two ways by which they could join the Shrine. One was by way of the York Rite, a lengthy process....or they could become a Scottish Rite Mason and become eligible to join the Shrine.

Also in the days gone by, the Shrine was the playground for Masons. Although they did a wonderful work through the hospitals for the most part the Shrine was known for their parties more than their work for crippled and burned children.

Through the years the Masonic fraternity has seen a decrease in their numbers(there it is again) and were faced with the challenge of what to do. One solution was to eliminate the bulk of the catechism or the "lesson" which required memorization.. By doing this the fraternity could surely increase their numbers....and they did for a short while.

The Shrine was faced with a similar situation and their numbers were suffering also....they too relaxed their requirements to attract more numbers or members.....the way they tried to accomplish this was by eliminating the requirement of being either a York or Scottish Rite Mason. This too seemed to work initially.

Meanwhile the Scottish Rite was left in the cold so to speak. With the Shrine relaxing their requirements the number of members coming into the Scottish Rite dropped dramatically.....those in power would argue that this had nothing to do with the decline in numbers....but in the real world we knew that it had a devastating affect on the numbers(just can't get rid of that word).

So here we are some twenty years later give or take a few years......and the numbers for all three organizations are not what the "leaders" would like to see. We hear a variety of reasons why the numbers are not where they should or need to be.

In my opinion the biggest reason is that we, the fraternity as a whole missed at least one and perhaps one and a half generations. After the end of World War II the men returning home had experienced the value of camaraderie and sought out something to fill that void they experienced while fighting for our freedom. That spilled over into the beginning of the next generation, the Korean War era and our country seemed to be firing on all eight cylinders, and the "family" was intact more than today with the man working outside the home and woman working inside the home. Freemasonry helped to provide camaraderie, social events, fellowship, and entertainment....a tremendous value for the investment.

As we moved into the sixties and change occurred in society and suddenly young men didn't want anything to do with what their fathers were doing. If one adds to that the extreme tight-lipped secrecy from fathers to their sons about what actually took place in lodge added to and set the stage for severe drop-off in our........you guessed it.....numbers.

During the sixties and into the seventies and certainly the end of the seventies and early eighties we saw a dramatic decline in the number of men joining the fraternity. This decline can be readily traced to the decline of the family unit, a strong feeling of young men to not be involved in anything that their fathers were involved in and perhaps the single most dominant reason is.... that we as a fraternity did not "share our secret" with those closest to us, our very own sons.

So, again in my opinion that is how we skipped at least one and perhaps one and a half generations of young men....we, the fraternity thought that we could not breathe a word about what we did, what we stood for, or the ultimate goal of the fraternity to provide an avenue of like minded men in pursuit of becoming better men through the tenants of this grand organization.

Now in the last 10-15 years we have seen a remarkable number of young men seeking out....yes seeking out the fraternity. They are seeking us out because they have learned that their grandfathers....not their fathers(remember we skipped them).....their grandfathers were Masons. With all of the hype of the 21st century about the fraternity there are some that are very close to being factual and others are a little out in left field....suddenly the grandsons are learning that their grandfathers were Masons.

The grandsons ask their fathers about it and they know nothing.....they were the ones that didn't want anything to do with what their fathers were doing. Now we have the grandsons turning to the Internet to find out what the Masons are and what we do. They are intrigued by the history, tradition, and the mystique of the whole situation.

By investigating the fraternity online and reading a little perhaps, they seek us out and want to join. Then when they do join we put on a degree and much of the time we don't do the degree justice. I happen to be fortunate enough to be in an area that takes the ritual very seriously. However, we kind of lose the mystique and rich heritage when we stumble and fumble our way through the examinations at the south, west, and east gates. Here we are representing an institution that is centuries old and presenting our rites and ceremonies to someone that probably knows more about the Esoteric side of Masonry than anyone present and we bobble the only supposed secret parts of our fraternity....the sign-grip-and word.....you only get one chance to make a first impression as they say.

After espousing some of my ideas of why our numbers are at the place that they are......and believe me I have a few more, such as population shifts, competition for one's time, showing the value to new initiates, and spreading the brothers too thin to keep some of the appendant bodies afloat to name just a few.

Again, strictly my opinion here.....I believe that our great fraternity is a lot like water.....in that it seeks it's own level. We are far from extinction.....we need to embrace the changing face of our new initiates and brothers.....also we need to give them what they are looking for. It's time that we ourselves learn the deep and profound lessons of our craft. This will require work, study, and discussion.

My brothers I've come a long way to get to the point of my ramblings.....and thus the title of this monologue......is our fraternity Half Empty or Half Full. At our recent Scottish Rite reunion there were some heads of other Masonic bodies in attendance and they brought remarks. The underlying theme was...."We are all in the same boat my brothers.....our numbers are down."

I found it remarkable that for heads of appendant Masonic groups to say that their numbers are down and that they are in the same boat as the Scottish Rite. I thought to myself how many of the brothers in attendance both in the audience and the head table actually attend Blue Lodge and give it the same dedication that they do in the appendant bodies.....after all the only place the appendant bodies draw from is the Blue Lodge.

I wondered further that all of those pictures that show massive classes.....how many stuck around after it wasn't required membership to be in the Shrine.....just how many stayed because they enjoyed the teachings and quest for further light.

After all this contemplation has our fraternity sought it's own level and now we can build on a more solid foundation.....there is supposedly strength in numbers....perhaps it's time to realize that there is strength in concentration.....quality over quantity........just once I would love for a leader to stand before us and say...."Our fraternity is half-full.....there is still room for more well meaning qualified brothers as we continue to grow this great institution into the 21st. century, our brightest days are ahead, and we've only scratched the surface of the meanings laid down by our forefathers of this great craft we call Freemasonry!"

Random Thoughts & Observations

Seems like every year after Grand Lodge there is talk about how dues are high enough and all the Grand Lodge wants is more money.

I suppose both of those statements have some validity, just how much I'm not sure. In a recent conversation with a brother we discussed the cost of joining a lodge and what we get for our dues.
The average is probably around $125 per year for dues or $10.42 per month, $2.40 per week, and last but not least 34¢ per day.

Now let's look at the cost of joining or initiation is about $105......flashback to 1983 it was $105 to join and dues were roughly $35 per year. So, it cost 3 years worth of dues to join back in 1983....now it still costs $105 to join or less than one years dues.

When the first year's dues comes around....the new brother has less than one years dues invested, virtually no study time(which is another topic) so when contemplated with the dues notice one can think....well I have less than one years dues invested, no time, and thus it is easy to walk away.

Back in the old days, 1984 when I received my first year's dues notice I had 3 years of dues invested and a lot of time in studying.....thus it was hard to walk away.....there was value built in.

A couple of Grand Masters ago said that we must remember "they are joining us.....we are not joining them" in reference to new members. To take it a step further they are "adopting our tenents we are not adopting their tenents"....those are my words.

We should set the guidelines to follow and if they don't want to follow those simple guidelines then maybe we are not meant for each other. Thinking back to 1983....I was told to be at the Temple at 6:00pm in shirt and tie.....if you can't be here on that date and at that time we will let you know when the next opportunity is.

Now in our current situation we are asking for an amount less than one year's dues, let the candidate dictate the date and time, and allow them to show up in tank top, shorts, and flip-flops....and then require no dedicated study time and as quick as we can raise them to the sublime degree of a Master Mason.

In effect we have said that we will join you on your terms....we will do anything you ask, because we need members.....so we rush through the three degrees make this new brother a MM and viola they are gone.....we send out the dues notice....they have just over $100 invested.....didn't have to dress in any other manner than going to a beer tent, didn't invest any study time, learned the secrets, and didn't get to take over the world......and they should pay $125 in dues for what?

Actually the thought process might be...... well I joined, they had a special time and date for me, they didn't say anything when I showed up in flip-flops.....if they need me that bad then they will probably let me remain a member for no money....because they need members....I don't cost them anything because I don't do anything.....I never hear from the guy that got me in.....I'm sure they want and need me far worse than I want or need them.

When a candidate shows up with t-shirt, shorts, and sandals and the candidate expresses that he feels out of place, we have already failed him.....by not educating him as to what we expect from him....and he already feels out of place. On the contrary if the candidate doesn't express feeling uneasy or out of place.....then he is probably one that will show up in shorts and t-shirt again for both degrees then disappear into the land of card carrying Masons....or members might be a better description.

The fraternity requires that a candidate be at least 19 yrs of age and believe in God and the hereafter.
We should also take enough pride in our great fraternity to educate him on how to dress for meetings, the time to be at the temple and so forth. This not only sets him at ease but also all of us, including visitors.

It's time to get off my soap box....but I have to share a pet peeve of mine....all weird people have them...here is one of mine.....why do we invite the newly made EA, or the newly passed FC to a seat in the east???? I feel that should be something which is earned, maybe after being raised to MM but not before......it was a number of years before I was ever allowed a seat in the east and I think I respect it much more because of that......but in our quest for members....we allow ourselves to adhere to the candidates scheduling requirements, allow them to dress anyway they want, put them on the fast track to be raised and all along the way they receive a seat in the "distinguished east"......so is the tail wagging the dog....or does the rabbit have the gun......pick your metaphor.......somehow back in the day with the "staunch" past-masters things didn't run this way.

Freemasonry's Obsession With Empty Chairs

Freemasonry's Obsession With Empty Chairs

by Midnight Freemasons Founder

Todd E. Creason, 33°

Here's a little known fact about Freemasons--they are obsessed with empty chairs.  You don't have to talk very long to just about any group of Masons, and the subject of all those empty chairs comes up.  "We've got to fill those empty chairs in our Lodges!" they'll exclaim.  The Blue Lodges are worried about empty chairs.  The Scottish Rite is worried about those empty chairs.  The York Rite is worried about empty chairs.  The Shrine.  Amaranth.  Order of the Eastern Star.  "We've got to fill those blessed empty chairs!"

Grand Lodges come up with plans to increase membership.  Here in Illinois, just since I've been a Mason we've had several different ideas about how to fill those chairs.  We went from 2B1ASK1 to being able to ask somebody if they'd like to join our Fraternity.  We still have empty chairs.  One of our Grand Masters, a good friend of mine, had a great plan.  Every member should add a member to their Blue Lodge.  He was known to always have petitions in his pocket.  We did add members, but we still have empty chairs.  My York Rite Chapter back when I joined came up with a magic number of new members they'd like to add that year, and they worked tirelessly, putting on degrees, and putting guys through the Chapter.  They added a large number of new members.  I was one of those guys that went through then.  Guess what?  They still have empty chairs!

The problem is, we're asking the wrong question.  The question isn't how can we fill those chairs--the question is why are those chairs empty to begin with?

When I joined the Lodge, it was because I was looking for something.  I wanted to improve myself.  I wanted to learn new things.  I wanted to gain new skills.  I wanted to be more active in my community.  I wanted to be a part of something traditional and something ancient.  In an ever changing world, I wanted something in my life that remained steady and consistent.  And I've found all those things, but not entirely within the walls of my Lodge.  Much of what I've gained has been through my own explorations and studies into the Craft.  If it hadn't been for my own initiative I'm not sure I would have found that greater meaning that makes my Lodge attendance and participation so fulfilling.

Our chairs are empty because so many of our Lodges have gotten so involved with the business of Freemasonry, they've forgotten the purpose of the Craft--to make good men better by constantly working to improve ourselves.  We spend so much time reading minutes, and reciting committee reports, we forget that we're supposed to be learning something as well.  The expectation of our membership versus the reality of our meetings is the reason so many of our chairs are empty.

The world is a busy place, and very few men are willing to waste a couple hours of their time once or twice a month to sit through a meeting when the only thing they might learn in that meeting is that the Lodge's building insurance went up 8% from last year, and somebody needs to make sure we have enough pancake mix by Saturday's breakfast.

There's no sense in worrying about how to fill those chairs in your Lodge if you aren't willing to figure out why they are empty to begin with.  We must do better.  Like it was said in that famous movie "Field of Dreams"-- if you build it they will come.  Your Lodge will start seeing fewer and fewer empty chairs when you start giving your members, old and new, the thing we promised them in the beginning.

Light!

~TEC

Todd E. Creason, 33° is the Founder of the Midnight Freemasons blog and continues to be a regular contributor. He is the author of several books and novels, including the Famous American Freemasons series. He is a Past Master of Ogden Lodge No. 754 (IL), and currently serves as Secretary.  He's also a member of Homer Lodge No. 199.  He is a member the Scottish Rite Valley of Danville, the York Rite Bodies of Champaign/Urbana (IL), the Ansar Shrine (IL), Eastern Illinois Council No. 356 Allied Masonic Degrees, Charter President of the Illini High Twelve in Champaign-Urbana (IL), and a Fellow of the Missouri Lodge of Research.  He was recently awarded the 2014 Illinois Secretary of the Year Award by the Illinois Masonic Secretaries Association.  You can contact him at: webmaster@toddcreason.org

 

Edgar A. Guest.....Masonic Poet

Enjoy my brothers.

   By Edgar A. Guest

 It is not ornamental, the

cost is not great,
There are other things far more useful, yet truly I state,
Tho of all my possesions, there's none can compare,
With that white leather apron, which all Masons wear.

As a young lad I wondered just what it all meant,
When Dad hustled around, and so much time was spent
On shaving and dressing and looking just right,
Until Mother would say: "It's the Masons tonight."

And some winter nights she said: "What makes you go,
Way up there tonight thru the sleet and the snow,
You see the same things every month of the year."
Then Dad would reply: "Yes, I know it, my dear."

Forty years I have seen the same things, it is true.
And though they are old, they always seem new,
For the hands that I clasp, and the friends that I greet,
Seem a little bit closer each time that we meet."

Years later I stood at that very same door,
With good men and true who had entered before,
I knelt at the alter, and there I was taught
That virtue and honor can never be bought.

That the spotless white lambskin all Masons revere,
If worthily worn grows more precious each year,
That service to others brings blessings untold,
That man may be poor tho surrounded by gold.

I learned that true brotherhood flourishes there,
That enmities fade 'neath the compass and square,
That wealth and position are all thrust aside,
As there on the level men meet and abide.

So, honor the lambskin, may it always remain
Forever unblemished, and free from all stain,
And when we are called to the Great Father's love,
May we all take our place in that Lodge up above. 

thanks to WB Mark Taylor for sending to me

.....the strength and SUPPORT.....

It never ceases to amaze me as to the choice of words that the author(s) of our ritual used. They certainly maximized the use of choice words and phrases to communicate their points and teachings. We hear the words over and over again and too often we take those for granted. Therefore delving into the meanings behind the words sheds a whole new light on the ritual.

Light....that reminds me of a story. A year or so ago I picked up a cap at a flea market with a nice square and compass on it. Shortly after getting the hat I stopped in a gas station, and a gentleman in line saw my hat. He said, " You a Mason?", to which I replied "Yes." "What you lookin' for?" was his next question and my reply was, "Nothing really."......his comeback was stellar......"You a Mason, you supposed to be lookin' for light.....you supposed to be always lookin' for light!"

That really has nothing to do with the focus of support as it's used in conjunction with harmony and strength......but my point is that it's true....we should always be searching for more light.....the ritual is a source of light and enlightenment....but it has a dimmer switch.....if you leave it closed it's off....if you read it....then it's dimly lit.....the more you read and study and get into the meaning behind the words then the dimmer switch continually increases the light.....at this point I am willing to concede that the max setting of that dimmer switch is infinity.

Harmony being the strength and support of all institutions but especially this of ours

Looking at the word support we find that it is defined in the physical sense as something which bears a load, to sustain and withstand weights, pressures, strains, etc. Support can also be defined in the emotional or mental angle; to sustain a person, institution, policy or theory.

So we know that harmony according to the ritual performs two tremendous tasks for the craft. Harmony is not only the strength but the support of our fraternity. Anything that bears or displays great strength has to have an equal or greater amount of support.

All things which endure, start with a firm foundation capable of bearing predicted loads at a minimum and hopefully increased unpredictable loads.

Further, support is necessary to maintain principles and theories. Coupled with strength, support is an integral part of our craft. While pure strength can endure for the present, to have longevity it must be supported.

Unfortunately most of us have seen the results when there is a lack of harmony. Disharmony can be a terrible disease which can totally destroy a lodge. When disharmony is prevalent in a lodge, surely there is a serious lack of strength and support in that lodge. For the good of the whole, if a lodge fails for whatever reason....the craft survives.....although weakened, the craft rebuilds and continues on. This was proven in the dark ages of Masonry....when the Fraternity nearly folded due to the "Anti-Masonic Movement".....however harmony among the few and tremendous amounts of strength and support, the craft survived.

Well WB Carl Davis was correct in his idea that the word harmony plays a major role in our fraternity of Free and Accepted Masons. We are very blessed in AD20 to see harmony's true definition alive and at work....not always...but most generally. However, we are also keenly aware of when that harmony is challenged.

Freemasonry notwithstanding has still survived.

...being the Strength and Support

Happy New Year !!

Harmony being the strength and support of all institutions, but more especially this of ours.....


As I mentioned in the piece on harmony, I was challenged by WB Carl Davis about the use of harmony in our ritual and the meaning of the word. Since writing that, the words strength and support have been running through my head constantly. Little did I know the depth of the definition I would find.

Strength is one those words that can be used in a variety of ways yet have a continuity of meaning.
In researching the word, there are anywhere from 8-12+ definitions or uses of the word...strength.

Obviously it the quality or state of being strong. This can apply to raw physical strength, mental strength, and moral strength. Power of moral firmness, vigor, and courage.

We've always heard that there is strength in numbers which is also another definition or usage. Strength can be measured in the moral potency such as in the effective force of argument. As we continue, the term strength can be used to describe one's ability to resist force or wear.

Strength can define the effectiveness or essential characteristic of certain chemical bodies or in our case the effectiveness and essential characteristics of the fraternity. Going further, strength alludes to a particular proportion of light, color, intensity, sound, etc.

My favorite is that it is something or someone that gives one strength or sustenance....a source of power and or encouragement.

The above is paraphrased and in some cases plagiarized from Dictionary.com

We can draw many parallels from the meanings in the dictionary to the craft. The fraternity of Freemasonry teaches lessons from many symbols, but also words. Harmony being the strength indicates that the very fiber that holds this great institution together is the strength we need to survive and is the reason we have survived all of these years.

Recently we have seen the effects of weakening standards.....by being weak we were not able to resist the wearing away of our moral teachings.....thus we allowed some to join our ranks, only to learn that they were less than honest and began to eat away at the fiber of our being.....we have to be strong in whom we allow to join our ranks. To regain the strength that we once had, I'm certainly not suggesting that the fraternity as a whole is weak, just certain aspects need to be tightened up.

Freemasonry can provide power and encouragement to those brothers that seek it. If you have talked to a brother that is "strong" in the craft who has experienced an illness.....he will testify to the strength of the brothers of the craft who visited, prayed for, and encouraged that brother during his illness.

I know for myself that when I attend a degree, I draw a feeling of being rejuvenated, something that I gain much strength from.......the warmth of the fellowship of my brothers.

From the Fellowcraft lecture think about the five pillars.....the way in which their different components work together to provide strength, unity, and beauty. The five senses of human nature that work in harmony with each other and how one strengthens the other. The seven liberal arts and sciences that also work in harmony, in fact the part concerning music illustrates that composing delightful harmony by a mathematical and proportional arrangement.......mathematics work in conjunction with music, astronomy, geometry, logic....and grammar and rhetoric leads into logic and the circle continues in.....you guessed it.....harmony.

At this point I am going to let support be the next topic.....stay tuned