It's that special time of the year when the lodges are coming off the installation hangover, the holidays, etc. Now it's time to move forward into another year in Masonry.
One thing that really stood out about this most recent installation season was the number of closed installations. In talking with some of the brothers it was mentioned that when you've seen one installation you've seen them all. That may be true for some that have been around for a while but not true for everyone.
Years ago, shortly after the disappearance of the dinosaurs I went into line. I served two years as steward before moving on to Junior Deacon then all the way up through the ranks. My wife at that time, my kids, parents, in-laws, friends etc came out for every installation, they were all open. At that time a closed installation was very rare and almost unheard of.
An open installation does many things. It brings out family, friends, and relatives so they can see our buildings and meet those we are spending our time with. It is an outward symbol to the community, because they see an unusal amount of vehicles in the parking lot of the local Masonic Temple. While doing all of the above, those attending witness the fellowship and perhaps pick up on a few of our teachings.
I'm sure that my family thought they had seen plenty of installations but I was proud to have them there and to show that I was making progress in the fraternity. Pride of membership was something that we cherished in the old days and we were always eager to demonstrate that to our families and public at large.
An installation was something of a gala event. The officers had their boutonnieres and the ladies their corsages. The officers were all dressed in tuxedos, it was a formal affair for sure.
I feel the lodges lose out in many ways when the installation is closed, just my opinion. Well enough about installations time to move forward.
As we are now moving forward once again after the stagnation of the season of Covid we can get back to doing Masonry. The beginning of January was a little slow in the degree department but it appears that the closing weeks of the month are producing very good results.
Again, we are seeing many men move into the ranks of Masonry. A good variety of degrees in all three degrees. My worry stays the same, can we make a good enough impression, display enough brotherly love and friendship to entice them to come back and get involved.
Invariably when there is a decent size crowd, the old timers(myself included) begin reminiscing about the old days and the hustle and bustle of the work and the vast number of lodges and brothers at that time. I'm sure they are all thinking as I am.....what happened? Why are we struggling to make a comeback.
It appears that with all of the work we do that we should be making a comeback based on the numbers of newly made brothers and the number of degrees throughout the entire area. But, it seems that in a few months when we go back for another degree those who were just raised are not in attendance.
The Grand Lodge of Michigan has instituted the 6-step program for aspirants, and they also encourage mentoring new members. My fear is that the lodges only follow these initiatives half-heartedly. Recognizing of course that these newly made brothers need to be somewhat self-motivated in seeking more light on their journey.
As we move forward are we willing to bend our standards, traditions, heritage, and basic lessons that were taught and embraced by local lodges not that many years ago.....or should we keep some of those standards and teachings in place moving forward....after all it brought us this far.
Scheduling of degree work.....again they are joining us, I realize some flexibility is needed but we should dictate when and where. When entering the line, certain parts of lectures need to be learned as well.....and what about memorials....there are some nice small parts that the line officers could learn and this would foster them to actually attend memorials.
Mentoring should be happening during the 6 steps, when the petitioner begins his degree work, after the degree work, after the brother is raised, and for as long as it takes for the new brother to become acclimated to what is going on. Involvement is the key.
This week I've been to 2 Master Mason degrees and witnessed 4 new brothers raised to the sublime degree of Master Mason. Where will they be 3 months from now? Will they be floundering on their own without guidance or will they be guided and encouraged by a brother or brothers of the lodge?
In addition to getting the new brothers involved in the busy work of the lodge such as cleaning, building repair, fund raising, and so forth; we need to get them involved in the "work" of the craft. There are many smaller parts in our ritual that are easy to learn and easy to recite.....along with these parts there are non-speaking fellowcraft parts. We should really encourage the brothers to get engaged with the ritual. Some will really enjoy it while others may not, now is the time to find out.
During these "modern times" there are far too many Worshipful Masters that cannot open or close lodge, there are even more that stumble through the opening and closing but can't do degree work,. I feel this is an indication of their leadership skills and lodge development skills as well. However, the title of Past Master will be bestowed and $300-$500 spent on a Past Masters apron.
It seems to me that the installation ceremony describes the incoming Master as an expert craftsman and highly skilled. We have to get beyond the fact that a brother has served as Warden and meets the mirror fogging requirement to gain the seat in the East. A bother's performance in either the South or the West seems to be an accurate indicator of the type of Worshipful Master he will be.
We all bear responsibility in making this fraternity prosper. From the youngest EA who stands in the northeast corner to the Worshipful Master who has been elected to preside over his lodge.....first-line signers of petitions, mentors, Past Masters, officers, and members....we all have to be more engaged in teaching and leading.....and voting qualified people into line and voting for those who are duly qualified to advance through the ranks.
