Here there Be Monsters

 

Masons come to Lodge expecting certain things. Many come for the fellowship and the comradery of being a “Brother.” Some come for the purpose of providing charity to others; some are hoping for a transformational experience, a spiritual awakening of the Mystic Tie. While all are valid reasons, some are more mainstream, and others looked at as fringe. When something is different, or not what they expect to get from freemasonry they are uncomfortable.

We should explore the known and unknown world of Freemasonry. In early days of exploration, the European explorers made maps of their travels. Areas that had yet to be explored or were unknown to them, they left blank. The mapmakers actually showed the edge of the earth, the sea just cascading into an abyss and sometimes they lettered a warning across the void: “Here there be monsters.” The unknown can be frightening and full of dangers, real and imagined.

To many Masons, Freemasonry only consists of what they know, what they have experienced and what they want, they have no desire to explore the deeper meanings of the Working Tools and Symbols of Freemasonry. The Ritual tells them what those Symbols mean, and they do not warrant further investigation, some actually think it is not masonic to attribute meanings different than those included in the lectures. They like the routine of business meetings and mediocre Ritual combined with visiting with their brethren (buddies) during the meal and voting for the Lodge to send money to some worthy cause. They roll their eyes when a less-traditional brother suggests, or worse yet, brings Masonic Education, or discusses Book Clubs or Lodges of Research. Perish the thought! They suggest that these brethren try York Rite or Scottish Rite but even there, study beyond the ritual is sporadic.

Some Brethren, like the explorers of old, choose to push beyond the boundaries of the known world, to study, to learn, to grow. When they move past the imaginary barriers, they do not fall off the face of the earth, instead they discover fertile lands (ideas) of incredible beauty and riches. They look back whence they came and see that the monsters were not before them but behind them. Not the brethren that sought to discourage them, but the real monster, “That’s the way we’ve always done things.”

The hope and dreams for the search for more light is swallowed easily by the monster,

Routine.

“A Well-Regulated Institution”

    We often talk about how important “Peace and Harmony” are to our Fraternity and, more especially, to our individual Lodges. We often leave out the rest of the statement “all well-regulated institutions.” Too often Brethren try to maintain Peace and Harmony by not speaking out against bad ideas or against bad behavior of our Brethren. This does not maintain Peace or Harmony; it leads to public and private piques and quarrels that can cause irreparable harm to your Lodge.

    Harmony, once destroyed, severs unity and all bonds of love and Fraternal relationship and the pillars that constitute the strength and support of all institutions, and especially ours, are recklessly sacrificed. Do you wonder that the lodge loses its vigor and ceases to prosper? It would be stranger to believe it can survive at all.

    How do we maintain Peace and Harmony? With the Regulations of Freemasonry. When we discuss a well-regulated institution, we are speaking of our by-laws, rules and regulations of the Grand Lodge and the specific lodge. As a body, we debate and enact these rules to guide and govern our individual and collective behavior as Masons and Lodges. We charge each other to follow these rules and we especially charge the Worshipful Master and the Grand Master to enforce them. This is part of the sacred obligation we take to our Brethren and the Craft. Every good mason should strive avoid censure due to his actions, and should submit, with contrition, reprimand when deserved. We swear to remain above reproach.  

    It may seem archaic or old-fashioned to think that merely being chastised by his equals or losing his reputation as a good man should motivate a man to act right, but that is truly the only punishment that Freemasonry offers. Expulsion from Freemasonry, our most severe punishment, is just saying, “You are no longer worthy to associate with good men.” This was, and should still be, a strong motivator to do the right thing.  Many of us heard from our fathers that the only thing we have is our good name and our reputation; this should still be true today. This is why we are admonished to “whisper words of counsel and comfort in his ear.” We are to quietly try to help a brother that has strayed from our agreed-upon rules of behavior, not publicly rebuke him, talk behind his back, or argue with him on Social Media. If we do these things, perhaps it is we who deserve admonishment. We can assist the Brother to correct his error without fanfare or negative repercussions.

    Every Master of a lodge knows how easily discord may creep in among the members of a lodge, unless guarded against with a tireless zeal. A minor difference of opinion on a seemingly trivial matter, once allowed to begin can then become the ‘beginning of the end;’ it may start small but, if not monitored, it is extremely difficult to stop. While the Worshipful Master is responsible for the Lodge and the actions taken therein, it is the responsibility of all Brethren to provide that brotherly whisper in the ear of an erring Brother. It is also our responsibility to not be that erring Brother and to accept that counsel and comfort when offered by a well-meaning brother.

    Finally, let me say that I think that any man that introduces discord into our Lodges is an enemy to the Craft. He needs to be dealt with at once, hopefully through the gentle admonishment of a Brother; if evil is allowed to establish roots and grow, it can quickly destroy an institution so important to every genuine Mason and our communities. As stated earlier, to a great extent, this depends upon the Master. He oversees everything that is allowed in his Lodge and can refuse at his pleasure. While this seems a great responsibility, he accepted the office and all that goes with it. He must carefully study the Royal Art and the rights, prerogatives and responsibilities of the Oriental Chair and then do the right thing. His Lodge will support him, and his conscience will be clear. His Brethren and his Grand Lodge will say, “well Done.”