Greetings from the East

Social connection, in-person, has always been and will always be a basic human need. It cannot be overstated how important it is that we meet with others to personally exchange and engage, and to have places where we can assemble and establish relationships and friendships. This also involves shared activities and other necessary aspects of life such as involvement in worthy projects, recreation and culturally significant events, and even those for charitable purposes.

Freemasonry provides one of the greatest social environments ever devised, as suggested above; this we already know. The Craft manages to fuse together so many features of personal enrichment that a man cannot help but be increased in his unique capacities, if followed, across the board. Attending to that is a built-in mystique and prestige that is attached to our “world-class logo” of square and compass, where we can find an impressive motive for men to join. We did.

So what is our future as we look across younger demographic groups that eschew the traditional “legacy institutions” of the past, ours included? While Freemasonry appears to be spreading again, there are many who want nothing to do with organized charitable or social institutions, either secular or religious; a travesty. This also happened in the boomer generation. Yet Solomon’s Staircase needs the younger man to come and join, and in respectable numbers; for their benefit and ours. Perhaps like other times in history when crises abounded, an awakening ensued as to what was needed to advance or inculcate serious values wrenched from upheavals, while restoring memories of ethical greatness reached in prior epochs. Society today is fractured with some segments having been divided into competing and seemingly disoriented or profane factions. The outcome of conflict is evident. Such is difficult to change. Let’s hope this leads the quiet and thoughtful good man to come and seek us, and join in our efforts to perpetuate our sublime and gentle Craft of enlightenment. We need to be openly promoting our “benefits” to the right prospects.

Grand Lodge has recently implemented a prospect gathering program that successfully offers an “advisor” by telephone, to inform and guide the caller to local lodges. It appears to be working.

John McCargar, HA, 32°

Master

Freemasonry & Politics

Greetings from the East

We are correctly told that the discussion of religion and politics is forbidden in the Lodge. The reason why is so obvious that the phrase has become axiomatic, such that any discussion of them could automatically lead to sharp differences and worse. There are good lessons to be learned from whence Freemasonry emerged, and it having had a profound effect on the future of worldwide governments.

From its organizational origins, which publicly arose after the very bloody and horrific English Civil War of 1642-1651 (matched with other European wars), the learned framers of our Craft and ritual introduced language we take for granted—brotherhood, friendship, brotherly affection and unity, intentionally superseding adversarial positions that even they held. These civil wars shocked both sides, as all violent wars do. Neglectful, totalitarian or dictatorial powers will always lead to corruption, hubris and abuse, thus eventually being the cause of all political and civil strife, and can ultimately, tragically, cost human life.

This does not mean however that we cannot and should not ever talk about political issues. Intelligent, wise and experienced men should be free to express ideas or insights to their brothers, who should be willing to listen, but with a caveat. I have known brothers who expressed regrettable comments unbecoming a Freemason...on both sides of the political divide (not from our lodge). The truth should be revealed. Entrenched dogma can be problematic. But so can emotional or speculative idealism. It is during open lodge where the prohibition is in effect. So feel free to speak. Yet the question remains are we even capable of having serious and reasonable dialogue about serious issues amongst ourselves whenever the occasion arises? Truth is a painful antiseptic to any idealism and provides a motive to evolve toward higher realizations.

John McCargar, HA, 32°

Master

Why Freemasonry?

The earliest and best known of the English handlers of London Free & Accepted Masonry in the 1720’s, were Dr. Anderson, who wrote the book of Masonic Constitutions, and Dr. Oliver, who wrote extensively on Freemasonry. Briefly, there were other notables at the time of course who simply studied its background and the known initiatory doctrines of antiquity (Ashmole, Desaguliers, et al.), who realized its power in their era as both a movement for the edification of worthy men, and a possible means as a catalyst for advancing, and even hastening, the development of society toward its greater potential, including the promulgation of constitutional governance and rights. This would be accomplished through an “elevated” man who became a Freemason, initiated into a spiritual brotherhood, pursing knowledge promoting civility, and perhaps achieving a higher plane of wisdom. The test of veracity for this view can be observed in the way Freemasonry instigated in the world, so much improvement, in doing exactly what it implied.

Subsequent Masonic authors added to our degrees (Colcott, Preston, Webb) each drawing from sources available to them, shaping them into what we practice today. And indeed many others have attempted to explain and interpret the Craft, collectively writing thousands of books, pamphlets, compendiums, encyclopedias, handbooks, papers and speeches. But none of them “invented” Freemasonry from scratch. The lore from the Stone Masons was probably reshaped by the prominent group of learned insiders (additionally in F. Bacon, I. Newton, J. Dee, and from other influential sources—Templar and Church Architects, Rosicrucians, Alchemists), who knew it had existed in different forms, under different names and was practiced in different historical settings—wherever stone monuments were erected. It is likely beyond our reach to know precisely its complex evolution. But one acknowledgment is true: Freemasonry is perennial, relevant now and will be in the future, wherever a motivated individual wishes to advance toward the Light.

John McCargar, HA

Master