Cameron Clark Poe. Lexington Lodge #1. Grand Lodge of Kentucky. momentarily) arrested in thought. From which angle is this question coming?

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1 Cameron Clark Poe Lexington Lodge #1 Grand Lodge of Kentucky When presented with the question: Concept of Masonic Renewal What does it mean to you now and in the future? I am immediately (although only momentarily) arrested in thought. From which angle is this question coming? Quite frankly, I wish there was no such thing as Masonic Renewal. We as Masons, should never have strayed so far from our original intended purpose. I am not going to expound upon the issues facing our Fraternity as they are extremely numerous and all too often construed. I am here however to challenge the Masons of today. Masonic renewal today must, if nothing else, demonstrate that we are no longer challenging ourselves to be better men. Freemasonry was never meant to be a finite goal. It is a way of life. I wish there were no such thing as Masonic renewal. I wish there was no need for Masonic Restoration, Traditional Observance, European Concept and others. American Freemasonry is a shadow of what it once was. Of course we can sit back and point at all the wonderful charity work we do, all our community efforts in appendant bodies etc., the good ole days when we

2 had hundreds of thousands of members. But Freemasonry was never intended to be a charity. We help, aid and assist of course, but we are not designed to be a charity alone. Freemasonry was never intended to have thousands upon thousands of members. Tell me, if a Lodge has 200 members on the roster, how many of those Brothers actually attend Lodge? How many of those 200 men do you really know as a person? Where does he work?, what is his wife s name? where do his children go to school? Lodges were never meant to be large. But that is what we have become. Freemasonry was never intended to be the largest Fraternity in the world, but that is what we have become. Freemasonry was never intended to be a social club, a casually dressed group of Masonically un-informed men sitting around sipping coffee and complaining that No one comes to Lodge anymore. But that in far too many cases, is what we have become. I don t have the answers, I cannot tell you with any great certainty what Freemasonry was like 100 years ago, I also cannot tell you what Freemasonry will be like 100 years from now. All I can tell you is what I see right now. I see Lodges struggling. I don t want to harp on problems, we all should recognize we have them, every Grand Jurisdiction does. I want to challenge everyone to FOCUS. Or in this case RENEW.

3 Focus on yourself. Renew yourself. Masonry is a system of learning, a pathway to improve ourselves through the careful and thoughtful study of commendable virtues. Remember why you came to the Fraternity to knock upon that outer door. Remember that feeling the night you were initiated, find that Brother within yourself and get to work. I don t care if you have been a Mason 60 years or 60 minutes. I want to challenge you to never stop learning. Masonic renewal means to never stop seeking light in Masonry. I can tell you Brothers, you will not achieve it. No one has achieved it. Not until the working tools of a busy life have fallen from your hands will you achieve it. Look around your Lodge, if you don t see anyone that is willing to humbly educate, inspire, encourage and persist in the teaching of Freemasonry, maybe the person you seek is YOU. I am challenging you to seek Masonic light relentlessly. Masonry is different than any other organization in history. Becoming a Mason is a process, a lifelong process. It is not a dues card or a ring or a title. Whether you have 3 degrees or 33 degrees, to become a true Freemason often means a level of complete commitment that is quite frankly, unobtainable. There is no end to becoming a Freemason.

4 In today s Lodge we remove obstacles or lessen standards and even shorten ritual to allow for an easier path. What is this teaching? If we allow ourselves to compromise instead of to challenge, to disengage instead of motivate, to just be good enough instead of exceptional what are we teaching? We have allowed ourselves to become victims. Victims of our own arrogance. The surge of membership in the 20 th century has directly lead us to the place we are today. Brothers the issues are not new. Do not find excuses, find solutions. Begin by actually teaching the degrees and the symbols within, not just conferring them, as it was intended. Masonic renewal is the process of going BACK so that we can move forward. To reach back in our history and re-capture what we have lost in our Lodges. Brothers we all came to this Fraternity seeking light, we asked for it at the altar of Freemasonry. When we expect new Masons to find it themselves and on their own, we have not delivered on that oath. We have failed them, and in the process failed ourselves. Many young men coming to Freemasonry today are looking for far more than listening to bills and minutes and drinking coffee. I would wager that most, if not all of them know more about Freemasonry when they knock on that door than the men inside the Lodge.

5 We live in an amazing age, like it or not if we wish to survive we must do more than just exist. I hear from many members that we have existed for 300 years That s true, we have just existed. That s all. We have grown, but only because we completely relaxed our standards or wholly eliminated them, we propped open the west gate in the interest of membership and money. We are completely to blame for the necessity of an organization created solely for the renewal of our Fraternity. Brothers, if you want to blame someone for the issues in your Lodges take a look in the mirror. There s your guy. Are you doing enough? Are you doing anything? The answer is out there and it begins with you. We don t need more members. What we need are more Masons. Freemasonry is a systematic and beautiful collection, of free-thinking, free-spirited allegory, made up of men that all come of their own free will. Men of like mind that seek a higher level of moral and spiritual education. That is what is expected from our petitioners, if they don t receive that, they will not stay. One of my favorite founding fathers, John Adams once said: Let us tenderly and kindly cherish, therefore, the means of knowledge. Let us dare to read, think, speak, and write. I want to challenge you today, to READ, THINK, SPEAK and WRITE Freemasonry. Study it, learn it, master it, and teach it. You have a choice

6 Brothers, are you going to be the victim and come up with excuses? Or choose to be the light of your Lodge. Begin by pushing for continuous thought provoking Masonic education, excellent ritual, proper respect and decorum, PROPER DRESS, strong investigations, and community involvement. Don t just settle for what you have always done! Succeed. Be a Mason every day in every way. Not just when you are in that Lodge Hall. That s just a building, the real Lodge is contained within each of us. Be the light of your Lodge, be the light of your community. Let s renew ourselves by leading morally, spiritually, faithfully in our actions, our deeds and our words. When you begin to realize the true potential in yourselves, then you will realize it in those around you, and ultimately in your Lodge halls. That is was Freemasonry is, and what Masonic renewal means to me. It s time for us to get to work. It s time for us to read, think, speak and write Freemasonry. It IS time for Masonic renewal. It is time for personal renewal. I am challenging every Mason today to be that spark in your Lodge that ignites the fire within every Brother, that spark that first brought you to that outer door. Ignite that flame of self-improvement and Masonic education in yourself. And once ignited, fan those flames Brothers, don t let others stamp them out with prejudice or fear, arrogance or doubt. Fan them with all you ve got. Let the light of

7 Freemasonry be forever in our Lodges, in our communities and most especially, in ourselves.