Bro. Stephen Godfrey Haida Lodge No. 166 Grand Lodge of British Columbia and Yukon Concept of Masonic Renewal What does it mean to you now and in the future? David R. Bedwell Memorial Masonic Renewal Essay Competition 1
110% Hi, Jack. How are you? I asked. 110%, Jack replied. As always, Jack, I commented with a smile. He told me the story of how he came to use that response every time someone asked him that question -- but that is for another paper perhaps. That conversation has taken place I cannot recall how many times and even though I know what his response will be, I get a kick out of his answer. Jack wears a baseball cap with 110% embroidered on it; the cap is dark blue and the embroidery gold. He is 87 yrs. young and has 60 years of Masonic service. He makes people think and he makes people smile. What does Jack s response do for him? How has is life changed and by what measure? He says he finds it helps him greet each day with that joy to be alive feeling. Immediately he speaks to the first person who asks him How are you doing, it rejuvenates him again and in so doing he finds those who ask the question get a great smile on their faces. And perhaps more so, there is a bond between him and his questioner immediately. Immediate bonding hold that thought for a moment, because this is part of Masonic renewal. 2
110% speaks to me about renewal. We are missing the point of Freemasonry if we continue to use our ritual as the only game in town. Ritual can become rutual (not sure where I heard that first), if all we do is parrot sentence by sentence. In the Charge to the Brethren to the lodge at the conclusion of the installation of officers (Canadian Ritual), these words are spoken: The object, however of meeting in the Lodge is of a two fold nature, namely moral instruction and social intercourse. Address to the Brethren Canadian Ritual GLBC&Y Two further ways towards Masonic renewal. Moral instruction If you study the ritual closely, you will find that it has some smatterings of virtues that our ancient writers felt it necessary to include in the work temperance, fortitude, prudence, and justice. We find peace and harmony, and love, (relief) really compassion, and truth, faith hope charity, central characteristics for a Mason. These virtues however, are not all the virtues to which we can aspire. 3
More of an interest perhaps is that one finds the word virtue written several times in our work. In Canadian work it appears 16 times, the Ancient work 13 times, and in that address to the brethren (Canadian) referenced above, 11 times. Emulation work we find it 11 times also. It could be that our ancient writers were always referring to the 11 or so that are found in ritual. Times have changed and the list of virtues is far longer than that. There are several list of virtues found in several websites. I found one with 96 virtues, another 115 virtues and still a third 152 virtues. Some can be considered synonyms of another word identified. Now as much as the ritual clearly identifies a few virtues, our ritual strongly suggests that we should view more of them... every moral and social virtue. The lists above are more moral and social virtues. Our masonic instruction is the pursuit of daily advancement to find such material and to realize that the work of all Masons truly is to learn, to contemplate, and to affect those virtues every day of our Masonic lives. We meet in lodges for the purpose of instruction. The study of virtues could easily be life long learning. Through our actions, our vocabulary, the tone of voice, conversing with all brethren, we assist in building quality masons and 4
giving them an experience that every lodge meeting should offer. We learn from each other. The interaction with brethren, listening to their ideas and opinions, we learn from each other Socratic learning. We attend at our lodges with 110% attitude to learn, to listen, to build a life for the betterment of our society. Work in lodge is more that warming a seat, more than giving to charity, more than memorizing words and presenting ritual in degrees, more than breaking bread together and yes it is even more than the drink after lodge at the festive board. It is the learning of how to live a good life, how to learn from brethren who display virtues we do not exhibit, how to use these characteristics in our daily life and become true and strong moral members of society. Social intercourse It is therefore through social intercourse that we learn, that we share, that we give because life is a conversation. Our conversations, our building relationships, are the greatest of significance to our fraternity. Following his first obligation, every man is now addressed as Brother. How often do we superficially speak the word and not truly give it the meaning and power it should have? And how often do we snub a brother at a meeting and drift to brethren we have greater ease with, rather than including all brothers and 5
entering into the real masonic circle of friendship, our new extended family into the brotherhood. Here then is our Masonic Renewal. Forget what happened in 18 th century, and for a moment forget the other concordant bodies that we belong to. Focus on the Craft Lodge and this work, on the members of your own lodge. Show kindness, show openness, excellence, devotion, enthusiasm, reverence, respect, patience, virtues that should be clearly seen in every lodge meeting. We are encouraged to imitate the character whom we meet in the M.M. degree, not impersonate. There is a difference; impersonate we pretend in order to deceive; to imitate, we take on the character, we display, we follow him as a true model. Our Masonic renewal can only come from a more genuine life of reaching for perfection towards the perfect ashlar. For all of the conflicting advice that Masons have offered to improve freemasonry, particularly to improve membership numbers, in the end it is more important to garner from our ranks those who are genuine workers in the quarries of life quality over quantity. If we come to lodge feeling 110% we will find a new life that leads us to being 6
better, to sharing more, and listening and observing more. Masonic renewal really, it is masonic revitalization. And it all starts with you, and starts with me. Moral instruction and social intercourse, these two are the mainstay of our Freemasonry. Both as identified may sound boring and dreary. But both can be presented in very creative ways. Presentations can be role-plays, discussions, forums, debates, PowerPoint presentations rather than something being read. Social intercourse can be local speakers, guest speakers, a play by several brethren, speakers not about Freemasonry but on other topics. A TED podcast with a successful discussion might be another way to promote conversation. Past Grand Secretary of Pennsylvania R. W. Bro. Thomas Jackson said just recently in his paper The Challenges of Freemasonry in the 21 st Century: Our concern must now be our future, and our greatest hurdle to overcome will be us. Our masonic fraternity will always be renewing. It is important that relationships with our brethren and exciting plans for a meeting are necessary for brethren to see a reason for attending. Relationship building, - such an important mark for Masonic renewal. Brother Jack is the epitome of Masonic renewal. If we had more 110% Jacks 7
attending lodge, there would be no need for us even speaking about Masonic renewal. A lodge of brethren making each day, each hour, each minute of their lives 110%, feeling that the best is yet to come Bro. Jackson s hurdle would be jumped. Not only that, we would be jumping it so far above the highest horizontal bar, that our lodges would be full again because each member learns lessons that are effective in them being better persons in their society, and isn t that what we joined for in the first place? Moral instruction, social intercourse, relationship building, 110% feeling renewal of joyous lodge meeting. I enjoy my meetings with Jack whether it is coffee, a ride to lodge or attending lodge with him. He makes me feel at peace, and harmonious with my world. He is positive, he is open to all friendships, he lives according to that high and venerable character we all are supposed to admire, and he is the first to welcome conversations with all masons he meets in lodge. How are you doing, Jack? I asked. 110%, Replied Jack. 8