Tennis Shoe and T-Shirt Wearers Should Read This

http://www.scgrandlodgeafm.org/Essays/gm122009.htm

My Brethren,

Our society today is one of casual to less than casual dress and it has made its way into our Honorable Institution. So much so, our Fraternity in South Carolina has lost much of its dignity and decorum. As I visit various Masonic functions across our Grand Jurisdiction, I observe many of our Brethren wearing forms of dress, which I find not only to be inappropriate but also unacceptable such as t-shirts, tank-tops, shorts, jeans, overalls, no socks and open toed shoes. Freemasonry is not a club for “good old boys” and we should not be dressed as if it is. I firmly believe unacceptable dress will lead to unacceptable manner. It all goes hand-in-hand with each other.

Your Grand Lodge Officers are the leadership of Freemasonry in our state. I deem it our responsibility to set the standard in all aspects of the Fraternity for all other Masons. As to the standard of dress, they were informed unless they hear otherwise, they are required to be dressed in a coat and tie at any and all Masonic related functions. Blue Lodge Officers are the leadership of their Lodge members and, likewise, should be setting a higher standard for their members.

With these thoughts in mind, I encourage you while attending all Masonic related meetings such as Scottish Rite, York Rite, Shrine, Eastern Star, Amaranth, Masters’ and Wardens’ Club, Square and Compass Club, Past Masters’ Club, Rainbow, DeMolay, as well as Grand Lodge and Blue Lodge, to be appropriately dressed. Our personal appearance, attire and attitude will broadcast the message to others of our devotion, pride and respect toward the Fraternity and aid in setting the tone of our meetings. It is my belief, over time, this action will influence others to pause and reflect upon their own dress and act accordingly. If you are a Past Grand Lodge Officer, you as well should be helping to set the example. Being a Past Grand Lodge Officer does not relieve you from your responsibilities. Once you have served Grand Lodge in any capacity you always belong to the Grand Lodge Family.

One Brother has this to say concerning dress, “It is the internal and not the external qualifications of man that Masonry regards…That phrase is intended to be a leveler, to say that Freemasonry regards no man for his wealth or goods but for his internal qualities, his morality, his integrity, his sense of justice; qualities that can exist in an unemployed day laborer and the highest paid CEO in equal measure. Unfortunately, what it has become is an excuse. Apologia for slovenliness borne of the cursed notion that jeans, t-shirts and sneakers are appropriate attire for attendance at a gentleman’s organization, the odd idea that no one, not even you, should care how you look. Freemasonry is not intended to be a lowest common denominator group. It is a society of gentlemen created for our mutual encouragement and uplift, to become better.”

I ask, Brethren, that you will make a commitment to improve your personal dress so as to demonstrate to others you have a renewed pride in our Fraternity. I ask you to join me in raising the bar of our dress and appearance while attending Masonic related functions. At times it will be inconvenient. At others it will be bothersome. At still other times it will be uncomfortable. But remember, “Our Focus is on Quality.” Will you step forward? Will you join me? Will you help raise the bar? Will you help promote a higher standard? Think about it, my Brethren. Will you require of and for yourself a higher level of respect for Freemasonry?

As we leave Thanksgiving and enter into the more Sacred Season of Christmas and Hanukkah, Gail and I wish for all of you and your families, safety and security and a renewed faith in God and your fellowman.

May God continue to bless America and our great Fraternity and may the blessings of Heaven rest upon you and your families.

Fraternally,

Barry A. Rickman
Grand Master

Next Meeting of the South Carolina Masonic Research Society

The South Carolina Masonic Research Society (SCMRS) meets tomorrow - 5 December 2009 - at 11 AM in the hall of Fort Jackson Lodge No. 374. Elections of Society officers will take place during this meeting

Significant rumor has it that I will be providing the entertainment in the form of a research presentation to the Society members on hand at the meeting. I only hope that - before tomorrow - I can shake this cold that sent me home early from work today.

Website for The Better Angels of our Nature

See also: Line Up to be the First to Read the Better Angels...

The author has a new website at http://michaelhalleran.com/

Visiting 101

Note: The problem with this short article is that those Masons who need to read it will never find it and those that are seeing it will feel like Noah reading about the Flood.

The Fourteenth Landmark of Freemasonry on the list of what is often called “Mackey’s Landmarks” tells us that every Mason has the right to visit and sit in every regular lodge. Now, some Masons may would stop right there and think, “Ah ha – Lodge X has to let me visit.” The next Landmark, however, places some burdens on the visitor. The Fifteenth Landmark requires that the visitor be known as a Mason by a member of the visited lodge or the visitor must pass an examination before being allowed to visit.

There is only one legal way – Masonically speaking – for a Brother to know if a man is a Mason. He must have sat in open Lodge with him. If this is not the case, the visitor must pass an examination. But what is the examination?

There are several ways for an examination to be conducted, but a common method requires that the visitor demonstrate that he is in possession of the various words and grips. If the visitor successfully demonstrates this and is allowed to sit in open Lodge – the Master would still be in error, however. The reason for this is that expelled or suspended Masons – as well as some members of clandestine bodies – would certainly possess the words and grips.

The key ingredient in any examination is a certain piece of paper. The visitor should have in his physical possession a current dues card, certificate, or demit. Such a document must have been issued by a lodge or Grand Lodge that is recognized by the visited lodge’s Grand Lodge. It would also be prudent to have the visitor to produce photo identification so as to ensure that he is not using a stolen card, certificate, or demit.

Even unaffiliated Masons – not to be confused with Masons suspended because of nonpayment of dues – should possess a demit or certificate. Some jurisdictions will allow an unaffiliated Mason to visit once for the purpose of requesting affiliation with the visited lodge.

The key lesson of Visiting 101 is simple. Masons that intend to visit should have their dues card, certificate, or demit. Do not leave home without it.

Whew! It is Almost Over. Or is It?

In many Grand Jurisdictions, Masons are entering the last two months of the Masonic year. As the Masters of lodges enter the final sprint, many of them start anticipating that sigh of relief that they will expel as they leave their demanding responsibilities to someone else at the end of their term of office. Some will start relaxing a bit during these final two months and actually began practicing a sort of lame duck type of administration. “Whew – it is almost over,” will be the thought on many of their minds.

But is it really almost over? Strong Masters with views of the long-term rather than the short-term will know that there is more important work to be done. These types of lodge leaders know that they may actually be entering the most important period of their time in the East. They know that they can not simply drop the gavel and retire to the sidelines. They realize that there must be – or should be – a smooth transition from them to their replacements. They are fully aware that the smooth transition is dictated by the outgoing administration – not the incoming.

The proactive Master is already coordinating with his presumed successor. He is briefing the supposed next Master on the state of the lodge’s various unfinished projects and upcoming events that are set by the Grand Lodge and Grand Master. He is making sure his replacement is also fully aware of the Grand Master’s vision and expectations. He is making sure that the Secretary and Treasurer are getting the documents arranged for the next Master so that he will be armed with as much information as possible before he officially becomes the head of the lodge. He also is making sure that the next man in the East has all of the point of contact information that he may need – such as for the District Deputy Grand Master. All in all – he is setting his successor up for success and doing his best to keep the lodge moving forward in a positive direction.

A Master’s time in the East may be almost over, but some of his most important work still lies before him.

Universal Brotherhood and Guarding the Gate

One of the great balancing acts that faces – and has always faced – Freemasonry is the consideration of universal brotherhood while - at the same time – protecting the Craft from the initiation of those that could cause damage to the institution. This is often referred to by Masons as “guarding the West Gate.” There are probably few Freemasons who have not given thought to this subject in some fashion or another and such thoughts are more often than not of a very personal nature. The thoughts are often of a personal and intimate nature because they are usually manifested due to the petition or request for petition from a friend or family member.

But what is meant by universal brotherhood from a Masonic viewpoint? On the surface, universal brotherhood may bring forth visions of an almost Utopian concept of all men being able to enjoy the beauty and teachings of Freemasonry. However, what if it is universal Brotherhood – with a capital B? When used this way, it implies a universal nature of a Fraternity that is applicable only to the Order’s members and not necessarily to all of mankind. I submit that this latter interpretation is the accurate way of describing universal Brotherhood from a Masonic point of view.

With this description of universal Brotherhood in mind, it is now appropriate to examine who is eligible for membership into the Fraternity of Freemasonry. The qualifications as pertain to age, gender, and physical wholeness are so well known that no time will be devoted to these in this examination. Instead, one of the often stated purposes of Freemasonry – Making Good Men Better – will be used as a starting point for a deeper look into this subject, which will include a brief consideration of the religious qualification.

“Making Good Men Better” is a catchy phrase, but it does not explain what makes for a good man. Though there is no one-size-fits-all description of a good man, most Freemasons know of good men that would not be suitable material for the Craft. It may come as surprise for some to learn that – not less than approximately one hundred and sixty years ago – Freemasons have wrestled with this subject before.

Every candidate for initiation into the mysteries of Freemasonry must be a man of good moral character, of irreproachable reputation, and living, as our ritual expresses it, ‘under the tongue of good report.’ The Lodge which admits a member who has not these necessary qualifications, is bringing into our fold not a lamb, the emblem of innocence and purity, but a ravenous wolf who will inevitably destroy the flock. Neither is an ignorant or uneducated man desirable as a candidate for our mysteries. Without some intellectual culture, it is not likely that he would appreciate the symbolical character of our Institution, nor would he be capable of becoming a very useful or honorable member of the Craft. – from an encyclical letter issued from the Grand Lodge of Ancient Free Masons of South Carolina on 5 December 1848

There is really only one proven method to determine whether a petitioner possesses good moral character. A thorough investigation must be conducted before an educated determination can be made as to a man’s moral character. Such an investigation must necessarily include an honest attempt to discover a man’s motivation that led him to petition. A man who petitions due to a less than honorable or pure motivation can not meet the moral qualification requirement.

The mention of “an ignorant or uneducated man” is worth further contemplation. As already mentioned, most Freemasons are familiar with good men that would not be suitable for the Fraternity. Many of this type of men are considered as undesirable for Masonic purposes due to their lack of ability to comprehend the beauty and lessons of the Craft. This is not meant to disparage these otherwise good men or to serve as a “Non-Geniuses Need Not Apply” sign. Most Freemasons can generally agree, however, that at least a basic intellectual capacity and educational background are necessary for a man to properly benefit from and serve the Fraternity. The initiation of the ignorant or uneducated would prove to be a disservice to the initiate and has the potential of causing real harm to a lodge and the Craft as a whole.

That same encyclical letter of 1848 also addressed the religious requirement.

As to religious qualifications, the action of some other Grand Lodges makes it expedient that we should impress upon you that no other religious test is necessary or proper in the candidate, except that he declare himself a firm believer in the existence of a Supreme Being.

Though this passage would seem to be rather finite, one must take into account that there are men in the world who have attached Supreme Being status to some rather irregular entities. A man that has adopted his pet goldfish, the spirit of Adolf Hitler, or Satan as his Supreme Being probably does not meet the religious qualification. Some amount of investigation must be used to make an educated determination about a man’s belief in a Supreme Being.

The encyclical letter of 1848 went on to attach even more importance to guarding the West Gate.

…let it always be remembered that in balloting for a candidate each Lodge is not acting for itself alone, but for the whole Order at large. It is not simply admitting a new associate into its own narrow circle, but is introducing a brother to the great Masonic family, whose virtuous or vicious conduct will affect the Institution in all parts of the world, for good or evil. Let no brother forget, that it is as sacred a duty to reject the worthless as it is to receive the worthy.

Without a doubt, men who are unworthy have at times been initiated into Freemasonry. These mistakes sometimes only cause disappointment for the initiated and wasted efforts on the part of a lodge – often leading to demission or suspension of the ones who should never have been accepted. There have been occasions, however, where the results were much more far-reaching and included such things as written exposés, fractured or darkened lodges, and damaged Grand Lodges. Ultimately, the needs and protection of the Fraternity outweigh the most well-intentioned desires to bring an individual into the fold.

Guard the West Gate of universal Brotherhood.

Masonic Education and Research

"Truth" and "light" are words that hold - or should hold - a special meaning for Freemasons. With this in mind and unless a Freemason belongs to a lodge that already leans heavily toward education and research, I am often left in wonderment at the large numbers of Brothers who do not belong to some sort of research society or research lodge. Yes - I know that there are many Brothers who are capable of conducting education and research at an individual level, but the resources offered to even these types of Masons by the research societies and research lodges are invaluable. An added benefit - primarily due to the existence of the Internet - is the networking that these research bodies provide for the serious researchers and - especially - the writers.

I highly encourage all Masons to belong to at least one research body of their choice that also meets with the requirements of their individual Grand Jurisdictions. Here are the three that I belong to and I highly recommend each of them. Ancient Free Masons of South Carolina should certainly belong to the first one.

The South Carolina Masonic Research Society

The Scottish Rite Research Society (not limited to members of the Scottish Rite; I am not in the Scottish Rite)

The Masonic Society