masonic matters
Free-Will and Accord
by Ed Halpaus
Grand Lodge Education Officer
Grand Lodge of A. F. & A. M. of Minnesota
Free-Will and Accord.
There are a lot of fine guys in Freemasonry; men who are just a lot of fun to
know and hang-out with. Most lodges have this kind of men, and all it takes is
the interest to get to know these men a little bit to find out how enjoyable it
is.
I was at a rehearsal for a second degree which was going to be part of a one-day
to Masonry class. I was the Senior Deacon for both sections of the degree.
During this rehearsal I happened to be escorting an extremely nice brother who
is one of these fun people to be with; (he was acting as the candidate in the
rehearsal) he is also a Past Master, and a 33° in the Scottish Rite. During the
rehearsal, when we came to the Master’s station, the Master asked if it was of
his own free-will and accord, and he answered, (of course,) “No, my dad’s making
me do it.” We all had to smile at that answer, and it was good that it was a
rehearsal.
One of the outstanding peculiarities of Freemasonry that is unique among
practically any and every group that could be named is the rule that no man may
be asked, invited, solicited, or pressured in any way, to enter Freemasonry.
This is a good rule, which is just the opposite of most other organizations.
Possibly this rule is one reason Freemasonry has had the growth it has had
throughout the world, and maybe it is the reason why most Freemasons remain in
the fraternity for the rest of their lives. Contrast Freemasonry’s prohibition
against proselytism; the custom of some religious groups, societies, or groups,
to proselyte, invite, and to urge people to come to this or that particular
organization or house of worship.
In contrast to those other kinds of groups; Freemasonry, which is a society of
over 4,000,000 in the United States alone, all of whom have petitioned of their
own free-will and accord, ‘would be regarded as a phenomenon if it had not
existed for such a long time, and which has become so familiar to so many people
in the communities of the world.’ Also when you think about it; Freemasonry is
evidently quite interesting and intriguing to a large number of men, otherwise
we would not have as many men petitioning the lodges as we do, nor would it be
so interesting to non-Masons, which it obviously is; consider the popularity of
the stories portrayed in books and movies based on the Masonic fraternity.
Mackey when commenting on a man coming to Freemasonry of his own free-will and
accord said: "This is a settled landmark of the Order," but, he did not include
this ‘settled landmark’ among his list of 25 Landmarks. In his article on
Proselytism, Mackey states; “Freemasonry is rigorously opposed to proselytism.”
He also wrote: “Nay, it boasts as a peculiar beauty of its system, that it is a
voluntary institution.” He also says in his article on proselytism that
Freemasonry differs from every other association in the world in its rule
against proselytism. His article is well worth the time it takes to read it: you
can find his article in the Clegg edition of Mackey’s Encyclopedia of
Freemasonry.
Another peculiarity about the principle of requiring petitioners to come of
their own free-will and accord is that no one knows when this rule or custom
originated. Even so, there are good reasons for a man to come to Freemasonry on
his own without being pressured by friends and associates. When he comes to
Freemasonry on his own, if for some reason he decides Freemasonry is not for
him, he has no one to blame. But if he were pressured in some way to take the
degrees of Masonry, and it turned out not to be for him for some reason, it
might result in an injured or broken friendship. Brother Mackey also has said
that coming of our own free-will and accord means that Freemasonry is, in the
most positive way, a truly voluntary association of men, and that this is where
the saying ‘Once a Freemason always a Freemason’ comes from, and has meaning.
Interestingly a man who attends a lodge for an open house, or an informational
night, or is merely asked the question about why he never got involved with
Freemasonry, and then subsequently fills out a petition after he learns he must
ask, and that we don’t invite men to join, can truthfully say he did come of his
own free-will and accord.
“You mention your name as if I should recognize it, but beyond the obvious facts
that you are a bachelor, a solicitor, a Freemason, and an asthmatic, I know
nothing whatever about you.”
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle – Sherlock Holmes – The Norwood Builder Brother Doyle was
raised in 1893 in Phoenix Lodge #257 - Portsmouth
From the Great light of Masonry = “May the Lord, the God of your fathers,
increase you a thousand times and bless you as he has promised.” Deuteronomy
1:11 NIV
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