SHORT "SHORT TALKS" FOR
OCCASIONAL SPEAKERS
These short talks are designed for use by the
Brother who is called upon "for a few
remarks" either in the lodge room or "at
refreshment" and who does not wish to take up
much of the audience's time. Memorizing one
of them may give a Brother "speech security."
An appropriate little story may be used as an
introduction. Some of these speeches may seem
to be too short, but the author recommends
their brevity for "sure-fire" appreciation.
He is Wor. Brother Elbert Bede, Editor
emeritus of The Oregon Freemason and author
of 3-5-7Minute Talks on Freemasonry, who has
tested these little addresses through
personal experience.
TODAY WE SAILED WESTWARD
Often we have heard the story of how
Columbus, despite the mutterings of his crew,
kept his little white-winged fleet sailing
onward over an apparently boundless and
endless sea. He had failed miserably in his
calculations of the distance around the
earth, the distance to be traveled in
achieving his dream. It was fortunate for him
that land impeded his way to the great
pacific, of which he knew nothing. His little
ships never would have completed the longer
journey; and we learn that land was sighted
only a few hours before the time set down by
agreement with the muttering crew for turning
back.
One would expect Columbus to have set down in
his log the daily progress of the little band
of argonauts seeking the golden treasures of
the East; but in at least the final days of
the adventure the only entry was, "Today we
sailed westward."
That was all: "Today we sailed westward."
Many Freemasons become discouraged because
the Fraternity seems not to be reaching its
goal, or because it does not set sail for
goals for which many believe it should
strive.
Yet we really have more reason to feel
hopeful than did Columbus, who had an
unwilling crew and no chance to reach the
goal at which he aimed.
Those who really man the ships of Freemasonry
are not an unwilling crew. They gladly remain
at their posts. They are certain there are
spiritual rewards awaiting the programs which
they promote. That is not a rainbow in the
distance that recedes as we approach. It is
the solid land of achievement that appears.
"Today we sail westward," but "Eastward
toward the Light" might be a better way of
expressing it for a Freemason.
ROUGH AND PERFECT ASHLARS
Masons hear much about rough and perfect
ashlars. They are described in the lecture of
the Entered Apprentice degree. We know what
use was made of rough and perfect ashlars in
the old operative days; but in Speculative
Masonry we often refer to our lodge Brothers
figuratively as rough and perfect ashlars,
although we never had anyone who would fully
qualify for the latter description.
A rough ashlar is not a physically faulty
stone. In Freemasonry it is as substantial as
the perfect ashlar, necessarily so, for from
it the perfect ashlar is fashioned. Used as a
part of a structure, it owes no apology to
the perfectly shaped and sometimes polished
stone. In structures of stone there may be
more rough ashlars than finished stones, just
as in Speculative Freemasonry there are a
lesser number of informed Brethren who are
qualified to give freely of wisdom to the
many eager to learn.
We can have in our membership few, if any,
approaching the perfection of a perfect
ashlar. We are fortunate to have so many to
whom we may fondly refer as faithful rough
ashlars who are the support of the lodges.
FREEMASONRY'S SYMBOLS
Silent as the forgotten past are the Symbols
of Freemasonry, yet we well may believe that
all of Freemasonry is to be found in those
inarticulate Symbols.
We have rituals for our various degrees. Any
Brother .may memorize them. Even an expelled
Brother may carry the so-called secrets of
the ritual with him. Even some of "the
profane" claim to be conversant with the
secrets of our rituals.
It may be doubted, however, that any of the
real secrets of Freemasonry are to be found
in the secret rituals which only Freemasons
are presumed able to read. It is becoming
more and more the belief of students of
Freemasonry that the real secrets are to be
found only in the Symbols that have been
described and interpreted in many volumes
which Freemasons and the profane alike may
read.
More than that, each Freemason and each non-
Mason may interpret the Symbols for himself,
and who can really say whether his
explanation is correct, or that it is a
complete interpretation? The silent Symbol
gives no word of approval or disapproval. The
real secrets contained in any Symbol are what
any individual finds them to be for himself.
THE ROBBER AND THE SPIDER
The selfishness and disregard for the welfare
of others that we find in the world today
brings to mind the Japanese fable of the
robber and the spider. The robber had been
sent to the infernal regions. One day the
Lord Buddha paid a visit to the gloomy
underworld and the robber cried out to be
returned to the world of light. When
questioned by Buddha as to the kind deeds he
had performed while on earth, he could think
of only one. Once, instead of crushing `with
his foot a spider in his path, he lifted the
spider to the side of the road, where it
would be safe from the feet of others.
Buddha responded not. He merely smiled and
went his way, but soon the robber saw before
him a thread of finest silk glittering in the
darkness. It was a thread of spider's silk
leading upward. To his astonishment the
robber found the silk strong enough to bear
his weight, so hand over hand he climbed
upward. As he was nearing the light, he heard
below him the voices of many others who were
climbing the apparently frail spider's
thread. Fearing that all the weight would
break the thin, trembling silk, the robber
called angrily to those below, "Get off, get
back, this thread belongs to me!" The words
had scarcely been spoken when the thread
snapped and the robber fell to the gloomy
depths from which he had so nearly escaped.
The robber of the fable has many human
imitators. Every day we see cases of those
who have given all their efforts to acquiring
material things for themselves without
thought for others. The physical body cannot
stand the effort and the silken cord snaps.
On the other hand, we see others who have no
ambition to have more than enough to provide
for their own comfort, but who get much out
of life because of -their regard for the
welfare and happiness of others.
Interest in others is not demonstrated by
contributions of material things, but rather
by forgetting material things long enough to
show a keen interest in what others are
endeavoring to accomplish. By forgetting
material things long enough to have time to
mingle with friends. By forgetting material
things long enough to have time to take a
smile into a sick room. By forgetting the
race for material possessions long enough to
have time to sympathize with the misfortunes
of others. By taking time we might otherwise
employ to our own profit to show others how
they may follow in the way where we have
succeeded.
After all, should any man wish to be the only
one to reach a goal? He'd be very lonesome.
PURPOSE OF THE PILLARS
The Senior Deacon, in the Fellowcraft degree,
gives a considerable description of the two
great Pillars that stood on the porch of King
Solomon's Temple, using some words that most
of us can't pronounce. As a matter of fact,
as the Senior Deacon indicated, no one is
absolutely certain what purpose the Pillars
served or what they represented.
If they served no useful purpose, and were
largely ornamental, couldn't they be symbolic
of some Freemasons we have today? And we have
a few who are not even ornamental, such as
myself and some others I might name.
If the Pillars were repositories, as has been
suggested, no way was provided for getting to
and making use of the information they
contained. That sounds ridiculous; but don't
we often ignore or refuse to make use of
information we know to exist?
Our Speculative temple needs something more
than ornamental pillars.
SOLOMON AND HIS GLORY
If his authorship be accepted - and I am
inclined to accept it - Solomon, our
legendary first Grand Master, made a superb
gift to the centuries with his Ecclesiastes,
from which Freemasonry gets the Scripture
reading for the circumambulation in the third
degree. His Proverbs, his Song of Solomon,
his Wisdom of Solomon and other writings have
come down to us through the centuries in what
we like to believe is their original beauty;
but of the worldly glory of Solomon no
material thing remains as a memorial.
From these facts, it seems to me, we are
taught a lesson peculiarly in harmony with
the teachings of our great institution. As
Freemasons we should be warned that the
material things which we gather to satisfy
worldly vanity may be dissipated within our
life time, or destroyed by those who take our
places, while deeds of the heart and deeds of
the mind may be acclaimed through the
centuries.
IS YOUR FREEMASONRY IN JARS?
Not often do I find a Masonic lesson in a
funny story, but there's one that seems to me
to give the opportunity for developing one.
At a gathering of women the conversation
turned `to a discussion of Masons. Some of
the women seemed to be rather well informed
on the subject, and discussed it at some
length, but one woman was bored and finally
remarked, "Well, I don't know much about
Masons, but I think their fruit jars are very
nice."
If we analyze that, we may find she said a
mouthful without intending to point a moral
of any kind. Don't many of us Masons have a
lot of fruit jars into which we put our
Masonry, then seal the jars and set them away
in a dark corner? Even when Masonic friends
visit us, we don't get out some of the jars
and treat our friends to the contents. We
might at least take a jar along every time we
go to a Masonic meeting and pass around what
the jar contains.
Freemasonry put away in jars doesn't improve
with age, and the contents are likely to be
forgotten. Freemasonry improves by
dissemination. Brethren, keep your
Freemasonry out of fruit jars; but, if you do
put some away now and then, bring it out at
the first opportunity and let the Brethren
partake with you.
FINISHING ON THREE STRINGS
In the life of Ole Bull, great violinist and
Freemason, there was an incident from which
should come encouragement and inspiration for
those who find themselves confronted with
what seem to be insurmountable difficulties.
During one of Old Bull's greatest concerts,
when he had partly completed one of his own
great compositions, his "A" string broke. Had
this happened to a lesser artist, there
certainly would have been an interruption,
and possibly a display of artistic
temperament; but Ole Bull didn't hesitate. He
completed the composition and applause was
thunderous, but the conclusion was not the
original one. He had improvised on three
strings for the portion of the original
composition which had not been completed. He
finished on three strings.
Let us get inspiration from some notable
examples of those who have overcome severe
handicaps, who "finished on three strings."
Lack of school education is considered by
some an insurmountable obstacle, but Abraham
Lincoln had almost no school education. Yet
what gifted scholar will attempt to produce
another Gettysburg address? Old Abe made the
Bible his three stringed violin.
Loss of eyesight is considered by many an
insurmountable handicap, yet Milton did some
of his greatest writing and brought light to
the world with his epic poems, Paradise Lost
and Paradise Regained, after he had lost his
eyesight. He finished on three strings.
Caesar was an epileptic, but see where he
went on three strings!
Beethoven, after becoming deaf, wrote some of
the most beautiful music the world has ever
known. He finished on three strings.
Napoleon was a runt; but even though I can
express no admiration for him. he certainly
bulks large in history. He finished on three
strings.
Lord Byron was club-footed, Robert Louis
Stevenson was tubercular, and Annette
Kellerman was a paralytic. All of these
succeeded with only three strings.
When seemingly insurmountable difficulties
confront us, let us think of Ole Bull and his
broken "A" string and of those others who
pushed handicaps aside and finished on three
strings.
THE LITTLE LODGE AT BATAVIA
Freemasons have long admired the courage
exhibited by the hero of our Hiramic legend,
but few of us are familiar with an instance
in our own country when the larger part of
the :membership of a little lodge exhibited a
comparable bravery.
This incident occurred during the vicious
anti-Masonic movement that started in 1826
and raged for ten to fifteen years. It was
sparked by the strange disappearance of
William Morgan. Members of the little lodge
in Batavia, New York, which the disreputable
Morgan had attended as a visitor while
engaged in preparing an "exposure" of
Freemasonry, were charged with being
responsible for Morgan's disappearance, and
none were more hounded than they.
Yet in June of 1827, a year after the start
of the anti-Masonic movement, which nearly
drove Freemasonry in the United States to the
breaking point, this lodge publicly announced
that it would attend church services on the
anniversary of St. John the Baptist. When the
day came, a hostile throng which has been
estimated to have numbered 12,000 had
assembled in the little village of 1350. Some
of the fearful Brethren urged postponement -
and their advice may have been good - but
stalwart leaders decided they could not
afford to show fear or shame.
Clothed in white gloves and aprons, the
Brethren of the little lodge, undoubtedly
with cold shivers running up and down their
spines, with a few goose pimples mixed in,
marched to the church through the hostile
throng, which opened to let them pass. There
were many insulting words and an untoward act
might have brought violence; but the Brethren
reached the church - greatly relieved to get
there safely -listened to a sermon by a
preacher who feared only his God, and quietly
returned to their lodge room and dispersed.
Those Freemasons of Batavia may have been
foolhardy. Their act may have fanned the
flames of intolerance and bigotry, but they
were men - red-blooded men - brave men -
fearless men-men who dared to stand against
the storm until its fury was spent. We need
such men today.
UNCHANGING FREEMASONRY
Anyone who has lived three-fourths of a
century has seen the development of all the
modern gadgets for office and home, as well
as such things as the typesetting machine,
automobile, airplane, radio, television, and
a thousand so-called modern necessities that
were not so much as dreamed of in the days of
our fathers. During the years many things
have been invented, have been useful for a
time, and have disappeared from the scene.
Freemasonry, however, was here long before
the invention of these modern conveniences
and machines that have revolutionized the
home, society and industry. It will continue,
regardless of to what undreamed of extent
inventions may take us. No ancient or modern
invention has wrought any noticeable effect
upon it. It has remained unchangeable while
everything around it has changed. Life has
been streamlined; but Freemasonry's rituals
teach the same things that were taught by the
rituals of 1717 and earlier. Even the manner
of teaching Freemasonry's lessons has hardly
changed except as greater understanding has
given us opportunity to make more modern
applications, or has given us new
interpretations of unchanging Symbols.
We need more things in life as fundamental
and as unchangeable as the eternal Truths
which have attended and preserved Freemasonry
through the centuries.
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