WORK, WORK, WORK
By Bro. Alphonse Cerza, Grand Historian of the Grand Lodge of
Illinois.
Work always has been an important concept and word to Americans and to
Freemasons. Our pre-eminence among nations of the world is the result of a
superabundance of natural resources, the willingness of our people to work
converting these natural resources into useful things to make life comfortable,
and a governmental form which encourages individual effort in a climate of
freedom to develop one's inherent abilities. The most important of these factors
is the utilization of one's talents at work. In Freemasonry we utilize the work
constructing King Solomon's Temple as a symbol to build character. It takes work
to prepare to teach the candidate the catechism; and it takes work by the
candidate to learn the catechism and secure the needed proficiency to advance
from one degree to the next. All terms connected with the tools and work of the
operative masons are used as symbols in the Craft .
Therefore, work is the foundation stone in Freemasonry and the work ethic is
the foundation stone of the American Way of Life. As a practical matter, it is
well to observe that everything is the result of work by someone. The food we
eat, the clothes we wear, the shelter we use to protect us from the elements are
all the result of work engaged in by many persons. It involves planning, the
securing of the natural resources, and work to convert the material into the
finished product. Likewise, it is work that makes a candidate into a member.
First, it takes work by many members to prepare themselves to be able to confer
the degrees with skill. It takes work by one or more members to learn the
catechism and to teach it to the candidates. It takes work by the candidate to
learn the catechism to gain proficiency to advance to the next degree. And, if
the lodge is doing its work well, it will retain an interest in the new member
after he receives the third degree and will teach him many fundamentals about
the Craft, its philosophy, its heritage, and its organization and work. This is
the method whereby the lodge can convert a member into a Freemason. There is a
vital difference between being a member and being a Freemason. Following the
formalities of receiving the degrees makes the candidate a member, but he does
not become a Mason until he has learned about our heritage, has an understanding
of the philosophy of Free- masonry, and has adopted the lessons of the degrees
into his everyday life. It takes much additional work to bring this about, but
it is a necessary part of the work of every lodge which has been neglected for
too many years in too many places.
Conferring the degrees does not complete the work of Freemasonry. It is just
the beginning. Unfortunately, for too many years the word "work'' when used by
Masons has described only the ritualistic work conducted by the lodge. And in
most places lodge instruction on ritualistic matters, ritualistic schools,
teach- ing by Grand Lecturers and other instructors have done a creditable job
in this area of Masonic work.. Some have been critic of our Masonic leaders on
the basis that there has been too much emphasis on perfecting the ritualistic
work of the lodge with the thought that this is the only thing that matters in
order for the Craft to be successful. There is no question that the ritualistic
work of the lodge is of vital importance for it contains the philosophy of the
Craft and is the vehicle used to teach the candidate the Lessons that are the
foundation of Freemasonry. Doing good ritualistic work is important because it
is the first exposure of the candidate to the Craft and the first impressions
are always lasting ones. The trouble is that so much emphasis is placed on this
phase of our work that everything else is neglected. Placing so much emphasis
only in the form has caused us to neglect the substance contained in the
degrees. It has been the easy way out for many officers who find it easy to work
by rote and to give no attention to the meaning or to the purpose of the
ritualistic work.
There is a need for additional work with the candidate before he is
initiated, after he has received each degree, and after he has completed all the
formal steps to become a member. Some Grand Lodges have recognized this need by
establishing Educational Commit- tees which have devised programs to give each
candidate additional instruction beyond the ritualistic work of the three
degrees. Many of these committees have prepared booklets for the candidates
which are excellent and serve a useful purpose. (Sec M.S.A. Digest, "Tried and
Proven.") Placing these booklets in the hands of the candidate is fine, but what
assurance do we have that the candidate will read the material and that when he
reads it he will fully understand it. What we need is more time spent with the
new member either personally or in group meetings to answer their questions and
to inform them about the nature of the Craft and its work. These additional
activities are valuable to the candidate and new member, but they are also
important to the lodge, because they enable the officers to set additional
members to work. A working member is always an interested member.
It is the duty both traditional and expressed of the Worshipful Master to set
the Craft to Work and to give it proper instruction. In too many places for too
many years this duty has been interpreted too narrowly and has been confined
only to the conferring of the degrees. As a result of this attitude and
interpretation there has been too much Masonic unemployment among our members.
The apathy that has existed within the Craft in recent years and the continual
net loss of members year after year would seem to indicate that more work is
needed to make the Craft an important part in the lives of its members.
As in the business world where productivity has been declining each year for
some time, we are paying the price with loss of members and apathy. When
productivity is reduced in the market place, we have fewer good results from the
lesser work performed. It will eventually mean fewer jobs because persons cannot
afford to pay the resulting higher prices. With fewer goods purchased, social
tensions increase. Reduced profits result and we have more inflation. Everyone
is hurt as a lower standard of living results. There has been too much
under-achievement per worker in the United States for too many years. Likewise,
there has been too much Masonic unemployment because we have not utilized the
talents of each of our members by putting them to work on projects that will
make him an interested and involved member working for the benefit of the lodge
and its members. (See June, 1980 Short Talk Bulletin, "What's Your Line?") There
seems to be a contagious co-relation between the causes that reduce productivity
in the market place and in the Masonic organization. So it is worthy of note
that if we can bring about an increase in productivity in the market place and
in the Craft everyone in our country and in our Fraternity will receive valuable
dividends. In the words of Brother James A. Garfield, twentieth President of the
United States, "If the power to do hard work is not a talent, it is the best
possible substitute for it."
How can we improve this situation within the Craft? It all boils down to the
fact that more work will have to be done by everyone involved, apply themselves
with diligence in the performance of their duties; to be determined to do a
better job than has been done in the past; and to expand the scope of their work
and that of the lodge. It means that the officers should consider ways and means
of improving conditions in the lodge and its work. It means that the officers
must change their point of view that the word ''work'' is restricted to the
ritualistic effort of the lodge. The officers must take a genuine interest in
each resident member as these two elements will give some indication of the
abilities of the members and what their individual interests may be. Each person
is different and is not interested in the same thing. We must recognize that not
all of our members are interested in the rote learning of the lectures and the
degree work and will not spend the time doing something in which they are not
interested. When these individual interests and talents are ascertained they
should be utilized by the lodge by assigning proper work to the member. It is
surprising how members favor- ably respond to requests to work for the lodge
within the areas of their interests. To be singled out to perform a task and to
be recognized for the abilities that one possesses is always flattering. This
will make the member a better member and the lodge also will benefit from the
work done. As the skills, abilities, and talents of the members are explored, it
is likely that the lodge may find it necessary to adopt new beneficial programs
to put these members to work.
It cannot be said at any time that we have all the workers we need and that
there are no new programs or work to be done by the lodge. The use of a little
imagination will often disclose new important areas in which the lodge can
function for the benefit of the members, the lodge and the community. There is
always room for Masonically unemployed members to become employed. Specific
suggestions cannot be made that will apply everywhere. To be taken into
consideration is the type of members who belong to a specific lodge, local
conditions, what has taken place in the past, and how much the unemployed
members can be motivated to take an active part in the work of the lodge. There
may be a need of having new committees appointed. It is also likely that the
committees that exist must be converted into working committees rather than
existing in name only. Giving the member a title and duties to perform plus a
bit of recognition may be enough to get him to work.
It should not be hard to find things that need attention. You can start by
considering the physical condition of the premises where the lodge meets. Do the
premises need to be painted? Do the grounds need to be spruced up with a lawn,
flower beds, bushes, a flag pole, etc.? Are there widows of deceased members who
have been neglected? Are there sick members who need some attention? Does the
lodge need a library with Masonic books? Are there members with hobbies such as
stamp and coin collections with items of Masonic interest that ought to be put
to work in organizing a display of these items at an open meeting? Do you have a
member whose hobby is gourmet cooking who can be put to work preparing fancy
dishes for lodge dinners? Do you have able members who are students who can be
put to work preparing talks on Masonic subjects? These are some of the questions
that come to mind at once as one explores areas to create work for the
Masonically unemployed members.
Here are some suggestions that might be considered. If you have a number of
retired members with time on their hands, why not adopt the "welcome wagon" idea
of the business community? Form a Welcome Committee in your lodge, arrange to
get the names and addresses of all new families which move into the community,
and have these retired members call on them to welcome them as neighbors. Visit
with the new family and let them know that if they need any help or information
that the lodge is ready to help. This sort of project will create much good will
with the new residents and the working members will get a "lift" from the work.
Hospitals are always in need of volunteers and this area should be explored
with the thought of having some of the lodge members act in this area. If there
is a Veterans Administration Hospital within a reasonable distance with an
M.S.A. Field Agent there, a talk with him may disclose areas in which he can be
helped in his work. He may need help in wheeling patients to church services
Sundays. He may need Masons to visit with patients who seldom get visitors.
There is always need for expanded educational activity in our lodges. The
scholars, teachers, and readers of Masonic literature have been neglected by our
lodges. These members should be put to work studying various phases of Masonic
history, the lodge records to find interesting items, the philosophy of the
Craft with the view of having them present talks to the members. Study Clubs
might be considered on the lodge level or community level. Forums and round
table programs should be considered as a means of creating work for Masonically
unemployed members.
There is much work to be done by the lodge and its members. And with the
increase in the amount of work done everyone will profit.
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