AN ASSESSMENT OF M.S.A.
The dreams, aspirations and plans for the Masonic Service Association by the
Executive Commission back in the formative days of the 1920' s were carefully
enumerated in a mimeographed publication, The M.S.A. Trestleboard. The designs
on that "trestleboard" have stood the test of time.
In the first issue, dated December 3, 1920 we find the following comments:
''A. We cannot be sectarian. Postulating in the first instance Masonry's one
dogma, the Fatherhood of God, we cannot and will not build a program which will
disturb the faith of any brother, be he Mohammedan or Jew, Presbyterian or
Episcopalian, Trinitarian or Diest. "
''B. We cannot indulge in political partisanship. We cannot espouse the
candidacy of any man, or the political faith of any party. We can say that the
right to vote is a priceless privilege, a weapon against wrong in the hand of
every free citizen. We can bring the Mason to realize his obligation to vote,
but we cannot tell him how to cast that vote.''
''C. We cannot encroach upon Grand Lodge polity. We have neither the right
nor the desire to interfere with Grand Lodge polity or discussion, much less
endeavor to influence Grand Lodge legislation. Masonic government is of interest
to every Mason, and he should exercise his prerogatives therein, but direction
of this function does not fall within the scope of the Masonic Service
Association of the U.S. This Association is a confederation for a specific
purpose as outlined in its Constitution and ByLaws, and contemplates no other
activity than is described therein."
"D. We cannot encroach upon Local Lodge polity. For reasons already expressed
the Association contemplates no interference with the activities of any local
lodge. The Association will undertake the preparation of certain material
which it believes will be worthwhile for the use of local lodges, but the method
for using that material must be determined by the cooperative judgment of
each Grand Lodge and its constituent lodges. The opinion of those who prepare
this material as to how best it may be utilized will be given, but no lodge or
Grand Lodge should or can be bound thereby."
"The development of the great underlying principles of Freemasonry is the
real task before us. Necessarily it must be undertaken in a way which will tend
to broaden the vision of our brethren. Our exposition of those principles will
be in support of that which is right. Our principles are external TRUTHS. Our
program must make them a living force. That force will be ammunition against
wrong. We may be able to point out the wrong as a target. We will be content if
the Mason comes to learn what the target is and has the ammunition at hand. The
rest we may confidently leave to him. His Masonic manhood will act with
intelligence."
In Trestleboard Number 2, we find a great many more guidelines which have
served your Association well over the years: .....There seems to be no
difference of opinion among forward-looking Masons of today, that Freemasonry,
working through its membership, should become a more constructive agency in
our civilization. If it is to accomplish this result, Masons must come to
realize certain things, and they must learn to apply Masonic principles to
present-day problems with a new conception of what Freemasonry really is. Some
of these things were gathered together under "Functions" as follows:
" 1. The function of Masonry is not the mere conferring of degrees. When a
brother becomes a Master Mason, the Fraternity's duty toward him has just begun.
He will realize his duty as a Freemason only when he knows what Freemasonry
really is and what are its aims. Most initiates are hungry for such teaching.
Our lodge officers, chosen from all walks of life, have seldom the time to study
ways and means--other than by 'work'--to teach the fundamental principles of the
Craft and supplement the Ritual. It is a function of this Association to
provide the necessary information and suggest successful methods.
"2. We must apply methods which shall be interpretative of the 'work' and of
our history, our organization and form of government. We must translate, in
modern terms, that work brought down to us through the centuries, so that its
usefulness may be the better rewarded.
"3. The work before the Fraternity, as contemplated herein, is one of
originality and adaptation. To accomplish it requires that men charged with its
promulgation shall be Masons first--trained and educated Masons, schooled in the
lore and custom of the Craft, and possessing a vision of the world's problems.
They must be able so to visualise Masonic principles that the brethren may
learn Freemasonry's solution of those problems.
"4. Our aim is to make our brethren better Masons and to enable them, by a
broader understanding of Masonic principles, to work effectively for civic
righteousness and the betterment of humanity.
"Going further, the Commission has stated as the immediate object of the
'Inculcation of the Principles and Spirit of Masonry' the following:
"1. To preserve as a landmark of civilization the principle of monotheism.
The civil government of all nations of the world must rest upon the common
foundation of belief in God.
"2. To re-cast the ideals of Government on the basis of the recognition of
our duties toward others, rather than as at present on our rights against
others; the basing of civilization on declarations of dependence instead of
declarations of independence; on altruism instead of selfishness. "3. To
combat destructive tendencies and agencies seeking to undermine and destroy free
institutions, by teaching, constructively, the true principles and functions of
government and of civilization.
"4. To arouse the conscience of every individual Mason to the necessity for
his own practical application of Masonic principles to his activities in life,
governmental, social, business and otherwise.
"5. To stimulate charity and benevolence. "Taken in connection with the pronouncements already made in regard to relief and research work to be undertaken
by the Association, it is the judgment of your Executive Commission that the
above forms a complete and comprehensive program calculated to meet the needs of
the coming years in a truly Masonic way."
The Third Trestleboard, dated December 24, 1920 had these observations:
".....Freemasonry teaches us that the first stone laid upon that foundation is
the Brotherhood of Man. For two centuries Freemasonry has been inculcating an
interpretation of this doctrine which is at once unique and practical.
Civilization, however, has chosen to make selfishness the cornerstone of its
superstructure. That cornerstone is crumbling.
"Masonry's task is to place a new cornerstone. The quality of the material
of that cornerstone cannot be doubted, but we have always been taught that each
stone must be squared and fitted for the place it is to occupy. In other words,
if we are to impress civilization with the value of the Brotherhood of Man as a
fundamental doctrine, we must shape it--that is, interpret it--in such a way as
to make it available and understood by men.
"Essentially our study will have three phases: Historical, general (that is,
the theory of government), and modern application (to America).
"A . HISTORICAL BACKGROUND. When we come to map out in a practical way the
field covered by the doctrine of the Brotherhood of Man we must consider (I) how
that doctrine has been crystallized into government; and (2) the part which
Masonry has played in bringing about the result. We shall discuss and study (3)
the lives of the great men who were the instruments through which this work was
accomplished, and (4) the great principles which actuated them; (5) how they
fought for the incorporation of the fundamentals of religious liberty in our
great state documents, and how they insisted on the separation of church and
state as a defense both for the state and for religion. We shall also pass in
review (6) the obstacles against which they worked; (7) the anti-Masonic crusade
and other historic conditions, all of which have contributed to the making
of America. These are the things which your Commission believes need to be
understood, for inevitably they form the background for our Masonic activities
of today.
''B. CENERAL APPLICATION. It is equally important that we shall discuss (I)
the functions of government, (2) the conditions under which we live which are
the test of that government, (3) the principles which Masonry has contributed in
the past to the end that the government might be a success, and (4) an interpretation of those same principles in modern terms so that they may continue
to be a factor for success.
"Today forces are at work within the body politic to undermine the
foundations of government. Some of these are active agencies working in the
open; others seek by insidious propaganda to accomplish their ends.
"If we would be honest with ourselves, however, we must admit that these are
not the only undermining forces at work. Indifference is itself a form of
selfishness, and indifference has sometimes written itself into law. Take, for
example, the tendency to organize, legalize and formalize the duties of the
citizen. Lacking the urge of the lessons of pioneering, which caused each man
formerly to want to perform his functions as a citizen, we have now come to
the time when we provide by law for the entire participation of each
individual in his government."
"C. AMERICAN APPLICATION. Turning to another phase of our program, we
believe that true patriotism would dictate a study of what government does for
us. Our pride in our own government, and our enthusiasm for the principles which
underline it, will increase as we come to know more of what is done for us in
America, as compared with what other governments do for their citizens. That
the study will also emphasize things which we may learn from them cannot be
doubted.
"We shall find that the Masonic principles which have been taught and
exemplified by the great leaders in American history have been written into our
constitutional form of government. They are there as a direct result of
Masonic teaching. They constitute the heritage which Masonry has brought down
from the days of feudalism. That heritage is the body of principles which at the
time of the formation of the Grand Lodge of England could be expressed only
within the confines of a lodge. They are the principles which Masons of the
modern day have neither had to fight nor work for, and of which they, in common
with the world at large, fail to appreciate the value.
"Ours is the task, therefore, of bringing a keener realization of the value
of these principles to Masons, and through Masons to the world; making our
citizenry value America and realize something of what we owe in return. This
logically leads us into very practical fields, and as your Commission interprets
it the Plan and Scope already adopted by the Association points very definitely
the way for the development of such a program."
The WISDOM of the Founders of the Masonic Service Association of the U.S. in
formulating these basic guidelines, has proved to be the STRENGTH of your
Association in stimulating an awareness in the BEAUTY of the Craft to countless
brethren.
back to top | 
