A FOCUS ON FREEMASONRY
by Herbert A. Ronin, Past Grand Master of Masons in
Nebraska and Chairman Emeritus of the Executive Commission of M.S.A.
This Short Talk Bulletin has been adapted
from a paper, "A Sketch of Freemasonry",
which Most Worshipful Brother Ronin
prepared for the Scottish Rite several years ago.
Through the years in our American society,
Freemasonry has stood head and shoulders
above the some 700 other fraternal organizations. Its more than three million members today evidence its impressive size and stature. It
has been a powerful instrumentality for good
because of its great teachings of morality. The
kindred fellowship of good men seeking great
goals in living has merited the splendid reputation which Masonry possesses. Our members
can be justifiably proud of our American
heritage which in a large measure is the work
product of members of the Craft.
The imprint of Freemasonry was indelibly engrossed in the birth certificate of
our Nation, the Declaration of Independence. This bold document was authored by
Thomas Jefferson, and was adopted by the Continental Congress, which was
predominantly Protestant, and whose leaders were members of our Craft. Fifty
years after its adoption and shortly before his death, Thomas Jefferson penned
these prophetic words concerning his crowning masterpiece: "May it be to the world what I believe it
will be to some parts sooner, to others later. but
Finally to all, the signal of arousing men to
burst their chains under which ignorance and
superstition had persuaded them to find
themselves and to assume the blessings and
security of government."
The message of Jefferson made inference to
those democratic ideas which are the heart and
philosophy of our government. Among them
are these words which should be not only
familiar but thoroughly understood by all
Americans: ''All men are created equal--they
are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights--among them are life, liberty
and pursuit of happiness--to secure those
rights governments are instituted among men,
deriving their just powers from the consent of
the governed. "
Later those rights were preserved in the Bill
of Rights which was added to the Constitution
of the United States, which is the greatest document of modern history. William Gladstone,
one of England's greatest statesmen, attended
to the truth of this statement in these eloquent
words: ''The American Constitution is the most
wonderful work ever struck off at a given time
by the brain and purpose of man."
The rights of free men are inalienable
because they are given by Almighty God and
not by man. The purpose of our government is
to protect these rights which insure the dignity
of man. These constitutional guarantees make
it mandatory that our government be one by
law and not by man. In 1776 men were governed by the personal rule of kings and emperors,
and the declaration of the rights of free men was revolutionary. It is apparent to us today
that these rights are in accordance with
Masonic doctrine, which is interwoven into the
fabric of the governmental structure of the nations. The hopeful expression of Jefferson that
the entire world might be free and possess the
security of government to these ends is far from
being realized, and undoubtedly he would be
grievously alarmed with the formidable and
ominous dangers to these sacred rights and purposes of our government. There is a real and
vital need of Masons today to be vigilant and
alert to safeguard these precious rights from
those who seek to circumvent and undermine as
well as those who seek to overthrow our form
and purpose of government.
The average American desires wholesome
things in his life. He believes in virtue and the
qualities of honesty and decency. He has innate
within him the desire to express, to give and to
share his time, talent and substance for
assisting those individuals who are truly in
need. In recent years it has become fashionable
for too many persons to shirk opportunities
and tasks for the assistance to unfortunate persons and the general improvement of our society.
There too frequently evolves the decision to let the government take care of
these problems, or we find excuses to close our eyes and pretend that things are
not as bad as they are. Moral and mental laziness have emerged from the course
of inaction toward these problems in our communities and even in our immediate
families. This ineptness has seriously affected the personal moral
responsibility of the individual. These conditions were apparent to the
late Brother Peter Marshall (Old Monkland St.
James Lodge No. 177, S.C.) when he made this
significant statement, 'Let us stand for
something lest we fall for anything!"
We need directive purpose in our striving and endeavors for successful living.
We need to be both sensitive and responsive to the needs of others. We need the
vision and then to strive to attain great goals in living. The doctrines and
brotherhood of Masonry furnish guidance, inspiration and assurance for those who conscientiously seek its truths and live in accordance
with its precepts. The organized and unified effort and work of the members of
our Craft produced wonderful accomplishments in its
benevolences and charities, which would be utterly impossible if left to individual effort and
action. The strong bonds of brotherhood are
strengthened and become meaningful in this
good work.
The appeal and call of Freemasonry has
ever been in its effective techniques of building
character. Masonic law requires that only those
of good moral character and possessing an unqualified belief in a Supreme Being
may be admitted to membership. Contrary to most other
organizations, membership cannot be directly
solicited and new members are motivated to
petition for Masonry by the excellent reputation our Fraternity and its members enjoy. This
is a fine compliment to Masonry and is one of
those attributes which make it unique.
What we believe in and work for, determines in a large measure who and what we
are. The lives of truly great men attest to this fact. Likewise, Masonry opens
new horizons for those who will give it "the attentive ear. the instructive tongue, and the faithful breast," and
who are sensitive for the needs of others and
willing to work as a cog in a mighty organization whose designs are honorable and far reaching. We need, however, to strength that
which we have. Our teachings must first be
significant in the lives of our members before
we can discern good effects which would
naturally emerge from them. The purpose of
this sketch of Freemasonry is not to analyze
comparative strength and weakness of our
Fraternity, but to bring into sharper focus its
need, and the force which Masonry has to offer
in the lives of its faithful members.
It is a matter of common knowledge how Operative Masonry existed for many
centuries and that great cathedrals were constructed by these craftsmen. The
magnificent structures erected by them before the time of modern machinery
testify to the skill and devotion of our ancient craftsmen to their assigned
tasks. From this gradually emerged the beautiful symbolism of Speculative Masonry which became
formally organized in the early part of the 18th
Century. It has been aptly said that while
Operative Masons built great temples for the
worshipers, Speculative Masonry seeks to build
worshipers for the Temples. Anyone who is
even superficially informed as to the work and
doctrines of Masonry knows that it cannot be
classified as a religion or as a substitute for one.
Masonry does engender Brotherly Love and
Adoration to God, which should induce its
members to become better members of the
church of their choice.
The Blue Lodges of Ancient Craft Masonry
have three splendid and impressive degrees. The
thrust of the Entered Apprentice Degree is the
teaching of great moral principles by beautiful
ceremonies and lectures. These include the four
great cardinal virtues of temperance, fortitude,
prudence and justice, together with the beloved
golden tenets of Masonry--Brotherly Love,
Relief and Truth. The Fellowcraft Degree emphasizes the importance of the acquisition of
knowledge, and that with it comes greater
duties and responsibilities. The great degree of
all Masonry is the sublime degree of a Master
Mason. This degree reveals the Doctrine of the
Immortality of the Soul in a very impressive
manner and also charges that it is incumbent
upon all Masons to continually pursue further
light as we travel symbolically in our pilgrimage
in life from the West to the glorious East.
In the Master's Degree we are told to
emulate the legendary Master Hiram who was
faithful even though his life was imperiled. It
would be well for us today to not only emulate
his fidelity and courage but his industry, skill,
and devotion to his work. Perhaps one of the
greatest teachings of Masonry is that the
building of human character is likened to that
of building a great Temple. If it is important
that the best designs, materials and workmanship should be used in the erection of a
beautiful Temple, isn't it even more important
that greater concern should be employed in the
building of our own character temples, which
the Apostle Paul to vividly depicts as a "house
not made with hands, eternal in the Heavens. ''
What we do not understand, we do not
possess. Neither can we impart to others what
we do not possess. Superficial exposure to
Freemasonry will not suffice to achieve even
minimum requirements of a real Mason. To be
meaningful it must be more than an intellectual
exercise or a passing experience. Ritualism must
be supplemented and embellished by explanation, education, personal fellowship before
Masonry can become a part of us and its
precepts strengthened by performance.
The late Roscoe Pound, formerly Dean of the Harvard Law School and Honorary Past
Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Nebraska, was a great scholar of Masonry as
well as of the law. Dean Pound expressed his concept of the meaning of the true
acquisition of Freemasonry with these words: "Albert Pike taught that the
individual Mason, instead of receiving a predigested Masonry ladled out to him
by another, should make his own Masonry for himself by study and reflection upon
the work and symbols. He stood for a Masonry built up within each Mason by
himself and for himself on the solid foundation of internal conviction."
The penetrating observation of Dean Pound
goes to the very heart of Masonry. It also
reminds us of the very first lessons of Masonry,
when we were informed that we must first be
prepared to be a Mason in our hearts. Most of
us fail to see or realize the full measure of the
limited time God has given us, because we insist
on looking outside instead of within us. The
greatest problem of our lives lie within us and
are concerning ourselves. As Masons let us be
aware that God has built within us meaningful
resources for greater living. Freemasonry is a
virtual treasure-house of wisdom, strength, and
honesty which upholds good over evil, and
whose doctrines and teachings have been and
are now unchangeable, that gives us vision and
purpose, and reassurance in time of sorrow or
stress.
This closing prayer seems appropriate to the
tasks that lie before us:
"O God, make of us what Thou wilt,
Guide Thou the labors of our hands;
May all our work be surely built,
As Thou the Architect has planned!
But whatso'er Thy power shall make
Of these frail lives, do not forsake
Thy dwelling place. Let Thy Presence rest
Forever in the Temple of our breasts.''
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