MOTIVATING THE MASON AS A PRIVATE CITIZEN
This Short Talk Bulletin has been adapted from a paper presented to the
Southwestern Masonic Conference by Right Worshipful Brother Howard when he was
Deputy Grand Master in 1972.
Howard Hill, the famous bow hunter, says that unless you know the habitat and
the nature of the game you hunt you are not hunting at all, you're just walking
in the woods. Our discussion will include some background in the habitat of
citizenship and some discussion of the nature of Masonry and the principles of
motivation, or else we're just talking in the woods.
Along with the word 'motivation', I've been thinking of another word, and
this word is 'motivator'. Both words come from the Latin 'motivus' and both
words mean 'motion or movement'. When we think of a motivator we think of
someone who is capable of generating an action within him and then cause others
to move around him. A motivator is always where the action is, because the
motivator causes the action that surrounds him.
Psychologists tell us that 94% of us just sit around and wait for something
to happen, while 6% of population are the motivators that make the something
happen for us. What moves the motivator? What is this thing called motivation
that sets him on fire with such a spontaneous combustion that he causes others
to burn, too? Let's say that its imagination, or let's say it is determination
to reach those goals which he himself considers a success in life. Or, let's say
he is a dreamer and that he dreams of things as they could be and something
inside says; "Why not?" Then, something says; "Why not now?"
The ability of a motivator and his energy are not as important as the
excitement that is in him, because when people become excited others around them
get excited, too, whether it be at a football game, a church revival, or in a
Lodge meeting. But the dreams of the motivator can be good, or the dreams of the
motivator can be bad. And while the dreams of our forefathers who founded this
free nation were good, the dreams of the Communists can destroy our free world.
Masonry is the stuff from which good dreams come. It dreams of the Fatherhood
of God and the Brotherhood of Men; and it dreams of law and order, and good
citizenship in state, community and nation. No one seriously believes that
Masonry has a monopoly on good citizenship. But the Masonic dream became the
American dream as the early Masons in this nation faced the problems of a wild
frontier. But they had imagination and they had motivation. They had motivation
for law and order; and they had motivation for better living in their community.
These early pioneer Masons became the motivators to establish free schools, free
churches and Freemasonry wherever they lived. This is our inheritance from the
past and we are proud of it, because no citizen in history ever 'had it so good'
as we here in America, today, and even though America has its faults, since its
citizens are human, let us not forget that this is earth we live on and that our
country is the best that men have ever devised.
The Masonic dream is the best dream for Masons tonight, and if enough Masons
will dream, it can stay as the American dream for tomorrow. But, to maintain
freedom we still need the motivations that our forefathers had. We still need to
be motivators like our forefathers were, and we still need the dedication to
stand up and be counted as our fathers did.
The habitat of citizenship involves all people living within our country or
community of government, the young, the old, the rich, the poor, the Mason, and
the non-Mason. All citizens receive benefits from society, and all citizens owe
a debt of obligation for the benefits they have received. In America we say that
we live in a free society. We say that we are free to make our own decisions.
But a free society depends, for the sake of its freedom, on whether its citizens
will behave in such a manner that their actions are considerate of other people.
In America we operate from a sense of pride in the things that are good for all
people. We operate from a certain feeling of patriotism, or love of country in
return for the privileges of being free citizens in a free nation.
If we were asked to pay our debt to America we would all become bankrupt,
because so many good things have happened to us because of our American
citizenship that we will always be in debt to our country, and this alone,
should motivate any Mason as a private citizen.
As Masons we recognize the foundation of the American way of life to begin in
the family unit. This is our first duty of citizenship--to our family, and if
Masonry is to effectively motivate its persons and members as private citizen,
it must start with the family unit. How about some family gatherings? Not just
family Lodge suppers and entertainment, but special family gatherings so that
everyone can learn some of the history and some of the purposes of Masonry, and
so that Masons can learn from their own families what is needed in their
community to make their community a better place for family living. These
special family gatherings can take as many shapes and forms as imagination can
produce.
We talk about a 'generation gap'. There should never be this type 'generation
gap' in the circle of Masonry. If there is, then our family meetings can help
solve it, and Masons can, within their family group, become motivated to assist
youth in either DeMolay, Rainbow or many others to the needs of an individual
community.
The second duty of citizenship involves those things which strengthens our
local community and makes it a better place for ourselves and our families to
live. It is an old truth that when you brag on someone he will do his best to
try and repeat it. Lodges can motivate by programs of appreciation for Masons
who are good community leaders, from City Council to Baseball Coaches; from
School Board Members to Animal Shelter Workers; and any other thing that a
citizen is doing to directly contribute to the betterment of his community.
These are all high-pressure, non-salaried jobs and these Masons show an
unselfish dedication to work free when many other citizens 'pass the buck'. They
are called upon time after time to serve their community and too often they are
criticized for being 'a clique' and trying to run things in their own way, but
the hearts of Masons are with them as they practice out of the Lodge those
things that they have been taught to do while they were in it.
There is another side of this motivating process, and that is that 'birds of
a feather flock together', and these good Masonic citizens, who are serving on
School Boards and committees can attract others to become Masons, too. This is
how Masonry transfers hard-hearted citizens into softhearted brothers through
these personal communications. And then, these other private citizens, a Masonic
instructed people can become better citizens, too.
Masonry is non-political and it has existed under King, Prince and Potentate.
None of our teachings, ever stressed one form of government or the other, but
century after century, and year after year, within our walls we have taught the
principles of democracy. It is a wonderful feeling to be able to support freedom
for your country and still be involved with the principles of Masonry. There is
nothing wrong with a Mason as a private citizen to ask another Mason, who is
qualified, to seek a political office. It is good Masonry, and it is good for a
Lodge program to discuss such things as a community hospital, the needs for a
blood bank, etc. And then, it is just plain good citizenship for the member so
instructed to support these things in their local community.
The ways and means to motivate Masons as private citizens are as endless as
the imagination of the Master or of the Program Chairman. It is a matter of
motivating through excitement, and the next problem is just of communication so
others will know how best to serve in their community.
Thomas Jefferson wrote that men are happiest when they are serving mankind
and gripped in the throes of achievement. This is true and Masonry is a
magnificent preparation for community service. There is another thing that is
true, and that is that success always occurs when opportunity meets a
magnificent preparation. This is how our scientists got to the Moon in the first
place, and this is how Masons can motivate Masons as private citizens.
We can plan programs to inform Masons of the needs of the community, we can
recognize Masons for their effort in service, we can prepare our members to
think Masonry in their daily lives and through Lodge instruction we can inform
our new initiates and give them a magnificent preparation for a community
service.
Archimedes, the great Greek mathematician, invented the lever. He said; "give
me a place to stand and I'll move the world." Masonry gives us a place to stand.
If we stand together as citizens we can certainly move this society of ours,
because Masons are good citizens and Masons understand that it is not the
individual nor the army as a whole, but the ever-lasting teamwork of every
bloomin' soul.
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