FREEMASONRY AND PUBLIC EDUCATION
This months Short Talk Bulletin was prepared by M. W. Sidney Kase, Grand
Master of the Grand Lodge of Washington, Originally written as a paper on the
"Washington Masonic School Awards Programs." the paper was broadened to show why
it is so important for all Freemasons not only to support Masonic Education but
Public Education as well. --Editor
Why should the Masonic fraternity concern itself with high school students in
the public schools? Is this one of our legitimate concerns?
There are several reasons, and as is often the case, these become more
apparent in the light of history.
In the Middle Ages, illiteracy was the accepted norm. Common people were
mostly agrarian laborers, beholden to some form of nobility. They were serfs,
little better than cattle. Practically no one could read or write, except the
clergy and a few others. Even the nobility were more often than not illiterate.
There were no public schools, only private tutors. Until the Renaissance and
Reformation periods there were no colleges. The closest thing to such were the
theological seminaries and monasteries. In the hey-day of the cathedral
builders, there was one other avenue for learning: vocational apprenticeship.
Among the Operative Masons, a Master Mason would take in one or two
apprentices, young men of sound mind and body, little past puberty. He would
house them, board them, clothe them and for all practical purposes "adopt them"
as his sons for a period of about seven years. During this time, the apprentice
was taught the skills of the building trade, along with other learning that was
considered necessary for the society of that period. This included grammar,
rhetoric, arithmetic, geometry, social and political topics; whatever his mentor
was capable of providing. As the young man progressed in his work with mortar
and stone, his skills became more advanced until eventually he was allowed to
submit his "Masters piece." If that piece of work passed his master's rigid
examination, the applicant likewise became a Master Mason or Journeyman, capable
of seeking work independently. In turn, the process was repeated. This was very
primitive education, but it was education. It could be compared somewhat,
nowadays, to a post-graduate student preparing a thesis to obtain a Master's or
Ph.D. Since printed communication was not possible, because it had not yet been
invented, and because few could read anyway, stories were told by means of
"morality plays" easily understood by the audience. In the cathedrals, the
stained-glass windows were used to depict Biblical characters and events. Hence
the origin of the phrase. "Two storied" building or "Five storied" building,
depending on the number of such windows (or stories) they portrayed. Today, of
course, we use the term to describe the height of a building.
As time went on, scholars, philosophers, clergymen and even nobility sought
to associate themselves with these Operative Masons' Lodges, what we might
classify as "Associate Members." This was a great compliment to the Lodges who
were generally highly regarded for practicing a high level of morality,
intellectuality and integrity. Men in the upper levels of society sought to
associate themselves with this highly esteemed and privileged group. They became
elitist and much sought after. It was, for those times, an anachronism to see
royalty, nobility, men of high military or social rank, scholars and
philosophers mixing on an equal level, socially, with these craftsmen of the
building guilds--the Freemasons. Outside the Lodge, it was, "Your Excellency,
Sir", but within the Lodge it was "Brother." Certainly, this must have
constituted the "Culture Shock" of that period. As the need for the services of
Operative Masons dwindled, their numbers became proportionately less in these
Freemasons' Lodges, until the "Speculative" Masons outnumbered the Operative
Masons, as has been the case ever since. The Speculative Masons, however,
retained the working tools of the Operatives for use as symbols in their
evolving rituals. Whatever this peculiar fraternity of Freemasons was, it
quickly spread over the entire civilized world. Today there are about five
million Masons scattered over the globe in every "free" country. You are not apt
to find any in those governed by dictatorships, or where forbidden by religious
or political intolerance.
Concurrent with this creeping spread throughout the world, the industrial
revolution was being introduced in England and other European countries. One of
the products thereof was the Gutenberg Bible, the first book printed with
moveable type, about 1455 A.D. The availability of the Bible to common people,
not just the clergy, fostered literacy and with it an increased demand for
education. With the dawning of the Age of Enlightenment, both Protestant and
Roman Catholic groups began to offer formal education to more people. Thus
parochial schools were the fore-runners of all other types of schools. Private
schools (non-parochial) then appeared. Public schools came much later.
Boston Latin School, one of the oldest free public schools in the United
States, opened in 1635 as a school for boys. The Massachusetts Legislative Body
passed a law in 1647 which required each township of fifty families to engage a
teacher to instruct children in reading and writing. Each township of one
hundred families was required to have a grammar school. This may be regarded as
the inception of the American public school system, and it established three
basic principles:
(I) The obligation of the community to establish schools (2) Local school
administration
(3) The separation of the secondary from the elementary school.
Even in the early years of the Twentieth Century, children were required to
attend school only up to the eighth grade.
Secondary education began in New England with the establishment of the Boston
Latin School noted above. Graduates of this and similar grammar schools were
qualified for admission to Harvard College, which was founded in 1636. There was
nothing in between at that time. The founding of Harvard was followed by Yale in
1701, partly because it was believed that Harvard was too liberal in theology.
Brown College opened in 1764, as a Baptist institution whose charter rejected
the religious tests for admission and provided that faculty and students "shall
forever enjoy full, free, absolute and uninterrupted Liberty of conscience."
Dartmouth College was founded in 1769 under the aegis of the Congregationalists
for the training of Ministers and Indians, (an odd combination)?
At this juncture, let's introduce the role of the Masonic fraternity, as it
pertains to public education. Consider, if you will, that Freemasonry and the
schools are basically in the same "business", the "people business". We tell our
initiates that our Masonic teachings are designed to make them wiser, better and
happier. We are a philosophical fraternity, but we're also an educational
institution. We're concerned about people; we deal with people; we develop
people; we educate people. Although we are no longer engaged in the building of
cathedrals, we are concerned with developing character, leadership, better
individuals, better family men, better citizens.
Our Masonic forefathers supported the idea of free universal education for
the citizenry, which was true to their belief that a builder is an enlightened
man. We're generally the first to take practical steps in support of public
education in any newly developing area. As our Masonic Brethren joined in
exploring the burgeoning "New World", led by Lewis and Clark, other Masons were
to be found among the pioneers who moved into and developed these areas. One of
their first endeavors in a new community was to build a Masonic Lodge.
Generally, this was a two-story structure with the ground floor to serve as a
school room, the upstairs as the Lodge room.
The first Masonic jurisdiction to introduce the idea of a Masonic school or
college was Ohio, and this action was quickly followed by a number of other
Masonic jurisdictions. In 1924, Frederick Eby, a professor at the University of
Texas, wrote: "The services of the Masonic Lodges in conducting schools and
furnishing buildings must be regarded as one of the most important transitional
steps toward free public education. A certain parallelism can be noted between
the educational program of the Grand Lodge and the later organization of public
education in the state". (Frederick Eby, 'THE DEVELOPMENT OF EDUCATION IN
TEXAS', 129, quoted in James Carter, Education and Masonry in Texas to 1846.)
Originally, the intent was to provide education for orphans or indigent
children of Masons at a minimum expense. This trend was in vogue until after the
passage of the Morrill Land Bill of 1863, which assured the supremacy of State
"Land Grant" institutions of higher education. Thereafter, Masonic Colleges
became obsolete, as the need for them disappeared.
Note: "Henry Wilson Coil, in his Masonic Encyclopedia, reminds Freemasons
that public schools have become political institutions and that the fraternity
is not well suited to carry out political activities or to direct the course of
government. He adds that there are several reasons why Masonic educational
ventures proved to be impracticable; Masonic membership in the western and
southwestern states at that time was not large enough to supply a student body,
and money was in short supply. Churches too have found the load of carrying on
schools to be so great that other sources of revenue and control had to be
found."
We need not go into the long list of Masonic educators, scientists and others
connected with the educational system. That is a whole story in itself. By now,
it should be apparent to the reader that Masons were intimately interested and
active in educational matters.
We Masons believe that we in the United States have the finest group of young
people anywhere in the world. We deplore those who deprecate all our youth on
account of those few about whom we read in the media. Perhaps they are notorious
because of their individual, family or personality situations. Certainly every
one is presented with the opportunity for personal achievement. Naturally, this
requires commitment, effort, and work. Not all are willing to pay the price.
That is a side issue to which Masons are not indifferent; witness our Masonic
National Drug and Alcohol Abuse Program.
Motivation plays a part in every kind of activity. What is the motivation for
Masons to foster and promote the numerous school awards programs and
scholarships that we have? It is this: Freemasonry wishes to build better people
and better tomorrows. Freemasonry is firmly committed to building a better
community and a better world. For these reasons, we feel the nurturing of the
leaders of tomorrow's society is vitally necessary! Freemasons, collectively,
must support the public school system. We recognize the unique opportunity that
scholarship and awards programs offer in recognizing and supporting tomorrows
leadership. That, in a "nutshell", is what school awards and scholarship
programs are all about.
We are depending on our young people for the future, but for the present, we
must let them know that they can depend on us!
back to top |
