Short Talk Bulletin December 1978
Music on this page is: dies irae~requim by Brother Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
"WHY ETHIOPIA?"
It was at the end of a District Education
Meeting. Problems of ritual and floor work had
been hashed and rehashed. One of the
Brethren, who had been attending the District
Meetings for years, commented that this would
be the last meeting he would attend. He wasn't
getting anything out of them anymore. It was
always the same old stuff - never anything new.
An old Past Master dryly said, "Well, son,
if you know it all, I guess there's no reason for
you to attend .... unless you might be able to
teach some of us that don't know it all." He
paused, letting his remarks sink in, and then
asked, "By the way, why Ethiopia?"
A quizzical look spread across the face of
the younger man, as the wise old Past Master
suggested that maybe at the next meeting he
would explain "Why Ethiopia" as a place of
refuge referred to in the Hiramic legend.
Well, sir, that did the trick. It was
something the younger man had never considered. For the next several days the question,
"Why Ethiopia? "Why Ethiopia?" ran
through his mind. Finally, when time permitted,
he started looking for a clue to the answer in his
personal Masonic library. At the next District
Education Meeting, he reported that he hadn't
come up with the answer, but was still working
on it.
He wrote letters to friends asking their help.
He called the Grand Lodge Library. His queries
started others on the fascinating, frustrating,
and fanciful search. 'Twas contagious.
Finally, the pieces fell into place. Enthusiastically, he set down the results of his study in
a paper he read to the District Education
Meeting. With all of the reading he had done on
this, it wasn't surprising that he found a host of
other questions that tickled his fancy.
(Editor's Note: We could give you the
results of his search on the "Why Ethiopia?"
question, but refrain from doing so, that you
may enjoy some of the thrills of Masonic
research yourself.)
The contagion of his enthusiasm for
Masonic research was soon to produce a
Masonic study group, which later developed
into a Research Lodge. Bored by ritual, our
hero found a deeper relationship to Freemasonry as a result of two words - "Why
Ethiopia? "
In another case, another type of Masonic
research was initiated when a Brother was
asked, "What were the first words you ever
spoke in a Masonic Lodge? Scratching his head
and thinking back to that distant day when he
was initiated, he finally was able to come up
with the answer, "In God." The wheels began
to turn. Those were two of the most important
words he had ever spoken. They reflected his
basic beliefs, his inspiration and his better
understanding of the degrees. He, too, found
the words haunting. How many times he had
noticed the references to God in the various
Masonic rituals. In retrospect, he realized how
much reliance there is in that belief. It is a
common denominator of Masonry. It is that
thread of common belief that completes the
bonds of brotherhood, concern, of faith, hope
and charity.
He, too, was inspired to do more research
on the subject, and in doing so, stimulated the
thinking process of many of his Brethren. His
papers were delivered on the subject of belief in
Cod in lodges, district seminars, and research
lodges.
From the youngest Entered Apprentice in
the Northeast corner to the greatest of Masonic
scholars, there is a constant search for "more
light in Masonry." This is evident by the
increasing number of Masonic study groups,
research lodges, and Masonic periodicals.
Every knowledgeable Mason will subscribe
to one or more Masonic periodicals. Many Ju-
risdictions publish "official publications''
which enunciate the official thinking of the
Grand Lodge on Masonic subjects. There is also
a wide variety of "commercial" Masonic publi-
cations, many of which contain a wealth of
good and wholesome Masonic information. Of
course, many of them serve only as meeting
notices for the local area. A current list of
Masonic periodicals, with subscription rates, is
available at nominal charge from the Masonic
Service Association.
Masonic study groups are usually found a
lodge level. Their interests cover a wide scope.
Some are primarily attuned to the interpreta-
tion of ritual. Others deal with philosophy and
ethics. Some center their interests on the local
issues and local history.
Research Lodges also are a "mixed bag."
There is a wide variety of them with areas of
interest and emphasis equally varied. The most
scholarly is the famous Quatuor Coronati
Lodge # 2076 of London, England, which
justly proclaims itself as "The Premier Lodge
of Masonic Research." Each year it publishes a
valuable volume of its Transactions, containing
papers presented at its meetings, together with
transcripts of the discussions generated by the
papers.
The Lodge was formed in 1884 by nine of
the greatest students of Masonic research. Their
first objective was to imbue Brethren every-
where with a love for Masonic research. Their
standards of excellence resulted in their being
called the "authentic school," because they
shunned the baseless and imaginary studies
which had bedeviled Craft historians for more
than a century.
From the beginning, membership in Qua-
tuor Coronati Lodge was by invitation, ex-
tended only to Brethren who had done distin-
guished work in Masonic study. The number of
members was limited to forty, although that
number has never been attained.
However, soon after the Lodge was
consecrated, the membership of the Correspon-
dence Circle was founded. All Master Masons
in good standing under Grand Lodges in amity
with the United Grand Lodge of England are
eligible to join. Many American Brethren,
Lodges, Study Circles (clubs), Libraries and
other regular Masonic bodies are members of
the Correspondence Circle.
In the United States, one of the foremost
research lodges is The American Lodge of
Research. Warranted on May 7, 1931, by the
Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of
the State of New York, The American Lodge of
Research has published some of the most
important papers dealing with Masonry in
American History. It is only natural that the
bulk of their papers deal with Masons and
Masonic history of The Empire State. They,
too, permit corresponding members from other
Jurisdictions.
Periodically, The Masonic Service Associa-
tion publishes a current listing of Research
Lodges. Because the varied need for Masonic
Light is so different in each Brother, no effort
is made by M.S.A. to recommend one Research
Lodge over another. They are all good in their
particular fields of interest. It might be well to
investigate the ones closest to home first, and
then branch out to join others as your Masonic
knowledge broadens and your interests
develop.
Research is such a broadening experience.
Masonic Research is a fascinating and reward-
ing endeavor as you apply the symbolic square,
plumb, and level to each bit of Masonic
information - separating fact from fantasy-
truth from myth - and as you learn how
Masonic principles have been applied in the
development of your community, state, and
nation. You cannot help but have a greater
awareness of the worth of our beloved
Fraternity as you search and research. You'll
have the opportunity to "work in the quarries"
and receive the symbolic wages.
To start you on your way on the fascinating
journey of Masonic Research, you may have an
unanswered question about Freemasonry.
Don't keep it cooped up! Ask some knowledge-
able Brother where you might find the answer.
Dig it out, and note the interesting by-paths
which will invite you to do more study along the
way.
Keep in mind as you search, that the
Masonic Service Association has a vast amount
of information available in capsulated form.
Since January, 1923, it has published The Short
Talk Bulletin every month. All back issues are
maintained in print. An index of Short Talk
Bulletins is available FREE from your
Masonic Service Association.
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