STB-NO88
MOTIVATING THE MASON AS A
PRIVATE CITIZEN
Duncan C. Howard, Past Grand Master--Texas
This Short Talk Bulletin has been adapted from a paper
presented to the Southwrstern 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 highpressure,
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.
Duncan C. Howard, PGM resides at 5008 Lockwood Drive Waco, TX
76710
Free JavaScripts provided
by The JavaScript Source