STB-JL83
Music by J. L. F. Mendelssohn
CIVIC RESPONSIBILITY OF
INDIVIDUAL LODGES
by
Marvin L. Anderson
Past Crand Master (Arizona)
This Short Talk Bulletin is adapted from a
challenging paper given at the Southwestern
Masonic Conference in Little Rock, Arkansas, in
1974, by Brother Anderson when he was Deputy
Grand Master.
It was said long ago, and has been repeated
many times, that to solve a problem, that problem must first be defined. To correct any
situation, we must be aware of the situation as
it exists.
Our Masonry, as we now practice it, is called "Speculative." According to Bernard Jones:
''Freemasonry's Guide and Compendium,''
'To speculate is to take a view of anything with
the mind; to consider anything mentally.' It
comes from the Latin which means, 'l see' or 'I
look,' and from the Latin we have several other
words, such as spectacle, spectator. In the 17th
century meaning of the word, anyone who was
given to contemplation, to thoughtfulness, was
indulging in speculation. The speculative man
was the idealist, not the man of fact and practice.
Speculative Masonry arose to distinguish
17th century Masons from operative or
stonemasons. Most 20th century men do not
want to be spectators within their organization.
Speculative is a descriptive word in an historical
sense, but the concept of tranquil contemplation is not helpful today to encourage Craft
Masonry to be active.
J. Fred Latham (PGM, Oklahoma) said:
"Some 260 years ago the foundation for the
present day structure was 'poured.' For the first
fifty years our Brethren cut and tried, fitted and
revised, adopted and discarded many ideas and
procedures. Since that time, some 200 years, we
have, more or less, let things drift. Our
forefathers of the revolutionary days were extremely active in public affairs and accomplished much outside the lodge room. It would appear that Freemasonry has resigned itself to
those accomplishments and is unwilling to do
much thinking of our own."
"We, of the present day, need to bestir
ourselves and begin to do something besides expressing lovely platitudes and referring to ancient accomplishments. They were great and we
should not forget them. On the other hand, we
should use their accomplishments as incentives
to attain greater things in this age. We should
try to do as much under present day conditions
as they. That would give us a real job."
We do owe a civic duty as Masons. Most
Worshipful Brother J. Clay Thrash, stated:
"Masonry's role is self-evident. Its work is
done when it has, unobstrusively, in the
dissemination of its precepts, and by example
of its brotherhood, fitted people for a sound,
well-informed citizenship, capable of electing
responsible representatives of government 'for
the people, of the people, and by the people'."
To take this further, Masonry is the system
of brotherhood, but it is also the system of
order, and if order is not enforced, love and
peace and harmony will be of little avail. Paul
the Apostle called for submission even to a
pagan government, because it was trying to
promote some kind of harmony in a pagan
world. This demand is still with us, for any
power that brings order out of chaos is working
in the name of the Supreme Architect of the
Universe.
J. Lewis Monical (PGM, Arizona) told us:
"If we are to regain the stature of former years,
we must move Masonry out of the lodge room
and make it a powerful, constructive influence
in community, state, national and international
affairs. The Masonic body, as such cannot
act, but we as individuals and Masons, can
certainly do our part. We must speak out
through the public platform and the public
press. We must assume a positive attitude in
public affairs. Hopefully, such action will provide a powerful modern awakening for
Masonry today. The time is coming, it may
even be here, when societies like ours must
come out in the open with a public declaration
of aims so all men may see in all this political
confusion that there is one body with strong
and worthy ideals."
In the first degree, we are charged to be true
to our government and just to our country.
From Morals and Dogma we are told: "This
degree teaches us that no free government can
long endure, when the people cease to select for
their magistrates the best and the wisest of their
statesmen; when, passing these by, they permit
factions or sordid interests to select for them
the small, the low, the ignoble and the obscure,
and into such hands commit the country's
destinies. There is, after all, a 'divine right' to
govern; and it is vested to the ablest, wisest,
best, of every nation.
"A democratic government undoubtedly
has its defects, because it is made and administered by men, and not by the Wise Gods.
It cannot be concise and sharp, like the
despotic. When its ire is aroused it develops its
latent strength, and the sturdiest rebel trembles.
But its habitual domestic role is tolerant, patient, and indecisive. Men are brought together,
first to differ, then to agree. Affirmation, negation, discussion, solution; these are the means
of attaining truth."
Our present government is seen by many to
be crumbling into ruin, It has lost much of its
effectiveness because Americans have lost trust
in it. The crisis has been long in the making.
Long before the present flagrant corruption
and moral bankruptcy in our government, it
was axiomatic with sophisticated citizens that
first-rate people seldom make a career of
politics.
Because we have entrusted civil government
to men of mediocre ability and shabby morality, we now have the reverse of what we want,
yet we're "asking for it" by our cynicism.
This nation has reached a point in distrust
of government beyond which it must not let
itself drift apathetically any longer. We now
have two apparent options: (A) Let "government of the people, by the people and for the
people" run right on down the drain; or (B)
take a full turn-about and return to the kind of
government our forefathers designed for us.
If the choice is Option A, there will be a
time of anarchy and chaos. Then the "Savior of
the Republic" will ride up to the "rescue. "
Government will be restored with a vengeance,
and it will be for the people, but not of and by
them. Nations drift into despotism and dictatorship. As Chesterton said: "A despotism is a
tired democracy."
If the choice is Option B, it will be up to
Masonry, the church, and other institutions
which influence the public mind to re-educate
the nation about the worth and dignity of
public service in government. It is a truism and
a notorious fact that a nation gets the kind of
political leaders it deserves; and its deserts are
determined by its expectations and demands. If
we expect third-rate people and demand
nothing better, that's what we get. If what we
get in the end is Option A, it will be because in
that fleeting moment, when we were still free to
choose, we wrung our hands and said: "Well,
that is politics. It's a dirty game, so we have to
put up with the dirty people who play it for the
rest of us. Who wants a saint in the White
House? "
Masons today, especially the younger ones,
desire to act together as a Fraternity, not as individuals only. We have fostered this idea in
DeMolay and continued it in our own Craft.
Historically, Masonry steers a wide path from
involvement as a Fraternity, but as individuals,
we do the Fraternity a great disservice if we do
not involve ourselves in the task of bettering
our schools, our community and our government.
This stance of uninvolvement is sometimes
unpopular, unattractive and perhaps in some
ways accounts for our decline in membership,
and NPD suspensions. We might also consider
this as a partial reason for non-attendance in
Blue Lodges because of increasing commitments
to appendant bodies of Masonry. Our Craft
traditionally prevents the sponsoring of Boy
Scouts and other good works which the member
can do in our other Masonic organizations.
We return to the definition of the problem.
How can our beloved Craft find its way out of
this predicament without radical change?
Radical change is not desirable, nor is it
necessary.
Nothing forbids the members of the Craft
from joining others within the Masonic family
to act in civic duties. From Morals and Dogma
again: "Masonry is action and not inertness. It
requires its initiates to work, actively and
earnestly, for the benefit of their Brethren,
their country, and mankind. It is the patron of
the oppressed, as it is the comforter and consoler of the unfortunate and wretched.... It is
the advocate of the common people in those
things which concern the best interest of
mankind.... Its fidelity to its mission will be
accurately evidenced by the extent of the efforts
it employs, and the means it sets on foot, to improve the people at large and to better their
condition. "
Specifically, what can we do? Our real civic
responsibility is to convince the world by our
actions that we are Masons. We should do
those things which provide leadership in improving the physical, moral and emotional
status of our environment. We should sit in on
schoolboard meetings, announce our support
of well-qualified and fair-minded candidates
for public office. We should support community drives for blood banks, traffic safety and
community beautification. We should support
our DeMolay, Rainbow, and Job's Daughters,
not only with advice and money, but with our
presence.
In fine, we should provide, with our actions, the kind of a public image which the
whole world can admire and will wish to
emulate .
Most Worshipful Brother Marvin E.
Anderson's address is P.O. Box 217, Coolidge,
AZ 85228.
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