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why this confusion in the temple
The Cow Must Be Fed
CHAPTER V
dwight l. smith
Subsidize other organizations right and left; and, in the doing,
ignore, neglect and starve the parent body.
THE LAND IN Penn
Township, in the northwest corner of Jay County, Indiana, is
what is known as gently rolling, and good for grazing. I should
know, for I grew to
manhood on a farm in that community.We kept cows on that farm. At an early age I mastered the
milking technique while
balancing myself on a one-legged stool. We milked those cows
twice a day—morning
and evening. And
twice a day we fed them.
Perhaps it is indelicate of me to think of such plebeian
pursuits in connection with the
numerous organizations which present-day American Freemasonry is
expected to
support. If it is, I am sorry. But as I have thought about the
subject over a period of years,
I have come back repeatedly to the same earthy illustration of
rural Indiana— that if you
milk a cow dry morning and evening, some provision had better be
made for her feed,
pasture, salt and water.
For a long time one organization after another has sold
Freemasonry on the premise
that it should "give of itself," and that is all very true up to
a point. But from where I view
the scene, that point has long since been passed, so that now
our Craft is giving of itself
far in excess of its receiving.
We all have heard the pleasant and sentimental analogy of the
Dead Sea and the Sea of
Galilee— how the Dead Sea has no outlet and its waters therefore
are sluggish and
repugnant to life, while the Sea of Galilee, with an outlet, has
fresh, life-giving water.
But no one as yet has invented a pretty little example to
illustrate what happens when
the sea has more outlet than inlet. And that is what we had
better be considering in
connection with Ancient Craft Freemasonry.
OF COURSE I AM
well aware of the fact that my position opens
the door to scathing
denunciations. In all probability I shall be accused of
hostility to our youth groups, the
ladies' orders, the numerous fund-raising projects which wish to
profit by their
association with Freemasonry, the various rites and bodies and
auxiliaries and side organizations
clear down to the end of a long, long list. And all such
feverish protest will be
completely beside the point.
For many months I have tried to emphasize the fact that I have
only good will for all
groups dependent upon Ancient Craft Freemasonry for their
existence. But I am getting
good and tired of seeing Symbolic Freemasonry used primarily as
a Sugar Daddy, as a
benevolent old gentleman whose chief reason for existence is to
provide funds and
housing facilities and a stock pile for candidates. Especially
do I seethe when I see the
parent body so blithely ignored, neglected and starved by those
who drain off its
resources with such profligacy.
And as usual, it is largely our own fault. The groups which are
milking the cow
without feeding her did not create the condition. We gave them
the original idea. We
could have developed a well controlled "Masonic Community" years
ago, insisting on a
proper sense of proportion for each segment of the community. We
could have provided
activities for a ladies' auxiliary (and one would have been
enough), for two junior
divisions (and two would have been plenty), and for all others
willing to work for
Craft
Freemasonry without pumping the well dry. Our Symbolic Craft
could have pursued its
own ways with dignity, maturity and restraint, But no, like
typical Midwestern Americans,
we have gone overboard; we have made ourselves ridiculous by
becoming
obsessed with the "family" idea to the exclusion of everything
else.
CONSIDER JUST A few signs of the
times:
—The incident in which an American Grand Lodge was sold on a proposition to
finance about 40% of the cost of erecting a new fraternity house
on a University campus.
After a $l-per member solicitation campaign had yielded only
about two-thirds of the
quota, the Grand Lodge had to assume responsibility for the
balance. As it did so, it was
made very clear that the Grand Lodge was under no further
financial obligation.
—The fact that in one American Jurisdiction official recognition already has
been
extended to
twenty appendant organizations, with
others knocking on the door each year.
Another Jurisdiction recognizes eighteen.
—For the last few years I have taken the time and trouble to do some tabulating
of
visitations made by Grand Masters of various Jurisdictions in
the United States. The
results have been astounding. One Grand Master reported 79
visitations, 45 of which
were to appendant organizations. (I counted them.) Another Grand
Master made only 11
visitations to Symbolic Lodges— six of them to one Lodge—and
during the same year he
made 58 appearances before appendant organizations. Another
Grand Master reported a
score of 66 to 62, with Symbolic Masonry coming out at the
little end of the horn.
—The regrettable incident in which the international head of DeMolay gave the
Grand
Master of one large American Jurisdiction to understand that
DeMolay owed no
allegiance whatever to Symbolic Freemasonry, and was under no
obligation to abide by
Freemasonry's regulations. To the everlasting credit of DeMolay,
that statement was repudiated,
but damage was done, at least to the extent that it raised some
questions in the
minds of thinking Masons.
—I can think of at least four Jurisdictions in the United States in which
serious
financial problems have arisen in Masonic Homes because of the
unwillingness of the
Eastern Star to accept its share of responsibility for providing
operating funds to take care
of its own members. Indiana was one of them for years and years
until steps were taken
to correct the situation in 1962.
—The tendency to look upon Symbolic Masonry as an institution with no purpose
other than to sponsor and pay for someone's pet hobby. Talking
through my hat? Not at
all. Right here in Indiana the process has penetrated Lodges to
the extent that other
groups are participating in the conferring of degrees, in Past
Masters' Nights, in
installation ceremonies, and in goodness knows what else. It has
even gone so far as to
move in on the traditional Feast of St. John the Evangelist and
take advantage of a fine
old Masonic festival to beat the tom-toms for other groups. I
know whereof I speak.
—The fact that there are Lodge publications and "trestleboards" by the hundreds
which serve no useful purpose for Ancient Craft Freemasonry
whatsoever. To look at
them one is moved to wonder sometimes whether there is a Masonic
Lodge in the
community. They have become mouthpieces and promotion sheets for
groups which
should be learning the fundamentals of self-reliance.
—It is a known fact that at least one youth organization upon which Freemasonry
smiles actually uses the young people to
solicit petitions
for the degrees of Masonry. The
sales talk is this: "If your father becomes a Mason then you,
too, can dress up and look
pretty and parade and perform like the others." I am not saying
the organization operates
in Indiana, but it might be so. Our Brethren would do well to
find out whether such
goings-on take place in our Jurisdiction.
NOW, JUST WHAT DO WE
mean by subsi dizing other organizations to the
neglect
of the Symbolic Lodge?
Ordinarily we think of a subsidy as a financial handout from a paternalistic
organization or government. Most groups related to Freemasonry
would be insulted if we
told them they were being subsidized, and many do not expect an
appropriation of
funds—at first. Usually the subsidizing process follows a
pattern something like this:
1. Attachment to Ancient Craft Freemasonry to profit by its name, its resources,
its
influence, its man-power. The current trend towards trying to
persuade Grand Lodges to
sponsor retirement homes without any financial obligation
(not yet,
at least) is a case in
point.
2. A rent-free, utility-free place in which to hold meetings.
3. A place on the Masonic Temple calendar wherein certain nights in the month
may
be set aside for Lodge hall use to the exclusion of the Symbolic
Lodge.
4. Appeals for "moral support" from Masons; then appeals for leadership.
5. Hints that funds would be welcomed.
After that comes diversion of manpower and funds which should be used for the
work
of Craft Masonry into a dozen, or score, of other organizations.
Finally, and worst of all, comes the "brainwashing" process to create a certain
superiority state of mind in which Ancient Craft Freemasonry no
longer is regarded as of
any importance. I heard the Grand Master of Masons in one
American Jurisdiction make
a speech in which he actually
disparaged
Symbolic Freemasonry. He likened it to the
kindergarten in the school system, and pointed out that once a
pupil has completed
kindergarten, there is no reason why he should have any further
use for it. I heard him say
it—a man, incidentally, who is greatly in demand as a Masonic
speaker. Thank goodness
it was not the Grand Master of Indiana.
FORTUNATELY, there are some
encouraging signs. A few Masonic leaders here
and there are awakening. I am thinking in particular of one
Grand Master who had the
courage to say no to the ridiculous practice of running hither
and yon to extend official
greetings in every organization which claims a relationship,
however remote, to Freemasonry.
Another Grand Master was realistic enough to recognize that many of our problems
today can be traced directly to the "57 Varieties" of appendant
organizations which have
attached themselves to Freemasonry. "The time is rapidly
approaching," he said, "when
this Grand Lodge may not only have to limit new organizations,
but possibly curtail the
activities of some already in existence."
One western Grand Lodge took a second look at appeals for funds from various
youth
organizations, turned down all requests and reminded the youth
leaders that "one
important part of their training is
to learn to stand on their own feet."
But it was California which made the ringing declaration that
should be read and reread
by every Masonic leader in the nation:
"We believe the time has come to call a halt on these prerequisite organizations
who grow fat on the false claim of Masonic affiliation, and in
so doing violate our
fundamental laws and principles, and in which the individual
members thereof violate
their obligations taken at the altar at which we all kneeled.
These organizations believe
that what they do is of no concern to the Grand Lodge. We
sincerely suggest that their
actions and conduct are the concern of this Grand Lodge. A
Master Mason can bring
reproach upon the Fraternity in ways other than being convicted
of a felony or some
similar offense. In many instances . . . the good name of
Masonry is more lastingly
harmed and causes our friends to wonder and our enemies to
rejoice . . .
"There now exist enough, if not too many prerequisite organizations which have
fastened themselves on the proud ship of Masonry like barnacles
on a ship. The great
American ambition to organize and promote is worthy of
praise—but when Master
Masons, often those who seldom see and rarely support a regular
Lodge, begin to
believe, and even boast, that their organization represents
Masonry, we suggest that it
is time to stop, take count and say, 'No more!''
There are some encouraging signs in Indiana, also. Let me name just one:
Looking ahead to the Sesquicentennial Jubilee Year for Freemasonry in Indiana in
1967-68. the Executive Secretary of the Indiana DeMolay
Foundation has been in touch
with me on many occasions to offer the full support and
"manpower" resources of
DeMolay in staging that great celebration. It has been made
clear that DeMolay does not
want to dress up and parade and be in the limelight—that
instead, the boys wish to do
yeoman service quietly, without fanfare, wherever they can be
used. In short, they are not
asking what they can
get out of
Freemasonry; they are asking what they can
do for
Freemasonry. And that is a refreshing question we do not hear
very often these days.
Am I too optimistic in suggesting that perhaps some long overdue thinking is
under
way? I hope it is, for
we had better think it through.
The present trend can have only one
result, and that is to push Craft Freemasonry and the appendant
organizations alike
farther and farther into decline.
And this much should be borne in mind:
a check to one of the Masonic charities
cannot repair the damage.
Organizations which expect Craft Freemasonry to
furnish
manpower and funds, time and leadership should remember that the
good health and
well-being of the parent is rather important if the family is to
be protected, and that such
things cannot be purchased.
ALL OF US have seen the spoiled,
selfish, inconsiderate child with a case of
"gimmies"—the immature juvenile who looks upon his father as a
Santa Claus to supply
his wants, and who thinks his Dad's only purpose on earth is to
work and furnish the
funds to gratify his desires.
Well, we are going through a similar period in American Freemasonry. Those who
have attached themselves to our Craft have a bad case of "gimmies,"
and we have been
encouraging them in it. And, like immature children, we seem to
think it can go on
forever without any necessity of looking to the source of our
luxuries.
We had better be paying a little deference to the parent body. It was here
laboring on
the Temple for centuries before the "dependent" organizations
were ever dreamed of. The
minimum of our obligation is to think about that old parent with
a little affection once in
awhile ... to siphon a little manpower and energy and resources
into
the Ancient Craft
Lodge instead of forever draining it off.
Yes, we might with profit paraphrase the ringing words of the late President of
the
United States in his inaugural address: "Ask not what the
Symbolic Lodge can do for
your pet organization; ask what your pet organization can do for
the Symbolic
Lodge—the fountainhead of all Freemasonry!"
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