COULD BE
"I am much disappointed," announced the New Brother,
sadly, sitting down
beside the Old Tyler during refreshment.
"Disappointed in what?" asked the wielder of the sword.
"Why, Masonry in general, and this lodge in particular," answered the
New
Brother. "Neither are what I thought they were."
"That's too bad," sympathized the Old Tyler. "Tell me about
it."
"My dad was a Mason. He told me how helpful Masonry was and how a lodge
stood back of a fellow, and how one brother would go out of his way to help
another, and if you were in trouble, a brother would help you out of it. I
believed it. But I have been a member here now for some time, and I have
seen none of that."
"Been in trouble, son?" asked the Old Tyler.
"I suppose everyone has some troubles."
"Have you been in any real trouble, in which you could have been aided by
the lodge had the lodge known of it?"
"That isn't the question," answered the New Brother.
"No, I agree it isn't. So I will ask you the real question," said the
Old
Tiler, and his lips lost their smile. "How many brothers have you helped
since you have been a member? How many shoulders have you slapped? How many
men have you gone to and said," Jim, I know you are in trouble, count me in
to help because we both belong to the same lodge?"
"Why, how you talk!" replied the New Brother. "I hardly know
anyone in the
lodge, yet. How would I know whether they were in trouble?"
"The same way they would know if you were in trouble, of course!"
answered
the Old Tyler. "I am a old man and I have had a lot of trouble, most of
which never happened. You complain that Masonry is a failure because you
have not personally experienced its helping hand. You admit you haven't
needed it. And you also admit you haven't held it out. Brotherhood means
the relation between two brothers, not the relation of one brother to
another and no comeback. If you can't be a brother, how do you expect a man
to be a brother to you? You ask me how you would know if a brother is in
trouble. How does anyone know?
"Here are some stories I heard last week. Brother A, of this lodge, lost
his wife two weeks ago. It was in the papers. Two brothers of this lodge
sent their wives to his house to look after his children until he could
make arrangements for a nurse. Another brother of this lodge failed in
business. Lodge action wasn't necessary, but two bankers and a business man
went to the poor failure and staked him, and put him on his feet. A brother
of this lodge has a boy who is wild. Last week the boy went joy riding with
too much hooch in him and smashed up a car which didn't belong to him. The
owner wanted to put the boy in jail, where he belonged, but a brother of
this lodge took the responsibility on himself, sent the boy to a farm
during good behavior, saved the father from a broken heart and maybe
society from a criminal. The home of a brother of this lodge burned down
last month. It wasn't insured. He had just paid for it. Ten brothers of
this lodge financed his new house; he will pay a dollar a week for life, or
something, but he had fraternal help. Three brothers in the lodge tonight
are out of work, and with little money. Before they go away someone will
see that they get a chance."
"But how do brothers know other brothers are in trouble? They don't get up
in lodge and tell it!"
"How did you expect people were going to come and help you if you didn't
let them know you needed help?" countered the Old Tyler.
"Why, I just thought maybe someone would have enough interest in me to
know..."
"Have you had enough interest in your brethren to know when they were in
trouble?"
"I...er...why..."
"You needn't answer. In every lodge are the 'gimme's' and the 'lemme's.'
The 'gimme's' are those who want things done, and the 'lemme's' do them. In
every lodge are the 'have's' and the 'haven'ts.' It's up to the 'have's' to
share with the 'haven'ts.' I take it you are naturally a 'have.' You have
money, clothes, a good position. You are not in need of help from your
brother. But some brethren are in need of help from you. It may be a
dollar, advice, a word to an influential friend, a loan, it may be some of
the things I have told you about. If brotherhood is to mean what you hoped
it won't be because you get it, but because you give it. A Masonic lodge
should never be an organization from which a man expects to get something.
If everyone was disappointed because no one did anything, it would be a
failure. It isn't a failure because most real Masons look for the chance to
do something for some brother who needs help."
"Some brethren do a lot for idiotic new brothers, just by talking to
them!"
responded the New Brother remorsefully. "Do you suppose you could slip a
dollar to each of those three who haven't any and tell 'em you found it on
the floor?"
"Could be," answered the Old Tyler.
"And please believe I don't think it's a failure and the only thing about
it which is disappointing to me is myself."
"Could be," answered the Old Tyler.
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