EXAMINING COMMITTEE
"I have just had a great
shock!" announced the New Brother, sitting down weakly beside the Old Tiler.
"What is wrong?" asked the
bearer of the sword.
"I have been away for a few
weeks," responded the New Brother, "I visited in every lodge where I
could. I took delight in the very thorough way into which I have had my
ritualistic work drilled into me. I wasn't stumped by a single question. And
believe me, I had some examinations! Most of them lasted an hour, at least. But
I knew my work, so I got in without any trouble.
"That was nice," answered the
Old Tiler, "though it seems a long time to me."
"What's a long time? Never mind!
It was nice, yes; but it was awful to get on an examination committee with
Brother Filson here and have him get through in less than five minutes! He only
asked three or four questions, and for all I know to the contrary, there is an
imposter sitting in our lodge right now!"
"Upon my word!" exclaimed the
Old Tiler. "Is that so! We'll have that perhaps-imposter out of there as
quick as a wink..." He started for the door.
"Here, wait a minute! Don't go off
half-cocked that way!" protested the New Brother. "I don't suppose he
is *really* an imposter. But I don't know that he knows his work. How could I,
after hearing Filson ask him just four or five questions?"
"Oh, well!" responded the Old
Tiler, seating himself again, "that's different. But I thought better of
you! I have watched you go into the lodge and through the degrees and I thought
you were going to be a regular Mason. And here you are neglecting your duty,
forswearing yourself, betraying your brethren, being false to your trust!"
"Why, what do you mean? I have
betrayed no trust!" cried the New Brother angrily.
"Oh, yes; you have,"
responded the Old Tiler, sturdily. "The Master trusted you; your brethren
trusted you. They believed when they sent you out with Brother Filson that when
you came back and stood sponsor for the brother you had examined you meant what
you allowed Filson to say at the Altar-that the brother was a Master Mason. Now
you tell me you are *not* satisfied; that for all you know he may be an
imposter! You don't know he knows his work! It was your business to know. That's
what you were on the committee for. Masonry demands two on a committee. Both
must be satisfied. You were not satisfied, yet you let the brother go in; and if
that isn't betraying a trust, what is it?"
"Well-I-er-Oh, come, Old Tiler,
you know I didn't want to butt in on Filson, and if he thought it was all right
-and I'm so new in lodge and all -Oh, come now!"
"Worse and worse!" cried the
Old Tiler. "You were not satisfied, yet rather than 'butt in' on Filson,
you were willing to let Masonry and this lodge, which raised you, take a chance
on an imposter. I shall certainly report you to the lodge. I shall certainly see
that you learn what is what in Masonry, I shall..."
"Oh, you wouldn't do that!"
cried the New Brother. "I didn't mean any harm. I was just trying to be
Masonicly courteous to a brother and -you wouldn't do that, would you?"
"Certainly not!" answered the
Old Tiler, eyes twinkling. "I wouldn't think of it."
"Then what did you say it
for?" demanded the New Brother.
"To scare you into the realization
that you don't know what you are talking about!" responded the Old Tiler.
"All I said was true, if you were *really* not satisfied. But you *were*
satisfied. You know perfectly well that brother is a Mason. But you wanted
Filson to put on dignity and conduct a heavy examination and humiliate the
brother to show how big and grand you and he were. Oh, I know! I was young
myself-once. You say they took an hour to examine you. Brethren don't take an
hour to find out if visitors are Masons, unless they have doubts. You were too
cocksure, too full of pride, too eager. So they doubted you, and made sure.
Filson is an old hand. He has been a Mason for years. And he knows what
questions to ask. One doesn't have to ask you if you know that twice two is four
and twice four is eight, if ones asks you what twice eight is and you say
sixteen. The lengthy, involved, elaborate, difficult examination is only given
to him who is more ritualistic than Mason, unless there is a real doubt of the
applicant.
"Old Masons know that the visitor
who seeks to enter compliments the lodge. The lodge is host, he is a guest.
Hospitality demands all the courtesy possible. Masonry demands knowledge. The
middle course is to find out as briefly and as quickly yet as surely as
possible. It is not necessary to put a man through the whole ritual to know
whether he is a Mason. Filson knows it. Evidently the visiting brother knew his
work and his answers were satisfactory.
"But remember, my brother, *you*
must be satisfied on a committee, or be faithless to your trust. Be satisfied as
quickly and as gracefully as possible, or be false to the standards of
hospitality and courtesy which are taught in Masonry. Understand?"
"I-I think so. My head is rather
going around. About all I am sure of is I have rather made a fool of
myself," said the New Mason.
"Never mind!" comforted the
Old Tiler with a grin. "Give yourself time. It's rarely fatal. A few years
and you'll get some sense!"
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