You will find in the Army there are different organizations that stand out amongst the ranks. You have Audie Murphy board recipients, West Point Officers among many others. These organizations came up in a conversation this morning with two of my Officers. It started out very nonchalantly, but brought a very interesting yet disturbing common event that happens in the Army.
I went around the base today asking random Soldiers if they have ever experienced or witnessed any special favors, privileges or any kind of recognition that was undeserving based on an affiliation with any organization, rather it be a bike club, running club, a church or a fraternity. I did not mention Freemasonry in any of these conversations. The stunning revelation I have heard is that Freemasonry was a common variable amongst all the individual Soldiers I interviewed. Their claim was that they witnessed Freemasons be accepted for promotion boards over other Soldiers who clearly deserved it more than the Soldier who was a Freemason. Now of course, the leaders involved in these circumstances were Freemasons themselves.
It bothered me to find that these people have witnessed such acts in our fraternity. We teach equality in our organization. We teach that hard work will get you recognition. So, why have so many people witnessed Freemasons get special treatment just because of their affiliation with our fraternity? We talk about it all the time, the craft is losing members and not gaining enough interested members. The interested members do not always turn out to be the most noble and moral individuals we want nor need in our fraternity.
What if this may be one of the many causes behind that issue? What if in the military and the civilian world true moral people see the special treatment forwarded to Freemasons from senior leaders and are bitter about what they have witnessed. Perhaps, they have been in the boat of discrimination. They may have been the employee that stood out the most, dedicated themselves to their job but their peer beside them was offered the promotion or pay raise because they had a connection to Freemasonry? These fine young men could be essential to our success as an organization, yet we are scaring them away because they do not want to be a part of an organization that appears to be two-faced. We preach equality, we preach hard work, but our actions show that it is all who you know. This is no different from the churches across the world with their misleading practices.
As a Freemason, I find this rather appalling. I believe that since we as Free and Accepted Masons should uphold our values by practicing what we preach. This may solve our constant question, "How do we find young, noble professional men to be brought into the fraternity?" This may be step one to helping fix our problems. This problem isn't one to be solved by the Grand Lodge, or your lodge. No this issue is something that needs to be addressed individually. If you are a leader, or would like to become a leader of some sort, we need to take a good hard look in the mirror and find out why did we join the Freemasons?
So Why did you? I joined the Freemasons because throughout history men I have looked up to and exemplified in my life were Freemasons. Men that helped forge nations based on the very core values I believe in. I have seen the things Masons have done through out the world. They protected causes that they may not necessarily believed in themselves but because they believed in a higher cause one above themselves and their own agendas. Freemasons have dedicated time, money and energy into helping children through out the ages. They have built hospitals and erected a living testament of how men should act and live life to the fullest. They stood up for what they believe is right. These men stood out and wanted to bring enlightenment to the world so the population could better themselves. Yet, here we are making a mockery of it. Our rough ashlar will not be brought to a perfect ashlar until we look at ourselves and see what is wrong. If you joined Freemasonry for the philosophy behind it, your in the right place. If you joined Freemasonry for the benefits or the social interaction, I am sorry you are not.
When I became a Freemason the Tiler had his normal talks with me outside that door. He told me I am making the biggest step a man can make into changing the world around him, but that isn't what stuck out the most to me. He told me you get out of Freemasonry what you put into it. Well brethren, Im giving it my all. I am dedicated to moving through the chairs, through the Rites and so forth. I want to be the best Freemason I can be, so I can be the best man I can be. However, it doesn't end there. Our fraternity isnt about what you do inside the lodge on any given day. Freemasonry is much more than that. It is about what you do on the outside of the lodge.
Brethren, I plead with you as most of you are returning to the lodge from vacation... Look within yourself and ask yourself what did you to during dark season to shine the light to the world. When you find the answer keep doing it. If you don't find the answer ask yourself why. Then ask yourself what can you do to make that change and shine the light no matter what you do outside the lodge. The motto goes "Make Good Men Better." How about "Good Men Make Freemasonry Better."
Good night world.
AG
