Robert
Waxman is a student of world religion and philosophy. He has written many articles and essays about the origins
of Freemasonry.
Nine of the orginal signers of The Declaration of Independence
and fifteen U.S. Presidents were said to have been Freemasons.
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FREEMASONRY IN MODERN SOCIETY
Most of us who are Freemasons are by nature traditionalists and are very proud to be so. Freemasonry is an order
which thrives on its traditions and woe betide anyone who tries to change it. Lodges love to practise their own special peculiarities
which they like to believe have existed since time immemorial. It has been suggested that many of these peculiarities originate
from a mistake made by a Director of Ceremonies and there is probably a fair amount of truth in that. What is clear to me
and I am sure to many others is that these differences in working make for more interesting meetings and if every meeting
of each Lodge were to be identical, visits would become extremely dull and boring. And yet one of my predecessors in the Province
of Northamptonshire and Huntingdonshire, The Earl of Euston, who was Provincial Grand Master from 1887 to 1912 visited The
Emulation Lodge of Improvement in London and was so impressed with the work that he pronounced that all Lodges in the Province
were to adopt that ritual working completely. A century later, I am pleased to say that the pronouncement did not materialise
and we have many of the Lodges using slightly different ways to conduct their working and which distinguishes one from another.
Perhaps all this emanates from the Book of Constitutions in
the Summary of the Ancient Charges and Regulations to which every incoming Worshipful Master submits and promises to support
"as Masters have done in all ages". Number 11 states " You admit that it is not in the power of any Man or
Body of Men to make any Alteration or Innovation in the Body of Masonry without the consent first obtained of the Grand Lodge".
This can be seen as a clear instruction to stand still -or is it? Can anyone honestly believe that Masonry today is the same
as it was 100 years ago or even 50 years ago? We preserve our Landmarks and our Principles of Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth
but the way in which we conduct our affairs may change, be it ever so gradually, as the ways in which Society generally behaves
change.
We represent a generation which has seen more fundamental
changes in life-style than any preceding one. Innovation in technology has moved at an alarming pace and this has influenced
our lives enormously. Modes of dress, working habits and leisure activities have changed beyond recognition to our grandparents
were they alive today. The relationship between man and woman and the begetting of children outside of marriage is another
fundamental change in modern life. We have to consider to what extent these matters impinge upon Freemasonry and to be prepared
for a possible ever increasing speed of change in the future. This is not a new notion. Dr, Samuel Johnson is quoted as stating
that "change is not made without inconvenience, even from worse to better".
The question we have to ask ourselves is does Freemasonry fit well and easily into Modern Society? If there
is any doubt about the answer, we have to do something about it or suffer the consequences of being members of an antiquated
and quaint organisation with a rapidly declining membership. The Craft is currently experiencing a drop in numbers of around
3% per annum. If that rate of decline continues, in ten years we shall have lost more than a quarter of our members. It is
fair to say that other organisations are experiencing a decline in memberships and this only reflects the fact that Society
has altered its attitudes. I do not wish to promote a modernisation of Freemasonry per se but I believe that we must ensure
that Freemasonry fits comfortably into Modern Society and there is a difference between these two alternatives.
I realise that I am likely to come across objections from some traditional thinkers amongst our members. I
can assure them that changes do occur and sometimes they are so gradual that they are not always noticed. Nowadays we are
open and receptive to prospective genuine interest in becoming a member but this was not always so. In many Lodges it is normal
practice to invite men of the right calibre to social functions to establish whether it might promote a genuine interest in
becoming a member. In former days the only way in which your interest might be judged was to consider the members you knew
in the Craft (and that was often difficult to establish ) and decide that if they were men you respected, there must be good
in it for you. There were so many mis-conceptions with a fear of asking from both an interested man to a member and from a
member to a non-member. So many men never found the opportunity to become members and others came into Masonry far too late
in life. This illustrates a change in attitude which has taken place and which makes our Order more appropriate in the present
time. We now even have a booklet (in the Peterborough series and written by RW Bro. Richard Sandbach) which explains the responsibilities
of membership to be read by an intending candidate and his lady.
One of the most important developments over the last decade has been the greater involvement of ladies in Lodge activities.
For me to be addressing an audience of Masons and their Ladies on a Masonic subject is itself an inspired acceptance by this
Province of the right way forward.. We live in a age of so-called equality of the sexes but I venture to suggest that it is
a brave person who believes that man can ever rise to be the equal of woman. Matrimonial relationships have changed so much.
Many couples live together as partners rather than marry. Many ladies contribute substantial proportions to the joint income
and have an equitable right to know how that income is being spent. The way in which leisure activities have expanded to include
a whole family will often limit the time a man may devote to Lodge activities. Young couples are often contracted to large
mortgages on their homes and spend lavishly on their children and on holidays. All these factors bear heavily on a decision
whether to become a Mason or not. It may lead to delaying a decision to join until much later in life. The average age of
an initiate is about 46 years which seems too high and we can be considered by young men to be an aged organisation. What
is so clear is that in our ladies we have a highly valued and enthusiastic resource. We must not just bring them out on Ladies'
Nights, tell them how wonderful they are once a year and then forget about them.
A few years ago a party of Masons and their ladies made a fraternal visit to a Lodge in New York. It was a
most successful trip and close friendships were formed to such an extent that there were all the ingredients for the formation
of a new Lodge. At one of the meetings of the Petitioners, it was suggested that we consider inviting the ladies to the dinner
following one of the meetings each year. This met with looks of incredulity but when it was explained that it was entirely
possible, enthusiasm flowed. The support of the ladies has been outstanding and they have a sense of proprietary interest
in the success and welfare of Sulgrave Lodge. The idea was quickly adopted by some other Lodges in the Province and I believe
has done nothing but good. There are a few old hard-liners who question what Masonry is coming to but if they were to see
far enough ahead, they would realise that changes such as these are keeping the Craft alive and well. I know that I could
not have carried out my work as a Deputy PGM and then as a PGM without the support and encouragement of my Wife. She played
an immense role in the Province which became a very important part of our life together. For the past thirteen years she was
prepared for me to be out evening after evening on Masonic duties but now I have retired, we are learning to live together
again rather as we did forty years ago on first becoming married.
One area which needs constant attention is the subject of Lodge Committees. They are comprised largely of Past Masters (the
old boys, of whom I am one). Only a token representation of junior members is made. Consequently, whenever a matter is to
be considered, the views of the old boys will predominate. I might, for example, have a preference for my Lodge to meet at
say 4.45pm so that I will not be late home and then have to retire to bed on a heavy stomach. It might also be rather nice
to continue the tradition in the Lodge for wearing dinner suits at meetings and I might be quite content to continue with
eight meetings a year. I no longer have the discipline of a business diary to live with. How on earth can we expect, say,
a young professional man or a banker to be able to get away from his work at that time of day, to be able to change his clothing
and to attend Lodge without having to take a half-day holiday? Many older Lodges meet at least eight times a year. We then
encourage members to join a Holy Royal Arch Chapter which typically will meet four times a year. A member serving as an officer
in both Lodge and Chapter could then be committed to twelve full meetings and another twelve rehearsal nights before he even
begins to consider accepting invitations from friends to visit their Lodges and Chapters. In my view, the visiting of other
Lodges is a most valuable and pleasing aspect of Masonry and is to be encouraged as it opens up opportunities for many new
friendships. In Masonry, we say that there are no strangers but only friends we have yet to meet. We can find a DC strongly
recommending that a brother attends a Lodge of Instruction in addition and I have met some who suggest that you cannot hope
to meet the demands of Mastership without attending practices at least once a week. This is into the territory of Masonry
taking over a member s life. It is neither fair to his home commitments nor to his career and rightly can give the dog a bad
name. It is easy for the elder statesmen to encourage junior members to take on far too many commitments in Masonry. It should
rather be their duty to advise a junior member to take on only what his position in life will reasonably permit and no more.
I recently had a conversation with a young man in this Province who has a very demanding professional commitment in London
requiring travel to work there each day. He is an enthusiastic Mason and worries when meetings with his clients prevent him
from attending Masonic meetings. I have had no compunction in advising him to concentrate only on his Craft Lodge at this
time in his life as there is plenty of future for him to extend his activities when the demands upon his time may be less.
Family and career must take priority. The fear is that this man could get so tied up with too many demands on his time that
he could resign from Masonry and that would be a great loss for us.
So back to the Lodge Committee. Firstly, it can be invested with no general executive powers and can only consider and report.
( Rule 154 Book of Constitutions ) I think this may come as something of a surprise to some brethren who seek to dominate
committees and believe that the Lodge is ruled by the Committee. I believe that it is vital for each Worshipful Master, and
therefore the Lodge, to be aware of the views of all the members generally on the conduct of its affairs. In particular, the
members' views should always be borne in mind on the following subjects:
a) how often should the Lodge meet? b) at what time of the day should it meet? c) should some meetings be the
subject of education? d) what should be the mode of dress? e) should there always be a formal dinner to follow or might there
be a light supper sometimes to limit expense? f) might it be helpful to provide a facility for payment of the Lodge subscription
by monthly standing order and incorporate a contribution to charity to spread the annual cost? g) it is possible that a Lodge
evening could start with a light supper at, say 6.30pm to be followed by the meeting at, say 7.30pm and this would allow those
who cannot get away from work early to at least attend the Lodge. h) other possibilities will come to mind in discussion.
On all these subjects, the views of the junior members should
be carefully monitored. They will be the guardians of the Order in the future and they will not be much good to us if they
drift away because they cannot meet the demands of active membership. We lose too many members and some go because they cannot
meet the time demands of our system. I have heard it said that the views of the junior brethren are not important on these
matters because they will have been told the form before joining. That totally misses the point. If the demands of membership
do not fit into the reasonable mode of work and life patterns, we shall continue to lose good members and we shall fail to
attract the right type of new members in the future. I recommend that the Lodge Committee should meet once a year with all
members being invited to attend. The matters above should be debated with the Master paying particular attention to finding
the views of the junior brethren as well as the elder statesmen. The meeting cannot make decisions but the Master will be
unwise if he does not take account of the members' wishes. It has been suggested that this procedure is ultra vires the
Book of Constitutions but that is wrong. Some old traditionalists will find any reason to seek to preserve the status quo.
Ladies and brethren, I have tried to show you that our fine
Order has adapted in the past to meet changes in Society and is the better for it. I am concerned that there is an innate
reluctance to alter form in any way at a time when Society is changing faster than ever before. If I have drawn attention
in a small way to the dangers which can lie ahead and can encourage you to take stock in any of your Lodges, I shall be content.
Above all, I hope you will not perceive my observations as suggesting that we modernise our ceremonies. There has been much
of this in the Christian Churches with the sad loss of so much delightful language in the original form of the Prayer book.
The Grand Secretary of The Grand Lodge of Ireland has described the position most aptly as a need to protect the product but
to consider changing the packaging. The product is the ancient form of our principles as illustrated in our beautiful ritual
and the packaging is the manner in which we can conduct the affairs of our Lodges within the bounds of modern society.
