This came in from a list.     Its just food for thought!!!

The public statement by the Grand Masters of the Grand Orient of Italy

and the Regular Grand Lodge of Yugoslavia raises some questions for

me.

As an individual, I am, of course, appalled by what is now taking

place in Kosovo and in Yugoslavia as a whole. My masonic training

supports me in the determination to speak out and take whatever action

I can to bring this conflict to a just and speedy conclusion. My

questions, however, are these: Does my masonic training support me in

speaking out or taking action AS A MASON? And does my masonic

obligation authorize anybody else to issue political declarations on

my behalf?

What particularly prompted these questions is the fact that, because

of the way it is written, it looks as if the statement of the two

Grand Masters is meant to be read as something more than an expression

of the opinion of those two individuals -- more, even, than an

expression of the opinions of their respective Grand Lodges. The

statement of the two Grand Masters purports to speak in the name of

freemasonry. It says, "Freemasonry...refuses and condemns..." And,

in the name of freemasonry, this statement advocates a particular

course of political action -- namely that the present conflict be

resolved within the UN -- which is not uncontroversial.

The fact that this statement purports to speak for "freemasonry" would

give me grave concern even if I agreed with every word it contained.

I am a master mason, and I take my masonic obligation seriously.

However, when I took my obligation as a mason, I do not recall saying

anything which authorized anybody else to make political declarations

on my behalf.

I realize that among masons there are many different views about what

masonry is and about its proper role in the larger society. My own

understanding of the matter is something like this: Masonry is, to

use a familiar phrase, "a peculiar system of morality..." Masonry is

not a political party or a religious sect. It does not take positions

on social issues or support candidates for office. Individual masons

may, and frequently have, taken political positions, held public

office and done all manner of public things. But they do those things,

not as masons expressing the doctrines of masonry. They do them as

individuals -- inspired and sustained, perhaps, by the light of

masonry -- but not AS masons.

This very point was expressed -- with incomparable eloquence -- in a

lecture to the Philalethes Society by Bro. Thomas Jackson, FPS and

Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge of PA. I hope I will be forgiven

if I quote some of it below:

=============================================

It Is The Mason As A Man Who Has Impacted History

by Thomas W Jackson FPS

For a considerable number of years I have been wondering how an

organization with as much influence as Freemasonry has had over

several hundred years, could fail to be acknowledged for its

contribution to the development of modern civilization and human

thought. I even developed a talk which I titled "How Can They Ignore

This?" In it, I ask those to whom I am speaking how often they ever

saw Freemasonry presented in a history text. I simply was unable to

comprehend how we could be ignored.

With the exception of organized religion, " Freemasonry probably has

created a greater beneficial impact upon the development of present

day civilization than any other organization which has existed on

Earth, and yet, when you read historical documentation of the

evolution of civilization, Freemasonry is rarely mentioned and, if it

is, it is only peripherally.

Last year, the first World Conference of Grand Masters was held in

Mexico City. Out of that conference came the Charter of Anahuac. The

third item in that Charter presented the need of the Craft in the 21st

Century "to fight against. . .ecological depredation, contamination of

the environment. .against . . ., social instability . . ., and

religious commitments in education, " amongst others.

I have a very serious concern with any proposal that suggests

Freemasonry's involvement in political and/or religious issues, and

item three of the Charter suggests precisely that. There is no way

social and ecological issues can be dealt -with, without involving

politics or religion. This Craft has been able to weather the storms

which wiped out many organizations and even toppled governments

because it stayed above the controversies of religion and politics.

When I present my concerns about the Charter to some Masonic leaders,

the rebuttal I received was that Masonry must have been involved in

political and religious issues in the past. Freemasonry's influence in

the American Revolution was cited as an example. They pointed to the

actions of men like Washington, Franklin, Lafayette, and others, as

Masonic involvement. In addition, Simon Bolivar in South America,

Lajos Kusata in Hungary, Theodore Kolokotronis in Greece, Benito

Juarez in Mexico, amongst many other who contributed so much to the

concept of freedom, were examples of political involvement in other

countries.

And then, for the first time I began to understand why the influence

of Freemasonry is not discussed in history books. We cannot deny the

impact of Washington and so many others in the development of American

freedom; but it was Washington, the man, not Washington the Mason, and

not Freemasonry that made America what it is. This is also true of

Bolivar, Kusata, Kolokotronis, and Jaurez and all of the other great

patriots of their countries.

The philosophical purpose of Freemasonry always has been to develop

the man-to start with good men and make them better, to increase the

intellectual capacity of the individual, and to give the man the

incentive through our lessons to contribute to making the world a

better place to live.

As an ecologist, I have for more than 35 years expressed my views on

ecological issues and on the population explosion; but I speak as a

man, not as a Freemason. My compassionate thought of life might have

been nurtured in a Masonic Lodge, but, when I speak, it is not

Freemasonry speaking. When Washington acted, it was not Freemasonry

acting. Thankfully, Freemasonry has had great influence on many

leaders, but the man influenced does the acting. Thus we read about

the man in history texts, not the organization.

=========end of quotation from Thomas Jackson=================

"Old Tiler Talks" by Carl Claudy -1924

FOOLISH QUESTIONS

"Jones is a nut!" remarked the New Brother to the Old Tiler. "I

went with him yesterday to look up an applicant for membership. I

didn't know much about such things, so I let him do the talking.

And the questions that man asked!"

"What did he want to know?"

"First, he wanted to know what kind of job the applicant held,

how long he had been there, where he had worked before, was he

satisfied, did he like his boss, how much he made and whether he

saved any of it or spent it all!"

"Quite right, too," commented the Old Tiler. "He wanted to know

if the applicant was a solid citizen, able to pay his dues and

unlikely to become a charge on the lodge. Chap who holds a job

today and leaves it tomorrow for another is apt to be an

applicant for charity."

"But that's one of the things a lodge is for- charity," said the

New Brother.

"To its members who are in need, yes," answered the Old Tiler.

"But no lodge willingly takes in members who may need charity.

Masonry is not a crutch for the indigent. It is a staff for those

who go lame in life's, journey, but when a man starts out lame he

has to get crutches from some other institution."

"He asked, 'Why do you want to become a Mason?' that seemed to me

an impertinence. A man's reasons for wanting to join Masonry are

no business of ours."

"Is that so!" answered the Old Tiler. "Son, you know so many

things that are not so! I have been on the petitions of a great

many men and that is always my first question. I have heard many

answers. Some men want to join because their fathers were Masons.

Some think it will help them in life. Some frankly say they want

to make friends so they can be successful. Others think that

Masonry will help them in their religion. Still others want to be

Masons because they want to belong to a secret society."

"But why is that our business?"

"A man who wants to join a fraternity because his father

belonged, is good material," answered the Old Tiler. "He wants to

imitate his father. As his father was a Mason it is probable that

he was a good man. If the applicant desires to imitate a good

man, and thinks we can help him, his motives are worthy. The man

who wants to become a Mason to stiffen his religious belief is

not a good candidate. Masonry demands no religion of its

applicants, merely a belief in Deity. A man with religious

convictions which are slipping and looks for something to prop

them up, should go elsewhere than the Masonic Altar. Asking

nothing but a belief in God, we have a right to demand that that

belief be strong, well-grounded, unshakable, and beyond question.

"The man who says he wants to join the Masonic order because he

wants to belong to a secret society doesn't get asked and more

questions! He is through right there. Masonry is no haven for

curiosity seekers. The chap who thinks Masonry will make him

friends who will help him in his business gets nowhere with a

good committee. Masonry is not a business club. Imagine a man

going to a minister and saying: 'I want to join your church so I

can sell lawn mowers to your members.' Would the minister want

him? Masonry is not a church, but it is holy to Masons. Masonry

is a bright and shining light in a man's heart which must not be

sullies by profane motives. To attempt to use Masonry for

business is like using the Bible to sit on- diverting from the

proper purpose that which should be held sacred.

"The man who answers that question by saying, 'I have always

heard of Masons as men who receive help in being good men; I

would like to have the privilege of becoming a member,' is

approaching the matter in the right spirit. Masonry doesn't hunt

the man, the man must hunt the lodge. And he must hunt with a

pure motive, or cannot join any good lodge, with a good

committee. The motive is vitally important. We want to know if he

can afford $50 for a fee and $5 a year for dues. If they have to

rob their children to join we have no use for them. We want to

know if a man stands well with his fellows outside the lodge; if

so he is apt to stand well with them inside. If he has few

friends and those of doubtful character, the chances are he is

not good timber for us.

"Masonry is what we make it. Every good man who comes into a

lodge helps the fraternity. Every insincere man, every scoffer,

every dishonest man who gets into lodge, injures the fraternity.

Masonry can accomplish good in the hearts of men only as it is

better than they are. When it becomes less good than the average

man, the average man will not want to join, and Masonry's power

will be gone.

"The price of liberty, so we are told, is eternal vigilance. The

price of quality in a lodge is eternal care by the investigation

committee. An important job, it should be approached with the

idea that the future of the lodge and of Masonry to some extent

rests on the man making the investigation.

"Hm. Thanks. See you later."

"You're welcome- but what is your hurry?"

"Got to find Jones and tell him I'm the nut. Then ask the Master

to let me go with him again and see if I can't see something else

in his questions besides foolishness!" answered the New Brother.

Fraternally,

Carl Johnson, 32'

Burlington Masonic Lodge #254

Grand Lodge of Washington, Free & Accepted Masons

Ancient & Accepted Scottish Rite, Valley of Bellingham

Orient of Washington

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Rays of Masonry" by Dewey Wollstein -1953

I AM A MASTER MASON

The name itself stands as a symbol of the wisdom of the ages. I

am part of an institution that has forever followed the Glorious

Light in the East. I am part of the hopes, the yearnings and the

efforts of a world-wide group of men who are meeting and working

in the name of The Almighty One. I have a share in the spreading

of ideals of Justice, of Tolerance and of Kindness. To me is

given the opportunity for unveiling symbols which impart Golden

Truths.

I have the opportunity to grow morally in an atmosphere of sacred

silence.

I am a member of an institution which throughout the ages has

taught and followed the ways of peace, yet never for a moment has

capitulated to the demand of dictatorship. I am a member of an

institution which has forever inspired men to engage vigorously

in the struggle for the preservation of God-given rights- Freedom

of Worship and Freedom of Thought.

My Masonic membership offers the greatest blessing that is given

to man- the opportunity to be serviceable to my fellow creatures.

Great are my privileges. Great are my responsibilities.

I am a Master Mason.

I receive a publication, The Byzantium, which is the official publication of

the Red Cross of Constantine. It recently had a article by their Grand

Sovereign that I thought would be of interest to our forum. I checked

with Nelson before I posted. I also have the permission of the writer,

Joe Manning.

 James B Guffey PM

----- Original Message -----

By Knight Companion Joe R. Manning, Jr., KGC

Title: We are not alone.

Travel back a hundred years in America, to any town or city.

Any night, except Sunday, you would have seen lighted windows down

town, usually in the upper stories of the buildings. Flickering

shadows, cast by gaslight or kerosene lamps, crossed and re-crossed

the window shades as men in colorful costumes engaged in rituals of

their secret societies.

There were hundreds.

The Masons were the largest, of course. But then there were the Odd

Fellows, the Improved Order of Red Men, Knights of Pythias, Knights of

Columbus, Knights of Honor, Knights of Khorassan and the Knights of

Labor. There was the Society of Druids, the Improved Order of the

Temple, the Independent Order of Good Templars, the Order of the

Gordian Knot, the Order of the Iroquois, the Order of Patrons of

Husbandry, the Order of the Star-Spangled Banner, the Sons of Honor,

the Sons of Liberty, the Sons of Malta, the Sons of Temperance, the

Supreme Tribe of Ben-Hur, the Modem Woodsmen of the World, the

Military Order of the Loyal Legion, and many, many more.

None of these were truly secret societies of course, although they

almost all used that title. A truly secret society tries to hide the

fact that it exists, and certainly conceals the identity of its

members. These "social" secret societies appeared in parades, owned

buildings identified with signs for their meetings, and participated

in many public events from funerals to picnics.

Even though it was not that long ago, it is hard for most of us,

today, to realize just how important these societies, especially

Masonry, were in America at the turn of the century. Consider this: in

the early 1900s nearly one of every four white males in America over

the age of 25 was a member of the Masons. That is a larger percentage

than belonged to any single denomination or even political party. It

was the largest organization in America.

Today, of course, the vast majority of these organizations are long

gone - of interest only to historians and sociologists.

Masonry has hung on - but that is about the best we can say at the

moment. If the same percentage of the population of Oklahoma belonged

to Masonry today as at the turn of the Century, we would have more

than 340,000 members in Oklahoma. That is ten times the actual

membership!

Since people do not join voluntary organizations which do not meet

their needs in some way, another way to say the same thing is that at

the turn of the Century, we met the needs of one man in four. Now, we

meet the needs of one man in forty. We have become, in the words of a

recent article in Time Magazine, "...almost quaint."

What happened?

It is popular in Masonic circles to say it is the fault of the world.

"Men just don't believe in integrity anymore. Movies and television

keep them at home. People are just to busy."

That is, at best, a cop-out.

Men have always been busy, and they have always found time to do the

things which meet their needs. Television may keep the elderly in at

night, but it doesn't keep the man in his thirties, forties or fifties

in at night -the television broadcaster and advertisers would give

much if it did - but the demographics just don't show that.

No. Sometime in the forties and fifties, WE STOPPED MEETING THE NEEDS

OF MANY MEN. We coasted for awhile, but the coast is over. We meet the

needs of the 5% of the Masonic population (probably about 0.05% of the

general population) which enjoys memorizing and doing ritual, which

is, now, almost the exclusive activity of most Masonic Lodges.