Last week I heard a Brother ask the question:

Since our Lodges aren't meeting, we aren't able to 'do' Masonry. If that goes for a year, or most of a year, why should we have to pay Lodge dues or Grand Lodge assessments?

The basic argument was that Masons aren't getting Masonry during this time, so shouldn't be asked to pay for Masonry.

The Brother's question made no sense to me. I guess that he and I have had very different experiences with Masonry these past few months.

To my mind, Masonry is everywhere right now!

Our Lodges have older and sicker members for whom the virus is of great danger. Hopefully we have all reached out to these Brothers. Doing so is certainly an expression of Masonry.

Our Lodges have Brothers who have lost their jobs and are facing great financial hardship. Washington Masonic Charities is raising money to help, and getting that help where it is needed. That is certainly a strong expression of Masonry, and something our individual Lodges can be doing right now as well.

Lodges, Districts, and Grand Lodges are holding Masonic education video conference meetings. The most interesting Masonic educational discussion I've taken part in in years was held over Zoom by our own District 8. I've always been interested in feminine Freemasonry, so thanks to the Grand Lodge of California I was able to enjoy a long presentation by a female Grand Master. This week I know that some of the Masons I'm close with are going to be attending an educational event hosted by the Grand Lodge of New York. Not a week goes by, almost not a day goes by, that doesn't have one or more of these events.

Many of us enjoy fun side degrees. The Railroad Degree, the Loggers Degree, Shipbuilders, and Pirates all seem popular in our Jurisdiction. Well, I received a side degree via Zoom too, it was great fun.

Lodges and Grand Lodges are hosting regular toasts to build fellowship and to remember our absent Brothers.

For quite literally hundreds of years very well respected Masonic scholars have pointed out that Masons aren't much into actually reading about Freemasonry. Well, we have libraries of books all available. What a great opportunity this pandemic is for us to actually read about our Fraternity, no matter what our interest in it is.

Brothers are creating Masonic blogs, videos, and podcasts at a breakneck pace.

In my opinion there is more Freemasonry available right now than at any previous time. All one must do is take a look to find it. To believe that there is no Masonry simply because we are not able to hold Stated Meetings is a badly false belief.

#Dues #VideoConference #MasonicEducation #SideDegrees #WashingtonMasonicCharities #Pandemic

-Cameron

Cameron M. Bailey Past Grand Master The MW Grand Lodge F&AM of Washington

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Freemasonry is an active endeavor. As Masons we are charged with improvement of the self, and care for others. By doing these things, we ultimately improve the world around us.

We improve ourselves by reflecting, deeply into our natures. Thereby discovering those things that we should use our gavels to chip away from our character, and conversely, strengthening our best qualities. This is labor. Mental labor, but work nevertheless. We will never be perfect men, but that doesn't mean that we shouldn't strive towards perfection of character.

We should labor to take care of our Brothers, and if they are distressed, their families as best we can. To paraphrase our ritual, as far as his needs dictate, and our own resources allow, presuming of course, always, that he is a worthy brother, with a worthy need.

Lastly, we should endeavor, in some way, to make the world around us just a little bit brighter. Eyes in desperate need should never see a Masonic ring pass uncaringly by. This too is our labor, for everyone has a claim upon our kindness.

Improvement of self is a solitary endeavor. It is labor that we must do on our own.

Assistance to a Brother however can, and likely should be given at the Lodge level, so that everyone can assist in some small way, but have their own contributions magnified by being combined with those from everyone else. That is one of the beauties of Masonry, being able to work together and combine efforts in order to have a strong impact on any given problem.

Helping the world around us is much more difficult of course, given the vast scale of many of the problems within our society. For that reason, our Fraternity has created many formal charity programs. Lodge Scholarship and Bikes for Books programs that support local educational efforts. The Scottish Rite's Rite Care program that helps children who can't otherwise learn to speak. The York Rite charity programs. Shriner's Hospitals for Children, and of course, our own Washington Masonic Charities. Money is a form of work. It is what we exchange our work for in order to purchase the works of others. By giving some of that to one or more Masonic charity programs we are in effect giving of our labor, and using our labor to help improve the world around us.

In this time of pandemic, when so much is curtailed, I suggest that we might all be wise to use some of the extra time we likely find ourselves with to do some Masonic labor. To do the work of reflection within ourselves, in order to improve ourselves.

After this pandemic has passed, we will get back into our Lodges, and again be able to labor within them with our Brothers. In the meantime, with so many out of work for so long now, genuine need in our communities is exploding. It is my hope that those of us who can give something to one or more of our Masonic charities will seriously consider doing so.

In closing, I leave you with a few words from Morals and Dogma:

“Masonry is action and not inertness. It requires its Initiates to Work, actively and earnestly, for the benefit of their brethren, their country, and mankind. It is the patron of the oppressed, as it is the comforter and consoler of the unfortunate and wretched.” -Albert Pike

#Labor #Charity #MoralsAndDogma #AlbertPike #WashingtonMasonicCharities

-Cameron

Cameron M. Bailey Past Grand Master The MW Grand Lodge F&AM of Washington

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