Asleep at the West Gate

By W. Bro. Stephen Dafoe


"How well are we guarding the West Gate?"

This was a question asked by Most Worshipful Brother Dwight L. Smith, in his 1962 book, "Whither are we traveling?" Smith was, at the time, a Past Grand Master and Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge of Indiana. His book outlined the problems facing the craft four decades ago and if one did not look at the publication date, one would think he was reading a document written only yesterday.

Indeed how well are we guarding the West Gate; that gate through which all men must pass to be admitted to the Masonic Fraternity? Smith felt that Freemasonry was and is a selective organization, but that we were not being very selective in signing petitions to sponsor candidates.

"Whence came the idea that a man - almost any man - has an inherent right to become a Freemason? Is it not a privilege to be conferred upon the worthy?"

The author raises an interesting question in the above quotation and spends several pages answering the question in well thought out detail. One of Smith's suggestions for why Freemasonry has taken a "come one - come all" mentality is economic pressure. According to Smith, "A lodge pays a heavy price for a new Temple so costly to maintain that membership must remain above a certain figure." This certainly rings true today. Those buildings built in 1962, when Smith penned his words are now in poor condition and in need of repair. Our dues are little more than the price of an average meal at a bus caf�. Yet, rather than raise the dues, we run about trying to get more men to join in the hopes of having enough money to support our dilapidated Temples. In the process of throwing open the door at the West Gate we allow our Freemasonry to become as dilapidated as our aforementioned Temples.

Second on Smith's thoughts on the matter was the sloppy nature in which we investigate petitioners. Our wise brother argues that, "Lodges are not utilizing their most capable members for duty on investigating committees." Instead, what we are doing is picking three members of the lodge, who happen to be there, on the night the petition is read out, and send them off to investigate the petitioner. These three Brethren colloquially referred to as "the three wise-men" showing further lack of seriousness in the investigation process, are often Masons of little experience and even less concern for guarding the West Gate. In too many lodges the receipt of the petition creates a Pavlovian response in the members who begin salivating at the thought of fresh meat and the possible salvation their dues may bring.

Often the investigating committee asks the petitioner few questions of any substance and is unable to answer any serious questions or concerns that the petitioner may have about the fraternity.

The Grand Lodge of Alberta is to be commended for their Lodge Plan for Masonic Education, for this plan outlines two meetings with the petitioner prior to his Apprentice Degree. The first meeting is before the application is voted on and the second, before the Apprentice Degree itself.

The reason for the first meeting is clearly outlined in the guidebook as follows:

"There are those who, for one reason or another, become Masons before they are really ready to assume the privileges and duties of membership. Many of these Masons, their good intentions not withstanding, undergo a change of heart and their curiosity being satisfied, they progress no further. It is hoped that the first meeting will dispel any reservations that the proposed petitioner may have, pro or con, and provide him with the widest possible experience and information on which to base his decision to apply for membership."

How wonderful that the Grand Lodge of Alberta has decided to guard the West Gate in this fashion, not only for the betterment of the craft, but for the considerations of its applicants.

But they do not rest there. After the petitioner is balloted on, the second meeting takes place. The purpose of which is also outlined in the guide:

"The purpose of this meeting is to introduce the Candidate to Freemasonry as a whole and to prepare him in mind and spirit to receive initiation. He is entering a strange country. His Mentors will give him the necessary guidance and point out the landmarks by which to steer his course. It will be impressed upon him that becoming a Mason is not a light or frivolous undertaking, but fraught with important consequences, and that Initiation, Passing and Raising are not perfunctory ceremonies to be entered into with a light heart, but the first and all-important steps into the world of Freemasonry. He will learn that Freemasonry is a life to be lived, not a set of hollow forms to be hypocritically observed, and that he must become prepared in his heart. Also he will learn that in the Mentor Committees he has guides and friends whom he can come to for counsel."

Sadly however, there are many Masons and lodges in Alberta that either do not use this wonderful tool or remain unaware of it. Regardless, the tool has been created and if faithfully applied, will go a long way to ensure that none but worthy men become Masons. For in it are contained wonderful lectures that explain the principles of Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth, which Freemasonry must continue to practice. Included are lessons, whereby a man learns of the religious and political tolerance that the craft must practice if it is to remain true to its roots.

I am reminded of the words of a mason who frequents the various Masonic Discussion forums, who uses the following quote to sign his postings, "Political Freedom, Religious Tolerance, Personal Integrity. Freemasonry... It's Not For Everyone."

Freemasonry is indeed not for everyone. There is no room in the craft for those with no personal integrity, those who do not promote political freedom and no room for those who are religiously intolerant. Yet, our lodges have many such men in the roles of membership, because we are not doing a good enough job guarding the West Gate.

To illustrate proof of this, let me use the words of Freemasons themselves who have slipped by the West Gate.

"Hello I am a fellow mason, also a Knight Templar, I am mad as hell at your site about shrines. Did you read or go through the shriner ritual? You take an oath to allah, and mahmmand (sic) his prophet! Which is a demon god. Anywas (sic) you can argue its (sic) not, all you want but The LORD JESUS wants me to tell you He is a jealous God, and no one who swears or calls to a demon will enter into heaven!! My prayer is you wake up, and this email is with love!! Please dont (sic) let this email separate you from heaven. And please dont (sic) wait until on your Death bed to remember this email and take action!!

P.S there are alot (sic) of Christians in America, we are the majority now! And its (sic) time to get the Truth out about shrines and whom they swear to."

Or how about this commentary posted in a Masonic Discussion forum by a North Carolina Mason in good standing, regarding his views on Prince Hall recognition.

"First of all most of you Prince Hall Lovers are North of the border in Canada with your socialized medicine and Muslims."

As Masons, we cannot stand by and let this type of unmasonic commentary go unchecked. In the first instance, the writer was replied to and asked how he was permitted past the West Gate. In the latter the poster was banned from further participation in the forums.

Now one can easily say these are isolated cases and are few and far between. Sadly, the more one researches North American Freemasonry and visits the various Internet Forums, one realizes that such examples of xenophobia and racism are not that few and certainly not that far between.

But if we were doing our job guarding the West Gate and latterly teaching Freemasonry instead of teaching lessons from Robert's Rules of Order, there would be no isolated cases of intolerance such as outlined above.

Allow me to share with you another incident, which illustrates not only that the West Gate is without a good tiler, but that we are not doing as our charges state and correcting the behavior of our Brethren.

"After the meeting I even heard the word "nigger" at the refreshment table from one of the 'Masons In Name Only' while the rest laughed and not even a look of dissatisfaction came from the master. Of course the District Deputy Grand Master, who was in attendance, had not a word to say regarding the clearly racial remark."

It saddens me to read words such as those written above. As I alluded to earlier, our charges clearly instruct us to correct this behavior.

"In the character of a Master Mason you are henceforth authorized to correct the errors and irregularities of your younger brethren, and guard them against a breach of fidelity. To improve the morals and correct the manners of men on society ought to be your constant care. You are to inculcate universal benevolence, and by the regularity of your behavior afford the best example for the conduct of others."

So why do we allow this type of racist, xenophobic, and religiously intolerant behavior to go on in our lodges? Well one will surely argue harmony.

Harmony, according to the dictionary's definition of the term is, "compatibility in opinion and action." However, in a society such as Freemasonry with so many members from so many different backgrounds, differences of opinion are natural. It is for this reason that we permit no discussion of Partisan Politics or Sectarian Religion in our meetings. Harmony, in a Masonic sense, therefore cannot be defined as in the previous example. Rather, I prefer a definition found from the art world:

"A principle of art and design concerned with the blending of one or more of the elements in a work of art to create a pleasing effect, balance, symmetry, and a composed appearance."

This definition of harmony is very apropos to Freemasonry, for we blend different faiths, political thought and philosophical ideals into one pleasing unit that is better for the whole than its separate parts.

Sadly, in today's Freemasonry, Harmony has become the name for a large broom used to sweep our dirt under the rug and pave the path for the unworthy to enter the West Gate whilst the sleeping tiler dreams that all is well in the fraternity.

- Source: Knights of the North Masonic Dictionary  [Via http://www.masonicdictionary.com/]

The Obligation of Brotherhood

Note: Below article was submitted to the April 1949 issue of the Freemason by an unknown South Australian Freemason.


"To paraphrase Albert G Mackey’s definition of brotherhood, we would say that the association or fraternity of Freemasons implies a close bond of union between its members who are engaged in the common objects of the craft, are governed by the same rules, and all united by an identical interest. Freemasonry is engaged in the laudable task of promoting the fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man, with the practice of the virtues and attributes inherent in that ideal.

No Freemason worth the name will ever associate himself with the hypocritical boast; “Thank God, I am not as other men,” but in humble appreciation of the untold benefits and privileges which are his to enjoy, and the responsibilities he is in honour bound to assume, he will personify in his acts and words the sentiment of humility: “There, but for the grace of God, go I.”

A reference to the various charges and obligations of a Freemason ought to correct any misapprehension in the mind of any member as to his precise duties to the craft and to his Brethren. With membership of the order, his obligations to his fellows are accentuated. None of the ordinary decencies of life go by the board, but rather, he assumes the heavy charge of making the Craft (and the world in general) better and sweeter for his labours.
 
This responsibility cannot be fulfilled by cant, hypocrisy or humbug, an arrogant urge to ‘purge’ the institution and make it conform to his point of view; to sway its government by improper pressure; to practice one section of principles and tenets whilst conveniently ignoring an equally important section; or to be brotherly in word and un-brotherly in deed; but rather by loyalty to duly constituted authority and to his Brethren, by broad tolerance and understanding of their opinions, and by working within the time honoured boundaries he has obligated himself to observe.
 
All these things and more are taught every Freemason by example and precept, yet we are plagued from time to time by the exceptional case of the member whose activities, presumably well-intentioned, breed disharmony and foster discord. He rails against those decisions and acts of lawfully constituted authority with which he does not agree, and hails those with which he is in accord as timely vindication of his omniscience. He sees in the exercise of Masonic disagreement with his views and actions, not the reasonable expression of difference of opinion, but injustice and un-brotherly conduct. With heavy jackboots he treads on the toes of others, and if the victim protests, attempts to justify himself by self-righteous protestations. By whatever standards his actions are judged, he succeeds in only doing hurt to those he should defend and protect.
 
No organization of repute- political, religious or Masonic- is free from the machinations of the ‘crank,’ the self-styled reformer, the ‘paragon,’ who rides rough-shod over his Brethren if permitted to do so. Regrettably it often happens that his activities assume proportions and publicity beyond their worth, solely through the exercise by his fellows of those obligations of brotherliness and tolerance with which he himself is only vaguely, if at all, familiar. Probably the tolerance on the part of his Brethren often springs from their recognition of the fact that the disturber is a creature of their own creation. But he should never have been admitted to the institution he has failed to adorn, and his conduct should be reprobated and he disciplined.

Brotherhood in Freemasonry is not a one-sided obligation; it is a mutual affair. It involves practice of the Golden Rule and the attributes of a gentleman in a true sense of the word. It involves ridding ourselves of the mote in our own eye before we consider the beam in our Brother’s. It inspires abhorrence in injuring another, wittingly or unwittingly. “That I will maintain a Master Mason’s honour, and carefully preserve it as my own,’ is not a mere form of words to be forgotten when convenient; it is a solemn obligation of brotherhood which cannot be ignored without breach of covenant.

It is not, of course, possible that any member of our Craft can take all other members to his heart in the same way as one selects and cherishes the friend of his bosom, but none of us can deny his obligation to extend the considerations of brotherhood to every regular Freemason of every condition and, as a natural corollary, to all mankind. Thus will the happy and beneficial effects of our Antient and Honourable Institution be demonstrated to the world, and we shall prove beyond doubt, that we do not labour in vain nor waste our strength for nought."


Shared & researched by V.W. Bro Robert Taylor. Received via email from Bro Vic Edilloran.

Masonic Mysteries

"The Masonic Mysteries teach the initiate how to prepare within his own soul a miraculous pow[d]er of projection by which it is possible for him to transmute the base lump of human ignorance, perversion, and discord into an ingot of spiritual and philosophic gold."

Qualifications of a True Mason by Manly P Hall

“Hence the disciple of the Ancient Wisdom is taught to realize that man is not essentially a personality, but a spirit.”—Manly P. Hall

All true Masons know that their work is not secret, but they realize that it must remain unknown to all who do not live the true Masonic life. Yet if the so-called secrets of Freemasonry were shouted from the housetops, the Fraternity would be absolutely safe; for certain spiritual qualities are necessary before the real Masonic secrets can be understood by the brethren themselves.

Hence it is that the alleged 'exposures' of Freemasonry, printed by the thousands and tens of thousands since 1730 down to the present hour, cannot injure the Fraternity. They reveal merely the outward forms and ceremonies of Freemasonry.

Only those who have been weighed in the balance and found to be true, upright, and square have prepared themselves by their own growth to appreciate the inner meanings of their Craft. To the rest of their brethren within or without the lodge their sacred rituals must remain, as Shakespeare might have said, 'Words, words, words.'

Within the Mason's own being is concealed the Power, which, blazing forth from his purified being, constitutes the Builder's Word. His life is the sole password which admits him to the true Masonic Lodge. His spiritual urge is the sprig of acacia which, through the darkness of ignorance, still proves that the spiritual fire is alight.

Within himself he must build those qualities which will make possible his true understanding of the Craft. He can show the world only forms which mean nothing; the life within is forever concealed until the eye of the Spirit reveals it.



Reprinted from 'The Lost Keys of Freemasonry' by Manly P. Hall.

Quotes Albert

Try and penetrate with our limited means the secrets of nature and you will find that, behind all the discernible concatenations, there remains something subtle, intangible and inexplicable. Veneration for this force beyond anything that we can comprehend is my religion.

Albert Einstein (1879-1955), Physicist

Harmony & Peace by Ill. Bro. Art Brion, 33° IGH

[Speech of Ill. Bro. Arturo D Brion, 33° IGH, Supreme Court Justice, Semi-Annual Session, [Philippine Scottish Rite] Supreme Council, September 12, 2009.]

1. Let me start with a word of thanks to our Sovereign Grand Commander and the Supreme Council for granting me the honor to be your Guest Speaker in our Semi-Annual Session. This invitation is a distinct honor for me and for [my lodge -] Manila Bodies.

2. Our theme for today is - "Scottish Rite Masonry: A Bridge to Peace and Harmony," a topic that addresses core masonic values. While we are in a masonic gathering, I will not speak to you about the topic strictly as a Mason as to do so would be to engage in Masonic Education - an endeavor more appropriate in our formal proceedings. Let me speak to you about this theme on the basis of both my personal experiences and perceptions as a Mason.

3. Due perhaps to my own personal experiences, the first thought that came to mind when I focused on our topic was not peace but the absence of peace. As you must all be aware, war - in one form or another - is one of the constants in our contemporary world. And I am not speaking only of Iraq and Afghanistan. War has been there from my earliest recollection of my government service.

Barely a month after I entered government service in 1982, then Minister Blas Ople ordered me to go to Lebanon to manage the evacuation of our OFWs whom we then called contract workers. My first thought when I saw Israeli armor and came within hearing distance of the shooting was - how lucky we are in the Philippines as we do not have to undergo this experience.

4. Of course, I was wrong. I did not simply appreciate then that we had our own war, and that the fighting between the government and the communist insurgents and those in the South between the government and the MNLF were no less a war than what I saw in Lebanon. But it was not until later that this dawned on me when I became privy to more detailed reports of the kind of fighting that was taking place. It came as no surprise to me therefore when, in my own international meetings while I was Secretary of Labor, the fact that there is fighting in parts of our country was not truly appreciated.

I refer to an incident when I pleaded before an international office the fact that the situation in the Philippines is not as normal as the situation in Geneva, and that we should not be judged on the basis of the peaceful and sterile situation in Geneva because there is effectively an undeclared war in our country - in fact, we had and still have the longest lasting communist rebellion today and a very serious on-going hostile conflict in some areas of Mindanao involving our Muslim countrymen.

5. I bring up all these to ask the question - why do we have these conflicts when we are not lacking in initiatives for peace and, in fact, everybody - our government, the communists, the MNLF, and the MILF - professes to love peace?

6. It came to me, while considering this question, that masonry has a unique answer that is derived from the lessons we have learned as early as our entered apprentice level. The Masonic answer entered my mind when I asked myself - as I considered the term "peace and harmony" - why these concepts are always paired and why "peace" always comes ahead of "harmony."

7. My answer, derived from no specific masonic lesson, but rather from the thrust of all that I have learned from masonry, is that we are placing the cart before the horse when we use the term "peace and harmony;" for, peace is the end result and should come last, while harmony should come first because it is the means to the end that is "peace."

To put it more succinctly, we cannot really have any true peace if there is no harmony, and we need not even aim for and think of peace as a desired condition if only we have harmony, because peace will inevitably follow once there is harmony.

8. To be sure, this is not an earthshaking thought, but I became convinced of this as I harked back to my most basic masonic lessons; everything I learned in Masonry somehow relates to harmony - from the lessons we derived from the square, the compass, the plumb, the level, the triangle, and the circle, all of which in the mathematical and architectural realms result in the harmony of lines, figures and structures; in the realm of Masonry, contemplation of these tools results in our harmony with our Supreme Being, with nature, and with mankind.

9. At the level of man, harmony, of course, does not only signify the relationship of man with his fellowmen. At its most basic, harmony refers to the self and must exist from within before it exists anywhere else; no manifestation outside of self can be made unless the self itself is capable of the manifestation. In blunter terms, one cannot give what one does not have. The internally disharmonious man cannot have harmony and peace with his fellowmen if his own thoughts are in turmoil and at war with one another.

10. I recently spoke to a friend of long standing who unfortunately was diagnosed with cancer, not the most virulent type of leukemia but a cancer nevertheless. You all know what cancer essentially is - a condition when the body turns against itself as wayward cancer cells turn against and seek to defeat the normal body cells. My friend told me that his cancer is now stable, which I understood to mean that the cancer cells were already under check, and I asked him what kind of medication he was taking. He calmly answered me - "none at the moment as I have stopped all medications."

He said that he is more into meditation and into calming his own body through his thoughts, and now only regularly sees a psychiatrist rather than an oncologist. I was rather incredulous at first when I heard this, although I thought that psychology and meditation are no less effective as medication if the sick thinks this is the medication that can address the illness.

It was then that I heard from him the word "harmony" as a means of addressing his illness. He said that he is trying hard at establishing harmony within himself so that his condition of normal health shall prevail over the wayward cells causing all his distress. He said that his problem is as spiritual as it is physical, and gave me reading materials on how our own very thoughts can create and cure illnesses because the physical always reacts to thoughts from the spiritual.

It was through these readings that I began to pay attention to and seriously consider internal harmony as a condition that must necessarily precede any other harmony that we want to establish outside of ourselves.

11. In masonry, it seems to me that internal harmony is basic as we commit ourselves to meet on the level of equality, live by the plumb-line of virtue, and to act always on the square. I have heard, time and again, the admonition to curb our passions - an advice that is more into controlling the self rather than addressing our relations with others.

We use our Masonic tools to create that structure, even if only by allegory, that will lead us to God through the perfection of ourselves. From ourselves, perfected through Masonic virtues, harmony in relationships with our brethren within the Craft and with others, is just one achievable step away.

In other words, because we control ourselves, harmony with others is facilitated; harmony with others in turn directly translates to peace in our relationships because conflicts are prevented. We thus fulfill the duty of a Mason with respect to peace that the Morals and Dogma define as follows:

"The duty of a Mason is to endeavor to make man think better of his neighbor; to quiet instead of aggravate difficulties; to bring together those who are severed or estranged; to keep friends from becoming foes, and to persuade foes to become friends."

12. Any relationship, however, cannot but have at least two dimensions. The first is how we relate to others which we as Masons address through our duties to our brethren, to the Lodge and to the Craft; the other is how our fellowmen - whether a brother Mason or not - relate to us.

The latter dimension of the relationship - whether we like it or not - to a large extent depends on the expectations of others from us. Unfortunately, for some reason or another, we do not always take these expectations into account even if they
are fully known to us.

13. I have found from my own personal experiences - both in my private and public dealings - that expectations from brethren are easy to define because we meet each other on the level of our sworn obligations. To paraphrase these obligations at their simplest - we swear not to cheat or wrong a brother mason and will always help a brother mason in distress for as long as we can do so without prejudice to ourselves.

Because we take these obligations to heart, these obligations at the same time embody the responses that our brother masons expect from us - a proportionality inherent in Masonic teachings that utilize our Masonic tools to ensure that our actions are kept within due bounds.

14. Generally, brethren in distress make known their distress to us; some even specify how we can help, a step that helps a lot in defining what we can really do. To the credit of this Fraternity, people do really go all out to help. In turn, brethren in distress as a rule know what they can expect from us; in my case, I can say that brethren are very sensitive to and respect my limitations and the rules that bind me as a public servant, and do not demand more than quick action and a level playing field in acting on the causes of their distress. Thus, because of these expectations, breaks in our relationships very seldom occur; the limits of what we can do to help are given and accepted, while the expectations from our assistance are all properly and proportionally defined. In short, harmony reigns.

15. How I wish I can see this kind of expectations from others so that our own relationships with them will not break under the stresses of unanswered or denied requests, or of culturally-induced unreasonably high expectations of what we can do. I say culturally-induced because it seems to me that the high expectations come from our culture that dictates norms of "utang na loob" and of "pakikisama" that are way above what our own duties and responsibilities to ourselves, to our laws and to our country would allow.

16. How I wish people would know that in this Fraternity, we have more than "utang na loob" and "pakikisama" in our relationships with each other. Even strangers who recognize each other as brother masons become close at first meeting because of the commonalities and the obligations we all recognize we owe one another; yet we do not demand nor do we expect responses or favors beyond what our brethren can give.

17. I verbalize these wishes, my friends, because our kind of obligation and the reasonable expectations we have from one another as Masons, can be the model of the relationship that can foster overall harmony in our society and establish the peace we fondly speak about. Replicated many times over inside and outside our Fraternity, the harmony we strive to create within ourselves and the smooth inter-personal relationships it fosters, cannot but lead to significant tranquility, whether the relationship be individual, in groups, or even in politics where people can be most demanding. This can be true, too, even at the levelof countries where due recognition of one another´s obligations and self-interests as nations, can lead to understanding and lasting cooperative solutions.

18. I seize this rare opportunity to express these wishes before this gathering of Masons, because we have here a distinct area of life where Masonry and its tenets, demonstrated through our examples, can immeasurably make a difference. To my mind, this is a unique bridge that we as Masons can offer to our society so that there can be greater harmony among us and more lasting resulting peace.

19. A Chinese Proverb - drawn from the book Chicken Soup for the Soul - encapsulates the circle of harmony and peace that I wish we Masons can demonstrate and exemplify. The proverb runs:

If there is light in the soul,
There will be beauty in the person.
If there is beauty in the person,
There will be harmony in the house.
If there is harmony in the house,
There will be order in the nation.
If there is order in the nation,
There will be peace in the world.

Maraming salamat po.

I give you all the sign of peace.

Brotherly Love

From: Freemason in Africa Facebook Page

"Brotherly love?" commented the Old Past Master. "Oh, yes, the lodge is full of it.

It is curious the way it manifests itself, sometimes, but when you dig down deep enough into men's hearts, you find a lot of it." "A lot of them never show it, then," said the Very New Mason. "Oh, no, certainly not! Men don't go around demonstrating their affection like a lot of girls, you know," answered the Old Past Master.

"But you don't have to see a demonstration to know the feeling is there. The trouble with so many young Masons is their misunderstanding of the term 'brotherly love,' though high heaven knows the words are sufficiently easy to understand."

"'Brotherly, ' now, means 'like a brother.' I know a lot of brothers hate each other, but they don't act like brothers. There have been cowardly soldiers, and forsworn ministers, and corrupt judges, but when you say a man is 'like a soldier,' you mean 'brave and true'; when you say he is 'good as a minister' you mean one who 'truly does his honest best.' When you say 'upright as a judge' you mean 'as straight as the best of judges.' And when I say 'brotherly' means 'like a brother,' I mean like a brother who is acting as a good brother likes to act."

"As for 'love' there are more definitions than there are words in my mouth (which are several). But in connection with the 'brotherly' the word means that true affection which first considers the good of the person loved."

"Masonry teaches brotherly love. Many of its scholars are a long way from 100 per cent perfect in their lessons. But a lot could get an 'E' on their report card if the Lodge gave out evidence of scholastic standing!

"For instance, there was B'Jones. That is not his name, but it will serve. B'Jones undertook to do a piece of work for a hospital. It took him a year. At the end of the year his business was in shreds and tatters. He had one of those businesses that needs a man's personal attention." "His attention had gone to his hospital, which, by the way, was built and flourishes, to the everlasting credit of his city. It ought to be called the B'Jones hospital, but it isn't."

"A lot of his brethren in his lodge got to know about B'Jones. They called a meeting, called it the B'Jones meeting, issued stock in the B'Jones association, bought the stock, started B'Jones off all over again, and let him pay them back as he could. All this, without B'Jones ever asking for help.

Brotherly love, my son, in the best meaning of the word."

"There was poor old Smith. Smith, during his lifetime, came to the lodge every night. He wasn't very bright, that Smith. He could't learn the work and had no presence. Couldn't make a speech to save his life, so he never was called on at banquets. He never did anything audible, but he was always on committees and he always passed around refreshments and he attended every funeral, and he was always down ahead of the meeting to see if the room was clean, and if it wasn't, he'd sweep it out."

"He gave the best he had in service. Well, Smith died. Men do, you know; and awful lot have, already. At the funeral, we found out Smith left an invalid wife and two half grown children and no assets. It's the lodge's business to take care of such, and we did it.

But three men in the lodge with more money than ability to keep it to themselves, subscribed enough cash to put the boy through a good business school and the girl through a normal school, so they could earn their own living. Charity? Nonsense! The lodge attended to the 'relief.' The three attended to brotherly love. They just remembered what old Smith was and how he gave, and so they turned to and gave. Actually, Smith did most of the loving. The three just acted in reflex to Smith's loving heart, that so cared for his brethren and his Lodge he was always engaged in brotherly work."

"Do you know Brown? Brown runs a garage. Also, Brown ran a temperature until the doctors took him off to the hospital to cut out his something-or -other. Well, the garage was about to cash in. Garages don't run themselves, and there wasn't any one we could hire to run it. So six brothers of this lodge spent two hours a day each at the place, looking after it. We didn't do a very good job, I'm afraid: Brown says we are the worst garage keepers in the world, but we saved the shop from being wrecked and looted, and Brown thinks Masonry means something.

One reason we did it was because of brotherly love in spirit of the fact that sitting around a cold garage selling gasoline is about the uneasiest apology for loafing I know!" "I could talk all night about it. But what's the use? Those to whom 'brotherly love' is just words won't listen to what I say and those who know what they really mean don't need to hear it."

"Well, I am glad I heard it!" answered the Very New Mason. "Then," went the Old Past Master, "get it firmly fixed in your mind, young man, more than one man has gone into a lodge and curled his lip when he learned that he was supposed to be a brotherly lover, and turned around and wept when he found that he was being loved like a brother by men he didn't know cared what became of him."

"Masonry works miracles all the time, and the commonest of them and the one she works oftenest is teaching hard-hearted citizens to be soft-hearted Masons; teaching men the real meaning of the words 'brotherly' and 'love' until they, too, become teachers."