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aedifico42| Walking into Lodge…

Posted at: 1:07 pm

…last night, and I saw something that confirmed for me the path Freemasonry is on…for the long term.

Stated Meeting night and I walked in after taking care of some business right before calling the meeting to order.  What I saw was a picture worth a thousand words [thankfully, I think I can describe it in less than 500 words].

Standing West of the Altar wer 6 men.  All but one was wearing a tuxedo (the odd-man out was wearing a black suit with a very nice tie).  Four of them were wearing white gloves.  They were all wearing aprons.  The average age of that group was about 37.

Sitting along the sideline west of the JW chair were a similar size group of men…one was in a suit.  The rest of them were dressed in jeans, some in nice pants.  The one in the suit also wore a tie.  Their average age was well-over 60.

As I walked into the room and saw these men, I realized that a new day is dawning.  There are no greivances between the groups…on the contrary…we all get along pretty well.  The younger men often turn to the older men for advice, and the older men are not shy about taking one of the younger guys aside and sharing a lesson now-and-then.

But the stark contrast in what they wore, where they stood (or sat) and how they interacted was severe.  It plainly taught me that, as Master, I am in the middle of a perfect storm.  I have the heavy responsibility, at this critical time, of balancing the youthful energy and exhuberance of our newer and younger brothers with the mellowed experience of the older members.

We are all still brothers, and we all love our Lodge and our Craft.  Divisions are not very aparent at this point, and many of our older members are quite excited to see the influx of energy that is waiving over our Lodge.  It is a delicate balance.

Our thought for this MasonicMinute, then, is the awful reality that there is a 20 year gap in the average age of our craft.  The tuxedos and regular clothes do not make the men…but they illustrate a glaring situation which must be carefully guided for the benefit of the Craft.

The picture was stark.  It was hopeful.  It could be interpreted through a negative and divisive lens.  This should never be the case.

Unity does not require uniformity.  Strength through diversity, be it age, race, religion or social status, should be a goal clearly communicated and openly welcome.  Together, we can harness the energy and wisely guide it to a bright future.

Or we can simply call it division, and take the easy path to conflict and negativity.

Where ARE we going?

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