Our Words, Our Deeds

Worshipful Master, Right Worshipfuls, Very Worshipfuls, Worshipfuls, Brethren All:  I bring you the most heartfelt fraternal greetings of our Grand Master, The Most Worshipful Edward G. Gilbert.  Brother Secretary, I ask that this copy of the Grand Master’s Address, which was given on his behalf on St. John’s Day, June 27^th, 2009 in the Daniel D. Tompkins Memorial Chapel, be spread upon the minutes of our present Communication.

Over the past 22 months, I have traveled to the Lodges of our District, as well as to many Lodges of other Districts in our Grand Lodge.  During that time, it has been my pleasure to regularly hear the beautiful words of our Masonic ritual.  I particular find the prayers, both public and private, to be the most comforting.  The way that Brothers of differing faiths can agree on the necessity of invoking aid of deity together is special.  It binds us at our very foundations.  Having said that, I believe that there are also many other words that unite us as well.

Our Degree work is the basis for Masonry.  It is when we ask new members to join us in some very real commitments.  It is also when we, in our sotto voce whispers, repeat the same commitments that we made when we ourselves knocked at the door of Masonry.  These are great nights; because these ceremonies benefit members of every rank in every stage of their Masonic careers.

 The ways that we start and finish our meetings are filled with unique language as well.  These times remind us of the duties, both individually in specific roles, as well as corporately, in the Lodge, of those who have made the additional commitment to leading their Lodges into more Light and greater glory.  After the Lights have finally been extinguished at the end of another great night of Masonry, there is not a single Brother in attendance who could possibly question the nature of our Craft.

Our Grand Lodge pays special attention to these words.  It appoints a special committee, known as the Custodians of the Work, to protect and care for these words.  Only Brothers who have demonstrated the greatest respect for our ritual are considered for this committee.  The committee is known for pursuing long and careful study and deliberation on any changes suggested to the ritual.  These changes usually take years to come about, for even a word or two changed in a single sentence.

Some of us may hear the word “change” and feel that there is a disconnection with the constancy of Masonry.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  Do we not openly acknowledge that we are all a work-in-progress, and that, through the various applications of our speculative work we might refine ourselves to be more useful to the Great Architect’s bigger plans?  We are progressing, my Brothers.  As the British statesman, Benjamin Disraeli once said: “Change is inevitable in a progressive society.  Change is constant.”

Yet, we are human; and as humans, it is within our nature to resist change.  Statistics bear out that the majority of our adult population lives within a comfortable distance of the same place that they grew up in as children.  As Masons, we are no different in desiring the comfort of home. But as Masons, we openly challenge ourselves to be bigger and better.

As Masons, we also openly confirm that we will follow Grand Lodge in the performance of our ritual, as we are directed to do.  Of course, it is to be expected that Brothers may miss or transpose words in the performance of ritual.  Whether we are Masons with 10 days, or 10 years of membership, we are bound to have that happen on more than one occasion.  When this happens, we welcome it as an opportunity to learn more about our special language.

Sometimes, we attach ourselves to a particular part of the ritual that speaks to us in a special way.  Some of us learn particular passages, or deliver specific parts, pertaining to the regular workings of a Lodge.  There are Brethren who have come before us who are almost legendary for their delivery of certain parts.   As an actor, I can tell you that there is a special place you arrive at when you have memorized your lines.  It is at this point that the real emotion and the real meaning behind those words come out.  But unlike the plays of Shakespeare, our ritual does change.  And when our Grand Lodge confirms a change in those words, we are bound by our own honor to reflect that change.

While Masonry does offer many opportunities for individual outlet and expression, it is important that we retain a core of commonality by which different Lodges can unite under the same Grand Lodge banner.  The most important way that we define that commonality is our agreement to use the same language to express it.  Changing some of the words, or prescribing the physical manner in which they are to be delivered, may seem foreign at first.  However, just as we eventually acquainted ourselves with the Masonic language when we first joined, so must we continue to advance our usage of it as it is sharpened to better fit the message of our Grand Lodge.

Choruses of:  “We’ve always done it this way” and “Well, this is the way it’s done in OUR Lodge”, have no place in a fraternity that pledges obedience to the body.  One of the very reasons we unite is because we recognize our weaker condition when alone.  So why would anyone want to be alone in the words they use to express Masonry?  What may have originated in an honest affection for certain words should not be allowed to splinter us from our Grand Lodge.  None of us, whether seated in power in the East, or humility in the Northeast corner, should allow an individual or minority desire to separate us from the whole.  It is the duty of us all to follow, as we promised we would.

This past Monday, I had a great honor bestowed upon me.  The Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania requested that I present a 50 year pin to a Brother of their jurisdiction, currently living in our District.  As some of you know, the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania was a Masonic body that communicated ritual, solely by mouth to ear.  Until recently, there existed no written words.  In any case, during my visit to this Brother’s home, we spoke about some of the changes he had witnessed during his Masonic career.  He asked me if I knew that there were some “real changes” that had occurred in his Grand Lodge recently.  I acknowledged that I knew.  But rather than go off on some tale of how it was better when he was younger, or how the older methods were more valid, he simply smiled at me and said, “We must change to grow.”  I guess that is the kind wisdom that only 50 years in the quarries can impart to you.  I, certainly, could not have thought of words more fitting than his.

Worshipful Master, I thank you for the courtesies extended to me, the Grand Sword Bearer, and all of our Brothers in attendance this evening.  My Brothers, I thank you for your efforts in learning and acquiring knowledge in our great and beautiful ritual.  Tomorrow night, our District will have a unique opportunity to present that knowledge.  I look forward to seeing as many of you as can attend the Grand Lecturer’s Convention as possible.  Only as one voice of many, speaking together, can we demonstrate exactly how much we value that ritual.  Thank you.