We all know the old story of the Hare and the Tortoise. The hare is fast, quick and most likely to win the race. The tortoise is slow, steady and not the one you’d normally bet on. However, as the story goes the hare burns up all his energy rather quickly and in the end is so exhausted, he can’t finish the race therefore the tortoise wins.
We face the same problem in our lodges every time we make a new Master Mason. As we go around the lodge congratulating him, we talk about how he’s just beginning and that there is so much more. What’s the next thing to happen? A Brother sticks an application in his hand for one of the appendant bodies, another tells him he needs to get on a degree team, another tells him he needs to start learning the ritual. Another Brother insist he get in the line.
Either one of two things happen in a very quick order. The first is, you scare him so bad he runs off as fast as a whipped dog. The second, he jumps in so fast that in 3-4 years he’s the Master with a lack of Masonic maturity. He has become the Hare of this race.
What is an important portion of Masonic maturity? It’s knowing and understanding the laws, edicts and rules of how to operate and govern a lodge. Without this, what we have done is a total disservice to the man and to the Lodge.
So, what is the answer? It’s quite simple my Brothers. It’s called the Williams Digest. I submit that if we instead directed the new MM to the website for this, ask him to download it to his computer and start reading the portions pertaining to the operation of the Lodge, we would have a better educated Mason and Lodge. Or, if the Lodge can afford it, print that portion of the digest, bind it and present it to him the night he’s made a MM. Additionally, at each and every meeting, have a brief discussion on a portion of the Digest. Get these new Brothers involved in the discussions, encourage them at each meeting to continue their reading.
Here’s that link: https://www.msgrandlodge.org/williams-digest-of-laws/
A better educated Mason will be better prepared to assume roles of leadership and he will be a more active member of the lodge.
So, let’s stop this push-push-push and let’s start a program of educating of Brothers for the sake of a better Man, a better Mason, and a better Lodge.
Xerxes Z. Herrington
Grand Orator, Grand Lodge of Mississippi
