sikia na hili...............! THE BENEFITS of MASONIC MEMBERSHIP
by
Alphonse Cerza
With pleasure we present this Short
Talk Bulletin prepared by the noted Masonic scholar and author, Brother
Alphonse Cerza. He brings into perspective a variety of the answers we
can all use in answering the title question .
Occasionally a member is asked by a
non-Mason “What benefits do you receive from your Masonic membership?” Most
members when asked this question for the first time have difficulty knowing
what to say. This is especially true if the member has not given the matter any
thought or he has had no experience explaining things to others. The situation
can be further complicated for the member who erroneously believes that
Freemasonry is a “secret” society and that the answer he may give might be
disclosing a Masonic “secret.” We also must recognize that Freemasonry has so
many facets and attractions that each member has sought membership in the Craft
for a reason personal to himself. Each has entered the lodge in search of
something that is prob-ably different than another member.
It is hoped that he has found in
Freemasonry that which he was seeking. This facet or attraction is intimately
connected with the specific benefit which the member logically would ex-plain
in his answer to the question if he is not prepared to answer the question as a
result of careful thought and consideration of all the possible benefits that
have come to him as a result of his becoming a Mason. Every member should be
aware of the possibility that such a question might be asked of him and he
should be prepared to answer it fairly, truthfully, and completely. Here are
some observations on the matter that will help you answer the question under
consideration.
A benefit may be considered as
anything which is helpful, profitable, favorable, and advantageous to a person.
A benefit may take many forms such as improving a person in some way, promoting
his happiness, raising his status socially, increasing his personal contacts
with others, or assisting him in any number of other ways. In a general way the
benefits of Masonic membership are both tangible and intangible.
Here are a few of the tangible
benefits that come to mind at once. Many Grand Lodges maintain a Home for the
needy members in their Golden Years. Some maintain a Home for the children of
deceased members. It is a comfortable feeling to know that if you have minor
children, and with an untimely death that your children will be taken care of
by the Craft; and if you are unable to take care of yourself in your declining
years, it is a calming feeling to know that there will be help available for
you and your wife. In some areas the Craft maintains a hospital for the public
and takes care of the needy members of the Craft as well when they require
medical attention.
Most lodges have sick visitation
committees. When a report is received of a sick member, steps are taken
to have someone visit him. These visits are good for the person who is
sick as well as for the one who is doing the visiting. If you are sick in
bed or home bound, it is a great feeling to know that out there is someone who
cares enough to take time to visit you. All members are taught to be charitable
in word and deed. The word “charity” is used in the Craft in its broadest
sense. When visiting a sick Brother you are urged to listen to his troubles,
sympathize with him, and to help him unburden himself. Often the faithful
breast and the listen-ing ear can do more good than all the medicine in the
world to improve one’s spirits.
Many lodges have Low Twelve Clubs in
which members make a nominal payment each time a member passes away. The money
is de-posited in a bank account and when word is received that a member has
died, the treasurer immediately presents the family with a check for the prescribed
amount so that it may be used to meet expenses at once.
Some lodges and some Grand Lodges
con-duct a blood bank program. Members of the lodges volunteer to give blood to
the bank. When a member or someone in his family are in need of blood to
regain their health, the blood in the bank is made available to them without
cost .
If a Mason finds himself stranded in
a strange place and is in need of help, there is al-ways available help not too
far away. In some areas there are Masonic Boards of Relief to help in such
cases. In other places the needy Mason can contact the local lodge which will
render whatever assistance is necessary.
Many illustrations can be given of
how Masonic charity has been dispensed to members and their families. Here are
a few of them. A widow of a deceased member was in need of her house being
painted and she called the secretary of the lodge for a recommendation of a
painter who could do the job at a reasonable price. Knowing the tight
financial condition of the caller, the secretary informed the Worshipful Master
and a meeting was called at which the officers met to discuss the matter. As a
result, several members donated the necessary material to paint the house for
the widow. In Canada several years ago a widow called the Masonic Board of
Relief and requested help in an un-usual situation. A family of skunks had
settled in the crawl space under her house and she needed help to remove the
new tenants. A number of lodge members were enlisted to bring this about.
(Many fascinating examples of
Masonic
Charity can be found in prior Short
Talk Bulletins. Indexes are available at no charge.)
Clearly, the intangible benefits
predominate over the tangible ones. In some instances the benefits defy
classification because they are a blend of both general benefits. The first
benefit received by a candidate for the degrees is the contacts he makes with
those that recommend him and those who investigate his petition. The next
benefit is the receiving of the three degrees and the friendships that develop
with the poster and others connected with his securing the needed proficiency
to advance from one degree to the other. The ceremony of receiving the degrees
together with the lectures is a new experience and hopefully the candidate has
come to the meetings in the spirit of anticipating an important event with a
receptive heart and mind. The impressive presentation is bound to have an
important effect on him. He is bound to observe that he is the center of
attraction, that the degree is conferred on him alone, and that we are
concentrating our attention on him. This should convince him that we are
devoted to the importance of each person who joins us in our work.
There are a number of intangible
benefits that do not readily meet the eye, but they do exist in ample measure.
Freemasonry is a selective organization and not everyone is accepted as a
member. The mere fact that an application for membership has been filed
indicates a desire to belong to something and to be associated with something
worthwhile. He may not recognize this intangible element but he is seeking to
“belong” to a worthwhile organization and to make his contribution to the work
of the group. Let us recognize that there is nothing more destructive of
one’s happiness than the feeling of being alone, of not being a part of
anything worthwhile. When he becomes a member he acquires a large number of new
Brothers bound by a solemn obligation to do everything possible to make this a
better world in which to live. I know of one case where an only child
joined a Masonic lodge and after he became a member was filled with joy for he
was no longer an only child but had acquired Brothers that he did not have
before.
Joining the Craft immediately gives
the new member a new identity. He becomes a member of a world-wide fraternity
dedicated to the Fatherhood of God and the Brotherhood of Man. Non-members are
aware of the many fine charitable projects supported by Masons, and when a
member is identified as such it is bound to reflect favorably in the eyes of
the non-member. There is also the matter of securing identity with other Masons
and creating warm friendships. Each member knows that in common with all other
members he has taken a solemn obligation to be a good man and true. As a
result, when meeting another Mason there is immediately established a close
sense of friendship resulting from the unexpressed knowledge that they both
have a common philosophy of life which makes them better men and that they can
help and trust one another. This matter of identity is indicated by the
many Masons who wear a Masonic pin and thereby tell the world of their identity
with the Craft.
The member who becomes active in the
work of the Craft acquires some degree of leadership and eventually develops a
feeling of “importance” because he is serving the organization in worthwhile
activities. Every person, in order to be happy, must feel that he is important
to his family, his employer, his community, or some other group. The more
experiences exist in one’s life the happier that person is bound to be.
Sometimes we complain about the many persons who are introduced at Masonic
meetings, but this is one way that we show our appreciation for work done and
making the worker feel important because of services rendered.
Even the inactive member who pays
his dues and attends Masonic functions occasionally will get a glow of
satisfaction as he hears of the many activities being supported financially and
otherwise by the Craft.
One of the most valuable benefits
that is secured by being a Freemason is the unlimited opportunity to make deep
and abiding friend-ships. Working with other good men on worthy projects has a
way of developing into close friendly relations with a feeling of mutual
respect for one another. You know that in case of need you can speak safely in
confidence with a brother Mason. In case you are dejected you know that you
have someone to speak with and unburden yourself as you pour your troubles into
a sympathetic ear. I know of two cases of bachelors who lived in a single room
each in separate boarding houses. Each night they went to a different lodge
meeting with regularity so that over a period of time they virtually adopted
certain lodges as their own. The friendships that they developed and the
visiting they were able to do each night enriched their lives immensely and
saved them from the boredom of sitting in a single room looking at four walls
night after night.
Active members receive the greatest
benefit from their connection with Freemasonry. Opportunity is afforded to
develop one’s memory, working with others, learning to organize projects,
develop speaking ability by making re-ports and presenting lectures, and
learning how to work with others. There are many members who have no
opportunity for an extensive for-mal education to thus secure considerable
educational training.
The intangible benefit that is often
over-looked is that the Craft teaches its members a philosophy of life. The
importance of this benefit should not be overlooked because every person needs
a philosophy of life to guide him or her in the journey through life. In past
years a great deal of the turmoil with our youth was the confusion relative to
an absence of a philosophy of life as they floundered around seeking something
but not knowing what it was. Some-times these young folks spoke of high ideals
but really had nothing that would guide them into meaningful activities to make
these ideals a reality. If we could only reach the minds of these young people
they and the Craft could profit greatly.
Another intangible benefit is the
opportunity which the Craft offers its members to be-come associated with
worthy projects that help make this a better world in which to live. These
consist primarily of the many charitable projects that are supported by the
lodges, the Grand Lodges, and the appendant bodies of the Craft.
Non-members are aware of the spirit
of friendship that exists between members of the Craft. The question is
sometimes asked out of curiosity whether Masons are required to patronize other
Masons in their business transactions. Every Mason knows that there is no such
rule of the Craft. But we must recognize that when one is considering entering
into a business or professional relationship he is more likely to select
someone that he knows and trusts. If you need the services of a real estate
broker, for example, and you have been working on a project with a fellow
member of your lodge, there can be little doubt that all things being equal
your Masonic friend will receive your patron-age. Personal contacts, working
together, developing friendships is bound to result in business and
professional relationships in many in-stances even though no Masonic law
requires this to be done.
For the member who is interested in
intellectual pursuits, the reading of Masonic books especially in the area of
Masonic philosophy and history, can be a valuable experience. These
books, of course, can be read by non-Masons but they will not be able to
receive full benefit of the material in these books because of their lack of
complete information about the Craft .
Each member, if he gives this matter
some thought, undoubtedly can recall instances in which his Masonic membership
has proved to be a benefit to him. Above all else, it is well to be prepared to
answer the question should the occasion arise, “What Benefits do you receive
from your Masonic membership?”
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