Everything I Needed to Know About Being a Man

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

WB Darin A. Lahners

Everything I needed to know about being a man, I learned in Freemasonry

In 1986, a minister named Robert Fulghum published a book of short essays which was entitled, “Everything I needed to know I learned in Kindergarden”. He broke down sixteen items that he learned which you can find listed here: 

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/56955/all-i-really-need-to-know-i-learned-in-kindergarten-by-robert-fulghum/9780345466396/excerpt.

It’s a simple little list, packed with a lot of wisdom. I had forgotten all about the book, as it sat on a bookshelf until I happened upon it recently. It started to make me think about how some of those things he listed are taught and expounded upon by Freemasonry. It made me think that I wish I had that list in mind (along with some others) when I did wicked things in the past, which were selfish, and I ended up hurting people I love(d). I started thinking what force in my life helped turned it around, and the answer was evident--Freemasonry. Those things were lost to me while doing things that were selfish. I was not a man at that point, I was still acting like a boy, even though I was old enough to be a man. Freemasonry taught me to how to be and act like a man.

How did Freemasonry teach me to be a man? It taught me the below:

• Never undertake any great undertaking without the blessing of your deity. Always be reverent towards your deity. 

• Never be coerced into doing anything. Everything you do must be of your own freewill and accord, and always be prepared in your undertakings. 

• An obligation is a tie stronger than human hands can impose. If you violate an obligation, there will be a penalty. Karma exists.

• Make good use of the 24 hours in a day. Make sure you are resting, working, playing and praying daily. Make sure the work and play isn’t excessive. Pray for others before praying for yourself. Get plenty of rest. 

• Personal change requires work and patience. Work requires tools. Make sure you’re always using the right tools. Remember that results take time.

• Love your family, neighbors, and brothers. Aid those that need it. Always speak the truth.

• Be fair in your dealings with others and treat them as you would want to be treated. 

• Be a good citizen.

• Square your actions according to the virtues we are taught and you will walk upright.

• Listen always, speak only when you need to, and never betray another’s trust. 

• Never stop learning new things. Study and practice those things you think you already know.

• Reach out to your brother if you see them falling. Especially if they indicate such. Vindicate your brother’s behavior behind his back, as well as in front of his face. Whisper good council to them when they err.

• Life is short, make good use of your time, and always remember we are born to die. 

• Nothing is hidden from deity. 

• Live a good life and have hope in the afterlife.

Am I over simplifying the lessons that Freemasonry teaches? Most definitely. Will you agree with my all of my points? Probably not. One of the beauties of Freemasonry is that every member will have a different definition of what Freemasonry teaches or has taught them. This is only what it has taught me. What has it taught you? 

~DAL

WB Darin A. Lahners is the Worshipful Master of St. Joseph Lodge No.970 in St. Joseph and a plural member of Ogden Lodge No. 754 (IL), and Homer Lodge No. 199 (IL). He’s a member of the Scottish Rite Valley of Danville, a charter member of the new Illinois Royal Arch Chapter, Admiration Chapter No. 282, and is the current Secretary of the Illini High Twelve Club No. 768 in Champaign – Urbana (IL). He is also a member of the Eastern Illinois Council No. 356 Allied Masonic Degrees. You can reach him by email at darin.lahners@gmail.com.

Why the RUSH?

by Midnight Freemason Guest Contributor

WB Scott Dueball

Why are we rushing through degrees? We have applauded the speed at which one can progress through the traditional process for far too long (and I am not talking about One Day Classes at all). We all reminisce of the days long-passed when guys were able to return their proficiency and receive the next degree weeks after receiving the previous. This has been going on since the last boom in Masonry if not longer (we know this from the obituary readings in Lodge). I believe that promptly learning the catechism demonstrates commitment to the fraternity. However, I question if that is all that is necessary to progress. 

From my vantage point, I see the rush coming from both sides. The lodges are dying to get new members in and active for various reasons, while the candidates themselves are anxious to become full members. Neither is wrong but moving quickly and providing the catechism as the only means to both educate and move the candidates through the degrees dulls everything we profess as Masons.

Worthy men seek us out to give them answers to the timeless questions, to provide continued mentorship into manhood, and to develop their Inner Temple. We tell them that we can give them the keys to open doors to that which they seek. In many cases, we treat a thin book of question and answers as the knowledge. By pushing only the catechism we ignore both superficial knowledge and deeper esoteric meanings of the rituals we guide our initiates through.

In the second degree, the candidate is presented with the lesson of the 7 Liberal Arts and Sciences. These subjects were essential material to all craft lodges as a part of their second (and last) degree. Exploring these concepts we are taught to think. Without the ability to think, we cannot know nature. Without knowing nature, we cannot know God. By moving quickly from the 2nd to 3rd degree we miss a crucial opportunity to introduce these subjects and teach their Masonic uses. Once through the Master Mason degree we become inundated with officer chairs, appendant bodies, and the sophmoric belief that we know everything that a Mason can know.

We have all been there, myself included. We get so caught up in all of the amazing things that being a Master Mason offers, that we forget to go back and learn those things which we knew we should have learned but we were in too much of a rush to take the time. It took me nearly a decade to realize how much I had missed. It was only when guiding new Masons through their degrees that I started to know the Masonic usage of the Trivium and Quadrivium. I missed what is truly emblomized by the rough ashlar, the precision with which the working tools have been selected, and the universality of the point within a circle. These concepts are not fully covered in the catechism which means that we completely ignore presenting their light when we proceed through the degrees without focused education.

When we bring men in with the promise of answers and then breeze through the true teachings the men lose interest. It takes some work on the initiate's part, but that does not relieve us from all responsibility to guide them to the river of knowledge. We lose men because it is apparent that we often do not hold up our end of the bargain. Further, the men we keep are those unaffected by our lack of mentoring follow-through. In other words, if we want educated Masons then we have to do the work to educate them.

~SD

WB Scott Dueball is the Worshipful Master of D.C. Cregier Lodge No. 81 in Wheeling, IL and holds a dual membership in Denver Lodge No. 5 in Denver, CO. He currently serves the the Grand Lodge of Illinois as the State Education Officer and dabbles as Co-Manager of the WheelingFreemasons page. Scott is also a member of the Palatine York Rite bodies and the Valley of Chicago A.A.S.R.-N.M.J. He is passionate about the development of young masons, strategy and visioning for Lodges. He can be reached at scott@wheelingfreemasons.org ​