Why Be a Master?

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

Bro. Michael Arce

This is my third attempt at writing this article. They say you are supposed to "write what you know." Outside of a virtual experience in a concordant degree, my time in the Master's Chair has been limited to Blue Lodge degree work. Pursuing the Road To The East is not only a course offered in my jurisdiction; it is almost an expectation for every man who possesses leadership traits. "When you are Master...," is a phrase a new Mason will hear from older members and line officers at dinner, degree rehearsals, and outside of Lodge meetings. My view was that becoming Master of my Lodge was an expectation, one that I have gone back and forth on pursuing during my Masonic career. There have been times when this decision was either a question or a goal.

WHY BE MASTER?
The Master's Chair was the second object that caught my attention the first time I stepped foot in a Lodge room. I am the first man in my family to visit a Masonic Lodge, the first to become a Master Mason. I keep my personal experience in mind every time I give a Lodge room tour. I was 35-years-old at that time. Freemasonry was not the first community group or charity I had expressed an interest in joining. Growing up in southwest Arizona, I was a member of my local 4-H club and high school FFA chapter. As an adult, I have volunteered with the American Heart Association, served on non-profit leadership boards, and am a professional society member. But there was something distinctively different about the Master's Chair the evening of my first Lodge visit.

First, the placement struck me. It's the highest seat in the room. Most Master's Chairs are ornate. I noticed the decoration, distinctive hard carvings, that must relate to the duties of the office. There was a small pedestal, about waist high, with a gavel within arm's length. A set of stairs led up to this seat. Below the station was the alter, situated in the center of the room. The alter was the first object to catch my eye. There aren't many meeting rooms that have an alter!

I was a visitor, a guest, during my first Lodge meeting. There was a handful of other interested men that evening; we all sat in a row together. My second observation about the Master's Chair is the man who occupies it. There was another striking difference between this Mason and the others in the room: he was the only man wearing a hat. He was able to stand and move freely around the room when he spoke. And when he addressed those in attendance, he had their complete attention. I had never seen anything like this! I looked around the room, taking an inventory of the men. They were engaged, not one side conversation or comment was made as he spoke. The way these men revered this leader intrigued me to learn more about the significance of this role.

Years later, when the question is asked, "why be a Master," I point to that first experience as what initially drew me to being the Master of a Lodge. After I was raised, like many new Brothers, the Master of the Lodge approached me to take a position in his line as a Steward. I accepted, and so began my journey to the East. Over the next three years, I advanced through the line to the Junior Warden's station. It was during that time when I began to question my path. "Why be Master" was something I would ask myself after seeing the division and politics that is a part of any organization. My impression of the role began to tarnish; I witnessed the stress that is a by-product of being the top decision-maker, the man ultimately responsible for every aspect of the Lodge. I saw past the cheery greetings and friendly handshakes the Master would extend, to his frustrations and personal fears.

Why be Master when you are the center of attention and the target of criticism? Shakespeare was right. "Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown." Or, in our case, the hat.

WHY BE A MASTER?

This article has taken three attempts to complete because I needed to find my answer — that required time, experience, and perspective. This May marked my fifth year as a Master Mason. I am now a member of my third Lodge. I want to be a Master to contribute to the experience of the Brethern. While that may seem like a simple answer, I realize the complexities. To me, becoming Master is more than having a place in a progressive line — it is the dedication and work invested in improving myself. One must know one's self before offering help to another, right? My focus is on being the best Blue Lodge member I can be right now. I want to learn my parts for ritual, not for perfection, but to be proficient and a resource for others. I need time to understand the challenge that comes in leading a diverse group of like-minded men. That can only be observed by investing the time to work through the chairs. Most importantly, instead of making plans for what I will do during "my year" in the East, I need to sit, watch, and support the Brothers who precede me.

I now know that being a Master is more than learning the word, getting a fancy ring, special apron, or Grand Honors. Being a Master means you are the man your Brothers elect to lead them and care for the Lodge.

There is a reason the Master's Chair is prominent: it is a large chair to fill.

~MA

Brother Michael Arce is a member of Mt. Vernon Lodge #3 in Albany, New York. When not in Lodge, Bro. Arce is the Marketing Manager for Capital Cardiology Associates in Albany, New York. He enjoys meeting new Brothers and hearing how the Craft has enriched their lives. He can be reached at michael.arce@me.com

A True and Trusty Brother

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

WB Gregory J. Knott

I recently reviewed an Associated Press Poll that was conducted with GFK Public Affairs & Corporate Communications group in a survey of the general American population and their opinions on how much they trust other persons.

The first question “How much of the time do you think you can trust the government in Washington to do what is right?” - 81% of the person’s survey said “Only some of the time”.  This was not surprising to me, considering the recent government shut-down, problems with the Obamacare website and just a generally low opinion of those in the Congress.

The survey went onto to ask how much “you trust other people” in various situations.  Here are 3 examples:

·         “People who have access to your medical records…”

• 50% said “A great deal/quite a bit”
• 29% said “Just somewhat”
• 17% said “not too much/not at all”

·         “People who swipe your credit card or debit card when you’re making a purchase

• 30% said “A great deal/quite a bit”
• 43% said “Just somewhat”
• 24% said “not too much/not at all”

·         “People you meet when you are traveling away from home”

• 19% said “A great deal/quite a bit”
• 49% said “Just somewhat”
• 29% said “not too much/not at all”

The last question in particular, gave me pause to think.  What are my interactions like with others I come to meet for the first time?  Do I need to have my guard up all the time?  Should I live in fear and paranoia?  Ronald Reagan was fond of saying “trust, but verify” that I apply often.  But really, only 19% of the US population feels that they can trust others they don’t know?

Our country has been built on trust, but it appears for many that this trust is slipping away.  Have we become too isolated sitting at home behind our computers?  Are your only friends on Facebook? Are they nothing more than an electronic record that you interact with?  Is the store clerk where you shop more likely to be thief than a trustworthy person?

How do the results of the survey compare to our experience as Masonic brothers?  After all when we enter the lodge the first time, it is in the hands of “true and trusty brother”.

My belief is that one of the greatest experiences of our fraternity as you come through the degrees, is learning to put more trust and faith into the one’s guiding you on your path to further light.  After completing the three degrees, you really start to gain an understanding of what this trust in one another means.

The strength of our fraternity is the common bond that we share with one another, the same shared experiences that have transcended the generations, that same trust from one brother to another brother.

At the 2010 National Scout Jamboree I attended a lodge meeting with Scouters and Brother Masons from across the country, under the guidance of Fredericksburg Lodge No. 4 of Fredericksburg, Virginia.

“So that I may work in foreign countries, to work and receive Masters Wages…”  We have all heard these words, but really what do they mean?  In my opinion, it is the ability to visit other lodges, having the privilege to sit in lodge with fellow brothers, men who may be total strangers, but with whom you have an instant trust with, simply because of the common experiences we all share as brother Master Masons.

I am sure we all have stories of making connections with others that began when you discovered each other were masons.  Perhaps you have attended a Masonic funeral for a brother, whom you never had personally met, yet you came because of that shared bond.  You had a conversation with a person whom you nothing in common with except Freemasonry and that led to a deep friendship.

 

One of my personal favorite stories – I was a staff member at the 2010 National Scout Jamboree held at Fort A.P. Hill for the 100th anniversary of the Boy Scouts of America. I was housed in one of the base army barracks. The first day I arrived, I was sitting on my bunk putting things away, when a Scouter whose name was Tom and assigned to the bunk next to me introduced himself and said “I see you’re a sojourner.” Tom had seen that I was wearing a Masonic ring. We instantly had something in common and became great friends. Though we live in different parts of the country, I have kept in contact with him and was able to visit in him at his home in Seattle last year. Three years had passed, but it was like I had just seen him yesterday.

If you question what Freemasonry still has to offer the world and to those individuals who seek out membership within our fraternity, take a moment and consider Freemasonry as the ultimate social network across the world.  Brothers whom have been “pre-screened” before they entered the west gate and have been initiated, passed and raised under the same obligation you took, to be your brother.

In a society that says they are trusting fewer people, isn’t this exactly what we need more of? 

So the next time, you are speaking to a potential candidate on why they might consider joining Freemasonry, talk to them about the trust amongst the brothers.  Trust, the very thing many people say that is lacking in society.  The answer might be right in front of them, Freemasonry.

~GJK

WB Gregory J. Knott is the Past Master of St. Joseph Lodge No. 970 in St. Joseph (IL) and a plural member of Ogden Lodge No. 754 (IL), Homer Lodge No. 199 (IL) and Naval Lodge No. 4 in Washington, DC. He’s a member of the Scottish Rite, the York Rite, Eastern Star and is the Charter Secretary of the Illini High Twelve Club No. 768 in Champaign-Urbana. He is also a member of ANSAR Shrine (IL) and the Eastern Illinois Council No. 356 Allied Masonic Degrees. Greg serves on the Board of Directors of The Masonic Society and is a member of the Scottish Rite Research Society and The Philathes Society. Greg is very involved in Boy Scouts—an Eagle Scout himself, he is a member of the National Association of Masonic Scouters