3 minute read
The Masonic Experience
By RW Bro Keith Hutton PGM, GLSA Eastern Cape Division
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Looking back over my life I have realised that my early years in the Lodge gave me a sanctuary, an oasis of peace and tranquility from the busy and hectic life as a director of a large construction company.
The Lodge room is where one can put aside the strife of life and enter an atmosphere where all is quiet and orderly, where each officer has his prescribed duty and each Brother works together with perfect ease and confidence. In the Lodge our members meet and get to know one another and to share common hopes and ideals. It is this philosophy of life that Freemasonry has given me and others that has governed our attitudes and actions in life.
I was initiated into Lodge Fidelity, No. 34, and was particularly struck by the individual attention and friendship given to me on the night of my initiation. That impression has never left me. The early years are perhaps the most important for this is the time when the character of a Mason is formed.
My belief is that the time between progressing through the three Craft degrees is of great significance. This is when the principles and concepts of Freemasonry should be explained and developed by the candidate’s mentor. All too often candidates are rushed through the degrees by a Lodge in order to fulfil the perceived need to perform ceremonies. The majority of candidates cannot totally comprehend what the ritual or the ceremony means without some general explanation – and this requires time.
I am sure that we have all experienced new members leaving the Craft for differing reasons; primarily, I dare say, because they were neglected in the early stages. We need to engage and enthuse new Brethren and instil in them enthusiasm and the hunger for Masonic Knowledge. Once we get Freemasonry in the heart of a Brother it is there forever.
The principles of Freemasonry can be interpreted differently by each Mason although we all have to conform to Grand Lodge principles, but it is in the craft Lodge that the individual is influenced most. Here we meet and embrace a common goal and find that as the years pass by, we have achieved a richness and fulfilment of life.
Freemasonry shapes character. I have this unshakeable belief that Freemasonry is good for the soul; it gives to all of its members, whatever their profession or talents, something that will make their lives more interesting and successful. It operates on each of us individually but to see Brethren develop in confidence and understanding is a joy to behold. A quality I have seen affect and change many Brethren in different measure.
It is the diligent and knowledge thirsty Brother who gains the most. Freemasonry is a journey we do not travel alone but it is only the individual who can feel the change in himself.
As we progress through the ranks and eventually become a Master, we are individually developing our various interests in this great institution. We all serve our Lodge in differing ways, some devoting their whole Masonic career to their Lodge office, ritual or lectures. Others become involved in administration as Provincial or Grand Lodge officers and perhaps pursue one or more of these interests.
Whichever career we chose to follow, we all meet as friends and work together for the advancement of our personal understanding of what it takes to be a good Freemason.
Outsiders who are not members of our order will continue to question Freemasonry. Those of us who embrace the philosophy and principles of Masonry have a duty to prove to them that men can meet in friendship and unity for the good of all.
God made man in His own image, so to “Know Thyself” is to know and be closer to the GAOTU. This is the cornerstone of Freemasonry.
It has been the centre of the Craft since it began and should never be lost sight off. Truth, Morality and Brotherly Love, the suppression of all human weaknesses, and to become a respected and useful member of society based on Masonic principles.
