James Deloss Hawkins, 32°
5202 Holden Street, Fairfax, Virginia 22032–3418

There is a lot of hand wringing and discouraging talk these days about the issue of declining membership in our Fraternity. To be sure, there is cause for concern on what I call the "macro" level. In our Lodges, at Grand Lodge level and nationwide, the number of deaths, demits, and suspensions outpace the number of new Masons by significant numbers. This justifies concern about the long-term viability of Freemasonry and threatens the ability of the Craft to maintain a "critical mass."

Yet Masonry has faced challenges before—and survived. Many must have thought we would not weather the anti-Masonic movement of the 1830s. Today, we are adopting aggressive programs at the Lodge level to open our doors to the community at large and prospective members in particular; our Grand Lodge officers are giving thought to changes that can keep pace with the needs of present-day Brothers; and the Association of Grand Masters and other national Masonic Bodies are addressing the issue of membership growth. The Scottish Rite, for example, recently appointed a Director of Membership Development.

But, when we constantly focus on the negative aspects of problems facing our Fraternity, we unwittingly create a negative attitude that influences how we approach our relationship with our Fraternity, our Brethren, and even prospective members. How often do we hear men say negative things about their experience in attending Lodge? If it's a stated communication, they complain about sitting through committee reports and listening to the Secretary read the minutes. If it's a called communication, they say that sitting on the sidelines and observing the Degrees holds no interest for them.

I submit that when conducted properly, the ritual of Lodge or Temple meetings can be not only enjoyable but also downright therapeutic. What do I mean by this?

There is something soothing about participating in an activity where there are no distractions. I began to seek and find sanctuary in the Lodge from the pressures of business and day-to-day life. Especially from the Chaplain's chair, where I sat for several years after my entry into Masonry, I looked forward to and relished the words of the Master, "Brother Junior Deacon, close the door." Far from being a waste of time, the opening ritual signals the mind and spirit that it is O.K. to put aside the troubles of the day and move to a new level of thinking and experience.

Earlier I used the expression therapeutic in describing the experience of attending Lodge. Indeed, if we approach our participation in Lodge as I have described, we can leave the Lodge different men from when we walked in, feeling better, more focused, less stressed. A good Lodge meeting can be like a good workout, without the sweat! Exercise physiologists talk about the physical and mental benefits of exercise. Runners talk about a "runner high" that is associated with increased levels of endorphin in the brain which comes from the exertion of running.

But I recently heard another explanation for some of the positive mental effects of walking, jogging, or running. This psychological effect has to do with the predictability and rhythm of the signals that are received by the brain from such activities. A soothing effect is experienced when the brain knows what to expect. The repetitive feel of the feet as they pound the pavement, the rhythmic sound that is created, and even the constant beat of the heart—these and other senses all work to bring us a feeling of well-being and satisfaction. So it is with the rhythm of sound and music; and thus it is with the ritual.

When it comes off smoothly and powerfully, we experience satisfaction and enjoyment, even though we have heard the words a thousand times before. In contrast, if our ritual is presented poorly, in a broken and uneven manner, it is almost agonizing to endure. Ever notice how when a proficient ritualist misses a word, hardly anyone notices and rarely do they prompt him? But, when a Brother who projects uncertainty speaks, he can't even draw a breath without being prompted by a chorus of Brethren. We draw little joy from such performances.

My point is this: regardless of how the powers that be may ultimately deal, from a macro level, with the issues facing Masonry nationally, how we approach, on the micro level, the dispatch of business, work, and instruction in our own Lodges and Temples, is the real answer to membership. Good ritual work can definitely make a difference in the satisfaction, fulfillment, and enjoyment other Brethren and we get from our experience in Freemasonry.

It is well to remember that, while pundits can argue about how many Masons we need nationally for the Fraternity to survive as a viable organization, our ritual teaches us that just three or more constitute a Master Masons Lodge. A critical mass of just a dozen or so is all that is needed to carry out dramatically the primary and essential job we have as Blue Lodges, that of making Masons.

The late Alan Roberts, in his book Keys to Freemasonry's Growth, says: "We have forgotten the primary reasons for the existence of Freemasonry—brotherhood, friendship, closeness. We have been idolizing bigness—big Lodges, big bank accounts, big men. A Masonic Lodge should be small to promote the purpose for the existence of the Fraternity."

Attitude is so important in all we do. If we have a positive attitude about our experiences in our Lodge, this will be reflected in our conversations with others and will become contagious. Let us infect all our Brethren and those who would choose to become our Brethren with our enthusiasm for the Masonic experience.