Robert G. Davis, 33° PO Box 70, Guthrie, Oklahoma 73044-0070 What Freemasonry has to offer is particularly important to the new millennium. When one investigates the really great institutions of America, few, if any, can compare with Freemasonry. No other organization has done more to mold progress and give society a structure which guarantees freedom and equality for every citizen. No other group combines all the elements necessary to meet the needs of men: self-improvement, fellowship, family and community involvement, leadership development, education, and charitable work. All these are particularly important qualities as we enter the new millennium and begin a fresh chapter of Masonic accomplishment. One of the timeless fascinations about Freemasonry is how so many men, from so many walks of life, can meet together in peace, always conducting their affairs in harmony and friendship and calling each other "Brother." It is a rare institution indeed whose purpose and focus centers on the relationship of men above everything else. The experience of 300 years of fraternity has clearly shown that when Masonry does not work, it is only because it has stopped concentrating on its overall fraternal agenda. Now, as we move into a new millennium, we can look back and agree it has not worked so well only over the last 50 short years. Perhaps we became self-centered. In too many cases, we became only degree mills bogged down in the liturgical motion of ritual for ritual's sake alone. The focus has not been on the greater mission of the Fraternity and its duty to humankind. Fortunately, many states have now recognized that something has been missing in the fraternal experience. We have literally been starving our brotherhood by withholding the feast of fraternity from our members. We are, finally, doing something about it. We are beginning to do things differently and to make a critical examination of ourselves as an institution. The result is that many Grand Jurisdictions have spent the last decade striving to make things right again. This is now beginning to pay off for all branches of Freemasonry. More Lodges are more active. Millions of dollars are going directly from Lodges to community causes each year. In many states, the general public once again has an awareness of the Square and Compasses. In Oklahoma, for instance, over a million people see Masonry on public television every week. Also, the Fraternity is now recognized by a number of major public and private organizations as a worthy partner with them in such areas as public education, law enforcement, and health. Today, the Scottish Rite is a big part of the growing success of the fraternal experience. We have continuity of leadership; we have talent which is shared with every branch of the Fraternity; we have charitable programs that make a difference for good in the lives of thousands of children. We have the most commodious and beautiful Masonic buildings, and each offers a wide venue and opportunity for community meetings and programs. In addition, we are providing leadership to and assisting with unifying the Masonic family. We are doing many things right. And, more importantly, we are doing many of the right things. So, as we approach the third millennium, we can truly say we know from whence we came and where we are going. We have weathered the storm of noninvolvement. We have survived the bleak years of membership decline. We have downsized, along with almost every other American corporation. We have made the right adjustments to be strong again. We are rapidly endowing our Masonic buildings and our charities. We are now ready to shine again in the new century. It is an exciting time to be a Mason. It is an even more exciting time to be part of the Scottish Rite experience. Realizing the opportunities before us, we can be quietly proud and confident of the beginning of a great fraternal renaissance. We know men are looking for a better answer. And we realize we have what they need. In the coming years, the Scottish Rite will continue to be the model for democracy; we will champion individual rights; we will bring brotherhood to humanity. Most importantly, we will enlighten the mind and be the catalyst for education and enlightenment for all men everywhere. It is a journey we have each obligated ourselves to make together as Scottish Rite men. And while we may too often take it for granted, it is the journey upon which nine-tenths of the world still only dreams. Reprinted with permission from The Oklahoma Scottish Rite Mason, December 1999. Robert G. Davis is the Secretary of the Scottish Rite Bodies in Guthrie, Oklahoma. He is Past Master of two Oklahoma Lodges, serves as editor of the Oklahoma Scottish Rite Mason, is actively involved with Masonic education and renewal programs both in Oklahoma and nationally, and served as Past President of the International Philalethes Society.