Only through Masonic Unity Do
the Best, Get Better
By C. Fred Kleinknecht, 33°, Sovereign
Grand Commander
Samuel Clemens was fond of telling stories about the
American West where he, as a young reporter in Nevada, began writing
under the name of Mark Twain. One of his most famous anecdotes is about
the richest man in a rough-an-tumble Western boomtown. Because this
sturdy pioneer wanted to add some "class" to himself and the
growing town, he decided to decorate the rooms of his newly built home
with copies of some classic statues from Italy.
There were commutual zeal we both
had strove
In acts of dear benevolence and love;
Brothers in peace, not rivals in command.
Homer
In time the pieces arrived after each endured a rough
stagecoach ride across the American plains. Upon uncrating the largest
piece, one labeled Venus de Milo by the Italian shipper, the rich man
discovered a statue without arms. Mistakenly convinced it had been damaged
in shipment, he took the local postmaster to task---and collected damages!
Content with his compensation, the man began to look at the statue more
kindly, and soon he like it just fine, believing that the arms, if it
had any, would just be useless additions.
Today, are some of our Brethren like this purblind gentleman? Have
these Brethren become so involved in one aspect of Masonry that they
have forgotten how important each part is to the whole of Freemasonry?
Just as the Venus de MIlo, however excellent it is in part, would be
perfect and complete if it were whole, so each Body within Freemasonry
is only complete when it is united with the entire Fraternity. If we
accent one segment of the Craft to the exclusion of the rest, we splinter
and weaken the totality of Freemasonry. Our work is too great, too important,
too needed. We cannot become divided. Our harmony, our Masonic unity,
is imperative. If one groups breaks off from the rest, every group is
affected and so, ultimately, is the Symbolic Lodge, the foundation of
all Freemasonry.
We must never forget that the Symbolic Lodge is the core of our Craft.
It is the foundation upon which all else in Freemasonry depends. The
basic, universal and eternal lessons of the three degrees form the sound
foundation upon which we build our lives. In our Lodge new become Masons
in our hearts. No other degree is more important, for the principles
of the Lodge bring us integrity and strong character, dignity and respect.
In return, we strive to be of service to others through our charitable
endeavors and our steadfast concern for individual liberty and freedom.
For those Brethren who wish to extend themselves further in Masonry,
there are the Scottish Rite and York Rite. Herr the lessons of the Lodge
are expanded through ritual. Here the scope of Masonic fellowship is
widened to include more Brethren who wish to become even better through
living and sharing their dedication to Freemasonry. Yet always a Brother
is reminded that he is first a Mason of his Symbolic Lodge and only
then a member of the York Rite or Scottish Rite. These additional degrees
only expand one's horizons and opportunities. They do not change the
compass direction set in the Entered Apprentice, Fellow-Craft, and Master
Mason Degrees, without which there can be no true progress in the Craft.
Many Thirty-second Degree Scottish Rite Masons a well as many Knight
Templars choose to become Shriners. By making the condition of Scottish
Rite or York Rite membership a prerequisite for becoming a Shriner,
the Shrine becomes a unique and even stronger organization. Its members
already have acquired a deeper understanding of their Symbolic Lodge
teachings through the participation in the Scottish Rite and/or York
Rite. They are the seasoned timbers with which yet greater Masonic accomplishments
can be achieved. The inner temple of commitment can now manifest itself
in endeavors of even wider significance, such as support for the Shrine's
outstanding Hospitals for Crippled Children and Burns Institutes.
Nor does the impact of Freemasonry stop here. There is the opportunity
for participation in many other Appendant Masonic Bodies, each truly
outstanding in its own province Consider the Tall Cedars of Lebanon,
the Grotto, the National Sojourners,the High Twelve and the many other
noteworthy Masonic related groups. They all contribute magnificently
to the betterment of others and our Nation. Masonry works in hundreds
of ways to meet special needs and helps others who would otherwise remain
unassisted.
Consider also the great founding document of our Country, the Constitution.
The American statesman Salmon P. Chase described it saying: "The
Constitution in all its provisions looks to an indestructible union
of indestructible Lodges and Appendant Bodies. United, we work together
in a diversity of ways to achieve one goal. Divided, we weaken the whole
of Freemasonry and lessen the effectiveness of each separate part.
Those who desire to exercise their own authority in a limited scope
adhere to the maxim of "divide and command." A better motto,
and one at the heart of Freemasonry and every true Brother, is "unite
and guide." Let us, then, follow the ideals established in the
Symbolic Lodge. Let us build on them, in all the diverse ways that contribute
to the benefit of Freemasonry. Our work is great. But we must work together
to achieve the success we envision. United for the common good of all,
we can share common goals and together accomplish uncommon heights for
our Craft and our Nation. As Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote:
All your strength is in your union,
All your danger is in discord.