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In addition, attendance at meetings in many jurisdictions were inspired to petition the craft because of men whom
is not an option, it is a requirement. A dozen years ago you knew who set an example to you and who were
when I was attending the second World Conference in Freemasons? I was! We also must realistically recognize
Portugal, a Portuguese brother told me that their Lodge that our greatest hope for leadership will come from the
met every week. Three of those meetings a month were professional environment. They are the men with the
for the purpose of Masonic education and one for the training to be leaders before becoming Freemasons.
purpose of conferring ritual and conducting business.
The average age of a Portuguese Freemason at that time We may argue all we want that these other foreign
was approximately 29 years. The Grand Lodge session jurisdictions that I referred to have too stringent
was delayed for almost an hour so that they could expand requirements in costs and demands for America but I
the size of the room at the hotel to seat all the brothers guess it all boils down to what we want to be. Do we want
attending. When at the Grand Lodge of Iceland I learned to be an organization with the capability of impacting
that they had a six-year waiting list to get into a lodge. the ongoing evolution of our society and being highly
respected and admired or do we want to be a dying
The National Grand Lodge of France rejects organization of little note.
approximately 60% of the petitions received and their
membership has increased an average of 10% a year Let me take a few minutes and give you some examples
for the past 12 years. The rate of rejection in almost of what I have experienced in my travels over the past
every jurisdiction in the world far exceeds anything we 20 years. The first time I went to Greece I had a brother
know in North America and most of these Grand Lodges who drove me to wherever I wanted to go. He would not
are increasing in membership while facing far greater even let me open the car door, insisting that he open it
challenges to their existence than we have ever known. for me. Just before I left Greece someone told me that
Keep in mind, that tens of thousands of Freemasons he was regarded as the greatest surgeon in Greece and
have been put to death over the years simply because yet he was insisting to wait on me.
they were Freemasons and we have not even known
restraint. At the final banquet in Abidjan, Ivory Coast an older
brother came up to me and told me that if I ever came
Unfortunately in North America and again in light of back to that area of Africa, I never again stay in a hotel.
political correctness we have determined that elitism He told me that he had a large home, his children were
is a dirty word and yet when Freemasonry stated that gone and he would be honored to have me stay with him
their goal was to take good men and and that his home was my home. When he walked away,
make them better we became elitist a brother asked me if I knew
and my friends there is nothing wrong We in North America have become who he was and I said no.
with elitism. Elitism played a major role willing to accept almost anyone in a He told me that he was the
in bringing together the great minds of failing attempt to increase our numbers. ambassador to the United
the age of the Enlightenment. It was Nations.
these men with great minds and capable
of great thoughts that made it an influential segment of At the second World Conference in Sao Paulo, Brazil,
society. Remember my friends; fine porcelain cannot be a young man was assigned to look after me for nine
made from bad clay. days taking care of all my needs. He sat behind me at
every meeting in case I needed anything. He drove me
There is no question but that quality will attract quality wherever I wanted to go and insisted on providing for my
and if we wish to be a quality organization then we must every want. I found out the day before I left Brazil that he
have quality members to attract more quality members. was a pulmonary surgeon and professor of pulmonary
I do not mean by this observation that there is no place medicine at the University of Sao Paulo.
in Freemasonry for the average man. Indeed, a second
reason Freemasonry became as great as it has was that I have been on a speaking agenda with the president of
it was able to take men from all classes, occupations Chile and had lunch seated to his right at the presidential
and social structures and place them in a Lodge room palace. I have been received at both the President’s and
as equals. the Prime Minister’s palace in Portugal. I was invited to
hunt with the Prime Minister of Romania. I participated in
The third major reason that caused Freemasonry to laying a wreath at the tomb of the Unknown Soldier under
excel beyond all other organizations, however, was that the Arc de Triomphe in Paris along with the presidents
it remained selective on the quality of the man that it of Gabon and Congo. I have met with members of the
would accept. My brothers, this is perhaps the major royal families of Europe and had several dinners with the
difference that I have found in other jurisdictions. We, princess of Yugoslavia. I was made a chief of the village
in North America have become willing to accept almost of Nigui-saff in the Ivory Coast. I had dinner at the home
anyone in a failing attempt to increase our numbers. of the Commanding General of the Gabon military and
As a result the public now sees a different image of attended a beach party at the retreat of the Minister of
Freemasonry and society will always judge on the worst, Defense. I participated in the dedication of a Masonic
never on the best. monument at Valparaiso, Chili where the monuments
Yet, we must be realistic. It is doubtful that any of us of the great Chilean heroes are erected. This would be
would ever serve as a major attracting force for those tantamount to us dedicating a Masonic monument on
like the great men that I cited earlier but we can serve the National Mall in Washington, DC. Can you imagine
as an example to stimulate quality men to want to that happening in this country today?
become part of us. How many of you sitting here today

Montana Freemason Page 25 Jan/Feb 2022 Volume 98 No.1