Page 20 - MFM July Aug 2022 W.indd

HOW HEAVY THE HAT

› ‡‘Ǥ Ǥ ‘™ƒ ǡ ƒŽ‹•’‡ŽŽ ͚͗͜

A mountain town had an eccentric inventor named Zeke. Once past masters have time to sit back and view the
He tinkered with this and dabbled with that. One day a past and present a new understanding of the hat comes
mighty machine appeared on the hillside, and the people into play. (As most past masters understand their own
gathered in wonderment as Zeke ran over here, turning ”‡˜‡Žƒ–‹‘ ‘ ‡ ‘—– ‘ˆ ‘ƥ ‡ǡ ™‘—Ž† ‘– ’”‡•—‡ –‘
a knob, and trotted over there to twist a bolt. And the bore them, and as new entering Worshipful Masters
lovely machine jumped and bounced and belched great have not the experience, it would be ridiculous of me to
clouds of smoke and fumes while grinding and burping predict the future.) It is hard to manage a craft without
on its way. Finally, one of the townspeople was overcome knowing each workman and his talents, and directing an
and approached Zeke to congratulate him on his latest erection of a building means the master must know, must
”‡ƒ–‹‘ ƒ† ‹“—‹”‡†ǡ Dz —•– ™Šƒ– †‘‡• ‹– †‘ǫdz † ‡‡ be concerned, and must care for all his workers and how
answered,” I don’t know what it’s supposed to do, I’m they interact with each other. Sometimes it takes all year
working all the time just to keep the damn thing running.” to accomplish this. Until that time, projects will stumble
or drag and frustration may grow and derail some good
‘Tis that time of year installations have taken place, or ideas.
™‹ŽŽǡ ƒ† ƒŽŽ ‘ƥ ‡”• ™‹ŽŽ ƒ‡ ‘ƒ–Š• ƒ† ”‡ ‡‹˜‡ Šƒ”‰‡•
as to what they will do, how they will act, and one week All this reveals a plan, or suggestion, for more regularity
later few can tell anyone to what they agreed. If any of ‹ ‘†‰‡•ǡ ‡‡–‹‰• ƒ† ‡˜‡–•Ǥ ˆ ›‘— ™‹ŽŽ „‡ƒ” ™‹–Š ‡Ǥ
–Š‡ ‘ƥ ‡”• ‹• ˜‹–ƒŽ –‘ ƒ Ž‘†‰‡ ‹– ‹• –Š‡ ‹ ‘‹‰ ƒ•–‡”ǡ Premise: A new WM learns and grows into a mature
and therein lies the annual creation of Zeke. The Master master through his term.
wears a hat, and he’s the only one, because he has the
backbone to hold his head up with all that weight on it. Premise: A man becomes a master and wishes to make
Previous masters know what I mean. There’s more to a his lodge a better, more attended, more active group of
Master than sitting in a certain chair for one or two hours fraternal men.
every so often in a building not visited except when
scheduled. Premise: A retiring WM knows he only had at most one
half his reign to actually realize what he wanted and how
But the new master doesn’t know that. He knows he to get it done.
should open a lodge. To do this he must address certain
people in a certain order with certain expected responses. Premise: An experienced WM would use more of his year
He may, in time, memorize or accept the ingraining of the for work and actualize more of his vision.
opening. He may just open his mnemonics and read his
opening from below the sight line of the members of the ’‹‹‘ǣ —•– •’‡† •‘‡ –‹‡ ‘—– ‘ˆ ‘ƥ ‡ –‘
lodge. It’s his choice and no one can charge him with not see all the issues objectively.
ˆ—ŽƤŽŽ‹‰ Š‹• †—–› „‡ ƒ—•‡ Š‡ †‡Ƥ‡• Š‹• ‘™ †—–›ǡ ƒ†
that’s as it should be. Thus, the most logical solution and chance at lodge
growth is to have those men voted into Worshipful
—– ’‡”Šƒ’• Š‡ ‡‡†• —‡• ƒ† Š‡Ž’• †—”‹‰ Š‹• Ƥ”•– Master positions to lead the lodge for two years, BUT
meetings, and perhaps other concerns draw his thoughts NOT SUCCESSIVE YEARS. Successive Masters tend
away from those “less than important if I get it done to get tired and irritable, either boring the brethren or
ƒ›™ƒ›dz ‹–‡•Ǥ ŽŽ ƒ•–‡”• †‡Ƥ‡ •— ‡•• ™‹–Š‹ –Š‡‹” chancing alienating some of those with potential. Most
own universe and step down at the end of the year with members, when asked, can voice an opinion and have a
the thought that what was accomplished, or started, or †‡Ƥ‹–‡ ƒ‡ ‹ ‹† ™Š‡ –Š‡ •—„Œ‡ – ‘ˆ ƒ†‡“—ƒ–‡ ƒ†
‘ ‡‹˜‡†ǡ ™‹ŽŽ ‘–‹—‡ ‘Ǥ – ”ƒ”‡Ž› ‘–‹—‡• ‘ ƒ• Ƥ”•– good WMs arises. If an admirable Master returns to a
invented. chair, some might return with him. If Masters are known
to have a history, a predictable future can be surmised
And many, if not most, immediate past masters stop and this might draw those who would participate in a
ƒ––‡†‹‰ ˆ‘” ƒ ’‘”–‹‘ ‘ˆ –‹‡ǡ ƒ† –Š‡ ƒ†˜ƒ ‹‰ ‘ƥ ‡”• past activity rather than just attend, as in the past.
wonder why. Some Masters return, and some don’t. I
would venture a guess that knowing how smoothly HIS If these premises are accepted, and the hypothesis
meetings ran, and what was accomplished with such seems logical, then training and expectations of two
agreement, angst arises because the “new”master is just terms might be an answer to building Masonry in
learning, not sure of much more than his duty of open Montana. Of course elections would have to be held,
( and how) and the incoming master doesn’t seem to as normal, but if the fraternity knew the “old guy” who
ascribe to the importance of certain items or events HE was nominated actually expected and accepted it, rather
worked so hard to make permanent. than received it thrust upon him, the votes might be of
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