Page 5 - MFM March 2016

Montana Freemason March 2016 Volume 92 Number 2

Brothers, the answer HAS to be YES! Because this century. Believe me, when a community
in doing so, that new, young Mason will bring observes Brothers in motion; engaged in
improving themselves, inside and out, they’ll
friends whom he knows share his same desire to be more likely to ask the questions we’re all
yearning to hear.
affect positive change in themselves, families,
‘Excuse me, but what’s a Mason? How do I
community and the world. They then become become one?’

the much needed spark plugs and fresh batteries
to crank the engine. They’re the ones to throw a
new set of Michelins on our dilapidated jalopy,
push it out of its rut, and get it rolling under its
own power once again.

Listen, we all realize small town Lodges are Brothers, be prepared to smile with polished
suffering. I’ve visited more than a few that confidence when you answer.

easily have enough members but are stalled for Brian Murphy, Grand Master

lack of a quorum. Everything has a shelf life,

and not unlike that deserted carton in the back of

every fridge; the one that no one wants to smell

or dispose of, there are Lodges whose expiration
date has long come and gone. To quote WB Chris
Hodapp: “The good news is that Freemasonry
isn’t dead. It just smells funny.”

To repeat, we have a retention problem. Quite For updates on my activities,“Friend”
frankly, why would a Lodge want to get new Brian Murphy Grand Master on Facebook.
members when it can’t keep the ones it already
has? What’s the point? Personally, what I’ve Page 5
learned and come to know is this: no Worshipful
or Most Worshipful can make someone care.
No one can. To quote myself: ‘We can suffer all
futility save that of lethargy and indifference.’
All we as individual Masons can hope to do is
set our standards higher, lead by example and
inspire others to do the same. The core Brothers,
the ones who actually show up and want to
improve themselves, their Lodge and the world;
YOU are the ones who have to labor even more
earnestly. YOU are the operatives that must have
a shared vision and a plan to enact for the future

and your own destiny. Doing nothing is not a

plan. Waiting for something to happen, or for
some magic Grand Lodge miracle cure, is not a
plan. Lodges who haven’t had a new candidate
in a while, SHOULD be the most prepared to
deliver the best Masonic experience for that new
high school principal who just moved to town.
An abandoned building is a tombstone for the
dead. During all that downtime, the idle Lodge
is the one who would best benefit by fundraising
for that new coat of paint and carpeting from