Page 31 - MFM Nov Dec 2021

by Freemasonry. How many times have we heard a great many Brethren – none of the reasons have
the stories of the King of England rising to salute been particularly good. Sometimes we look to
the Worshipful Master in a tyled Lodge? Or of Freemasonry as a source of membership for the
President Harry Truman, arising and saluting Appendant or the Concordant Bodies. I suggest
the Master when he served as President of the to you, Brethren, that is a misdirected approach.
United States? The principles of our organization Freemasonry is the dog; the Appendant and
have formed the basis of the most successful Concordant Bodies are the tail. The stronger the
political movement, the most successful country, dog is, the more vigorously the tail will wag. We are
in the history of this planet. Our Fraternity has not, my Brethren, in the business of rehabilitating
great reason to be proud of its contributions, but, men; we are not in the business of celebrating
Brethren, I submit to you: we are not done. Today, mediocrity; we are in the business of taking the
our efforts are more important than ever. best and brightest men from every walk of life
in our community and making them better. But
The first written reference to Freemasonry that what’s the purpose of “making them better?” The
has been thus far found goes back to 1399, where reason is: so they may go out into our community
find the first use of the term “freemasonry.” For and take our Masonic virtues and values and
over six hundred years, this Fraternity has had an make this a better community, a better state, a
influence for good like few other organizations better nation, and a better world; a place where
or institutions in the history of man. Many of civil, courteous dialog can take place; where we
you have heard me express in the past my pride can disagree agreeably – something that happens
and pleasure at being a member of the world’s far too seldom today.
“oldest Fraternity;” the world’s largest Fraternity;
the world’s most prestigious Fraternity; and the We have a reputation, my Brethren. And it’s a
world’s most powerful Fraternity. We didn’t reputation that spreads over the centuries and
get there, my Brethren, by being second-class. throughout this world. I’d like to read to you a
We didn’t arrive at that situation or station by few extracts of an article that I found a few days
accepting the cheap, the lazy, and the stupid into ago. This is in Morelia, Mexico. “Banners hung in
our ranks. We got there because we called every a Western Mexican state announced a previously
walk of life for the best and brightest men we could unknown gang calling itself the Knights Templar,
find. And they asked to join us in our great and less than a month after the local La Familia drug
good works. We have lost some of that focus, my cartel said it intended to disband. The sign said the
Brethren. Freemasonry was in decline for several Knights will replace the cartel, which is considered
decades. I do, however, share enthusiastically the Mexico’s leading trafficker of methamphetamines,
words of the Grand Master of Arizona. I see better and fend off any gangs looking to make inroads
quality men petitioning our ranks, particularly the into that state. According to this replacement drug
young soldiers returning from combat; men who cartel, ‘we will be at the service of the people,
look for more in their lives than the superficial; to attend to any situation that threatens their
men who are looking for values, for principles; for safety.’ It continued, ‘Our commitment is to keep
an organization which will build their character, order, avoid robberies, kidnappings, extortion,
and which will make a contribution to our entire and protect the state from possible interventions
society and to our world. Some of the young by rival organizations.’ And it was signed, ‘The
men that we have received into my Lodge are Knights Templar.’” The police have removed
remarkable young men; some of them have been the banners, but these are commonplace in
professionals; some of them have been military; Mexico, where they are used to threaten the
all of them have been men who have been looking public and intimidate them. Everyone down
for something more meaningful than bowling on there appreciates that this refers to the Order of
Wednesday nights. If we are going to assume our Christian Knights formed in 1118, to protect the
place and our station that we once enjoyed in this pilgrims in the Holy Land during the First Crusade.
nation, it’s incumbent upon us to return to those Masonic scholars, and non-Masonic scholars,
values and those principles which made us “the have made a much closer relationship between
world’s most powerful Fraternity.” the Knights Templar and Modern Freemasonry,
1307 being not that far from 1399, and the recent
We have had a lot of reasons for relaxing our revelations and studies about the presence of,
membership standards; some of them have been what were probably Knights Templar at the Battle
expeditious; some of them have been economic. of Bannockburn, have only fueled the theories
In my judgment – and in the judgment, I know, of which have connected our two organizations.
Montana Freemason Page 31 Nov/Dec Volume 97 No.5