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Something to Think About
T.F.S. #111 from Ed Halpaus - Grand LEO What
are the Duties of a Mason?
The answer to this question can be found in booklets most Grand Lodges
provide to men who are elected to receive the degrees of Freemasonry. These
booklets will vary slightly from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, but they are
not that different from each other, in the messages they convey.
The reference for what follows is from a booklet called "Your quest for
Masonic Light: Some background for the Aspirant." [This is what the GL of MN
calls Quest Book #2.] Other references are noted below.
Your Duties
You will become a member of this Lodge when you have received the three
degrees, proved your proficiency in them, and have signed the bylaws. It
will always be your duty to be loyal to the Fraternity, faithful to your
superior officers, and obedient to Masonic law. You will be expected to pay
your dues promptly and regularly, to stand ready to help a worthy brother
Mason in sickness or distress, and to support the charities of the Lodge as
your conscience shall direct and your means permit. You are also expected to
attend the communications as regularly as possible, and to discharge
promptly and efficiently such specific Masonic duties as may be assigned to
you.
Being a Mason means being a good citizen, loyal to your government, and
conducting yourself as a wise and upright man, charged with an individual
responsibility for maintaining the world's respect for Masonry.
>From Quest Book #3 - You are now an Entered Apprentice.
Duties, Privileges, and Limitations of An Entered Apprentice.
As an Entered Apprentice you have an immediate and personal interest in this
subject, but you should also realize that it has a permanent interest for
every Mason, however long it may have been since he received the First
Degree. In a sense we always remain Entered Apprentices: the teachings of
the degree remain always in effect; its obligations and charge, subject to
additions in the succeeding degrees, continue to be binding. As Masons we
associate with Apprentices, work with them, perhaps are sought by them for
counsel. Therefore, it is important for us to have as clear an understanding
as possible of the duties, privileges and limitations of Apprentices.
Duties
Complete faithfulness to his obligation and implicit obedience to the charge
are among his important and lasting responsibilities.
It is also the duty of the Entered Apprentice to learn the required portions
of the degree with thoroughness, not only because he must prove himself
proficient in order to advance, but also because it contains Masonic
teachings of fundamental importance that remain forever binding on every
Mason. In a measure, the degree is complete within its own field, and its
teachings should be permanently incorporated as a part of his Masonic life.
Reference; Charge of the Second Degree and Quest Book #4
Duties of the Fellow Craft
The duties of this degree are similar to the duties mentioned above as the
duties of a Mason in general and that of the Entered Apprentice, and he is
admonished to adhere to them. However, a Fellow Craft, who represents a man
in his prime, carries maximum responsibilities, and he must equip himself
with the tools that will help him prove equal to his tasks; these tools are:
Experience, Education and Wisdom. Thus the Fellow Craft has the obligation
to study and to endeavor to have a regular and daily advancement in
knowledge - Masonic knowledge, and self knowledge.
Duties
Freemasonry' s Laws and Regulations you are strenuously to support; and be
always ready to assist in seeing them duly executed. The Fellow Craft is not
to palliate or aggravate, the offenses of his brethren; but in the decision
of every trespass against our rules, he is to judge with candor, admonish
with friendship, and reprehend with justice.
Reference; quest book #5
Duties of the Master Mason
A Master Mason has greater rights and privileges, but also greater
responsibilities. The Master Mason is obliged to abide by the Constitution,
Laws, and Edicts of his Grand Lodge, and by the by-laws of his particular
Lodge. Also he must maintain and support the Landmarks, and the "ancient
usages and customs of the Fraternity." He is also subject to the laws of the
jurisdiction in which he may be at the moment, and also to the laws of his
home jurisdiction.
He is to guard himself against committing a Masonic offense, which has been
defined as being, "Any act unbecoming a good man and true." Being found
guilty of a Masonic offense a Mason may be punished in any one of four ways:
by reprimand; by definite suspension; by indefinite suspension; or by
expulsion, which constitutes "Masonic Death."
Among a Master Mason's duties are strict compliance with his obligation;
loyalty to his Lodge and the Fraternity; paying his dues promptly; obedience
to the laws, written and unwritten, of Freemasonry, and always to maintain
an affiliation with a lodge - that is, to remain a member in good standing.
Rights and Privileges of a Master Mason
Among the many rights and privileges are these:
The privilege of visiting other lodges;
The privilege of being vouched for;
The right to ask for Masonic relief;
The privilege of demitting and affiliating with a different Lodge;
The right to trial by your peers should you transgress the laws of Masonry;
The right of appeal if found guilty of Masonic misconduct;
The right of Masonic burial;
The right to appear in public Masonic processions;
The right to join in the discussions in his Lodge, to vote, and to hold
office;
The right and privilege of giving Masonic service;
The right to be taught all that Masonry includes, and to enjoy all the
privileges it offers to the spirit, the mind, and the heart.
It is also his privilege to recommend a man for Masonry, but once more the
Master Mason is cautioned not to recommend someone for the degrees or for
membership unless he is satisfied that he will conform to the principles of
our Fraternity and be a credit to the Craft.
A Mason's Responsibilities
The most valuable contribution of Freemasonry to the world is to be found in
the lives of its individual members. If Masonic ideals are eventually to
reach the legislative halls of our country, the houses of commerce and
trade, and the shops of industry, they must be carried there by individual
Masons; and whatever good Masonry may accomplish in the world will be the
sum of the worth of its individual members. Look not at a brother's failure
to live up to our high ideals - look well to thyself!
Happy Holidays
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