I have read with interest the many examples of articles arguing for change in Freemasonry. Some have discussed removing the festive board or changing the meeting times. All focus upon the recruitment and retention of candidates, especially those in the younger age categories. Having only been initiated in October 1997 at the age of twenty-nine, I believe that I fall into this socio-economic group. Not that I knew it at the time.
    Certainly, the pressures on the ‘younger professional’ in terms of time are, I believe, as great now as ever before. The need to work longer days, devote additional time to train, retrain, appraise, be appraised, or study for further qualifications, has become an every-day part of business life. I am married and my wife puts in a full working day in addition to commuting to London so finding quality time to spend together is never easy.
    However, in my experience, those who want to learn and develop as masons (or in any other walk of life) will do so. They find or make the time because they want to and are interested; the members we are losing have, predominantly, lost interest.
    I know of many lodges which are suffering a loss of numbers. That they are not alone is borne out by the amount of press I keep reading on the subject. Obviously Masonry has a few problems to deal with but please, ‘for the love of the Great Architect of the Universe’, don’t devalue the coinage.
    What separates Masonry from all other organisations and holds my attention and interest is its uniqueness. Factors included in this are the start time, the festive board, and the ritual. Take these away and who are you going to appeal to? Once you start changing the fundamentals you are on a slippery slope; and, after all, for a new member at base level, his commitment is only three to six meetings per year. Maybe your lodge creates too much pressure on its new candidates by getting them into Lodge of Instruction too soon? Or by urging them to join Chapter? Perhaps the ceremony is too ‘sloppy’ with too much prompting of words and actions which makes it impossible for a new member to follow?
    But ‘business’ always needs new customers and used to talk about providing good service in order to keep those customers; now business talks about ‘adding value’ and whilst I hate talking in clichés, Freemasonry needs to learn those lessons, masonry must learn to add value. Adding value to me is about understanding the Craft, its history, its traditions; it is not about Lodge of Instruction and the side Orders, they can come later.
    For me, this viewpoint started as soon as I was raised. I started asking questions. Well, having just been through the pageantry that is the three degrees, didn’t you? Why do we do this? Where did this tradition come from? I remember my first meeting after being ‘raised’: I felt disappointed. What next? What do I do now? After all, a candidate is the centre of attention for three meetings and then, following this fantastic build-up in an obviously very planned piece of theatre, he is suddenly out in the cold!
    What has surprised me is how little is done on our own history. Let me clarify this point, I’m not talking about Hiram Abiff and friends; at this stage in my life the ancient and spiritual sides, while no less important, are not what enthuses me. What does, is the modern development of that symbol, or this sign or movement. Why do we do this, or that? I have met many a man who knows the words but not why we walk around the edge of the square? Why the handshake? Who developed the language? Few seem to know, or at least, the information is not proffered.
    If your candidate’s knowledge about our ceremonies is not enriched, his interest will wane. If you make your own lodge’s ceremony too strict you may create too much pressure in the mind of a candidate, but if there is not enough attention to detail, it is impossible to follow and consequently boring; it’s a difficult balance to find.
    The explanation of the Second Degree tracing board is very good if done well but once it has been done, has anyone investigated the history of how and where it became part of our ritual? Why do tracing boards exist at all?
    So, add value; arrange for, or attend, lectures which contain this knowledge. There is probably a member of your lodge who has years of good stories to tell – the resources are there but do you plunder them?
    We are all members of an organisation that is the most historical, and has the longest traditions, of any, and one of which I am very proud. Yet, we undersell ourselves and under-inform the very Brethren we want to be at the core of our lodges in the years to come.
    We have the coinage but seem reluctant to spend it and if we are not enriching our own, is it any wonder that we do not present the appropriate images to our doubters?

Simon Hart is 34 and an Independent Financial Advisor. Since 1996 he has run his own company. He has been with his wife, Sarah, for ten years; she works for an investment bank in the City. Simon was initiated in 1997 and having spent the last three years as a Steward will take the post of Inner Guard this Autumn.