I used to look across the chancel in St. Paul’s Cathedral to read the inscriptions on the stalls opposite, for each one is surmounted by the first words, in Latin, of one of the Psalms. One that intrigued me bears the opening words of Psalm 37: Noli emulari which, I suppose, could be loosely translated, ‘Have nothing whatever to do with Emulation’.
    Later, looking up the rest of the sentence, I find it reads, Noli emulari in malignantibus; the Authorised Version reads: ‘Fret not thyself because of evil-doers’, the New English Bible has, ‘Do not emulate those who do wrong’. This, then, accounts for what at first appears to be a paradox, for ‘emulation’ is defined in the dictionary as ‘the attempt to equal or excel, to rival or to imitate zealously’, and can be applied equally to good or to evil. We can follow the highest ideals or the lowest, the finest examples or the most base. Emulation in itself is not a quality of virtue or of vice; what counts is the object or person we seek to emulate.
    There is, in our constitution, a Lodge of Emulation, and many Lodges work the ‘Emulation Ritual’; furthermore, emulation plays an important part in the growth and education of each one of us. The new-born baby quickly learns to emulate the actions of his mother; he sees her smile and at once attempts to equal or excel that smile and to imitate it zealously. As he grows up, he learns to emulate not only his parents, but also his teachers, his companions, older children, grown-ups of all kinds. If the example they set him is good, then he tends to goodness; if bad, then he himself becomes as bad as they. All through our lives the process continues. Always we set ourselves to copy those whom we most admire, whether they happen to be blameless characters or what the Psalmist would call malignantibus.
    Nowhere is this more true than in Freemasonry itself, which could well be described as ‘a system of emulation’. The poor candidate in a state of darkness enters the Lodge with nothing but his faith and trust. A strong hand leads him on his way, and from then on he learns by emulation. ‘Repeat after me’ says the Master, ‘Copy me’, ‘Adopt this position’ ‘The Deacon will now dictate the answers you are to give’. Then, in the Charge, the example of our ancient and honourable Institution is held up before the newly-made Brother who is reminded of the natural tendency that conduces to make honourable those who emulate honourable precepts.
    In the Second Degree the process is continued. Again the candidate learns by repetition and imitation, and is shown that emulating the integrity of wise employers will dispense with the need for scruple or diffidence.
    In the Third Degree we are faced with that other kind of emulation which is equated with envy, hatred and malice, and will attempt to obtain superior privileges by any means. But we are also given a glorious example of unshaken fidelity to emulate, should we ever find ourselves in a similar state of trial.
    In the Installation ceremony we are shown the other side of the coin: the undoubted fact that while we must always be emulating somebody else, so others are inevitably emulating us. The implications of this are enormous: we have the great responsibility of influencing, for good or ill, the lives of those who look to us for their pattern. The words spoken to the wardens might well be addressed to all masons: on the one hand, ‘What you observe praiseworthy in others you should carefully imitate’, and on the other hand, ‘You ought to be examples of good order and regularity, for it is only by paying due obedience to the laws in our own conduct that we can reasonably expect compliance with them in others’.
    Yes, that is the heart of the matter, and the address to the Master reminds us that our duties in this respect extend beyond the confines of the Lodge; we have an obligation to seek the emulation of all men by practising out of the Lodge the duties we have been taught in it, to prove to the World the happy and beneficial effects of our ancient institution.
    Of course, our secrets must be preserved, but the Craft must not be an entirely inward-looking circle. In the past we have tended to hide our light under too dark a bushel and concealed our identity with too much care. The world will never know to whom it may pour forth its sorrows and prefer its suit unless some of us are ‘said to be members’ of the Institution. Freemasons must never use their membership of the Craft to gain preferment or special privileges, but at the same time they should never conceal their membership. We have nothing to be ashamed of, and very much to be proud of. The important thing is that others should feel uplifted by our conduct to the extent of wishing to emulate what they see in us; and what they see in us will depend on our emulation of those men whom we most admire. Freemasonry has to be learnt as well as taught, and we are required to do both.