Freemasonry and Public Affairs

Stoking the Flames of Excellence

Bro. Garrison K. Courtney

Asst. to the Grand Master for Public Affairs

Since affiliating with the Grand Lodge of Washington that those that we seek will come to us by virtue of D.C., I have seen a flame from within the memberwho we are. ship; a flame that has been slowly building within the hearts and minds of the members, regardless of age, background or length of service to the Craft. You can see it in the eyes of the Grand Lodge Officers and in the voices of the new candidates as they are initiated…there is something within them that is yearning to be unleashed. As I have watched this flame build, I realize that it is being stoked by a belief that Freemasonry is more relevant in today’s world than it has been in the last forty years. Freemasonry was always known as a society where good men work to become better and its members were considered the Who’s Who in politics, science, math, civics and business. However, due to major social/political issues and shifting priorities of our times, our fraternity has struggled to By way of introduction, my name is Garrison K. Courtney and I am currently the Chief of Public Affairs for the Drug Enforcement Administration. In this position, I interact with media outlets both domestically and internationally. Formerly, I was a television news anchor in the Pacific Northwest and have been a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security and for a member of Congress. As the Assistant to the Grand Master for Public Affairs, my role over the course of this year will be to help us create an unstoppable wildfire of Masonic action and a voice that originates from the Washington D.C. Free and Accepted Masons that spreads worldwide. Working together, we can do it. As Assistant to the Grand MasWe must know and understand our community, and our D.C. community must know and understand us and feel confident with our work. achieve the status it once ter for Public Affairs, I will play enjoyed during the 1940’s and an active role in reviewing, 1950’s in America. designing and implementing the fraternity’s efforts Over the last several months, I have pondered deeply about how to stoke the flame, this passion in strategic communications including, med tions, electronic and print communications. ia relawithin the Grand Lodge membership, in order to Our communications activities will operate with two assist in the elevation of our fraternity back into its main objectives: institutional communications, i n rightful spot as the voice of moderation, tolerance which our Grand Lodge communicates to external and civic debate in America. I have read the many audiences; and program communications, in which member websites, Grand Lodge publications and communication activities are undertaken by the fraother forms of communications that exist within our ternity in the context of its program initiatives. The great fraternity and have seen the same flame communications function is therefore both a central throughout blue lodges worldwide. As such, I am and cross-cutting function of the future of this great determined to provide my services in order to create fraternity in our Grand Jurisdiction. a prominent public face for the fraternity in Washington D.C.. We must create visibility. We must know and understand our community, and our D.C. community must know and understand us and feel confident with our work. We can no longer afford to simply hold our stated communications, and hope I am truly looking forward to serving you within this capacity and hope to work with every lodge this year to provide the working tools needed to educate potential members, create public opportunities and generate news interest in the service we as Freemasons provide to our community. ■