DEPUTY GRAND MASTER’S MESSAGE1

Jacob M. Bressman Deputy Grand Master

north polar star which keeps its place and all the stars turn towards it.” He also stated that “To see what is right, and not to do it, is want of courage or of principle.”

Though it need not be said, I commend our Grand Master on his leadership and wisdom throughout the year thus far. For many years, our Grand Lodge has turned a blind eye towards bad behavior, behavior which has run rampant through the halls of our Sacred Craft. As Confucius said, if we are faced with what is right, and we do not do it, we show a lack of courage. Our Grand Master's courage has enabled him to make those hard, yet necessary, decisions, for the Good of our Craft.

In my opinion, a leader must be willing to do what is right for the greater good. When serving an institution, a leader must think of the future, what precedents are being set, and how the institution can best be preserved for later generations. A leader must do what is right, even when it is hard. A leader, must be willing to stand up in the face of what is wrong, and name it as such. My Brothers, the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.

I ran for election as a Grand Lodge Officer because I saw things which were wrong, and I could not sit back and do nothing in good conscience. Likewise, I pray that each of us will stand up and say something when we see something which is wrong. What has been happening in our Grand Jurisdiction is wrong, and just as our Grand Master has battled this year against such vice, we too cannot tolerate it any longer.

For the first time in many, many years, we have Grand Lodge Pillar Officers who are truly united, ones who fully support our Grand Master in this most noble mission to ensure that the basic principles of decency prevail. The progressive line too has pledged their unequivocal support of these efforts, and thus our joint mission to bring common decency to our Craft shall continue for the next decade, at the very least.

Our efforts to restore the Craft, and to demand compliance with our code, with our protocols, etiquette, and traditions, are here to stay, my brothers, of this you can be certain. But why do we do this, my brothers? Why are the Grand Master and the Grand Line championing a strict adherence to our Code and Rituals?

Simply put, because this is what Masonry is, Masonry demands it, and for us as Masons, it is what we must do, lest we cease to practice Freemasonry.

The idea that Brother Masons could treat their fellows the way that we have seen in recent years is absolutely vile, it is disgusting, and it is shameful. These acts are beneath us, and fly in the face of our obligations as Freemasons, obligations, which each of us took before God. While it may seem that some have willfully perjured themselves before God, we, as just and upright Masons must not stand for such acts.

Irrespective of who is right or who is wrong, this is not the way. We should be above this, we must be above this, and I had hoped that we could have been above this.

In light of what we have seen, I think back to why I became a Mason to begin with, and what I had hoped being a Mason would mean. We come to Masonry to learn to subdue our passions, and improve ourselves in Masonry. But I ask, how many of us are actually learning to do this, and practicing it? My brothers, we must live our obligations, we must actualize Freemasonry within our lives. The Craft is bigger than any one of us, we cannot allow it to be destroyed over petty quarrels.

As I have said before in several of our Grand Visitations, Masonry is not suitable for everyone, and likewise, not everyone is suitable for Masonry. If you wish to practice Masonry, we welcome you with open arms. But if you seek the profane, then there is no place for you here. Whether we disagree, or agree, we must come together as brothers. To sit respectfully in fraternal discourse, that we may overcome any obstacles which may be in our way. We have a rough and rugged path to journey, but we must do this together.

All difficulties can be overcome, if only we work together as brothers to do so. Not one of us wakes up in the morning planning to do evil, we are all human, and forgiveness is always possible, if only it is sought. A pure and contrite heart can do wonders. I therefore pray that we can put our differences behind us, and move forward for the good of our beloved Craft.

The Buddha said that “there is nothing more dreadful than the habit of doubt. Doubt separates people. It is a poison that disintegrates friendships and breaks up pleasant relations. It is a thorn that irritates and hurts; it is a sword that kills.” My brothers, let us not doubt each other and our intentions. We are all here due to our love of Freemasonry, and our love of each other. For peace and harmony to prevail, we must work together. We must fight for our Craft, for indeed it is worth fighting for, if anything is; let us therefore support our Grand Master, for our Craft must be restored. My brothers, we must fight for the ultimate triumph of peace, enough is enough, let us practice Freemasonry, and restore our most noble Order.

I end, with a prayer for the restoration of our Craft:

He who makes peace in his high places

He shall make peace upon us

And upon all of Israel

Oseh shalom bimromav

Hu ya’aseh shalom aleynu

Ve’al kol yisrael

Ve’imru, And let us say, Amen.

Thank you, my dear brothers.

Sincerely & Fraternally,

Brother Jacob M. Bressman Deputy Grand Master 