Yes, and

Scott Brown, PM Federal Lodge No. 1

After a full year of change and isolation from this great fraternity, there is finally Masonic light at the end of the tunnel. And as we look to the future, questions remain as to how things will look moving forward and how quickly life will return to normal.

While pondering these questions, I took some time to reflect on my own Masonic journey in order to appreciate how far I’ve come, and to also determine what the future might look like for my Masonic career as we get back into the swing of things. During my self-reflection, I was amazed at all the things I have done and the experiences I have been a part of in my 13-years in Freemasonry. But how did I get here?

I can probably bet that every Mason reading this has heard the phrase, you get out of Freemasonry what you put into it—a common saying to anyone in their journey through the Craft. And while I had heard that phrase a million times, it wasn’t until I really took the time to reflect and analyze how I got where I am now, that I realized that this phrase could not be truer.

Freemasonry can be an internal journey, as we study the philosophies and moral teachings that are inculcated to us in our ritual and teachings. But it is also an external journey of relationships and experiences that reinforce and work hand-in-hand with that ritual and those teachings to make us each a better man. In other words, how we interact with others in the Craft can have an outsized effect on our own internal work. Let me give you an example:

I am a firm believer in the power of “yes,” as I have witnessed the results firsthand, because saying “yes” to even the smallest request has taken me on amazing adventures and has changed my life in ways I never thought possible. It’s a concept I took from my work in the theatre, specifically improvisational theatre, where in order to move a story or situation along, the players never say “no” to each other while improvising a scene. Rather, the rule is always to say “yes, and…”. This action positively moves the scene on while also adding to it. In my reflection, I discovered that by saying “Yes, and…” to several seemingly mundane opportunities in my Masonic career, that I “moved the scene forward” in a positive way that often created greater opportunities for me and in turn rewarded me greatly, as well.

It is my hope that as you read this article, you take some time to reflect on your own Masonic journey and what the future looks like for you when we get back to normal. Hopefully, you’ll think about saying “yes” to the adventure of taking a more active role in the fraternity.

A quick disclaimer: it’s no secret that Freemasonry is a volunteer organization. Anytime we commit to doing something, we are giving our time and energy for free, without asking for something in return. We give our efforts to Freemasonry because we believe in the institution and we want to see it succeed. While not all of us give the same amount of time (and that’s okay, we all have lives outside of Freemasonry), I want to give you two examples of times that I said “yes, and…” to the smallest thing that turned into a great adventure.

Example #1 – Speaking at a Lodge in Honolulu, Hawaii

In 2016, I was fortunate enough to be invited by Honolulu Lodge’s Master, Worshipful Brother Owen Shieh, to speak at their guest lecture series. Hawaii was a state that I never thought I would visit, but when the offer came, obviously, I couldn’t refuse. They picked up the tab on my flight and once I got there, I had such a great time speaking and visiting with their members. After my presentation was over, I turned the rest of my visit into one of the most memorable vacations of my life. But how did that happen?

When I first joined Freemasonry, Federal Lodge No. 1 had a text-based website. When searching for Lodges to join in DC, I knew I wanted to visit Federal Lodge, but the website left me feeling scared to reach out. Luckily, I did it anyway—another time I said, “yes,” but perhaps a story for a different time.

After joining, I volunteered to update and revamp their website to make it look less intimidating by including pictures and a “contact us” page, to hopefully make people feel more comfortable in reaching out. I took things a step further and volunteered to manage the emails

coming in from that “contact us” page and I took pride in responding to people in a timely manner.

One day, a Warden from Honolulu Lodge by the name of Owen Shieh, sent a message through the website saying he would be visiting DC and wanted to visit some Lodges and the DC Scottish Rite. I responded quickly with suggestions on Lodges he should visit based on his schedule and invited him to the DC Scottish Rite during one of our Tuesday meetings.

When he arrived, I was there to meet him, and I introduced him to the brethren and showed him around to make him feel welcome. During future visits, I even took the time to take him and other brethren from Hawaii to the House of the Temple for a tour. As time went on, we maintained contact and became friends. Years later, Owen became Worshipful Master of Honolulu Lodge and he invited me to speak to his Lodge.

I never would have received that invitation had I not taken the time and effort to make him feel welcome in DC. I never would have welcomed him to DC had I not responded to his email. I never would have received his email had I not volunteered to manage our “contact us” page. Federal Lodge never would have had a “contact us” page had I not volunteered to redo their website.

I can trace an amazing, life-changing experience in Hawaii back to the simple decision to say “yes, and…” to a website update.

Example #2 – Representing the Class of 33° Inductees

In 2019, I was honored to be elected to receive the 33° for the Valley of Washington, Orient of the District of Columbia of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite. It was one of the most profound experiences of my Masonic career, and to top things off, I was selected to be the exemplar candidate, representing the roughly 400 brethren who were receiving their white caps that biennial in the entire Southern Jurisdiction.

This was one of the most nerve-racking experiences of my life, as well, as all eyes were on me during the ritual and I didn’t want to make a mistake. Following the ceremony, I was asked to give a short speech in response and to speak on behalf of all the new white caps. As I grabbed the microphone and turned to the audience, I saw one of the most amazing sights I have ever seen: a sea of white and purple caps inside a completely full auditorium. This sight came with a rush of nerves and anxiety as I wanted to do a good job, not only for all the new white caps, but for the DC Scottish Rite, as well.

House of the Temple Tour

Washington Business Journal

But I had rehearsed my speech over a hundred times, and I was prepared. I took a deep breath and gave my speech, and it was met with a standing ovation. I received a lot of compliments following the ceremony and, in that moment, I felt extremely proud. But how did all of that happen? Why me?

Looking back in my time at the DC Scottish Rite, I knew I wanted to get involved in the degree work. As someone with a theatre background, the ritual was a perfect fit and I started by volunteering to play a small role in one of the degrees. This led to bigger parts in future reunions, which led to being an assistant director for the 30°. Eventually, I became the director of that degree, which led to bigger responsibilities like running the K.C.C.H. investiture and as Assistant Director of Work. Many years and many reunions later, I became the Director of Work for our Valley and more and more responsibilities are coming my way every day. While I won’t know the reasons for being elected to receive the 33°, I have no doubt the time and efforts I gave to this appendant body had contributed to my receiving this honor.

So, I can clearly trace standing in front of an auditorium full of white and purple caps, representing hundreds of men who were receiving this new honor, to my decision to say “yes” to taking just a small role in one of the degrees.

Amazing.

The list of examples of these great adventures continue. Because of Freemasonry, I have travelled the country, visited places I never thought I’d visit, started new career paths, challenged myself in ways I never thought possible, received honorary titles I never thought I’d reach, met incredible people with friendships that will last a lifetime, and was even featured on the History Channel. And I’ve done all these things because I started with “Yes, and…”.

To be clear, I am not advocating that as we come back to normal, that you say yes to everything. Hindsight is always 20/20 and there have been times where I’ve accepted too much and it has left me stressed, missing things at home, or led me to sleepless nights. Two years ago, my daughter decided to arrive a week early, which overlapped with a huge Scottish Rite reunion where I directed a degree, featuring a cast made up of all Past Grand Masters—something that hadn’t been done in almost 100-years. Needless to say, it was a stressful time that I’m not sure I would like to repeat. Finding my work / life / Freemasonry balance is still something I’m working on, and I hope you’ll exercise that balance, as well—always discovering and respecting the length of your cable-tow.

So as Freemasonry starts to return, reflect on your own personal journey, and spend some time thinking about the future. It’s time to get active and get more involved. Think about ways in which you can participate more as we get back to work, and how you will balance that with your work and family. This fraternity cannot succeed without the efforts and input of brothers like you. All it takes is a simple, “Yes, and…”. You’ll be surprised at where it will take you.

THE VOICE OF FREEMASONRY Grand Lodge, F.A.A.M. of DC 5428 MacArthur Blvd., N.W. Washington, DC 20016-2524

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In response to the current crisis, and the impact it will have on many members’ health, livelihoods, and families, many DC Masonic organizations came together to create the Joint Masonic COVID Crisis Fund. The Fund centrally collects donations from individuals and Masonic bodies/ organizations and has in place an expedited process to provide funds, goods, and services for relief to brothers, sisters, and their immediate family.

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