GRAND MASTER’S MESSAGE The impact we have on society as Freemasons depends on how well we spread our noble principles. But “brotherly love” is about much more than caring for each other. It is also about striving for unity of purpose, and for the clarity that permits us to do good work. Our ritual provides us that clarity and assures us that such unity of purpose and harmony “is the strength and support of all wellregulated institutions, more especially this of ours.” But our ritual is meaningless if we cannot put it to work, and there is no lack of opportunities in front of us.
Michael D. Nicholas, Sr., Grand Master Dear Brethren, Families, and Friends,
P
lease enjoy this latest edition of our Grand Lodge magazine! We have some talented writers who have contributed great articles on everything from history to haberdashery. There is something for everyone! I would like to stress one overriding theme for this issue. This year we celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the establishment of Masonic recognition between the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Washington DC and our own. Prior to the pandemic interruptions, we had several things planned to recognize this important milestone. So instead of those events, we are using this issue of The Voice to highlight the anniversary. Please let it serve as a reminder of that speculative tool we use to spread brotherly love and affection —the trowel.
Further, “Unity of purpose” does not mean that we all think alike. That would be stupefyingly boring. But it does mean that we are united in the belief that each brother has the right to hold and offer his own opinions. Each brother has a voice. We demonstrate our Masonic principles and unity of purpose when we listen to opinions that differ from our own, and yet we still respond with love and respect. We all know that our nation is wracked with rancor and division, compounded by the COVID pandemic and the impending national election. Social justice issues and long-buried hurts are now at our doorstep. We need to deal with this in a Masonic way. I ask you once again to please be careful of your posts and responses on social media.
Our ritual is meaningless if we cannot put it to work. And our Craft has not only survived but prospered. Why? I was with a group of Masons last week (properly distanced) to discuss some of these serious issues. One of the brethren remarked on the composition of the 15 or so men assembled: young, old, conservative, progressive, black, white, Hispanic, and all different religions. And this was just a small sampling of our Grand Jurisdiction. How many organizations can quickly assemble such a diverse group that is capable of a serious and respectful exchange of opinions? Not too many. The good news is that Freemasons have the tools, the guidance, the history, and the mutual love and respect to address these issues. We will survive all of this because we believe in values that transcend today’s problems. Our challenge is to spread these values to our community. And even when society seems to “break”, we persevere. There were Freemasons on both sides of our Revolutionary War, our Civil War, and on all sides in the World Wars of the 20th Century. And there are many stories of how Masons reached across to Brothers on the other “side” when the opportunity presented itself to be more of a human being and less of a combatant.
We will survive all of this because we believe in values that transcend today’s problems. But here is the good news. This is not our first rodeo as Freemasons. Our Craft has survived everything from the French Revolution to the Whiskey Rebellion, the Jacobite rising in Scotland to the European Revolutions of 1848, the Morgan Affair through the American Civil War to the War on Terrorism, and countless other wars and strife throughout the world.
Gettysburg has the “Friend to Friend” monument, placed by the Brethren of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, to commemorate that moment on the Gettysburg battlefield when Union Army Captain Henry H. Bingham assisted the mortally wounded Confederate Brigadier ISSUE 3, 2020 THE VOICE OF FREEMASONRY | 1
