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PROCEEDINGS OF THE
1993
grow or it dies; and, along with that, the quickest rule in 'the world for learning anything is to endeavor to become educated about it. We simply cannot have a sustained interest in anything, including Mfisonry, in which we have little or no information. The more members know of our product or service, the more they will be motivated to learn and do. Most of us will agree that the members of Freemasonry forced a major change when it went from operative to speculative. There was no 3rd degree prior to 1717. Webb added and deleted, then the Webb work was accepted. Can you imagine the major discussions regarding these changes? But they were accepted! It made Masonry and the membership self-made and successful for future ages. There was a change! Remember the line from Shakespeare: "The fault, Dear Brutus, lies not in our stars, but in ourselves that we are underlings." That is a handy arrangement when you stop to think about it because that means if we are not satisfied with the progress Freemasonry is making, the men we need to see about it are right here in this room, the voting delegates. We don't need to complain to the Grand Master, the Grand Officers, Jurisprudence Committee or the Committee on Work. The men we need to discuss this with are right here in this room. All Masons want to improve our fraternal circumstances but are we willing to improve our fraternity with moderate and well planned change to improve the circumstances? I suggest that if we are going to maintain our fraternity in a positive manner, we must once again accentuate the positive and revitalize the weak of will whose attitude and activity seem to be characterized by the attitude that if at first you don't succeed, "to hell with it." There is one lesson that will never change - you can count on it, my friends - it is absolutely guaranteed. Something for nothing is no more possible in economics than perpetual motion is in physics. A system has never been devised that will work that way. Everything we have as members is our fraternity must be dug out of a population, taken from the community, processed, refined, polished and chafed, combined with ritual and education, then finally delivered as a member and asset of Masonry. There is simply no other source of membership wealth. There is no Grand Master and no Masonic legislature who can change that. The change you must make is your assurance that this will help. You and I as members can change our circumstances if we address solutions for "our probems." Remember, I said that I think we have the problems, not Masonry. It would seem logical and expedient that we concentrate on that which we can change. The purpose and trust toward the future is to stimulate ideas and information and respond to the challenge of continuous change. "Every adversity carries with it the seed of an equivalent or greater benefit." A positive attitude toward proper change equips a membership to see opportunity in difficulty. It is worth remembering that success is the result of attitude rather than attitude being the result of success. Success is an inside job!! Excuses cannot be used for membership