21 Years into the 21st Century

In the transcript of the 1975 Oration of VW Isaac Puno, Jr. entitled “On the Threshold of the 21st Century”, our esteemed Orator, gave reference to Alvin Toffler, quoting from his 1970 book, Future Shock. The American author is known for his discussions about modern technologies, including both digital and communication revolutions. His term "future shock" refers to what happens to a society when change happens too fast, the resulting social confusion and breakdown of normal decision-making processes. The events resulting from the Pandemic of 2020 is a classic example. Alvin Toffler wrote a sequel in 1980, The Third Wave. It was a staple read in the Masteral Course that we took at the Technology Management Center in UP – Diliman back in 2000. Curiously, the contents of the book is as relevant today as when it was written forty years ago. Probing deeper in Masonic History one can fit Masonry in Toffler’s framework. The book classifies societies or civilizations based on the concept of “waves” with each wave pushing the older societies and cultures aside:

First Wave Civilization belongs to the Agricultural Society that has long existed in the world replacing hunter-gatherer cultures of the Stone Age. It is labor-intensive and characterized by a rural mindset. The Temple Builders and Operative Mason Guilds belong here, as well as the oldest Lodges in Scotland and the early Speculative Masons who developed the Masonic Rituals.

The Second Wave is the Industrial Age society. It began in Western Europe with the Industrial Revolution, subsequently spreading across the world. Popularized by economic historian Arnold Toynbee, the term Industrial Revolution was used to describe Britain’s economic development from 1760 to 1840. Its enterprises are generally characterized as capital-intensive eventually giving birth to legal entities known as Corporations. Although the founding of the Premier Grand Lodge of England in 1717 (which pioneered the fraternity’s Grand Lodge System) occurred 4 decades earlier in 1717, this organized form of Freemasonry developed and prospered well during the Industrial period. At this time, both Anglo-American and Continental Forms developed their systems ultimately leading to the founding of various Grand Obediences. Second Wave Civilization spread out in the next 200 years. It help drove colonial powers to impose their will in First Wave Societies, eventually leading to the creation of modern societies politically known as Nation States. Interestingly, some if not most of the Founding Fathers of these Nation States are Freemasons. Toffler defined Second Wave Civilization as to follow the following principles or codes:

Standardization - the principle of conforming to an established grade or quality.

Specialization - the principle of honing skills to become an expert in a particular field or subject.

Synchronization - the principle of setting two or more activities on the same time or rate.

Concentration - the principle of gathering people, resources, and other things in a particular area or institution.

Maximization - the principle of making something as great in amount, size, or importance as much as possible. It demon-

Centralization - the principle of consolidating the control of an activity or organization under a single authority.

A product of the Second Wave, Modern Masonry follows the same principles – our Rituals and Degrees are standardized, with specialized roles in its performance; our Business Meetings are synchronized to a regular stated time of the month and activity cycles in sync throughout any given year; we concentrate or congregate our members in Temples and Halls; there is a tendency for some lodges to maximize their infrastructures as well as their funds; and supreme masonic authorities are centralized in a Grand Obedience like a Grand Lodge or Grand Orient.

The Third Wave is the postindustrial society. According to Toffler, it began in the United States in the late 1950s when the population of whitecollar workers began to exceed those of the blue collars. This indicator appertains to the increasing value in office work – the processing of data and information. Most countries have been transitioning from a Second Wave society into a Third Wave society since. This post-industrial age is knowledge-intensive, creating tasks not considered before. It is also referred to as the Information Age. Industrialization varies from one country to another. In Asia, Japan was the first to industrialize followed by Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan. Although (sadly) still a developing country, manifestations of the Information Age can be observed in Philippine Society. An initial review of a household’s monthly utility bills will reveal that data is now a household staple. By 2020, Filipino Households pay for added utilities such as Internet Services (PLDT / Converge), Streaming Services (Netflix / Spotify), on top of Mobile Phone Subscriptions (Smart / Globe) just to gain access to information. Second Wave Bills like Electricity, Water, and LPG remain essential as ever. Even in Masonic Organizations such as Lodges, Clubs, Appendant Bodies, and the Grand Lodge is the Information Age strongly felt. The articles written in this TECH Edition of the Cable Tow is by itself a testimony that Philippine Masonry has arrived in the Information Age or the Third Wave.

“A powerful tide is surging across much of the world today, creating a new, often bizarre, environment in which to work, play, marry, raise children, or retire. In this bewildering context, businessmen swim against highly erratic economic currents; politicians see their ratings bob wildly up and down; universities, hospitals, and other institutions battle desperately against inflation. Value systems splinter and crash, while the lifeboats of family, church, and state are hurled madly about. Looking at these violent changes, we can regard them as isolated evidences of instability, breakdown, and disaster. Yet, if we stand back for a longer view, several things become apparent that otherwise go unnoticed … all seem like isolated events. Yet precisely the reverse is true. These and many other seemingly unrelated events or trends are niter-connected. They are, in fact, parts of a much larger phenomenon: the death of industrialism and the rise of a new civilization. “

Forty six years ago, a Grand Orator spoke of the coming challenges of the new millennium reminding our forebears to be ready to grapple with it and pass on a meaningful legacy to the Brethren of the next generation. The level of time has crossed the year 2000 mark, and here we are now 21 years into the 21st Century - another generation of masons facing another set of challenges. May we triumph as well, and in our humble way contribute to the shaping of Masonry as we pass it on to succeeding generations of masons unto the next wave of Human Civilization.