Reflections of a Freemason

As some of you more conspiratorial-minded readers might have surmised, I am a Freemason. I'm very proud of that fact -- the Masonic brotherhood is one of the greatest organizations I have had the honor of belonging to.

Many people have peculiar ideas about Freemasonry. At its heart, it's a benevolent fraternity mostly composed of men of high principles. It is not a secret society, nor is it a conspiracy of men who secretly run the world from behind the scenes. We don't represent a hidden agenda or any such nonsense. We are merely a group of guys devoted to living out the principles of brotherhood amongst ourselves who strive to apply the lessons we learn in doing so to society around us.

We have men from all walks in life. We're not all saints, nor do we claim to be.

There are requirements for becoming a Freemason. You must be a man. You must be at least 18 years of age. You must believe in deity. It is expected that you be a man of good character. You must also be willing to ask to join -- we don't recruit. Perhaps most importantly of all, you must desire to join out of a positive opinion of the institution itself and not for the purposes of personal gain. Freemasonry is not for everyone.

Freemasonry is an effective organization. Masonic lodges and our appendant organizations (such as the Shriners) provide on average a million dollars a day to charitable causes. We provide support to numerous causes throughout society.

Part of the reason that Freemasonry is so effective is that it is an effective network. While many outsiders would consider our rituals and customs to be strange, what they do is create a unifying culture within this network -- a shared sense of identity among our members. Through this unified culture we build bonds of trust between each other. We become acquainted with the talents of those brethren with whom we meet in our lodges and during our travels.

This network contributes to our success, both as an institution and in our personal lives.

I've stated plainly in the past that you can't get ahead of life on your own. You need other people. There are various ways of meeting people, but the best ways involve being part of a network together. You can join an existing network or create your own -- it doesn't matter. In being part of a network, you have the skills of others at your fingertips -- both directly and indirectly.

Masons are traditionally accused of playing favoritism with other Masons. That's not a conspiracy. Whose talents are you more likely to tap into for a future project or venture -- some one you just met or someone you know, trust, and whose talents are readily apparent to you? The first is a gamble. The second involves a calculated risk. Gambles can cost you big. Calculated risks are what lead to success.

My point here isn't to convince you to become a Mason. Only you can decide whether that's the right course for you. What I'm saying is that it's to your benefit to belong to a network of individuals of some sort, whether it's something you have to join or whether it's something you create yourself. This goes far beyond financial well being. Sometimes it's useful just to have a group for emotional support that you can fall back on when times get tough. It doesn't matter if it's the Masons, the Rotary, the Elks, your local Church, your school chess club, or Alcoholics Anonymous -- networks of every sort will get you ahead in life.