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VWB Bob Jensen Deputy of the Grand Master in District 4 of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Washington for 2001-2003 Mailto: bjjcmj@aol.com 23313 94th Place
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Masonic Education - Always More Needed (May 2003)
For many years in the past you have seen and heard me promote Masonic Education. As an active member of Walter F. Meier Lodge of Research and as a Deputy and as a Mason, I strongly believe that our Lodges will only be strong and perform what we should be doing if our members are educated, not only on ritual, lodge procedures, and our code, but also on the history, philosophy and meaning of Masonry. To many Masons, education is almost a dirty word. Many do not want to learn more than they have to. Those that want to learn deserve our help and encouragement in whatever manner that is needed to make them a well rounded and informed Mason. I am seeing more and more Masons who want to learn, who want to know all they can about our great fraternity, and I want to help them achieve their goals.
To that end we held the second Districts Four and Five Workshop on April 5th and those in attendance got a good shotgun approach to a lot of different subjects and hopefully were inspired to look into some of the programs that were offered. I want to commend VW Gale Kenney, Queen Anne Lodge and all those Brothers who presented talks for their efforts on this program and I hope they will be continued in the next Masonic year. Each year our Grand Lodge Committeemen and our elected Officers do their best to inspire each of us to do more both for and in Masonry. For Masonry to help build our Lodges and our Grand Lodge into a better operating and more functional organization. In Masonry by each of us learning more about the organization, what it stands for and what each of us can do to improve it. Each small step makes an overall difference. Each year we pass some resolutions and fail some at Grand Lodge, but over the years you can see some major changes from our position in previous years. To me, the printed Ritual has been one giant major step to improve our ritual. I still hope that sometime soon every Mason who wants a copy will find it available. The Alternate Proficiency has given much more education to new members and old alike. As we move further into the electronic age, we will see even more advances with the new video or DVD lectures and the same electronics can make us all better educated and more interested and involved in Masonry because we can learn and do so much more so quickly. For those without computers there are thousands of books and magazines about Masonry. There is no reason not to learn anything you may want to know. Our Grand Lodge Library has many volumes and the committee members are very willing to help you. Don't let them be idle. Put them to work helping you learn more about whatever interests you. You do not have to be a member of Walter F. Meier Lodge of Research to write a paper on Masonry, but believe me if you start checking out books or reading material on the Internet, you probably will want to be a member. It is probably the least expensive investment in your Masonic education you will ever make.
Each Master of a Lodge has a great challenge. He needs to not only run his Lodge as efficiently as possible, but he also needs to continually educate his members so that when their turn comes to lead the Lodge, they will be prepared and willing and able to do the job in the best manner possible. We have so many different parts and activities in the Lodge, that no one man can do it all. The Master must delegate responsibility, but still lead and have control of what is happening in his Lodge. He is the one ultimately responsible for its success or failure. The members will be truly thankful if the Master does his job properly and keeps the best interests of the Lodge foremost in his mind. These same qualities also apply to Deputies and Grand Masters and both are selected for their abilities and desire to really help Masonry and the Lodges of the jurisdiction. As this Masonic year comes to a close, I know that there will always be more that should be done. No matter how much time and energy is spent, there are still failures along with the successes. I have tried to help the members and Lodges of District Four and it has been both a pleasure and an inspiration to see what has been accomplished in all of the Lodges these past two years. I know that each of you will support the new Deputy and give him the same cooperation and help that you have given me, and I thank you all for you friendships, courtesies and honors. My best wishes to all of you in the coming years and I intend to see you often in Lodge. Don't slow down just because summer is coming. Start planning what you can do to improve yourself in Masonry and put that plan into action, so that by fall you will be both better informed and more inspired than you have ever been before.
Thanks to both the Deputy of the Grand Master in District 4, and the Masonic Monitor which publishes his articles for allowing us to reprint them. The Masonic Monitor is published monthly (except August) under approval of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Washington. The Masonic Monitor can be contacted at: 6619 132nd Avenue NE, PMB 237, Kirkland, WA, 98033-8627, USA. Phone: (425) 822-4605 - FAX: (425) 822-2535 - Email: masonicmonitor@earthlink.net.