Lodge Burroughs Strange No. 87
Vijayawada, India

Most Worshipful Grand Masters of Grand Lodges attending the conference, fellow delegates and R. W. Bro. Thomas Jackson, Executive Secretary, World Conference and dear Brethren, I consider the opportunity given to me to share my thoughts on “Preserving Masonic Philosophy and teachings in a permanently changing environment”, in this World Conference, before such an august gathering, a great honour and thank the Organizers for the same.

Before I commence my presentation, I would like to offer my sincere and heartfelt condolences to the people of Gabon and the brethren of the Grand Lodge of Gabon, who have recently lost their President and Grand Master in the person of His Excellency M. W. Bro. Omar Bongo Odimba.

I also take this opportunity to congratulate his son M. W. Bro. Ali Bongo Odimba, on his succeeding his illustrious father, as the President of Gabon and the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Gabon. I wish him and the Conference all success.

It will also be appropriate, if I give a brief introduction about myself and the Grand Lodge of India, before I start my presentation. I had the privilege of becoming a Freemason as a Lewis at the age of 20 and have thus been a Freemason for more than 55 years now. This is my second tenure as Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge of India, and the third occasion on which I am attending a World Conference as a delegate.

Freemasonry came to India in 1729, within 12 years of 1717, when Freemasonry in its present form came into existence in England. Initially we had Lodges functioning under the Grand Lodges of England Scotland and Ireland, as also a few French and Dutch Lodges. The Grand Lodge of India was consecrated in November 1961, when 145 out of the then existing Lodges, opted to come over to the Grand Lodge of India. Today we have 366 Lodges in our jurisdiction, with a strength of about 20,000 Freemasons and a good mix of youth and age. Our present Grand Master, who addressed the gathering yesterday, is the 13th in the line of Grand Masters since the formation of the Grand Lodge of India. Our next Grand Master is due to be installed in about two weeks from now. We held the 6th World Conference in India, in the year 2002 on completion of 40 years and would like to host the 12th World Conference in India coinciding with the completion of our Golden Jubilee year in November 2012 and the Installation of the 15th Grand Master, for which a separate presentation will be given later

I now come to the subject matter of my presentation.

Masonry in its present form has survived for over 300 years in different parts of the world, in countries with widely varying backgrounds, cultures, languages and customs, not to speak of widely varying religious beliefs and faiths. In fact we Freemasons believe that the origin of Freemasonry is veiled in the obscurity of the dim past. Nevertheless, Freemasonry and its Philosophy have survived major upheavals of history in many of the countries. At the same time, it cannot be denied that the environment in which Freemasonry has existed since the time it first came into existence, has undergone changes beyond the imagination of anyone and is also continuously changing, if anything, more rapidly than ever before. I for one therefore believe that there is no danger to the survival of Freemasonry. There is however no room for complacency. If eternal Vigilance is the price of Democracy, it is equally so for Freemasonry. It is therefore but proper that we take stock of where we stand and which way we are going, every now and then, particularly on occasions like this when we have a representative gathering of Freemasons from all over the World and ponder on what needs to be done to preserve Masonic Philosophy and its teachings in this rapidly changing environment.

All of us I am sure, have heard it said, in one forum or the other, that Freemasonry is at the Crossroads and that it is very necessary for Freemasons to move with the times and chart out a fresh path, consistent with current day requirements. Some others have called the need for ‘Modernizing Freemasonry’ on the plea that in some respects, it is archaic and not suited to current day ethos and culture and needs change. R. W. Bro. Thomas Jackson has in his introductory letter addressed to all of us, as part of the World Conference folder, has rightly pointed out the variations of styles of Freemasonry in the world, based on the emphasis placed upon it by the society in which it develops. The beauty of Freemasonry however is its unity in diversity, in terms of its singleness of purpose and principles and tenets, as well as the unifying philosophy of the Fatherhood of God and the Brotherhood of Man and its Universal Motto of “Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth”. It is also often said that we have not moved with the times, but continue with our old traditional ways. No doubt as they say, the only thing constant in this world is change. In so far as Freemasonry is concerned, this is somewhat of a delicate ground and has to be trodden, not only with due care, but also with a deep understanding of its basic philosophy and approach. In any case we cannot afford to forget that all of us have taken a solemn obligation that we will preserve inviolate, the ancient customs and usages, as well as the Landmarks of the Order.

In my humble view the aims and objectives of Freemasonry are unidirectional, being mainly directed at the individual and concerned with making a good man better and thus making him a better member of society and also thereby making the World a better place to live. It requires Freemasons to follow that straight and undeviating path laid down for us in the Volumes of the Sacred Law. So where is the question of Freemasonry being at a crossroad, to decide, which way we are to take, or for deciding alternative routes for Freemasonry? All of us acknowledge Freemasonry as a way of life. Can we do anything to change the conditions which sustain life? For example, surely we cannot do anything to the fundamentals of life, such as breathing, walking or sleeping. We cannot improve upon the rays of the sun, nor can we find a substitute for water. It is therefore clear that nothing can be done to modernize the fundamentals of life. In a like manner nothing can be done to modernize Freemasonry. No clear indication is also available as to how to go about it and where to begin and where to end the process of modernization. It has therefore to be accepted as it is, with all its history, its traditions, its principles and purposes. The only possible change may perhaps be in the manner in which we apply Masonry to our respective lives. What Freemasonry offers to a Mason of today, is as necessary, relevant and worthwhile, as it was to a Freemason of hundred years ago. What its philosophy is worth today, it was worth a century ago. No part of it can be eliminated without losing something of its lasting value, nor can much be added to it, to make it more progressive and modern. The modernization of Freemasonry must therefore, if at all, take place within each individual Freemason, by a process of updating his knowledge, through a more careful study and understanding of the Institution and finding fresh appreciation of its principles and tenets, rather than to generalize on the vague and indefinite plan of “modernizing Freemasonry”.

It is an acknowledged fact that the major problem facing Freemasonry today, of course in different degrees, in different jurisdictions, is, if not actual fall in Membership, the lack of growth in Membership and the problem of retention and reducing dropouts. Viewed carefully, this problem is no different from the marketing of a product which is not selling and is therefore likely to be pushed out of the market. Therefore in the context of dwindling membership growth and difficulty in retaining existing membership, it may be worthwhile to look at Freemasonry in marketing terms, as a product. Thus “Freemasonry” as a product is what we are “selling” or providing for existing members and potential members. As we have seen, Freemasonry is a very stable product in itself and very little can be done to alter the product, without changing it entirely in essence and appearance. Its principles and tenets have stood the test of time and are as valid today as ever. As a business therefore we find that we cannot change the product called Freemasonry and still remain in the same business. Even if for a moment, we consider that we may bring about some change in that product and thereby produce a somewhat better product, it will not perhaps be long before somebody else decides that the new and so called improved product is not quite right and needs further change to meet the current demands of society! Obviously therefore changing Freemasonry as a product is not an option available to us. We must therefore learn to accept that what we stand for as Freemasons will and should always remain the same. Thus, if we are not able to change the product, we must explore how we can change the packaging and make it more attractive to the potential customers, while making it more acceptable to the existing customers. Hard sell and canvassing, glamorous advertisement and mass recruitment is not for Freemasonry, however much we may dress it up. We must realize that Freemasonry is there to be adopted as a way of life and savoured by those with minds attuned to its attainment and what it provides. We must also accept the fact that Freemasonry is not for everyone, but that in every society at all times there will be those to whom it will appeal and who will be attracted to it as customers, by its ‘packaging’. It will then our responsibility as Freemasons to identify such potential customers, and “package” it differently, by taking appropriate opportunities to dispel the old myth of secrecy and turn the spotlight on the benefits of Freemasonry. We must also identify the positive and beneficial aspects of Freemasonry and talk openly about them and try to promote them, starting with the home and the family, expanding through ones circle of friends and acquaintances and workplace, leaving it to the Grand Lodge concerned to deal with the media, so that a constant and coherent message comes across; otherwise there will be the danger of as many viewpoints as there are members of the Order and the media and the public continuing to be confused about what Freemasons are and what they stand for.

Much has been made of the changing attitudes in Modern Society particularly among the younger generation and the difficulty in attracting them and retaining them in Freemasonry, The discussion in this presentation will not be complete without touching on this aspect.

If Freemasonry is to be successful in recruiting younger members belonging to the Modern Society, it is essential that we have a clear idea of the effect the so called life in Modern Society has had on these young men, we wish to recruit. It is important for us to understand their needs, their thinking and their moral values.

The rapidly changing society has mounted such a pressure on the modern young men that, experts predict that the average person may change his career at least three times during his working life. Many of them have learnt that long term plans are futile, because the constant flux inevitably out dates their plans. Thus the modern man is presently tremendously mobile and transient and a substantial number of them move every 2 or 3 years, which takes them on a globe trotting expedition and he finds himself shifted to that part of the world where he is most needed. He has therefore neither the time nor the desire to form strong bonds of allegiance to any city. For the same reasons he is too reluctant to become actively involved in any social activity, which requires his commitment. He knows his colleagues at work only to the extent it is necessary for needs arising out of business relationships. Consequently, when the relationship no longer serves an economic or functional purpose, it can be terminated quickly without any sense of loss or grief. This modern man, working in a fast paced world is always short of time. The result of this increased pace of life has placed the modern man in a position, where it is more and more difficult for him to allot any particular day or time, to any specific leisure activity, let alone becoming a member of a Masonic Lodge and committing himself to attend its meetings regularly.

In elaborating the above characteristic of the Modern Man, the essential point I am trying to make is that Freemasonry has to bear in mind and to the best of its ability, understand and appreciate the condition and environment prevailing in the Modern Technological Society, before we can address the question of how to make Freemasonry attractive to the younger generation.

Another point to be noted is that in this highly technological age, the modern young men are constantly exploring the internet, where they often come across widely differing and conflicting views about Freemasonry, which leaves them confused. Considerable responsibility therefore lies on us as Freemasons to interact with the younger generation and help in shedding the cloak of secrecy surrounding Freemasonry.

At this stage I would like to remind the brethren present here, about the question asked by every Worshipful Master, in every Lodge to the Senior Warden, while closing the Lodge, when he asks the Senior Warden, whether all the wages have been paid, to which he replies, that they have, so far as due and demanded. I think there is need for us to ponder over this question and to the reply, in the context of what I had stated earlier. Obviously, we do not pay any wage in kind, to the brethren who attend our Lodges. The symbolical wages that a brother receives from Lodge, is the benefit he derives from attending the Lodge Meetings and being part of the Masonic Brotherhood. The Modern young man, whom we may mange to induct into Freemasonry, often spends his prime time in the Lodge, leaving his family and other social commitments. If therefore at the end of the meeting, he feels that the time spent by him had been worth while, then we can assume that his wages have been duly paid. If on the other hand he feels that it has been a waste of time, which could have been better spent than attending the Lodge and he feels he did not derive any benefit from attending, then surely we can take it that he has not been paid his wages. Then like all disgruntled workmen, who have not been paid their wages, or they feel that they have been underpaid, he would start looking for other avenues and would start disassociating himself from the Lodge. Soon, he will find that his absence is not missed and nobody bothers to find out why he has not been attending the Lodge and he drops out. This I think is the crux of the whole question of retaining the attention of the younger men who join our Institution. It is for each Lodge to ensure that they not only need to look forward to the younger persons to join their Lodge, but also see that their interest is sustained by making special efforts to involve them in different ways in the inside and outside the Lodge activities. We must involve them actively in the Lodge affairs by making use of their different skills. They should be made to feel important and wanted and not neglected and left to fend for themselves as it often happens in some of the Lodges, once they are initiated passed and raised.

Having made those general observations, in keeping with the purpose of this conference of sharing the individual experiences of the Grand Lodges, I would like to take this opportunity to bring to the notice of this august audience, our experience in the Grand Lodge of India in dealing with these aspects.

Our M. W, the Grand Master, who made his presentation yesterday had on the occasion of his installation in October 2006 announced the following Mission and Vision for Freemasonry in India:

• Bring about Masonic Liberalization in the Country.
• Check Drop-out by vigorous efforts at Lodge Level.
• Adopt “Each One Bring One” as a slogan so that we not only have more men in Freemasonry, but also more Freemasonry in more men.
• Instill more Freemasonry in Men by spreading the message and philosophy of Freemasonry widely.
• Endeavour to make Freemasonry more vibrant and dynamic in the country.

Thereafter, in a seminar organized for the implementation of his Mission and Vision, it was suggested that a 5R’s Strategy may be adopted as follows:

• R1: Strategy to ‘Reach Out’ for Masonic Liberalization.
• R2: Strategy to ‘Retain’ the interest of new Initiates, during their early years, to prevent their losing interest & dropout.
• R3: Strategy to ‘Revitalize’ Lodges by implementing the slogan “Each One Bring One” and taking other measures for instilling more Freemasonry, in more men and spreading the Message & Philosophy of Freemasonry more widely.
• R4: Strategy of ‘Renew and Revive’ by re-kindling interest of brethren with waning interest, who are potential dropouts.
• R5: Strategy of ‘Raise the Bar’ by constantly endeavouring to raise the standard of all round performance of Lodges, its Officers and members and taking steps to make Freemasonry, more vibrant and dynamic in the country.

Each of the above strategies was further elaborated in detail, to prepare an action plan for the Lodges to follow. Due to time constraints, I regret that it may not be possible to share the full presentation here. However it is felt that each Regular Masonic Jurisdiction may, depending on the circumstances and situation obtaining in their jurisdiction, consider adopting similar strategies for preserving Masonic Philosophy in a permanently changing environment.

I thank you for your patient hearing.