Applied Freemasonry

Richard G. Moore, P.M.

R.W. Masonic Digest Writer

MWPH Grand Lodge of California & Hawaii

Masonry was brought to American from England in the year 1730 when a Masonic Lodge was

formed in Philadelphia. The Craft had crossed the channel to England from Europe about 300

years before and in the process transformed our organization from an Operative to a Speculative

Order.

As we prepare to go into the 21th Century, Freemasonry may enter a new third stage of which I

will call "Applied Freemasonry" as it begins to serve the entire human race, and fulfill its true

destiny.

Masonry has not yet achieved this goal partly because of complacent satisfaction in its superiority

and the atmosphere created by its rituals and fraternal friendships. These are beneficial, but

Masonry is not a secret society or a social club. The changes which will accompany Masonry's

transition to the third stage when Masonic principles are put into practical and helpful use will not

hurt the values which Masons hold so important and immutable.

Much of our Masonic secrecy is no longer needed. People today are not enchanted with secret

societies. And there is nothing secret in what Masons do. The more the general public knows

about Masonry the more useful the Fraternity will become.

Masonry must be more universally understood, both inside and outside as a way of life which has

a helpful, practical, supporting purpose.

In every organism there are five stages of life: namely Birth, Growth, Use, Decay and finally

Death. This applies also to life groups, to nations and races of people. It applies to religions and

systems of government. The stage of Usefulness should start during the stage of Growth before.

Masonry is at the end of its growth stage and it must now turn to a state of true Usefulness.

In the new era, Masonry should inspire all Masons to live a Masonic life. How a Mason lives

outside the lodge is much more important than what he does in it. Taking another degree, another

oath, or learning a new sign and /or password does not necessarily evidence forward steps in

Masonic living.

We need not change our rituals. What we need is a change in the understanding of them. We

need not change our precepts, our doctrines or our duties. What we need is to recognize their

significance and how to apply them in practical and useful ways in our daily lives.

Here in California and Hawaii, Prince Hall Freemasonry has taken the first step in "Applied

Freemasonry" with the adoption of an outgoing, aggressive program of support for our childrens'

education with the Masons on Campus program. Prince Hall Masons must individually and

collectively lead the way in demanding higher standards of education, greater citizen participation

in our local, state and national government. We must work for a cleaner environment,

preservation of the Bill of Rights, morality in government and business. And most important of all

an Equal Opportunity for all of us to succeed and become the best that we can be.

Historically Masonry has resisted change. But humanity is ever and constantly changing and like it

or not, Masonry, consisting of human beings, cannot divorce itself from daily human life.

The change from Speculative to Applied Freemasonry will not harm Masonry any more than the

change from Operative to Speculative. For Masonry to live on in the future, it must demonstrate

its usefulness to mankind today.

Now is as good as time as any to start practicing what we have been preaching.

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