By Bro. Roger Waltham
For any society to be strong, it must rely on its members to work together. That is as true for a nation as it is for a small group. A country must lay aside its internal differences and unite as a single nation if it is to successfully repel adversity. A political party must gather itself together behind a single vision and promote a determined unity of direction if it is to gain the confidence of the electorate, win votes and beat its opposition. A team of horses needs to work in harmony with a single aim in view if it is to successfully pull a wagon along a road. Eight players on a rugby pitch need to work together as a single unit if they are to scrummage and win possession of the ball successfully.
Inevitably, within any disparate group of people, there will be found variety and contradiction; misunderstanding and disagreement; differing interpretations and opinions. In weaker societies, where the rules are not clear, or where members place personal aggrandisement above the raison d'etre of the society, failure is inevitable. There is nothing wrong with ambition, and there is nothing wrong with individual success, but if that is gained as a result of a blatant and ruthless disregard for the purpose of the society or the welfare of its members, then it is shameful and deserving of ultimate failure.
In a stronger society, the rules are distinct and clearly understood by all. People ascend within the hierarchy of success and leadership as a result of the support, both tangible and intangible, of the rest of the society. Brethren, Freemasonry is one such society, and whether it is at individual Lodge level, or on a Provincial, District or National stage, we are just as reliant on our unity of purpose as any other. We have a unique advantage over other societies, in that we frequently remind ourselves, through our ceremonies, of the basic rules and purpose of the society. Compassion, benevolence, and integrity in all things (or as the ancients wrote it "Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth"). I believe that we are largely successful in maintaining our aims, our unity of purpose, as a result of those frequent reminders which are contained within the allegory of our ritual and ceremonies.
We give a great deal of time to learning the words of our ritual, and work very hard at producing a good standard when performing our ceremonies. That, Brethren, is really just the beginning, and it is only through a proper understanding of what is being said when those hard-learned words are uttered, that we can fully appreciate the exquisite messages contained within them; compassion, benevolence and integrity which are the very foundations of our structure.
Within those words can be found our unity of purpose which will sustain this wonderful society from generation to generation.
For any society to be strong, it must rely on its members to work together. That is as true for a nation as it is for a small group. A country must lay aside its internal differences and unite as a single nation if it is to successfully repel adversity. A political party must gather itself together behind a single vision and promote a determined unity of direction if it is to gain the confidence of the electorate, win votes and beat its opposition. A team of horses needs to work in harmony with a single aim in view if it is to successfully pull a wagon along a road. Eight players on a rugby pitch need to work together as a single unit if they are to scrummage and win possession of the ball successfully.
Inevitably, within any disparate group of people, there will be found variety and contradiction; misunderstanding and disagreement; differing interpretations and opinions. In weaker societies, where the rules are not clear, or where members place personal aggrandisement above the raison d'etre of the society, failure is inevitable. There is nothing wrong with ambition, and there is nothing wrong with individual success, but if that is gained as a result of a blatant and ruthless disregard for the purpose of the society or the welfare of its members, then it is shameful and deserving of ultimate failure.
In a stronger society, the rules are distinct and clearly understood by all. People ascend within the hierarchy of success and leadership as a result of the support, both tangible and intangible, of the rest of the society. Brethren, Freemasonry is one such society, and whether it is at individual Lodge level, or on a Provincial, District or National stage, we are just as reliant on our unity of purpose as any other. We have a unique advantage over other societies, in that we frequently remind ourselves, through our ceremonies, of the basic rules and purpose of the society. Compassion, benevolence, and integrity in all things (or as the ancients wrote it "Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth"). I believe that we are largely successful in maintaining our aims, our unity of purpose, as a result of those frequent reminders which are contained within the allegory of our ritual and ceremonies.
We give a great deal of time to learning the words of our ritual, and work very hard at producing a good standard when performing our ceremonies. That, Brethren, is really just the beginning, and it is only through a proper understanding of what is being said when those hard-learned words are uttered, that we can fully appreciate the exquisite messages contained within them; compassion, benevolence and integrity which are the very foundations of our structure.
Within those words can be found our unity of purpose which will sustain this wonderful society from generation to generation.