dfreybur
Premium Member
I'm with most of you in my belief that it's the lack of education. The catechism is nice but let's face it; you aren't learning Masonry, you're learning the Degrees. My downfall is that my Lodge is in a town of about 500, so most of our Brothers are old and don't see any need in teaching beyond the catechism.
I suggest this is a generational difference on what masonry is to most. Very many of the previous generation joined for the fellowship and social activities and that really is what Masonry is to them. I've heard former military describe the camaraderie we experience as parallel to what they experienced in the military and it's something they wanted. Very many men of the WWII and Korea era see masonry this way and for them that's what Masonry is. Asking them for education is a question that doesn't make sense to them because of that. They never studied that because they were never interested.
Now a young generation is at our door and many or most are interested in something else. Either we deliver what they expect or our lodge is in trouble.
Lodge opened a door for me and gave me a good foundation of knowledge and understanding but almost all of my Masonic knowledge has come from countless hours of private study over the last 5 years.
To a great extent that's deliberate. It's one of the meanings of "You get out of Masonry what you put into Masonry". Some men put social events into Masonry and for them that's what we are. Some men put mystical studies into Masonry and for them that's what we are.