Association

He drew a circle that shut me out --
Heretic, rebel, a thing to flout.
But love and I had the wit to win:
We drew a circle that took him in.
- Edwin Markham

An Association is an interesting concept. Wickipedia finds it hard to think of an association of one person. By its very nature there must be more than one. In childhood, children play with certain friends they go so far as to "exclude" others who are not "cool." I know how that feels. It happens in adult life also.

We think of associating with others. I belong to the National Education Association and of course, the Masons are an Association. By their very nature Associations must also exclude some folks. In the Lodge we call those who are not members the profane. Churches also use profane to describe those without.

In our Masonic work it mentions that we associate with those who otherwise might remain at a "perpetual distance." I have always appreciated that idea because I have met so many good Masons and their wives that I would never have known if not for my "association" with the Masonic Fraternity.

It used to be that you had to ask someone if you wanted to be a Mason. We were forbidden to invite someone to join. That has changed and we now have something called the "invitation to petition" where a potential Mason is invited to join.

Within Masonry there are other organizations. Some like the York Rite and the Scottish Rite are pretty much open to all. Once you are in the Lodge and have "proved up" you are invited to join these rites. Within these rites there are other organizations which are really honors in which you must be proposed and balloted on before you can receive an invitation to join.

Usually you are invited because of some service to the Orders or they see the potential for that service. In the case of the Scottish Rite there are the KCCH and the 33rd degree. You can't ask for them. They are honors based on service to Masonry or to the world. Usually Senators, Presidents, entertainment giants and big donors to certain causes get these honors. They are also given to workers in the Rite.

In the York Rite there is the York Rite College, the Red Cross of Constantine, the Knight Masons and the Allied Masonic Degrees. I get concerned sometimes when these organizations are used to "punish" those we would keep out rather than honor those who deserve it. But I am proud to be a member of all of them. I think the Red Cross of Constantine means the most to me. I was asked to join it when I was Grand High Priest of the Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons of the State of Iowa and I remember telling someone that it was more of an honor to me than being Grand High Priest.

As I said I get concerned when these organizations are used to "punish" others. I do not have any problem with the Investigation and unanimous ballot required to allow someone to become a Mason. Some men try to join the fraternity for mercenary motives or for other motives which are not pure. If we know everything we can know about a man and invite him to join we are helping to stabilize the fraternity. The Master at one point tells the candidate that "we admit none who ... are not of good report before the world." (paraphrased)

To me the ballot is not a tool to keep someone out but a method of saying "Welcome" Each member of the fraternity had to pass that unanimous ballot. Everyone who cast the white ball said in essence - "I welcome this man to become my brother Mason and I will aid and support him as my BROTHER."

In our lives there are all kinds of "levels" of Association. One thing I like about Masonry is that we meet upon the level. There are a lot of titles in the Masonic Fraternity but the one that counts is Brother and we may have as our brother a brick-layer, a college professor, a lawyer, or a doctor. Their profane titles do not mean anything in the Lodge. For us Brother is enough. We value and associate with him as a brother.

Sometimes we want a deeper association than someone is willing to give. Eventually we stop hoping for that and just accept what they are able to give. It doesn't mean our feelings are any less. It is just that we have to accept them and move on. Sometimes associations develop deeply and last for a lifetime. Other times they either are or become superficial. To me Friendship and Association is like the diamond - rude and unpolished to begin with but with work and polish under the engravers chisel we see the beauty that was there all the time.

I try to be a friend to all. I mess up sometimes for which I am truly sorry but I guess you can't live your life on regrets. I just have to keep on hoping that maybe someday I will get it right. And be inside that circle of love mentioned in the poem above.

Be loved. Hugs. j