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Article LODGE WORK AND CRAFT JOURNALISM. Page 1 of 2 Article LODGE WORK AND CRAFT JOURNALISM. Page 1 of 2 →
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Lodge Work And Craft Journalism.
LODGE WORK AND CRAFT JOURNALISM .
WE have trad , in the course of the past few weeks , and at other times also , a fair amonnt of correspondence on the interesting subject of Lodge Work . One of the most prominent of the letters which have appeared was transcribed from the columns of the Canadian Craftsman . The writer was a certain Bro . Otto Klotz , and the text of
his letter wns the series of complaints made by that estimable journal about "the laxity or indifference of the Craft as to the Craftsman ; the many arrears of payment of subscriptions , and the still greater number that do not subscribe at all . " As bearing upon , and with a view , if
possible , of explaining these shortcomings of the Craft , our worthy Bro . Klotz very naturally and very pertinently asks trte following questions : — " What is the cause " of this indifference and laxity of payment ? and " What should be the remedy ?"
As regards tbe answer he at once proceeds to give to the former of these two inquiries , it may be summed up in one short but expressive word , " Indifferentism . " He says , and justly says , " We know from experience that to the great majority of the brethren the whole system , after
the first novelty of the I . P . and R . is passed , they begin to feel indifferent about having a constant repetition of one and the same form and ritual , and only those who aspire to the East keep up an apparent interest . " But even these latter become as indifferent " as their less
ambitious brethren when they have " become W . M . or P . M ., and finding nothing further attractive in the Lodge , they see nothing of interest in the Craftsman , of which about one-half relates to meetings and proceedings of the different Masonic bodies . "
In respect of the remedy he thinks necessary , he remarks that it is simple enough . Let there be created " a general interest in the Lodge and in Freemasonry generally . " The 1 how" to accomplish this , however , he looks upon as " a mnr 3 difficult question " to deal with , and " a still more
difficult task to accomplish . " Yet , in spite of these difficulties , he does not hesitate manfully to set about propounding a plan which , in his opinion , mnst sooner or later have the desired effect . His line of argument shall be briefly stated .
He starts on his road with the undeniable proposition that " as Freemasons , we claim to be the children of hght . and onr Institution we style a progressive science . " onl , he aeks , " What is there ever done inside the Lodge , pr —we presume we should insert the word " printed "—
m the pages of Masonic periodicals , to induce the public to believe , and I mav add , to convince the brethren themselves , that progress in art and science has anything whatever to do with Masonry ? Is it not a notorious fact that we brand ourselves by our inactivity in matters of art and science
"S mere pretenders , and are without a solitary evidence * o support the same ? "—the meaning of which latter clause " ^ e fake to he that it is out of the power of brethren to furnish any satisfactory evidence of their being anything else "an mere , pretenders or impost' -rs . Passing over , as beside
" ^ mediate purpose of this article . Bro Klorz ' s uncomj ^ irnentary remark s about " our devotional trash , our lip ^ nnstianirv . anrl nspnrJn-prvisfinnfimr " vvf > find him asfcini ) 1
H . would not be better and wiser to direct our attention to the study , culture , and progress in ftg an , j sciences , both by readings upon those rejects before the Lodge , and by discussions thereon
Lodge Work And Craft Journalism.
in the Craftsman ? Ho says , " We teach the candidate that geometry , as one of the ' seven liberal arts and sciences , is a special branch of instruction to the Fellow Craft , aud what have we accomplished up to the year of grace 1881 ! No more than to know the definition of a
square or centre ; these two form the sum and substance of all our knowledge of geometry taught us inside the Lodge There is no doubt as to the accuracy of this statement and as little doubt as to the pertinence of what follows . " Is not , " he proceeds to inquire , " our pretence as to those
studies a perfect burlesque ? Ought we not to feel ashamed of ourselves for repeating again and again snch hollow phrases ? Is it not time that we made an earnest attempt to show that we are really in earnest about that
which we claim to be r Or if we will not do BO , if we are too indolent or indifferent to become active promoters of art and science , would it not then be more honest and more honourable to discontinue our pretences regarding the same ?"
Our readers , we think , will agree with us that there ia reason in the undoubtedly severe criticism of Bro . OTTO KLOTZ . Neither they nor we may think his proposals the likeliest to bring about the desired improvement , but neither of us is in a position to deny the accuracy of the picture ao
forcibly presented to our notice by the correspondent of the Craftsman . As to the Craft in England , we fear we must plead guilty on its behalf , to the same monotony , of which Mr . KLOTZ complains . Our correspondent of last week , who signed himself " ESURIENS " put the case
tersely enough as well as accurately , when he said , " the bulk of onr Lodge meetings have one stereotyped programme in three parts , namely—Part I . Work so-called ; Part II . Dinners ; Part III . Toasts , " with , of course , the accompanying conviviality . To the second and third
parts of this programme no one in his senses can raise the slightest objection . It must never be forgotten that Freemasonry has its social as well as its scientific side , that nothing is so calculated to promote sociality as a good dinner , and no people on earth know better than
Englishmen in general , and English Freemasons in ' particular , how to make a good dinner answer its twofold purpose of satisfying the appetite , and establishing sympathy one with another . The toasts that follow the dinner are likewise an indispensable part of the English 5
system for the promotion of sociality . The speeches in which they are introduced and acknowledged are commonplace in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred—there are but very few men who have the gift of after-dinner eloquence ;
there is but very seldom any , even the slightest , deviation from the ordinary routine list ; and the compliments that are interchanged are oftentimes exaggerated . But who is there who will venture to say that an Officer does not
experience a sense of justifiable pride , as well as feel more kindly disposed towards his fellow-brethren , when he is complimented on his zeal , his efficiency , or other quality by which he may happen to be distinguished ? Will any one deny that a visitor does not more fully realise that he
is a welcome guest , when the Worshipful Master rises and , as it were , extends to him , in the name and on behalf of the whole Lodge , the hand of goodfellowship ? Do not these gentle courtesies , with the dinner which introduces
nnd leads up to them , promote sociality better than any o ! . her system that ever was invented by man ? Therefore , proclaim we in all sincerity , that Parts II . and III . of our stereotyped programme must stand , or the whole fabric of Masonry must come tumbling to the ground . But the excellence of the second and third parts of what Bro . ESURIKNS
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Lodge Work And Craft Journalism.
LODGE WORK AND CRAFT JOURNALISM .
WE have trad , in the course of the past few weeks , and at other times also , a fair amonnt of correspondence on the interesting subject of Lodge Work . One of the most prominent of the letters which have appeared was transcribed from the columns of the Canadian Craftsman . The writer was a certain Bro . Otto Klotz , and the text of
his letter wns the series of complaints made by that estimable journal about "the laxity or indifference of the Craft as to the Craftsman ; the many arrears of payment of subscriptions , and the still greater number that do not subscribe at all . " As bearing upon , and with a view , if
possible , of explaining these shortcomings of the Craft , our worthy Bro . Klotz very naturally and very pertinently asks trte following questions : — " What is the cause " of this indifference and laxity of payment ? and " What should be the remedy ?"
As regards tbe answer he at once proceeds to give to the former of these two inquiries , it may be summed up in one short but expressive word , " Indifferentism . " He says , and justly says , " We know from experience that to the great majority of the brethren the whole system , after
the first novelty of the I . P . and R . is passed , they begin to feel indifferent about having a constant repetition of one and the same form and ritual , and only those who aspire to the East keep up an apparent interest . " But even these latter become as indifferent " as their less
ambitious brethren when they have " become W . M . or P . M ., and finding nothing further attractive in the Lodge , they see nothing of interest in the Craftsman , of which about one-half relates to meetings and proceedings of the different Masonic bodies . "
In respect of the remedy he thinks necessary , he remarks that it is simple enough . Let there be created " a general interest in the Lodge and in Freemasonry generally . " The 1 how" to accomplish this , however , he looks upon as " a mnr 3 difficult question " to deal with , and " a still more
difficult task to accomplish . " Yet , in spite of these difficulties , he does not hesitate manfully to set about propounding a plan which , in his opinion , mnst sooner or later have the desired effect . His line of argument shall be briefly stated .
He starts on his road with the undeniable proposition that " as Freemasons , we claim to be the children of hght . and onr Institution we style a progressive science . " onl , he aeks , " What is there ever done inside the Lodge , pr —we presume we should insert the word " printed "—
m the pages of Masonic periodicals , to induce the public to believe , and I mav add , to convince the brethren themselves , that progress in art and science has anything whatever to do with Masonry ? Is it not a notorious fact that we brand ourselves by our inactivity in matters of art and science
"S mere pretenders , and are without a solitary evidence * o support the same ? "—the meaning of which latter clause " ^ e fake to he that it is out of the power of brethren to furnish any satisfactory evidence of their being anything else "an mere , pretenders or impost' -rs . Passing over , as beside
" ^ mediate purpose of this article . Bro Klorz ' s uncomj ^ irnentary remark s about " our devotional trash , our lip ^ nnstianirv . anrl nspnrJn-prvisfinnfimr " vvf > find him asfcini ) 1
H . would not be better and wiser to direct our attention to the study , culture , and progress in ftg an , j sciences , both by readings upon those rejects before the Lodge , and by discussions thereon
Lodge Work And Craft Journalism.
in the Craftsman ? Ho says , " We teach the candidate that geometry , as one of the ' seven liberal arts and sciences , is a special branch of instruction to the Fellow Craft , aud what have we accomplished up to the year of grace 1881 ! No more than to know the definition of a
square or centre ; these two form the sum and substance of all our knowledge of geometry taught us inside the Lodge There is no doubt as to the accuracy of this statement and as little doubt as to the pertinence of what follows . " Is not , " he proceeds to inquire , " our pretence as to those
studies a perfect burlesque ? Ought we not to feel ashamed of ourselves for repeating again and again snch hollow phrases ? Is it not time that we made an earnest attempt to show that we are really in earnest about that
which we claim to be r Or if we will not do BO , if we are too indolent or indifferent to become active promoters of art and science , would it not then be more honest and more honourable to discontinue our pretences regarding the same ?"
Our readers , we think , will agree with us that there ia reason in the undoubtedly severe criticism of Bro . OTTO KLOTZ . Neither they nor we may think his proposals the likeliest to bring about the desired improvement , but neither of us is in a position to deny the accuracy of the picture ao
forcibly presented to our notice by the correspondent of the Craftsman . As to the Craft in England , we fear we must plead guilty on its behalf , to the same monotony , of which Mr . KLOTZ complains . Our correspondent of last week , who signed himself " ESURIENS " put the case
tersely enough as well as accurately , when he said , " the bulk of onr Lodge meetings have one stereotyped programme in three parts , namely—Part I . Work so-called ; Part II . Dinners ; Part III . Toasts , " with , of course , the accompanying conviviality . To the second and third
parts of this programme no one in his senses can raise the slightest objection . It must never be forgotten that Freemasonry has its social as well as its scientific side , that nothing is so calculated to promote sociality as a good dinner , and no people on earth know better than
Englishmen in general , and English Freemasons in ' particular , how to make a good dinner answer its twofold purpose of satisfying the appetite , and establishing sympathy one with another . The toasts that follow the dinner are likewise an indispensable part of the English 5
system for the promotion of sociality . The speeches in which they are introduced and acknowledged are commonplace in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred—there are but very few men who have the gift of after-dinner eloquence ;
there is but very seldom any , even the slightest , deviation from the ordinary routine list ; and the compliments that are interchanged are oftentimes exaggerated . But who is there who will venture to say that an Officer does not
experience a sense of justifiable pride , as well as feel more kindly disposed towards his fellow-brethren , when he is complimented on his zeal , his efficiency , or other quality by which he may happen to be distinguished ? Will any one deny that a visitor does not more fully realise that he
is a welcome guest , when the Worshipful Master rises and , as it were , extends to him , in the name and on behalf of the whole Lodge , the hand of goodfellowship ? Do not these gentle courtesies , with the dinner which introduces
nnd leads up to them , promote sociality better than any o ! . her system that ever was invented by man ? Therefore , proclaim we in all sincerity , that Parts II . and III . of our stereotyped programme must stand , or the whole fabric of Masonry must come tumbling to the ground . But the excellence of the second and third parts of what Bro . ESURIKNS