MASONIC SERVICE

MASONIC SERVICE

Author: The Builder Magazine

Year: 1920

In his 1920 address, "MASONIC SERVICE," Brother George Schoonover argues that Freemasonry has a critical duty to address the widespread social, political, and financial "unrest" gripping America after World War I. He identifies the root of this turmoil as a reaction to the war, which has devolved from national unity into internal hatred, class division, and attacks on the U.S. Constitution. Schoonover criticizes groups that promote class-based society, those who claim the right to "private war" (e.g., strikes that harm the public), and immigrants who, disillusioned by lingering injustices, advocate for overturning the American system with imported, hateful ideologies like Marxian Socialism. He asserts that a primary enabler of these disruptive forces is the "popular indifference" of citizens to their political system, including low voter engagement and blind party loyalty. He then turns his critique inward, warning that Masonry itself has become a "degree mill," overly focused on ritual and attracting new members while failing to educate them on the deeper meaning and civic responsibilities of the Craft. This results in members who see the fraternity as merely a social club. Schoon