SOME MASONIC PROBLEMS
Book details
- Title
- SOME MASONIC PROBLEMS
- Author
- Slowing Advancement
- Publication year listed
- 1929
- Format
- Public domain eBook
- Reading access
- Free online reader; no registration required
- Source record
- View on Archive.org
About this book
SOME MASONIC PROBLEMS
Author: The Builder Magazine
Year: 1929
In a 1929 letter to The Builder Magazine titled "SOME MASONIC PROBLEMS," a brother from Ontario, identified as N.W.J.H., argues that the primary cause of unrest and dissatisfaction within Freemasonry is the "influx of unsuitable material" due to the incompetence of lodge Investigating Committees. The author proposes a solution based on the rigorous practices reportedly used by lodges in Switzerland. This system would fundamentally change North American Masonry by: Slowing Advancement: Limiting candidates to receiving only one degree per year. Testing Through Work: Requiring applicants and initiates to be tested through active participation in the lodge's regular benevolent work before their membership is finalized. Requiring Personal Reflection: Mandating that initiates submit written statements on their understanding of the degrees and their experiences trying to live up to Masonic teachings. Basing Advancement on Merit: Making any further advancement entirely dependent on the quality of these reports and the candidate's behavior. N.W.J.H. contends that adopting such a practice would prevent unsuitable men from joining and obstructing Masonic progress. The author criticizes the co