Carl L. "Bud" Banks, 32°, K.C.C.H. Elect
5732 Arroyo Dunes Avenue, Las Vegas, Nevada 89130–2098

The Masonic cornerstone ceremony and funeral service are key ways to raise the public's positive awareness of Freemasonry.

Photo: On April 14, 2000, nearly 200 schoolchildren, faculty, and guests looked on as the officers of the Grand Lodge of Nevada, in full Masonic regalia and form, dedicated a new public school, Ted Hunsberger Elementary in Reno, Nevada.
Members of all the Masonic Bodies are regularly bombarded at their meetings, through publications, and via e-mail about membership. To solve this problem, Freemasonry must—like any business, if it is to survive and prosper—follow good sales principles. Selling means telling and showing people what Freemasonry does. That requires bringing Freemasonry to the public, and two ways, among others, to do that effectively are through the Masonic cornerstone ceremony and funeral service. Other than public installations of officers in the many different Masonic Bodies, Masonic floats in parades, Shrine football games and public fundraisers such as dinners or other special events, we have few opportunities to reveal ourselves to the public.

Only at cornerstone and funeral ceremonies do we have regular opportunities to show our values. We all know that every Master Mason in good standing is entitled to a Masonic funeral, upon request to a Masonic Body. Also, upon request, Masons can lay the cornerstones of structures having a strictly public character. The process must be through written request from an officer of a body charged with the erection of the structure. These are the two key opportunities to bring Masonry to significant segments of the public in a positive, informative manner.

Particularly in a small town, where even one Masonic Lodge exists, both occasions can be major events. In a medium-size town, more than one Lodge or Temple can be involved along with other Masonic Bodies. In a large city, there can be an even greater gathering of Brethren. Rather than avoiding these occasions, Brethren should look upon them as prime times to represent Masonry with pride and dignity. Through them, we can reach good men, potential members, and their families.

The Grand Lodge of Nevada, for instance, has placed more than 350 cornerstones since 1865. That averages 2.6 per year, and as of June 2000, we had placed four with three more pending. The significance of these numbers is in the potential. During the past five years, Nevada has had the fastest growing city in the country. Currently, Clark County (Las Vegas) has 250 schools. By 2020, we expect to have 500. This is only one example of a public structure. Colleges and universities as well as city, state, and federal buildings are also expanding rapidly. Each new building is an opportunity to gain the public spotlight for Freemasonry. The Masonic cornerstone ceremony is impressive. It adds dignity and significance to the occasion and, if well performed, has invariably received complimentary treatment in all the news media from local to even statewide newspapers and radio and television stations.

The practical uses of a cornerstone have been overtaken by modern construction techniques, but cornerstones are still used symbolically to establish the construction dates and to enclose significant historical artifacts of the time period. Again, here is an opportunity to feature Freemasonry by including Masonic items in the cornerstone or time capsule deposit. In order to take advantage of this opportunity, Freemasonry needs to promote the ceremony and its content to the builders, architects, and committees involved in the construction.

Our beautiful Masonic cornerstone ceremony can be a reality in the public's consciousness if Freemasonry develops a Cornerstone Committee for every community or city in the country. This should include a promotional brochure that explains the history and significance of the Masonic cornerstone ceremony. At one of this year's cornerstone programs in Nevada, for instance, a lasting impression was made at an elementary school where the entire school was excused for the ceremony. (See photo on the previous page of this article.) The event became a lesson in history with great impact and retention in the minds of nearly 200 young people. In addition, school district officials, school administrators, and teachers witnessed the ceremony, along with some parents and guests.

As to the Masonic funeral service, I am sure that every Brother who reads the ceremony will be strengthened in his bonds to the Fraternity and will improve his attendance at a Brother's funeral. Attendance will become not only the fulfillment of a fraternal obligation but also an opportunity to impress those attending the service regarding the beauty, dignity, and significance of the Craft or Rite.

Don't just read about the event in the obituaries; participate in it. Every Lodge or Temple should have, in addition to a Masonic funeral team, a phone committee to advise the Brethren of a Brother's passing. These days, the Internet also allows rapid dissemination of information about Lodge participation in a funeral service. If you are an unaffiliated sojourner, you are likely to be unaware of Masonic funerals in your area. All the more reason to visit a local Lodge or Temple and take a dual or plural membership to a convenient Body near where you are sojourning. By attending a Masonic funeral, you will accomplish many deeds. Your presence will show compassion for a departed Brother's family, and it will show to others that as Masons we support our Brothers in life and death. As important, the public will hear the words of a beautiful ceremony and learn the strength of our fraternal bond.

We cannot afford to talk or write of membership problems without offering practical solutions. Finger pointing and assigning blame must stop. By showing the good we do and the personal growth realized through membership, our efforts will be rewarded. This is not a task for our elected leaders alone. Yes, they must be supportive and show enthusiastic commitment for growth, but the members themselves must challenge themselves to be informed, to look for opportunities that place all Masonic Bodies in the public eye and elicit the response "That's an organization I want to join!" Both the Masonic cornerstone ceremony and Masonic funeral service do just that.

  Carl L. "Bud" Banks
is a 50-year Senior DeMolay who was raised a Master Mason in 1954 in Southgate Lodge No. 100, Burien, Wash., where he is a Life Member. A Past Master of Dhahran Daylight Lodge No. 55, Henderson, Nev., Bro. Banks has been a Scottish Rite member since 1968 and is currently Historian of the Valley of Las Vegas. A Past Membership Chairman of Zelzah Shrine in Las Vegas, he is a member of the Royal Order of Scotland and York Rite Bodies of Las Vegas as well as a present Nevada Grand Lodge Trustee.