William Herbert "Skip" Boyer, 32°
6201 N. 14th Parkway, Phoenix, Arizona 85022
Skip.Boyer@bestwestern.com

In Freemasonry, as in any other volunteer organization, no man will continue to come where he isn't useful.

You might want to go make a cup of good coffee before you read this. I swear, I myself can't tell this story without heading to the kitchen or the nearest Starbucks!

Our Most Worshipful Brother Don Monson, 32°, K.C.C.H., Past Grand Master of Masons in Arizona, has a favorite story he uses to illustrate the importance of individual involvement in the life of our Craft.

As a newly made Entered Apprentice, slightly longer ago than he cares to discuss in detail, young Bro. Don was informed by his Worshipful Master that, as the youngest Entered Apprentice, it was his duty to arrive one hour early the following week to prepare coffee for the Brothers, coffee being one of the unofficial "Working Tools" of the Craft. Not realizing he had any options, Bro. Don agreed that this was his duty, again not realizing that the assignment wasn't supposed to last forever.

A year later, Bro. Don was still arriving early, still making coffee, and now very much an active part of the Lodge. The result of this apprenticeship was twofold: an active Mason and, in time, a Grand Master who could make a great cup of coffee. Both are significant accomplishments.

M.W. Bro. Don now uses the story to make the point that no man will continue to come where he isn't useful. Whether it is something as simple as making coffee for the Craft or something infinitely more complex, each Brother wants to feel he is bringing something special to the Lodge, that he is being used, and that his contributions help make the Lodge a better place for all to be.

That's true, I think, in just about everything we do—whether it's your vocation, your place of worship, civic clubs, or our Craft. We go and devote our time and talents to those pursuits that need us, where we feel we can make a difference.

Some Brothers don't require an activity, of course. For them, the spirit and fellowship of a Lodge meeting, the chance to meet and share a few moments with their Brothers, is reward enough. Others, especially the younger and more newly minted members of the Craft, require something more.

Each of us brings something special to the Craft and our individual Lodges or Temples. We have skills in a hundred areas, from building crafts to working computers, from management to education. How we choose to apply those skills spells the difference between just being involved with Masonry and being committed to it. There's a substantial difference in the meaning of those two words—involvement and commitment.

Since we're already making coffee, let's finish breakfast as we examine their meaning. For example, I think continental breakfasts are a bad joke. Really, what continent do those people live on who can survive on a glass of juice and a stale piece of pastry? A real breakfast, which I have when time and my wife allow, includes, at a minimum, bacon and eggs. Hash browns are a delicious enhancement. I lived in the South for 15 years, but I never could get used to grits. I know it's a personal failing. Now, to have bacon and eggs, we must have pigs and chickens. The chicken is involved in my breakfast. The pig, however, is totally committed.

An Entered Apprentice who makes coffee is involved in the life of the Lodge. It is the first step to becoming committed. The Brother who becomes the Grand Master is totally committed. Of course, not every Brother, indeed, very few, will become Grand Master. But that commitment to the Craft must begin someplace. It may begin with something very complex or something as simple as making a good cup of coffee for the Brethren.

Come to think of it, making a good cup of coffee isn't all that simple. But I'll bet I know someone who can teach me how to do it. It's just one of those tricks he picked up along the way to becoming committed to Masonry.

William H. Boyer is the Director, Executive Communications, Best Western International, Inc. He is a member of Paradise Valley–Silver Trowel Lodge No. 29, Phoenix, Arizona, and serves as editor of the Lodge's Trestle Board. Brother Boyer is a member of the Philalethes Society and writes a regular column in the Society's popular magazine. A Chevalier of the Order of DeMolay, a member of the Brotherhood of the Blue Forget-Me-Not and of the Scottish Rite Bodies of Phoenix, Arizona, he is a native of Omaha, Nebraska, and holds the prestigious Accredited Business Communicator (ABC) designation from the International Association of Business Communicators. Brother Boyer has earned more than 70 regional and national awards for his writing and editorial work.