Sometimes slower is better. Sometimes the journey,
as through the Degrees, is more important
than the destination.

...The modern world is a very hurried place. E-mail, cellular telephones, fast food, and pay-at-the-pump gas stations have all become the norm. Almost every new “convenience” is about saving a little bit more time. Living life in the fast lane isn’t just common, it is required. For those of us who grew up with airplanes, fax machines, and computers in our lives, this all seems like the natural progression of the world. Faster is better. The fastest rat wins the race. With all of the time we are saving, it seems like there would be more hours left over at the end of the day, but it never seems to work out that way. There just isn’t enough time for Freemasonry.
...I hear great trepidation in the Masonic community about how hard it seems to be to get young people to become involved with Masonry. The old saw goes something like this: Young men just don’t have time to go through the Degrees, much less the posting and examination sessions. They don’t have time to get involved with the Reunions and attend the requisite practices. If we could just make the process go a little faster, make the postings a little easier, and make the schedules a little more flexible, maybe we would get more members. Surely they could spare the time then. If we communicated more of the Degrees, had fewer practices, and made the lectures shorter, maybe we could get more people involved. The old guys just don’t understand because they’re retired and don’t have as many other obligations in their lives. We need to bring Freemasonry into the 21st Century.
...Phooey! We need to bring the 21st Century into Masonry!
...The Degrees, like life, are a journey. Each Degree stands on it own and carries its own particular lesson, but the progression through the Degrees comes with lessons as well. It was always expected that they be completed in a series. The Degrees are not intended to be a show strictly for the benefit of the spectators. They do not form a 32-act play. They are performed for the benefit of all the participants.
...Everyone from the Candidates to the Directors is a beneficiary as long as he participates. There are important lessons to be gained by attending a Reunion and watching the Degrees, but they don’t really sink in until you start participating. This takes time, and the Brethren who come to the Reunion, grab the credential, and move on are missing the whole point. The express version is just not the same. The goal may very well be to be able to wear a 32nd Degree ring or to get the membership numbers up just a little bit more, but the substance for everyone is gained during the journey. We’re making good men better, one step at a time --- and no, we’re not there yet.
...For speed junkies like myself, this is difficult to swallow. It goes directly against the pace of the rest of life and, yes, it does interfere with one’s normal routine. Most modern lessons are fast. A new computer language is only useful for a few years or even months before it becomes obsolete. It’s important to learn it quickly. Credentials are cumulative, and they turn into money. College degrees, licenses, and certificates are things to collect, and the faster you get on with the next one, the better. People with two (or more) academic degrees make more money than the people who only have one, no matter that they didn’t actually learn anything in the process. Masonry is different. Masonry moves slowly. The credentials, although numerous, have no commercial value at all. Those old guys, the ones who worked nights to put us through college, understand something that some of us seem to be missing. Sometimes slower is better. Sometimes the journey is more important than the destination.
...To the 90% of you who went through the Degrees at a Reunion and never came back again, I have a simple message. You’re not done yet. The certificate, cap, and ring are not the end. Not by a long shot. Even if it’s been years, it’s not too late. The Supreme Council just issued the Revised Standard Pike Degrees, and now is your chance to get involved. Every Degree has been rewritten. No longer is it a bunch of men who have been doing the same parts for decades. There is room for you. Every part in every Degree was examined and then re-examined. Every participant is starting from scratch. We’re all upon the level, and we need you to join us. If you’ve been wondering what was going on in your Consistory, now is the best time in years to find out. Come back. It’s worth the time.