Jay M. Kinney, 32°
P.O. Box 14217, San Francisco, California 94114-0217

A Masonry conscious and proud of its deepest resources could go far in satisfying this generation's hunger for a sense of connection with the past, with decent values, and with like-minded people around the world.

Drawing: Tenth Degree theater backdrop, c. 1905
Valley of the Craftsmen, p. 178.

For the last 20 years, the Masonic community has been perplexed and concerned about its shrinking membership. Disturbing statistics are often quoted: where once there were four million Masons in the U.S., now there are only half that many. One in four American men used to be Masons-now only one in one hundred are. Moreover, the average age of Masonic members has been climbing, so much so that Freemasonry is often perceived as an old folks' club.

No one is happy with this situation, but solutions have been few and far between. As someone who has been aware of Masonry for decades but has only recently joined, I'd like to share a few thoughts with the hope that they might assist my elder Brothers in seeing Masonry through new eyes.

At the time I came of age in the beginning of the 1970s, joining a Masonic Lodge was the last thing on my mind. Like many of my generation, I felt deeply alienated from a government and society that seemed intent on waging an unwinnable war in Southeast Asia. I already believed in Masonic principles such as brotherhood and religious freedom, but I preferred long hair and worn blue jeans and T-shirts rather than suits and ties. I strongly suspect that most Lodges of that era would have been flabbergasted if my friends and I had shown up and petitioned for membership. But the issue simply never arose.

The Craft was as "square" as it gets (no pun intended), and my circle of friends and I were preoccupied with being "hip." If a Mason had noted with pride that President Gerald Ford was a Thirty-third Degree Mason, we would have rolled our eyes and smiled politely. There was definitely a generation gap, and Masonry seemed firmly planted on the opposite side of the divide.

And yet, there were elements within Freemasonry that beckoned to us, despite (or perhaps because of) our alienation. These elements weren't Masonry's public persona-the patriotic picnics or Shriner parades-but the enigmatic symbols, the sense of traditions going back centuries, and the possibilities of inspiring and transforming rituals. We felt a hunger to be sure, but it wasn't for pancake breakfasts or charity barbecues; it was for spiritual meaning in our lives.

Masonry is not a religion, despite what some of its ill-informed critics assert, but it does teach religious tolerance and encourages the spiritual growth of its individual members. It does so not through theology or dogma, but through the living examples of its members and the symbolic messages of its Degrees. Had this aspect of the tradition been given more prominence, both publicly and within the organization, Masonry might have attracted a generation of potential members, which it unfortunately lost.

The 1960s and 1970s are now long gone, and most of us who set ourselves apart from the mainstream have made our peace with society at large. But the hunger for a sense of connection with the past, with decent values, and with like-minded people around the world, remains. A Masonry, which is conscious and proud of its deepest resources, could go far in satisfying this hunger. But to do so might entail reframing Masonry's own self-image.

Until now, the Masonic strategy for wider acceptance has seemed to be to emphasize those elements that it shares with most other fraternal organizations: its community involvement, its charitable works, and its socializing. These are worthy, to be sure, but they are also not so different from similar elements in the Lions or the Elks or Rotary. What makes Masonry unique and potentially more attractive, I'd argue, is its tradition of mythic rituals and symbol systems that can speak to every generation anew and which contain within them the potential for inspiring a greater sense of connection with God and with serving others.

The recent attacks on Masonry by fundamentalists and paranoid conspiracy theorists have often targeted and grossly misinterpreted those components of Masonry that are least understood by Masons and non-Masons alike. Since these attacks and misinterpretations are commonly intermixed with quotations out of context, outright lies, and ill-informed suspicions, the response of the Masonic community has been to further downplay anything that smacks of mystery or deeper symbolism.

Unfortunately, this allows one's critics to set the agenda for Masonry's future-a future where criticism is avoided by cleaving to the uncontroversial surface and where symbols, which derive their strength precisely from their capacity to sustain individual interpretations and multiple meanings, are reduced to simplistic equations that satisfy no one.

This course might reduce the heat in the short term, but it risks the Craft's survival in the long run. A vital tradition reduced to only shallow understanding of its own rituals and to a purely social fellowship may straggle on for a time but at the cost of its original essence.

What is the solution then? There is no single answer, of course, but there may be several partial answers that together can turn the tide.

• An invigorated emphasis on the Masonic mysteries that engages members both new and old in an exploration of the meanings embedded in ritual and symbols.
• Encouragement to research Lodges to widen their focus from Masonic historical minutiae to the esoteric and spiritual traditions from which Masonry and its Appendant Bodies have derived much inspiration.
• An increase in publications, public programs, and lectures open to non-Masons that correct misunderstandings, clarify historical questions, and kindle an interest in Masonic values.
• Further support for Grand Lodges to recognize and regularize relations with Prince Hall Lodges so Masonry may truly live up to its ideals of brotherhood and non-discrimination.
• Consideration of making a perceived weakness (so many Masons of retired age) into a strength: initiating mentoring programs where experienced elder Brethren can offer assistance and advice to young men starting out in life.

The last 20 years have seen a striking increase in books and TV programs not only about Masonry but also about various related topics such as the Knights Templar, Rosicrucianism, initiatory societies, and esoteric symbolism. Some of these books have been terrible, and some have been excellent. Some have led to a renewed interest in Masonry, and some have led to increased fears. But whatever the case, they have all contributed to a growing awareness among younger generations that Masonry is intriguing at the very least. If Masons can embrace this interest and respond to it by sharing their enthusiasm as well as correcting misperceptions, the Craft may find itself growing again in numbers and energy.

Postscript: Despite reading numerous books on Masonry over a span of 30 years, I very rarely ran into anyone I could identify as a Mason. It wasn't until I was nearly 50 that a local Mason invited me to an open dinner and program at his Lodge. A few days later, I saw a "2 be 1 ask 1" bumper sticker. Less than a month later, after some further conversations with Masonic Brothers, I petitioned for membership. Direct solicitation of potential members may be prohibited, but never underestimate the power of a free meal!

Jay M. Kinney is Librarian and Director of Research for the San Francisco Scottish Rite Bodies and Junior Deacon of Mill Valley Lodge No. 356, Mill Valley, California. He was Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Gnosis Magazine for 14 years and co-author of Hidden Wisdom: A Guide to the Western Inner Traditions. The Inner West, an anthology he has edited, is due out in 2004.