The First of 12 of our Grand Lodge Masonic Education for Masonic Year 2024-2025 will launch the Theme of our Grand Master MW Ariel T. Cayanan. Its three (3) supporting Speculative Frameworks shall be equally introduced. Both Theme and Frameworks are the product of key resources available to every Masonic Lodge. These are LIGHT, MANHOOD, and MASONRY. Said our Grand Master in his Inaugural Speech last April 27:
“From the beginning, we have been given LIGHT. Three of them to be exact.”
- he was referring the Lights given to us inside the Lodge. He quoted further:
“In the Book of the Holy Writings – both LIGHT and MEN have been working hand in hand. MASONRY is among the many crafts that developed from the labors of MEN under the LIGHT, and of the many Craft Guilds that were found - MASONRY, notwithstanding, has still survived.”
Our theme was further inspired by MW Camilo Osias, who in 1955, rallied all Lodges and all members to the imperious call of the hour: “MORE MASONRY AMONG MASONS, MORE MEN IN MASONRY.” It was at once an orientation and a program. Which the Grand Master then have taken to heart, repeated often, implemented, and lived. When we mean more light, we mean not just quality education but its leverage thru genuine mentorship to facilitate real enlightenment in our daily lives.
Thus with all of the above, our 106th Grand Master masonically declared:
“Let there be more Men in the Light, and let there be more Light among Masons”
Our theme is supported by three Speculative Frameworks summarized into
EDUCATION, ENLIGHTENMENT, & EQUILIBRIUM.
From here on, our monthly lectures shall revolve around these three frameworks - with the topics for June, July, and August focusing on EDUCATION; the succeeding installments in September, October, November, December, and January geared towards ENLIGHTENMENT; and last three sessions for February, March, and April 2025 giving emphasis on EQUILIBRIUM.
EDUCATION
Our Grand Master has elucidated on EDUCATION as the process of giving and receiving systematic instruction in both the operative and speculative parts of our mysteries which has always been the foundation of our Craft. Our Jurisdiction has through the years developed systems of Masonic Education as well as Institutions and devices that provide the necessary instructions whereby the Brethren may pursue their labors.
Our Educational Program was inspired by MW Reynato S. Puno who as Grand Master reported during the 69th Annual Communication in April 25, 1985:
“Masonic Education is the centerpiece of our program. The beauty of masonry lies in its lessons. These lessons are hidden in allegories and symbols. They have to be discovered, slowly, scrupulously. Only upon their progressive perception can one appreciate the distinctness of the fraternity. And above all, it is only by practicing out of the lodge those great moral virtues taught in it can we really deserve the honor of being called masons.”
Our Educational Program are founded on three mutually-reinforcing pillars which are Institutional, Jurisdictional, and Personal.
INSTITUTIONAL - refers to all the establishments of the Grand Lodge related to Education particularly: the Institute of Masonic Education & Studies (IMES) which is undergoing reformation of its syllabus with regards to its content, instruction, and presentation; the Cable Tow Magazine thru the Grand Scribe shall release six (6) timely issues correlating with our Programs; while our Grand Lodge Website which is the online repository of our communication and selected digital archives shall be upgraded and made easily accessible by the Grand Cyber Warden; the Grand Lodge Library shall be improved as well.
JURISDICTIONAL- alludes to the Corps of Grand Lecturers mandated to implement and enforce more uniform standards of delivery of our Grand Lodge Masonic Education (GLME). Grand Lecturers are NOT lectors. District Grand Lecturers are required to provide their own compelling and substantive takes on our monthly GLMEs and are to exhibit these virtues when they guide lodges during this Masonic Term. Brethren in lodges are encouraged to report DGLs who do not live up to their roles in creed or in deed. Similar standards are set for Junior Grand Lecturers in providing the Masonic Education during District Conventions which are mandatory for this term.
PERSONAL- touches on the launching of a flagship initiative for subordinate lodges to excel in doing their own lodge education programs aside from that provided by the Grand Lodge. This will be executed by establishing this Masonic Term a separate appendant organization who shall identify, recruit, and develop the most promising Brethren to be Masonic Educators and Mentors whether or not they hold lodge or grand lodge offices.
In the words of our Grand Master:
“By these Institutional, Jurisdictional, and Personal Pillars, our Masonic Term will see the dawn of a new day for Masonic Education that rightly recognizes its foundational character in our Craft. And rightly so because WITHOUT EDUCATION THERE IS NO ENLIGHTENMENT.”
“ ENLIGHTENMENT
“ Masons have all been asked these question before: Being in the condition of darkness, what do you most desire? Masons have always chosen LIGHT. Our framework on ENLIGHTENMENT is motivated by the intellectual and philosophical movement in Europe during the 17th and 18th Centuries - the Age of Enlightenment. It is also within this period that Freemasonry became organized into the form that we have today - the Grand Lodge System, when the Premiere Grand Lodge of England was formed on June 24, 1717. The first among our Most Worshipful Institutions still exists today as the United Grand Lodge of England and is now 307 Years Old.
“ Stated our Grand Master:
“As the current stewards of our ancient and honorable traditions, it is thus up to us to truly practice them beyond the creed that we profess and in the deeds that we act out. We will thus exemplify this ENLIGHTENMENT in three ways”
- in the way we process petitioners,
- in the way we develop harmony in lodges, and
- in the way we govern the grand lodge.
“Our Masonic Education should enlighten us in making sure that we optimize and curtail abuses in the way we process the initiation, passing, and raising of our petitioners. “
- The petitioners we admit to the Craft deserve to be equitably and respectfully treated throughout the process.
- The petitioners we admit to the Craft deserve to be awed and inspired by the liturgy we present to them.
- The petitioners deserve to know that their initiation, passing, and raising is not just for show, but is a meaningful rite of passage that can be truly life changing.
“Secondly, our Masonic Education should also enlighten us, as we strive to develop harmony in lodges. Simply put, our Masonic Term will highlight that just as bad faith must be penalized and the non-deserving should be held liable for their errors and omissions; accountability in a genuine fraternity like ours must be tempered with equity as evidenced by demonstrable indications of good faith and remorse. Brotherly love is not just about righting wrongs but rebuilding trust, which cannot be healed simply by enforcing accountability. It is only with such enlightenment that we will permanently reduce the annual number of new cases involving grievances among Brethren. For genuine brotherly love is more than just penalizing the undeserving. Genuine brotherly love also entails helping a true brother after his fall and forgiving him so that harmony can again blossom. This we will renew this Masonic Term.”
“Lastly, our Masonic Education will allow us to continue the process of reforming our Grand Lodge so that that this Masonic Jurisdiction will rightly be governed for and by its Craft lodges.”
- Brethren of subordinate lodges deserve to promptly and responsively be attended to as to their administrative matters.
- Brethren of subordinate lodges deserve to have quick and ready access to fraternal assistance particularly when they or their families are struck with sickness.
- Brethren of subordinate lodges deserve to be guided competently and uniformly when it comes to their Masonic work and programs.
“This Masonic Term, we will aim for enlightenment not just among the brethren but between the Grand Lodge and its subordinate Lodges, as our Grand Lodge is here FOR our Craft Lodges, and NOT the other way around.”
Freemasonry is filled with key Enlightenment concepts:
It teaches us about Progress, it being a progressive moral science - it focuses on Self-improvement.
It teaches us about Perfectibility, as exemplified in the perfect ashlar and the 47th problem of Euclid. It teaches us about Cosmopolitanism, for the Craft has taught us to regard the whole human species as one family, - the high and the low, the rich and the poor, -- who, as created by one Almighty Parent, and inhabitants of the same planet, are to aid, support, and protect each other.
EQUILIBRIUM
The state in which opposing forces or influences are balanced defines EQUILIBRIUM. In an organization composed of men belonging different discipline, sect, and opinion - it is what holds the brethren together. The concept of balance has always been present in the Craft:
- The lesson of the 24-inch gauge reflects on the balance of time management.
- The symbolism of the Holy Saints John with St John the Baptist symbolizing zeal for the fraternity while St. John the Evangelist symbolizing learned equilibrium.
- The symbolism of the Masonic Pillars of Boaz and Jachin whereby the former signifies physical and moral strength and the latter represents establishing oneself in virtue. Taken together they symbolize the pursuit of equilibrium, uniting opposing forces in life, to foster personal and societal harmony.
Said our Grand Master:
“By leveraging quality Masonic EDUCATION to facilitate real Craft ENLIGHTENMENT, can we begin to truly achieve EQUILIBRIUM, or balance both in the Craft and within the Temple that rests in our Hearts. Only then shall we begin to be the brethren we were meant to be, the Craft Lodges we deserve to have, and the Grand Lodge that exhibits the greatness - its heritage has always demonstrated it can be.”
CONCLUSION
In fine, the success of the programs of this Masonic Year relies on the commitment from the Brethren as:
We are enjoined to commit to quality Masonic Education and receive more Light.
We are enjoined to commit to real Masonic Enlightenment thru genuine Masonic Mentorship.
We are enjoined to commit to true Masonic Equilibrium by rededicating ourselves to the one core
mission of our Craft - that we as good men keep helping each other to be even better.
Our Grand Master requests for our individual commitment - A Traveler’s Commitment