Declining Membership Not An Issue For Newtown Freemasons

By Nancy K. Crevier

“What we have done for ourselves alone, dies with us. What we have done for others and the World, Remains, and is Immortal.” —Albert Pike (1809–1891), attorney, soldier, writer, Freemason.

These words from Albert Pike, printed on the back of the July newsletter published by Hiram Lodge No. 18 in Sandy Hook, epitomize much for which the Masons stand.

Freemasons, or Masons, are members of the oldest fraternity in the world, according to Hiram Lodge Master Lem Johnson and treasurer Dick Hubert. It is an organization of men that has existed for more than 900 years, spanning times of war and peace, crossing oceans, scaling mountains, and taking root in towns all over the world. They are committed to supporting each other, the communities of which they are a part, and those who are less fortunate.

Many of the forefathers of the United States of America were Masons. George Washington was a Mason, as was Ben Franklin and James Madison. At least 14 past presidents were members of the fraternity, as have been other high-ranking government officials.

Numerous movie stars, musicians, businessmen, craftsmen, and scholars have all called a lodge somewhere their home, as do many today when they meet “on the level.”

That all are equal in the eyes of each brother is one of the many attractions that keeps this fraternity thriving, say Mr Johnson and Mr Hubert.

They are aware that nationwide Masons are experiencing a decline in membership, but feel that the Hiram Lodge in Newtown is far from a crisis situation. Presently, Hiram Lodge has 115 members, with active members ranging from their early 20s to one member who is 97 years of age.

“Over the last 20 years, membership has declined one-third to one-half of what it was,” admitted Mr Hubert, “but that is common to all organizations. People are so spread out these days, with jobs and other organizations.”

A tremendous resurgence in membership following World War II swelled the ranks disproportionately, he explained, as returning soldiers sought solace and brotherhood. Those members are aging now, and dying. “The lodge is not being replenished as quickly as we are losing members,” said Mr Hubert.

Mr Johnson was quick to clarify that the members Hiram Lodge loses are to death, not to a loss of interest in the fraternity itself. “They are not dropping out. This lodge is actually growing. Last year, we had six new members and this year, we will have close to ten joining, if they choose to do all three degrees,” said Mr Johnson.

“Most people who join the Masons remain members of their home lodge for life. They don’t leave,” Mr Hubert added.

The “degrees” Mr Johnson spoke of are one of many terms that tend to create an aura of secrecy about the Masons. The three degrees are rituals and traditions passed down for hundreds of years in order for a man, 18 years of age or older, to become a Mason. “You must complete all three degrees in order to call yourself a Mason,” Mr Johnson said. “Each degree is a ceremony at which beneficial and symbolic information is passed on to new members.” Completing the three degrees normally takes about three months, said Mr Hubert and Mr Johnson, but depends on the individual and the meeting schedule.

In some Freemason lodges across the United States, this traditional series of rituals is being condensed into a one-day “crash course” in order to up membership. The Hiram Lodge has used this initiation only once, but, said Mr Johnson, “The one-day event is not preferred. In that case, a mentor, which every new Mason has, is especially important to take the member through all of the information that was passed on too quickly.”

Although there are secret signs, secret words, and secret handshakes involved in being a Mason, these are merely modes of recognizing one another, Mr Johnson explained.

Rituals are not exclusive to Masons, pointed out Mr Hubert. Many organizations, and even families, have “secrets” that they choose not to share with outsiders. “The Masons,” he stressed, “are not a secret organization, but a private organization.”

Many of the symbols that are associated with the Masons can be traced back to the days when members were what Mr Hubert and Mr Johnson refer to as “operative” masons, those men who traveled from place to place physically laying stonework. They do not find it at all unusual, therefore, to discover ancient “Masonic” signs engraved in the cornerstones of European buildings hundreds of years old.

The modern day, “speculative” or “accepted,” Masons use builders’ symbols to signify the high moral values of their fraternity. The builder’s square represents “being square” morally, or a “square deal,” an honest and forthright agreement. The compass, another builder’s tool that appears prominently on Mason literature and garb, represents boundaries, said Mr Hubert. To today’s Mason, he said, “It is a symbol of keeping relationships within boundaries.”

Those not a part of the Mason brotherhood might find the white aprons worn during meetings peculiar, but again, said Mr Johnson, they are simply symbols taken from the working masons who wore aprons as they handled stones, and which have come to signify purity in life and conduct, values promoted by the organization.

It is no surprise to these two men that many lodges are comprised of aging men. “Many men find time to look into Masonry and join in their middle years,” said Mr Hubert, “ and that accounts for the large number of middle-aged men. Younger guys are busy with family and those kinds of activities, but once the kids are in college, they find themselves looking around and thinking, ‘What’s next?’ That’s when they look into Masonry.”

No Recruiting

That brings up another issue that stymies membership numbers in some lodges, they said. “Masons don’t recruit,” Mr Hubert said. “A man might discover one of his friends is a member. They will ask some questions, come talk to us, and then they join. [The desire to join] has to come from the prospective member.”

The DaVinci Code book and movie, despite being riddled with inaccuracies about the fraternity, has benefited the Masons, they said. By spawning good portrayals of what Masonry is about, particularly on the History Channel and the Discovery Channel, it has renewed interest in the group.

“The National Treasure movie, while fiction, has shown Masons in a positive manner,” Mr Hubert said. Again, much of the information in the movie about Masons is not quite accurate, he said, and added, “All of the people in the theater laughing at the ‘wrong’ places in the movie? Those are Masons.”

“We don’t ask anyone to join,” reiterated Mr Johnson. “We want them to want to join.”

As with many Masons, Mr Johnson is descended from a line of Masons, although he did not become one until just five years ago. He sensed for years that his father wanted him to join, but in keeping with the Masons’ close-mouthed style, his father did not talk about the Masons with him. “I asked a few questions when I was in my 30s,” Mr Johnson recalled. “I asked my father, ‘What do I get out of it?’ and he said, ‘That’s not the right question.’”

It was several years later before Mr Johnson discovered the right question to ask. “It’s not ‘What’s in it for me?’ It’s what you put into it. The enjoyment, the satisfaction of doing for others comes back double. I’m a better person for being a Mason,” he said.

Making a good man better is one of the missions of the Masons, and not all prospective members are accepted, however desperate a lodge might be for new members. “The primary goal of the Blue Lodge Mason is to replenish the ranks. The more bodies that can take part in events, the better. If there are too few members, they will burn out,” Mr Johnson said. However, he went on, “We seek men of good repute. We have a certain responsibility to the community to make a good impression.”

Men of good repute can be of any belief to become a Mason. The Hiram Lodge has Christians of many denominations in the membership as well as members of the Jewish faith. “We are not on a campaign to convert anyone. We do not have our own religion,” Mr Johnson said. “In the lodge we do not discuss politics or religion when meeting in session. But, you cannot be a Mason if you do not believe in a Supreme Being.”

What a man who elects to investigate Masonry will find, say Mr Hubert and Mr Johnson, is a brotherhood committed to high moral standards and people who enjoy being with others and doing with others.

Helping Others

Like most fraternal organizations, members of the Hiram Lodge are dedicated to supporting charities and helping others in need.

“Each organization has some charity they support,” Mr Hubert said. “The Grand Lodge of Connecticut owns Ashlar of Newtown and the Ashlar Masonic Home in Wallingford,” he said. “Hiram Lodge contributes to Ashlar and we work at Ashlar directly. We have held picnics there and benefits. Our members visit residents on a regular basis, give out gifts at holidays, and I can’t tell you how many times we have played Santa and elves there.” What they offer Ashlar residents, Mr Johnson said, is moral and uplifting support.

Hiram Lodge has sponsored CHIPS in past years, as a gift to the community. It is a childhood ID program in which digital photos, fingerprinting, dental impressions, and a video tape of a child is provided to parents free of charge, in case that child ever goes missing.

Tabs for Tots is an ongoing collection of aluminum soda tabs given to the Shriners to raise money for the charitable hospitals sponsored by their brother organization and this year the lodge donated $300 to the Relay For Life, with plans to put together a team for next year’s relay.

Money raised through events such as the annual dinner/dance and this April’s opening day fisherman’s breakfast is used for upkeep on the Washington Avenue building that houses the lodge and to support various charities.

The Hiram Lodge is not all work and no play, though. Table Lodge Meetings take place every year, this year’s being an informal steak and lobster dinner and members take part in golf tournaments and the Labor Day Parade. A dart team is being formed to take on Masonic teams from other towns and several members participated in this year’s Memorial Day Parade in Monroe.

Masons offer a sense of camaraderie to their brothers, another reason men seek out the fraternity, said Mr Johnson and Mr Hubert. “Our lodge is a very close-knit brotherhood,” Mr Hubert said. “I’ve made more good friends since I joined the lodge back in 1985 than I had in my whole life.”

Freemasons are always there for each other, said the men. “If I need help, I can call one of a dozen people,” said Mr Johnson, “and they will come to help me.” The brotherhood extends outside the local circle, too, he said. “No matter where I travel in the world, If I need anything, I know I can find a lodge and someone will be there for me. It’s a wonderful thing.”

The Masons have weathered ups and downs in membership over their centuries of existence, and any decline in numbers felt presently is just a blip on the radar screen, so far as Mr Johnson and Mr Hubert can see. While good men are always welcome, there is no sense of desperation within the Hiram Lodge No 18. Said Mr Johnson, “We are looking for quality [in members], rather than numbers.”