2022 Is Not 2020, Too
2021 is over, elections have been made, and the next Worshipful Master of a Lodge is gearing to take the reins in 2022; if they haven’t already. It’s a new year and whether you have new men in the line or not, getting them motivated, keeping them motivated and setting out to have a good, solid year in 2022 won’t be easy, but it doesn’t have to be hard...it just takes work.
Worshipful Master can be a position of leadership, but not without work, duty and gratitude. Becoming Master does not automatically make you a leader, but it puts you in a position to lead by example. You must mean what you say and say what you truly mean. Masonry finds itself in a position where the same things are done seemingly day in and day out over and over. And, in fact, I would argue that in many cases1, we don’t want it to be different each time.
So, what does this have to do with leadership and being a Worshipful Master? Allow me a parable. (If you attended the education seminar I shared with WB Ken Thorpe of the Grand Lodge of Wyoming; Senior Grand Steward, you will have undoubtedly heard this parable.)
There are two fish swimming in the water. After a little while an older fish comes swimming towards them. He looks at the two younger fish and says “Morning, boys! How’s the water?” The older fish swims past the two younger fish who continue swimming. After a little while of silence, one of the younger fish looks over at the other and asks: “What the hell is water?”
The everyday life of Masonry is one of consistency and repetition, day in and day out. Whether this occurs in our lodge or another lodge we are visiting: we do not want to see it be different. The ritual of what we do must remain the same; it must be consistent. But, on paper, that sounds terribly boring...yet, it isn’t. We still go, we still participate and in some situations we do this multiple times a week!
Then, so, what’s the point of the fish story and how does this relate to leadership? The point of the fish story is that the most obvious, everpresent, and important realities of our Masonic lives are often ones that are the hardest to see or even talk about. This fact points to a tremendous importance of and in our experience in Masonry. I’m not trying to tell you what to think, but rather showing a method of how to think, especially as a leader to the men that will be supporting you during your year.
Life as a Mason is constantly and unequivocally all around us at every step, breath, handshake, word and laugh. Masonry is all around us. When we shake hands, we are saying a multitude of things without even so much as having to - the handshake itself does just fine. We do it dozens of times a year. It’s our hello, goodbye, well done, best wishes and...a representation of deity. We never seem to grow tired of it, though. We have degree work, ritual practices, business meetings, over and over again. And, while some of it is tiring (ahem, like approving of the minutes...), I would argue that maybe, just maybe, seeing the “water” of Masonry in these moments - good or tiring - is what keeps us coming back. It’s not the what, but the why; the experience of Masonry. It’s what can keep the new Mason coming back; it’s what can get your men, your officers, to join you in this great and good work.
It’s a teaching moment, though. Leaders have options of where to lead from, not just how to lead. Each Worshipful Master is certainly different and each lodge is even more different than another, but Masonry is Masonry and what makes it Masonry - it’s “water” if you will - is what keeps us coming back. But, like anything, we can lose sight of it. If you float in a pool long enough, you begin to forget that you were in water in the first place. But, if you swim in it, move around in it, then you realize there is water all around you at all times.
As I wrote about before, in my previous article, leading from within gets you doing the work with your guys. Empower them to join you; show them and participate with them in your year. It is your year, sure, but it is also theirs. Swim in the water with them, don’t float. Lead by example. If you tell them, show them. If you show them, tell them. These little nuances, these ever present pieces of Masonry are what makes it what it is...they are also what makes us Masons.
The next time you shake a Brother’s hand, remember this: This is Masonry. The next time you bring a Brother to light, more light and further light, remember this: This is Masonry.