Bro. Stewart

Guardians of the Gates

Any Master Mason speedily discovers that his Masonry is not all GETTING. It is also a matter of GIVING. A good Mason must serve, as well as be served. When Masonry is well served by her brethren, she grows, thrives, prospers. When she is ill served, a lodge starves, thins out in quality, gets stagnant, sometimes even dies.

When your application was received by the lodge, the Master appointed a committee of three brethren whose duty it was to investigate the truth of the statements you made, find out what manner of man you were, and recommend to the lodge what action it should take. Following their report, a ballot was taken on your petition. You were a good man; your committee reported in favor of your application; you were elected. You may not have known about their investigation, your reputation may have been well known, nevertheless, you were investigated, as is every petitioner for Masonry.

If and when you are appointed upon an investigation committee you may take it as a signal honor; your Master has confidence in your good sense, your loyalty, and your freedom from prejudices. He believes that you will faithfully discharge the most important Masonic duty he can give you. He has said, by his action, "I believe you can well judge material for our Lodge, I am placing in your hands the decision whether this petitioner is a good man, whether you would trust him in your home with your loved ones in the family, whether he is a man you will be proud to call your "Brother".

On the Accuracy of the report of committees on petitions, and on the fidelity with which they discharge their obligations, depends the purity of the lodge, the character of its personnel, on the very future of Masonry. Any misrepresentation in the application indicates further and very close scrutiny of a petitioner. Why does he misstate a fact? It could possibly be by mistake, but it MUST be determined. Never be satisfied merely because you find nothing against an applicant. Masonry wants positive, not negative, virtues. It is not enough that he has not been caught and jailed yet; he must be the kind the law doesn't want! Make your investigation alone, unaided, without reference to the other committeemen. Make your search promptly. It is not fair to the applicant or to the lodge to dilly-dally about it. If you can't serve, say so. If you do serve, serve well, serve whole-heartedly, serve promptly. You will be well paid. A "Master's Wages" await you when you shall have done your work. Paid not in any metal coin, or anything of material value, but in the finer coin of consciousness of honorable and responsible duty well done, the inner happiness which comes when you may truly say to yourself: "Masonry has been helped forward by my work," the knowledge that your lodge is a better lodge because you have paid back, in small measure at least, the interest and the labor your brethren have invested in you.

Original Author Unknown