“So that’s it, then?” asked the new candidate, standing at the door of the storage room with the Master of the Lodge as The Old Webmaster sat quietly in the dimly lit area inside. One website he’d looked at before coming to the lodge for a tour railed at the supposed amount of money one must have to become a Mason. Then again, they had a whole raft of books they wanted you to buy and they pleaded for donations for what they called a ministry….
“Actually, there can be more.” said the Master. “As you continue in Freemasonry, you will be approached by other members to join this or that ancillary group. They enjoy their membership in those groups and will encourage you to do so also. We have members who are active in the Scottish Rite, the York Rite, the Shrine and many other organizations that predicate their membership on your being a Mason. Should you choose to join any or all of these groups, there will be costs similar to those you undertake by joining our lodge. Each will have a joining fee, annual dues, and charitable activities you’ll want to support. A very few men seem to think that joining a plethora of groups makes them particularly important and they delight in having a wallet full of membership cards. Most men who join these groups now, though, really do so in order to support their worthwhile endeavors or because they have a specific interest in the activities of the group. Our Senior Warden is very active in the Grotto, for example, and puts a lot of effort into their program to bring dental care to the handicapped. Our Junior Steward just returned from military service. Our Webmaster has gotten him involved with the National Sojourners, a group of present and past military men who are Masons. He’s working with the local Chapter to pump up their scholarship programs for ROTC cadets. I guess the point is that it can get a bit expensive if you join a bunch of groups in your first year. I can only imagine how much our Webmaster here spends each year on his memberships in various Research Lodges around the world.”
“One of my many vices….” the Old Webmaster said from within his cramped and dimly-lit hideaway. You could hear the broad smile in his words. “But don’t forget to mention clothing because that’s an expense too.”
“Yes!” the Master agreed. “Since we’re talking about this, we should really cover everything. Our lodge has a long-standing tradition that our officers wear tuxedos at our monthly meetings. Should you become an officer, you’ll need to purchase one. It’s really not much more expensive than buying a suit though.”
“I saw that picture of your – what do you call it? – installation? – on the website. Everyone was dressed like a penguin….” And even as he said it, he realized that he might have just insulted the both of them gravely.
“For those not used to wearing dinner clothes, dressing up like that does seem a bit odd. After you’ve been an officer for a few months, it’s as normal as dressing for work – and, in some ways, that’s not a bad analogy.” said the Lodge’s Master. That picture on the web also hung on the wall of his den with pride. The guys were REALLY sharp that night and made a great impression on all who attended.
“What’s the purpose of dressing up like that though?” It seemed odd that these relaxed, down-to-earth fellows who were also pictured ‘hamming it up’ at a barbeque would get all dressed up for a ceremony. The candidate wondered about the dichotomy.
“May I answer this one, Worshipful?” asked the Old Webmaster. The Master nodded affirmatively and from the dimly-lit room, a squeak could be heard as the chair in which the Old Webmaster sat complained yet again.
“The work in which a Freemason is engaged – for want of a better catch-phrase, ‘Making Good Men Better’ – is serious and solemn stuff. It’s not something that should be joked about and many lodges feel that part of ’setting the scene’ for both themselves and for their candidates is that everything is done in a way that impresses upon the mind the serious, solemn nature of the work. While some lodges take the ‘clothes don’t make the man’ approach (and I’d certainly agree that they don’t), there’s also the compelling argument that by having those directly responsible for the communication of our ritual be forced to change their garments it will psychologically cue them that they’ve just changed roles as well. I think there’s something to be said for that argument. A few jurisdictions have it as a mandatory requirement that all officers dress formally for meetings while others limit the requirement to Grand Officers. You’ll learn of different approaches to this, but here, our officers dress for meetings – and as a result, members wouldn’t think of appearing in work or play clothing for meetings. Because we all meet ‘on the level’, wearing similar clothing helps ensure that we don’t subconsciously favor one Brother over another based on what’s being worn. There are some lodges in Europe where all members wear white gloves, a holdover from the days when the hands of a laborer were clearly different from those of someone whose job might be of a higher status. It’s in interesting issue to think about. However we’re getting a bit far afield. As the Master suggests, there is a ‘clothing expense’ which an officer will bear in our lodge but not everywhere.”
“Anything else?” asked the Candidate. All in all, this wasn’t too bad – and sure wasn’t what that website had made it out to be.
The Old Webmaster chuckled. “I’d just add this: if you’re ever trying to impress those of the opposite sex, there’s nothing better than saying ‘So should I wear my tuxedo?’ They’re DEFINITELY intrigued.”
There was a chuckle from both the Master and The Old Webmaster. A very interesting side-benefit, the Candidate mused.
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