Forces within the Lodge – Masonic Game
Moshe Shanon
The following is a translation from Hebrew to an article I published at masonica.info magazine. A magazine I publish in Hebrew. I hope you find it interesting for the list.
Remarks and correction will be appreciated.
Dear Brethren,
Here is a game for you, the kind you do not play with a joystick or in
front of a plasma screen, an old style game, like Knucklebones or
"Rock-paper-scissors". This game is intended for three
participants.
The Ingredients Needed:
- 1 X Pencil
- 3X Rubber bands.
Instructions
Part 1:
Locate the 3 rubber bands on the center of the pencil so that the pencil is perpendicular to the floor using the forces of the rubber bands, not easy but possible. For those of you having trouble visualizing this part Figure A is attached.
Part 2:
Now we reach the interesting part of the game…
The goal for each player is to pull the pencil towards himself.
The Winner:
The winner is the player who
manages to bring the pencil as close as possible towards himself.
Rules of Engagement
In order to reach their
goal the participants are allowed to use any technique physical or verbal.
Disqualification
1. If the pencil falls, all three participants lose.
The allegory stops here but what is the lesson?
The pencil is a metaphor for the lodge. To start the game it should be placed vertically to the floor. In other words, start functioning as a lodge. In order to succeed in that you must make three opposing forces to cooperate.
The first force (first rubber band), is the philosophical force the masons who understand the intellect in freemasonry, its goal and teachings and what is meant in its rituals.
The Second force (second rubber band) is the social force, this is the unifying glue of a Masonic lodge and transform it to one same social unit, the force that gives the lodge its livelihood and dynamics. The third force is the Philanthropic or Practical force. It implements the vision and materializes the potential into substance .Nowadays; it is usually the Lodge’s charity work or any other application of the lodge deeds for the community or society it resides in.
You can take this analogy along way, in the first stages of the game you must mange and balance the three forces to put the lodge well on its track. Without the willful unification of these three forces to create to a Masonic lodge based on the principles of freemasonry(I), with the help of all brothers (ii) in order to implement a common cause or Endeavour (iii) a Masonic lodge will not be erected.
Without the philosophical force, there is no difference between a Masonica lodge and any other organization, charity association or a “Tupperware party”.
Without the Social force, this group becomes virtual like the one we see today in Facebook or flashmob communicating via SMS and rewording as the price of sending one but allows you to say, “I gave at the office”.
Without the philanthropically or Practical force this group is theoretical. At best, the discussions in it will match a university faculty debate, deteriorating through psychological masturbation and pointless discussions oblivious to strangers and better yet idle talks over sandwiches and hors d'ouvre not the best in quality desired more by the participants then the actual conversation.
Lodge without the philosophical and the practical forces have been deemed Taverna Lodges.
Whoever tries to play this game will discover that the first part is the easiest one. After few barren attempts, you can actually balance a lodge.
The second part is the harder one, once one of the forces in the lodge gains momentum and tries to force the lodge moving in its general direction the whole system might fall apart. The tactics used by the brothers pulling the strings can vary; it can be aggressive or otherwise. For example, trying to recruit only one type of brothers, lack of cooperation, and take advantage of opportunities overlooked by other forces etc. in any case the outcome will be the same. The pencil falls the pack dismantles.
So, are we back in square one? How do you win this game?
Maybe the answer is in understanding that this game was not meant to be won. Understanding that the rules of the game are absurd. Wining is losing.
The only way to win this game is not to win. Keeping the tension between the tree forces active but static is the answer. True no one has the upper hand but at the same time, no one loses.
Sometimes, the main players of the game are tired that is the time to replace them, which is not an easy task.
Whoever learns to perform the above-mentioned tasks without losing the pencil is bound to be enshrined in the Masonic Leadership Hall of Fame.
For those of you having trouble visualizing this Figure B is attached.
Fraternally,
Bro. Moshe Shanon (PWM)
Human stone lodge – In formation. Founding committee.