Benjamin Franklin Lodge #83, Madison, WI

PM Felix Geissler was, to put it mildly, instrumental in forming Benjamin Franklin No. 83. He is a man deeply committed to, and passionate about, the Craft. The lodge wishes Felix and his family every happiness with their move to New Jersey. We know too that PM Geissler will always be with the lodge in spirit, even if distance keeps him from visiting as often as he would like.

The following are some thoughts and reflections PM Geissler shared from the East during his last evening as Master of the lodge.

Thanks again Felix.

What makes a Mason a Mason?

Brethren, I have chosen the title for tonight’s meditation not because I have the answer, but because it is the central, and recurring, question of our Fraternity and for each of us as brothers. So what is a Mason?

By tradition and Masonic law, our members can only be men. The Fraternity has been defined in many ways. The one most widely used is, “Freemasonry is a beautiful system of morality, veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbols.” Thus, Freemasonry is more than just a “social club,” it is an organization with something important to teach. Another very popular one is, “Freemasonry is a way of life; As an organization, its purpose is to make good men better.” But again, what does this actually mean? What is a good man? And if he is already “good,” how can you make him better?

One of the essential preconditions for becoming a Mason is the candidate’s own vital interest in the Fraternity. Such an interest itself seems to be a contradiction. How can you be interested in something most people know nothing about? What causes this intrigue for the unknown? This interest can be stirred by a family member who is or was a Mason, mostly fathers or grand fathers. It could be caused by an interest in history or simple by an acquaintance who is a member of the Craft. Some other prerequisites for becoming a Mason are to be honest, kind and to have a fundamental interest to learn. These fine qualities are all necessary to join the Craft. But there is often something more, a deeper personal reason known only to the candidate himself. Every member has his own story why and how he joined, and all this stories are different.

A candidate seeking to enter the Fraternity seldom has more than a vague notion about the organization he is joining. Even after his admission he usually remains quite at a loss to explain satisfactorily what Masonry is and for what purpose it exists. Only through study, active participation in the lodge, and trying to apply Freemasonry’s principles will he get a sense of what Freemasonry is and means. You are not born as a Mason, it takes time to develop and every person is different.

We are going to install new officers tonight to lead and govern our lodge. I have chosen a quote of Benjamin Franklin which explains our philosophy simply and plain, “Tell me and I forget, teach me and I remember, involve me and I learn.” I think that is what is necessary to make a member of the Craft a real Mason. Members have to be engaged, they need a task. That is what finally makes a man into a Mason. The learning process does not end after you are a Master Mason, it might be even better to say it starts right there. A brother of my German Lodge once told me that you become old when you loose interest for new things and you refuse to learn. He was then 85 and a very busy and happy man.

What Masonry is, no doubt, will always remain a mystery; it is like looking at the clear sky at night. You can see the stars, but you do not know why they are there, what made them or what their destiny is. We know Freemasonry is there, part of our lives, but we do not really know where it came from, despite all the books claiming to “know.” Every individual member has his own reason why he is interested in Masonry and why he wants to join. For some the reason will be the same forever, for others it changes. All this is not important, it is also not important at what age you join. You can be 20 years old and exactly know why you join or you can be in you late 70’s like Voltaire. He was 79 years old when Benjamin Franklin handed him his apron at his initiation. I would like to ask you to recall the moment you became a Mason. Remember the first time you were dressed with that white apron - the emblem of purity and innocence which we always associate with the lamb and with the new-born child. We are a brotherhood of men, bound by an oath whose implication and meaning can not be understood by outsiders. It is an experience that must be lived and, we hope, is carried from one generation to the next. Only in this way can you, or anyone, really come to understand the “secrets” of Masonry.