Lecture

I have also been asked to give my lecture Freemasonry Tomorrow at Unanimity Lodge No. 154 in Wakefield on Monday 4th May, 2009.

Freemasonry Tomorrow Lecture

I have been asked to give my lecture on Freemasonry Tomorrow on Monday 20th April, 2009 at Felicity Lodge 6001, Spring Bank Place in Bradford.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Lecture

Went to a talk this evening at my Lodge (Connaught & Truth No. 521) given by our SW, Bro. Simon Ackroyd. The subject was "Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Freemasonry." The lecture was well received... apparently the author of the Sherlock Holmes stories joined a Lodge in Portsmouth in 1887.

Generational differences

Currently I have been reading "Wikinomics" by Dan Tapscott and Anthony D. Williams. I was struck by relevance of the following passage to authoritarian rule within Freemasonry:

"Whereas previous generations value loyalty, seniority, security and authority, the N-Gen's [internet generation's] norms reflect a desire for creativity, social connectivity, fun freedom, speed and diversity in their workplaces". [p.248]

The question then is how do we change the organisation to accomodate this change in norms so that Freemasonry remains relevant to society?

Biffy Clyro - Mountains

Biffy Clyro's Mountains was filmed in a masonic lodge 'deep within the walls of Liverpool Street in central London' - whatever that's supposed to mean. Cool! (As the young people say nowsdays)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGjDsVPV6VI

Promoting Freemasonry

One of the important, and often ignored, ways of capitalising on the currency of Freemasonry is through the books that are available. Robert Lomas has written several on the matter, whilst Dan Brown's next book is allegedly about the Craft.

Films that have included a masonic elements include 'National Treasure', 'The Da Vinci Code' and 'From Hell'. Rather than making an this accessible way of putting Freemasonry on the agenda, it appears to be deliberately ignored.

Where are the opportunities?

All this seems rather negative, so where do the opportunities lie?

First of all the legacy of masonic secrecy, far from being a problem, can be used as an asset. Secrecy creates curiosity, as the Police Chief out of the Simpson's quipped 'What is your fascination with my secret closet of mystery?'

Freemasonry is ineffable: difficult to put into words. Before joining Freemasonry I read about it in Stephen Knights book 'The Brotherhood.' Whatever I learned in that book was useless: Freemasonry has to be experienced before it can be understood. The question then is, how do we reach Generation Y?