by Dr. Brock H. Winters, RM16

Prince Hall Freemasonry today bears a near exact resemblance to the fraternity as it was over two hundred years ago, after the death of the National Grand Lodge.

Sure, we've added quite a few more lodges and members. A few more female auxiliaries and youth groups. We have a little more money and more educated members. But, once you look past our cosmetic changes and the human evolution of our predominate membership base - we're right back where we were during the Southern Reconstruction.

We've been stagnant for over two hundred years and the primary reasons for this is because we are electing many of our Grand Masters like we'd elect a High School Homecoming King - based on who he knows, what district or lodge he's from, how well he plays Masonic politics and how well we 'like' him. Best way to find a leader right?

The other reason we are in limbo is because from 1784 till about 1900 - we mimicked nearly everything the predominately White Freemasons in the United States did. They were the worst example to follow! But since we were just trying to prove our regularity to them, we would have jumped off the bridge if they did it first, and I think we did.

Yet, now that the predominately White Grand Lodges in the United States are trying to back track and start to practice Traditional Freemasonry instead of Commercial American Freemasonry, we don't mimic them? We imitate the bad, but not the good? That doesn't sound rational.

The reason why we don't try to seriously fix our order is because of our leadership doesn't recognize that's it's broke. We've become very comfortable with being the same fraternity for over two hundred years. We like being stagnant and making excuses for ourselves. Most of our leaders don't have a clue most of the time about Freemasonry outside of their own little box. If they did - they'd realize that our wheel is broke - has been broke for nearly three hundred years and it's past time to fix it.

If Version 1.0 of Prince Hall Freemasonry was initialized with African Lodge No. 1 and Version 2.0 was the upgrade to the National Grand Lodge and version 3.0 was the downgrade back to State Right Grand Lodges, then let me take a moment to produce a quick three step formula that will finally get us to where we need to be in the 21st Century with Prince Hall Freemasonry Version 4.0.

Nothing I'm about to say is anything that isn't already being done by other Grand Lodges and Lodges around the world. Yet, in the true spirit of a magazine called the 'Masonic VOICE' - there will be some things I'm going to say that some Brothers won't like and if you don't like it - you may be part of the problem

STEP ONE (Improving the Membership):
It's not only extremely easy to become a Freemason in our system, but it's even easier to fail in Freemasonry. Our system is set up as such that we are great at producing parrots and robots. There is never a time when a candidate for our degrees has to think. Our system isn't conducive to making good men better.

1. GUARD THE PREPARATION ROOM WITH YOUR LIFE!: Think quality versus quantity. Becoming a Freemason is a high privilege and not some inborn right of any man! Be very selective and you'll not only find that new initiates value the lodge more, but your long standing members will also.
2. BUILD THE EA AND FC MASON!: We mimicked the predominately White Grand Lodges when they started meeting and doing business in the Master Mason Degree and that was the first nail in our coffin. Allow the Entered Apprentice and Fellow Craft Masons to return to regular lodge meetings and participate, without being able to vote. Allow him to build a regime of attending meetings, and make regular attendance a requirement for being passed to the next degree.
3. STOP BUILDING PARROTS!: So what a candidate can memorize and repeat the proficiency Q&A or all three obligations. But does he UNDERSTAND meaning, symbolism and fundamentals of each degree? Has he applied the teachings of each degree to his own life? Has he improved himself in Masonry? To get passed to the next degree, several Grand Lodges around the world have the candidates write one to three lectures concerning their degree and present it in open lodge. If the lecture is satisfactory, they are permitted to pass. In this system it takes a few to several years to become MM, but since they allow EA's and FC's to be non-voting members of the lodge - everyone benefits! The candidate gets the opportunity to apply the teaching of each degree to his life and the lodge at the end of the process gets a full member that understands Freemasonry and knows all the workings of the lodge.
4. PRACTICE BROTHERLY LOVE!: Start taking care of Brothers, Widows and Orphans. We don't know each other like we should and that's probably because many of our lodges are too big. You should be nearly best friends with every member of your lodge. Be able to trust them enough to leave your children and even wife around them without having any second thoughts. Stop being strangers and love one another mightily! Before you go give away thanksgiving baskets and money to non-masons - go shovel the snow and rack the leaves of our Brothers and Widows who are unable to do so themselves.

1. EMPOWER THE LODGE!: As already mentioned, return to the practice of African Lodge No. 459 and allow lodges to do business in any degree they want, so when they have Entered Apprentice and Fellow Craft Masons, they will be able to allow them to participate in lodge work and even hold seats. This will stop the lodge from having to be degree mills and produce new Master Masons that don't attend meetings. If coming to meetings is part of the requirement to get passed to the next degree and it takes a couple years to become a Master Mason, you've just produce a strong lodge. Make Lodge attendance mandatory!
2. ACKNOWLEDGE THE ANCIENT CUSTOM: Let Brothers become full members of as many lodges as they want to. This will strengthen the fraternity, as lodges won't have to worry about being a degree factories to make candidates fast to work in the lodge. Brothers can join a local lodge to help them without having to demit. The Grand Lodge could even profit by collecting more member tax. If a Brother is suspended from his home lodge, then he forfeits membership in all his affiliated lodges. Other jurisdictions call his dual or plural membership.
3. STOP INCOMPETENCE AND INTRODUCE COMPETITION: Allow Brothers who have served as lodge Secretary or Treasurer for two to three years to run as Worshipful Master of the Lodge. All we're producing with Brothers who go through the line is robots and parrots. A Brother who has served as Secretary or Treasurer of a Lodge for two to three years and has participated in degree work and instruction is more qualified and will make a better WM than your typical Senior or Junior Warden.

1. To promote the teachings of Freemasonry to its members to help them become better men
2. To promote Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth towards Brothers, Widows and Orphans; and
3. To remain financial solvent.

1. To empower lodges and establish a system whereby lodges can consistently make good men better,
2. To establish a system whereby Lodges can be better enabled to aid and assist their Brothers, Widows and Orphans and
3. To assist Lodges in becoming and remaining financially solvent and providing financial relief to Lodges in need.

1. PROMOTE MASONIC EDUCATION & RESEARCH: The Grand Lodge has a duty to the lodges, in their quest to make good men better. In Prince Hall Freemasonry there are only two Research Societies dedicated to Masonic Education and Research and neither one of them are supported by a Grand Lodge. Let's mimic the good qualities of our predominately White Masonic counterparts and establish Lodges of Research and Education in each jurisdiction.
2. ENCOURAGE & PROMOTE EXCELLENCE: Give rewards to Lodges that boast high attendance percentages. Stop rewarding lodges that raise a high quantity of candidates and start rewarding Lodges that are producing quality Master Masons. Along with your Master Mason and Lodge of the Year Awards, give away the 'Best Lodge Secretary Award' and 'Best Worshipful Master Award' and 'Best District Deputy' and 'Most Active Grand Lodge Committee Award'. Show appreciate and give credit where credit is due.
3. AID & ASSIST LODGES: I don't know why our Grand Lodges ignore their lodges. I've traveled all over this country and I'm always horrified at how some of our lodges buildings look! And the first thing I always ask myself is - 'What in the hell is the Grand Lodge doing with all the money it collects from the membership in this jurisdiction?' What they need to do, is stop letting its members meet in dilapidated infrastructures and rat holes.
4. PROMOTE UNIVERSAL FREEMASONRY!: We need to seriously get away from holding church lodge. In this day in age we risk losing members by the way we pray and sing in the lodge. If you want Christianity and Jesus then go to Church! If you want Freemasonry, come to the Masonic Lodge. The two are separate and distinct. Praying in Jesus name and singing Christian hymns strictly violates the Ancient Charges (Anderson) and the Mackey's Landmarks that all PH Lodge are beholden to and makes us Irregular in practice.