The Masonic Ambassador Initiative
An Executive Summary for Provincial Grand Mentors
March 2012
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The concept of the Masonic Ambassador is very simple but one that is not so easy to implement.
It is aimed at equipping our membership with the ability to speak freely about their masonry to non-masons in a confident and competent manner. If this is achieved we will be in the position of having over 250,000 masons creating a positive image of the Craft amongst their family and friends. There will be many benefits to this as not only will it improve our public relations it will also attract men of the right calibre to enquire further about our organisation.
Achieving this aim will not be straightforward and it will not be achieved overnight. Indeed it may take some time to turn around the still present understanding amongst many of our number that they cannot talk about such things. Such reticence is understandable as it has been born out of many years of being advised to remain silent. But things have changed and the much more open attitude from the centre can be greatly supported by all our members.
To reach our goal we must ensure that whole of masonry is behind this change. We have already read our Deputy Grand Master, Jonathan Spence giving his views on the importance of individual brethren promoting a positive image of the craft in his Freemasonry Today article ‘Speaking Openly’.
We currently have the Grand Secretary talking to the national and local media about the recently completed report ‘The Future of Freemasonry’. This will be followed up by Provincial Information Officers working within their Provinces to further promote its findings, which incidentally include the recognised benefit of brethren speaking openly about their masonry.
Grand Lodge will soon be publishing a leaflet which, by the use of clear and non – jargon type language; can be used by our members to explain more about the Craft.
The mentoring initiative also has a vital part to play in this drive towards openness. Personal Mentors can advise our newer brethren, who are not shackled with a history of past silence, on what to say and how to say it. Our Lodge Mentors can engage with all the brethren of their lodge to encourage them to speak more freely. There are many publications already in existence that support this task and there has also been a new short talk produced that can be read out in lodge.
As Provincial Mentors it is in our gift to support the Masonic Ambassador Scheme by explaining it to our Mentors and encouraging them to do all that they can to support what is a most important venture in helping to secure a positive future for Freemasonry.