This year, we are offering four topics instead of one. Please pick one of the topics below and write an essay that addresses that topic.
- Membership: As membership seems to have declined within Masonry, what can we as Masons do to encourage growth within the Craft? With our limitations on recruitment, what creative ways can we employ (if any) to draw more men into the Craft and keep our membership involved?
- Community Visibility: In the 1920s, Freemasons were highly visible within our communities, and the Craft appeared to grow quickly. In the 1960s, Freemasons became more secretive, and membership declined. How does visibility (increased or decreased) hurt or help our Lodges, our Members, and the Craft in general?
- Ritual: How important is learning and delivering ritual to the Craft? Does learning ritual help our understanding and enhance our Masonic teachings and education?
- Social Media: Can social media benefit you as a Mason, Lodges, or the Craft? Does social media help to bolster our connections to Brethren, Lodges, and Jurisdictions? Or does social media create more issues? Describe how social media can either be a benefit or detrimental to the Craft. What precautions need to be taken when using social media, if any?
Essay Format:
- Please make your submission double-spaced, in Times New Roman font, and no more than 1,500 words.
- If referencing any other material, please use APA format to recognize the material.
- The use of AI at this time is prohibited and will result in immediate disqualification.
- Please include a title page with your name, email, Lodge name and number, and which jurisdiction you are from.
Prizes and Winners:
- Winners will be announced by March 1st, 2025.
- The contest runs from November 1st, 2024, until January 31st, 2025.
- This contest is open to all Masons who wish to enter. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask via the email listed below.
We encourage and welcome original thought, opinions, and points of view. Be creative and express yourself.
Please submit your finished essays to: ashlarsubmissions@gmail.com
All submissions become property of Ashlar College of Freemasonry.