Category:

Writing

2024/2025 Essay Contest!

by Steve

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.

  1. 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?
  2. 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?
  3. Ritual: How important is learning and delivering ritual to the Craft? Does learning ritual help our understanding and enhance our Masonic teachings and education?
  4. 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.

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5th Annual Writing Contest

by Steve

The Question

The cement which binds a lodge together is the regular meetings of its members. For the first time ever, in our recent history, we have been unable to meet. We have taken part in a long, dangerous and compulsory experiment. For the first time in our long history we have had to submit Our Craft to life support by placing it in an artificially induced coma and keeping its life breath of meetings flowing by using the artificial ventilator of the video get-together. With the advent of vaccines, we are faced with the risky business of arousing this slumbering giant. Because of the losses by death, resignation, and some decline of interest, there is a real danger that the habit of monthly Masonry in our lodges will crumble and fail. We need to do something, but what?

Do you agree or disagree with this statement and what, in your opinion, will the new reality look like?

The Rules

1200 – 1500 word essay of original thought (no more)

Double spaced, 12 pt font.

Name, Lodge Name and Number with title on front cover of essay

If using quotations please identify the sources.

<author> <date of resource> <title> <publication house>

The Dates

Entries will be received after December 30th, 2021 until January 31st, 2022

Winners will be announced March 1st, 2022

The Prizes

Prizes of quality Masonic Books will be awarded to the First, Second and Third place papers. All entries will be eligible for a discount of $50 in the registration fees for the Ashlar College Educational Program.

Good Luck

All entries to cfoxon@shaw.ca

Chris Foxon, Dean Ashlar College

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