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Utilizing the one and two admission/acceptance A period of rapid international expansion of
ceremonies. Freemasonry, partly due to the creation of mili-tary
lodges that would in themselves establish overseas
Th is whole period of transformation would have met Masonic lodges.
with some resistance from existing guild members.
Th ere were a few notable cases of Masonic prohibition
in some European countries for a few years. Th is
didn't have a lasting eff ect, possibly the reverse eff ect.
A typical human response is that, when told they can't
have it, they want it even more.
One can only imagine the operative members
horrifi ed at the thoughts of gentlemen with no
stonework skills whatsoever, being admitted into their
guilds.
Something signifi cant at that time must have caused
this change; to eff ect such a radical change in the
admissions policy.
Th e concept to create a Grand Lodge out of an annual
One theory is that a simple survival initiative drove it. festival - 1717 to 1721. Establishing and writing a
Th at the operative stonemason guilds were in decline, modern set of rules, Anderson's Book of Constitutions
and to maintain membership, they admitted non-stone 1723.
masons. Th is decline in the number of stonemasons
might have been driven by the move away from the Th is early interest in Freemasonry was fuelled by the
quarried stone to construct buildings - to kiln dry clay age of Enlightenment. Th ese new members were less
in the form of bricks-still a construction method, just interested in the study of Freemasonry than learning
a diff erent delivery mechanism, a diff erent skill set about the latest innovations in nature and science.
required. In many respects, Freemasonry was a true learning
experience.
In modern terminology, clay bricks were a disruptor
to quarried stone. Th ere was the evolution and refi nement of the three
degree Craft system. Introduction of the Solomon
For a period of time, stonemason guilds, operative Temple legend and Hiram Abif in an allegoric form,
lodges (mix of operative and non-operative), and from around 1725.
speculative lodges (non-operative members only)
would have operated in par-allel; as some were in Th e creation of breakaway obediences that wanted
decline, others would prosper. Some consider that this to adopt more liberal rules, some of which succeeded
would have taken place during the whole of the 17th where others failed.
century.
Th e perpetuation that Freemasonry was a 'secret
Freemasonry Version 2 society' made it even more attractive to new members.
Th is marketing strategy was hampered a little by the
Th is is the replacement product for Freemasonry V1 Secret Societies Act of 1799, an attempt to ban secret
meetings behind closed doors. Again, this act of
Th is is the transition period from around 1717/1721, trying to ban Freemasonry possibly did more to make
the formation of a Premier Grand Lodge in London the fraternity even more appealing.
and Westminster in England up to 1813, with United
Grand Lodge's formation. Th e combination of the packaging, delivery
mechanism, and content during this period was
Th is was a time of acceleration in speculative a unique selling proposition, which survived and
Masonic lodges. prospered, where others failed.
Montana Freemason Page 10 Jan/Feb 2021 Volume 97 No. 1