Grand Master-Flex

The video begins with the faraway shot of a man in a neat room with a mahogany desk. The camera lens zooms in to focus on the man as he begins to talk: about family, tradition, and community—about finding “your own greatness if it’s in you.”

The video isn’t part of a self-help program, a political PR campaign, or even an army recruiting push. This comely and admirable man is the grand master of Masons in Massachusetts, and he wants (some of) you.

Entitled “The Grand Master Invitation,” the video welcomes viewers to an informational Web site about the Freemasons, and encourages them to learn more about the fraternity. The site is a far cry from the Freemason’s enduring image as a super-secret society, but that’s the point.

“We’re not like ‘The Da Vinci Code’ or anything like that in any sense,” Justin V. Rodriguez ’07, a Freemason and member of the Harvard lodge, says. “We’re not a secret society. We’re a society with secrets.”

This video would seem representative of a major shift in policy for Freemasons as a whole. Historically, membership in the fraternity has been based on preexisting connections. “We used to be much more exclusive, very small,” Rodriguez says. However, that is beginning to change, as radio and video ads are beginning to make the organization more accessible. The more popular conception of the Freemasons is an obstacle that the organization is trying to overcome: recently, the Harvard lodge has instituted a more open application process. “There’s been a change in leadership in recent years,” says Rodriguez. “Our master masons change every year and this group seems to want to emphasize a more open application process.”

That said, the emphasis on traditional ties shows through in the Harvard lodge’s connection to another exclusive Harvard social organization, the Hasty Pudding Club. “We draw some members from the Pudding,” says Ryan J. Johnson ’00, current grand master of the Harvard lodge. “It’s not a requirement to get in, but there’s a longstanding tradition with the two institutions.” Rodriguez, a member of the Pudding, was referred to the Freemasons by a fellow member, and the lodge celebrated its 85th anniversary at the club’s social space.

According to Johnson, the practice of drawing its membership from preexisting connections is natural for an application process that “is basically designed to make sure the applicant is who he says he is.” The application includes interviewing, submitting nine references, and attending events with members. “I think the University does a good job vetting applicants,” Johnson says. “If you’re at Harvard, chances are that you’re a pretty upstanding individual.”

The lodge is composed of about 70 students and 20 faculty members while the rest are predominately alumni, according to Johnson. Recent growth has required that the lodge, which doesn’t actually own a building on campus, move out of their traditional meeting space at Harvard, the Faculty Club’s Library Room. They now meet at the Masonic Lodge on Tremont Street in Boston.

In addition to monthly dinners and the obligatory Harvard-Yale tailgate, the lodge’s activities include charitable donations. The Harvard lodge donates to the Masonic Angel Fund and the Child Identification Program in Boston. Members also contribute through other means besides monetary donations: recent events included a blood drive at the Boston Masonic Temple. According to Robert E. Bolcome III, a student at the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and Harvard Medical School, Freemasons are the single largest source of blood donations in Massachusetts.

“At least in my case I’ve been able to find a higher moral standard as a member of the lodge,” says Bolcome. “Our generation hasn’t had to withstand any tough times. We don’t know what hunger really is, what it means to go through the Depression or be drafted. There’s more to life than being comfortable. Today there’s a search for more.”

Others emphasize the more social benefits of the organization. “You know, we just want to assemble a good bunch of guys,” Johnson says. Members are on the lookout for applicants attracted solely by the name and chance for networking. “With the entire process it really becomes clear why someone is here,” Rodriguez says, “If it’s for the wrong reasons—because they read ‘The Da Vinci Code’ and thought it’d be cool, or if they want to network—we keep an eye out for that.”

Younger people may turn to Freemasonry in their search for comraderie: in recent years, age qualification for applications was lowered from 21 to 18. “The policy has enabled us to bring in younger members, and that’s an initiative we’re hoping to build on,” Bolcome says.

“There’s always a lot of interest when I talk about it,” Alex W. Doubet ’10, who became a member this past semester, says. “But no one’s actually inquired about becoming a member.” The exception is an ironic one: Doubet’s grandfather, after hearing about Doubet’s positive experience, is pursuing involvement across the country in Dallas.

Compelling informational spots aside, Harvard might be a tough place to recruit new members given the preponderance of exclusive social institutions. Still, Freemasons have faith in the magnitude of their fraternity. “Overall, it’s an important organization,” Doubet says. “The ideals they teach will serve you will serve you well anywhere.”