GHANAIAN YOUNG MASONS ARE UNIQUE.

GHANAIAN YOUNG MASONS ARE UNIQUE. You need to know.

Freemasonry is undoubtedly a very expensive fraternity. It costs its members a lot of cash, time and noetic employments. It has therefore attracted the elite in society and the glorious men of the arts and sciences. In a society so widely remarked for its nobility and affluence, it cannot be denied that, among the thousands who range under its banners, there are many members of rank and opulence. Neither can it be concealed that, there are some who, perhaps from circumstances of unavoidable calamity and misfortune, are reduced to the lowest ebb of poverty and distress. However, on behalf of distressed members, it has been a usual practice among Masons to provide relief in forms of charity, so far as it disturbs not their comfort.

In this part of the world (Africa), everything is just not right. The economy. The job availability. The youth. Well, lets also agree its a glabal malady and that cure will one day come. Young Africans however, have not redefined their fate yet, they still believe there is light at the end of the tunnel, even though we see no rays at half way the tunnel. We have big faith, African youth.
So, a young man growing from the armpit of Ghana, is not intimidated by the crotch hair. Right from infancy, he knows that nothing comes easy, he knows as an African youth, he fights for everything including air. Like K'naan said in his 'Waving flag', we are fighting to live, fighting to eat and we struggle. Let me just add to this observation that, we fight to belong too.

Just when we became men and our community started expecting from us, we got frightened by our fate, we wondered whether the weather will be bright, we started searching for avenues to live up to expectations coming from family, community and schools. The growing Ghanaian young man identifies the essence of networking, he comes to accept that, down here, like we say, (kokofu ball bo, wonua enka ho y3n passi wo), the game is for the connected. He, therefore, no longer sees necessity to be the mother of invention but the father of relationship. It became necessary he associated with the respected and affluent in society. That is if only he saw it a duty to live up to expectations,if only he wanted to be acknowledged by community and if only he had a particular interest in influencing lives. If none of the above characterized his heart, he continued to live by the rise and fall of the sun and eventually die unnoticed.
Freemasonry being the household name in esotericism, the young Ghanaian man with huge ambitions, big faith and fate, a positive inclination for knowledge and willingness to succeed, ends up reading and probing further about the order.
Having battled curiosity, fear and confusion, he finally knocked the doors of Freemasonry and gently but inarticulately said, "I have come to see for myself if Freemasonry is evil, I have come to make myself superior in society, I have come to join the elites, I have come so society could label me responsible and I have come to become rich". Though, most masons would lie to disagree with me, I still will go on with my essay.
It is protocol that a man who sought admission into Freemasonry be interviewed, so the young Ghanaian man, went through it and he truly exhibited the qualities in his heart. It became apparent that, he came in with a mission to envision his future in the lodge. After all, he can't be blamed, this is how we have been mentally schooled by the pictures of the day.

When he was eventually employed into the craft, he saw it to be an eye opener, he started to speak like a mason, he attended meetings,paid his dues by the pull of the hair in his nose which caused nasal twang each time he spoke with the Secretary. This is why I don't want to ever be a lodge Secretary, few brethren think good of him, you become the lodge soul, you doze and the lodge sleeps.
There are no jobs for these young masons, most of them sweat in their heads, first to even purchase their first suits, their regalia, the ritual, the banquet levies and even their transportation to meetings. Yet they never let go their zeal. The fortunate older members are mostly retired giants and are not in their best times to assist the young masons financially. Freemasonry Ghana therefore, is mostly consistuted by many old pensioners, very few privileged working men, who by the grace of the global disease are unable to take care of themselves, and many more young masons, who are unemployed graduates, students and kpa kpa kpa movement men. This has resulted in the financial leprosy in the hands of most lodges. They too, like the African youth, have not redelineated their hope for a better tomorrow. As Africans, what do we do better than hoping and praying for the best while expecting the worst.

Young Masons in Ghana don't rest and won't rest.They will attend in their numbers this Saturday's big meeting in Kumasi, wine and dine with big masons, take pictures with the elites and go back home on sunday, to say to themselves its well, they don't complain much, some of them will even borrow monies from their fellows to get home but again, these guys enjoy masonry, if not for anything, the privilege to befriend great men of the nation. If not for anything, they are happy to be seen by the popular world as rich while we know for sure that, no pesewa is earned. I never have come across such sceptered millitant gangs marching a long journey to an unknown tomorrow. The process is hard but there is certainty in our progress. Ain't young masons in Ghana unique at the end?
Bro. Oppong Clifford Benjamin
Excelsior Lodge No. 7670 EC
Founder- Sustain The Craft (STC).