The Universal Language of Freemasonry - ArchiMeD - Johannes ...

Chapter 8 - Categorization of Rituals 679
The illustration above shows a medal of The Masonic Protective Association,
Worcester, Mass. The tag was worn by a Mason and says on its back that the one
who finds it should telegraph the number 331779 to the M.P.A. when the holder
is injured or unconscious, because it will identify him. This association paid
sickness and accident indemnity to Masons only. However, we have to repeat
here that in Freemasonry, insurance is rather a side product and not the principal
purpose of the society. Of course, it is a convenient concomitant and might have
been the reason for less sincere persons to join the order. The satirical brochure
"The Debunker" from 1929 states in an article on fraternities in general,
including the Masons, that "[t]he insurance salesmen are, of course, regular
attendants at all meetings and solicit new members, before the novelty of the
order has worn off and while they are still in the frame of mind to go to all
lengths to help in every way their newly discovered 'brothers.'" 1652 This
observation proves that certain individuals abused fraternal organizations to sell
their products and to gain a new, illustrious clientèle. We cannot exclude that this
might also have been the case in Freemasonry, especially in the last 150 years
when people were less enlightened with regard to the true principles of the order
due to secrecy and a lack of public relations work.
When we consider Prince Hall Masonry for colored people, history shows
that the black Craft was and is strongly connected with insurance. For example,
the founding fathers of black Masonry in Philadelphia had established the Free
African Society, one of the oldest mutual benefit associations for blacks.
Muraskin defends the black Masonic institution, claiming that its achievements
in improving the social conditions of black citizens were great, and reproaches
such critics who try to reduce Masonry to the insurance feature while its true
purposes lie elsewhere:
While ultimately dues-paying insurance did become a widespread
feature of Masonic life, the reluctance of the Masons to make charity
impersonal and automatic shows that the Order was not simply an
immature form of insurance company. Too many scholars have ignored
fraternities such as Masonry except insofar as they were the precursors
of 'secular' insurance companies. Insurance, and business generally, are
key elements of Prince Hall Freemasonry, but the fraternity cannot be
reduced to it. 1653
1652 Haldeman-Julius (ed.), "The Debunker" (1929), article: "Debunking Fraternal Lodges," written
by an anonymous calling himself Past Master, p. 60.
1653 Muraskin, in a footnote, p. 136.