XII. Our Masonic Youth
our youthful Brothers?
Research
reflects what our nation’s forefathers knew long ago: You cannot expect wisdom
to be a principle component of youthful activities. They believed this so
strongly that they incorporated this very ideal into our nation’s laws. Citizens
must reach a specific age[i]
before they are considered eligible to hold important governing positions. What
did they know about maturity that we should know as well?
There should be no doubt in any
Masterful Mason’s mind that Masonic Work transforms men toward the better. It
does this by engaging their hearts and minds in activities designed to Work
areas of the brain that promote improved and mature thinking. These areas are
specific and Masons who engage in helping others develop should take note of
these areas early on to determine this Work’s effectiveness.
One standard of effective
measurement is maturity. Masonic coaches and mentors should well acquaint
themselves with methods that can both develop and ascertain maturity in those
they are asked to assist in Masonic Work. It might occur to those Brothers who have
considered deeply the current state of the Craft that their failure to mature
the Lodge weakens the Fraternity daily and causes Brothers to focus attention
on superfluous matters and activities. Reviewing the division between Youth and
Manhood might be a good starting point for those interested in being a force
for change within the Craft.
Youth
It might surprise some people to
know that adulthood does not begin between ages 18 and 21. Yes, this is
considered the legal age of consent
and the time when those who reach it can and do take on many adult activities and responsibilities.
It is also around the time when a person is judged and held accountable as an
adult. This age is also long past when participation in biological reproduction
can and does occur.
The
benchmarks set up by modern society as the transition point between Youth and
Adulthood is not however when biological adulthood begins. Authentic adulthood
in humans occurs several years later on, and in some cases, much later on, if
at all.[ii]
Adulthood is dependent upon the coming to fruition of a specific section
of the brain called the Pre-Frontal
Cortex (PFC)[iii].
Pre-Manhood
According to researchers, the PFC
is the section of the human brain responsible for dividing Youth from Adulthood.
The PFC is proportionally larger in humans than all other animals. It has also
grown proportionally larger in relation to other portions of the human brain over
the time humans have purported to have existed on earth. In humans and on
average, the PFC continues to grow into the mid-twenties.
The characteristics[iv]
of an undeveloped PFC are many. Here are just a few:
·
Lack of foresight
·
Unfocused attention
·
Short attention span
·
Inappropriate behavior
·
Little to no impulse control
·
Cannot self-assess realistically
·
Little to no delayed gratification
·
Strategies and planning are ill-formed
·
Lack of weighing behavioral consequences
·
Disorganized thinking and problem solving
·
Little to no modulation of intense emotions
·
Behavior doesn’t adjust as situations change
·
Inappropriate risk-taking and dangerous behavior
·
Inability to consider the future and make
predictions
·
Short-term rewards take precedence over
long-term goals
·
Inability to consider multiple streams of
complex and challenging information
These are but a few of the many
distinguishing characteristics that help identify males who have further growth
required of their PFC before reaching manhood. It benefits all coaches and mentors
to recognize these characteristics as they support our next generation of males
through their Masonic development.
Manhood
Research the PFC enough and you’ll
learn that it does many functions important to our Masonic path. It is responsible
for planning, decision-making, inhibition, social interaction, self-awareness,
long-term memory formation, and understanding other people. Included in this,
the PFC also watches, supervises, guides, directs and focuses behavior! When
mature, it both knows and exhibits wisdom.
If it
has not become clear yet, the PFC is responsible for the facilitation of
Executive Functions characteristic of mature males. These functions include but
are not limited to, Time Management,
Judgment, Impulse Control, Planning, Organization, and Critical Thinking. Furthermore, every last one of these Executive
Functions is what Masons should find exemplified by at least one of our first
three Grand Masters.
What to Do
What do coaches or mentors do with
this information? First on the list of things to do should be improving
awareness of the telltale characteristics of immaturity. Some are more obvious
than others but they are all important to know as you work with others who
depend upon your support and guidance.
Once you can recognize and
identify specific characteristics, work toward becoming willing to share your
awareness with those with whom you work. This does not mean you should though. It
merely means that you are positioning yourself to properly assist those current
and future Brothers who show signs that they are indeed ready to take steps
along the Masonic path and are ready to hear
what you observe about their behavior that can help them.
1)
Should Manhood be determined by maturity and not chronological
age?
2)
Is the Craft allowing Brothers to pass long before
these males have yet to achieve biological manhood?
3)
Have you ever allowed a man to enter into Freemasonry
or pass from one degree to another without considering his maturity?
4)
How would you determine the Maturity of a man if asked
to undertake this important endeavor?
5)
What are the realized long -term costs to the lodge
when males are passed prematurely?
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[i]
“In the U.S., a person must be at least 35 years of age to be President or Vice
President, 30 years to be a senator, or 25 years to be a representative, as
specified in the U.S. Constitution. Most states in the U.S. also have age
requirements for the offices of governor, state senator, and state
representative.” Source: http://definitions.uslegal.com/a/age-of-candidacy/
[ii]
if one depended upon strictly upon behavior observation
[iii] De
Luca, Cinzia R.; Leventer, Richard J. (2008). "Developmental trajectories
of executive functions across the lifespan". In Anderson, Peter; Anderson,
Vicki; Jacobs, Rani (eds.). Executive functions and the frontal lobes: a
lifespan perspective. Washington, DC: Taylor & Francis. pp. 24–47.
[iv] http://www.hhs.gov/opa/familylife/tech_assistance/etraining/
adolescent_brain/Development/prefrontal_cortex/
1 comment:
yes!! great book/ thanks!!
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