On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me…the current December event that replaced staged performances in many Masonic facilities.
Why? Here is my thought – a simple lack of individuals to participate in the performance during a busy time of year. This is one of the main reasons that many Scottish Rite Valleys stage a very small number of degrees; comparative to previous decades. Declining membership has taken its toll. Unfortunately, the message sent to the public from the fraternity also changes when they lose the message of the “Christmas Carol” to “we give you something for free.” In many ways, this is a continuation of the discussion that I started about Masonic museum exhibits in Europe where the main message focused on how members gave back to society and NOT how an organization donates a lot of money. It was more of a discussion that depicted how masonry didn’t just “make good men better,” but gave them the tools to make a difference in the world of politics, music, art, medicine, etc…
I hope that you all have enjoyed the twelve days of Christmas!
Author: waszut_barrett@me.com
Wendy Rae Waszut-Barrett, PhD, is an author, artist, and historian, specializing in painted settings for opera houses, vaudeville theaters, social halls, cinemas, and other entertainment venues. For over thirty years, her passion has remained the preservation of theatrical heritage, restoration of historic backdrops, and the training of scenic artists in lost painting techniques. In addition to evaluating, restoring, and replicating historic scenes, Waszut-Barrett also writes about forgotten scenic art techniques and theatre manufacturers. Recent publications include the The Santa Fe Scottish Rite Temple: Freemasonry, Architecture and Theatre (Museum of New Mexico Press, 2018), as well as articles for Theatre Historical Society of America’s Marquee, InitiativeTheatre Museum Berlin’s Die Vierte Wand, and various Masonic publications such as Scottish Rite Journal, Heredom and Plumbline. Dr. Waszut-Barrett is the founder and president of Historic Stage Services, LLC, a company specializing in historic stages and how to make them work for today’s needs. Although her primary focus remains on the past, she continues to work as a contemporary scene designer for theatre and opera.
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