External, not internal.

George Washington, Harry Truman, Thurgood Marshall, Booker T Washington, etc.

These were famous men who also happened to be masons.

None of these men influenced my decision to become a mason.

However, in these latter days, we find a lot of masons almost digging very deep to find out if any of their favorite personalities were freemasons; some even resorting to lies and deception i.e the case of Martin Luther King Jr (he was not a mason but several people have tied a dedication service by the Grand Lodge of Georgia a few years back to a "posthumous making on sight" which the Grand Master has flatly denied)

That being said, there has also been a case where famous men have been made masons at sight by Grand Masters in recent times. Nelson Mandela, Lionel Richie, Isiah Thomas, Shaquille O'Neal are some of the celebrities made masons instantly by virtue of their celebrity status. The argument of some in support of these things is that it brings attention to our craft and I wonder: is that really what we want? To bring attention of the bright stars to our craft that allegedly espouses its membership qualifications determined by the internal qualities of a man, not vice versa. What do these men really bring into the craft apart from a fat check?

With regards to the constant search and bother to identify some famous men as masons, one could directly relate it to the dearth of characters worth following within the current membership. There is a wide generational gap within the fraternity and within that is a problem with an older generation focused on the financial and political facets of the fraternity leaving the younger ones to finagle through or just sit in desolation as they observe the constant hankering over collars and titles by what are supposed to be their mentors. This results in an ignorant and otherwise uneducated brotherhood whose new members are therefore trying to find role models in the characters of famous men they most identify with, rather than the men in their very own lodge who may or may not possess the same characteristics.

The problem with the quality of membership is not a new one. It has always existed as long as our fraternity. However, the problem now is there is almost a negligence with the concern about not only bringing in quality members but also developing the ones already in it. There should be a concern about bringing in members who a younger generation will look up to and allowing the older generation of masons to develop the characters of said new members. But this seems to be all lost in the constant bickering and in-fighting by those members who have in ego what they lack in character ergo causing members to look elsewhere or look for rejuvenation in shooting stars within our fraternity they can not reach to.

I personally found a few people within my life who I am thankful for their inspiration. Coincidentally they were masons and made me even more interested. Do we still have such influential characters in our fraternity? Are you one of them?