Reality, Myth, And Legend

The decline of American Freemasonry dates to 1954, over a decade before the anti-establishment movements of the later 1960s gained the attention of young Americans. Currently, the force driving the membership crisis is not so much the death of members, but the rise in voluntary attrition: demits and NPDs. But what is driving that? The answer is simple, if chilling: In many lodges, Freemasonry just does not deliver what it promises. If current trends continue, by the time the Entered Apprentices we initiate in 2016 have passed on, the Fraternity will have shrunk almost 90% from current levels. I give extensive suggestions for how we might turn this situation around. I end with links to five online resources for recommended reading. Quite frankly, in putting this essay together, I felt like I was on a mission. I also felt like I was putting together an outline for a book—but that could take months to get to, given my current list of projects. We really can’t wait that long to make more progress in turning this around. So, I urge you to read this essay, ponder it, and decide what part of it you would like to discuss for implementation in your lodge. Freemasonry is too valuable to vanish from the American landscape. Let us nurture it, and build it. I invite you to subscribe to my mailing list, to receive my twice-monthly newsletter Markings—Masonic Edition. Fill in the box in the upper-right hand corner of this blog post, and we’ll set you right up! I also invite you to become a “follower” of this blog through the box in the upper-right hand corner. I also invite you to subscribe to the RSS feed for this blog.

Although the new C-Class has a true dual exhaust system, the center muffler is common to both pipes as a means to smooth the exhaust pulsations in both sides and reduce exhaust noise. All new-generation Mercedes-Benz C300 models equipped with an automatic transmission are set up to run on either premium gasoline or any mixture of ethanol alcohol up to E85, which is 85 percent ethanol. Since alcohol is less dense than gasoline, a special in-line fuel sensor monitors the type of fuel flowing from the tank to the engine, and the fuel system automatically adjusts the fuel-air mixture accordingly. The flex-fuel system allows the new C-Class to take advantage of a growing number of E85 stations and still use conventional gasoline when E85 isn't easily available. Alcohol fuels burn more cleanly than gasoline, resulting in even lower exhaust emissions. Mercedes-Benz is offering a newly designed six-speed manual transmission for the C300 Sport model.

For strength and durability, the new NSG 510 transmission features wider gears and additional bearings as well as a new version of the slick-shifting single-rod internal linkage. This transmission brings a strong sporty component to the Mercedes-Benz C300, offering maximum control with short gear lever throws for quick shifting. Gear ratios for the new six-speed are 5.10, 2.78, 1.75, 1.25, 1.00 and an overdrive 6th gear with a ratio of 0.81 as well as a 4.63 reverse gear. This relatively wide spread of gear ratios provides quick off-the-line acceleration, great response when merging in traffic and quiet, fuel-efficient highway cruising. Most of the new-generation C-Class models come with the exclusive Mercedes-Benz seven-speed automatic transmission as standard equipment (C300 Luxury, C350 Sport). When compared to other automatic transmissions, the seven-speed provides better acceleration and fuel economy as well as smoother gearshifts. Seven gear ratios allows for a wider spread of ratios between first gear and top gear and, at the same time, smaller increases in engine speed as the car accelerates through the gears.

This gives the electronic control unit more flexibility in terms of maximizing fuel economy and making the transmission's reaction timeextremely fast. Unlike most transmissions, the seven-speed transmission will skip up to three gear ratios if necessary when it downshifts, shifting directly from seventh to fifth, for example, or even sixth to second. This helps the transmission choose the right gear ratio for quick acceleration, with smooth, almost imperceptible shifts in the process. The Mercedes-Benz seven-speed uses a refined, proven hydrodynamic torque converter with a special lock-up clutch inside the converter for maximum fuel efficien­cy. Submerged in transmission oil and using special long-life friction materials, the lockup clutch eliminates the usual torque converter "slippage," providing the direct connection and fuel efficiency of a manual transmission when the lockup clutch is engaged. Unlike many other vehicles, the Mercedes-Benz lock-up clutch engages in all seven gears. Touch Shift allows the driver to manually select all forward speeds by pushing the gear lever slightly left or right to downshift or upshift while in the "Drive" selector position. In other words, it's not necessary to move the lever to another gate to make manual gear changes, and an in-dash gear indicator shows the selected gear.