The General and the Gauge
A Lesson on Time Management by James A. Clark
Brethren,
As Entered Apprentices, we are presented with the 24-Inch Gauge. We are taught to divide our time into three equal parts: eight hours for the service of God and a distressed worthy brother, eight for our usual vocations, and eight for refreshment and sleep.
In the modern world, this balance seems impossible. We borrow from sleep to pay for work, and we borrow from our service to God to pay for our entertainment. We are busy, but are we effective?
Brother Dwight D. Eisenhower, Supreme Allied Commander and President of the United States, was a master of the Gauge. He developed a strategy for time management that perfectly mirrors our Masonic teaching.
The 24-Inch Gauge: Urgent vs. Important Eisenhower famously said, “What is important is seldom urgent, and what is urgent is seldom important.”
He understood that we often spend our “eight hours of vocation” putting out fires—dealing with the urgent things that scream for attention—while neglecting the “eight hours of service”—the important things that build our legacy.
The Plumb Line: Rectitude of Schedule Eisenhower’s method (The Eisenhower Matrix) forces a man to decide what to do, what to delegate, and what to delete. This is the Plumb Line applied to the calendar.
A Mason who is constantly “too busy” to attend his lodge, or too exhausted to help a brother, or too overworked to spend time with his family, is a wall that is leaning. He is out of plumb. He has allowed the “usual vocations” to swallow the other two parts of the gauge.
Refreshment: The Forgotten Third The Gauge specifically allocates time for refreshment and sleep. This is not a suggestion; it is a rubric.
Eisenhower, despite the immense pressure of war and presidency, knew he had to rest to be effective. In Masonry, we learn that the rough ashlar cannot be smoothed if the workman is broken. Protecting your peace and your rest is a Masonic duty, for you cannot pour from an empty cup.
The Lesson of the General is this: You must master your time, or your time will master you. The 24-Inch Gauge is a tool of defense. It defends your soul against the tyranny of the clock.
Therefore, let us imitate this example:
- Apply the Gauge: Look at your day. Are you giving God and your family their due portion?
- Use the Gavel: Break off the “busy work” that adds no value to your temple.
- Stand Plumb: Be upright in your commitments, but know when to say “no.”
Questions for the Sideliners
- What “urgent” tasks are stealing time from your “important” Masonic duties this week?
- Are you neglecting the “Refreshment and Sleep” portion of your 24-inch gauge?
- How can we help each other defend our time against the busyness of modern life?
So Mote It Be.
James A. Clark
Author’s Note: The following story is derived from popular anecdote found in general reading. No historical evidence is offered to verify its complete accuracy; it has been adapted here solely to illustrate a Masonic application of self-improvement and discipline. While the “Eisenhower Matrix” is a modern term, the principles were used by Eisenhower throughout his life to manage the massive logistics of WWII and the Presidency.
