In Washington we have some large Lodges that can very easily put together teams to confer all of the Degrees. We also have some Lodges so small that they could not confer any Degree without a great deal of assistance. Most of our Lodges fall somewhere in the middle. Large enough to confer the Degrees as needed, but frequently needing some outside assistance to do so.
I imagine that other Grand Lodges are much the same in composition.
If our goal in conferring Degrees is, as it should be, to provide the very best experience for the candidate possible, it seems to me that there might be a better way to go about this for our smaller Lodges.
Instead of Lodges #1, #2, and #3 all trying to confer each of the Degrees, and struggling to do so, perhaps it would be better if Lodge #1 focused on conferring the Entered Apprentice Degree, Lodge #2 focused on conferring the Fellowcraft Degree, and Lodge #3 focused on the Master Mason Degree.
The Degree team from each handling the conferral of the Degree it specializes in for all three of the Lodges.
Theoretically, if a group of Lodges adopted this model, each Degree team would have 2/3rds more practice time than if it were trying to confer all the Degrees, and would have similar increases in its experience level with the Degree it was tasked to perform.
This would, with time, serve to improve the quality of Degree that the team could perform, which would improve the candidate’s experience.
It would also lessen the stress on the Lodge and its members, as it would then only be responsible for conferring one Degree instead of three. Members would have less to learn, and be able to spend more time perfecting those parts.
Giving our candidates the very best Degree experience possible must be our overriding goal, and if our Lodge membership is small, we could well achieve that goal by dividing the work with our neighboring Lodges.
If you found value in this post, and feel that it could help your Lodge, will you consider sharing it?
This Sunday evening, as with all Sundays, we will have a gathering over Zoom for all those who support Emeth with a paid subscription. We can chat about this week’s topics and more. Please join us!
The email containing the Zoom link will be titled ‘Rummer & Grapes’ and will be sent to those with a paid subscription at 3:00 PM, Pacific Time.
Thank you for your support of Emeth!
I think this is a great idea. Perhaps though, a District Degree Team could be another conversation. I could see a District Degree Team strengthening the bonds between the lodges of the District. Either way, providing the candidate/brother with the best possible experiences and at the same time showing the bonds of brotherly love and friendship, it’s better for all of Freemasonry.
Fifteen years ago most lodges in my district could do all the degrees with their own members. My home lodge has been the largest since 1994 when we merged with a smaller one seven miles up the road. Twenty eight years later the average age is sixty- eight out of ninety five members. The result has been not only do the six lodges have to help but members of three other districts are regularly called upon for a lecture. As time has passed this has become normal practice here in rural Maine.