They might be the most famous of special Degree Teams, but they certainly aren’t the only ones. Yesterday I was talking with a Grand Secretary who mentioned that in his Jurisdiction members of the State Police have their own Degree Team, and I seem to remember some time in the past a Degree Team composed of Royal Canadian Mounted Police conferring a Degree at our own Masonic park.
It makes me wonder if we shouldn’t do more of that kind of thing in our Craft. I took the Cowboy Degree last year at our Lodge in Naches, and that was awesome.
Maybe 15 or 20 guys could get together and form a Cowboy degree team? Or a sailors Degree team, or a Loggers Degree team? Branch of military service? Maybe even reach into our other Masonic groups, a Scottish Rite Master Mason Degree team? York Rite? Shriners?
Teams that could truly perfect doing the work together, with a theme, and take that theme and their team on the road. Helping Lodges and providing truly special Degrees.
I think that it could be a strong bonding experience for a Lodge, a unique experience for the candidate, and be of help to neighboring Lodges. But I do wonder about the concerns expressed below.
I am kind of against a degree team using costumes to confer a degree. It draws attention away from the candidate and puts it on the players. Fun degrees like a loggers degree, that isn’t a masonic degree are fine, as they are there to entertain and raise money for the lodge.
But I would like to see a degree put on by the Royal Canadian Kilted Yaksmen.
“I am kind of against a degree team using costumes to confer a degree. It draws attention away from the candidate and puts it on the players.” While I disagree with you on this one, it isn’t entirely because we have differing opinions. When I started doing the Middle Chamber Lecture in costume in 2010, I only started it after bouncing the idea off of not only season ritualists throughout the area, but also newer Masons who have recently received that lecture. And as I continued to deliver the Lecture in Centralia Lodge in costume, I continue to ask for feedback, to either continue it, build on it, or return to doing it in my jacket and tie as before. From there, it has evolved somewhat into the Torchlight degree which is held every other year in August, as well as evolving into the “Lantern Method” in Centralia Lodge. So far, every Mason who’s received the Lecture in this manner who has since been Raised is currently active as an officer in a Lodge. Some in Centralia, some in neighboring Lodges, and some in other Jurisdictions. I gave the lecture within the last couple of months, and I still ask for feedback. I’m looking to enhance the degree experience.
“It draws attention away from the candidate and puts it on the players.” In my case, it indeed puts the attention on the “players,” but to the sideliners, it draws the attention to both the players AND the candidate. Brings new life into the Lecture, rather than a half-hour monologue that the sideliners endure more than experience. A fellow Past District Deputy and I share the Master Mason Lecture with a similar goal to bring new life into that Lecture as well.
Sorry, I think the conversations I had in my head didn't get written well. I was referring to costumes, as in, cowboys, indians, astronauts, or any other costume that has nothing to do with masonry. Personally I'd love to have the 3rd degree drama in costume as it would enhance the experience for everyone.
Oh, geez, I see your point. My bad on this one! After I re-read MW Cameron’s article, THEN your response, I see where you’re coming from. You do indeed have a valid point.
I’m thinking that we’d have to be careful about which Degree teams confer degrees on which candidates, as I think the degree would have a better impression on a candidate who has a link of some sort to the theme of the team. I’m thinking my bottom line is if the theme-based degree team was more germane to the interests of the candidate, it would have a better impression on that candidate.
My answer to you was actually a different topic. Sorry about barreling off in another direction!
Centralia Lodge doesn’t have costumes themselves, but their York Rite does, so I used the costume of the Principal Sojourner, which is roughly the equivalent of the Senior Deacon. The Brethren said the one I wore was too drab, so I switched to the fancier Sojourner robe, which was better received, then at the Brethren’s suggestion, I moved to the Scribe robe and hat, which the Brethren believe to strike a good balance. I’ve been using the Scribe costume since, including at the Torchlight degree.
We have the Brother giving the ‘G’ lecture in a red costume, a little more formal, but not a King’s robe. That’s reserved for the Master Mason Degree.
I am actually in the middle of putting together a degree team for my Lodge. Our goal is to be as true to the founding members of our Lodge as possible. We will dress in period appropriate clothing from 1850 as determined by an old Lodge picture and to be extremely proficient in the ritual our Lodge has passed down.
That sounds like a really cool way to go about it. I'd not thought of the historical accuracy angle.
I'm glad to read that proficiency will be a goal as well, I think that is the most important part of any specialty Degree team, so that it can be truly spectacular.
I don't think this is a bad idea but I would be concerned that it might dissuade some lodges from doing their own degree work (as do things such as the dreaded One Day Class) if there were just degree teams they could dial up.
That is a very valid point. I’ve mentioned it before, but the highest honor a mason can have is to confer a degree on another man. Every brother going through the chairs should confer at least each degree once. Being a WM and never did even one degree has squandered a major milestone in his masonic career. Relying on everyone else to do your job is wrong.
Under approval of then Grand Master John Naquin, I started a State Police degree team in Maryland in 1998. Since then I have added police officers of any agency and firefighters. We confer the degree in full police uniform and confer the MM degree upon invitation of the Lodge W.M.
In addition, we have been invited to exemplify the MD MM degree in numerous other states, such as Mississippi, New Mexico, Ohio and Pennsylvania.
During my term as Grand Master I had a multi state degree conferral and invited the Country Boys of Oklahoma and the MWPHGL of MD - great day was had by all.
Throughout the years we typically raised 15 to 20 MD Masons a year.
The most impressive degree team I have ever seen was the RCMP degree team. Awesome degree work done by them.
Probably one of the most unusual occurrences during one of our conferrals was a good friend from London Metropolitan Police Dept. was visiting me at the time and during our ride to a lodge several hours away, I taught him a small part and he did an absolutely splendid job.
In fact, I will be attending a 3nd degree conferral tonight done by the Arizona Military Degree Team - another very sharp team.
I think that would be a great idea. We have a couple of Degree teams in the state.
I think that it could be a strong bonding experience for a Lodge, a unique experience for the candidate, and be of help to neighboring Lodges. But I do wonder about the concerns expressed below.
I am kind of against a degree team using costumes to confer a degree. It draws attention away from the candidate and puts it on the players. Fun degrees like a loggers degree, that isn’t a masonic degree are fine, as they are there to entertain and raise money for the lodge.
But I would like to see a degree put on by the Royal Canadian Kilted Yaksmen.
“I am kind of against a degree team using costumes to confer a degree. It draws attention away from the candidate and puts it on the players.” While I disagree with you on this one, it isn’t entirely because we have differing opinions. When I started doing the Middle Chamber Lecture in costume in 2010, I only started it after bouncing the idea off of not only season ritualists throughout the area, but also newer Masons who have recently received that lecture. And as I continued to deliver the Lecture in Centralia Lodge in costume, I continue to ask for feedback, to either continue it, build on it, or return to doing it in my jacket and tie as before. From there, it has evolved somewhat into the Torchlight degree which is held every other year in August, as well as evolving into the “Lantern Method” in Centralia Lodge. So far, every Mason who’s received the Lecture in this manner who has since been Raised is currently active as an officer in a Lodge. Some in Centralia, some in neighboring Lodges, and some in other Jurisdictions. I gave the lecture within the last couple of months, and I still ask for feedback. I’m looking to enhance the degree experience.
“It draws attention away from the candidate and puts it on the players.” In my case, it indeed puts the attention on the “players,” but to the sideliners, it draws the attention to both the players AND the candidate. Brings new life into the Lecture, rather than a half-hour monologue that the sideliners endure more than experience. A fellow Past District Deputy and I share the Master Mason Lecture with a similar goal to bring new life into that Lecture as well.
Sorry, I think the conversations I had in my head didn't get written well. I was referring to costumes, as in, cowboys, indians, astronauts, or any other costume that has nothing to do with masonry. Personally I'd love to have the 3rd degree drama in costume as it would enhance the experience for everyone.
Oh, geez, I see your point. My bad on this one! After I re-read MW Cameron’s article, THEN your response, I see where you’re coming from. You do indeed have a valid point.
I’m thinking that we’d have to be careful about which Degree teams confer degrees on which candidates, as I think the degree would have a better impression on a candidate who has a link of some sort to the theme of the team. I’m thinking my bottom line is if the theme-based degree team was more germane to the interests of the candidate, it would have a better impression on that candidate.
My answer to you was actually a different topic. Sorry about barreling off in another direction!
What is your costume?
That’s a little story in itself.
Centralia Lodge doesn’t have costumes themselves, but their York Rite does, so I used the costume of the Principal Sojourner, which is roughly the equivalent of the Senior Deacon. The Brethren said the one I wore was too drab, so I switched to the fancier Sojourner robe, which was better received, then at the Brethren’s suggestion, I moved to the Scribe robe and hat, which the Brethren believe to strike a good balance. I’ve been using the Scribe costume since, including at the Torchlight degree.
We have the Brother giving the ‘G’ lecture in a red costume, a little more formal, but not a King’s robe. That’s reserved for the Master Mason Degree.
This is a good point I hadn't considered. Thank you.
I am actually in the middle of putting together a degree team for my Lodge. Our goal is to be as true to the founding members of our Lodge as possible. We will dress in period appropriate clothing from 1850 as determined by an old Lodge picture and to be extremely proficient in the ritual our Lodge has passed down.
That sounds like a really cool way to go about it. I'd not thought of the historical accuracy angle.
I'm glad to read that proficiency will be a goal as well, I think that is the most important part of any specialty Degree team, so that it can be truly spectacular.
I don't think this is a bad idea but I would be concerned that it might dissuade some lodges from doing their own degree work (as do things such as the dreaded One Day Class) if there were just degree teams they could dial up.
That is a very valid point. I’ve mentioned it before, but the highest honor a mason can have is to confer a degree on another man. Every brother going through the chairs should confer at least each degree once. Being a WM and never did even one degree has squandered a major milestone in his masonic career. Relying on everyone else to do your job is wrong.
That is a very good point. We don't want to dissuade Lodges from doing their own work, or knowing how to do their own work.
Under approval of then Grand Master John Naquin, I started a State Police degree team in Maryland in 1998. Since then I have added police officers of any agency and firefighters. We confer the degree in full police uniform and confer the MM degree upon invitation of the Lodge W.M.
In addition, we have been invited to exemplify the MD MM degree in numerous other states, such as Mississippi, New Mexico, Ohio and Pennsylvania.
During my term as Grand Master I had a multi state degree conferral and invited the Country Boys of Oklahoma and the MWPHGL of MD - great day was had by all.
Throughout the years we typically raised 15 to 20 MD Masons a year.
The most impressive degree team I have ever seen was the RCMP degree team. Awesome degree work done by them.
Probably one of the most unusual occurrences during one of our conferrals was a good friend from London Metropolitan Police Dept. was visiting me at the time and during our ride to a lodge several hours away, I taught him a small part and he did an absolutely splendid job.
In fact, I will be attending a 3nd degree conferral tonight done by the Arizona Military Degree Team - another very sharp team.
I now live in Arizona.