Does your Lodge use costuming as a part of the Degrees?
If you do, do you feel that doing so enhances the experience for the candidate?
If you don’t, is there any particular thing preventing your Lodge from doing so? Or do you feel that doing so would negatively impact the candidate’s experience?
I know of a handful of Lodges that wear the traditional costumes for the Degrees, and another in which the Masons dress rather monk like. I’ve always felt that properly done, these things are improvements on the experience, but I’m very curious about what everyone else things, so let’s chat about it…
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My mother Lodge, Daylight No. 232 in Seattle, uses costumes for the 3rd degree drama and we’re considering costumes for the MC & G lecture portions of the 2nd. We find costumes, sound effects, appropriate lighting, and occasionally a smoke machine enhances the candidate’s experience.
Freemasonry, as a course of moral instruction, is illustrated by symbols and costumes may add to that effort. I like the idea of a Lodge taking ownership of the degrees and finding ways to enhance the lesson by including all the senses, however it should be done with the intent of enhancing the experience. Our Lodge is fortunate to have access to a unique venue to confer our 1st degree. We do not use costumes, but the venue is, in our opinion, a significant enhancement to the degree. Further, we make the journey to the venue, and reception afterwards, part of the experience. It is an event focused on the candidate and designed with the intention of providing them a solid foundation and warm welcome into our fraternity. I would also add that costumes, props, and other ancillary aspects of the degree are secondary to the text. In my opinion, well performed ritual, given with intention and emotion, is more powerful than any garb, lighting, or sound system.
I’m sure we all agree that sharp ritual work is the priority. But when you have that down costumes, lighting, sound effects and the like can certainly elevate the experience.
That elevation is not just for the candidate. It’s for the Brothers putting on the degree.
*They* can get a lot out of it, too!
I was very impressed with a District 19 Master Mason degree - wow so many ideas to adopt!
“Does your Lodge use costuming as a part of the Degrees?
“If you do, do you feel that doing so enhances the experience for the candidate?”
The answer is a resounding YES.
Olympia Lodge No. 1 has a nice, complete set of costumes that they use every time they confer a MM degree. I remember being a steward for the first MM degree they conferred since I joined, and it was a blast!
Centralia Lodge has a good selection of York Rite costumes, and with permission from the Centralia York Rite, and some adaptation, Centralia Lodge started doing MM degrees in costume. In 2010, I had some discussions with the great VWB Coe Tug Morgan concerning costumes and learned some great ideas. Some of those were incorporated into a costume Second Section of the FC degree (the Middle Chamber.) And that degree had evolved from there. One of the most memorable evolutions of the FC degree was the one done by torchlight at the Masonic Park in Granite Falls, also done in costume, with Centralia providing the costumes. This was first done in 2016, and is now a bi-annual event.
We had some EA’s who weren’t ready for the 2nd degree yet at one of the times of the Torchlight degree, so when they were ready, I cobbled up an idea concerning doing the lecture with lanterns, careful to make sure the ritual was being followed as accurately as possible. That method so far is batting a thousand; every brother I gave the lecture to in that manner became a Master Mason, and most of them are officers in their Lodges. (There is an exception, but his mission is even more wonderful than taking an officer chair, but that’s another story.) If you are in western Washington, and want to see this method of the Second Section of the FC degree, I will be doing it on September 14th in the Centralia Lodge. I invite you to attend!
As you might guess, there are some who grumble that it takes too much time to get dressed in and out of the costumes for the drama, and they want to get home at a timely hour, and, of course, “That’s not the way we’ve done it in the past!” But things are different now. We aren’t cranking out degrees by the dozen like we did in the mid-20th Century, but then at that time, men were joining the Freemasons for somewhat different reasons. Today’s generation wants an experience. Costumes, sound and lighting effects and other props provide and enhance that experience. If your Lodge doesn’t have those props, you might want to consider asking a neighboring Lodge to borrow their props, and their assistance in a conferral. This is what we did at my home Lodge in Tenino when my brother received his MM degree in costume back in 2004.
I am curious as to other methods of enhancing this Lodge experience. Please bring out your ideas; I look forward to reading further into these comments over the coming days!
I haven't seen a blue lodge degree with costumes (one exception which I'll mention in a bit), although our SR Valley does a few of the degrees with costumes.
The problems with costumes are that they tend to be poorly made, garish, and cheesy. Stuff you'd pay $59.00 dollars at a Halloween costume store. Professional costumes are extremely expensive and lodges balk at spending thousands of dollars on stuff like that.
I did attend the same lodge MW mentioned with the "monkish" attire (black cowl robes) but it wasn't a costume per se, not really. A costume is something you wear to pretend you're something or someone else. The use of the robes was for atmosphere and to make everyone appear the same (at least that was what was explained to me). I personally think it's going a bit too far, but the brothers there seem to think it's awesome, which is fine. But they also include proper lighting, props, incense, music, etc. to provide a much deeper experience for the candidate, which is most important. How they do it is their style.
In my opinion, ANYTHING that enhances a candidate's experience should be done to make the event more meaningful and impactful to them. In addition, as others have said, exceptional ritual work, delivered with passion and conviction, goes a long ways to do that. It's not something the sideliners have to suffer through to get to the pie and ice cream afterwards.
i think Freemasonry has always used symbols and images to communicate deeper meaning to all its rituals and degrees. Its easy to think of an item as a symbol, but what we might consider is that in ritual space a person is a symbol too, and as all symbols do, he carries more information than just the surface ideas and words he speaks. Put a crown on his head and our subconscious sees a king. Put a skull in his hand and our subconscious sees death, the more elaborate and appropriate the costume a person wears in a well performed degree, the more archtypical information will be ellicited in the recipient of the degree. So, as long as the costume is appropriate to the degree, and the performer executes the degree well, then YES, costumes will enhance the degreee. If the costume is ratty, if the performance is weak, then frankly thhe constume creates a caricature of the symbol and will take away from the effect, and may in fact have the opposite effect.
I like the idea and may make a degree more memorable but the work has to be done with the presenters knowing their lines and delivered with feeling. In Maine the only mention of consumes is in the MM degree for the WF man and that is only a cape. If I find a lodge wanting to try it I would help out. Easier to ask for forgiveness then permission sometimes.
My mother Lodge, Daylight No. 232 in Seattle, uses costumes for the 3rd degree drama and we’re considering costumes for the MC & G lecture portions of the 2nd. We find costumes, sound effects, appropriate lighting, and occasionally a smoke machine enhances the candidate’s experience.
The only thing we do is put the candidate in a pair of pyjamas for all 3 degrees. East Kent UK.
Freemasonry, as a course of moral instruction, is illustrated by symbols and costumes may add to that effort. I like the idea of a Lodge taking ownership of the degrees and finding ways to enhance the lesson by including all the senses, however it should be done with the intent of enhancing the experience. Our Lodge is fortunate to have access to a unique venue to confer our 1st degree. We do not use costumes, but the venue is, in our opinion, a significant enhancement to the degree. Further, we make the journey to the venue, and reception afterwards, part of the experience. It is an event focused on the candidate and designed with the intention of providing them a solid foundation and warm welcome into our fraternity. I would also add that costumes, props, and other ancillary aspects of the degree are secondary to the text. In my opinion, well performed ritual, given with intention and emotion, is more powerful than any garb, lighting, or sound system.
I’m sure we all agree that sharp ritual work is the priority. But when you have that down costumes, lighting, sound effects and the like can certainly elevate the experience.
That elevation is not just for the candidate. It’s for the Brothers putting on the degree.
*They* can get a lot out of it, too!
I was very impressed with a District 19 Master Mason degree - wow so many ideas to adopt!
“Does your Lodge use costuming as a part of the Degrees?
“If you do, do you feel that doing so enhances the experience for the candidate?”
The answer is a resounding YES.
Olympia Lodge No. 1 has a nice, complete set of costumes that they use every time they confer a MM degree. I remember being a steward for the first MM degree they conferred since I joined, and it was a blast!
Centralia Lodge has a good selection of York Rite costumes, and with permission from the Centralia York Rite, and some adaptation, Centralia Lodge started doing MM degrees in costume. In 2010, I had some discussions with the great VWB Coe Tug Morgan concerning costumes and learned some great ideas. Some of those were incorporated into a costume Second Section of the FC degree (the Middle Chamber.) And that degree had evolved from there. One of the most memorable evolutions of the FC degree was the one done by torchlight at the Masonic Park in Granite Falls, also done in costume, with Centralia providing the costumes. This was first done in 2016, and is now a bi-annual event.
We had some EA’s who weren’t ready for the 2nd degree yet at one of the times of the Torchlight degree, so when they were ready, I cobbled up an idea concerning doing the lecture with lanterns, careful to make sure the ritual was being followed as accurately as possible. That method so far is batting a thousand; every brother I gave the lecture to in that manner became a Master Mason, and most of them are officers in their Lodges. (There is an exception, but his mission is even more wonderful than taking an officer chair, but that’s another story.) If you are in western Washington, and want to see this method of the Second Section of the FC degree, I will be doing it on September 14th in the Centralia Lodge. I invite you to attend!
As you might guess, there are some who grumble that it takes too much time to get dressed in and out of the costumes for the drama, and they want to get home at a timely hour, and, of course, “That’s not the way we’ve done it in the past!” But things are different now. We aren’t cranking out degrees by the dozen like we did in the mid-20th Century, but then at that time, men were joining the Freemasons for somewhat different reasons. Today’s generation wants an experience. Costumes, sound and lighting effects and other props provide and enhance that experience. If your Lodge doesn’t have those props, you might want to consider asking a neighboring Lodge to borrow their props, and their assistance in a conferral. This is what we did at my home Lodge in Tenino when my brother received his MM degree in costume back in 2004.
I am curious as to other methods of enhancing this Lodge experience. Please bring out your ideas; I look forward to reading further into these comments over the coming days!
I haven't seen a blue lodge degree with costumes (one exception which I'll mention in a bit), although our SR Valley does a few of the degrees with costumes.
The problems with costumes are that they tend to be poorly made, garish, and cheesy. Stuff you'd pay $59.00 dollars at a Halloween costume store. Professional costumes are extremely expensive and lodges balk at spending thousands of dollars on stuff like that.
I did attend the same lodge MW mentioned with the "monkish" attire (black cowl robes) but it wasn't a costume per se, not really. A costume is something you wear to pretend you're something or someone else. The use of the robes was for atmosphere and to make everyone appear the same (at least that was what was explained to me). I personally think it's going a bit too far, but the brothers there seem to think it's awesome, which is fine. But they also include proper lighting, props, incense, music, etc. to provide a much deeper experience for the candidate, which is most important. How they do it is their style.
In my opinion, ANYTHING that enhances a candidate's experience should be done to make the event more meaningful and impactful to them. In addition, as others have said, exceptional ritual work, delivered with passion and conviction, goes a long ways to do that. It's not something the sideliners have to suffer through to get to the pie and ice cream afterwards.
i think Freemasonry has always used symbols and images to communicate deeper meaning to all its rituals and degrees. Its easy to think of an item as a symbol, but what we might consider is that in ritual space a person is a symbol too, and as all symbols do, he carries more information than just the surface ideas and words he speaks. Put a crown on his head and our subconscious sees a king. Put a skull in his hand and our subconscious sees death, the more elaborate and appropriate the costume a person wears in a well performed degree, the more archtypical information will be ellicited in the recipient of the degree. So, as long as the costume is appropriate to the degree, and the performer executes the degree well, then YES, costumes will enhance the degreee. If the costume is ratty, if the performance is weak, then frankly thhe constume creates a caricature of the symbol and will take away from the effect, and may in fact have the opposite effect.
I like the idea and may make a degree more memorable but the work has to be done with the presenters knowing their lines and delivered with feeling. In Maine the only mention of consumes is in the MM degree for the WF man and that is only a cape. If I find a lodge wanting to try it I would help out. Easier to ask for forgiveness then permission sometimes.