A much more experienced Mason than I, and a man I greatly admire has brought up a topic a couple of times on our Sunday evening Zoom gatherings that I thought we would do well to chat about.
Do we spend so much time memorizing our ritual, making sure that we have it word perfect, that we neglect to spend time studying its meaning?
I've thought about the memory work. Over the years I am grateful I memorized it. 10 years on, i think about it constantly. IMHO, how can you remember what you've obligated your self to before god, your brothers and in the name of your own soul if you don't memorize its detail? One goes hand in hand with the other. The hermetic art of memory is part of the craft. I understand there are some jurisdictions that don't practice it any more, and I think its a loss. Masonry is special, its hard, its wonderful, it is about a labor of love, and the love of labor. Some times we forget that. The path to easy, is not the road less traveled.
I have a great amount of respect for those who have great memorization skills and do the ritual word perfect. I am not one of those. Yet, I am a Mason and have gone through the chairs with a lot of help from my lodge and technology. As I look out at our lodge, I see others like me who have resisted moving forward primarily due to the memory work. Are we who lack the great talent of memorization to be placed in a second class of Masons? I think not and yet it looks that way. I am grateful that my lodge has seen beyond this and is encouraging men like me to move forward knowing that our lodge will be there to help. Masonry is so much more than memorization of the great meanings of our craft.
For me, at first, learning the ritual, practicing, and conferring a degree, opening/closing lodge, etc. was all that mattered. Doing good ritual work is extremely satisfying. Not just regurgitating words, but doing it with feeling and emotion, which comes from confidence in your ability to perform it perfectly. We all make mistakes, but striving for perfection is a noble pursuit.
Most people stop there. Most people don't bother to dig deeper into the work, the lectures, the parables, symbols and allegory. I think that's where masonry has gone astray.
Being able to perform like a trained monkey doesn't help you grow as a mason.
Without question most Master Masons I meet are not familiar with the true meaning of the memory work and ritual. I had to decode the Hiramic legend to a large degree alone. I will admit I do not spend enough time practicing the memory work. Before the Lodges were shutdown we were meeting a couple of times a month to study and practice as a group, I found this very helpful. Brother Albert Pike found that the true meaning of the Craft was largely lost and had to rediscover that which was lost through time. There is a reason the Esoteric side of Masonry was encoded into Religions, Architecture, and Legends. If we do not discus these things they will once again become lost to the Great Wheel of Time.
There are three parts to this: 1) Rote memorization, 2) Actually understanding what you have memorized, and 3) Delivering the lines with emotion. Basically, it's all theater to educate the unknowing. My memorization is far from perfect, but I greatly enjoy delivering my part, especially the Closing Charge, which is to me, *the* most important reminder of who and what we are as Masons.
In my 10 years it appears to me that those more interested in the Line make this commitment.
For me being 76 I look at it as a check against dementia😉😉
It’s appropriate to do a “Step up” the meeting before the elections as a way to see who had learned the positions ahead and can do so at that time.
Along that line SW need to prove up to at least (3) PM’s Opening and Closing. If you emphasize this then then a strong Master in ritual will spur others to seek the higher road less traveled.
It also is necessary for incoming WM’s to have the best “floor work” Mason they know early on to run a practice with the new officers.
Ultimately you want Mentors…I have found pairing up Brothers and practicing the (3) PL’s builds confidence to teach.
Many times after balloting the WM looks out seeking “who will Mentor Brother xxx”
I have found hands do not go up quickly and when they do, as in my case it was I.
Now I have one of our out of state PM’s who isn’t interested in the line but wants to Mentor. I also have my latest Raised Mason who wants to progress.
“You can lead a horse to water and you can’t make it drink”.
I never got help as far as my memorization so far (mainly just the motions and steps) so doing that I also knew why I was saying the lines and meanings and I prefer doing them where they don't just sound like I am looking at the words on a piece of paper and just reading them.
And I have seen many members sound just like they are reading it and some that need to read it off of notes and I rather not sound that way when it is my part.
So far I get more practice by having the same part at two different Lodges.
I meant to comment on this topic at least three times today but I keep forgetting ...
Seriously, I have the greatest respect for Brothers who can deliver our ritual from memory, provided: 1) they're not just spitting out words like they're running out of breath, and 2) they truly do remember what they're supposed to say, which is significantly different than being pretty sure they remember. But my admiration for these Brothers aside, as a Fraternity we're spitting in the wind on this one.
Our tradition of memorization echos an era when printing presses were rare, and we were able to sustain sustain this tradition while the public education system relied heavily on rote memorization. The challenge today is that kids are racking up impressive GPAs and getting into good colleges without ever mastering the skill of rote memorization; they were taught how to think instead.
Without a foundation of the imbedded skill of rote memorization our delivery of the ritual will continue to deteriorate. Newer Masons will almost get it right and past masters will randomly offer corrections from the sidelines and they'll be right sometimes, but only sometimes. Imagine going to a symphony where the entire orchestra played from memory. Every time a note or a beat was missed the first chair would jump up and point and say "that's supposed to be a quarter note!"
Learn what our ritual means so all Brothers can hear your sincerity when you read it. If you really can memorize it to the point you can deliver it with sincere feeling then more power to you. Just don't miss any quarter notes.
I’ve never had a problem with memorization. Even as a child, I found it fun to challenge myself to see what I could memorize in addition to the math formulas and other things I was required to learn in school. So when I petitioned Tenino Lodge, and the investigating committee warned me that there would be a lot of memorization work, that I muttered “is that a warning or a promise?”
I learned the Middle Chamber Lecture a year after I joined Lodge, and over time, the other two lectures and the installation of officers as well. I did it through inspiration from those who delivered these lectures to me when I joined, also to make use of the talent that I have to the betterment of the craft.
I have found that as I get older, that I am getting less inclined to sit down and take time to memorize things that don’t make sense, or won’t make much sense to those who I relay the knowledge to. Mainly because I’m trying to optimize my time. However, I still believe that the ritual is well worth committing to memory, if possible. Do I think that someone who is incapable of memorizing is a second-class Mason? Absolutely not. But I find it fun to challenge someone who claims they can’t memorize anything to see if they know their home address (something important to know), a commercial jingle (repetition), or other methods that are more subconscious than rote. Most of the time, these Brothers admit they have things memorized. I tell them I never made a conscious effort to memorize the closing charge. It happened after I heard it several times. Just like a commercial jingle. I found that some Brothers who thought they had poor memories could then commit some simpler parts to memory, and do a good job of delivery. It was a true win-win situation, both for the Lodge and for the Brother, who uncovered a “new” skill.
VWB John has a point about the “Parrots” of the past (and maybe currently in some areas) who had memorized the lecture, but deliver it as if it’s something to get done and over with. He’s right – it’s a wasted effort that does nobody any good. For a lecturer, it’s an opportunity to teach. To impart knowledge to someone. Not to deliver a half-hour of words because the Standard Work requires it. Fortunately, our Lecturers in my area deliver the lectures well, in the manner of a teacher.
On the note of reading ritual that isn’t memorized, I will say something here that isn’t articulated well, but perhaps one or more of you could explain it better. We have a Brother in my District that had memorized key parts in the MM drama, as well as conferring degrees. The memorization of those drama parts then allowed him to deliver those parts in a very dramatic fashion that is well known and respected in our area. But I also found that when I quickly tasked him with parts in a York Rite degree that he had never seen before, he gave it a couple good look-overs, then delivered those parts with the same power that he did with the memorized parts in the MM degree, even though he was reading them out of the ritual book. It is very true that ritual can be read well. But I think the greatest fear of many of us is when the ritual isn’t read well, and it detracts from the beauty of the ceremony.
The bottom line is to impart knowledge and wisdom to our new Brothers in the best way possible, and to bring out the innate capabilities of all of us. To improve ourselves. Another thing that we came here to do.
As we get older, there is the issue of not being able to memorize as well as when we're younger.
It's also true that there are some folks who can memorize chunks of information easier than others. But an otherwise healthy person can memorize anything - given enough time, and desire to do so. Most of the time, I would suggest that those brothers not memorizing the ritual either don't spend the required time, or haven't developed the proper habits to memorize it. You don't eat a whole extra large pizza in one bite, you cut it up and take small bites.
As a Junior deacon, you have an entire year to learn the SD parts. It's a lot of work (at least in some lodges) to digest, but it can be done. But in order to advance through a progressive line, you have to put in the work.
I've also found that lodges with successful progressive lines where the ritual work is done well feature weekly training and mentorship. You have to repeatedly practice to get better, and to find weak areas in your work. In between weekly practice sessions, you find the time to study. Make an audio recording of the work and listen to it while you commute to and from your job. Bring TSW on the bus and study. Invite another brother over to have a beer and practice together. Instead of surfing the web on your phone while sitting on the toilet...well, you get the idea.
My final thought is a tough love one, but, if you're not willing to put in the time and effort to accomplish something, then are you really suited for the chair you're going to assume?
Great idea! But how to dissect the meaning, when most of the experienced members have stopped coming, due to age or infirmity?
I reckon we can talk about what we think a passage means and go from there
I've thought about the memory work. Over the years I am grateful I memorized it. 10 years on, i think about it constantly. IMHO, how can you remember what you've obligated your self to before god, your brothers and in the name of your own soul if you don't memorize its detail? One goes hand in hand with the other. The hermetic art of memory is part of the craft. I understand there are some jurisdictions that don't practice it any more, and I think its a loss. Masonry is special, its hard, its wonderful, it is about a labor of love, and the love of labor. Some times we forget that. The path to easy, is not the road less traveled.
I have a great amount of respect for those who have great memorization skills and do the ritual word perfect. I am not one of those. Yet, I am a Mason and have gone through the chairs with a lot of help from my lodge and technology. As I look out at our lodge, I see others like me who have resisted moving forward primarily due to the memory work. Are we who lack the great talent of memorization to be placed in a second class of Masons? I think not and yet it looks that way. I am grateful that my lodge has seen beyond this and is encouraging men like me to move forward knowing that our lodge will be there to help. Masonry is so much more than memorization of the great meanings of our craft.
For me, at first, learning the ritual, practicing, and conferring a degree, opening/closing lodge, etc. was all that mattered. Doing good ritual work is extremely satisfying. Not just regurgitating words, but doing it with feeling and emotion, which comes from confidence in your ability to perform it perfectly. We all make mistakes, but striving for perfection is a noble pursuit.
Most people stop there. Most people don't bother to dig deeper into the work, the lectures, the parables, symbols and allegory. I think that's where masonry has gone astray.
Being able to perform like a trained monkey doesn't help you grow as a mason.
Without question most Master Masons I meet are not familiar with the true meaning of the memory work and ritual. I had to decode the Hiramic legend to a large degree alone. I will admit I do not spend enough time practicing the memory work. Before the Lodges were shutdown we were meeting a couple of times a month to study and practice as a group, I found this very helpful. Brother Albert Pike found that the true meaning of the Craft was largely lost and had to rediscover that which was lost through time. There is a reason the Esoteric side of Masonry was encoded into Religions, Architecture, and Legends. If we do not discus these things they will once again become lost to the Great Wheel of Time.
There are three parts to this: 1) Rote memorization, 2) Actually understanding what you have memorized, and 3) Delivering the lines with emotion. Basically, it's all theater to educate the unknowing. My memorization is far from perfect, but I greatly enjoy delivering my part, especially the Closing Charge, which is to me, *the* most important reminder of who and what we are as Masons.
Interesting question MW.
In my 10 years it appears to me that those more interested in the Line make this commitment.
For me being 76 I look at it as a check against dementia😉😉
It’s appropriate to do a “Step up” the meeting before the elections as a way to see who had learned the positions ahead and can do so at that time.
Along that line SW need to prove up to at least (3) PM’s Opening and Closing. If you emphasize this then then a strong Master in ritual will spur others to seek the higher road less traveled.
It also is necessary for incoming WM’s to have the best “floor work” Mason they know early on to run a practice with the new officers.
Ultimately you want Mentors…I have found pairing up Brothers and practicing the (3) PL’s builds confidence to teach.
Many times after balloting the WM looks out seeking “who will Mentor Brother xxx”
I have found hands do not go up quickly and when they do, as in my case it was I.
Now I have one of our out of state PM’s who isn’t interested in the line but wants to Mentor. I also have my latest Raised Mason who wants to progress.
“You can lead a horse to water and you can’t make it drink”.
I never got help as far as my memorization so far (mainly just the motions and steps) so doing that I also knew why I was saying the lines and meanings and I prefer doing them where they don't just sound like I am looking at the words on a piece of paper and just reading them.
And I have seen many members sound just like they are reading it and some that need to read it off of notes and I rather not sound that way when it is my part.
So far I get more practice by having the same part at two different Lodges.
I meant to comment on this topic at least three times today but I keep forgetting ...
Seriously, I have the greatest respect for Brothers who can deliver our ritual from memory, provided: 1) they're not just spitting out words like they're running out of breath, and 2) they truly do remember what they're supposed to say, which is significantly different than being pretty sure they remember. But my admiration for these Brothers aside, as a Fraternity we're spitting in the wind on this one.
Our tradition of memorization echos an era when printing presses were rare, and we were able to sustain sustain this tradition while the public education system relied heavily on rote memorization. The challenge today is that kids are racking up impressive GPAs and getting into good colleges without ever mastering the skill of rote memorization; they were taught how to think instead.
Without a foundation of the imbedded skill of rote memorization our delivery of the ritual will continue to deteriorate. Newer Masons will almost get it right and past masters will randomly offer corrections from the sidelines and they'll be right sometimes, but only sometimes. Imagine going to a symphony where the entire orchestra played from memory. Every time a note or a beat was missed the first chair would jump up and point and say "that's supposed to be a quarter note!"
Learn what our ritual means so all Brothers can hear your sincerity when you read it. If you really can memorize it to the point you can deliver it with sincere feeling then more power to you. Just don't miss any quarter notes.
I’ve never had a problem with memorization. Even as a child, I found it fun to challenge myself to see what I could memorize in addition to the math formulas and other things I was required to learn in school. So when I petitioned Tenino Lodge, and the investigating committee warned me that there would be a lot of memorization work, that I muttered “is that a warning or a promise?”
I learned the Middle Chamber Lecture a year after I joined Lodge, and over time, the other two lectures and the installation of officers as well. I did it through inspiration from those who delivered these lectures to me when I joined, also to make use of the talent that I have to the betterment of the craft.
I have found that as I get older, that I am getting less inclined to sit down and take time to memorize things that don’t make sense, or won’t make much sense to those who I relay the knowledge to. Mainly because I’m trying to optimize my time. However, I still believe that the ritual is well worth committing to memory, if possible. Do I think that someone who is incapable of memorizing is a second-class Mason? Absolutely not. But I find it fun to challenge someone who claims they can’t memorize anything to see if they know their home address (something important to know), a commercial jingle (repetition), or other methods that are more subconscious than rote. Most of the time, these Brothers admit they have things memorized. I tell them I never made a conscious effort to memorize the closing charge. It happened after I heard it several times. Just like a commercial jingle. I found that some Brothers who thought they had poor memories could then commit some simpler parts to memory, and do a good job of delivery. It was a true win-win situation, both for the Lodge and for the Brother, who uncovered a “new” skill.
VWB John has a point about the “Parrots” of the past (and maybe currently in some areas) who had memorized the lecture, but deliver it as if it’s something to get done and over with. He’s right – it’s a wasted effort that does nobody any good. For a lecturer, it’s an opportunity to teach. To impart knowledge to someone. Not to deliver a half-hour of words because the Standard Work requires it. Fortunately, our Lecturers in my area deliver the lectures well, in the manner of a teacher.
On the note of reading ritual that isn’t memorized, I will say something here that isn’t articulated well, but perhaps one or more of you could explain it better. We have a Brother in my District that had memorized key parts in the MM drama, as well as conferring degrees. The memorization of those drama parts then allowed him to deliver those parts in a very dramatic fashion that is well known and respected in our area. But I also found that when I quickly tasked him with parts in a York Rite degree that he had never seen before, he gave it a couple good look-overs, then delivered those parts with the same power that he did with the memorized parts in the MM degree, even though he was reading them out of the ritual book. It is very true that ritual can be read well. But I think the greatest fear of many of us is when the ritual isn’t read well, and it detracts from the beauty of the ceremony.
The bottom line is to impart knowledge and wisdom to our new Brothers in the best way possible, and to bring out the innate capabilities of all of us. To improve ourselves. Another thing that we came here to do.
As we get older, there is the issue of not being able to memorize as well as when we're younger.
It's also true that there are some folks who can memorize chunks of information easier than others. But an otherwise healthy person can memorize anything - given enough time, and desire to do so. Most of the time, I would suggest that those brothers not memorizing the ritual either don't spend the required time, or haven't developed the proper habits to memorize it. You don't eat a whole extra large pizza in one bite, you cut it up and take small bites.
As a Junior deacon, you have an entire year to learn the SD parts. It's a lot of work (at least in some lodges) to digest, but it can be done. But in order to advance through a progressive line, you have to put in the work.
I've also found that lodges with successful progressive lines where the ritual work is done well feature weekly training and mentorship. You have to repeatedly practice to get better, and to find weak areas in your work. In between weekly practice sessions, you find the time to study. Make an audio recording of the work and listen to it while you commute to and from your job. Bring TSW on the bus and study. Invite another brother over to have a beer and practice together. Instead of surfing the web on your phone while sitting on the toilet...well, you get the idea.
My final thought is a tough love one, but, if you're not willing to put in the time and effort to accomplish something, then are you really suited for the chair you're going to assume?