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 think that just like with Masonic symbolism, ritual passages can well mean different things to different Brothers. But by discussing them, we can open ourselves up to new insights.
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 agree that memory work has always been an important part of our Craft, going all the way back to early teachings about 'Memory Palaces.' I wouldn't advocate that we somehow do away with it, but I do wonder if some Masons, and Lodges, emphasize it so much that they forget about the meanings behind the words?
We've all seen the grumpy past master in the corner correcting ritual during the degree, usually wrongly, and generally reliving "his year" vicariously through the current officers. I've had masons tell me that esoteric teachings were not allowed in freemasonry. To wit I ask them what is the definition of allegory? My point being there is space for all, and all types of masonic practice. There are those who like the lessons, those who like the activities and charity, those who like the ritual and morality plays. IMHO they are all equally important, difficult to do, require people of diverse skillset and the reason were still here.
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.
When I was a brand spankin' new Mason, it seemed that I could pick up the memory work with relative ease. Now, not so much. No one who knows me as a Mason in 2022 will believe me to be a guy who has the ritual down.
I think that there are a few reasons for this:
First of all, it was really super important to me to memorize the ritual when I was a new Mason. It is much less important to me now. Rightly or wrongly, that is how I feel.
Secondly, I had a lot more time to memorize it when I was a new Mason. My Lodge met twice a month and I may have visited another Lodge or two per month, but that was about it. In recent years, Freemasonry has become an every single day thing for me, and that has overwhelmed any time I might have for memory work.
Lastly though, I think it is also a function of age. It was easier for me when I was younger.
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.
>>>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.
It is also, at least in my experience, the very best and most powerful way for a new Mason to earn the respect of his Brothers. Masons do admire those who can perform good ritual work.
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.
>>>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.
A regular meeting like this is a wonderful thing. It can help us all learn together, and have some fun doing it. It can also serve to build bonds of fellowship and brotherhood. Will you be re-starting it now that all of the pandemic restrictions are well into the rearview mirror?
I would love to restart the meetings. I am not sure who was leading them before but there is no reason we can not just open the Lodge in Centralia on a Saturday and restart them. I will look into it!!
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.
I too have always been extremely fond of our Closing Charge here in Washington. Our Apron Lecture as well, even more so now that we have voted to include the much longer version in our Standard Work.
That is a superb piece of ritual! My home Lodge included a Brother who had memorized it, and would deliver it from time to time. Always quite wonderful.
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”.
Thank you for this W Brother. A couple of your points stick out to me:
>>>For me being 76 I look at it as a check against dementia
I don't think that I've ever mentioned it to anyone, but I too have often thought of Masonic Ritual as a kind of exercise for the brain, and a way to keep the memory happy. Who knows if it actually helps or not, but it certainly can't do any harm.
>>>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.
That is my experience as well. The hands do not rise quickly.
This is, in my opinion, just about the worst thing that a Lodge can ever do to a newly Initiated Brother.
To have just Initiated him, he's still nervous as heck, but excited to be a part of the Lodge, then the Master asks for 'mentors/coaches' in front of him, and it is obvious that no one really wants to do it, and when hands do rise, they rise reluctantly. What a way to take an excited new Brother and kick him in the teeth at the very first possibility.
The Master needs to know, well in advance of giving the Degree, who this new Mason's mentor/coach will be. Then instead of asking that horrifically inconsiderate question he can introduce the new Mason to the man or men who will help him move forward.
A tiny little thing, yet a profound difference in how the new Mason will experience his first night as a Mason.
I think that is a good idea, worth considering, but perhaps not a hard and fast rule. My Lodge has a couple of men who are very gregarious and very good at welcoming new people and making them feel at home.
So, petitioners are drawn to asking them to sign.
But their skills aren't in the mentoring/coaching area. We have other Brothers who can do that much better.
I too believe that it is a brain exercise and check against dementia. I might not always be word perfect but at 73 I think I can give some young ones a run for their money.
During delivery I pause for effect (and also for breath) and as a PM of many years standing I work very hard at not being one of those old grumpies who interrupt most often with incorrect dialogue. It happened to me when I was Master of my Craft Lodge many years ago and it could have put me off but I was made of sterner stuff and just stopped , turned and stared at my Brother who went silent and did not intervene again ever on my watch.
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 was lucky in that I had a superb mentor who took me through the three Posting Lectures. I imagine that it would be much, much more difficult without that effective and patient assistance.
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.
For want of a better word, I think that our ritual is intended to be a form of drama, even those parts that are not of the 'official drama.' ;-)
We have all heard the ritual monotone. That is to be dreaded, whether the words are coming from memory or the book. As you say, the most important thing is that it be done with sincere feeling. Injected emotion makes the ritual come alive.
I rather look at it on a spectrum. Properly delivered memorized ritual is by far the best. Properly delivered ritual from the book is also good, second best. Poorly delivered, poorly memorized ritual is bad, but poorly delivered, poorly read ritual from the book is by far the worst.
I made it no secret that as GM I didn't memorize any of our rarely performed ceremonies. I read them all. But, I did my best to practice reading them, so that I could deliver them well. I think that resulted in a better result than I would have found had I tried to memorize each of them, and delivered them from memory poorly.
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.
>>>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.
I think it undoubtedly true that poorly read ritual is the very worst possible delivery of ritual. Much worse, I think, than poorly memorized ritual.
I don't object to reading ritual, I can't object having done so myself, but I think that one needs to practice reading it a good deal if he hopes to pull it off well.
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?
Most all of us have dozens of songs memorized. Without even trying.
As such, I don't really believe that there are folks out there who absolutely can't memorize.
There are folks for whom it is much harder, and I think that it gets harder with age (at least it seems that way for me) but I think that everyone has at least some capacity to memorize things. As proven by the songs we all know and love.
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 think that just like with Masonic symbolism, ritual passages can well mean different things to different Brothers. But by discussing them, we can open ourselves up to new insights.
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 agree that memory work has always been an important part of our Craft, going all the way back to early teachings about 'Memory Palaces.' I wouldn't advocate that we somehow do away with it, but I do wonder if some Masons, and Lodges, emphasize it so much that they forget about the meanings behind the words?
We've all seen the grumpy past master in the corner correcting ritual during the degree, usually wrongly, and generally reliving "his year" vicariously through the current officers. I've had masons tell me that esoteric teachings were not allowed in freemasonry. To wit I ask them what is the definition of allegory? My point being there is space for all, and all types of masonic practice. There are those who like the lessons, those who like the activities and charity, those who like the ritual and morality plays. IMHO they are all equally important, difficult to do, require people of diverse skillset and the reason were still here.
Yelling out unneeded, and incorrect ritual prompts has been my main plan since I've left the East! ;-)
Seriously though, you are certainly correct, Masonry is different for every Mason, and that is a tremendous strength. Thank you Brother.
Love it.
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.
When I was a brand spankin' new Mason, it seemed that I could pick up the memory work with relative ease. Now, not so much. No one who knows me as a Mason in 2022 will believe me to be a guy who has the ritual down.
I think that there are a few reasons for this:
First of all, it was really super important to me to memorize the ritual when I was a new Mason. It is much less important to me now. Rightly or wrongly, that is how I feel.
Secondly, I had a lot more time to memorize it when I was a new Mason. My Lodge met twice a month and I may have visited another Lodge or two per month, but that was about it. In recent years, Freemasonry has become an every single day thing for me, and that has overwhelmed any time I might have for memory work.
Lastly though, I think it is also a function of age. It was easier for me when I was younger.
Wasn't it for ALL of US my Brother.
The only time I am disappointed is when it becomes obvious that the Brother has not tried to learn his ritual.
Not everyone can be a good ritualist but IMHO it is inexcusable for a brother not to at least make an attempt to learn
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.
>>>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.
It is also, at least in my experience, the very best and most powerful way for a new Mason to earn the respect of his Brothers. Masons do admire those who can perform good ritual work.
Agreed
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.
>>>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.
A regular meeting like this is a wonderful thing. It can help us all learn together, and have some fun doing it. It can also serve to build bonds of fellowship and brotherhood. Will you be re-starting it now that all of the pandemic restrictions are well into the rearview mirror?
I would love to restart the meetings. I am not sure who was leading them before but there is no reason we can not just open the Lodge in Centralia on a Saturday and restart them. I will look into it!!
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.
I too have always been extremely fond of our Closing Charge here in Washington. Our Apron Lecture as well, even more so now that we have voted to include the much longer version in our Standard Work.
I always felt That The Canadian Charge should follow The Worshipful Masters Charge.
That is a superb piece of ritual! My home Lodge included a Brother who had memorized it, and would deliver it from time to time. Always quite wonderful.
Anyone have a copy or link to it?
I think that there is more than one with the nickname 'Canadian Charge.' This is the one I've heard in my home Lodge:
http://www.themasonictrowel.com/Articles/General/craft_files/canadian_installation_charge.htm
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”.
Thank you for this W Brother. A couple of your points stick out to me:
>>>For me being 76 I look at it as a check against dementia
I don't think that I've ever mentioned it to anyone, but I too have often thought of Masonic Ritual as a kind of exercise for the brain, and a way to keep the memory happy. Who knows if it actually helps or not, but it certainly can't do any harm.
>>>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.
That is my experience as well. The hands do not rise quickly.
This is, in my opinion, just about the worst thing that a Lodge can ever do to a newly Initiated Brother.
To have just Initiated him, he's still nervous as heck, but excited to be a part of the Lodge, then the Master asks for 'mentors/coaches' in front of him, and it is obvious that no one really wants to do it, and when hands do rise, they rise reluctantly. What a way to take an excited new Brother and kick him in the teeth at the very first possibility.
The Master needs to know, well in advance of giving the Degree, who this new Mason's mentor/coach will be. Then instead of asking that horrifically inconsiderate question he can introduce the new Mason to the man or men who will help him move forward.
A tiny little thing, yet a profound difference in how the new Mason will experience his first night as a Mason.
I am getting the sense we think a like😉
Indeed!
One suggestion. Have the top signer of that man's petition be his mentor.
I think that is a good idea, worth considering, but perhaps not a hard and fast rule. My Lodge has a couple of men who are very gregarious and very good at welcoming new people and making them feel at home.
So, petitioners are drawn to asking them to sign.
But their skills aren't in the mentoring/coaching area. We have other Brothers who can do that much better.
Teach Mentoring…we all learned it…you can walk and chew gum at the same time.
I am an anomaly doing all…outreach, conferring and mentoring…
Instill in your candidates to “Pay it forward” by You setting the example…
Take responsibility for you and watch what happens.
Art Liss
WM 2018
North Bank Masonic Lodge #182
Washougal, WA
>>>Instill in your candidates to “Pay it forward” by You setting the example…
Agreed, it is very important that we try to do this while mentoring/coaching our Candidates.
I too believe that it is a brain exercise and check against dementia. I might not always be word perfect but at 73 I think I can give some young ones a run for their money.
During delivery I pause for effect (and also for breath) and as a PM of many years standing I work very hard at not being one of those old grumpies who interrupt most often with incorrect dialogue. It happened to me when I was Master of my Craft Lodge many years ago and it could have put me off but I was made of sterner stuff and just stopped , turned and stared at my Brother who went silent and did not intervene again ever on my watch.
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 was lucky in that I had a superb mentor who took me through the three Posting Lectures. I imagine that it would be much, much more difficult without that effective and patient assistance.
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.
For want of a better word, I think that our ritual is intended to be a form of drama, even those parts that are not of the 'official drama.' ;-)
We have all heard the ritual monotone. That is to be dreaded, whether the words are coming from memory or the book. As you say, the most important thing is that it be done with sincere feeling. Injected emotion makes the ritual come alive.
I rather look at it on a spectrum. Properly delivered memorized ritual is by far the best. Properly delivered ritual from the book is also good, second best. Poorly delivered, poorly memorized ritual is bad, but poorly delivered, poorly read ritual from the book is by far the worst.
I made it no secret that as GM I didn't memorize any of our rarely performed ceremonies. I read them all. But, I did my best to practice reading them, so that I could deliver them well. I think that resulted in a better result than I would have found had I tried to memorize each of them, and delivered them from memory poorly.
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.
>>>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.
I think it undoubtedly true that poorly read ritual is the very worst possible delivery of ritual. Much worse, I think, than poorly memorized ritual.
I don't object to reading ritual, I can't object having done so myself, but I think that one needs to practice reading it a good deal if he hopes to pull it off well.
Agreed. Poorly read ritual is degrading and will leave a bad impression on the candidate.
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?
Most all of us have dozens of songs memorized. Without even trying.
As such, I don't really believe that there are folks out there who absolutely can't memorize.
There are folks for whom it is much harder, and I think that it gets harder with age (at least it seems that way for me) but I think that everyone has at least some capacity to memorize things. As proven by the songs we all know and love.