Does your Lodge have a strong bench of men who can step up for Degrees?
It seems that some Lodges, some whole areas even, rely upon a single man to do a particular Lecture for example. If he isn’t available, there often isn’t anyone else who can do the work well.
How can we encourage more men to learn the larger parts of the work? The Lectures, Charges, other long and more difficult passages?
Surely if those Lodges that rely upon a single man don’t develop a bench, they will find themselves in a very bad way when he is no longer able to do it.
Should we, our Lodges or even the Grand Lodge, figure out a way of providing recognition to those who learn the Lectures and other long parts?
We do, as a Grand Lodge, certify those Brothers who can demonstrate proficiency in the entire Standard Work, but we don’t offer much in the way of recognition for that. Should we? If so, what form should that take?
Many hands make small work. Every master mason member of a lodge when raised should be given a part to play in each ceremony and memorize it. If the lectures are spread among 13 men, it's only a few paragraphs each. And that's just the officers. If every member of a lodge was involved, it would only be a few sentences each. Attendance should be mandatory, and quality delivery should be a criteria for good standing.
I am aware that this Jurisdiction has at least one Lodge that holds to an expectation that all of its members attend. I think the key is that they make that expectation clear to prospective members right from the start.
Potential issues I see, and I'm not sure how they address, are what happens to the Brother who moves out of the area, or who's work schedule changes making attendance impossible, or who can no longer attend to to infirmity. I think that kind of thing would need to be considered.
Not all events, but a commitment to at least 12 events a year. Whether fellowship meetings, business meetings, charity events, degree conferals or installations. Attend 12 of them.
This is something we do as a Fraternity fall down on. We should, as you say, reach out whenever we haven't seen a Brother in a while. We shouldn't just assume that he will let us know if he is having trouble.
Thankfully my Lodge is pretty strong when it comes to conferring the EA and FC Degrees. The only time we require some outside help from our sister Lodges is to fill some of the roles in the MM Degree's 2nd Section. However, we have been fortunate to initiate a good number of new Masons this year so we should shortly be able to fill in those spots. Yet, that is not to say we don't enjoy having our Brothers from other Lodges come and join us, neither are we opposed to answer the call when they need us.
Florida has a Proficiency Card program in which you are presented with a colored card depending on what part of the Work you are proficient in. I myself hold a Silver Card for proficiency in the three Catechisms, and an Orange Card for proficiency in the EA Lecture. I am currently working toward receiving a White Card for proficiency in the ritual work of the EA Degree. When a card is presented it is mostly done during our District-wide meetings. Having a whole auditorium of Masons recognize your achievement and come up to you afterward and give you a congratulatory handshake is a great motivator. The Grand Daddy of all cards if the Gold Card which means proficiency in absolutely everything in the Florida Work.
In Washington we have a certification for Brothers who have achieved the same level of proficiency as Florida's Gold Card. We also have recognition for those showing proficiency in the ritual other than Degree Work.
What we don't have is recognition levels in between those two extremes. Like Florida's Silver and Orange cards.
I think we need to change that, to move to adopt a system closer to what you have in Florida, and I think that like Florida, we need to do well to recognize those Brothers who accomplish these feats of memory.
First, and emphatically, I'd like to say that I have the greatest respect for Brothers who have committed the degrees to memory and deliver their parts in a very engaging and convincing manner. It's a fine idea to recognize them, however I don't believe this would result in significantly more Brothers reaching similar proficiency. Just like the employee wellness campaigns in the 90s accomplished little more than motivating the healthiest workers to go to the gym more often, a degree recognition award will likely result in the already proficient Brothers having yet another lapel pin.
Increasing the number of Brothers who can do this will require a time machine allowing us to travel back to the 50s or 60s for degree conferrals. Memorization is no longer a skill taught in our schools so its an unnatural act for a man who is younger than 50 when he becomes a Mason. In days gone by delivering by memory was the effective way to provide a quality degree experience for candidates. And that's the objective: providing a quality degree experience. Degrees read well can deliver that experience.
In a symphony performance the finest musicians all read their parts to ensure that the audience enjoys the highest quality of performance. They could probably play from memory but they don't take the chance that the first chair violinist will stand up and point at them and say "No, that's supposed to be an F-sharp!", but we tolerate past masters doing that kind of thing all the time. As new generations become Masons it's only going to get worse.
Too few memory-proficient Brothers is not the problem. Too few high-quality degree conferrals is.
I'll now brace myself for strenuous rebuttals from memory-proficient Brothers.
Well, here’s a response from one of those memory-proficient Brothers. I have a Certificate of Proficiency in all three degrees, and it’s true that there’s not too many of us in our Fraternity who have that accomplishment.
But, this isn’t necessarily a rebuttal. Rather, I’d like to build on it, to better come up with a solution to the bungled-up ritual that I, too, am seeing a little too much of.
“Just like the employee wellness campaigns in the 90s accomplished little more than motivating the healthiest workers to go to the gym more often, a degree recognition award will likely result in the already proficient Brothers having yet another lapel pin.” Unfortunately, you’re probably right, although about 10% or so will be new Brothers who are interested. I suppose that 10% interest is a benefit, though.
“Memorization is no longer a skill taught in our schools so its an unnatural act for a man who is younger than 50 when he becomes a Mason.” I could go into a general talk about how bad this is for society, but that’s at least 400 words, and that’s better tackled at another time and place. But for here, I’ll say this: I know of a Brother who’s now in his 80’s who can pick up a ritual book, look over the part, and deliver it really well. Thing is, he has memorized ritual in the past. He had developed his mind to be able to memorize, so when he grabs some ritual, he can commit it to short-term memory, or even read it well. Meanwhile, there are Brothers in our Lodges who cannot read well at all, and that can be a problem when it comes to Lodges needing Brothers to do ritual parts, such as in the MM Drama. I don’t think it’s too late for an older gentleman to learn these skills; it might take a little longer, but with due diligence, I think a Brother can benefit in many aspects of his life by developing his mental skills.
“In a symphony performance the finest musicians all read their parts to ensure that the audience enjoys the highest quality of performance. They could probably play from memory but they don't take the chance that the first chair violinist will stand up and point at them and say "No, that's supposed to be an F-sharp!"…” I was in a Youth Orchestra when I was, well, a youth, and I learned how to read music when I was 6. I will say that this is a good analogy. But you noted, though, “They could probably play from memory...” They practiced. That’s KEY. If you practice enough, you in a way have “memorized” it. Maybe not rote memory, but a more organic form of memory. Kind of like how you get from your house to Lodge and back. You didn’t memorize the directions, “Turn left on Main Street, go 3 blocks and turn left on G street, etc.” you just… know. Landmarks, street signs, and other markers help you unconsciously in your travels. The sheet music to the musician guides you in the music, even though you already know how to play the piece well. And for us lecturers, we have our parchments and staircases. I do know from experience that it’s more difficult to deliver a lecture without the parchment or slideshow. But I think being able to further develop our Masonic Brothers in these mental exercises will help them in many ways, and also assist their cognitive ability into their senior years. I know of a LOT of Brothers who are still pretty darn sharp into their late 80’s, even into their 90’s. I’m sure most of you who are reading this know a few as well.
To bring it around to the beginning: “First, and emphatically, I'd like to say that I have the greatest respect for Brothers who have committed the degrees to memory and deliver their parts in a very engaging and convincing manner.”
It’s not the inability to memorize, it’s the inability to know how to memorize. Learning the work takes, well, work. Do some do it easier than others, of course. But no one can’t memorize a paragraph of ritual. It just takes longer.
And for some, it’s the paralyzing fear of public speaking. They know the work, but when the spotlight is on them, their brain vapor locks.
The ones that excel at it have no problems with either.
I have had that mental 'vapor lock' you mention. Not though from a fear of public speaking, given my profession I don't really have that. I'm not sure what causes it, but I have on more than one occasion stood there to deliver some easy bit of ritual, and just had it blank in my mind. Luckily this has been very rare for me, but I have had it happen.
I do agree with you that everyone can learn to memorize, but I think that it is radically more natural for some people to do it than others. And of course, as you mention, it takes a great deal of work.
“I do agree with you that everyone can learn to memorize, but I think that it is radically more natural for some people to do it than others.” This is why I usually don’t offer advice or participate in many discussions on the topic of methods of memorization. I’m wired so differently; my advice is almost worthless to others. Also, I had a Brother let me borrow a book on a memorization method. I wound up returning the book before finishing a couple of chapters, because it started interfering with my method of thinking. I didn’t want to mess with what works.
“And of course, as you mention, it takes a great deal of work.” This applies to ALL of us, including those who find memorization to be fairly easy. I didn’t snap my fingers and suddenly know the first degree lecture from memory. It took time and diligence. But, I will also admit, I didn’t memorize the Closing Charge by effort; I came to be able to deliver it from memory from hearing it 4-5 times a month for a few years. This idea might be a way to make a Brother aware of a capability that they might not realize they have.
“But no one can’t memorize a paragraph of ritual. It just takes longer.” I think you’re right. I also think those who insist that they can’t memorize have convinced themselves that that is true. A self-fulfilling prophecy of sorts.
We have a Brother who is very active in our Fraternity note that his son, who is a Veteran, has PTSD-related issues when he attempts to memorize things by rote. It is totally improper for me to challenge that; every person is different, and there’s no reason to believe that this isn’t true. Good news is this gentleman (and Brother) has other excellent talents, and owns a successful business.
“And for some, it’s the paralyzing fear of public speaking. They know the work, but when the spotlight is on them, their brain vapor locks.” You know, that can still indeed happen, even if you think you have it mastered! I remember the 2015 Annual Communication in Kennewick, when I was scheduled to deliver my first Committee Chairman report. I had it down. I practiced it in front of my local Brothers. But when I climbed up onto that podium, I FROZE. I delivered the report, but to me, I thought I stumbled and bumbled through it and it sounded like hell. But then-WB Cameron thought it was an excellent delivery. Others thought so as well. To this day, I have to rely on Cameron’s word that it sounded considerably better than I thought it did. Important lesson for me.
I don't know, but I have often thought that holding ritual work in one's mind, and delivering it regularly from memory, must be good exercise for the brain that could serve to keep one sharp when he would have otherwise perhaps suffered from mental/memory issues. It is my hope that this is the case anyway, for like all of us, I grow a wee bit older every day.
I am not going to disagree with you. A well read Degree part can be of just as high quality as a well memorized part.
But, by the same token, we have all seen poorly memorized parts, delivered badly, and poorly read parts delivered badly. Reading or working from memory, it takes work and practice to deliver these parts well.
Speaking of myself, when I became a Mason, I was quite eager to jump in and memorize things, and I think that I did a hell of a good job at it. I seemed to be able to memorize long parts, and deliver them extremely well. But I had the time needed to do that.
As time has gone on, my ability to do that has gone away. Other Masonic responsibilities eat into the hours upon hours that it takes for me to memorize ritual, and as the years have passed I've gone from quite a good ritualist to a not good ritualist.
Knowing that to be the case, I have moved to reading those parts that I don't perform often enough to hold well in my mind. I do though practice them, so that my delivery, even though I have the book in hand, can be as good as possible.
I am aware that memory work has been a part of Freemasonry from the very beginning. I am also aware however that in some Jurisdictions, reading is more common than delivery from memory.
I think you hit the nail on the head. What we need is good work. How we deliver it is of much less importance than its ultimate quality.
Yes, let's all focus on the objective. Much better to acknowledge a Brother's excellent reading than to be "too polite" to confront a Brother whose memory as strong as he thinks it is. And we'll fill a bench of great readers a lot faster than a bench of great memorizers.
Well said Brother. Don't let excellence be the enemy of good. If we had 50 active energetic Brothers regularly attending our Lodges we could aim for excellence. Reality screams at us to accept the good, move on and hope for a time when we can insist on theatrical memory degrees.
Many hands make small work. Every master mason member of a lodge when raised should be given a part to play in each ceremony and memorize it. If the lectures are spread among 13 men, it's only a few paragraphs each. And that's just the officers. If every member of a lodge was involved, it would only be a few sentences each. Attendance should be mandatory, and quality delivery should be a criteria for good standing.
Good luck enforcing mandatory attendance with an all volunteer organization.
Easy. Tell them to leave if they aren't willing to help. You don't attract good men by hanging on to loafers.
And you don't keep good men acting like a tyrant.
I am aware that this Jurisdiction has at least one Lodge that holds to an expectation that all of its members attend. I think the key is that they make that expectation clear to prospective members right from the start.
Potential issues I see, and I'm not sure how they address, are what happens to the Brother who moves out of the area, or who's work schedule changes making attendance impossible, or who can no longer attend to to infirmity. I think that kind of thing would need to be considered.
Not all events, but a commitment to at least 12 events a year. Whether fellowship meetings, business meetings, charity events, degree conferals or installations. Attend 12 of them.
If a man hasn't been seen at a masonic event in over 60 days, the chaplain should pay him a visit at home.
This is something we do as a Fraternity fall down on. We should, as you say, reach out whenever we haven't seen a Brother in a while. We shouldn't just assume that he will let us know if he is having trouble.
Thankfully my Lodge is pretty strong when it comes to conferring the EA and FC Degrees. The only time we require some outside help from our sister Lodges is to fill some of the roles in the MM Degree's 2nd Section. However, we have been fortunate to initiate a good number of new Masons this year so we should shortly be able to fill in those spots. Yet, that is not to say we don't enjoy having our Brothers from other Lodges come and join us, neither are we opposed to answer the call when they need us.
Florida has a Proficiency Card program in which you are presented with a colored card depending on what part of the Work you are proficient in. I myself hold a Silver Card for proficiency in the three Catechisms, and an Orange Card for proficiency in the EA Lecture. I am currently working toward receiving a White Card for proficiency in the ritual work of the EA Degree. When a card is presented it is mostly done during our District-wide meetings. Having a whole auditorium of Masons recognize your achievement and come up to you afterward and give you a congratulatory handshake is a great motivator. The Grand Daddy of all cards if the Gold Card which means proficiency in absolutely everything in the Florida Work.
In Washington we have a certification for Brothers who have achieved the same level of proficiency as Florida's Gold Card. We also have recognition for those showing proficiency in the ritual other than Degree Work.
What we don't have is recognition levels in between those two extremes. Like Florida's Silver and Orange cards.
I think we need to change that, to move to adopt a system closer to what you have in Florida, and I think that like Florida, we need to do well to recognize those Brothers who accomplish these feats of memory.
First, and emphatically, I'd like to say that I have the greatest respect for Brothers who have committed the degrees to memory and deliver their parts in a very engaging and convincing manner. It's a fine idea to recognize them, however I don't believe this would result in significantly more Brothers reaching similar proficiency. Just like the employee wellness campaigns in the 90s accomplished little more than motivating the healthiest workers to go to the gym more often, a degree recognition award will likely result in the already proficient Brothers having yet another lapel pin.
Increasing the number of Brothers who can do this will require a time machine allowing us to travel back to the 50s or 60s for degree conferrals. Memorization is no longer a skill taught in our schools so its an unnatural act for a man who is younger than 50 when he becomes a Mason. In days gone by delivering by memory was the effective way to provide a quality degree experience for candidates. And that's the objective: providing a quality degree experience. Degrees read well can deliver that experience.
In a symphony performance the finest musicians all read their parts to ensure that the audience enjoys the highest quality of performance. They could probably play from memory but they don't take the chance that the first chair violinist will stand up and point at them and say "No, that's supposed to be an F-sharp!", but we tolerate past masters doing that kind of thing all the time. As new generations become Masons it's only going to get worse.
Too few memory-proficient Brothers is not the problem. Too few high-quality degree conferrals is.
I'll now brace myself for strenuous rebuttals from memory-proficient Brothers.
Well, here’s a response from one of those memory-proficient Brothers. I have a Certificate of Proficiency in all three degrees, and it’s true that there’s not too many of us in our Fraternity who have that accomplishment.
But, this isn’t necessarily a rebuttal. Rather, I’d like to build on it, to better come up with a solution to the bungled-up ritual that I, too, am seeing a little too much of.
“Just like the employee wellness campaigns in the 90s accomplished little more than motivating the healthiest workers to go to the gym more often, a degree recognition award will likely result in the already proficient Brothers having yet another lapel pin.” Unfortunately, you’re probably right, although about 10% or so will be new Brothers who are interested. I suppose that 10% interest is a benefit, though.
“Memorization is no longer a skill taught in our schools so its an unnatural act for a man who is younger than 50 when he becomes a Mason.” I could go into a general talk about how bad this is for society, but that’s at least 400 words, and that’s better tackled at another time and place. But for here, I’ll say this: I know of a Brother who’s now in his 80’s who can pick up a ritual book, look over the part, and deliver it really well. Thing is, he has memorized ritual in the past. He had developed his mind to be able to memorize, so when he grabs some ritual, he can commit it to short-term memory, or even read it well. Meanwhile, there are Brothers in our Lodges who cannot read well at all, and that can be a problem when it comes to Lodges needing Brothers to do ritual parts, such as in the MM Drama. I don’t think it’s too late for an older gentleman to learn these skills; it might take a little longer, but with due diligence, I think a Brother can benefit in many aspects of his life by developing his mental skills.
“In a symphony performance the finest musicians all read their parts to ensure that the audience enjoys the highest quality of performance. They could probably play from memory but they don't take the chance that the first chair violinist will stand up and point at them and say "No, that's supposed to be an F-sharp!"…” I was in a Youth Orchestra when I was, well, a youth, and I learned how to read music when I was 6. I will say that this is a good analogy. But you noted, though, “They could probably play from memory...” They practiced. That’s KEY. If you practice enough, you in a way have “memorized” it. Maybe not rote memory, but a more organic form of memory. Kind of like how you get from your house to Lodge and back. You didn’t memorize the directions, “Turn left on Main Street, go 3 blocks and turn left on G street, etc.” you just… know. Landmarks, street signs, and other markers help you unconsciously in your travels. The sheet music to the musician guides you in the music, even though you already know how to play the piece well. And for us lecturers, we have our parchments and staircases. I do know from experience that it’s more difficult to deliver a lecture without the parchment or slideshow. But I think being able to further develop our Masonic Brothers in these mental exercises will help them in many ways, and also assist their cognitive ability into their senior years. I know of a LOT of Brothers who are still pretty darn sharp into their late 80’s, even into their 90’s. I’m sure most of you who are reading this know a few as well.
To bring it around to the beginning: “First, and emphatically, I'd like to say that I have the greatest respect for Brothers who have committed the degrees to memory and deliver their parts in a very engaging and convincing manner.”
Thank you, VWB John. I appreciate it.
It’s not the inability to memorize, it’s the inability to know how to memorize. Learning the work takes, well, work. Do some do it easier than others, of course. But no one can’t memorize a paragraph of ritual. It just takes longer.
And for some, it’s the paralyzing fear of public speaking. They know the work, but when the spotlight is on them, their brain vapor locks.
The ones that excel at it have no problems with either.
I have had that mental 'vapor lock' you mention. Not though from a fear of public speaking, given my profession I don't really have that. I'm not sure what causes it, but I have on more than one occasion stood there to deliver some easy bit of ritual, and just had it blank in my mind. Luckily this has been very rare for me, but I have had it happen.
I do agree with you that everyone can learn to memorize, but I think that it is radically more natural for some people to do it than others. And of course, as you mention, it takes a great deal of work.
“I do agree with you that everyone can learn to memorize, but I think that it is radically more natural for some people to do it than others.” This is why I usually don’t offer advice or participate in many discussions on the topic of methods of memorization. I’m wired so differently; my advice is almost worthless to others. Also, I had a Brother let me borrow a book on a memorization method. I wound up returning the book before finishing a couple of chapters, because it started interfering with my method of thinking. I didn’t want to mess with what works.
“And of course, as you mention, it takes a great deal of work.” This applies to ALL of us, including those who find memorization to be fairly easy. I didn’t snap my fingers and suddenly know the first degree lecture from memory. It took time and diligence. But, I will also admit, I didn’t memorize the Closing Charge by effort; I came to be able to deliver it from memory from hearing it 4-5 times a month for a few years. This idea might be a way to make a Brother aware of a capability that they might not realize they have.
“But no one can’t memorize a paragraph of ritual. It just takes longer.” I think you’re right. I also think those who insist that they can’t memorize have convinced themselves that that is true. A self-fulfilling prophecy of sorts.
We have a Brother who is very active in our Fraternity note that his son, who is a Veteran, has PTSD-related issues when he attempts to memorize things by rote. It is totally improper for me to challenge that; every person is different, and there’s no reason to believe that this isn’t true. Good news is this gentleman (and Brother) has other excellent talents, and owns a successful business.
“And for some, it’s the paralyzing fear of public speaking. They know the work, but when the spotlight is on them, their brain vapor locks.” You know, that can still indeed happen, even if you think you have it mastered! I remember the 2015 Annual Communication in Kennewick, when I was scheduled to deliver my first Committee Chairman report. I had it down. I practiced it in front of my local Brothers. But when I climbed up onto that podium, I FROZE. I delivered the report, but to me, I thought I stumbled and bumbled through it and it sounded like hell. But then-WB Cameron thought it was an excellent delivery. Others thought so as well. To this day, I have to rely on Cameron’s word that it sounded considerably better than I thought it did. Important lesson for me.
I don't know, but I have often thought that holding ritual work in one's mind, and delivering it regularly from memory, must be good exercise for the brain that could serve to keep one sharp when he would have otherwise perhaps suffered from mental/memory issues. It is my hope that this is the case anyway, for like all of us, I grow a wee bit older every day.
I am not going to disagree with you. A well read Degree part can be of just as high quality as a well memorized part.
But, by the same token, we have all seen poorly memorized parts, delivered badly, and poorly read parts delivered badly. Reading or working from memory, it takes work and practice to deliver these parts well.
Speaking of myself, when I became a Mason, I was quite eager to jump in and memorize things, and I think that I did a hell of a good job at it. I seemed to be able to memorize long parts, and deliver them extremely well. But I had the time needed to do that.
As time has gone on, my ability to do that has gone away. Other Masonic responsibilities eat into the hours upon hours that it takes for me to memorize ritual, and as the years have passed I've gone from quite a good ritualist to a not good ritualist.
Knowing that to be the case, I have moved to reading those parts that I don't perform often enough to hold well in my mind. I do though practice them, so that my delivery, even though I have the book in hand, can be as good as possible.
I am aware that memory work has been a part of Freemasonry from the very beginning. I am also aware however that in some Jurisdictions, reading is more common than delivery from memory.
I think you hit the nail on the head. What we need is good work. How we deliver it is of much less importance than its ultimate quality.
Yes, let's all focus on the objective. Much better to acknowledge a Brother's excellent reading than to be "too polite" to confront a Brother whose memory as strong as he thinks it is. And we'll fill a bench of great readers a lot faster than a bench of great memorizers.
** whose memory ISN'T as strong ..
Well said Brother. Don't let excellence be the enemy of good. If we had 50 active energetic Brothers regularly attending our Lodges we could aim for excellence. Reality screams at us to accept the good, move on and hope for a time when we can insist on theatrical memory degrees.