In my Jurisdiction, most Masons advance through the Degrees by proving proficiency through memorization. They memorize the Posting Lecture (catechism) of each Degree.
But some Lodges ask for less. I am aware of Lodges that require nothing more than memorization of the obligations, along with the grips, signs, and words.
Still others advance their candidates using a textbook about Freemasonry, followed by written questions and answers.
What method is used is up to the Lodge, as here Lodges are the sole judge of their own proficiency.
The textbook is codified, and Masonically speaking fairly new, the other two methods are tradition, utilized here throughout our history.
While our lodge uses the posting lecture, in the past we've had to use other methods for some brothers. Imagine trying to read a cipher with dyslexia. I believe in the end it should be about what happened to you during the degree and what does it mean to you.
This makes sense to me, and I agree. Currently I'm coaching two men through the Degrees, and one has really struggled with the Posting Lecture, despite working very hard on mastering it. I have offered him an alternate pathway, but for now anyway he wants to continue working on it.
In NC, we have what's called a catechism. It is memorized and given mouth to ear by the coach. In our lodge we ask one of the first line signers to be a mentor along this man's journey. The catechism includes the obligation, and a lecture describing the degree and working tools. The Hermetic art of memory.
Our Posting Lecture sounds quite similar to your Catechism. It too goes through the Degree, and includes both the Obligation and the Working Tools. We aren't however mouth to ear, we have a cypher here in Washington.
Historically, our candidates would memorize and recite the full Q&A. But for the past twenty, candidates were allowed to return just the grips, etc, and obligation. Retention and interest has been in a long slow slide. This past year, an ambitious young man was presented the full Q&A to learn, by a PM who had recently moved to town from a jurisdiction where this is still the only way. He took to it and knuckles down. The elder brothers nearly cried to see him return his work. Our GM was present for his near-flawless MM proficiency. He is now happily engaged learning the ritual work, and helping mentor our even newer men. We have four EAs, two petitions up for balloting, and sixteen inquiries in the queue.
I have no data to back this up, but it has always been my view that just requiring the modes of recognition and the obligation harms retention because the men who did that made less of an investment in the Lodge.
Prior to my Degrees my Home Lodge had done similar to yours for years. Then they decided to go back to the old way, and so it was the full Posting Lecture for me. It has worked out well for that Lodge, and to my knowledge they continue to require the full Posting Lecture.
I've seen a wide variety of differing methods and opinions concerning returning proficiency. When I joined, I was coached by a mentor (VWB Orton Krueger, who recently passed away) and he was the gatekeeper as far as determining whether I was proficient enough or not. Every week he would sit down and patiently work with me on memorizing the posting lecture, and once he was satisfied I knew it by heart, he told the lodge, and my next degree was scheduled. Bro Orton probably mentored a thousand masons that way.
But, as I went up the line, the lodge changed things at my insistence, that the brothers actually return their proficiency (posting lecture) in lodge during a stated meeting. I felt this gave two benefits to the member and the lodge. First, that he actually learned the posting lecture, and second, he displayed the ability to publicly speak.
I am a firm believer that the posting lectures are vital in a young mason's progression, as it provides a foundation for actually learning the ritual, if and when that brother decides the assume greater responsibilities. If you can't memorize the posting lecture, you can't be expected to hold a pillared office and perform the functions expected of you.
Recently I attended two different lodges where the WM was openly reading from the standard work to open and close their lodge. In one of those lodges it was both the WM and the JW.
Now, some folks thinks that's perfectly fine. They will argue that those brothers are otherwise great masons, and it shouldn't matter if they memorized the work or not.
The ritual is what sets us apart from all of the other fraternal organizations. It is part of the system and shouldn't be shortcutted for convenience.
Some will argue that learning the ritual is too hard for some folks. That is true. But, if you've memorized the pledge of allegiance, or your home address, then it's not impossible. It just means some folks will have to work harder to do so. And if that is still too much work, then find a position within the lodge that doesn't require memorization of the work.
Then there is the issue with public speaking. Yes, fear of public speaking is a real phobia, and I get that. I used to get butterflies when getting up before an audience (and I still do occasionally if I am not comfortable with the ritual parts I've memorized), but as with other things, it gets easier with practice. The biggest hurdle for me was lack of confidence in the beginning. Over time, however, as I became more comfortable with the ritual, those butterflies would slowly go away.
As MW would attest, I've seen a brother absolutely crash and burn as the SD. He had spent a long time working on memorizing the parts, but when it came time to preform, he was overcome with stage fright, and froze. As he stood there, his anxiety got worse and worse, and was reduced to tears.
During a degree for an EA.
This, my brothers, should never have happened. It was embarrassing for that brother, for the candidate, and for the entire lodge. It is NOT how we conduct a degree - the degree that poor candidate will never get to experience again. And why? Certainly not for that candidates benefit. But, that brother was given a pass for not memorizing the posting lecture. He was advanced through the degrees thinking well, he's just not going to take a chair more important than chaplain. But with a different leadership, things changed, and suddenly, over my objections, he was set to be installed right off the bat as SD. SD, the second hardest (maybe even the hardest) chair to assume, as far as the ritual work is concerned. And the results were inevitable.
Will that brother succeed as a WM? He's a fine mason, hard working and wanting to contribute to the lodge. But, as far as ritual goes, he's just not cut out for it. And especially for a degree, as a lodge, it is of the utmost importance that the lodge provides the best possible experience for that candidate that it can.
Out of all of the chairs I've filled and degrees I've participated in, conferring a degree on a new brother is the single most humbling and important thing I've done. I love the fact that I provided that degree to that man, and made every effort to make it as memorable as I could. I also feel that if you've advanced through the chairs to the east having not performed a conferral, you've robbed yourself of the single most important part of your masonic career.
I think you’ve hit upon a deeper truth about the way things are vs the way we wish they were. There simply aren’t enough masons. There was a time when you could be a mason and never touch a chair; now it’s virtually compulsory. Like everything else there is good and bad there. There have been a lot of brothers I’ve had the pleasure of watching rise to a challenge they didn’t think themselves capable of, and more than a few I feel were really disheartened by the process of being setup to fail.
This not enough masons problem, it runs deep, if you take any sample of any population there are going to be a small percentage of them that are capable and willing to put in the work. When your sample size is small this means two or three people.
Also I really agree because I ran degree work as a JW and it was incredibly difficult to find a master to do the conferral, so I reached out to other lodges. I’ve watched way to many masters run everything while stumbling through reading directly out of the book. Our master at the time I felt like he really missed out, but again the chairs are compulsory at this point; so we get what we get.
I understand your point, but I think there is another way of considering it. At least here in Washington.
I think we could instead of saying that there are not enough Masons, say that there are too many Lodges.
What I'm trying to get as is as Masonry grew to exponential heights up until the 1960's or so, we created Lodge after Lodge to house this wave of men. But then when membership began to decline, it declined at a much faster rate than the number of Lodges declined. So now we seem to be in a position of having more Lodges than we need for the number of Masons we have, and as you rightly point out, that leaves many of our Lodges short staffed.
Yeah I have to agree that fewer lodges which are more active and better staffed would be a good thing.
What you’re talking about borders on heresy though. You’re saying lodges shouldn’t be the personal fiefdom of two or three people, and that they may need to learn how not to be petty and argue over what kind of plunger to buy?
It is my opinion, and I thought it was also a Grand Lodge Masonic Code, maybe a rule, that no Monitor be allowed to be open or in the lodge for a stated meeting or degree. Memory only. But, I might be wrong. It is still my position.
It isn't a rule in my Jurisdiction, but I actually think that the ritual would improve if it was.
Personally, I have found that I do a much better job with the Opening/Closing ritual if I am standing in the East without a cypher on the podium. But if I'm asked to Close a Lodge and the cypher is open on the podium when I get there, I find it a terrible distraction, and find myself glancing at it to make sure I'm on the right track. That harms my performance quite badly.
I think, especially for those ritual parts that one sees frequently, that almost all Masons probably do have them memorized perfectly. But they don't believe that they do, so they can't deliver it as if they did. A mental block caused by a lack of confidence.
Another benefit I've noticed through my years in our Fraternity of returning the Posting Lecture in Open Lodge (assuming it is superbly done) is the respect it garners for the new Mason.
I've long observed that in many cases, true respect comes when other Masons see the new Mason excel at ritual work. I think this is because by doing so he is proving to them that he is willing to do the work and put in the time.
I've made no secret of the fact that I had an absolutely superb mentor through the Degrees, and if I can say this without sounding like an ass, my proficiencies were returned perfectly. I think that gave me a very significant leg up in my Lodge, and my influence within it, even as a then new Mason.
I can agree with this wholeheartedly. Brothers who do their proficiency in committee or otherwise hidden from the brothers always makes me suspect their ability to do the work.
Our Lodge has been working to enhance our Degree experience. Initially, with more impressive and engaging Degrees, then through the proficiency work.
To be considered ‘proficient’ in a Degree, the candidate must;
1. Work with the mentor to review questions about the Degree provided by our Grand Lodge, then answer 3-5 of them in Lodge. This is to show they know the ‘book answer’ to questions about the Degree and to get them comfortable contributing in-Lodge.
2. Present a 5-10 minute presentation on a topic from the Degree that they’ve researched on their own, with their interpretation. This is to show they have thought about the lessons of the Degree.
At this point we will schedule the next Degree. Then, just before conferring the next Degree we will have them recite the catechism of the previous Degree. This is to show we can entrust them with the lessons of that Degree, having committed them to memory, but also to prevent them from thinking ahead. With all their thought focused on the catechism, it helps to ward off thinking about what the next Degree will hold, leaving them fresh for the lessons therein.
After a Brother has received the Master Mason Degree, they are encouraged to complete their Proficiency in Lodge Management, which is an Officer Proficiency offered in our Jurisdiction. As an incentive to our current Officers, the Lodge will enroll those who have completed their PiLM into the Scottish Rite Master Craftsman ‘Symbolic Lodge’ Course.
The 27-year member version of me would be fine with making a presentation or a “Paper,” as some Lodges ask, to achieve some distinction in the Lodge. But back in 1996, I was 21 when I petitioned, not far out of college, and if the Lodge had asked me to do a Paper on some topic, I could almost imagine myself being nauseated – Not ANOTHER paper! No!!! But would I have done it? …yes. I had known those good Brothers in Tenino Lodge too long. I would have done it, but grudgingly on the sake of the paper, but happily for the Brothers. If that makes sense.
But involvement in this Fraternity can change your focus, and your skills. Hence my much more willing to do a presentation on a Masonic topic, which I have done for my Lodges.
This is standard in the Continental systems of Freemasonry. It’s not really a “paper,” as in a research paper, but is a presentation of the candidate’s speculative takes on the degrees. There is no wrong answer, but the lodge should hear how the new EA interprets aspects of the EA ritual and symbolism, and the lodge should ask questions about it.
I think I might suggest this to my Lodge. Having mentored many candidates through the years I think most would like it, likely learn from it, and it would be interesting for the Lodge as well.
The whole program involves a man writing a short essay (500-1000 words) on why he wants to be a Freemason. It probably is the most important step because if he cannot articulate thoughtful reasons for wanting the Masonic life, then you can assess his seriousness and sincerity. Rather than devote hundreds of man-hours to initiating, passing, and raising him, the lodge can decline to give him a petition in the first place. But if he does impress, then you have someone to be excited about.
If he is initiated, he writes a speculative paper on the EA Degree. Ditto the subsequent degrees. The lodge puts questions to him, taking his limited experience into account, for a philosophical and interactive lodge experience.
A man who can’t endure this can be referred to the Elks. It’s a fine organization—family friendly, patriotic, civic-minded, etc.—and it doesn’t have the philosophical, mystical, historic baggage that Masonry has. Freemasonry is not for everyone, and that’s okay.
I left a message for the WM of one of my Lodges today. When he calls me back, I'm going to hit him with this. It will be interesting to see how it plays out. Thank you!
It behooves me to expound on why the 21 year old version of me would have cringed at doing a “Paper.” I was a chemistry major in college. With Math as a minor. Numbers and laboratories were my focus at that time, and the English and Literature classes were “prerequisite” classes that I “got done and over with” during my time in college. I was up to the challenges of isolating caffeine from tea and creating isoamyl acetate, and I also enjoyed the challenges of heavy-duty mathematical proofs. But those things took up a lot of my time and efforts.
But as I noted earlier, time passes, and focuses change.
I think I would have been more receptive to your explanation of a presentation on what I learned from my degree experience, rather than assigning me school-style “homework.” And also now that I’m thinking about it, I think my Brothers in the Tenino Lodge would have explained it to me in a manner similar to yours.
That is an interesting take. I don't think I would have shared it, but I also imagine that you and I had a different appreciation for formal education when we were each 21. I imagine that I would have taken a Lodge paper quite seriously, for I didn't take the other things seriously at all.
I really like your presentation idea. I'm aware of a couple of Lodges here that do something similar, and I know that it is fairly standard in many Grand Lodges elsewhere around the world. I think that it would be extremely valuable to a candidate.
I also like your idea of giving a reward for completion of the Proficiency in Lodge Management. The carrot seems like it would work much better than the stick!
Apr 20, 2023·edited Apr 20, 2023Liked by Cameron M. Bailey
I was initiated, passed and raised in NC, but now reside in WA. It was quite shock to see that WA candidates were able to access a cypher immediately after receiving the EA degree. In NC , everything was strictly mouth to ear and there was only one option, which is the catechism performed in open Lodge at a stated communication. Also, my coach had to vouch for my readiness to perform the catechism. It was on his honor and reputation to ensure that I was proficient.
Here in WA the candidate can opt to prove up by meeting with three Master Masons in a more intimate setting.
The NC cypher was referred to as the OSW and is much more difficult to de-cypher than the WA Standard Work. I was not able to even obtain a copy of the OSW until I was raised.
Frankly, I think the NC approach is a far superior process to become a Mason since the bar is set significantly higher and at a minimum the candidate has to demonstrate basic proficiency.
To pay homage to my WA Masonic jurisdiction, I have completed the PiLM. Ritual proficiency is extremely important to me. The PiLM was particularly necessary for me as I constantly struggle to replace a head full of NC ritual and codes with Washington Masonry so that I properly operate within the light of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Washington.
I agree, the standards in this jurisdiction are far too lenient.
In my old lodge we had a brother from Tennessee, and he mentioned that the ritual work was very similar to ours, how different did you find WA ritual from NC?
There are some differences that I am reticent to discuss openly, but it's the subtle ones that cause the most confusion. Instead of saying,"take due notice and...", NC ritual was, "take due notice thereof, and...". To this day, I have to double check myself and 25% of the time I get it wrong!
There is another part where we say, "No, begin..." and in NC it is, "NAY, begin..." I still think nay sounds better, so I willfully digress in this fashion!
In NC, in a certain part of a certain degree, the role the candidate represented was not in their customary station, as the candidate was escorted.
I know that one threw Shaun Bradshaw of the NC Middle Chamber program, for a loop as well when he learned of it, because I have heard him comment on it.
In NC, never do you hear the pass announced out loud in Lodge. We also collected the pass for the EA degree, on the infrequent occasions that we opened on that degree. As a rule, we opened on the Third Degree unless were actually doing degree work.
As newly obligated brother, there were not many chances to sit in Lodge until you were raised. I am not sure how I feel about that. In some ways it adds to weight of the Masonic privilege and others it seems exclusionary. If I were to anticipate the privilege of sitting in Lodge for months and then once the day finally came all we did was argue about what type of toilet snake the lodge should buy, that would have been a horrible let down. That has happened, but fortunately not as my first experience. When it did, the fellowship before and after, somewhat compensated for it.
Thanks, that sort of jibes with what the other brother said, it was the little things. And yeah, Nay sounds much better.
As far as allowing EAs and FCs into lodge, I was told that until relatively recently, that was the way it was here. Prince Hall lodges still adhere to that rule, that lodge was only for master masons. They have the others prepare and serve meals and otherwise hang out during the meeting. I personally think that all brothers should participate, after all, they can vote on the business of the lodge, with the exception of balloting and elections and perhaps provide fresh perspectives for issues.
By and large, I like the idea of EAs and FCs in Lodge.
From the perspective of promoting Masonic mystique, I think if your Lodge can live up to the hype and only a few can, that is why I would be in favor of bidding them a good evening after dinner.
Standard work has a lot of latitude on proficiency by committee or open lodge. When I was Master I had one of the most comment mentors and with his committee you knew the candidate was ready for the next step. The 1st and 2nd degree could be done at committee level BUT the 3rd degree the requirement was in open lodge with the full posting lecture. Proficiency for the member should be the goal of all member's. With that said I encouraged the officers Junior & Senior Wardens to prepare for the SW competition with very good results as you know David Ellis won the state competition when you were GM. This has become important to our lodge as we have started weekly section's for anyone who want to attend to become more proficient in all aspects of Masonry.
I really think there is a lot of value in weekly practice availabilities as you are doing at your Lodge. It gives everyone the means to succeed, and I think that is really important.
One problem I did notice when my Lodge used to do these regularly though is that it sometimes seemed like the guys who needed the most practice were the least likely to show up. Perhaps that would have changed had the Lodge continued the practice.
Great question Brother. We do the memory part, the Q&A and obligation before they can pass to the next degree. But we also have a mentorship program where a PM also coaches them on the context and meaning of each degree, what the obligation and even movement about the Lodge means in each degree. The F.C. lecture is always given. At each degree, the new Brothers also give a 10-15 minute presentation on their understanding of where they are in the journey.
Thanks for this. At the Lodge in my town, I'm currently coaching/mentoring two Brothers through the Degrees. They will each do the Posting Lecture, which includes the Obligation &c. But they are also both doing a fair amount of reading on each Degree.
I think the paper/presentation idea is superb, we don't do it here, but I'm currently SW of my Lodge in Seattle, and I'm planning to suggest that we start doing it there. I think it will be very well received. (Here proficiency is a Lodge decision alone, so we need to worry about violating any GL rules if we add or change things up.)
What we can't do is truly explain the 'movements about the Lodge' because while our floorwork is largely standard from Lodge to Lodge, via tradition, it is not included anywhere in our Standard Work or other documents.
I recently got raised, and it took me about a year to do so. I took plenty of time in each degree, and really enjoyed learning the proficiency and delivering it to my lodge. Here in CO we give out a paper cleartext(mostly) for that degree only, and in my lodge my WM also gives out a small 3 ring binder with more info on the degree, where it came from, etc. I think having to memorize it mouth-to-ear would have been a huge turnoff for me, due to a chaotic schedule and my lodge brothers having busy lives themselves. Having the paper there for me to practice anytime I could time it was great since I could move myself forward bit by bit. I did, and still do, practice with others of my same degree, but without being to practice by myself it would take that much longer (also sometimes the brother with whom I practice has it wrong too - having an official copy means we can correct each other).
I don't like the idea of an open book test generally, but if someone had a disability and that was the best way to help correct for it, and they clearly made sufficient effort but were unable to otherwise post their proficiency, I'd probably be OK with that.
I will say, in my lodge, we have one brother who works on all 3 degrees to help people through them, and in my best friend's lodge they have separate brothers who mentor through each degree - I think I prefer his lodge's way of doing that as it gets you in contact with more of the brethren, but only works if you have enough brothers to do that and do it well.
I read some comments that some people don't have to give the [full] proficiency; I must say I'm surprised at that. Here we definitely expect you to post your proficiency to the lodge on a Stated Meeting, and while I haven't seen anyone not pass, I know we do have officers reach out to see just how close you are before really pushing you to give your proficiency.
I think that, if you get through the 3 degrees, it probably doesn't change retention - that's probably more affected by the culture and energy of the lodge, but getting to MM the method probably has some effect on it.
>>>also sometimes the brother with whom I practice has it wrong too - having an official copy >>>means we can correct each other
As you did, I delivered each of the Posting Lectures in open Lodge, and I've coached/mentored Masons through the Degrees for a lot of years now, so I know that work very well.
That said, I've always been concerned that I might mess something up somehow and teach a guy something incorrect. For that reason, while working on memory work with a new Mason, I always use the book.
Proficiency aside, how many jurisdictions continue the practice of balloting on whether an EA proceeds to the second degree, and a FC goes forward to the MM Degree?
In Washington we do not ballot between the Degrees.
We could however do so.
One of my Lodges has a man who the Lodge has held between the FC and MM Degree for a few years now. In that case it was decided by consensus that he should not move on to become an MM. We didn't use the formal process of balloting, we just sort of all agreed to hold him where he was as a Lodge.
This is a point of contention among some in my lodge. I know at my age (71) I have an increased difficulty to memorize than I did when I joined the fraternity when I was 35. I coach new members as they progress through the degrees. The young men are quicker to memorize the posting lecture than the older ones. With the older men I give them the option of doing the minimum as outlined with our Grand Lodge. With the younger men I encourage the memorization due to the likelihood that they will progress through the line and will be required to memorize their chairs. Most of the older men don't have a desire to progress through the line, only seeking the fellowship of like minded men.
I've noticed this as well, and I think that your reasoning is sound. The Posting Lecture will definitely help the Mason who intends on someday sitting in a chair, but for someone in the sunset of life, who will never sit in a chair it seems reasonable to use the shorter process if they would struggle with the longer.
While our lodge uses the posting lecture, in the past we've had to use other methods for some brothers. Imagine trying to read a cipher with dyslexia. I believe in the end it should be about what happened to you during the degree and what does it mean to you.
This makes sense to me, and I agree. Currently I'm coaching two men through the Degrees, and one has really struggled with the Posting Lecture, despite working very hard on mastering it. I have offered him an alternate pathway, but for now anyway he wants to continue working on it.
In NC, we have what's called a catechism. It is memorized and given mouth to ear by the coach. In our lodge we ask one of the first line signers to be a mentor along this man's journey. The catechism includes the obligation, and a lecture describing the degree and working tools. The Hermetic art of memory.
Our Posting Lecture sounds quite similar to your Catechism. It too goes through the Degree, and includes both the Obligation and the Working Tools. We aren't however mouth to ear, we have a cypher here in Washington.
Yup, I've seen it! We have a ypher that your allowed access to after you are raised. We call it a osw.
Historically, our candidates would memorize and recite the full Q&A. But for the past twenty, candidates were allowed to return just the grips, etc, and obligation. Retention and interest has been in a long slow slide. This past year, an ambitious young man was presented the full Q&A to learn, by a PM who had recently moved to town from a jurisdiction where this is still the only way. He took to it and knuckles down. The elder brothers nearly cried to see him return his work. Our GM was present for his near-flawless MM proficiency. He is now happily engaged learning the ritual work, and helping mentor our even newer men. We have four EAs, two petitions up for balloting, and sixteen inquiries in the queue.
Memory work is an artform and requires practice.
I have no data to back this up, but it has always been my view that just requiring the modes of recognition and the obligation harms retention because the men who did that made less of an investment in the Lodge.
Prior to my Degrees my Home Lodge had done similar to yours for years. Then they decided to go back to the old way, and so it was the full Posting Lecture for me. It has worked out well for that Lodge, and to my knowledge they continue to require the full Posting Lecture.
I've seen a wide variety of differing methods and opinions concerning returning proficiency. When I joined, I was coached by a mentor (VWB Orton Krueger, who recently passed away) and he was the gatekeeper as far as determining whether I was proficient enough or not. Every week he would sit down and patiently work with me on memorizing the posting lecture, and once he was satisfied I knew it by heart, he told the lodge, and my next degree was scheduled. Bro Orton probably mentored a thousand masons that way.
But, as I went up the line, the lodge changed things at my insistence, that the brothers actually return their proficiency (posting lecture) in lodge during a stated meeting. I felt this gave two benefits to the member and the lodge. First, that he actually learned the posting lecture, and second, he displayed the ability to publicly speak.
I am a firm believer that the posting lectures are vital in a young mason's progression, as it provides a foundation for actually learning the ritual, if and when that brother decides the assume greater responsibilities. If you can't memorize the posting lecture, you can't be expected to hold a pillared office and perform the functions expected of you.
Recently I attended two different lodges where the WM was openly reading from the standard work to open and close their lodge. In one of those lodges it was both the WM and the JW.
Now, some folks thinks that's perfectly fine. They will argue that those brothers are otherwise great masons, and it shouldn't matter if they memorized the work or not.
The ritual is what sets us apart from all of the other fraternal organizations. It is part of the system and shouldn't be shortcutted for convenience.
Some will argue that learning the ritual is too hard for some folks. That is true. But, if you've memorized the pledge of allegiance, or your home address, then it's not impossible. It just means some folks will have to work harder to do so. And if that is still too much work, then find a position within the lodge that doesn't require memorization of the work.
Then there is the issue with public speaking. Yes, fear of public speaking is a real phobia, and I get that. I used to get butterflies when getting up before an audience (and I still do occasionally if I am not comfortable with the ritual parts I've memorized), but as with other things, it gets easier with practice. The biggest hurdle for me was lack of confidence in the beginning. Over time, however, as I became more comfortable with the ritual, those butterflies would slowly go away.
As MW would attest, I've seen a brother absolutely crash and burn as the SD. He had spent a long time working on memorizing the parts, but when it came time to preform, he was overcome with stage fright, and froze. As he stood there, his anxiety got worse and worse, and was reduced to tears.
During a degree for an EA.
This, my brothers, should never have happened. It was embarrassing for that brother, for the candidate, and for the entire lodge. It is NOT how we conduct a degree - the degree that poor candidate will never get to experience again. And why? Certainly not for that candidates benefit. But, that brother was given a pass for not memorizing the posting lecture. He was advanced through the degrees thinking well, he's just not going to take a chair more important than chaplain. But with a different leadership, things changed, and suddenly, over my objections, he was set to be installed right off the bat as SD. SD, the second hardest (maybe even the hardest) chair to assume, as far as the ritual work is concerned. And the results were inevitable.
Will that brother succeed as a WM? He's a fine mason, hard working and wanting to contribute to the lodge. But, as far as ritual goes, he's just not cut out for it. And especially for a degree, as a lodge, it is of the utmost importance that the lodge provides the best possible experience for that candidate that it can.
Out of all of the chairs I've filled and degrees I've participated in, conferring a degree on a new brother is the single most humbling and important thing I've done. I love the fact that I provided that degree to that man, and made every effort to make it as memorable as I could. I also feel that if you've advanced through the chairs to the east having not performed a conferral, you've robbed yourself of the single most important part of your masonic career.
Sorry for the rambling.
I think you’ve hit upon a deeper truth about the way things are vs the way we wish they were. There simply aren’t enough masons. There was a time when you could be a mason and never touch a chair; now it’s virtually compulsory. Like everything else there is good and bad there. There have been a lot of brothers I’ve had the pleasure of watching rise to a challenge they didn’t think themselves capable of, and more than a few I feel were really disheartened by the process of being setup to fail.
This not enough masons problem, it runs deep, if you take any sample of any population there are going to be a small percentage of them that are capable and willing to put in the work. When your sample size is small this means two or three people.
Also I really agree because I ran degree work as a JW and it was incredibly difficult to find a master to do the conferral, so I reached out to other lodges. I’ve watched way to many masters run everything while stumbling through reading directly out of the book. Our master at the time I felt like he really missed out, but again the chairs are compulsory at this point; so we get what we get.
I understand your point, but I think there is another way of considering it. At least here in Washington.
I think we could instead of saying that there are not enough Masons, say that there are too many Lodges.
What I'm trying to get as is as Masonry grew to exponential heights up until the 1960's or so, we created Lodge after Lodge to house this wave of men. But then when membership began to decline, it declined at a much faster rate than the number of Lodges declined. So now we seem to be in a position of having more Lodges than we need for the number of Masons we have, and as you rightly point out, that leaves many of our Lodges short staffed.
Yeah I have to agree that fewer lodges which are more active and better staffed would be a good thing.
What you’re talking about borders on heresy though. You’re saying lodges shouldn’t be the personal fiefdom of two or three people, and that they may need to learn how not to be petty and argue over what kind of plunger to buy?
That’s not very Masonic….
It is my opinion, and I thought it was also a Grand Lodge Masonic Code, maybe a rule, that no Monitor be allowed to be open or in the lodge for a stated meeting or degree. Memory only. But, I might be wrong. It is still my position.
It isn't a rule in my Jurisdiction, but I actually think that the ritual would improve if it was.
Personally, I have found that I do a much better job with the Opening/Closing ritual if I am standing in the East without a cypher on the podium. But if I'm asked to Close a Lodge and the cypher is open on the podium when I get there, I find it a terrible distraction, and find myself glancing at it to make sure I'm on the right track. That harms my performance quite badly.
I think, especially for those ritual parts that one sees frequently, that almost all Masons probably do have them memorized perfectly. But they don't believe that they do, so they can't deliver it as if they did. A mental block caused by a lack of confidence.
Another benefit I've noticed through my years in our Fraternity of returning the Posting Lecture in Open Lodge (assuming it is superbly done) is the respect it garners for the new Mason.
I've long observed that in many cases, true respect comes when other Masons see the new Mason excel at ritual work. I think this is because by doing so he is proving to them that he is willing to do the work and put in the time.
I've made no secret of the fact that I had an absolutely superb mentor through the Degrees, and if I can say this without sounding like an ass, my proficiencies were returned perfectly. I think that gave me a very significant leg up in my Lodge, and my influence within it, even as a then new Mason.
I can agree with this wholeheartedly. Brothers who do their proficiency in committee or otherwise hidden from the brothers always makes me suspect their ability to do the work.
Our Lodge has been working to enhance our Degree experience. Initially, with more impressive and engaging Degrees, then through the proficiency work.
To be considered ‘proficient’ in a Degree, the candidate must;
1. Work with the mentor to review questions about the Degree provided by our Grand Lodge, then answer 3-5 of them in Lodge. This is to show they know the ‘book answer’ to questions about the Degree and to get them comfortable contributing in-Lodge.
2. Present a 5-10 minute presentation on a topic from the Degree that they’ve researched on their own, with their interpretation. This is to show they have thought about the lessons of the Degree.
At this point we will schedule the next Degree. Then, just before conferring the next Degree we will have them recite the catechism of the previous Degree. This is to show we can entrust them with the lessons of that Degree, having committed them to memory, but also to prevent them from thinking ahead. With all their thought focused on the catechism, it helps to ward off thinking about what the next Degree will hold, leaving them fresh for the lessons therein.
After a Brother has received the Master Mason Degree, they are encouraged to complete their Proficiency in Lodge Management, which is an Officer Proficiency offered in our Jurisdiction. As an incentive to our current Officers, the Lodge will enroll those who have completed their PiLM into the Scottish Rite Master Craftsman ‘Symbolic Lodge’ Course.
WB Will:
Here is an interesting take on your number 2:
The 27-year member version of me would be fine with making a presentation or a “Paper,” as some Lodges ask, to achieve some distinction in the Lodge. But back in 1996, I was 21 when I petitioned, not far out of college, and if the Lodge had asked me to do a Paper on some topic, I could almost imagine myself being nauseated – Not ANOTHER paper! No!!! But would I have done it? …yes. I had known those good Brothers in Tenino Lodge too long. I would have done it, but grudgingly on the sake of the paper, but happily for the Brothers. If that makes sense.
But involvement in this Fraternity can change your focus, and your skills. Hence my much more willing to do a presentation on a Masonic topic, which I have done for my Lodges.
This is standard in the Continental systems of Freemasonry. It’s not really a “paper,” as in a research paper, but is a presentation of the candidate’s speculative takes on the degrees. There is no wrong answer, but the lodge should hear how the new EA interprets aspects of the EA ritual and symbolism, and the lodge should ask questions about it.
Jay
I think I might suggest this to my Lodge. Having mentored many candidates through the years I think most would like it, likely learn from it, and it would be interesting for the Lodge as well.
The whole program involves a man writing a short essay (500-1000 words) on why he wants to be a Freemason. It probably is the most important step because if he cannot articulate thoughtful reasons for wanting the Masonic life, then you can assess his seriousness and sincerity. Rather than devote hundreds of man-hours to initiating, passing, and raising him, the lodge can decline to give him a petition in the first place. But if he does impress, then you have someone to be excited about.
If he is initiated, he writes a speculative paper on the EA Degree. Ditto the subsequent degrees. The lodge puts questions to him, taking his limited experience into account, for a philosophical and interactive lodge experience.
A man who can’t endure this can be referred to the Elks. It’s a fine organization—family friendly, patriotic, civic-minded, etc.—and it doesn’t have the philosophical, mystical, historic baggage that Masonry has. Freemasonry is not for everyone, and that’s okay.
I left a message for the WM of one of my Lodges today. When he calls me back, I'm going to hit him with this. It will be interesting to see how it plays out. Thank you!
It behooves me to expound on why the 21 year old version of me would have cringed at doing a “Paper.” I was a chemistry major in college. With Math as a minor. Numbers and laboratories were my focus at that time, and the English and Literature classes were “prerequisite” classes that I “got done and over with” during my time in college. I was up to the challenges of isolating caffeine from tea and creating isoamyl acetate, and I also enjoyed the challenges of heavy-duty mathematical proofs. But those things took up a lot of my time and efforts.
But as I noted earlier, time passes, and focuses change.
I think I would have been more receptive to your explanation of a presentation on what I learned from my degree experience, rather than assigning me school-style “homework.” And also now that I’m thinking about it, I think my Brothers in the Tenino Lodge would have explained it to me in a manner similar to yours.
That is an interesting take. I don't think I would have shared it, but I also imagine that you and I had a different appreciation for formal education when we were each 21. I imagine that I would have taken a Lodge paper quite seriously, for I didn't take the other things seriously at all.
I really like your presentation idea. I'm aware of a couple of Lodges here that do something similar, and I know that it is fairly standard in many Grand Lodges elsewhere around the world. I think that it would be extremely valuable to a candidate.
I also like your idea of giving a reward for completion of the Proficiency in Lodge Management. The carrot seems like it would work much better than the stick!
I was initiated, passed and raised in NC, but now reside in WA. It was quite shock to see that WA candidates were able to access a cypher immediately after receiving the EA degree. In NC , everything was strictly mouth to ear and there was only one option, which is the catechism performed in open Lodge at a stated communication. Also, my coach had to vouch for my readiness to perform the catechism. It was on his honor and reputation to ensure that I was proficient.
Here in WA the candidate can opt to prove up by meeting with three Master Masons in a more intimate setting.
The NC cypher was referred to as the OSW and is much more difficult to de-cypher than the WA Standard Work. I was not able to even obtain a copy of the OSW until I was raised.
Frankly, I think the NC approach is a far superior process to become a Mason since the bar is set significantly higher and at a minimum the candidate has to demonstrate basic proficiency.
To pay homage to my WA Masonic jurisdiction, I have completed the PiLM. Ritual proficiency is extremely important to me. The PiLM was particularly necessary for me as I constantly struggle to replace a head full of NC ritual and codes with Washington Masonry so that I properly operate within the light of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Washington.
I agree, the standards in this jurisdiction are far too lenient.
In my old lodge we had a brother from Tennessee, and he mentioned that the ritual work was very similar to ours, how different did you find WA ritual from NC?
There are some differences that I am reticent to discuss openly, but it's the subtle ones that cause the most confusion. Instead of saying,"take due notice and...", NC ritual was, "take due notice thereof, and...". To this day, I have to double check myself and 25% of the time I get it wrong!
There is another part where we say, "No, begin..." and in NC it is, "NAY, begin..." I still think nay sounds better, so I willfully digress in this fashion!
In NC, in a certain part of a certain degree, the role the candidate represented was not in their customary station, as the candidate was escorted.
I know that one threw Shaun Bradshaw of the NC Middle Chamber program, for a loop as well when he learned of it, because I have heard him comment on it.
In NC, never do you hear the pass announced out loud in Lodge. We also collected the pass for the EA degree, on the infrequent occasions that we opened on that degree. As a rule, we opened on the Third Degree unless were actually doing degree work.
As newly obligated brother, there were not many chances to sit in Lodge until you were raised. I am not sure how I feel about that. In some ways it adds to weight of the Masonic privilege and others it seems exclusionary. If I were to anticipate the privilege of sitting in Lodge for months and then once the day finally came all we did was argue about what type of toilet snake the lodge should buy, that would have been a horrible let down. That has happened, but fortunately not as my first experience. When it did, the fellowship before and after, somewhat compensated for it.
Thanks, that sort of jibes with what the other brother said, it was the little things. And yeah, Nay sounds much better.
As far as allowing EAs and FCs into lodge, I was told that until relatively recently, that was the way it was here. Prince Hall lodges still adhere to that rule, that lodge was only for master masons. They have the others prepare and serve meals and otherwise hang out during the meeting. I personally think that all brothers should participate, after all, they can vote on the business of the lodge, with the exception of balloting and elections and perhaps provide fresh perspectives for issues.
By and large, I like the idea of EAs and FCs in Lodge.
From the perspective of promoting Masonic mystique, I think if your Lodge can live up to the hype and only a few can, that is why I would be in favor of bidding them a good evening after dinner.
Reading an article about our military today reminds me of your comment about NC's approach being superior:
"young adults tend to be less loyal to organizations with lowered standards that target their personal motives. Study after study has shown as much."
https://www.thefp.com/p/what-your-country-can-do-for-you
I agree with the thrust of your comment, we do ourselves no favors by lowering our standards.
Standard work has a lot of latitude on proficiency by committee or open lodge. When I was Master I had one of the most comment mentors and with his committee you knew the candidate was ready for the next step. The 1st and 2nd degree could be done at committee level BUT the 3rd degree the requirement was in open lodge with the full posting lecture. Proficiency for the member should be the goal of all member's. With that said I encouraged the officers Junior & Senior Wardens to prepare for the SW competition with very good results as you know David Ellis won the state competition when you were GM. This has become important to our lodge as we have started weekly section's for anyone who want to attend to become more proficient in all aspects of Masonry.
I really think there is a lot of value in weekly practice availabilities as you are doing at your Lodge. It gives everyone the means to succeed, and I think that is really important.
One problem I did notice when my Lodge used to do these regularly though is that it sometimes seemed like the guys who needed the most practice were the least likely to show up. Perhaps that would have changed had the Lodge continued the practice.
Great question Brother. We do the memory part, the Q&A and obligation before they can pass to the next degree. But we also have a mentorship program where a PM also coaches them on the context and meaning of each degree, what the obligation and even movement about the Lodge means in each degree. The F.C. lecture is always given. At each degree, the new Brothers also give a 10-15 minute presentation on their understanding of where they are in the journey.
Thanks for this. At the Lodge in my town, I'm currently coaching/mentoring two Brothers through the Degrees. They will each do the Posting Lecture, which includes the Obligation &c. But they are also both doing a fair amount of reading on each Degree.
I think the paper/presentation idea is superb, we don't do it here, but I'm currently SW of my Lodge in Seattle, and I'm planning to suggest that we start doing it there. I think it will be very well received. (Here proficiency is a Lodge decision alone, so we need to worry about violating any GL rules if we add or change things up.)
What we can't do is truly explain the 'movements about the Lodge' because while our floorwork is largely standard from Lodge to Lodge, via tradition, it is not included anywhere in our Standard Work or other documents.
I recently got raised, and it took me about a year to do so. I took plenty of time in each degree, and really enjoyed learning the proficiency and delivering it to my lodge. Here in CO we give out a paper cleartext(mostly) for that degree only, and in my lodge my WM also gives out a small 3 ring binder with more info on the degree, where it came from, etc. I think having to memorize it mouth-to-ear would have been a huge turnoff for me, due to a chaotic schedule and my lodge brothers having busy lives themselves. Having the paper there for me to practice anytime I could time it was great since I could move myself forward bit by bit. I did, and still do, practice with others of my same degree, but without being to practice by myself it would take that much longer (also sometimes the brother with whom I practice has it wrong too - having an official copy means we can correct each other).
I don't like the idea of an open book test generally, but if someone had a disability and that was the best way to help correct for it, and they clearly made sufficient effort but were unable to otherwise post their proficiency, I'd probably be OK with that.
I will say, in my lodge, we have one brother who works on all 3 degrees to help people through them, and in my best friend's lodge they have separate brothers who mentor through each degree - I think I prefer his lodge's way of doing that as it gets you in contact with more of the brethren, but only works if you have enough brothers to do that and do it well.
I read some comments that some people don't have to give the [full] proficiency; I must say I'm surprised at that. Here we definitely expect you to post your proficiency to the lodge on a Stated Meeting, and while I haven't seen anyone not pass, I know we do have officers reach out to see just how close you are before really pushing you to give your proficiency.
I think that, if you get through the 3 degrees, it probably doesn't change retention - that's probably more affected by the culture and energy of the lodge, but getting to MM the method probably has some effect on it.
>>>also sometimes the brother with whom I practice has it wrong too - having an official copy >>>means we can correct each other
As you did, I delivered each of the Posting Lectures in open Lodge, and I've coached/mentored Masons through the Degrees for a lot of years now, so I know that work very well.
That said, I've always been concerned that I might mess something up somehow and teach a guy something incorrect. For that reason, while working on memory work with a new Mason, I always use the book.
Proficiency aside, how many jurisdictions continue the practice of balloting on whether an EA proceeds to the second degree, and a FC goes forward to the MM Degree?
Jay
In Washington we do not ballot between the Degrees.
We could however do so.
One of my Lodges has a man who the Lodge has held between the FC and MM Degree for a few years now. In that case it was decided by consensus that he should not move on to become an MM. We didn't use the formal process of balloting, we just sort of all agreed to hold him where he was as a Lodge.
This is a point of contention among some in my lodge. I know at my age (71) I have an increased difficulty to memorize than I did when I joined the fraternity when I was 35. I coach new members as they progress through the degrees. The young men are quicker to memorize the posting lecture than the older ones. With the older men I give them the option of doing the minimum as outlined with our Grand Lodge. With the younger men I encourage the memorization due to the likelihood that they will progress through the line and will be required to memorize their chairs. Most of the older men don't have a desire to progress through the line, only seeking the fellowship of like minded men.
I've noticed this as well, and I think that your reasoning is sound. The Posting Lecture will definitely help the Mason who intends on someday sitting in a chair, but for someone in the sunset of life, who will never sit in a chair it seems reasonable to use the shorter process if they would struggle with the longer.