In my Jurisdiction, the only person who can perform a short form closing is the sitting Grand Master, so I'm one of the few here who have closed a Lodge both ways.
I actually preferred doing so using my own version of short form, because it allowed me to highlight what I believe is the most important part of our closing, our Closing Charge. It moved all of the focus to that bit of ritual.
That said, I can see where creating that as an available option to Lodges could lead to issues.
There is a time and a place for most things including short form open and closing. However the use of this arm of the Ritual can be abused by a lodges Worshipful Master who wants to be a bit less dedicated to the Ritual by taking the easy route. I have been WM 4 times now and I can only share my personal opinion as a Past Master. Using short form to save five minutes instead of using our ancient Ritual as it was created is a bit lazy. Our Founding Fathers of our Ritual would be turning in their graves if they knew a short form was being used. Long Form Brothers is the only way. My2c
My previous jurisdiction had a short form for closing. It was great when you had a long meeting with multiple candidates. Did it save time? You bet. Did we use it every time? No. It helped us. Plain and simple. As far as ritual, everyone performed from memory as a requirement, so it wasn’t a crutch. It was merely a time saver to allow us the ability to have some small social time after a long meeting.
I can see where that is the most benefit of it. Following a meeting that went exceptionally long for some reason. It wouldn't save a lot of time, but sometimes any savings would be appreciated I imagine.
Of course, in a lot of those really long meetings (Degrees excepted of course) more efficient agenda management could save even more time.
NY got rid of short form closing and I’m glad. When I visited lodges, I could tell during the opening if they used short form closing. They stumbled, were hesitant and saved a whole 2 minutes.
That's a good point, thank you. It would cut down on the amount of practice Brothers received, and in a Lodge already shaky with the ritual, that would not be a good thing at all.
I personally don't even like the alternate, shorter circumambulation for the second degree, I consider it cheating. The only times I've seen anyone use that in the degree is by folks who struggle with the work to begin with.
Interesting how you mention that! I never considered the Section out of Amos to be an “Alternate short form” alternative to the 1 Corinthians 13 version. I considered them to be simply an Old Testament and New Testament version. In the few cases I conduct a FC degree (I’m usually doing the Lecture), I’ve done Amos, mainly because everyone else does Corinthians. Just wanted to mix it up a little. But I see your point, Amos is pretty short, and it leaves a lot of gaps of silence during the ceremony, causing me to step it up a little bit to compensate.
I've just never liked it. While it's true that the Corinthians circumambulation of the FC degree is a bit more difficult to memorize, it conveys a much more important message to the candidate - even if that message all too often is misconstrued. And as you said, it's too short for the journey.
The FC degree is my favorite of all three degrees, and a large part of that is the wonderful sections, the circumambulation, the G lecture, the wages, the lecture itself, all amazing stuff. So beautiful.
I guess I didn't see the Amos text as a short form either. I just don't see any meaningful connection in that text to Freemasonry. Yes, it does mention a Working Tool, but it teaches no Masonic lesson that I can see.
Louisiana allows the Grand Master to close any Lodge at any time in “the summary” manner, which is a much abbreviated form. The DGM, GSW, and GJW are allowed to close “open” meetings when guests are present in a summary manner. There is no authorized or allowed short form closing, but I’ve seen people do it anyway.
Branching out a bit, I have a strong dislike for the short forms used in York Rite vs the full forms for those bodies and feel the full form ritual should be used.
I believe that one of the purposes of the opening and closing ritual is to draw a sharp dividing line between the things that are external to the Lodge and the business of the Lodge. You can think of the opening as submerging yourself into the experience, and the closing allowing you to slowly come back up the surface of the outer world. Short forms short circuit this mental shift.
Washington is similar in that the Grand Master is not limited to the Standard Work. Because of that he can, and some, including myself, do close Lodge in a different way. When I did it, I picked it up just prior to the Closing Charge and finished the ritual from there. I felt that doing so highlighted a part of our Work that I truly love. Here though the other elected Grand Lodge Officers do not have that power, only the sitting GM.
That said, like you, I've also seen through the years, people improperly close using a short form. The first time I saw that it was a DDGM who did it, when I was still a brand spanking new Mason, so for quite some time I thought it was a power that DDGM's held. I was also, recently, asked by a Worshipful Master to close his Lodge in Short Form, after a meeting had run quite long. I declined to do so, because I didn't want to set a bad example that others might follow.
I have a similar view to yours when it comes to Opening and Closing, I think.
In my view, as we go through the Opening ritual we are creating or building sacred space, set apart from the ordinary world. But I don't feel (this is my own bit of mystical woo woo I suppose) that our Closing ritual actually dissolves that sacred space. I feel that the sacred space is actually dissolved after all the ritual is done. The Worshipful Master bangs his gavel, and all the brethren clap. I feel that the sacred space is dissolved by the clapping. That's my bit of woo anyway.
I don’t think that is woo woo at all Most Worshipful :-)
There is actually some interesting neuroscience on the impacts of certain experiences (initiatory for example) on people’s brains and that those experiences can create, or at least prepare the brain to create, new neural connections and pathways in the brain. So my science based explanation is that the opening ritual helps to activate those neural pathways built by your initiation and further study and literally puts you in a different frame of mind than you were before, and the closing allows your brain space/time to shift back into everyday world thought paths.
The Texas short form closing simply asks the senior officers, the secretary and the lodge if anyone has anything further. Asks the JD to inform the T, then declares the lodge closed. I generally only saw it used after a particularly long meeting or often after a degree so we could go have refreshments with the brothers. I did it myself a few times for those reasons.
Here in Washington the creation of a short form ritual would require a 90% vote at the Annual Communication, so passage would need almost universal buy-in.
Apr 6, 2023·edited Apr 6, 2023Liked by Cameron M. Bailey
Several of us in District 19 have been using parts of the ritual as education. We ask questions about why we use certain language. What does it mean? Is it just a catechism that we repeat without thought or meaning or is it something deeper? How can we use our ritual as a tool to better ourselves? In my lodge we explored what parts of the ritual may differ around the world and we even did the closing charge in French one night. How can we make what we do more interesting and thought provoking? Sometimes, the opening and/or closing ritual is done so poorly that "short form" is a way to put it out of its misery which certainly requires some introspection and actual work by the brother(s) to correct. Clumsy and poorly done ritual work is one of the biggest time wasters in lodge. It impacts how the officers and the lodge are viewed by the members. We take our sacred ritual seriously and it deserves reverence. Food for thought ... What does the newest member of your lodge see and feel when you open or close the lodge? Do they question their choice to join when presented with shortcuts and fumbling ritual? If you have no new members, that may be your answer.
I like having the opening and closing in the same form. When I was a newer Mason, it gave me more opportunity to hear the words and read the Cypher together. It is part of the learning process to be ready to sit in the chairs.
When I was in a Chair, the closing gave me a chance to redeem myself when I had a hiccup in the opening.
It's no secret that in WA, during a special communication for an installation of officers ceremony, at least three senior master masons huddle around the altar, open the bible, set the square & compass up, light the candles/lights and someone grabs a hat, hold it up and declares the lodge open on the 3rd degree and subsequently off-session. After the ceremony concludes and everyone exits the lodge room, the doors are closed and the same is performed in reverse. In this context, I'm fine with a very abbreviated short form opening/closing.
I think in very limited circumstances, short form could be used, but then again, much of the labor and discussions should be at the lodge officer planning meetings. If there is discussion in lodge on a topic, the Master should allocate time in the meeting for such discussion and maintain an agenda accordingly as to have any sort of short-form be used sparingly.
I prefer to see the full ritual at closing.
In my Jurisdiction, the only person who can perform a short form closing is the sitting Grand Master, so I'm one of the few here who have closed a Lodge both ways.
I actually preferred doing so using my own version of short form, because it allowed me to highlight what I believe is the most important part of our closing, our Closing Charge. It moved all of the focus to that bit of ritual.
That said, I can see where creating that as an available option to Lodges could lead to issues.
Using a short form should be avoided unless it is necessary.
I can see where overuse of it could lead to unintended bad results.
Our IPM overused it. We became adamant to formal closing. Saving a few minutes costs a lot.
That makes sense. Since it doesn't really exist in my Jurisdiction I've not experienced that, but I can see where it could be abused.
There is a time and a place for most things including short form open and closing. However the use of this arm of the Ritual can be abused by a lodges Worshipful Master who wants to be a bit less dedicated to the Ritual by taking the easy route. I have been WM 4 times now and I can only share my personal opinion as a Past Master. Using short form to save five minutes instead of using our ancient Ritual as it was created is a bit lazy. Our Founding Fathers of our Ritual would be turning in their graves if they knew a short form was being used. Long Form Brothers is the only way. My2c
I can certainly see where it could be abused.
My previous jurisdiction had a short form for closing. It was great when you had a long meeting with multiple candidates. Did it save time? You bet. Did we use it every time? No. It helped us. Plain and simple. As far as ritual, everyone performed from memory as a requirement, so it wasn’t a crutch. It was merely a time saver to allow us the ability to have some small social time after a long meeting.
I can see where that is the most benefit of it. Following a meeting that went exceptionally long for some reason. It wouldn't save a lot of time, but sometimes any savings would be appreciated I imagine.
Of course, in a lot of those really long meetings (Degrees excepted of course) more efficient agenda management could save even more time.
NY got rid of short form closing and I’m glad. When I visited lodges, I could tell during the opening if they used short form closing. They stumbled, were hesitant and saved a whole 2 minutes.
That's a good point, thank you. It would cut down on the amount of practice Brothers received, and in a Lodge already shaky with the ritual, that would not be a good thing at all.
I've only seen it done (legally) once by the GM.
I personally don't even like the alternate, shorter circumambulation for the second degree, I consider it cheating. The only times I've seen anyone use that in the degree is by folks who struggle with the work to begin with.
Interesting how you mention that! I never considered the Section out of Amos to be an “Alternate short form” alternative to the 1 Corinthians 13 version. I considered them to be simply an Old Testament and New Testament version. In the few cases I conduct a FC degree (I’m usually doing the Lecture), I’ve done Amos, mainly because everyone else does Corinthians. Just wanted to mix it up a little. But I see your point, Amos is pretty short, and it leaves a lot of gaps of silence during the ceremony, causing me to step it up a little bit to compensate.
I've just never liked it. While it's true that the Corinthians circumambulation of the FC degree is a bit more difficult to memorize, it conveys a much more important message to the candidate - even if that message all too often is misconstrued. And as you said, it's too short for the journey.
The FC degree is my favorite of all three degrees, and a large part of that is the wonderful sections, the circumambulation, the G lecture, the wages, the lecture itself, all amazing stuff. So beautiful.
I guess I didn't see the Amos text as a short form either. I just don't see any meaningful connection in that text to Freemasonry. Yes, it does mention a Working Tool, but it teaches no Masonic lesson that I can see.
I'm with you. I do not enjoy the Amos Circumambulation text, and while serving as Senior Deacon always utilize Corinthians.
Louisiana allows the Grand Master to close any Lodge at any time in “the summary” manner, which is a much abbreviated form. The DGM, GSW, and GJW are allowed to close “open” meetings when guests are present in a summary manner. There is no authorized or allowed short form closing, but I’ve seen people do it anyway.
Branching out a bit, I have a strong dislike for the short forms used in York Rite vs the full forms for those bodies and feel the full form ritual should be used.
I believe that one of the purposes of the opening and closing ritual is to draw a sharp dividing line between the things that are external to the Lodge and the business of the Lodge. You can think of the opening as submerging yourself into the experience, and the closing allowing you to slowly come back up the surface of the outer world. Short forms short circuit this mental shift.
Washington is similar in that the Grand Master is not limited to the Standard Work. Because of that he can, and some, including myself, do close Lodge in a different way. When I did it, I picked it up just prior to the Closing Charge and finished the ritual from there. I felt that doing so highlighted a part of our Work that I truly love. Here though the other elected Grand Lodge Officers do not have that power, only the sitting GM.
That said, like you, I've also seen through the years, people improperly close using a short form. The first time I saw that it was a DDGM who did it, when I was still a brand spanking new Mason, so for quite some time I thought it was a power that DDGM's held. I was also, recently, asked by a Worshipful Master to close his Lodge in Short Form, after a meeting had run quite long. I declined to do so, because I didn't want to set a bad example that others might follow.
I have a similar view to yours when it comes to Opening and Closing, I think.
In my view, as we go through the Opening ritual we are creating or building sacred space, set apart from the ordinary world. But I don't feel (this is my own bit of mystical woo woo I suppose) that our Closing ritual actually dissolves that sacred space. I feel that the sacred space is actually dissolved after all the ritual is done. The Worshipful Master bangs his gavel, and all the brethren clap. I feel that the sacred space is dissolved by the clapping. That's my bit of woo anyway.
I don’t think that is woo woo at all Most Worshipful :-)
There is actually some interesting neuroscience on the impacts of certain experiences (initiatory for example) on people’s brains and that those experiences can create, or at least prepare the brain to create, new neural connections and pathways in the brain. So my science based explanation is that the opening ritual helps to activate those neural pathways built by your initiation and further study and literally puts you in a different frame of mind than you were before, and the closing allows your brain space/time to shift back into everyday world thought paths.
The Texas short form closing simply asks the senior officers, the secretary and the lodge if anyone has anything further. Asks the JD to inform the T, then declares the lodge closed. I generally only saw it used after a particularly long meeting or often after a degree so we could go have refreshments with the brothers. I did it myself a few times for those reasons.
Does Texas utilize the Closing Charge in its regular closing ritual?
We don't do the charge as we do here in Washington. Just the prayer after the charge.
Not allowed in my jurisdiction and I can't even imagine the fight that would ensue if someone suggested allowing it.
Here in Washington the creation of a short form ritual would require a 90% vote at the Annual Communication, so passage would need almost universal buy-in.
Several of us in District 19 have been using parts of the ritual as education. We ask questions about why we use certain language. What does it mean? Is it just a catechism that we repeat without thought or meaning or is it something deeper? How can we use our ritual as a tool to better ourselves? In my lodge we explored what parts of the ritual may differ around the world and we even did the closing charge in French one night. How can we make what we do more interesting and thought provoking? Sometimes, the opening and/or closing ritual is done so poorly that "short form" is a way to put it out of its misery which certainly requires some introspection and actual work by the brother(s) to correct. Clumsy and poorly done ritual work is one of the biggest time wasters in lodge. It impacts how the officers and the lodge are viewed by the members. We take our sacred ritual seriously and it deserves reverence. Food for thought ... What does the newest member of your lodge see and feel when you open or close the lodge? Do they question their choice to join when presented with shortcuts and fumbling ritual? If you have no new members, that may be your answer.
I like having the opening and closing in the same form. When I was a newer Mason, it gave me more opportunity to hear the words and read the Cypher together. It is part of the learning process to be ready to sit in the chairs.
When I was in a Chair, the closing gave me a chance to redeem myself when I had a hiccup in the opening.
It's no secret that in WA, during a special communication for an installation of officers ceremony, at least three senior master masons huddle around the altar, open the bible, set the square & compass up, light the candles/lights and someone grabs a hat, hold it up and declares the lodge open on the 3rd degree and subsequently off-session. After the ceremony concludes and everyone exits the lodge room, the doors are closed and the same is performed in reverse. In this context, I'm fine with a very abbreviated short form opening/closing.
I think in very limited circumstances, short form could be used, but then again, much of the labor and discussions should be at the lodge officer planning meetings. If there is discussion in lodge on a topic, the Master should allocate time in the meeting for such discussion and maintain an agenda accordingly as to have any sort of short-form be used sparingly.