In my view side degrees can be a number of things. They can be excellent fundraisers for the Lodge that puts them on. They can impart a valuable Masonic lesson in a unique way for their candidates. They can be a great deal of fun, and they can give a Lodge an extremely interesting project to work on.
In Washington, and across the United States, we have a large number of them available. Personally, I’ve only scratched the surface and received a couple of them, but I greatly enjoyed myself both times.
What do you think?
Have you received a side degree? If so, which one(s)? Was it a good experience?
Does your Lodge put one on? What is your experience with that? Has it helped you, and your Lodge?
Do you believe that other Lodges should create degrees/events like these of their own?
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I’ve attended a few of the side degrees, and they are hit and miss. They are decent fund raisers in that brothers will be happy to support and can be a fun diversion.
Our lodge puts on a pirate degree annually, and has been very well attended. It has raised some good money for the lodge. We invested a lot of time, money, and effort trying to make it a good experience for everyone. Hopefully we will be able to host another one this year.
Should other lodges host their own? Only if the brothers creating it are dedicated enough to put in that time, effort and money. It requires a unique idea, a story, a script, props, costumes, and a lot of practice and polishing. The first draft of our pirate degree was nothing like the finished product. We would do table readings to work out dialogue. On drives to visit other lodges, Tig and I would come up with new ideas. We shamelessly stole, err, were inspired by other bits we’ve seen or heard elsewhere and fit them into the story. And if you plan on making it an annual fundraiser, you should always be refining and modifying the script to try and keep it fresh.
It also helps to get GL support, as this also raises awareness within the jurisdiction.
But don’t do it unless you can present something you would be proud of.
Thank you for providing this advice, and the wisdom of your experience, having done this. I know that your Lodge's Pirate Degree has been very popular, and extremely well received.
I am fortunate to have been able to receive the Loggers Degree from Damascus Lodge in Granite Falls. Eventually I hope to participate in the Railroad Degree at at Karl E Warren Railroad Lodge in Skykomish. These are both in my home District.
Having participated in the Loggers Degree, it seems that I have another tie to the Brothers in that Lodge. To me it can strengthen the bonds between Brothers and Lodges through this fun and unique ritual.
Should more Lodges have a side Degree? I feel there is a fine line out there between what we have and what is too many. Where that line is,, I don't have the answer. But I feel if there are too many side degrees by our Lodges, then it would lessen the meaning thereby not gaining the unique bonds that are made in the Degree.
Is this the same degree hosted out in Quillcene? Or is it a completely different degree? If the same, which came first? I wasn't aware of the degree in Granite Falls.
I've not received the Logger's Degree from either Quilcene-Jefferson or Damascus Lodges.
I did however receive the Rail Road Degree at Skykomish, and I've dragged other Brothers up to receive it since. It's been a long time since I received it, but I really enjoyed it, and I still remember the most interesting details of it.
I've only received it, and one other, so I don't know if all of them contain a Masonic style lesson, but that is what I most enjoyed, and remember about the Rail Road Degree. It has its own Working Tools, and that bit of the Degree was quite superb.
I think you are right, too many Degrees like this would be harmful to the idea as a whole, but I imagine that as Glenn points out their creation is a great deal of work, so probably not too awfully many Lodges will ever want to put one on.
I have done the Railroad Degree and enjoyed how well it was done. The Loggers Degree and the Pirates Degree are on my to do list but is seems that a conflict always seems to come up when they are being done.
We are working on a SPAM Degree complete with Monty Python music and I suppose the question we have to answer is, "Can SPAM be frequently inculcated and forcefully recommended?"
It is just in the discussion stages at the moment and I think that we have to work on getting a commitment from enough of the Brothers to make it happen in a FUN and educational result.
It seems to me that once we get back to in-person meetings more progress can be made than just discussions.
I could see it. I think an important part of a side Degree must be the Masonic lesson that it imparts.
With that in mind, I know that humble Spam very likely was used by the United States to help feed a war destroyed Europe and defeated Japan following WWII. As a part of our nation rebuilding former enemies. That could certainly be used as a tremendous example. (Once it was confirmed that we helped to feed the world with our Spam of course.)
I’ve attended a few of the side degrees, and they are hit and miss. They are decent fund raisers in that brothers will be happy to support and can be a fun diversion.
Our lodge puts on a pirate degree annually, and has been very well attended. It has raised some good money for the lodge. We invested a lot of time, money, and effort trying to make it a good experience for everyone. Hopefully we will be able to host another one this year.
Should other lodges host their own? Only if the brothers creating it are dedicated enough to put in that time, effort and money. It requires a unique idea, a story, a script, props, costumes, and a lot of practice and polishing. The first draft of our pirate degree was nothing like the finished product. We would do table readings to work out dialogue. On drives to visit other lodges, Tig and I would come up with new ideas. We shamelessly stole, err, were inspired by other bits we’ve seen or heard elsewhere and fit them into the story. And if you plan on making it an annual fundraiser, you should always be refining and modifying the script to try and keep it fresh.
It also helps to get GL support, as this also raises awareness within the jurisdiction.
But don’t do it unless you can present something you would be proud of.
Thank you for providing this advice, and the wisdom of your experience, having done this. I know that your Lodge's Pirate Degree has been very popular, and extremely well received.
I hope that I'll be able to join you for it soon!
I am fortunate to have been able to receive the Loggers Degree from Damascus Lodge in Granite Falls. Eventually I hope to participate in the Railroad Degree at at Karl E Warren Railroad Lodge in Skykomish. These are both in my home District.
Having participated in the Loggers Degree, it seems that I have another tie to the Brothers in that Lodge. To me it can strengthen the bonds between Brothers and Lodges through this fun and unique ritual.
Should more Lodges have a side Degree? I feel there is a fine line out there between what we have and what is too many. Where that line is,, I don't have the answer. But I feel if there are too many side degrees by our Lodges, then it would lessen the meaning thereby not gaining the unique bonds that are made in the Degree.
Is this the same degree hosted out in Quillcene? Or is it a completely different degree? If the same, which came first? I wasn't aware of the degree in Granite Falls.
That I cannot answer. I have never been to Quillcene's degree.
I've not received the Logger's Degree from either Quilcene-Jefferson or Damascus Lodges.
I did however receive the Rail Road Degree at Skykomish, and I've dragged other Brothers up to receive it since. It's been a long time since I received it, but I really enjoyed it, and I still remember the most interesting details of it.
I've only received it, and one other, so I don't know if all of them contain a Masonic style lesson, but that is what I most enjoyed, and remember about the Rail Road Degree. It has its own Working Tools, and that bit of the Degree was quite superb.
I think you are right, too many Degrees like this would be harmful to the idea as a whole, but I imagine that as Glenn points out their creation is a great deal of work, so probably not too awfully many Lodges will ever want to put one on.
I have done the Railroad Degree and enjoyed how well it was done. The Loggers Degree and the Pirates Degree are on my to do list but is seems that a conflict always seems to come up when they are being done.
We are working on a SPAM Degree complete with Monty Python music and I suppose the question we have to answer is, "Can SPAM be frequently inculcated and forcefully recommended?"
It is just in the discussion stages at the moment and I think that we have to work on getting a commitment from enough of the Brothers to make it happen in a FUN and educational result.
It seems to me that once we get back to in-person meetings more progress can be made than just discussions.
I could see it. I think an important part of a side Degree must be the Masonic lesson that it imparts.
With that in mind, I know that humble Spam very likely was used by the United States to help feed a war destroyed Europe and defeated Japan following WWII. As a part of our nation rebuilding former enemies. That could certainly be used as a tremendous example. (Once it was confirmed that we helped to feed the world with our Spam of course.)