Here in Washington, the Closing Charge is a part of our Standard Work. I know that it isn’t used in all Jurisdictions, but it is in mine.
It is not a part of our Secret Work, so I can share it here:
“Brethren, we are now about to quit this sacred retreat of friendship and virtue, to mingle again with the outer world. Amid its concerns and employments, forget not the duties which you have heard so frequently inculcated and so forcefully recommended in this Lodge. Be diligent, prudent, temperate, and discrete. Remember that at this altar you have promised to befriend and relieve every Brother who shall need your assistance. You have been enjoined to remind a Brother in the most friendly manner of his fault, to endeavor to aid his reformation, and to defend his character. But these generous principles extend further, for every human being has a claim upon your kind offices. Do good unto all. Finally my Brethren, be ye all of one mind, live in peace, and may the God of love and peace delight to dwell with you and bless you.”
I know that the exact wording is a wee bit different from Jurisdiction to Jurisdiction, but that is ours.
Here in Washington we have an optional part of ritual dealing with the flag of the United States. It is included (when it is included at the Master’s discretion) immediately following the opening of the Lodge, and immediately prior to the closing of the Lodge. I think it is a good bit of ritual, and when in the East, I generally, but not always include it. Unless we have a visitor from another nation.
Appended on to this part of the optional ritual, by Lodge custom, is the Pledge of Allegiance. This appears nowhere in our Standard Work it is just something that Worshipful Masters in my Jurisdiction do, almost universally.
There was an attempt, not too many years ago, to make the flag ritual a required part of our Work. When that proposal was brought forth at an Annual Communication it was overwhelmingly defeated. This despite the fact that the overwhelming number of our Lodges utilize it at every meeting. All I can conclude from the fact that the vast majority of our Lodges include it, but are against requiring it, is that Masons here see it as a patriotic thing, but not as a Masonic thing. And I think that is right. Freemasonry is rightly worldwide in scope, a brotherhood without national borders.
All of this is a really long way of saying that here in Washington at least (the rules governing your Jurisdiction may well be different) we could very easily, and legally, include the Opening Charge.
We could simply include it immediately following the opening flag ritual, or in place of the opening flag ritual.
The Lodge is already open by the time the flag ritual begins, so adding the Opening Charge there would not violate the rule that we use the Standard Work and no other. Because the Work would already be done, and the Lodge already open.
So, we can do it. Lodge by Lodge, by Lodge custom. Just as we do the Pledge of Allegiance by Lodge custom.
Should we?
Even if something similar can’t be done in a Jurisdiction, surely it is possible for the Grand Lodge to add this bit of Work into its own Standard Work.
We did that here recently in Washington when we once again included part of the Apron Ritual that was removed from our work long ago. It’s longer and better now.
I also didn’t know of an opening charge and like the idea of an opening charge to remind me of the important work to be done. As the closing charge readies the mind for the external world so the opening charge would ready the mind within the lodge. My opinion is that it should come after the flag ceremony.
That's how I've always seen our closing Charge too. As a transition from sacred to profane space. I think that an opening Charge could serve the same function quite well.
I asked the WM to read it after opening the lodge, followed by my Masonic education. The opening charge was well received, and apparently the lodge was aware of it from a couple years ago when it was first brought up. It’s nice to have a lodge that is willing to be more open minded about these things. Only then will masonry get back to its roots.
So much has been lost, either through games of Telephone throughout the decades and centuries, or through a desire to make meetings take less time. Many of these things not only should be added back into the ritual, but absolutely call to be added back. Our brothers may be better reminded of how they should act toward one another in a business meeting if the Opening Charge were observed and attention paid. Our brothers might be better reminded of how to govern their conduct out of the Lodge if the Closing Charge were included.
I think you are undoubtedly correct, much has been lost or changed due to the "Telephone game." I've seen this for certain by sitting in Lodges of neighboring Jurisdictions to my own, and catching little differences that were clearly just a misunderstanding very early on.
That's quite interesting, no Lodge in Nova Scotia that I've visited, or Berlin, Mumbai, Oslo, Stockholm, London, Glasgow or others, have had a flag related charge. The ritual for Craft Lodges (not English Emulation) in Nova Scotia comes from the Grand Lodge of Massachusettes, from which we gained our Charter in the early 1800's. At Annual Installations we sing Oh Canada and now, God Save the King (Queen before). But there is no charge either at opening or closing. Only for degrees or installing officers. I do like your closing charge though.
I have not looked up the history of the adoption of the optional flag ritual into our work, but my hunch is that it was probably added back in a time of war or a time of fear of war.
I've decided to bring this back in Doric Lodge for the remainder of my time as Worshipful Master. Doing so after the Lodge is Open is not a violation of my Jurisdiction's prohibition on modifying the Standard Work, and I think it is more fitting to Freemasonry than the optional work that it will replace.
New York just brought back the Harris (closing) charge, and I love giving it.
Our Prince Hall Brethren have always had both the Opening and Closing charges.
Agreed. The Closing Charge is my favorite bit of work to perform.
It’s a beautiful passage. I didn’t know it until your post. Thanks for introducing me to it.
I say yes, let’s adopt it.
It’s a proper counterpart to our closing charge.
Next time you come to Doric, you'll be able to see it in action!
I also didn’t know of an opening charge and like the idea of an opening charge to remind me of the important work to be done. As the closing charge readies the mind for the external world so the opening charge would ready the mind within the lodge. My opinion is that it should come after the flag ceremony.
That's how I've always seen our closing Charge too. As a transition from sacred to profane space. I think that an opening Charge could serve the same function quite well.
(Joking) They probably stopped using an opening charge because of how it would smack in the face of just how non masonic our meetings had become.
Thanks to you, and the Magpie Mason, for bringing this up. I've printed it up and stuck it in my apron case for future use.
I am curious as to how it will be received when I add it back in at my Lodge.
I asked the WM to read it after opening the lodge, followed by my Masonic education. The opening charge was well received, and apparently the lodge was aware of it from a couple years ago when it was first brought up. It’s nice to have a lodge that is willing to be more open minded about these things. Only then will masonry get back to its roots.
That's great to know! And I certainly agree, it's good to be a part of a Lodge open to improving the experience.
So much has been lost, either through games of Telephone throughout the decades and centuries, or through a desire to make meetings take less time. Many of these things not only should be added back into the ritual, but absolutely call to be added back. Our brothers may be better reminded of how they should act toward one another in a business meeting if the Opening Charge were observed and attention paid. Our brothers might be better reminded of how to govern their conduct out of the Lodge if the Closing Charge were included.
I'd say add them back in.
But I'm one very imperfect Ashlar.
I think you are undoubtedly correct, much has been lost or changed due to the "Telephone game." I've seen this for certain by sitting in Lodges of neighboring Jurisdictions to my own, and catching little differences that were clearly just a misunderstanding very early on.
That's quite interesting, no Lodge in Nova Scotia that I've visited, or Berlin, Mumbai, Oslo, Stockholm, London, Glasgow or others, have had a flag related charge. The ritual for Craft Lodges (not English Emulation) in Nova Scotia comes from the Grand Lodge of Massachusettes, from which we gained our Charter in the early 1800's. At Annual Installations we sing Oh Canada and now, God Save the King (Queen before). But there is no charge either at opening or closing. Only for degrees or installing officers. I do like your closing charge though.
I have not looked up the history of the adoption of the optional flag ritual into our work, but my hunch is that it was probably added back in a time of war or a time of fear of war.
I would suspect that it was probably around the same time that “In God We Trust” and “One Nation, Under God” were adopted.
I've decided to bring this back in Doric Lodge for the remainder of my time as Worshipful Master. Doing so after the Lodge is Open is not a violation of my Jurisdiction's prohibition on modifying the Standard Work, and I think it is more fitting to Freemasonry than the optional work that it will replace.