At least some Masonic Lodges and groups have long tried to incorporate props and similar elements into the Degrees, in an effort to make them more meaningful.
One example that comes to mind are the truly spectacular Degree backdrops in the Portland Oregon Scottish Rite Temple.
Another example is my own Lodge where we often perform the Fellow Craft Degree Lecture, and the Master Mason Drama, in costume.
Looking into the future, do you think that Freemasonry will come to include virtual reality technologies in our Degrees?
Should we?
Imagine the candidate having the experience of actually walking in to a representation of the Middle Chamber.
Imagine him seeing a representation of the Temple, from inside of it.
Many of our Lodges are interested in bringing the Chamber of Reflection back to Craft Masonry, yet as has been discussed here and elsewhere, find pushback from other groups who do not understand it. What about a VR Chamber?
I think that would be quite an experience, and technically possible. The FC degree, in my opinion, is the best of the three, as it is the most explanatory and beautiful of the degrees.
While you could do it within a lodge room, the best immersive VR experiences combine VR with physical space. Walls where there should be walls, doors where there should be doors, and stairs where there should be stairs. Just think, a space specifically built with the winding staircase, doors at each gate, and a middle chamber the candidate and conductor would enter. It doesn't need to be fancy, it can be just plywood (although the cost of wood these days!) and 2x4s, the VR would replace the meager physical with opulent virtual.
Talk about an amazing experience, one that no one would forget.
The COR would be a bit more difficult, as at least in our COR we provide the candidate with a page of text to read and some writing assignments that would be (I think) very hard to deal with.
I do think that sounds awesome, most especially as you mention in the Fellow Craft Degree.
I think, as you say, that the 'structure' could be built in such a way as to go up and come down easily.
In my town the Rainbow Girls sell fireworks, and they own their own fireworks stand. I've helped set it up and tear it down a time or two. It's all made of 2X2's and very thin plywood. In sections, all held together with bolts and wing nuts. It's pretty big, but can be put up in under a couple hours, and it is remarkably sturdy once up.
I think there is a place for VR in our rituals, and it could be a transformative experience. Thats the 40,000 foot observation. The grassroots level will be a bit more complicated. The implementation of VR technology in Lodges will be tricky. No offense to my brethren, but in my District the average age approaches 70, and many of us older guys are less than tech savvy, and some are resistant to it, so we will have to compassionately role it out, with lots of gentle IT support and mentoring. Maybe one thing we could do is develop a standard VR program/system and role it out at the leadership conference we have for the Wardens each year. Let them experience it as part of their leadership training, so that they can integrate into their plans for the future. Then the technology committee could carry the technology and the software on a road trip and demonstrate it to Lodges as a Lodge program. There is also the economic piece that we would need to consider, and maybe an opportunity of Grand Lodge to orchestrate large purchase to provide bulk prices for Lodges.
Your point that some Lodges would resist it is certainly true. We have an entire district of Lodges that have flatly refused to hold a virtual meeting for the entire pandemic shutdown. Not one virtual Lodge meeting, in an entire District.
But, I think that with work, that kind of resistance can often be overcome. I think it comes most often from fear, and if we can teach men how to use these tools, fears can be overcome. I watched one Lodge meeting for example when one of the 'younger' members brought in a computer and taught everyone how to use Facebook, and the Lodge Facebook page where they were posting about events and such.
What I don't think we have is internet access barriers to speak of anymore. I think that virtually all of our Masonic buildings should be able to access it through one provider or another.
When you get right down to it, our ritual--opening, closing, conferral of degrees is theater. Drama. We use this drama to create images in the minds of the recipients, images he will long retain. Favorably, if we do it well enough. Unfavorably, if we fumble our lines.
The use of props, such as in the Middle Chamber Lecture further cements the images in the minds of all the participants, and there is usually a scramble to set up these props in between the completion of the conferral and the start of the lecture/drama. I worked in theater for several years and understand the uses of sets and props to make the point. But all that is for naught if the players cannot deliver the script.
Personally, I would *love* to participate in a virtual reality presentation, transporting the players and audience to King Solomon's Temple. In VR, we can make the sets rich, profuse with symbolism and meaning, enriching the overall experience for candidate and audience alike!
My home Lodge has a Chamber of Reflection, with isolation for the candidate, symbols for soulful reflection, and a small writing assignment for the candidate to complete. The writings, by the way are never reviewed by anyone else. They are added to the Brother's record for his (and his alone) later review.
We used an old storage closet for our COR. Walls painted black, low lights, a writing desk and implements, and symbols to reflect upon. When our Sisters of the Eastern Star saw it, they were actually frightened, not understanding what it was for! They thought it had something to do with Satanic Ritual! We do have a library, with comfortable easy chairs and plenty of books. The library is also (unfortunately) the changing room for OES, Job's Daughters, and Rainbow for Girls. And it is the pass-through to the ladies' facilities. <<SIGH>>
We have made quite a few changes to our building over the past five or six years. COR started in a pass through, ripped up the carpet to expose the hardwood, most noticable is that W Franklyn Gallup is a true artist when it comes to floors, and he hand painted a huge mosaic pavement, with blazing star and G, plus is working on an interesting border.
Like in your case, we found that the OES didn't understand any of that. We got objections about painting walls black, and we got objections about the floor design.
At some point, I don't remember who the WM is, we invited them to one of our Stated Meetings. Called to refreshment, and they were brought in. At that time they gave a presentation explaining the OES, and its symbolism to us, and we in turn had a chance to explain our symbolism to them. As I recall, this was done with all the ladies organizations in the area, not just the OES.
Not wanting to beat the drum too loudly concerning who the WM was... :-) but I think it was indeed a good step in the right direction, and one that can be repeated again in the future.
I found that the OES women were pleased to learn about the features of the Centralia Lodge room and their symbolism. Some of them had been members of Centralia Chapter for over 30-40 years and never understood what all those columns, friezes and triglyphs were all about.
All of this, of course, is Masonic Education. And it's proof positive that we ALL need it, not just the young Masons. It's also the old-timers, and members of all ages of all the members of the Masonic Family.
I think that would be quite an experience, and technically possible. The FC degree, in my opinion, is the best of the three, as it is the most explanatory and beautiful of the degrees.
While you could do it within a lodge room, the best immersive VR experiences combine VR with physical space. Walls where there should be walls, doors where there should be doors, and stairs where there should be stairs. Just think, a space specifically built with the winding staircase, doors at each gate, and a middle chamber the candidate and conductor would enter. It doesn't need to be fancy, it can be just plywood (although the cost of wood these days!) and 2x4s, the VR would replace the meager physical with opulent virtual.
Talk about an amazing experience, one that no one would forget.
The COR would be a bit more difficult, as at least in our COR we provide the candidate with a page of text to read and some writing assignments that would be (I think) very hard to deal with.
I do think that sounds awesome, most especially as you mention in the Fellow Craft Degree.
I think, as you say, that the 'structure' could be built in such a way as to go up and come down easily.
In my town the Rainbow Girls sell fireworks, and they own their own fireworks stand. I've helped set it up and tear it down a time or two. It's all made of 2X2's and very thin plywood. In sections, all held together with bolts and wing nuts. It's pretty big, but can be put up in under a couple hours, and it is remarkably sturdy once up.
I think there is a place for VR in our rituals, and it could be a transformative experience. Thats the 40,000 foot observation. The grassroots level will be a bit more complicated. The implementation of VR technology in Lodges will be tricky. No offense to my brethren, but in my District the average age approaches 70, and many of us older guys are less than tech savvy, and some are resistant to it, so we will have to compassionately role it out, with lots of gentle IT support and mentoring. Maybe one thing we could do is develop a standard VR program/system and role it out at the leadership conference we have for the Wardens each year. Let them experience it as part of their leadership training, so that they can integrate into their plans for the future. Then the technology committee could carry the technology and the software on a road trip and demonstrate it to Lodges as a Lodge program. There is also the economic piece that we would need to consider, and maybe an opportunity of Grand Lodge to orchestrate large purchase to provide bulk prices for Lodges.
Your point that some Lodges would resist it is certainly true. We have an entire district of Lodges that have flatly refused to hold a virtual meeting for the entire pandemic shutdown. Not one virtual Lodge meeting, in an entire District.
But, I think that with work, that kind of resistance can often be overcome. I think it comes most often from fear, and if we can teach men how to use these tools, fears can be overcome. I watched one Lodge meeting for example when one of the 'younger' members brought in a computer and taught everyone how to use Facebook, and the Lodge Facebook page where they were posting about events and such.
What I don't think we have is internet access barriers to speak of anymore. I think that virtually all of our Masonic buildings should be able to access it through one provider or another.
When you get right down to it, our ritual--opening, closing, conferral of degrees is theater. Drama. We use this drama to create images in the minds of the recipients, images he will long retain. Favorably, if we do it well enough. Unfavorably, if we fumble our lines.
The use of props, such as in the Middle Chamber Lecture further cements the images in the minds of all the participants, and there is usually a scramble to set up these props in between the completion of the conferral and the start of the lecture/drama. I worked in theater for several years and understand the uses of sets and props to make the point. But all that is for naught if the players cannot deliver the script.
Personally, I would *love* to participate in a virtual reality presentation, transporting the players and audience to King Solomon's Temple. In VR, we can make the sets rich, profuse with symbolism and meaning, enriching the overall experience for candidate and audience alike!
My home Lodge has a Chamber of Reflection, with isolation for the candidate, symbols for soulful reflection, and a small writing assignment for the candidate to complete. The writings, by the way are never reviewed by anyone else. They are added to the Brother's record for his (and his alone) later review.
Let's work on a Masonic holodeck!
Completely unrelated, but all this talk about the Chamber has me wondering:
Does anyone use the Chamber outside of the Degrees? As perhaps, for want of a better word, a meditation space?
Back on topic, Yes Sir! A holodeck would be perfect! Glad to see that I'm not the only Star Trek guy here!
We used an old storage closet for our COR. Walls painted black, low lights, a writing desk and implements, and symbols to reflect upon. When our Sisters of the Eastern Star saw it, they were actually frightened, not understanding what it was for! They thought it had something to do with Satanic Ritual! We do have a library, with comfortable easy chairs and plenty of books. The library is also (unfortunately) the changing room for OES, Job's Daughters, and Rainbow for Girls. And it is the pass-through to the ladies' facilities. <<SIGH>>
We have made quite a few changes to our building over the past five or six years. COR started in a pass through, ripped up the carpet to expose the hardwood, most noticable is that W Franklyn Gallup is a true artist when it comes to floors, and he hand painted a huge mosaic pavement, with blazing star and G, plus is working on an interesting border.
Like in your case, we found that the OES didn't understand any of that. We got objections about painting walls black, and we got objections about the floor design.
At some point, I don't remember who the WM is, we invited them to one of our Stated Meetings. Called to refreshment, and they were brought in. At that time they gave a presentation explaining the OES, and its symbolism to us, and we in turn had a chance to explain our symbolism to them. As I recall, this was done with all the ladies organizations in the area, not just the OES.
In any event, that seemed to help quite a bit.
Not wanting to beat the drum too loudly concerning who the WM was... :-) but I think it was indeed a good step in the right direction, and one that can be repeated again in the future.
I found that the OES women were pleased to learn about the features of the Centralia Lodge room and their symbolism. Some of them had been members of Centralia Chapter for over 30-40 years and never understood what all those columns, friezes and triglyphs were all about.
All of this, of course, is Masonic Education. And it's proof positive that we ALL need it, not just the young Masons. It's also the old-timers, and members of all ages of all the members of the Masonic Family.
I thought I remembered it being you, but wasn't certain.