Reviewing A New Masonic Game, Visitors, & More
Some reflections after attending Lodge, and a Masonic Game review
I bought a newly published Masonic game from a Lodge Brother a couple of days ago, and wanted to take this opportunity to write a brief review.
It’s called the Ignis Research Cards Game, and was created by VW Frank Burk, the current District Deputy for Seattle’s District No. 4. (I had to look up the word Ignis, it seems to refer to fire, but heh, I can’t complain about the name, I’m the guy who named a newsletter Emeth!)
In any event, it is a Masonic trivia game, perfect for use by a Lodge during social times. There are a total of 540 questions and answers, so it can be played for a very long time without repeats.
The game contains 90 fairly large high quality cards containing six questions each. The cards are shuffled, stacked into a single pile, and then dice is used to determine which question from the top card is asked. The first one to yell out the correct answer is the winner and gets the card. Three cards in hand wins the game.
As VW Bro. Burk says about his creation:
“Right answers are wonderful along the way, but finding interesting topics is the goal.”
Here’s the deal from my perspective:
Trivia games of this format are extremely popular in nighttime commercial establishments, drawing people into bars all around the country. This game allows a Freemasonic Lodge to bring what works in the world of lounges into the Masonic world, and it will serve to make a Lodge’s social time extremely fun and interesting. It will draw men to Lodge, just as Bars that adopt similar trivia games draw people into their establishments.
Additionally, as Bro. Burk says, it will help to provide interesting topics that a Lodge, or an individual Mason will want to pursue further.
Fun and educational. We couldn’t ask for anything more from a Masonic game.
All a Lodge needs to provide its members with a superb evening, or part of an evening before or after the Lodge meeting is a copy of Bro. Burk’s game, and someone to read out the questions and judge who got the correct answers.
My wife reminds me as well that for Lodges that are quieter, answers could be written down instead of called out. We’ve attended a trivia competition in a fancy lounge that did that instead of the more raucous method.
However a Lodge decides to play, it will be fun and interesting. Fun and interesting social times build brotherhood within a Lodge and drive Lodge attendance. This game can help create Legendary Freemasonry.
One caveat:
The game is unquestionably expensive. It could not be otherwise, because it is created by our Brother. He isn’t Hasbro with all the advantages and economies of scale.
As a result of that, and given its intended use, this game should, in most cases I think, be purchased by Lodges for use in Lodge. The cost is not outside of the easy reach of any Lodge, and a Lodge purchasing a copy would be money extremely well spent.
The game can be purchased here:
As far as I know, only three copies of this brand new game are actually out in the wild. Bro. Frank has his copy which has been played at Doric Lodge in Seattle, Washington’s Junior Grand Warden has a copy in Spokane, and I’ve got a copy.
If you want to see it in action, come to my BBQ on Saturday! We’ll be right here in Centralia, playing (and BBQing of course) like mad men!
If you haven’t RSVP’d yet, that’s OK, you can still come. Please just try and let me know so that I can make sure that we have plenty of food.
All the details are linked here:
In other news, at Lodge this week we had a visitor from London, and another from France. Proof positive that Freemasonry is a truly worldwide Brotherhood, where a man visiting anywhere from anywhere can instantly find friends and Brothers.
As our society continues to become increasingly mobile, this is one of Freemasonry’s greatest strengths, and will drive men of the highest quality into our Lodges. If we can learn to properly discuss it.
In other, other news, my Past Grand Master plans to sit on the sidelines, complain, and throw out lots of prompts (always prompting with the wrong words of course) have been thwarted. Doric No. 92 ended up with a hole in its line due to a Brother moving across the country, so I’ve been elected Senior Warden. If you are in Seattle on the First Tuesday of the month, come see me right next to the Lenin statue. You’ll get to see me butcher the ritual from the West, and you’ll get to see one of the very finest of Lodges in action.
That's quite a commute to attend lodge!
Does the game have the answers printed on the card trivia pursuit style? I'd hate to witness the arguments erupting from the game over what would be the correct answer.
I just ordered this. I hope it arrives before our next stated, I think it would be a fun education piece to do in lodge.