Articles
Learning & Memorizing Ritual
by Wor. Mark Waks
One of the problems that most often plagues Masonry is poor ritual. By
this, I don't just mean getting the words wrong - I mean ritual that is
drab and uninspiring, which fails to actually teach a candidate.
Ritual is often mediocre, and it doesn't have to be; anyone can do
ritual well, provided he knows a little about acting.
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The Man Who Would Be King
THE LAW, as quoted, lays down a fair conduct of life, and one not easy
to follow. I have been fellow to a beggar again and again under
circumstances which prevented either of us finding out whether the other
was worthy. I have still to be broth to a Prince, though I once came
near to kinship with what might have been a veritable King, and was
promised the reversion of a Kingdom--army, law-courts, revenue, and
policy all complete. But, today, I greatly fear that my King is dead,
and if I want a crown I must go hunt it for myself.
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Washington's Message is Roman
To many in Europe and great Britain, George Washington seemed to step
out of Roman History. In the 18th century, educated people on both sides
of the Atlantic conducted much of their training in Latin, which, in
turn, communicated what I will call the great myth of the Roman
Republic. Before the Caesars had stepped into place, this myth declared
that Roman power rested on the shoulders of citizens who were first
farmers and then warriors.
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Ritual Differences
An experience in Freemasonry usually upsetting to the newly-Raised
brother is his first visit to a Lodge in another Jurisdiction than his
own. Having carefully been taught a certain ritual, in all probability
with positive emphasis upon the necessity of being "letter perfect", he
learns with a distinct shock that the ritual in other States differs
from his own, and that these differ each from the other.
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Towards the Sources of Freemasonry
The problem of the origin or origins of Freemasonry has engaged the
minds of many able Masonic students for several generations, and has led
to much valuable research being carried out.
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Guardians Of The Gates Any Master Mason speedily discovers that his Masonry is not all
"Getting." It is also a matter of "Giving." A good Mason
must serve, as well as be served. When Masonry is well served by
her brethren, she grows, thrives and prospers. When she is ill
served a lodge starves, thins out in quality, gets stagnant and
sometimes dies.
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The Value of Ritual
Masonic rituals and their use of powerful symbols, present positive
lessons and reinforcements on the psyche of the individual. This is made
all the more effective by having the candidate take the central part in
the rituals. By these means of communication to the whole person,
our masonic ritual helps the member to know himself and to confront
certain fears - fear of the unknown, fear of death etc., in addition to
giving him a heavy dose of common sense and how he is to cope with daily
life!
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Master's Piece
In the olden time it was no easy matter for a man to become a
Freemason. He had to win the right by hard work, technical skill, and
personal worth. Then, as now, he had to prove himself a freeman, of
lawful age, legitimate birth, of sound body and good repute to even be
eligible at all. Also, he had to bind himself to serve under rigid
rules for seven years, his service being at once a test of his character
and a training for his work. If he proved incompetent or unworthy, he
was sent away.
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The Functioning Of Our Blue Lodges
What I may say about the normal activities, the effective work, the detailed programming, the performance of the duties of the Worshipful Master and his officers in the Blue Lodge, and the suggestions I make may apply equally as well to other Masonic bodies.
It is sometimes difficult to find new suggestions to present to any Masonic body for two reasons; first, those that are new may not be good, and those that are good may not be new; and secondly, because our problems and our objectives Masonically are pretty much the same always.
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The Feast
In the Eighteenth Century Lodges the Feast bulked so large in the life of the lodge that in many of them the members were seated at the table when the lodges were opened and remained at it throughout the Communication. The result was that Masonic fellowship was a good fellowship in it, as in a warm and fruitful soil, acquaintanceship, friendship, and affection could flourish--there was no grim and silent sitting on a bench, staring across at a wall.
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Hiram Award Winner 2002 - Donald C. Chandler
This year's recipient of the Hiram Award from Willow Glen Lodge #676 is Tiler Donald C. Chandler.
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The Arkansas Bible Presentation
My Brother, you are now a Master Mason. You have served your Entered Apprenticeship as bearer of burdens and as hewer of stone in the quarries and have come at last to the exalted position as overseer of the work; a mason entitled to travel into foreign countries, work and receive master's wages. We have given you your tools to work with and have taught you their Masonic uses. We have shown you how to properly divide your time by the twenty-four inch gauge in order that you might have eight hours in which to work, eight in which to rest, and eight more in which to serve your fellow man and worship your creator.
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An Address to the Young Lodge Officer
FREEMASONRY is a Society which by means of its many lodges scattered over the four quarters of the globe is having a more far-reaching effect in the civilized world than we sometimes imagine. We are progressing slowly but surely towards the day when Freemasonry in the fulfillment of its destiny will play a very big part in guiding public thought and along the lines of the high ideals of moral and social excellence which it endeavors to teach. English-speaking Freemasonry has outlived many institutions of a somewhat similar character and is so well founded today that if the Landmarks on which it rests are kept secure we can look forward to a steady advance and a growing influence.
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G. Reeves-Brown, P.A.G.D.C.
What I Get From Masonry
People have asked me from time to time, what I get from being a Mason. What is it that I learned, or discovered in Lodge that makes it so interesting or valuable to me? Why do I keep going back to Lodge, paying Dues, serving as an Officer, spend so much time on the Internet researching and discussing Masonry?
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Eugene Goldman, Past Master
The Eye In The Pyramid
Historians must be cautious about many well-known "facts." George Washington chopped down a cherry tree when a boy and confessed the deed to his father. Abner Doubleday invented the game of baseball. Freemasons inserted some of their emblems (chief among them the eye in the pyramid) into the reverse of the Great Seal of the United States. These historical "facts" are widely popular, commonly accepted, and equally false.
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Brent Morris, P.M. (from Short Talk Bulletin, September 1995)
The Blacksmith
It came to pass, when Solomon, the son of David, had finished the Temple of Jerusalem, that he prepared a feast for his chief craftsmen and artificers and spread the table with the fatness of the land and the wine and oil thereof. The seat of the King was at the head of the table on a raised dais, and the two famous pillars of bronze with their beautiful capitals of lilies, pomegranates, and delicate network, stood one on his right hand and the other on his left, and the lintel thereof was a canopy over the head of the King.
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Taken from Rabbinical sources and is quoted from the London Freemason
How Freemasonry Came to California and Hawaii
Freemasonry came to California and Hawaii by land and by sea. Overland it was carried by no ordinary frontiersmen but by picked adventurers who challenged the wilderness and mastered it. They trapped the beaver, lived on bear and buffalo, fought Indians and caroused away their hard-earned wages. They were known as the mountain men . . .
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Eugene S. Hopp, F.P.S. (taken with permission from the 1975 volume of the Philalethes Magazine)
The Power of the Worshipful Master
The incumbent of the Oriental Chair has powers peculiar to his station; powers far greater than those of the President of a society or the Chairman of a meeting of any kind. President and Chairman are elected by the body over which they preside, and may be removed by that body. A Master is elected by his lodge, but cannot be removed by it; only by the Grand Master or Grand Lodge. The presiding officer is bound by the rules of order adopted by the body and by its by-laws. A lodge cannot pass by-laws to alter, amend or curtail the powers of a Master. Its by-laws are subject to approval by the proper Grand Lodge committee or by the Grand Master; seldom are any approved which infringe upon his ancient prerogatives and power; in those few instances in which improper by-laws have been approved, subsequent rulings have often declared the Master right in disregarding them.
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(Short Talk Bulletin, August 1929)
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