A Lodge System

Of Masonic Instruction

Published By

Grand Lodge Free and Accepted Masons of Nevada

This book is issued for the exclusive use of members of the several Constituent Lodges

under the Jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Nevada and is subject to be returned on request.

“The Strength of Masonry is in the Strength of the

Individual Mason”

NEVADA REV. 2-2015

THIRD EDITION

TABLE OF CONTENTS

FORWARD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 LODGE SYSTEM OF MASONIC INSTRUCTION 2 THE PLAN IN BRIEF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 THE PURPOSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 OPERATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 COMMITTEE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 SUBJECT OF THE FOUR MEETINGS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 THE FIRST MEETING, WITH CANDIDATE

PROLOGUE ...........................................................................................................10 A BREIF HISTORY OF FREEMASONRY ..............................................................11 QUALIFICATIONS OF A MASON ..........................................................................15 THE ORGANIZATION AND OPERATION OF A LODGE.......................................18 THE POWERS AND FUNCTIONS OF A WORSHIPFUL MASTER .......................21 THE DUTIES AND PRIVILEGES OF MEMBERSHIP ............................................24

THE SECOND MEETING, WITH THE ENTERED APPPRENTICE THE MEANING OF THE TERM “ENTERED APPPRENTICE” ...............................27 THE INTERPRETATION OF THE RITUAL OF THE FIRST DEGREE ...................30 THE TENETS, (BROTHERLY LOVE, RELIEF AND TRUTH) ................................33 SYMBOLS OF THE FIRST DEGREE ....................................................................36 DUTIES, PRIVILEGES AND LIMITATIONS OF AN ENTERED APPRENTICE 40 MASONIC PROTOCOL .........................................................................................43

THE THIRD MEETING, WITH THE FELLOWCRAFT THE MEANING OF THE TERM FELLOWCRAFT ..................................................46 INTERPRETATION OF THE RITUAL OF THE SECOND DEGREE , , , , , , , , , , 49 SYMBOLS AND ALLEGORIES OF THE SECOND DEGREE ...............................53 DUTIES AND PRIVILEGES OF A FELLOWCRAFT ..............................................55 THE TEACHINGS OF MASONRY .........................................................................57

THE FOURTH MEETING, WITH THE MASTER MASON THE INTERPRETATION OF THE RITUAL OF THE THIRD DEGREE ..................60 SYMBOLS, EMBLEMS AND ALLEGORIES OF THE THIRD DEGREE ................63 THE LEDGEND OF HYRAM ABIF .........................................................................66 THE LAWS OF FREEMASONRY ..........................................................................68 THE LANDMARKS .................................................................................................71 THE DUTIES RIGHTS AND PRIVILEGES OF A MASTER MASON ......................75 THE INVESTIGATION ...........................................................................................78 POSTSCRIPT ........................................................................................................80

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Forward

The Lodge System of Masonic Instruction, adopted by the Grand Lodge Education Committee, is herewith set forth for the Worshipful Masters of the Member Lodges of the Grand Lodge of Nevada.

This booklet has been prepared by the Nevada Grand Lodge

Education Committee, based upon a variety of programs used in several Grand Jurisdictions, including the Grand Lodges of New York, Georgia, District of Columbia, Pennsylvania and Utah. It has also proven very successful in several Constituent Lodges in this Jurisdiction. It is designed for the use at the Lodge level, to hone the appetite of the candidate for “More Light in Masonry” and to prepare him for active membership.

The Editor

This publication was revised in 2015 by the Grand Lodge Education Committee.

It should be stressed to the Committees who will be giving the

lectures contained herein, that these lectures are not a complete explanation of Freemasonry but rather a brief one. It is a mere starting point of the education a Brother should receive during his Masonic career.

The Committee, Candidates, and all Masons wherever dispersed should be encouraged and strive to further their knowledge of Freemasonry and its teachings.

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THE LODGE SYSTEM OF MASONIC INSTRUCTION

The system is simple, practical, and the cost is very little. It operates under the immediate authority, direction and supervision of the Lodge at the time when constructive information is most needed; namely, when the Candidate, who, naturally being in a receptive state of mind, will absorb a better understanding and a greater appreciation of the privileges, purposes, ideals, and obligations of Freemasonry. He is taught at the first meeting to expect no horseplay at any time during his work, and that everything done is serious and important; that Freemasonry, when properly studied and heeded, is a standard by which a man may lead a righteous and upright life; a life by which he may become a credit to his country, state, community, and a friend, indeed, to his neighbor and fellow man.

THE PLAN IN BRIEF

The essentials of The Lodge System of Masonic Instruction are thus stated:

1. Name: As it implies, the Lodge, rather than some individual, voluntary committee, or independent organization, oversees the system.

2. Purpose: To guarantee that every candidate is properly instructed in the fundamentals of the craft which every Mason ought to know.

3. Machinery: A committee of Past Masters, if possible, appointed by the Worshipful Master, each of whom is willing to do his share.

4. Method: The candidate meets with the committee once prior to his initiation, and once after each degree, including the Third; four times in all.

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THE PURPOSE

Every candidate is a stranger to Freemasonry and Freemasonry is a stranger to him. But having expressed a desire for Masonry and Masonry having accepted him so that he may gratify that desire, he is in a receptive state of mind. It is our duty to Freemasonry and to the candidate that he be instructed properly and well.

It is not merely a Lodge he is joining, but a Fraternity dispersed over the

face of the Globe, including some three million Masons in the U.S., belonging to more than sixteen thousand Lodges, along with thousands of other Lodges and tens of thousands of members in other countries; with a history stretching back down the vistas of centuries, an intricate system of laws, a great many purposes, ideals and obligations; many rights, privileges, and duties, Ancient Landmarks to be preserved, the whole carrying on of various activities.

It is too much to expect of any man who is without guidance to be able to make himself at home in such a society, or, unaided, take his proper place in his Lodge’s work with credit to himself and honor to the brotherhood. He has the right to expect that the Lodge which he is petitioning will give him much of the information he needs and is indeed entitled to. It is because so many Brethren never received this information, and are left undirected and uninstructed, that many cease attending the Lodge.

For years, responsible leaders in the Craft have realized that the failure to properly prepare the candidate for his new duties and privileges is a failure on the part of Craft to discharge its just obligations, and a weakness in the fundamental system of initiation which incurs the danger of weakening the whole structure by attempting to build enduring walls with rough ashlars and un-tempered mortar.

It is necessary that new Brethren become inspired with the spirit of Freemasonry and to believe in, as well as to understand, its purposes and ideals. Our Fraternity does not rest on compulsion or military rule; if its own members are at odds with its aims, it becomes a house divided. When Masons cause dissention in a Lodge, it is seldom from a desire to make mischief but because they do not understand the rules and laws.

This system takes in every candidate automatically and without exception; it is a Lodge enterprise, under the direct control of the Master, regular, recognized, and continuing project of the Lodge’s own proper work.

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It is not only of profit to the candidate; the Lodge itself is strengthened from having new members from the beginning, whom are able to take an active part in its proceedings, who are very likely to become regular attendants, and who can readily grasp the aim and purpose of the Lodge’s endeavors. When the newly raised Master Mason signs the by-laws, he is already prepared for work in Freemasonry.

OPERATION

1. The Worshipful Master appoints a committee of Past Masters, if possible, or knowledgeable Master Masons.

2. After the petition of an applicant is acted upon favorably, the petitioner is notified to meet with the committee at a specified time and place.

3. The first meeting is devoted to such instructions as the candidate needs to enable him to receive the First Degree in a proper spirit, and furnish him such information about the principles and teachings of Masonry as will give him a clear understanding of what kind of a society he is about to enter.

4. The candidate meets with the committee three more times, once after each degree. In this manner, he is enabled to complete his membership intelligently with the profound feeling that he has accomplished something and that we may feel that we have done our duty toward him.

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THE COMMITTEE

The Committee should be composed of Past Masters or Master Masons with experience, knowledge, and tact, who feel a genuine interest in the work and who will not neglect it. It should have a Chairman, either appointed by the Master or chosen by the members of the committee, but needs no other officers.

If it is thought desirable, the Chairman may be required to report to the Lodge after the last meeting.

The candidate meets with the committee at the specified time and place

and listens to a few words of greeting from the Chairman in explanation of the purpose and spirit of the meeting. After that, each member in turn reads one of the five papers prepared for the “First Meeting.” After each subject has been presented, the candidate can be encouraged to ask questions and take part in an informal discussion the committee can explain any questions which the presentation has given rise to.

If ten minutes are allowed for preliminaries, ten minutes for the presentation of each subject, and thirty five minutes for each period of questions and discussion, the entire time will be only one and half hours.

The candidate has nothing to do but listen, no books to read, no papers

to write, nothing more to memorize, so it adds nothing to his burden of mastering his lectures, but the gain to him will be inestimable. Having met with the committee four times, he will have heard lectures on twenty fundamental Masonic subjects which is a larger number of carefully digested, useful, connected information than many uninstructed Masons will pick up when left to their own resources.

Nor is the system a great burden on the committee. Once a member has learned his four subjects, there is nothing more for him to do, save set aside the time for the meetings and be prompt in attending them. It should be considered a privilege and a pleasure, since he will derive the satisfaction of feeling that he plays an important part in preparing a Brother for his life in Masonry.

It will be readily seen and understood that every committee member confine himself to his subject as written. First, it guarantees that the member will take the same amount of time at every meeting and not run on and on,

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transgressing on the time belonging to the others as often happens with extemporized talks. Second, it assures that all candidates hear the same papers, not one on this subject and another on that one. Third, it enables the chairman to call in a substitute if a member cannot attend for any reason.

Since the papers have been approved and recommended by Grand

Lodge, too much importance cannot be laid upon the need to have the candidate know that what he hears is not the random opinion of some chance individual called in to lecture him, but statements prepared and sanctioned by the Grand Lodge of Nevada, and, therefore, to be believed, accepted in all seriousness, and acted upon. Further, to make sure of this, it may strengthen the system to have at least one of the meetings held in Lodge, opened upon the appropriate degree, excepting, of course, the first meeting of the series. By such an exhibition meeting, membership in general can see what the system means and how it works. They, too, may be enlightened on some subjects that are somewhat vague to them.

It is suggested that the brother who is appointed by the Worshipful

Master to coach the candidate be available to attend all but the first meeting or be familiar with the lectures in the Lodge System of Masonic Instruction, so that he may be better enabled to answer any questions that may arise later.

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SUBJECTS OF THE FOUR MEETINGS

First Meeting (Preceding the First Degree)

The purpose of the first meeting is to introduce the candidate to Freemasonry as a whole and to prepare him in mind and spirit to receive initiation. In a sense, he is entering a strange country; his teachers will give him the necessary guidance and point out the landmarks by which he will steer his course. It will be strongly impressed upon him that becoming a Mason is not a light or frivolous undertaking, rather one filled with important consequences. He will learn that his Initiation, Passing, and Raising are not routine ceremonies to be entered into with a light heart, rather the first and all important steps into the world of Freemasonry. He will learn that Freemasonry is a life to be lived, not a set of hollow forms to be hypocritically observed, that he must first become prepared “in his heart.” Also, he will learn that in the committee, he has guides and friends that he may come to for counsel.

Second Meeting (Following the First Degree)

The candidate is now an Entered Apprentice, a Brother. His initiation has been an experience very different from what he had probably envisioned. He may feel somewhat mystified by a ceremony so unlike anything else he has ever seen; the language was strange, the symbols unusual. He is puzzled as to what it all means; moreover he is wondering what to do next, and what his duties and privileges are. The purpose of this meeting is to explain all these questions to him, provide him with an interpretation of the Degree, and to prepare him for the next Degree.

The Third Meeting (Following the Second Degree)

For some unknown reason, the Degree of Fellowcraft seldom commands the attention or the interest of the other two Degrees. In reality, it is no less important of a degree, crowded with thoughts of importance; its explanation offers a golden opportunity to present all aspects of Freemasonry’s appeal to the intellect, since education, symbolized by the Liberal Arts and Sciences is at the heart of the Degree.

The Brother is now midway through his journey. Having participated in

the first two degrees and having met twice with the committee, he begins to feel more at home. If in the beginning he came to the portals of Freemasonry with the expectation that the forms of initiation would include hazing, be full of pranks, or horseplay he has found out otherwise. In his present state of mind,

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he is ready to learn something of the more difficult themes of the history and symbolism of Freemasonry.

The First Degree makes its principle appeal to the conscience. The Brother was an Apprentice, a beginner, a learner; it was impressed upon him that he must be obedient to his superiors and follow closely his guides and teachers. In contrast, the Second Degree addresses the intellectual faculties; it is Freemasonry appealing to the mind.

The Liberal Arts and Sciences, together with the five senses, compose the symbolic steps to the Middle Chamber wherein wisdom is found in the midst of culture and enlightenment. At the center of the Fellowcraft Degree stands a picture of the awakening and cultivation of the mind under the influences of Masonry. The committee, therefore, in this third meeting will lay emphasis on the philosophy of Masonry, its great teachings, its message of education, the ways that lead to the enlightenment of the mind, and the rewards of the cultivation of the faculties and senses.

The Fourth Meeting (Following the Third Degree)

It is a standing misfortune that so often a Brother is permitted to drop from sight immediately after he has been Raised to the Sublime Degree of Master Mason; often he is not even instructed in its work but rather left to his own devices, causing him to find his way the best he can. This is the most critical period in his Masonic career. If the Lodge can keep hold of his interests, give him guidance and encouragement, until he has had time to form habits of interest and activity for himself, he will develop into a working Mason; otherwise, he is likely to cease attending after two or three meetings, lapse into chronic indifference, or find his way to some concordant or dependant circle which he believes will prove more attractive.

He being Raised is only the beginning. He needs to know and understand his duties, rights, and privileges, as a Master Mason. He should be taught how to visit other Lodges. He needs information on the Masonic benevolences, about the Grand Lodge, and the traditions and work of the Craft as a whole. At no other time in his Masonic career will he be so eager and so quick to learn, as the impressionable period immediately following the Third Degree.

The Third Degree is the climax of initiation into the Symbolic Lodge, the greatest, most profound, and most influential degree in Masonry. The time for the newly raised Brother to learn its meaning is while it remains fresh in his

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mind and warm in his feelings. At the fourth meeting, the committee has the opportunity to put him into possession of that meaning, as well as to give him the more general information described in the paragraphs above. This is the opportunity to help a Brother who has just become a member in name to become a Mason in fact, almost ensuring that throughout his Masonic career he will continue to serve and work for the good of the Craft.

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PROLOGUE

Life is but an experience, and your entrance into our Fraternity will mark a mile-post in your life, rich as it may be with other accomplishments and associations. Soon you will undergo a new experience in life; your Initiation into the Mysteries of Freemasonry. It is our belief that a short discussion of Masonry before you are initiated will make our ceremonies more impressive, our symbolism more instructive and enlightening, and our obligations and lectures better understood and remembered. Also, if you present yourself at our door with some knowledge of the purposes of the Fraternity, you will be better enabled to appreciate its beauty.

The portals through which you will soon pass will lead you to a different

way of life, not entirely unfamiliar to you, as doubtless your petition was motivated by certain observations and conclusions you have drawn concerning our members. None the less, you are about to enter upon a new and important undertaking. The Degrees of Masonry are serious and dignified, without foolishness or jest, trickery or nonsense. You may rest assured that any suggestions you may hear of goats or horseplay, or any undignified reference to the ceremonies, are not founded in fact. I would suggest to you that you now resolve never to be guilty of attempting to play upon the fears of a candidate by any such suggestions because anyone who does, does so because he does not fully understand our ceremonies and teachings. When you cross the threshold of the Masonic Lodge, it should become for you a sacred place where you will learn to honor your God, love and serve your Brethren, and appreciate the lessons of Justice, Kindness, and Harmony.

Finally, remember you are about to take a most important step in your life; you are going to become a Mason. The responsibilities that you will assume are great. The privileges you will receive are as numerous as you wish to make them. Our intention is not to simply make you a member of the Masonic Fraternity, we want to help you become a Mason, strengthen your faith in God, your country, your neighbor, your family and yourself. We welcome you!

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(Meeting No. 1; Subject No.1)

A BRIEF HISTORY OF FREEMASONRY

In the book of human history, Freemasonry has a chapter all its own. When you become a member of a Lodge, it is a chapter you will wish to read, as much for your own fascination as for the light it will throw upon your path as a Mason. A portion of that history will enable you to better understand the three steps of initiation which lie before you.

Through all ages and in all lands, men have formed secret societies,

made use of ceremonies of initiation, and employed the use of symbols, emblems, and means of recognition. When Freemasonry came into existence (no one knows for sure how many centuries ago) it inherited much from such societies. Along your path of initiation, you will encounter many ancient rites and symbols; their unspeakable antiquity makes them more holy in our eyes.

The oldest existing written record of our Craft is known as the Regis

Manuscript. It was written by some unknown brother in England, around 1390, just over six centuries ago. However, the contents of that document shows that Freemasonry was even at that time very old.

During the time when that document was written, all Freemasons were operatives; in other words, they were workers engaged on buildings. There were many kinds of Masons, but the evidence indicates that “Freemasons” were those builders of a superior type who designed, supervised, and erected the great cathedrals along with other marvelous structures in the Gothic style of architecture.

Operative Freemasons designed the buildings, dressed the stone from

the quarries, laid it in the walls, set up arches, pillars, columns and buttresses, laid the floors and built the roofs, carved out the decorations, made and fitted the stained glass windows, and produced the sculptures. Their work was difficult, called for a high degree of skill and genius, and required a great degree of knowledge in mechanics and geometry as well as of stonemasonry. They were the great artists of the Middle Ages.

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When a number of Freemasons worked together on a building over a period of years, they organized a Lodge which might meet in a temporary building or in one of the rooms of the uncompleted structure. Such a Lodge was governed by a Master assisted by Wardens. It had a Secretary to keep its books, and a Treasurer to dispense its funds, a charity chest from which to dispense relief to its members in case of an accident, sickness, or distress, and to the widows and orphans of Master Masons. It met in regular communication, divided its membership into grades, and admitted members through initiation. In short, it was essentially what a Masonic Lodge is today.

Completing their work in one community, the Freemasons would move to

another, setting up their Lodges wherever they went. Other types of Masons were compelled by law to live and work in the same community year in and year out, under local restrictions. A number of Masonic scholars believe that it may have been because they were free from these restrictions that the Gothic builders were called “Freemasons”.

Such was the fraternity in its Operative period, and as such, it flourished for generations. Then came a great change in its fortunes, Euclid’s geometry was rediscovered and published, thereby giving to the public many of the Mason’s trade secrets. The Reformation came, and the Gothic style of architecture began to die out. Social conditions underwent a revolution, laws were changed; these and many other factors brought about a decline in the Craft. During the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, Freemasons became so few in number that only a small Lodge here and there clung to a precarious existence.

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Prior to the Reformation, only an Operative Mason in the literal sense could become a member of a Lodge. To increase their number, Freemasons adopted a new practice; they began to accept non-Operative members. During the two centuries of the transition period, gentlemen with no intention of becoming builders, out of curiosity, for social reasons, or from an interest in the Craft’s ancient customs, were received as “Accepted Masons”. At first, there were few of these, but as time passed, their number increased, until by the early part of the eighteenth century they were more numerous and more influential than the Operative Masons.

On St. John the Baptist’s Day, June 24, 1717, the Craft took a step

destined to revolutionize it and set it on a new path of power and magnitude. Four or more old Lodges of London and Westminster met in London and organized a Grand Lodge, and on that same day selected their first Grand Master, M.W. Anthony Sayer.

Within a few years of that date, the Craft had completed the transformation from an Operative Body into a Speculative Fraternity. (By “Speculative”, we mean Masonry in a moral and symbolic sense.) The two old degrees were reorganized into the three degrees of Entered Apprentice, Fellowcraft, and Master Mason. The old Masonic manuscripts were collected and collated and the first book of constitutions was produced. Shortly after its formation, the Mother Grand Lodge began chartering Lodges in many countries, including our own, to take care of the Fraternity’s rapidly increasing membership. In 1751, a second grand Lodge was organized in England; prior to that, Grand Lodges had been set up in Scotland and Ireland.

In our country during colonial times, Lodges were under the charge of Provincial Grand Lodges, which were ruled by Provincial Grand Masters who were appointed by the Grand Lodges’ of England, Ireland, or Scotland

As a result of the American Revolution, one after another American Grand Lodges became sovereign and independent. The question arose at that time whether there should be one Grand Lodge for the whole of the United States; however, the wisdom of the Craft prevailed and the idea was abandoned.

As years passed, one Grand Lodge was organized in each state, it was

sovereign within the limits of its own borders, no other Grand Lodge having any right to control Masonic affairs under its jurisdiction. Today in the United States there are fifty-one Grand Lodges, one for each state, one for the District of Columbia. On their rolls are more than 165,000 lodges with nearly

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two million members. As Masonry moved westward with the pioneers’, one after another Grand Lodge was formed in the several States.

The Grand Lodge of California was organized at Sacramento in 1850 and began chartering Lodges in California and contiguous Masonically unoccupied territory. Between 1861 and 1865, eight Lodges were chartered in Nevada by the Grand Lodge of California.

In January of 1865, delegates from seven of these Lodges met in convention in Virginia City. At that convention the following Lodges were represented: Carson Lodge, Washoe Lodge, Virginia Lodge, Silver City Lodge (now Amity), Silver Star Lodge, Esmeralda Lodge, and Escurial Lodge. Lander Lodge was not represented, probably on account of distance, but readily endorsed the work of the convention. All of these Lodges were holding California registry charters. On the first day, the convention adopted a constitution, elected and installed a full corps of Grand Lodge Officers, and adjourned sine die, or indefinitely.

The Grand Lodge of Nevada was opened in ample form for the first time

on Tuesday morning, January 17, 1865. The first annual Grand Communication was held October 10, 1865. Since that time, numbers to and including No. 58 have been assigned. At this time (2010), there are 40 active constituent Lodges and two active Research Lodges working within our Jurisdiction. As the need arises, other Lodges may be chartered by the Grand Lodge. In brief, this is our heritage; as you enter into it, you will discover it to be inexhaustible in its interest, lifelong in its appeal, a power in your life to enrich, to ennoble, and to inspire.

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(Meeting No. 1; Subject No. 2)

QUALIFICATIONS OF A MASON

Inasmuch as the ballot box decided that you possessed the qualifications required for a petitioner, you may question the need of giving any further heed to the subject. However, qualifications are not merely a test of a petitioner’s fitness to become a Mason, in a larger and more important sense, they determine a man’s fitness to remain a Mason. They always remain in force; therefore, we do not outgrow them when we pass the ordeal of the ballot.

The word “qualification” is derived from a Latin term meaning “value”.

The Anglo-Saxon term for the same idea was “worth”, from which we derive “worthy” and “Worshipful”. Consequently, a man’s qualifications may be defined as; the values or worth he may possess to fit him for a place in the fellowship of Masons. The values are of two kinds: internal and external. One of the internal qualifications is that a petitioner must come of “his own free will and accord”. He must come unsolicited and uninfluenced by any pressure due to ulterior motives. The normal result of this (and here already we observe how the qualifications remain in effect throughout a Mason’s career) is that no Mason shall solicit a man to petition for membership.

Another internal qualification is that a petitioner shall come uninfluenced by mercenary motives. He is not to expect that within Freemasonry he will find business, professional, or financial gain for himself; at the same time, no Mason has any right to solicit such favors from members of the Fraternity. Both of the qualifications just described are said to be “internal” because they have to do with motives; only a man himself can know what his own motives are. The external qualifications may be divided into several headings, four of which should, at this time, be explained further, Physical, Mental, Political, Moral.

1. Physical. A petitioner must be a man in the full sense of the word. He must be of lawful age, in this state eighteen (18) years old, because no person can undertake any of the Masonic obligations unless he has reached years of discretion and is legally responsible for his actions. This rules out a young man under age; it also rules out a man in his dotage who has lost the powers by which a man recognizes and discharges his responsibilities.

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2. Mental. The mental qualifications are not expressly defined, although, since our meetings are held in English and our forms are in English, it is necessary that a petitioner be able to read and write English. Much is taught a Mason; much is demanded of him; it is impossible for him to understand such teachings or meet the demands unless he possesses at least average intellectual abilities.

3. Political. By political we mean all that has to do with citizenship and a man’s life as a neighbor and as a member of his community. It is required that he be a freeman, in no sense a slave, a bondman, or one who has lost his rights of citizenship; his own master, free to discharge his Masonic duties without interference from outside. He must be “under the tongue of good report”; meaning he must possess a sound reputation among those who know him best. He must be a good citizen, one who is obedient, as expressed in the Old Charges, “to the Civil Magistrate”, and he keeps himself from embroilment in rebellion and mobs in defiance of the tranquility of public order.

4. Moral. A Mason should be a “true and good man”, a man “of honor and honesty”, who governs himself by the Compasses, tries himself by the Square, and tests himself by the Plumb. So domineering are Freemasonry’s moral requirements that to think of a Mason as a man who is not devoted to his integrity and rectitude of character is a contradiction in terms.

It is required of a petitioner that he believes in a Supreme Being. It is

required that all Masons practice tolerance and that no petitioner be questioned as to the peculiar form or mode of his faith, and he must not question his brethren.

Other external qualifications governing residence of petitioners and requiring a member to pay his fair share of the dues and taxes that are lawfully levied upon him also exist. However, it is the internal and not the external which gives us the true sense of the word, “worthy”, this is demanded of every petitioner and member. In the following list of qualifications is a portrait of a Mason drawn by Freemasonry. That portrait is official. How necessary it is for you to grasp this fact in your endeavor to arrive at a true understanding of Freemasonry is difficult to exaggerate!

A Mason must be a man of such bodily equipment as will enable him to

satisfy the demands of the work; of mental competency; of years of responsibility and discretion; of sound character and reputation; a good citizen; a man of well-founded religious faith; his own master, free from external control; devoted to the claims of brotherhood; acceptable to the members of his Lodge.

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The qualifications stand at the center of the Craft, expressing its standards describing who may be Masons, and setting before us the goal of all Masonic endeavors. It is not sufficient that a man shall possess such qualifications for the mere purpose of petitioning for membership. They are required of us all, all of the time, so long as we remain in the Craft.

The following questions may have been raised in your mind at some point; we are sure you will have others as you progress in Freemasonry. However, these few questions and answers should give you a better understanding of what Freemasonry is and why the qualifications of a Mason are so important to the Craft.

Who may be Masons?

Those men who satisfy these requirements.

What is Freemasonry?

A fellowship of such men devoted to ideals of such manhood.

What are the ideals and teachings of Freemasonry?

All such truths, ideals, and realities that describe, interpret, uphold, satisfy, and foster such manhood.

What is the purpose of Freemasonry?

To find such men, to develop such men, and to bring them together in a Fraternity.

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(Meeting No. 1; Subject No. 3)

THE ORGANIZATION AND OPERATION OF A LODGE You have been elected to receive the degrees of Masonry. In due course, you will become a member of this Lodge. Before you become a member, you will appear a minimum of three times in the Lodge to receive the degrees and give your proficiencies for each of them. It will be of great assistance to you to learn at this time how a Lodge is organized and what its machinery is. Much about a Lodge is secret, to be learned only through the ceremony of the degrees. What we are about to explain to you is written in the Book of Constitutions of our Grand Lodge, also in our Manuals and Monitors, all of which is available to the public.

A Lodge is an organization of seven or more Master Masons empowered by a Grand Lodge to confer the three degrees of Masonry and to do such work and carry on such activities as pertain thereto.

Authority is conferred by a Charter issued by a Grand Lodge. You will

later be shown the Charter of this Lodge. It was issued by the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Nevada. A Lodge may retain its Charter only if it abides by the laws, rules, and edicts of the Grand Lodge and works according to the traditions, ancient usages, and customs of the Fraternity.

A Lodge can make Masons of only those elected petitioners as reside

within its jurisdiction. If there is only one Lodge within a city, all persons residing nearer to it by an airline than to any other Lodge must petition the nearer Lodge for the degrees. In cases where there is more than one Lodge in a city, each Lodge has what is termed concurrent jurisdiction; the petitioner may then make his own choice as to which Lodge to petition.

Each Lodge in Nevada is governed according to the Nevada Masonic Code. That code defines the area within which the Lodge governs itself. A certain portion of the rules of self-government particular to each lodge are contained within the Lodge’s By-laws, a copy of which you will be required to sign when you become a Master Mason.

The Grand Lodge of Nevada is presided over by the Grand Master

whose salutation is Most Worshipful. All other Grand Lodge Officers have particular salutations which you will learn at a later time. Lodges within this state have at least twelve officers, the first five of whom are elected by ballot,

the other seven are appointed by the Worshipful Master. The elected officers hold their office for a term of twelve months, and the appointed officers hold theirs at the will and pleasure of the Worshipful Master, during his term of office.

The five elected officers are the Worshipful Master, Senior Warden,

Junior Warden, Treasurer, and Secretary. The appointed officers are the Chaplain, Senior Deacon, Junior Deacon, two Stewards, a Marshal, and the Tyler.

The Worshipful Master governs the Lodge and is responsible to the

Grand Lodge for all that takes place in it.

The Senior and Junior Wardens are the second and third ranking officers, respectively; they assume the powers and prerogatives of the Master in turn in case of his absence or inability to preside at a meeting.

One of the three principal officers must be present in order for a Lodge to

be opened for business or ceremony. Only the Master or one of the Wardens may open the Lodge, close the Lodge, or preside at a stated communication. The only exception to this is that the Most Worshipful Grand Master may open, close, or preside over any Lodge in his jurisdiction. Neither of the three principal officers of the Lodge may resign his office after having been installed.

The Treasurer receives all money from the Secretary and pays it out on

the order of the Lodge after it is certified to by the Master and Secretary.

The Secretary receives all monies due the Lodge and pays it to the Treasurer, keeps a fair record of all that is proper to be written, and performs such other duties as are required by the constitution of the Grand Lodge. He also prepares and attests all diplomas, demits and certificates, conducts the correspondence, has charge of the Lodge seal, and files all documents pertaining to Lodge business.

The Senior and Junior Deacons render a distinctive service in their capacities as proxies for the Master and Wardens in the conferring of degrees and other active duties in the Lodge. The Tyler guards the outer door to see that none pass or re-pass except those who are duly qualified to do so. The other officers have certain prescribed duties to perform that provide for the smooth operation of the Lodge. In addition to the regular officers, there are three Trustees who are considered the business agents of the Lodge. They may be appointed by the

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Master; however, in most Lodges they are elected and hold office for a term of three years. When a Lodge meets, it is called a “Communication” of which there are two different kinds, a Stated Communication and a Special or Called Communication. Stated Communications are held on regular monthly intervals and are for the transaction of regular business. Special or Called Communications are held at the discretion of the Worshipful Master for some particular purpose or to meet some emergency.

It is recommended, in the suggested by-laws, that no meeting to perform Masonic Labor except the Funeral of a deceased Brother should be called on a Sunday. Each of the three degrees in Masonry is conferred within the Lodge, opened on the appropriate degree.

An Entered Apprentice may only be present in a Lodge opened on that degree. A Fellowcraft may be present in a Lodge opened on one of the first two degrees, while a Master Mason may, of course, be present at any communication of the Lodge and exercise his right to vote, but he may only vote in a Lodge in which he is a member.

Petitions for the degrees and applications for membership are received and read at one Stated Communication, an investigating committee consisting of three members is appointed, and a written report at the next Stated Communication is returned; the report is then received, the petitioner is then balloted upon, the ballot is secret.

To be elected, the petitioner must receive a unanimous consent of the members present. In Nevada, we ballot for all three degrees at one time, but some Grand Jurisdictions require a separate ballot for each degree.

There is a certain initiation fee charged by each Lodge and also annual

dues for all Master Masons. Each Lodge pays a per capita fee to the Grand Lodge and a fee for the conferring of each degree. This is but a brief outline of the machinery and form of organization of a Masonic Lodge. It conveys only a hint of the rich life and manifold activities of a Lodge as a member knows them. In due course, you will enjoy the privileges of membership in this Lodge and find it exceeds all your expectations.

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(Meeting No. 1; Subject No. 4)

THE POWERS AND FUNCTIONS OF THE WORSHIPFUL MASTER

You have just learned that the Worshipful Master is the principal officer of the Lodge, but as you are yet unfamiliar with the language of Masonry, the term “Worshipful” may sound strange; however, as you progress in the Craft, you will learn that it is singularly accurate. At this stage of your Masonic journey, we do not expect you to carry all of the following details on your mind; however, we do hope that this presentation will remain in your memory as a picture of the most responsible office in Masonry, excepting only that of Grand Master.

Worshipful means that the Master is entitled to the reverence and respect of every member of the Lodge. Master means he is in strict truth, the Master, not, as in so many other societies, just a presiding officer, but a controlling executive with many sovereign rights and prerogatives.

A broad description of his powers and duties are as follows:

1. To congregate his Lodge upon any emergency.

2. To summon its members.

3. To see that the duties of the officers are faithfully performed.

4. To discharge all the executive functions of the Lodge.

5. To remove any appointed officer for sufficient cause.

It is only when we begin to examine his office in detail that we discover the full scope of his powers and functions.

It is a prerogative of the Worshipful Master to convene his Lodge either for stated meetings, at times provided for in the by-laws, or for special communications, which are called by him for special business. When the Lodge is convened, he is to set it to work and give its members proper instruction for their labors. It is not necessary for him to request or persuade the Lodge members to perform their duties; he may order them, and they are under strict obligation to obey.

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It is his prerogative to preside at the meetings of his Lodge. The only exception is when the Grand Master, or a representative appointed by him, takes the gavel of authority; during that time the right of the Master is superseded. The Master may not resign his office or his right to preside, nor may such power be taken from him so long as he holds office, except by the Grand Master. If one of the officers of the Lodge is absent, or if the office is temporarily vacant, the Master may appoint some other competent Brother to fill the office. If the Master is absent, the Senior Warden takes his place, and if both the Master and Senior Warden are absent the Junior Warden presides. If all three are absent the Lodge cannot be opened except by the Grand Master.

It is the duty of the Master to keep order in his Lodge. At the time of his

installation, the gavel is placed in his hands to signify that he is given the power necessary to discharge that duty, for the gavel is an emblem of that authority. The Master has the right to initiate, control, and terminate discussions.

It is the duty of the Master to supervise all ritualistic work. This is one of

his greatest responsibilities. He should himself be able to take any part; he should be able to instruct and train others; and he should supervise the work as a whole to see that it is properly carried out.

A lodge can neither be convened, opened, or transact business unless its Charter is present. When the Master is installed the Charter is given into his keeping, and he is responsible for its custody and for transmitting it to his successor. The Master determines what business shall come before the Lodge, in what order, and the manner in which it will be conducted. This is more important than it may appear because only certain kinds of business may legally be brought before the Lodge. The members may not always be familiar with Masonic law and may not know whether a given matter is Masonic business or not. It is for the Master to decide, and this power is the Lodge’s protection against possible violation of Masonic law.

Many matters of business or social functions may arise which do not fall into the scope of any elected or appointed Lodge officers duties; hence committees are necessary to carry on such work. Not the least of his responsibilities is his power to appoint all committees.

Brethren in sickness or distress are the Master’s particular charge. If he cannot visit them, it is his duty to appoint others to do so and in general, to see that the Lodge properly discharges it duties to those members who may have met with misfortune.

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His authority to see that the duties of the Secretary are punctually and properly discharged includes as perhaps its most important responsibility his seeing that the Lodge minutes are kept in order and up to date, that nothing is included in them that should not be, and nothing omitted that belongs in them. The minutes are not merely a diary of the Lodge for future reference, but are of immediate importance; many letters of business are carried over to succeeding meetings and any future discussion or decision must be on the basis of official record kept in the minutes. When a Lodge votes to disperse funds, it orders a warrant drawn upon the Treasurer; such warrant must first be signed by the Master, who is thus charged with the duty to supervise the finances, to see that they are in sound condition and that no irregularities creep into the books.

The Master is the representative of his Lodge in Grand Lodge. As you have already learned, a Lodge elects its Master, Wardens, Secretary, Treasurer, and Trustees. All other officers are appointed by the Master. To use such powers and prerogatives, to discharge such duties and functions, it is necessary that the Worshipful Master possess the corresponding qualifications. He must be a Mason of experience, well versed in the art, competent to lead and direct, worthy of the respect of his Lodge, in character fit to represent and exemplify the Masonic life, impartial in treatment of his members, keenly perceptive and trustworthy in counsel, and inspired by such zeal and vision that he may be a leader as well as an executive.

The Master is indeed Master of his Lodge, its chief executive, its head,

vested with great authority, entrusted with great powers, but there is nothing arbitrary, nothing willful in his use of those powers and authority because they are defined and regulated by laws and ancient customs. His duties are equal to his powers, and he must be a true Mason indeed to discharge them with credit to himself and honor to his Lodge.

It is for these reasons that his title is Worshipful, for if anyone is worthy of

honor, of deference, or respect, he is a man who, with no thought of reward for himself, is willing to carry the load of such authority and undertake the labor necessitated by such duties.

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(Meeting No. 1; Subject No.5)

THE DUTIES AND PRIVILEGES OF LODGE MEMBERSHIP

In petitioning for the three degrees of Ancient Craft Masonry, your ultimate desire was to become a member of this Lodge. When the members of this Lodge elected you to receive the degrees, it was with the understanding that you would become a member in due course. It will be helpful to you to have some concept in advance of what being a member of a Lodge implies. At this point in your journey, much of this subject is not yet lawful to explain, much of it can only be learned through immediate experience; however, there is a good deal of information that we need you to understand at this time.

You will become a member by receiving the three degrees and by signing the by-laws. Once you have taken the obligations of the three degrees and signed the bylaws, you are entered into a contractual relationship with the Lodge wherein you bind yourself to perform certain duties, and the Lodge binds itself to protect you in certain rights and privileges.

One of your first duties will be loyalty to the Fraternity, faithfulness to your superior officers, and obedience to the laws of Freemasonry. These are a fundamental condition of continuing your membership.

It will be your duty to hold membership in some Lodge in order to claim the

benefits of Lodge organization. The purpose of such a Masonic law is to insure that only those who contribute may derive its benefits.

The dues assessed by your Lodge are to be paid promptly, and you will find that they are not excessive.

When you are present at a Stated Communication of your Lodge and a

ballot is held on a petition for the degrees or affiliation you are required to ballot. Not even the Master can excuse you. The responsibility of deciding who shall be Masons falls upon every member present. To cast a ballot is not a right or privilege to be exercised by choice, but a duty.

It will be your duty to attend the communications, join in the deliberations,

and have a voice in discharging the responsibilities of the Lodge. You are not required to be present if it interferes with your necessary vocation or if it will cause a hardship on your family or yourself, otherwise your attendance is expected. If the Worshipful Master, acting according to his authority, issues a summons to you to attend a communication for a special

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purpose, or to discharge some duty required of you as a Mason, it will be your duty to obey it, unless circumstances render it impossible. Such duties are inherent to membership in a Lodge; others will be made clear to you as you progress from one degree to another. In many fundamental respects, a Lodge differs from any other organization; membership is not a mere gesture of honor, or an idle privilege, with duties and obligations to be laid down and taken up at leisure. A member should not stand outside in idleness until he has an opportunity to secure something for his own selfish advantage, nor evade his responsibilities by shifting his duties to more willing shoulders. The Mystic Tie that binds a Mason to his brothers has in it a strand of steel held fast by stringent laws. Certain rights and privileges accompany these duties and are equally maintained and made secure by the Fraternity.

If you move away from the jurisdiction of your Lodge, you will have the right to transfer your membership to another Lodge, provided that you are in good standing in the first Lodge and your petition for membership in the second is favorably acted upon. You are also permitted to accept Honorary Membership in some Lodge, if it so elects you, without derogation from your standing or right in your own Lodge.

As a member of a Lodge, you are eligible to any office in it. You will have the right to visit other Lodges in this or any other Grand Jurisdiction providing always the Worshipful Master is willing to admit you after you have been properly vouched for or examined.

When you become a Master Mason and are in good standing, you will have the right to join in public processions, a privilege that is carefully guarded and protected by our laws, since to join in such is to identify oneself with the Fraternity.

In case of sickness or distress, you will have the right to appeal for relief.

Masonic law does not guarantee that under all circumstances relief will be given, or if given, how much and in what form, because ours is neither an organized charity nor an insurance society, but to ask for it is a Masonic right in time of need.

In case of your death, you will be entitled to a Masonic burial, a privilege

to be valued over and above its public recognition of your standing, for it means that your family will be brought within the care of a Lodge at a time when friendly assistance may be needed. In all communications of the Lodge, you will have a voice in its discussions, and a vote on questions decided by ballot. Neither in Lodge nor in Grand Lodge is there taxation without

representation, nor is any Masonic officer permitted to exercise arbitrary or unreasonable authority.

The Lodge and Grand Lodge provide many services and extend many opportunities for entertainment, good fellowship, and educational advantages; as a Mason, you will have the privilege to enjoy these equally with all others.

When among strangers, you will have certain modes of recognition by which you prove yourself to another Mason and to prove him to yourself, to enable you to establish fraternal relations with men who otherwise may have remained at a perpetual distance. To know that wherever you may go in this vast country, and whatever your condition, you will find Brothers ready to extend the hand of fellowship, men whom you have never met, but who already stand bound to you by a Mystic Tie, is one of the greatest of all the privileges of membership.

The duties, rights, and privileges of Masonic membership, which we have just explained, are not exhaustive. We have only touched the fringe of a great theme, but it is our hope that, with such light as this has given you, you will go forward with a livelier understanding of what Masonry will mean to you and also what you may mean to it.

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(Meeting No. 2; Subject No.1)

THE MEANING OF THE TERM, “ENTERED APPRENTICE”

You are now an Entered Apprentice Mason. The first step in your journey to the Sublime Degree of Master Mason has been taken. Doubtless you found your initiation an experience you will never forget, nor should you ever forget it. A Degree of Masonry is not an isolated experience, rather an ever enduring privilege. You may now always sit in an Entered Apprentice Lodge; return to observe, to participate in, and to study its ceremonies. Your possession of the Degree is complete; you can continue to enjoy it for as long as you live.

Without a doubt, you have an eager curiosity to learn more about this Degree before you receive the Fellowcraft Degree; perhaps its ceremonies seemed strange to you; its language fell on your ears with unaccustomed accents; and at its end, you may have been somewhat bewildered. Rest assured we are here to help you to interpret it by giving you a brief explanation of the term “Entered Apprentice”. The builders of those remarkable structures erected in the Gothic style of Architecture in the Middle Ages in Europe and Great Britain, from six to nine hundred years ago, we call “Operative Masons” because they were builders in the literal sense, hewing stone from the quarries, dressing it to shape, laying it in the walls, constructing roofs, doors, windows, and spires. In short, their trade was a means of livelihood. Those Operative Masons were organized in Lodges, governed by Masters and Wardens. They had Lodge rooms and held frequent communications in them. The members were divided into grades. They employed ceremonies of initiation, used signs, symbols, and passwords, preserved secrecy, and admitted only men to membership. Their Lodges were in many ways strikingly similar to ours.

It was necessary for the Operative Masons to admit new members to

replace those lost through removal, accident, illness or death. To do this, they used the apprenticeship system, which was used by all crafts for many centuries.

The word “Apprentice” means learner, or beginner, one who is taking his first steps in mastering a trade, art, or profession. In Operative Masonry, the apprentice was a boy, usually from ten to fifteen years of age. He was required to be sound in body, without maim to his limbs, in order to perform his work which required physical strength and endurance. He had to be of good habits, obedient, willing to learn, of unquestionable reputation, and be

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well recommended by Masons who were already members of the Craft. When such a boy was chosen as an Apprentice, he was called into the Lodge where all the members could assure themselves of his mental and physical qualifications. If they voted to receive him, he was given much information about the Craft, what it required of its members, something of its early history and tradition, and what his duties would be; he, in turn, gave a solemn promise to obey his superiors, to work diligently, to observe the laws and rules, and to keep the secrets of the Craft.

After being thus obligated, he was bound over, or indentured, to one of the more experienced Master Masons. As a rule, he lived with this Master Mason, and day by day learned the methods and secrets of the trade from him. This apprenticeship lasted many years, usually seven.

After this young man had served in this manner long enough to give assurance of his fitness to master the art and become an acceptable member of the society, his name was entered into the books of the Lodge, and he was given a recognized place within the organization of the Craft. Because of this official entering of his name, he was given the title “Entered Apprentice”; all who attained that rank formed one grade of members.

It is difficult to exaggerate the care our Operative Masonic forbearers devoted to these learners. The Master Mason, to whom the Apprentice was indentured, was obligated by law to teach him the theory as well as the practice of Masonry. Not until the Apprentice, after many years, could prove his proficiency by meeting the most rigid tests of skill, was he permitted to advance to a higher rank in the Craft. The Apprentice worked with other Master Masons who were also his teachers. He was given moral instruction; his conduct was carefully scrutinized; many rules were laid down to control his manner of life. When we read the old charges and ancient documents that have come down to us, we are impressed by the amount of space devoted to Apprentices. The Operative Masons knew that the Apprentice would be the Master Mason of the future. Therefore, as time passed, there grew up about the rank and duties and regulations of the Apprentice, an organized set of customs, ceremonies, rules, traditions, etc. These at last crystallized into a well- defined unit, which we may describe as the Operative Entered Apprentice Degree. After the Reformation, when Operative Masonry was transformed into Speculative Masonry, the Entered Apprentice Degree was retained as the first of the three degrees in the Speculative Lodge. It was modified, of course, to meet the needs of the Speculative Fraternity, but in substance and meaning it is fundamentally the same as it always has been.

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As an Entered Apprentice Mason, you are a learner, a beginner, in Speculative Masonry. You have taken the first step in the mastery of our art. It is because you have this rank that certain things are expected of you.

First, you are expected to show certain humility. As a learner, you must

have guides and teachers; you must show obedience to them and be willing to have them lead you.

Second, you must learn certain portions of the Degree, so as to prove your proficiency in open Lodge or as the Worshipful master may order. But you are to learn these parts not merely to pass this test, you must master them so thoroughly that they will remain with you through life because you will have need of them many times in the future.

Third, you must study to improve yourself in Masonry in other ways. This Lodge will not be content merely to have your name on its books and to receive your annual dues; it wants you to become a real Mason and not just a dues paying member.

Fourth, you will learn the laws, rules, and regulations by which an Entered Apprentice Mason is governed.

As you stood in the Northeast corner of the Lodge during your initiation, you were taught a certain lesson concerning a cornerstone. The meaning of that lesson should now be clear to you. You are a cornerstone of the Craft. Today you are an Entered Apprentice; in a short time, you will be a Fellowcraft; after that, you will become a Master Mason. The day will come when into your hands will fall the responsibilities of the Lodge. What Masonry is to be in the future depends on what you, as an Entered Apprentice, are now. You are the cornerstone on which the Fraternity is now building itself. It is our hope that you will prove a solid foundation, true and tried, set four square, on which our great Fraternity may safely build for many years to come.

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(Meeting No. 2; Subject No. 2)

AN INTERPRETATION OF THE RITUAL OF THE FIRST DEGREE

The word Apprentice means a beginner, a learner. In what is the Entered

Apprentice Mason a beginner? What does he learn? The answers to these questions may seem obvious. He is a beginner in Masonry, and he learns the basic principles of Masonry. However, there is a deeper and more significant meaning to the Entered Apprentice Degree.

The Masonic Lodge room is represented in the Ritual as a symbol of the

world. The particular form in which this symbol is cast harks back to earlier times when man believed the earth to be square and the sky to be a solid dome; while this no longer represents our idea of the physical shape of the world, the significance remains the same. The First Degree is not meant to be a discourse on geometry or astronomy.

The world thus represented is the world of Masonry; the Masonic career

from beginning to end, including all that lies between. The West Gate, through which the candidate enters, represents birth. In the First Degree, the candidate is born into the Masonic life; therefore, he is poor, blind, and helpless, like a babe just born. The old life with all its accessories has dropped from him as completely as though he were dead. He now enters on a new life in a new world. Masonry is systematic, well proportioned, and balanced. Duties and work are supervised and regulated, controlled through laws written and unwritten, expressed through Landmarks, traditions, usages, Constitutions and by-laws, guided and directed through officers vested with power and authority. The candidate obligates himself to uphold that lawful system; when he salutes the Master and Wardens, he signifies his obedience to the legally constituted Officers; when he follows his guide and fears no danger, he expresses his trust in and loyalty to, the Fraternity, as should a child yet unable to trust himself.

The new world is a lawful world in which whims and uncertainty have no part. It has a definite nature. It is devoted to specified purposes, committed to well defined aims and ideals. Its members cannot make it over to suit their own whims or conform to their own purposes; they must make themselves over to conform to its requirements. One should not become a Master Mason in order to become a member of the Lodge; he should become a member to be a real Master Mason. If anything in his nature obstructs him, he must use his working tools to remove it. Among the first requirements of the Apprentice

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is that he shall offer himself as rough stone, to be shaped under Masonic laws and influences for a place in the Temple of Masonry.

The world of Masonry is a complete world, existence in it is fully rounded, and it satisfies the needs of the whole man; physical, moral, intellectual, social, and spiritual. It establishes physical conditions suitable to its needs. It requires of its citizens that they be good and true men, able to meet the tests of the Square, Plumb, Level, and the Compasses. It offers abundant opportunities for good fellowship and social contacts. It satisfies the mind with the great teachings of a profound philosophy. It worships God, it opens the Sacred Books upon its Alters and leads the life of prayer according to the needs of the soul. To improve himself in Masonry, an apprentice must study to learn such a life as this; it is not permitted of him to come merely for the loaves and fishes, or only to be entertained, or to seek some personal advantage. It is required that he build his life according to this trestle board of a well-rounded existence, assisted by guides and teachers, encouraged and inspired by experienced Brethren, using the Working Tools and all other means provided.

The world of Masonry is dedicated to Brotherhood. Unless the

Apprentice is willing and qualified to lead the brotherly life, he will never master the Royal Art. Unless he is sincere in his obligations that pledge him to live the brotherly life, the Mystic Tie can never take a lasting hold of his nature. Unless he is willing to abide by the laws which define, regulate, and control the brotherly life, he will be out of step with the Fraternity. The Masonic ritual, symbols, emblems, allegories, and ceremonies, in all the richness and variety of their meaning, point in the same direction. It is of extreme importance that an Apprentice accepts and understands them.

During the First Degree, an Apprentice takes his first step through the portals of Masonry leaving the darkness, destitution, and helplessness of the profane world for the light and warmth of this new existence. This is the great meaning of the Degree; not just and idle formality but a genuine experience, the beginning of a new career in which duties, rights, and privileges are real. In order for a man not to be an Apprentice in name only, he must be ready and willing to do work upon his own nature which will make him a better man.

An Entered Apprentice must therefore possess certain qualities;

obedience, humility, and industriousness. Unless a learner is willing to obey his teachers, there is no way for him to learn. It is not intended that this obedience be blind or servile; it is only what is required of any man young or old who undertakes the mastery of a new art. An Apprentice will never be

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subjected to humiliation, but it is demanded that he be willing to be led and directed, free of egotism or conceit, and have no presumptuous belief that he knows already what he has only begun to learn. An Entered Apprentice must be industrious. Freemasonry maintains a high threshold. There is never a promise of an easy victory; rather it is made clear that many obstacles and hazards will be encountered throughout ones journey. Freemasonry offers no wages or rewards except to those who earn them; it places working tools in the hands of its members, not playthings.

It is highly recommended and wise for any Entered Apprentice to study some Masonic literature, not necessarily at great length, but enough to familiarize himself with our history, Ritual, philosophy, and jurisprudence. The members of this committee will be happy to recommend books on these subjects.

To become a Mason is a solemn and serious undertaking. Once the step is taken, it may well change the course of a man’s life.

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(Meeting No. 2; Subject No. 3)

THE TENETS (BROTHERLY LOVE, RELIEF AND TRUTH)

As you have already learned the principle tenets of Freemasonry are Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth. It is important not to overlook the word principle because, although Freemasonry lays the greatest emphasis on these three teachings, there are others of almost equal importance.

By the word “tenet” we mean some teaching so obviously true, so universally accepted, that we believe it without question. Examples are everywhere about us. Good health is better than illness; an industrious man is more useful than an idle one; education is to be preferred to ignorance – these are but a few of the countless examples of the teachings that no intelligent man can possibly question. Everyone takes them for granted. They are TENETS.

Freemasonry considers Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth to be teachings

of this kind, true in a sense that no man can question them; they are obvious and self-proving. It is not uncommon for men to consider Brotherly Love, while highly desirable, as not practicable and, therefore, but a vision to be dreamed but never possessed.

Freemasonry, however, considers Brotherly Love to be a tenet thus

stating that it is plainly, obviously, and necessarily true. It is highly important that you understand that the teachings of Freemasonry are self-evident realities and not just visionary ideals, otherwise you will never understand Masonic teachings. Freemasonry does not tell us that Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth ought to be true, that it would be better for us all if it were true; it tells us that they are true. They are tremendous realities in human life, and it is as impossible to question their existence as it is to question the ground under our feet, or the sun over our heads. Our question is not whether to believe in them or not, for we cannot help but believe them; our question is, what are we going to do with them?

Love places the highest possible valuation on another person. A man’s mother or father, his wife or sweetheart, his children, his intimate friends, he values not for the advantages he may gain from them, not for their usefulness, but each one for him or herself and only for his or her own sake. We work for such persons, we make sacrifices for them, and we delight to be with them; that, in detail and practice is what is meant by love.

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What, then, is Brotherly Love? Manifestly, it means that you place on another man the highest possible valuation as a friend, a companion, an associate, a neighbor. Merely to be with him, to spend hours in his company, to work at his side is a privilege. We do not ask that from our relationship we shall make money, further our business interests, or achieve any selfish gain. Our relationship with a Brother is its own excuse for being, its own justification, and its own reward. Brotherly Love is one of the supreme goods without which life is lonely, unhappy, and ugly. This is not a hope or a dream, but a fact as real as day and night or the law of gravity. Freemasonry builds on that fact, takes it for granted, provides opportunities for us to have such fellowships, encourages us to understand and practice it, and to make it one of the laws of our existence; one of our Principle Tenets.

Relief is one of the forms of Charity. We think of Charity as relief from pauperism. As a rule, the public discharges that responsibility through some form of organized charity financed by general subscriptions or out of public funds. The Masonic conception of Relief is different. While now and then some Brother, through misfortune and no fault of his own, becomes more or less permanently unable to support himself and his family, and is cared for by outside relief, or by his Lodge, such cases are the exception rather than the rule. The qualifications demanded of a petitioner exclude the men who, through indolence or vice, may be expected to lapse into chronic poverty.

Masonic Relief takes for granted that any man, no matter how

industrious and frugal he may be, through sudden misfortune, or other conditions over which he has no control, may be in temporary need of a helping hand. To extend it is not what is generally described as charity, but is one of the natural an inevitable acts of Brotherhood. Any conception of Brotherhood must include this willingness to give help, aid, and assistance. Therefore, Relief, Masonically understood, is a Tenet.

By Truth, the last of the Principle Tenets, is meant something more than the search for truths in the intellectual sense, though that is included. In any permanent Brotherhood, members must be truthful in character and habit, dependable, men of honor as well as of honesty, men on whom we can rely to be faithful fellows and loyal friends. Thus understood, Truth is a necessity if a Brotherhood is to exist, and, therefore, we take it for granted as beyond question.

Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth are the Principle Tenets of Masonry. There are other Tenets, teachings so obvious that argument is never necessary to sustain them. With this in mind, we urge you to ponder the

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teachings of the Craft as you progress from Degree to Degree. You may not find them novel. Novelty, however, while it may have its own interest, is not to be compared in value with the knowledge that the truths on which Freemasonry is founded are eternal. They are never new, neither are they ever old; time cannot wither nor customs stale their infinite variety; the freshness of immortality is on them because they never die; in them is a ceaseless inspiration and an inexhaustible appeal. They are the Tenets of Freemasonry because always and everywhere they have been Tenets of successful human life.

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(Meeting No. 2; Subject No. 4)

SYMBOLS OF THE FIRST DEGREE

The symbols, emblems, and allegorical ceremonies of the First Degree each have many meanings; together these comprise the teaching of the Degree. It would take many hours to give you complete explanations of each of them; however, we believe it will be profitable for you to have a few suggestions, especially since they will show that every detail of the Ritual is filled with a definite significance which each Mason can learn if he studies the Degrees and applies himself to that task.

The Hoodwink represents the darkness in which an uninitiated man stands as regards to Masonic life. It is removed at the moment of enlightenment, suggesting that we do not make the great things of existence, such as goodness, truth, and beauty, but find them. They are always there; it is our blindness that conceals them from us.

The Cable Tow is a symbol of all those external restraints by which a

man is controlled by others, or by forces outside himself. If a man does not keep the law of his own free will, he must be compelled to keep it. The removal of the Cable Tow signifies that when a man becomes master of himself, he will keep the law instinctively by his own character.

The Lodge is a symbol of the world, more properly the world of Masonry.

Initiation means birth, an entrance into the world. The extent of Freemasonry is as broad as human nature and as wide as mankind; as a spirit and an ideal, it permeates the whole life of every true Mason, outside the Lodge, as well as within.

The Ceremony of Entrance, all that happens at the West Gate, signifies

birth or initiation and symbolizes the fact a candidate is entering the world of Masonry, there to live and learn a new kind of life.

The Reception typifies the one real penalty for violations of the obligations, the destructive consequence to a man’s nature of being faithless to his vows, untrue to his word, disloyal to his obedience.

The Rite of Circumambulation is Masonry’s name for the ceremony of walking around the Lodge room, an allegorical act rich with many meanings. One of these is that the Masonic Life is a progressive journey, from station to station of attainment and that a Mason will always search for more light.

An equal significant ceremony is that of approaching the East.

The East is a source of light, (remember that light means knowledge) that station in the heavens in which the sun appears to dispel the darkness. Masons are sons of light, therefore, we face the East.

The Alter is a symbol of that place which the worship of God holds in Masonry; the center around which all else revolves.

The Obligations have a literal meaning and thus are the foundations of our disciplinary law. Above this, they signify the nature and place of obligation in human life. An obligation is a tie, contract, pledge, promise, vow, a duty that is owed; in addition to the obligations we voluntarily assume, there are many in which we stand naturally; obligations to God, our families, to employers or employees, to friends and neighbors. A Mason can be depended upon to fulfill his obligations to the best of his ability.

The Three Great Lights in Masonry are the Holy Bible, Square, and

Compasses. As a Great Light, the Holy Bible represents the will of God as man understands it; the Square is an emblem of virtue; the Compasses signify the moral and spiritual life. If a man acts in obedience to the will of God according to the dictates of his conscience, he will be living in the illumination of the Great Lights and cannot go astray.

The Lesser Lights represent the Sun, Moon, and Master of the Lodge.

The Sun is a symbol of that which is masculine, active, and aggressive; the Moon, of that which is feminine, receptive, non – resisting; when these two types of human action are maintained in balance, mastership is the result.

The Word and Grip are our means of recognition by which, when among

strangers, we are able to prove others or ourselves regular Masons in order to enter into fraternal intercourse.

The Rite of Salutation, in which the candidate salutes each station in turn, is his recognition of the authority of the principle officers. It is also a symbol of a Mason’s respect for the obedience to all just and duly constituted authorities. The Old Charges state this in a single sentence: “A Mason is a peaceable subject to the Civil Powers wherever he resides or works.”

The Worshipful Master is a symbol as well as the executive officer of the Lodge. As the sun rules the day, he rules and governs his Lodge; his title, Worshipful, means that he is worthy of reverence, respect, and obedience.

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The Lambskin Apron is an emblem of purity and the badge of a Mason. By purity is meant blamelessness, a loyal obedience to the laws of the Craft and sincere good will to the Brethren; the term, the badge of a Mason, signifies that Masons are workers and builders, not drones and destructionists.

The symbolism of the Rite of Destitution refers to those ancient times

when men believed that the planets determined human fate and controlled human passions, and there was a metal by which each planet was controlled. In ancient initiations, candidates were compelled to leave all metals behind, lest they bring into the assembly disturbing planetary influences. While with us, this symbolism no longer has its astrological character the old point about keeping out disturbing influences remains; the candidate is not to bring into the Lodge room his passions or prejudices lest harmony, which is one of the chief concerns of Masonry, be destroyed.

The Northeast Corner, half way between the North, Masonically termed, a place of darkness, and the East, a source of light, is traditionally the place where the cornerstone of a building is laid. The Apprentice stands there to receive his first instruction; this signifies that he is the Cornerstone of the future of the Craft. What Apprentices are today, Masonry will become in the future.

The Working Tools represent those moral and spiritual virtues, habits and forces, by which a man reshapes the crude and often stubborn materials of his nature to adjust himself to the requirements of human society. To become a Mason, a man who has lived carelessly, without a plan, without aim or ideal, must learn to bring system to his life as signified by the Twenty-four Inch Gauge. If he has traits of temper, habits of speech, or defects of character that disturb or injure others and interfere with his proper place in the Brotherhood, as corners of rough stones interfere with putting them into their allotted places in the building, he must rid himself of them with the Common Gavel.

The Entered Apprentice is himself a symbol, one of the noblest in the emblematic system of the Craft. He represents youth, typified by the rising sun, trained youth, willing to submit itself to discipline and to seek knowledge in order to learn the great Art of Life, which is the real Royal Art, represented and interpreted by all the mysteries of Masonry.

It was through all these symbols and emblems, which our magnificent First Degree gave to you as a man and an Entered Apprentice Mason. We

sincerely hope that these suggestions as to the meaning of these symbols and emblems will lead you to seek further for more light, not only that you may become a well-learned Mason, but also for their value to your life outside the Lodge room.

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(Meeting No. 2; Subject No.5)

DUTIES, PRIVILEGES AND LIMITATIONS OF AN ENTERED APPRENTICE

As an Entered Apprentice, you have an immediate and personal interest

in our subject, but our discussion should lead you to see that it has a permanent and important interest for every Mason, however long it may be since he received his First Degree. In a true sense, we always remain Entered Apprentices. The teachings of the Degree always remain in effect. Its obligation, although subject to additions in the succeeding Degrees, continues to be binding. Our interest in the Craft as a whole must always include it because it is part of the Craft. As Masons, we associate with Apprentices, work with them, or perhaps are sought by them for counsel and advice. Therefore, it is important for us to have as clear an understanding as possible of the duties, privileges, and limitations of Apprentices.

Masonic law provides that only Master Masons can be members, and

members are the only ones who can vote or hold office. Therefore, an Apprentice cannot be a member of a Lodge, vote, or hold office; only a Master Mason who has signed the By-laws of the lodge of his choice can thus consummate his membership. An Apprentice is still on probation, and the Craft has not yet received him as a member. An Apprentice cannot visit or sit in a Lodge except when it is opened on the First Degree; however, even if he is present, he is not entitled to a vote or a voice in the discussions, nor is he entitled to any monetary benefits, as he as yet contributes nothing. Nevertheless, he possesses certain important rights and privileges. He has the right to sit in a Lodge of Entered Apprentices.

If charged with violating his obligation, he is entitled to trial and will be

heard by his peers. He has the right to apply for advancement to a higher Degree. In the event of his death, his family has the right to request a Masonic funeral; however, the granting of this request is up to the discretion of the Worshipful Master. Also, the Apprentice possesses modes of recognition by which he can make himself known to other Apprentices, and he has the privilege of using them.

Of his duties, the chief is to be faithful to his obligation; the clauses of

which clearly describe what he is to do and not to do. As an Apprentice, you should study the obligation so carefully that both its words and their meaning will remain with you as long as you live. It is also the duty of the Apprentice to

learn the required portions of the Degree with thoroughness, not only because he must prove himself proficient in order to advance, but also because it contains Masonic teachings of fundamental importance that remain forever binding on every Mason. He should not be content with learning the words letter perfect, but to study the meanings also. If he cannot interpret these for himself, he should seek help from others. The first Degree is not a temporary stopping place, a mere step in the ladder of ascent, to be forgotten when the next Degree is reached.

Learning the work should not be a tiresome task, over and done with as soon as possible; the Degree is perfect and complete within its own field; its great purpose is that the candidate shall be an Apprentice Mason in the sense that its teachings become a permanent part of his being.

The Apprentice is a Mason, but a Mason with much to learn; he is passing through a period of trial and testing; his relation to the Craft is like that of the medical student to the profession of medicine. Therefore, it is his duty to be obedient, entrusting himself without question to his guides, and in a spirit of humbleness quick to respond to the instructions of the officers of the Lodge. It is not for him to question what he finds, to discuss the Lodge, to enter into arguments, or to set himself up as a critic. His presence in the Craft is as yet on sufferance, and he possesses no right to remain in it. Nor can he know enough about it to criticize or to find fault. The clue to his whole position is furnished by the word “Apprentice”, which means “learner”; since he is by status a learner, his chief task is to learn, and to learn he must obey his teachers.

The Entered Apprentice Degree has a larger meaning. It signifies the doctrine of Masonic Apprenticeship as a whole in which Fellowcraft and new Master Masons also are included. The act of joining a club is so simple that often it consists of little more than verbal assents or signing a card; there is no preparation for membership because no preparation is needed. Everybody, even outsiders, understand such societies clearly enough; their activities are already familiar; the majority of men are prepared for them before they seek membership.

Freemasonry preserves a secrecy about all its work; it meets behind tiled

doors; it covers its principles and teachings in a veil of symbolism and ritual; its Art is mystery; a wall great and high separates it from the profane world; it is a world in itself standing silently within the great world. Nor is its work easy to understand. Difficult, exceedingly complex, it is carried forward in the high and responsible regions of the religious, moral, and intellectual life.

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For such reasons, there is almost nothing in common between it and social societies which serve as playgrounds. By comparison with such societies, Freemasonry is more like a university, church, state, or societies devoted to science and scholarships.

The petitioner who knocks at our portals possesses very slight

knowledge of what lies within and brings with him little or no previous preparation. Once inside, he discovers that Masonry stretches away before him like a great continent across which he must make a long and often difficult journey to reach his goal. The night on which he receives his Entered Apprentice Degree marks the beginning of his journey; the tasks of learning Masonry, of becoming adept in its work, of fashioning his life according to its requirements, still lie before him.

In asking you to learn well the duties, privileges, prerogatives, and limitations of an Entered Apprentice, we also urge you to conceive of apprenticeship in the larger sense. It is not difficult for a candidate to become a member in name only, but we want your own ambition to extend far beyond that indifferent stage. We believe that you desire to become a Mason in reality and that no idle desire for the honor of bearing the name has been your motive for seeking our fellowship. If this is true, we both urge and advise you not to be content with the latter and outward form in this your beginning period, but to apply yourself with freedom, fervency, and zeal to the sincere and thorough mastering of our Royal Art. Therefore, be an Entered Apprentice Mason in spirit and in truth.

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(Note to the Committee: The following lecture in contained in the Standard Work Book and it is suggested therein by the Grand Lodge that this lecture be given at the time of Initiation. If it is not given at that time is should be given within the Lodge room so that demonstrations can be done in the proper manner.)(The Lodge need not be opened.)

(Meeting No. 2; Subject No. 6)

MASONIC PROTOCOL

My Brother, as you are now an Entered Apprentice, there are several items peculiar to a Masonic Lodge which should be explained to you.

You have noticed that the Worshipful Master wears a hat, and he is the only one in the Lodge who does so. To keep the head covered while all around are uncovered is a mark of superiority of rank or station; thus this custom designates the Worshipful Master as the head or leader of the Lodge with the responsibility of ruling and governing the same.

The area between the Altar, on which rests the three great lights in Masonry, and the Worshipful Master’s station in the East is never violated except during the ceremonies of a Degree. This signifies that the light emanating from that Great Light must shine on the Worshipful Master without blemish to give him the wisdom to rule and govern the Lodge. In other words, never pass through that area while the Lodge is open. If it becomes necessary for you to move across the room, pass around the west side of the Altar.

The proper attitude of a Mason in Nevada while attending prayer is “standing erect, head bowed, hands at side”, thusly (demonstrate to the Entered Apprentice.) This was officially adopted by the Grand Lodge in 1975.

When a prayer is given in Lodge, or at any Masonic function, the Brother leading the prayer will conclude by saying Amen. All of the Brethren present will respond with the phrase, “So mote it be”. “Mote” is from an old Anglo – Saxon word and means “so may it be” or “so be it”. By using this response, the Brethren are affirming the content of the prayer.

The Worshipful Master uses the gavel in proper conduct of the Lodge

and its ceremonies, and the raps of the gavel will now be explained to you. One rap calls the Lodge to order, also in calling up some specific officer or Brother. One rap also seats that officer or Brother after he has completed whatever was required of him. Two raps calls up all the officers of the Lodge.

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Three raps calls up all Masons present. One rap, of course, then seats everyone. (The Worshipful Master should demonstrate the raps if he delivers this lecture, and if some other Brother gives it, the Worshipful Master should demonstrate in coordinating with the Brother giving it.)

Proper respect is paid to the Flag of our Country during its presentation.

We do this in the customary manner by standing erect with our right hand over our heart, during the time that the Flag is being carried to and from the Altar, and while at the Altar during the Pledge of Allegiance.

If you should be addressed by the Worshipful Master, you would rise (if

you are seated), render him the courtesy of the due guard and sign of the degree in which the work is being conducted, say “Worshipful Master”, and give him your attention. At a proper time if you wish to address the Worshipful Master, you rise, give the appropriate due guard and sign and begin by saying “Worshipful Master”, and upon being recognized by the Worshipful Master, continue you remarks.

You should learn to give the due guard and sign correctly, and practice

until you can do them in a proper manner.

You have taken the solemn obligation of an Entered Apprentice, and will assume others as you advance through the Fellowcraft and Master Mason Degree. You may have been concerned by the penalty of the obligation. The wording used has been in existence since the earliest days of our Fraternity and was intended to point out the extreme seriousness our ancient Brethren attached to the obligation.

The penalty is symbolic, in that according to the Nevada Grand Lodge Code, if a Mason is charged with un-Masonic conduct and is duly tried and found guilty, there are actually only three penalties, which can be imposed, depending on the seriousness of the offense. The three penalties are (1) Reprimand in open Lodge, (2) Suspension for an indefinite period, and (3) Expulsion from the Fraternity. We have retained the original wording for three reasons; first to further accent the antiquity of our order, secondly to reemphasize how seriously we view the obligation, and lastly because the ancient wording forms the basis for certain of our signs.

Finally, my Brother, you were taught to wear your apron as an Entered Apprentice and will receive further instruction as you advance. You were told that the apron is the distinguished badge of a Mason. We should wear the apron proudly for all to see. For this reason, in this Jurisdiction we are taught

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to wear the apron in full view over any outer garment we are wearing. Wear it over the coat, jacket, or sweater you may be wearing, not under it.

My Brother, it is hoped that these comments will be helpful to you in your Masonic travels.

(With special appreciation to Gerald C. Abbott, P.M., Oasis Lodge No. 41, and William F. Branstetter, P.M., Escurial Lodge No. 7, for use of lectures they had prepared for their individual Lodges. Signed:

Calvin J Dodson, P.G.M., V.W. Grand Lecturer, September, 1987)

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(Meeting No. 3; Subject No. 1)

THE MEANING OF THE TERM FELLOWCRAFT

“Fellowcraft” is one of a large number of terms, which have a technical meaning peculiar to Freemasonry and are seldom found elsewhere. A “Craft” is an organization of skilled workmen in some trade or calling; masons, carpenters, painters, sculptors, barbers, etc. A “Fellow” means one who holds membership in such a craft, obligated to the same duties and allowed the same privileges. Since the skilled crafts are no longer organized as they once were, the term is no longer in use in its original sense. In Freemasonry, it has two separate meanings, one of which we may call the Operative meaning, the other Speculative. In its Operative period, Freemasons were skilled workmen engaged in some branch of the building trade, or art of architecture; like other skilled workmen, they had an organized craft of their own, the general form of which was called a “guild”. A Lodge was a local, and usually temporary organization within the guild. This guild had officers, laws, rules, regulations, and customs of its own, vigorously binding on all members.

It divided its membership into two grades, the lower of which was composed of Apprentices. Operative Freemasons recruited members from qualified lads of ten to fifteen years of age. When such a boy proved acceptable to the members, he was required to swear to be teachable and obedient, whereupon he was bound over to some Master Mason. If he proved worthy, his name was formally entered in the books of the Lodge, thereby giving him his title of Entered Apprentice. For seven years, this boy lived with his master, gave him complete obedience in all things and toiled much but received no pay except his board, lodging, and clothing. In the Lodge life he held a place equally subordinate because he could not hold office. During his long apprenticeship he was really a bond servant with many duties, few rights, and little freedom.

At the end of his apprenticeship, he was examined in Lodge; if his record was good, if he could prove his proficiency under test, and the members voted in his favor, he was released from his bonds and made a full member of the Craft, with the same duties, rights, and privileges as all others. In the sense that he thus becomes a full member, he was called a “Fellow of the Craft”; in the sense that he had mastered his art, and no longer needed a teacher, he was called a “Master Mason.” So far as his grade was concerned, these two terms meant the same thing.

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Such was the Operative meaning of Fellowcraft; now that the Craft is no longer Operative, the term possesses a very different meaning, yet it is still used in its original sense in certain parts of the Ritual, and of course, it is frequently met with in histories of the Fraternity.

Operative Freemasonry began to decline at about the time of the

Reformation, when Lodges became few in number and small in membership. A few of these in England began to admit into membership, men with no intention of practicing Operative Masonry, but who were attracted by the Craft’s antiquity and for social reasons. These men were called Speculative Masons. At the beginning of the eighteenth century, Speculative Masons so increased in numbers that they gained control, and during the first quarter of that century completely transformed the Craft into the Speculative Fraternity as we now have it. Although they adhered as closely as possible to the old customs, they made some radical changes to fit the Society for its new purposes. One of the most important of these was to abandon the old rule of dividing the membership into two grades, or degrees, and to adopt the new rule of dividing it into three. The second was called the Fellowcraft Degree, the third, the Master Mason Degree.

The term Fellowcraft is now used as follows: as the name of the Second Degree; of the ritualistic ceremonies and other contents of the Degree, as the name of a member of the degree, and of a Lodge when opened in that Degree. You are a Fellowcraft; you passed through its ceremonies, assumed its obligations, are registered as such in the books of the Lodge, and can sit in either a Lodge of Entered Apprentices or of Fellowcrafts, but not of Master Masons.

Your duties are to do and to be all that it requires. Freemasonry is too extensive to be exemplified in a ritual or to be presented through initiation in one evening. There is far too much for a man to learn in many evenings. One Degree follows the other, and the members of each stand on a different level of rights and duties; but this does not mean that the Masonry presented in the First, or in the Second Degree, so far as its nature and teachings are concerned, is less important or less binding than that presented in the Third Degree. All that is taught in the First and the Second Degrees belongs as vitally to Freemasonry as that which is taught in the Third Degree.

Do not, therefore, be tempted to look upon either of the first two Degrees as merely stepping stones. Freemasonry gave to you one part of itself in the First, another portion in the Second, and in the Third it will give to you yet another. It is all Freemasonry and remains so always.

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We expect the same studious attention from you as a Fellowcraft as you may resolve to give when you are a Master Mason.

(Meeting No. 3; Subject No. 2)

INTERPRETATION OF THE RITUAL OF THE SECOND DEGREE

You are now a Fellowcraft Mason. Our purpose is to try to explain to you as a Fellowcraft some of the meaning of the degree. We say “some” because it would take many evenings to explain it in full, Because the Fellowcraft Degree lies between the Entered Apprentice and the Master Mason Degrees, you must not fall into error of considering it a halfway station, a mere transition from one to the other. It has the same completeness, the same importance as each of the others, with a definite purpose. Unless you understand its teachings thoroughly, your initiation will fail. Many great ideas are included in it, which if you understand them, will lead you into an understanding of others. One of these is adulthood.

The Entered Apprentice represents youth standing at the portals of life, his eyes on the rising sun. The Master Mason is the man of years, already on the further slope of the hill with the setting sun in his eyes. The Fellowcraft is a man in the prime of life experienced, strong, resourceful, and able to bear the heat and the burden of the day. Only in its narrowest sense can adulthood be described in terms of years. When he experiences adulthood, a man discovers that the mere fact that he is forty or fifty years of age has little to do with it. Adulthood is a condition, a state of life, a station charged with duties.

The man is in his middle years and carries the responsibilities. It is he

upon whom a family depends for support; he is the Atlas on whose shoulders rest the burdens of business; by his skill and experience, the arts are sustained; to his keeping are entrusted the destinies of the State. It is said that in the bui ld ing of his Temple, King Solomon employed eighty thousand Fellowcraft, or hewers in the mountains or in the quarries. The description is suggestive, for it is by men in the Fellowcraft period of life that the hewing is done, on the mountains or in the quarries of life, and it is not their responsibility of toil alone that tests the metal in their natures; they live in a period of disillusionment. Youth is enthusiastic, carefree, filled with high hopes; the upward sloping path before it is bathed in morning light. Old age is mellowed, the battle lies behind it; it does not struggle or cry aloud as it walks where the landscape lies in the mystical light of the dying sun. Young men see visions; old men dream dreams. The Fellowcraft walks in the full, uncolored light of noon. Everything stands starkly before him in his most uncompromising reality; if he was buoyed by boyish illusions as to the ease of life and the sufficiency of his strength a little while ago, those illusions have now evaporated in the heat of the day. After a few more years, he will learn mellow peace and resignation, but that time has not yet come. It is for him to bend his back and bear the load.

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What does the Second Degree say to the Fellowcraft, whether in Masonry or in the world at large? The answer brings us to a second great idea that the Fellowcraft may so equip himself that he will prove adequate to the tasks which will be laid upon him. What is the equipment? The Degree gives us a least three answers.

The first is that the Fellowcraft must gain direct experience from contact with the realities of existence. You will recall what was said about the Five Senses. Needless to say, that portion of the Middle Chamber Lecture was not intended as a discourse on either physiology or psychology; it is a symbolism, and represents what a man learns through seeing, touching, tasting, hearing and smelling; in short, immediate experience. A man garners such experiences only with the passage of time; each day he comes into contact with facts; what he learns one day must be added to the next, and so on, from year to year, until at last, through his senses, he comes to understand that world, how to deal with it and how to master it.

The second answer is education. An individual’s possible experience is

limited. If we learn of life only that with which we are brought into contact by our senses, we would be poorly equipped to deal with its complexities and responsibilities! To our store of hard won experience we add the experience of others, supplementing ours by the information of countless men brought to us through many channels; our own knowledge must be made complete by the knowledge of the race.

We have a picture of this in Freemasonry. In the days when Masons were builders of great and costly structures, the Apprentice was a mere boy, ten to fifteen years of age, scarcely knowing one tool from another, ignorant of the secrets and arts of the builders. Yet after seven years, he was able to produce his master’s piece and perform any task to which the Worshipful Master might appoint him. How was this miracle accomplished? Not by his own unaided efforts, but by teaching, by the Masters guiding his clumsy hand and passing on to him what they had been years in acquiring. This is symbolized in the Second Degree by the Liberal Arts and Sciences. Perhaps you were somewhat bewildered to hear what was said about grammar, rhetoric, logic, arithmetic, geometry, music and astronomy and wondered what such school room topics had to do with Masonry. You understand now! The explanation of these subjects was not intended as an academic lecture. Like so much else in the Degree, they are symbols, signifying all that is meant by education – our training by others in skill and knowledge to do or to understand certain tasks.

A Fellowcraft of life, then, must be equipped with experience and knowledge. Yet the third answer is of more importance than either of the others.

The third answer is wisdom. Experience gives us awareness of the

world at points of immediate contact. Knowledge gives us competency for special tasks in the arts, professions, callings, and vocations. But a man’s life is not confined to his own immediate experience, nor is he engaged in the same task day and night; life is richer than that! It comes to us compounded of all manner of things, a great variety of experiences, a constant succession of situations, a never – ending list of new problems, and it is full of people with reactions, emotions, varied characters, and behaviors. The world is infinitely greater than what each of us now sees, hears or feels; it is far more complex than our daily tasks.

Therefore, if we are to be happy in our lives in such a world, we must understand and cope with this complex whole; we must be able to meet situations that have never arisen before. Imagine a symphony being rendered by an orchestra. Each player must be able to see, to touch, and to hear, or he cannot even hold an instrument in his hands; he must have knowledge of his own musical score and of the capacities of his instrument. But the conductor must have all this, plus an understanding of all the instruments and of the composition as a whole. His skill and knowledge must embrace not only each instrument in turn with each player’s score, but all of them together. This conductor is not a misleading picture of wisdom. A man may seek, hear, touch, and handle things to win rich experience and yet not have knowledge; and a man may have mastered some task, art, or trade, and yet be unhappy and a failure as a human being because he cannot adjust himself to the complex system of realities, experiences, and facts which make up life as a whole. He may lack wisdom or competency to deal with each situation.

The Middle Chamber, which is so noticeable in the Second Degree, has many meanings; it is a symbol of wisdom. By the experience of the Five Senses, through the knowledge gained of the Liberal Arts and Sciences, the candidate is called to advance as on Winding Stairs, to the balanced wisdom of life in which the senses, emotions, intellect, character, work deeds, habits, and soul of a man are knit together in unity, balanced, poised, and adequate. If you will remember, two pillars stood at the entrance to the porch. Remember that they symbolically meant that God will firmly establish the Moral and Spiritual edifice of the just and upright man. There are many other things that might be said of the Fellowcraft Degree for its complete interpretation, but they will be the more satisfactory when found along with other things that are tied to them in one way or another through the degrees.

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If you will equip yourself agreeably to the plans laid down by the Fellowcraft degree, your ability as a human being will be equal to most any demand made upon you.

(Meeting No. 3; Subject No. 3)

SYMBOLS AND ALLEGORIES OF THE SECOND DEGREE

Among the allegories peculiar to this Degree, the most striking and important is that rite in which you acted the part of a man approaching King Solomon’s Temple; you came into its outer precincts, passed between the Two Pillars, climbed the winding stairs, and at last entered the Middle Chamber where our ancient Brethren received their wages of Corn, Wine, and Oil. During certain stages of this allegorical journey, you listened to various parts of a discourse, which Masonry calls the Middle Chamber Lecture.

This allegory is a symbolic picture of the inner meaning of initiation. The Temple is the life into which a man is initiated. That which lies outside the walls of the Temple, from which you were supposed to come, represents what in Masonry is called the profane world; not profane in the usual sense of the word as being blasphemous, but profane in the technical sense; the word literally means “without the temple,” and signifies all non–initiates. A profane is an uninitiated person; that is, one who is not a Mason. The stairs you symbolically climbed represent the steps by which the life of initiation is approached: qualification, petition, election, and the Three Degrees. The pillars represent birth; when you passed between them, it signified that you were no longer a profane but had now entered the circle of initiates. The Middle Chamber represents initiation completed; once arrived there, the candidate receives the rewards for the ordeals and arduous labors he has endured on the way. He has arrived at his goal.

Our interpretation of the allegorical picture of Masonic initiation cannot stop here, for the whole process of Masonic initiation is itself a symbolic allegory of something else. In this central portion of the Degree, we have an allegory within an allegory. We must ask, then, what is symbolized by Masonic initiation?

It symbolizes the experience of every man who seeks the good life; by interpretation, it teaches us how the good life is found. This will be best explained by one or two examples.

Ignorance is one of the greatest of evils; enlightenment is one of the

greatest of good. How does a man pass from one to another? In the beginning, a man is a profane, standing in the outside darkness, in ignorance from which he would escape into the Middle Chamber of Knowledge. What qualifies him? By having the necessary desire to learn and

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by possessing the required faculties and abilities. How does he find his way? By trusting to his guides, that is, his teachers. These may be teachers in the professional sense, those who have themselves learned that which the seeker needs to know, or they may be books. What kind of path does the seeker follow? A winding path on which he must feel his way from stage to stage, for he has never walked it before. It is an ascending path, laborious, arduous difficult, for there is no royal road to learning. What is the door through which he can enter? There are two to use – the Outer Door and the Inner Door, which the Fellowcraft needs to pass. Others may help, but their assistance is limited. Each man must learn by his own efforts, and knowledge is never permanently won until it is made a part of us. What are the rewards? They are found in knowledge, which is useful because of what it enables us to do, and should be enjoyed for its own sake, like food or sleep or music. It is its own Corn, Wine and Oil. The value of enlightenment is represented by the Temple, holy and sacred. Why holy and sacred? Because it has been won at the cost of great sacrifice by ourselves and by all our forefathers who won it for us. By the same methods, a man wins all great good of life; Religion, which is knowledge of God; Brotherhood, which is a life of fellowship grounded in good will; Art, by which we enjoy the beautiful; Citizenship, by which we enjoy the good of communal life; Science, by which we learn the nature of the world we live in; Literature, by which we enter into communion with the life of all mankind. A good life is one in which all such good things are enjoyed. All this is commonplace, in the sense that it conforms to the experience of all wise men everywhere. It is not commonplace in the sense that all men understand it or follow it, for many men do not understand it, or if they do, have not the will to follow it, or else do not sincerely believe it in their hearts.

Such men, when young, are so impatient, indolent, or conceited, that they refuse to submit to a long and painful apprenticeship. They rush into adult life with all its tasks and responsibilities without training and without knowledge, trusting to their luck.

This belief that the good of life can happen by chance to the fortunate is a fatal blunder. The satisfying goods of life, spiritual, moral, intellectual, or physical, cannot be won by luck, like a lottery prize, or drop into a man’s lap by accident. They cannot come at all except from toil to make them come, and even then, only at the cost of changes in our own natures which are often painful and costly to make. This is but one meaning of your allegorical entrance into Solomon’s Temple as a candidate in the Second Degree. Other symbols and allegories in the Degree may be interpreted in the light of that meaning, when the Degree as a whole becomes a living power by which to shape and build our lives, not only in the Lodge room but in the world of human experience of which the Lodge room is a symbol.

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(Meeting No. 3; Subject No. 4)

DUTIES AND PRIVILEGES OF A FELLOWCRAFT

The first and foremost duty of a Fellowcraft is to live according to the obligations of the Degree and to be obedient to the officers of the Lodge and to the rules, regulations, and laws of the Fraternity. Also he must learn well the work in order to pass his test for proficiency. It is expected that he will attend the Lodge when opened on his Degree as often as possible. If he is earnest and sincere, he will study the meaning of the Degree as a preparation for his future Masonic life.

His limitations are also equally plain. He can sit in Lodge when opened on his own or on the Entered Apprentice Degree but not when opened in the Third. He is not entitled to vote, to hold office, to have a voice in the business of the Lodge, nor to enjoy such privileges of relief that are reserved for Master Masons. In the event of his death, his family has the right to request a Masonic funeral; however, the granting of this request is up to the discretion of the Worshipful Master.

He can ask to be coached and instructed and may counsel with well-informed Brethren; he can make himself known to other Fellowcraft by means of his modes of recognition; and within the necessary limits, he may enjoy the social fellowship of the Lodge.

A Mason remains a Fellowcraft, save in the legal sense, as long as he lives. Taking the First Degree is like drawing a circle; the Second Degree is a circle drawn around the first; the Third Degree is a still larger circle drawn around the other two and containing both. A portion of Freemasonry is contained within the first, another part is in the second, and still a third in the last. Being a Master Mason includes being also an Apprentice Mason and a Fellowcraft Mason. The Apprentice and Fellowcraft Degrees are not like stages left behind in a journey to be abandoned or forgotten; rather they are preserved and incorporated in the Master Mason Degree.

The ideas, ideals, and the teachings of the Second Degree belong just as permanently to Freemasonry as do the teachings of the Third Degree; the moral obligations continue always to be binding. A Master Mason is as much the Brother of Entered Apprentices and Fellowcrafts as of Master Masons.

If you are to understand and possess Freemasonry in its entirety, it is as necessary for you to understand the Second Degree along with the others.

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Fellowcraft Masonry is Masonry, just as a house is the same house, whether you view it from the front, side, or back.

Freemasonry has many faces. The First Degree is the Masonry of the conscience, where we are taught how necessary obedience, apprenticeship and industriousness are if we are to become good men and true. The Third Degree, as you will learn in due time, is the Masonry of the soul in which a candidate learns the secret of the spiritual life. Running through all three degrees is the Masonry of the sentiments, fellowship, goodwill, kindness, affection, and brotherly love. Also we learn the Masonry of benevolence expressed in relief and charity; again we have Masonry as an institution, organized under laws and managed by responsible officers. Yet again we have Masonry of the ideal that holds above and before us those great ideals of justice, truth, courage, goodness, beauty and character which we can always pursue but never overtake.

The Second Degree is the Masonry of enlightenment which holds aloft the Liberal Arts and Sciences as a great symbol of a trained intellect; declares ignorance to be one of the worst of misfortunes and deadliest of enemies; proclaims that enlightenment is one of the great goods of life; and maintains that a man must be a Mason in his head as well as in his heart.

The proof that this is not just a fanciful picture of Masonry is provided in the history of Freemasonry. As you already have learned, it flourished among the Operative builders who gave the world, among other masterpieces, the great Gothic cathedrals of Europe. Their art was once one of the highest and the most difficult practiced in their period. That art was built on what we can call science. The Masons were masters of mathematics, (which they called Geometry,) and of engineering, of the principles of design, of sculpture, of carving, of stained glass, and of mosaic. Although Freemasonry changed over two hundred years ago into a Speculative Fraternity, their great intellectual tradition has remained and stands today embodied in the Second Degree which teaches Masons to love the Liberal Arts and Sciences.

This Masonry of the mind develops one of the real meanings of the Second Degree; it is what is truly signified by the word “Fellowcraft” in the system of Masonry. Whenever you prove yourself a friend of enlightenment, whenever you become a champion of the mind’s right to be free, the enemy of bigotry and intolerance, support schools and colleges, and labor to translate into action the motto “Let there be light,” you live the teachings of the Fellowcraft Degree.

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(Meeting No. 3; Subject No. 5)

THE TEACHINGS OF MASONRY

You have now had conferred upon you the First and Second Degrees of Ancient Craft Masonry. And while you have yet to reach the climax of your journey in the Sublime Degree of Master Mason, already you have discovered that Freemasonry has a certain teaching of its own. To expound upon this is one of the principal functions of the Ritual.

You have discovered that Masonry’s method of teaching is unlike that of

the schools. Instead of employing teachers and textbooks and lessons in lecture form, or expounding its teachings in words, Freemasonry uses Ritual, symbol, emblem and allegory. This is not as easy to follow as the school room method; however, it has a great advantage. It makes a Mason study and learn for himself, forces him to search out the truth, compels him to take the initiative, as a grown man should, so that the very act of learning is of educational value. The purpose of secrecy is not to keep a candidate in the dark, but to stimulate him to seek the light. The symbols and emblems do not conceal the teaching, they reveal it, but in such a manner that a man finds truth for himself. Only when a man finds truth for himself does it remain a permanent possession. A few interpretations of Masonic teachings can only suggest what you will find by your efforts, how you will find it, and where.

Necessarily, there can be no exhaustive exposition of Masonic truth

because in its nature, it is something each man must discover for himself.

Freemasonry has three tenets, or great teachings, which are presupposed throughout: Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth. Brotherly Love concerns the relationship of brothers, the type of relations that Masons have with one another. Relief is the principle of benevolence and charity. Truth is not only that which satisfies the mind, but also sincerity of conscience, soundness of character and truthfulness in act as well as in thought and speech.

Freemasonry is devoted to Brotherhood, exists to furnish opportunities to its members to enjoy it, not only for its own sake but as a means to something beyond. Brotherhood rests on a religious basis; we are all Brothers because God is the Father of us all; therefore, religion is one of the foundations of Masonry.

Masonry is dedicated to God, the Great Architect of the Universe. An Alter at the center of every Lodge room bears upon it the open Holy Bible.

Lodges begin and end their meetings with prayer. When Freemasonry obligates a candidate, he must be upon his knees. Petitioners must believe in a Supreme Being. While this is genuinely religious it is not a formal religion; it is sincerely held and scrupulously upheld that without this basis, the craft would wither and die like a tree with roots destroyed.

But this religious aspect of Masonry, like all its teachings, is not set forth in written creeds; the Mason must come upon it for himself and put it in such form as will satisfy his own mind, leaving others to do likewise. This is Masonic tolerance, one of the prime principles of the Craft and protected by the Old Charge, which forbids all sectarian discussion in our assemblies. Masonry teaches the necessity of morality, requiring its members to be good men and true, righteous when tried by the Square, upright when tried by the Plumb, their passions kept in due bound by the Compasses, just in their dealings with their fellows, patient with the erring, charitable, truthful, and honorable. These are not just high sounding, empty aspirations. A candidate must possess such a character to be qualified for admittance, and a Mason must persevere in it to retain his membership.

Of Faith, Hope, and Charity our Craft says, as did the Apostle, „the greatest of these is Charity.” Through the agency of the Lodge and of the Grand Lodge, each of us gives support to the charities maintained by the Jurisdiction of the Lodge. Also each of us must privately extend a helping hand in relief of an unfortunate Brother or his dependents. Masonry does not advocate a charity carried to the limits of fanaticism. There is a Cable Tow, the extent of ability and opportunity, and we are not asked to give relief when it may cause damage to ourselves or hardships to our families.

Another of Masonry’s great teachings is Equality, symbolized by the Level. This does not represent that impossible doctrine which would erase all distinctions, and holds that in all respects all men are the same. In many respects, men are very unequal, as in physique, in talents, in gifts, in abilities, and in character. It is, rather, the principle that we owe goodwill, charity, tolerance, and truthfulness equally to all, and that within our Fraternity all men travel the same road in initiation, take the same obligations, pay the same dues, and have the same duties, rights, and privileges.

A like importance is attached to the need for enlightenment. Almost the

whole of the Second Degree is a drama of education; Masonry is called the Royal Art, and it is expected that our candidates study its practice, consulting with well-informed Brethren and making use of the Working Tools. To revere the wise, to respect teachers, to value and uphold schools, and to encourage the Liberal Arts and Sciences are among our most ancient traditions.

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The Mason is a good citizen, loyal to his government, taking no part in brawls and rebellions, conducting himself as a moral and wise man, remembering in all things that he has in his keeping the good name of his Fraternity.

These teachings are bound together into an organic unity by the nature

and needs of the Brotherhood for the sake of which the whole system of the Craft exists. To endure through all changes, and to satisfy our natures, Brotherhood must have a spiritual basis, hence the all-important foundation of our fraternity is religion. Brotherhood requires that men must be held together by unbreakable ties, hence the necessity for morality which is a name for the forces that bind us in the relations of amity and accord. Differences of beliefs and opinions must not rupture those bonds, hence the need for tolerance. Men cannot easily come together except they have the same rights and privileges, hence the necessity of equality. They cannot work together except all understand the work to be done, hence the need for enlightenment. They will not be drawn together except they are filled with the spirit of goodwill which necessarily expresses itself in charity and relief. And Brotherhood cannot exist except in a nation which admits of it, hence the need for Masons to be good citizens.

All of these principles are contained in all the teachings of Masonry, which lead back to the conception and practice of Brotherhood. From that concept all teachings emerge, and all come back to it in the end. Gain a clear understanding of that, and you will have that secret by which all else is made plain. Recognizing the impossibility of confining the teaching of Masonry to any fixed forms of expression, yet acknowledging the value of authoritative statements of fundamental principles, the following is a statement of Masonic teachings.

Masonry teaches man to practice charity and benevolence, to protect

chastity, to respect the ties of blood and friendship, to adopt the principles and revere the ordinances of religion, to assist the feeble, guide the blind, raise up the downtrodden, shelter the orphan, guard the Alter, support the government, instill morality, promote learning, love man, fear God, implore His mercy, and hope for happiness.

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(Meeting No. 4; Subject No. 1)

INTERPRETATION OF THE RITUIAL OF THE THIRD DEGREE

You have been raised to the Sublime Degree of Master Mason. It is indeed a “sublime” Degree which a man may study for years without exhausting it.

Any interpretation must necessarily be a hint only; yet a hint should stimulate a man to reflect upon it for himself and to study it more thoroughly in the future.

In the first two Degrees, you were surrounded by the symbols and emblems of architecture. In the Third Degree, you found a different order of symbolism, cast in the expression of the soul – its life, its tragedy, and its triumph. Recognizing this is the first step to interpretation.

The second step is to recognize that the Third Degree has many

meanings; it is not intended that it be a lesson complete, finished, or closed. Rather its intent is to point out different paths, a new departure, a series of inspirations, an awakening of all the faculties, much like a great drama or symphony to which one may evermore return to find new meanings.

The Third Degree is an inexhaustible fountainhead of truth. There are

many interpretations of the Third Degree, all true. But most essentially, it is a drama of the immortality of the soul, setting forth the truth that while man withers away and perishes; the soul within him perishes not. This is the meaning most generally adopted by the Craft and is shown in our habits of language. We say that a man is initiated an Entered Apprentice, passed to a Fellowcraft, and raised a Master Mason. By this it appears that it is the raising that most Masons have found at the center of the Master Mason Degree. What does this raising signify? When you have the answer to this question, you can find your own way into all the meanings of the Degree.

The life of a man is organized in a number of groups of different experiences. Some experiences are incidental to our passage through time, from childhood through manhood, to old age. Some are incidental to the life of the body, hunger, sleep, weariness, the senses, the feelings. Others cluster about the home and the family, about religion, worship, God, and the meaning and purpose of life. Some have to do with a man’s work, how he makes a living for himself and his dependents. Still others center about his life in the

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community, as a neighbor or citizen. Unless a man is capable of dealing with all these groups of experiences, he cannot be happy. The most difficult of all to deal with is that which is made up of the evils of life: hard experiences, sin, defeat, suffering, disease, pain, loss of friends, family or fortune, enmity, treachery, crime wickedness, sorrow, death. Herein lies our greatest problems, our most trying ordeals, our greatest tests of faith. If we can find the wisdom to deal with these, if we can triumph over and solve these problems, our characters will be secure and our happiness assured. What are you doing about evil, in yourself and in the world surrounding you? This is the question life asks of each of us. If we fail to produce the correct answer, it enforces the worst of all penalties. Evil may be brought upon us by our own acts, or come through no responsibility of our own. When evil comes upon a man by his own acts, we feel it is just compensation. But when evil comes upon a good man, it is a tragedy. This is the supreme evil. An example of this supreme evil is set forth in the Drama of the Third Degree. Here is Hiram Abif, a good and wise man, a builder, working for others and giving others the highest work we know, as it is dedicated wholly to the glory of God. Through no fault of his own, he experiences tragedy from friends and fellow Masons. Here is pure evil, and not alloyed, a complete picture of human tragedy. How did the Craft deal with this tragedy? The first step was to impose the supreme penalty on those who had possessed the will to destruct and, therefore, had to be destroyed lest tragedy follow. The greatest enemy man has makes war upon good; to this enemy no quarter can be given.

The next step was to discipline and to pardon those who acted not out of

an evil will, but out of weakness. Forgiveness is possible only if a man himself condemns the evil he has done, since in spite of his weakness, he retains his faith in the good. The next step was to recover from the wreckage whatever of value was left undestroyed by the tragedy. Confusion had come upon the Craft; order was restored. Loyal Craftsmen took upon themselves the burdens dropped by the traitors. It is in the nature of such tragedy that the good suffer for the evil, and it is one of the prime duties of life that a man should toil to undo the harm wrought by sin and crime, lest in time the world would be destroyed by the evils that are done in it.

But what of the victim of the tragedy? Here is the most profound and most difficult lesson of the Drama, difficult to understand, difficult to believe if one has not been truly initiated into the realities of the spiritual life. Because the victim was a good man, his goodness being rooted in an unvarying faith in God, that which destroyed him in one sense could not destroy him in another. The spirit within him rose above the reach of evil; by virtue of it he was raised from a dead level to a living perpendicular. For a moment, let us imagine a

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genuinely good man who has been the victim of the most terrible of tragedies, one caused by the treachery of friends. This treachery has brought destruction upon the foundations of his life, his home, his reputation, and his ability to earn a livelihood. How can he be raised beyond the clutch of such circumstances? How can he emerge a happier man than before? By his spirit rising to the level of forgiveness, of resignation, of self-sacrifice and by refusing to stoop to retaliation or to harbor bitterness, in such a spirit, the truest happiness is found.

The secret of this power is in the Third Degree; it is symbolized by the Masters Word. If that word is lost, a man must search for it; if a man possess that word, he has the secret of the Masonic Art. To rise to the height of spiritual life is to stand on a level above the reach of tragedy or the powers of evil. To have the spirit rest in God to have a sincere or unvarying faith in truth and goodness is the inner secret of a Master Mason, and to teach this is the purpose of the Third Degree.

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(Meeting No. 4; Subject No. 2)

SYMBOLS, EMBLEMS AND ALLEGORIES OF THE THIRD DEGREE

In your experience with the Ritual and your meetings with us, you have

learned every phrase, event, and other details in the ceremonies of initiation are full of meaning. No item is merely for effect or ornament. Within the Third Degree are contained the deepest secrets and the most profound teachings of our Fraternity. You passed through the Degree in one night; to understand it will require many nights; you may study it for a life time but shall never exhaust it. In the next few minutes, our intention is to give you but a few hints in the hope that you will be inspired to study the Degree for yourself.

The symbolism contained within the first two Degrees centers around the art of architecture; in the First Degree you are taught to be a builder of you rse l f , in the Second Degree a builder of society. The symbolism in the Third Degree differs from the first two, although its background continues to be in architecture and its actions take place in and about a Temple, the symbolism of the Third Degree is spiritual, that of life and death. The principle teaching of the Third Degree is that of immortality.

If a man permits himself to be buried under the rubbish of his sins and passions, it is possible, if he has learned the secret of the spiritual life and relies on the help of God and the Brotherhood that he may again rise into a new life either here or hereafter. This is the key to the whole Degree, and in this light, all its symbols, emblems, and allegories must be understood.

We learn this important lesson as we read in the Scriptures from the book of Ecclesiastes. We see a picture of a man, once flush with health and filled with strength, brought tottering by old age to the brink of the grave. This last breakdown is one of the bitterest of all experiences man is called upon to bear; however, as we read further, we learn that it becomes a light burden to him who has learned to trust God. In old age as well as in death, we are held within the protecting arms of God, just as we are held by those same arms in youth and vitality.

The Working Tools of the Degree are all the implements of Masonry, but

more especially the Trowel by which we spread the cement of Brotherly Love. But Brotherly Love itself has its source and seat in the soul. To love a man above his sins, to cherish him above his faults, to forgive him in all sincerity, to bear with him and to forebear, is only possible when we live the spiritual life and our souls are purged of selfishness.

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The tragedy of Hiram Abif is the climax of the Third Degree and is indeed the climax of the ceremonies of Freemasonry. Next in importance and in many ways equal in interest is the allegorical “Search for That Which Was Lost.” This phrase has a historical background. To early Jewish people, a name was something peculiarly identified with a person and held in reverence. A person’s name was secret and a substitute name was used in daily life. The name of God was held in extreme reverence. This holy name was never pronounced above a whisper. After a time, only the priests were permitted to use it and finally only the High Priest, and only when alone in the Holy of Holies on the Day of Atonement. At some point, a national calamity occurred, perhaps at the time of the Babylonian Captivity. The High Priest was destroyed before he had the opportunity to pass it on to his successor. In that way, the Name was lost.

The name of God may have been preserved in the sacred writings of the ancient Jews; however, in their written language lies a peculiarity; vowels were understood not written, just as in our own language pronunciation is understood. The consonants of the divine name of God are known, (J H V H) but not the vowels, and, therefore, not the name.

All this appears in our Ritual and in the form of allegory. A word was possessed; the word was lost. As all symbols have many meanings, this symbol is not an exception. One of the more profound meanings is that if a man has lost the ideals and standards of his youth, his character, his faith in truth and goodness, the secret of what it is to be a man, he must, if he is to live the Masonic life, go in search of that which was lost and continue searching until he finds it. Without manhood, it is useless to be a man.

You may wonder why the Ritual does not fully explain the meaning of this symbolism or why it leaves the newly raised Brother to find the meaning for himself. There are three reasons for this silence. First, the lack of sufficient time to explain them all fully would require not three nights but thirty, perhaps three hundred. Second, as Masons, we grow by what we do for ourselves infinitely more than what others do for us. Third, the method of the Ritual is to bring us into the presence of the greater truths of life. Knowing that their mere presence will have a deep influence over us, each man is left to work them out in detail according to his own need.

One after another of the emblems of the Third Degree are set before us

apparently in no given order, and of each only a hint of what it signifies. Yet each of them stands for some great idea or ideal, necessary throughout our lives, and the purpose is to plant them in our consciousness and to keep them

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always in our presence. Each of the emblems in the Third Degree contains a master truth. In the Three pillars, we have the three great ideas of Wisdom, Strength, and Beauty. The three steps remind us of how youth, manhood, and old age are each a unit in themselves, each possessing its own duties and problems, each calling for its own philosophy. The Pot of Incense teaches that of all the forms of worship, to be pure and blameless in our inner lives is more acceptable to God than anything else. It is better than incense because that which man really is, is of vastly greater importance than that which he appears to be. The Book of Constitutions is the emblem of law and that our moral and spiritual character is grounded in law and order as much as in government or nature. It teaches that no man who lives lawlessly can live a satisfactory life. The Sword Pointing to The Naked Heart discovers that one of the most rigorous of these laws is justice, and that if a man be unjust in his heart, the inevitable results of injustice will find him out. The All Seeing Eye shows that we live, move, and have our being in God; that we are constantly in his presence, where ever we are and whatever we are doing. The Anchor and the Ark stand for the sense of security and stability of life grounded in truth and faith; without this sense there can be no happiness.

The Forty-seventh Problem of Euclid is an emblem of the arts and sciences. By them we are reminded that next to sinfulness, the most dangerous enemy of life is ignorance. In the hour glass, we have the emblem of the transitory nature of life; no man lives forever in this world; there is a set time for the work he has to do. The scythe reminds us that passing time will bring an end to our lives as well as to our work, and if ever we are to become what we ought to be, we must not delay.

Unhappy is the man who reaches middle years having missed these undeniable and all important truths. He has gone backward, not forward, he is not blameless in his heart, has ignored the fact that his life is in God’s hands, if he has neglected to take into account the swift passage of time, so that he has made a wreck of his life and finds himself buried under a pile of rubbish. Yet there is hope for him. The central teaching of the Master Mason Degree, expressed in the tragedy of Hiram Abif, is a way for him to recover possession of his life. He can be raised to a new manhood, lifted from the dead level of death to a living perpendicular. He may be called back from a grave that is more terrible than the dissolution of the body. By leaving the dying of his old life, by gaining again his faith in God by the power of the brotherhood, he finds the path to recovery.

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(Meeting No. 4; Subject No. 3)

THE LEGEND OF HIRAM ABIF

In the Sublime Degree you were impressed by the tragedy of Hiram Abif above all other features of its impressive ceremonies. To understand and appreciate the richness of the profound meaning of this tragedy will be a prized possession as long as you live. Drama is a conflict between a man and other men, or other forces, resulting in a crisis in which his fate or fortune is at stake. The crisis, or problem is followed by a resolution or solution of the conflict; if it favors the man, the drama is a comedy, if it turns against him, and he becomes a victim or sufferer, the drama is a tragedy. Plays which are acted out on a stage are not dramas but representations of dramas. The Masonic drama is of that which occurs in our own lives, to each of us in our daily experiences. Our interest in reading or seeing stage plays is because of the dramas in real life in which we ourselves are actors.

The tragedy of Hiram Abif is a ritualistic drama with a major emphasis

placed on the word ritualistic. Ritual is the set words and fixed ceremonies addressed to the human spirit through the imagination. A play in the theater may be built around some historical figure or event, as in Shakespeare’s plays about the English Kings. If the figures and events are not actually historical, they are supposed to be, so that time, place, and identity are of importance. A ritualistic drama takes place wholly in the realms of the spirit, where time, space, and particular individuals are ignored. The clash of forces, the crisis and fates of the human spirit alone enter into it, and they hold true of all men everywhere regardless of who, when, or where they are.

Since the drama of Hiram Abif is ritualistic, it is a mistake to accept it as history. There was a Hiram Abif in history, but the Third Degree goes far beyond what history tells of him. In the Third Degree, Hiram Abif is a symbol of the human soul. Therefore, if you have been troubled with the thought that some of the events in this drama could not have happened, you can ease your mind. If they never happened in history, they are merely symbols of what happens in the life of every man.

It is an inexcusable blunder to treat the drama as a mock tragedy.

Savage peoples employ initiation ceremonies as an ordeal to test the nerve and courage of their young men, but Freemasonry is not juvenile. The exemplification of our ritualistic drama should be as sincere, as solemn, and as earnest as a prayer before the Alter; he who takes it trivially or with a perverted humor displays a shallowness of the soul which proves him unfit to be a Mason.

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As we have said, Hiram Abif is a symbol of the human soul. The work in which he was engaged to supervise is the symbol of the work we do, when we supervise, organize, and direct our lives from birth to death. The three Fellowcraft who took his life are symbols of the lusts and passions which in our breasts make war on our character. His doom befalls every man who becomes a victim of his enemies: to be interrupted in his work, to be made outcast from the mastership over himself and, at the end to be buried under all matter of rubbish, ill fame, defeat, demoralization, disgrace, weakness, misery, evil habits, and scorn. The manner in which he was raised from a dead level, to a living perpendicular is the way by which any man rises from self-defeat to self-mastery. The Great Architect of the Universe, by whose word Hiram Abif was raised, is the same God in whose arms we ourselves forever lie, and whose mighty help we also need to raise us out of the graves of defeat, evil and death.

Perhaps you have asked yourself why you were made to participate, and why you were not permitted to sit as a mere spectator. The answer to this question is simple; it was your drama, not another’s! No man can ever be a mere spectator of the drama in his own soul. It was intended that your participation should prepare you to become a Master Mason by teaching you the secret of a Master Mason, by which the soul may rise above its internal enemies if a man is a Mason in reality as well as in name. The real Master Mason is master of himself.

Perhaps you have wondered why the three Fellowcraft who murdered

Hiram Abif came from within his own circle, not from outside. This symbolizes that the enemies most feared by the soul always come from within its own ignorance, lust, passions, and sins. The Holy Scriptures remind us, it is not that which kills the body that we need most to shun, but that which has the power to destroy the spirit. Perhaps you have wondered why there is so much confusion among the Craftsmen. The Temple that was being built is the symbol of a man’s character and, therefore, breaks and falls when the soul, its architect, is helpless.

Print the story of Hiram Abif indelibly upon your mind; ponder upon it. When you are at grips with your enemies, recall it and act according to the light you find in it. Your inner self will give, in the form of firsthand experience that which the drama gave in the form of Ritual, and you will be wiser and stronger for having the guidance and the light the tragedy provides.

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(Meeting No. 4; Subject No. 4)

THE LAWS OF FREEMASONRY

Every Master Mason is obliged to abide by the laws, rules, and edicts of his Grand Lodge, the bylaws of the particular lodge of which he is a member, and to maintain and support the land marks, ancient usages and customs of the Fraternity.

It is impossible to abide by any laws if we do not know what they are. The American automobile driver who attempts to negotiate a London street without knowing the peculiarities of English law will be arrested within the first block; he must, therefore, drive on the left not on the right, as in this country.

The laws of Masonry, like the laws of nations, are both unwritten (the common law) and written. The written laws based on the General Regulations and the Old Charges are the Constitution and the bylaws of his own Grand Lodge, its resolutions and edicts, and the bylaws of his particular Lodge. In some jurisdictions the Ancient Landmarks are written; in others they are part of the unwritten law.

When in a foreign jurisdiction, a Mason is amenable to the laws of that jurisdiction as well as those of his own jurisdiction. In this duality of allegiance, Masonry follows the civil law; thus, an American residing abroad is amenable to the laws of the nation in which he lives, but is also expected to obey the laws of his own nation. For instance, an American residing abroad is not exempt from the United States income tax laws. Neither is a Mason from California exempt from the laws of the Grand Lodge of that state merely because he so happens to be sojourning in Maine.

The “General Regulations” as set forth in “Anderson’s Constitutions of

1723” have a curious history, into which it is not necessary to go at this time. Suffice it that they were adopted shortly after the formation of the first or Mother Grand Lodge of England in 1717. The work was first published under the date of 1723. Unquestionably it embodied the laws of Masonry as they were known to the members of the four old Lodges which formed the first Grand Lodge, and hence have the respectability of an antiquity much greater than their printed life of over two hundred years.

In general, it may be said that the “Old Charges” are concerned with the individual Brother and his relations to his lodge and his Brethren. The General Regulations permit their own alteration by a Grand Lodge; the Old Charges do not.

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The Old Charges are very evident in dealing with both the Operative and Speculative side of Masonry; some of their phrases are concerned with “the Lords work”. In reading the text, one notices that it is not the Lord God who is being referred to, but to the particular nobleman for whom building construction is undertaken.

Law in Masonry is much more a matter of the heart than the head, so much more concerned with setting forth conduct than assessing penalties, that to comprehend it thoroughly, we must be willing to revise our ideas of law, as we understand the enactment of legislation.

Many civil laws are provided with measures of enforcement and

penalties for infringement; Masonic law knows but four penalties, reprimand, definite suspension, indefinite suspension, and expulsion. These Masonic penalties for serious infractions of Masonic law may be ordered after a Masonic trial and a verdict of guilty, but the punishment is usually made to fit the crime and mercy is much more a part of Masonic than of civil law. Infractions of Masonic law resulting in trial and punishment are rare, compared to the number of Masons, the vast majority of whom are so willing and anxious to obey the laws that enforcement is seldom required.

There is no universality of Masonic law in all jurisdictions, different latitudes, different characters of people, different ideas, have all left their marks upon our fifty-one Grand Lodges and their enactments. In the majority of essentials, they are one. In some particulars, they hold different views. A large majority of Grand Lodges in the United States adhere to the spirit of the “Old Charges” and so far as modern conditions permit to the sense of the “General Regulations”.

It is, therefore, of real importance that Masons desiring to understand the

laws by which the Craft is governed and the legal standards by which the Grand Lodge measures its laws rules and edicts should read the Old Charges and the General Regulations of 1723. When he reaches the last (thirty-ninth) of the General Regulations, he will read “every annual Grand Lodge has an inherent power and authority to make new regulations or to alter these, for the real benefit of this Ancient Fraternity; provided always that the Old Landmarks be carefully preserved.” etc.

The Old Landmarks or the Ancient Landmarks as we customarily call them are, therefore, stated to be those foundations of the laws of Masonry which are not subject to change. Had the Grand Lodge which first adopted

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these General Regulations formulated the Ancient Landmarks, it would have saved much trouble and confusion for those newer Grand Lodges which came after. Apparently, however, the unwritten law of Masonry was so well understood and practiced that it was not thought necessary to codify it.

There remains a great body of unwritten law that Masons customarily

observe – our “ancient usages and customs” – which are not specified in print now any more than they were then. But the Landmarks have been reduced to print and made part of the written law in many Jurisdictions. Dr. Albert G. Mackey, as the foremost American Masonic Historian decided on a list of twenty-five Landmarks which has been adopted as official in many American Masonic Jurisdictions; others have condensed this list into a lesser number, but still keeping all his points; a few Jurisdictions have a greater number of Landmarks, including some which are not specified in Mackey’s list. Those Jurisdictions which do not include a printed list of the Ancient Landmarks in their written law usually follow and practice them as part of their unwritten law.

Nevada lists thirty-nine. It is interesting to note that Mackey’s eighth

Landmark is that it is the inherent right of the Grand Master to “make Masons at site”, but our Grand Lodge does not delegate him that power, and it never has.

Just as the Magna-Charta specified many of the inherent rights of man, so our Landmarks crystallize in words the inherent characteristics of Masonry; those fundamentals which make Freemasonry, Freemasonry, without these Landmarks it would be something else.

There are explanations at some length to be found in Masonic treatises; however, they are too extensive to attempt here. However, it is worthwhile to list those Landmarks that the Grand Lodge of Nevada approved in 1872 and had printed in its Code:

(Note to Committee Members: The following pages that the Landmarks are listed on may be copied so that you may supply the Brother(s) receiving this lecture with a copy. (Thus you do not have to read through them at this time.) It is also suggested that at this time the Brother(s) be informed (and encouraged to do so) that they may purchase a copy of the Nevada Masonic Code through the Lodge Secretary.)

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LANDMARKS

I. Belief in the existence of a Supreme Being, the Great Architect of the Universe.

II. Belief in the immortality of the soul.

III. Belief in the resurrection of the body.

IV. Obedience to the moral law. V. Respect for and obedience to the civil law and government of the country where a Mason may reside.

VI. The legend of the Third Degree.

VII. The modes of recognition. VIII. The obligations.

IX. The obligations, means of recognition, and the forms and ceremonies observed in conferring degrees are secret.

X. Charity to all mankind, and more particularly to a Brother Mason, is a Masonic duty.

XI. Every person, to be made a Mason, must be a man of lawful age, freeborn, and hale and sound as a man ought to be.

XII. The ballot of the candidate is strictly and inviolably secret.

XIII. No one can be made a Mason except in a lawful Lodge, duly convened, after petition and acceptance by unanimous ballot.

XIV. The duty of every Master Mason to be a member of a Lodge. XV. Initiation makes a man a Mason, and when he receives the degree of Master Mason, he becomes a member of the Lodge conferring it.

XVI. The right of every Mason to visit and sit in every regular Lodge except when such is likely to disturb the harmony or interrupt the working of the Lodge.

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XVII. Masonic intercourse with a clandestine or expelled Mason is a Masonic crime.

XVIII. Every Mason is amenable to the Masonic laws and regulations of the jurisdiction in which he resides.

XIX. No appeal can be taken to the Lodge from the decision of the Master or the Warden occupying the chair in his absence.

XX. The right of every Mason to appeal from the decision of his Brethren in Lodge convened, to the Grand Lodge or General Assembly of Masons.

XXI. Every Mason must be tried by his peers; and hence a Lodge cannot try its Master.

XXII. The government of the Craft when congregated in a Lodge, by a Master and two Wardens.

XXIII. Every Lodge, when congregated, must be duly tiled.

XXIV. A “Book of the Law,” the Square and Compasses shall constitute part of the furniture of every Lodge.

XXV. Every Lodge has the power to make Masons and to administer its own private affairs.

XXVI. No visitor, unknown to the Brethren present or to some one of them, as a Mason, can enter a Lodge without first passing an examination according to ancient usage.

XXVII. Very Master, before closing his Lodge, must give or cause to be given, a lecture on Masonry, or part thereof.

XXVIII. The Master and Wardens of every warranted Lodge must be chosen annually by its members.

XXIX. In case of the death, inability, or absence of the Master of the Lodge, it is the prerogative of the Senior Warden, and in the case of his death, inability, or absence, of the Junior Warden, to preside over the Lodge.

XXX. The duty as well as the right of every warranted Lodge to be represented in the Grand Lodge at its annual Communication.

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XXXI. The right of every Lodge to instruct its representatives to Grand Lodge.

XXXII. All Masons as such are peers. XXXIII. All constituent Lodges are peers.

XXXIV. All Grand Lodges are peers.

XXXV. A Grand Lodge has supreme and exclusive jurisdiction within its territorial limits over all matters of Ancient Craft Masonry.

XXXVI. A Grand Lodge must meet at least once a year to consult and act concerning interests of the Fraternity in its jurisdiction.

XXXVII. The office of Grand Master is elective and should be filled annually by the Grand Lodge.

XXXVIII. The prerogative of the Grand Master to preside over every assembly of the Craft within the jurisdiction wheresoever and whensoever held.

XXXIX. The Ancient Landmarks are the Supreme Law and cannot be changed or abrogated.

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With the Landmarks as a foundation, the “Old Charges” as precedent, and the “General Regulations” for organic law, the Grand Lodges have formulated their written constitutions.

Undeniably it is a much lesser code than would suffice for state or nation.

If Masonic laws were interpreted wholly by the letter, as is necessarily the case in civil practice, the government of the Craft might often be as loose as its statutes. But as a matter of fact the Craft is well governed.

New members are imbued with the spirit of it and soon learn to resist any change in the old order.

Masons much prefer to whisper wise counsel into the ear of an erring Brother, rather than subject him to trial. And often the gentler method is more effective.

The Fraternity in America deals yearly with millions of dollars, and it is seldom necessary to bring an executive to task. Most of them serve long and faithfully.

The Fraternity as a whole may take pride in the undoubted fact that it is orderly, well governed, law abiding, and very reluctant to make any more new laws for its operation than are absolutely necessary. The reason for this, of course, is found in the answer to the question: “Where were you first prepared to be made a Mason?”

(Meeting No. 4; Subject No. 5)

THE DUTIES, RIGHTS AND PRIVILEGES OF A MASTER MASON

The duties, rights and privileges of a Master Mason are not clearly stated or numbered anywhere. They are, however, dispersed throughout Masonry, some in symbols, others in the forms of customs, others in laws. Some are explicit, others are implied. A Master Mason’s first duty is obviously to live by and act consistently with his obligation; unless this is done, he cannot perform his other duties nor will he be able to claim his rights and privileges. With this as a foundation, a number of those duties and rights can be discussed in detail.

It is a Master Mason’s duty, legally and morally, to pay his share of the financial costs of the Fraternity, promptly and ungrudgingly, whether in the form of dues or assessments. If he is unaffiliated, he has the right to petition for membership in some Lodge. He may choose the Lodge to which he makes his petition, but he must seek membership in some Lodge.

He has the right to affiliation. If he moves permanently to some other

community, he is not required to maintain membership at a distance in his first Lodge, but may petition for membership in a more convenient Lodge.

Visiting in Lodges in which he does not hold membership is both a right and a privilege, though not a duty. It is a right in the sense that he may seek admittance into any regular Lodge; it is a privilege in the sense that his admission into that Lodge is contingent upon his being vouched for, or examined, and not being permitted to enter some Lodge at a certain time, does not cancel his right to seek to visit it at another time or to seek to visit any other Lodge. The right to visit is indisputable. If he seeks to visit a Lodge, he has the privilege of being vouched for if some member of that Lodge has sat in lodge with him, so that he is not compelled to undergo examination every time he seeks to visit.

Masonic relief, like visiting, is both a right and a privilege. Every Mason has the lawful right to ask for it upon need, without disparagement to his dignity or endangering his standing. He may ask some Lodge or some Master Mason. It is a privilege in that neither a Lodge nor a Master Mason is compelled to give relief. The Lodge is not an insurance society, an organized charity, or a death benefit association, nor is any guarantee given any member that he will receive what he asks. Each Lodge and each Mason is under obligation to heed the call for relief, but each is free to use judgment whether or not to extend relief, and if so, in what form.

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A Master Mason has the right to ask for a demit or a transfer certificate, and if he is clear on the books and no charges have been preferred against him, the Lodge must grant it. It is not compulsory that a Mason shall remain in a given Lodge, for if it were, membership might be degraded into a penalty. One may hold his membership where he is happiest, or it is most convenient, provided he is elected to membership in that Lodge.

If he is brought to trial in his own Lodge or charges of un-Masonic conduct and found guilty, he has the right to appeal to the Grand Lodge. This right is his guarantee against possible injustice, particularly against local prejudice or spiteful persecution by some private enemy.

Every Master Mason has the right to Masonic burial. In practice his family has the right of requesting this honor. This right is of more importance than may at first appear. If without giving cause, a Lodge refused to give Masonic Honors at death, the community naturally would think that some secret disgrace was attached to the dead, known only to the Lodge, and both his name and his family would suffer accordingly. Entered Apprentices and Fellowcraft masons may receive a Masonic Funeral at the discretion of the Master of the Lodge.

The conducting of a Masonic funeral is intended to bring comfort and solace to the family and friends of the deceased Brother. The services are intended to be a dignified token of respect and of the affection of the Fraternity for his memory.

It is the duty of every Mason, insofar as he is able, to attend the funeral of a Brother. It is embarrassing to the Lodge when only meager numbers appear to support the Master and other officers in the conducting of the last rites for a departed Brother. Proper dress to be worn is dark or other dignified clothing, and a plain white apron, worn outside all other clothing. Dignity and decorum should mark the actions of all Brethren at a Brother’s funeral. Among the most important of his rights, though exercised under unhappy conditions, is his right of trial by his peers, under regulated conditions, with freedom to present evidence. This assures him that no Lodge can degrade him without a fair trial. Neither his Lodge, nor any officer or member, can remove him out of malice or spite; nor can he be made to suffer the penalties of Masonry out of idle gossip or hearsay. Right of trial guarantees him all the securities of justice.

A Master Maso’”s privileges are to be described in principle and in spirit rather than in detail because they vary much and depend on local conditions.

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He has the right of a voice in his Lodge, a vote, and to hold office. He has also the privilege of giving Masonic service, one of the principal sources of the joy of Masonic life. A Lodge may do many things which are neither required or prohibited by law; it may hold social affairs, give special entertainments, offer special programs, foster some Masonic educational enterprise, and employment committee, may have a library, maintain club rooms, maintain a bed or ward in a hospital, a lot in, or even a cemetery of its own; all according to its ability or the wishes of its members. In a spirit of service and not from compulsion, the Grand Lodge offers many privileges which are as open to the individual Mason as to the Lodge. Membership gives no man the right to demand these things of either the Lodge or the Grand Lodge, but if, thanks to circumstances and good fortune, they are offered, every member has the same right to enjoy such privileges as any other.

Beyond all these specific duties, rights, and privileges stands a more general region in which all are mingled together; the whole domain of Masonry”s teachings, its Ritual and symbols, its history, her ideals of jurisprudence, its philosophy, its literature, the whole Royal Art. That Royal Art includes truths, ideals, and teachings and every Master Mason owes a duty to be faithful to them. It is his right to be taught that Art and to have it in its fullness, none of it being reserved for a privileged few. It is his to enjoy all the privileges it offers to the spirit, the mind, the heart. All that Freemasonry is, all that it means, all that it has to give or offer, belongs to every individual Mason in the same way and to the same extent as to all others. However burdensome your duties may prove to be, or however rigidly your rights may at times appear to be regulated, such burdens sink into nothingness by comparison with this one privilege, that Freemasonry in all its height, breadth, length, and richness belongs to you to use and enjoy.

(Note: some portions of this section concerning Masonic funerals were taken from a Lecture by Laurence E. Gafney, PGM (1979) which is included in the Officer’s Manual, which is available through the Grand Lodge.)

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(Meeting No. 4; Subject No. 6)

THE INVESTIGATION

A Mason’s obligation to the fraternity demands that when appointed a member of a committee on petition, he shall exercise the utmost diligence in bringing to the Lodge a report based upon the merits of the petitioner. Your Lodge is dependent upon the report of the investigating committee to arrive at a correct conclusion in determining the petitioner’s future in Masonry.

It is well to remember that you are investigating only one person, the

petitioner, and no one else. Therefore, you must have a personal interview with the petitioner, preferably in his home and with his wife and other members of his family present, if possible. Two paramount questions should definitely be asked: (1) Does he believe in a Supreme Being? (2) Why does he want to become a member of the Fraternity in general and our Lodge in particular? You should be satisfied, without a doubt, with the answers you receive. The rest of the answers required in the report to the Lodge are to be ascertained by questions, directly or indirectly, but never allow the petitioner to see the blank report, nor should he be informed of any answers submitted or intended to be given on the report.

It is not imperative that the petitioner’s answers be fully accepted on any questions asked directly, since one may anticipate his giving only favorable replies. Therefore, it will probably be necessary to investigate further. It is wise to discuss occupation, employment, and social circles in which the petitioner is involved. Doing this in a casual discussion will reveal more of his true character. If you are satisfied that the investigation has gone as far as you desire, you should inform the petitioner that if he is rejected, the rejection in itself is not a disgrace to discourage him from becoming a Mason, but a challenge to petition Masonry again in due time.

The next step in the investigation is to verify the answers you received during your interview with the petitioner. Contact the recommenders and the character references on the petition.

However, when approaching the profane, do not reveal that you are

investigating this person on behalf of the Fraternity. Enemies of the order may discolor needed facts and possibly cause the petitioner problems.

The final step of the investigation is for you to be satisfied that you have accomplished the Masonic mission that the Master has assigned you, and

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now you should submit the report within the appointed time, for punctuality in duty is characteristic and one of the renowned attributes of the Order. However, do not sacrifice an investigation just to be punctual, since a reasonable request for an extension of time to perform the labor will be granted by the Master.

Now the investigator must complete his report in full and turn it over to the secretary to be read at the next stated meeting. Remember you have thoroughly investigated the petitioner and are one of the three Brothers of our Lodge who will inform the Brethren if this petitioner is worthy of becoming a member of our Order. The final decision on this individual’s membership lies with the “Ballot Box” and if the investigating committee has fulfilled their Masonic obligation the petitioner will receive fair and impartial treatment.

The structure of our Fraternity will be strong or weak as the individual member of the investigation committee bears in mind that he is selecting the quality of Masonry’s future, its life blood; that he is the guardian of the Portals of the Lodge.

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POSTSCRIPT

Again, it is stressed to the Officers, Committeemen, and Candidates who use this “Lodge System of Masonic Instruction” that the lectures contained within the pages are not by any means a complete explanation of Freemasonry, merely a scratch on the surface of the information available to the individual Mason who should be in a constant search for “MORE LIGHT.”

Many Constituent Lodges maintain libraries of books on Masonic subjects. The Grand Lodge of Nevada maintains an excellent library, and many public libraries throughout the state have books on Masonic subjects.

“The Craft and its Symbols” by Allen Roberts Publisher: Macoy Pub & Masonic Supply Co (June, 1985) ISBN: 0880530588 Is an excellent “starter” book for the newly raised Master Mason. “The Builders” by Joseph Fort Newton “The Newly Made Masons” by H. L. Haywood “Freemasonry for Dummies” by Christopher Hodapp “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Freemasonry” by S. Brent Morri

The Masonic Service Association of North America publishes a popular monthly “Short Talk Bulletin”. A yearly subscription to this publication is a good investment. The M.S.A. also maintains over 700 titles in print on an infinite variety of Masonic subjects. Write for a current catalog.

Masonic Service Association 8120 Fenton Street Silver Spring, Maryland 20910-4785 Tel: (301) 588-4010 Fax: (301) 608-3457 email: msana@ix.netcom.com

You may also visit them on the internet at the following address: http://www.msana.com

This book is obtainable from the Office of the Grand Secretary, Grand Lodge of Nevada, in Reno Nevada. Every Lodge in Nevada is to use it, both in connection with the instruction of candidates, as well as for general instruction of all Masons who strive for MORE LIGHT.