Hello Gentlemen,

I have recently applied to become a Mason in my town.

I wanted to ask if there was a site or a book out there that I can buy to help me get a head start on memorizing my Masonic Degree.
I am not that great with memorizing (I am a numbers sort of guy.) and in order to help me out I am hoping to get a head start on memorizing.

Please PM me if you can’t post it here.

In addition, can someone please let me know how many weeks must pass before I get an investigation call.
Just handed in my application. More curious than anything.

THanks,
NR

I would advise you not to look for some reading primer for your memorization work for several reasons:

1)  It will spoil the experience for you, because in most states it is basically a recounting of the ceremony you just went through and the knowledge that was shared.

2)  Since every state is a little different, you have no guarantee that whatever you find will be what your lodge expects of you.  In fact, I would wager that most sources that print the examinations are quite a bit older than whatever the Lodges in your area are currently using—and probably more complicated!

3)  Part of the “work” that comes in the memorizing is the bonding that occurs between you and your mentor while you decipher the Lodge exam books.  The relationship you do (or don’t) form with your mentor can basically make or break a man’s future participation in Freemasonry.  These men will do more than teach you to read a cipher book—they will explain details of the degree you may have missed in your first presentation of it, they will fill you in on specifics of how your chosen lodge works, they will help introduce you to a wider circle of Masons within and without your Lodge, and they will assist you in finding your own “place” in the Lodge—whether that is as part of a committee, an officer, a ritualist, or other duty—these men will become your friends and help you assimiliate into your new Lodge.  The best way to start a new friendship is by working together on a simple project, and that is what this memorization work does.

4)  Rushing the experience doesn’t benefit you in the long run.  It’s more important that you understand the material than just your ability to parrot it back out on command.  This only happens for most people by taking your time with the material.  Becoming a Mason should never be considered a “race”.  It’s really quite common for most men in my area to attain Master Mason in 3 months (one degree per month), but there is absolutely nothing wrong with taking longer than that.  Heck, I’ve read some accounts from earlier centuries where it was more common to be one degree per year.  Masonry was never intended to be a crash-course—it is a journey of self-discovery, not a destination in and of itself.

Thank you for your response…

I understand completely the virtue of patience with respect to the degrees.
I will take your advise and slow down a bit to make sure I take in all the lessons that the Craft has.

I never though about the bonding that will occur with the mentor.
Something I overlooked with regards to the process.

By getting a head start,  was just hoping not to frustrate my mentor or myself.

Thanks

Yup, we’ve been doing this for hundreds of years.  Trust us, it will all come to you in time.  No need to develop a “spring training” regimen to get yourself in shape for Masonry :)

Just enjoy the ride.

Ahhh Memorization.

It is good stuff. The memorization aspect to Masonry can seem intimidating and cause the old night terrors but really there is nothing to worry about. Your mentor will walk you through it word by word and once you get into the swing of things you begin to realize how every word adds to your knowledge and enjoyment of Masonry. The memorization helps to internalize the lessons of Freemasonry and so is extremely valuable to the young Mason. As a candidate receiving the degrees, much of what happens is going to fly right over your head. Memorizing the work helps you to reel it all back in and really own it. So while memorization is not always easy it is something that should be looked forward to instead of something to worry about. As was said, it not only helps you build the bonds of brotherhood within your lodge but it also gives you the tools you need for your work in Masonry.

SKH32^ - 09 August 2010 02:03 PM

Since every state is a little different, you have no guarantee that whatever you find will be what your lodge expects of you.

I just want to corroborate this point.  When I was an EA, one of the brothers who went through with me had started through the degrees 20 years earlier, in another state; but he had never had the opportunity to finish the process.  (I think he had been transferred for work or in the military.)  Well, to make a long story short, our lectures just gave him fits to memorize… they were just close enough to what he had learned before, but then at the same time just different enough, that it completely screwed him up.  So I’d say it might actually be worse to start learning something that might differ from your formal requirements.

Dante’s Rite maybe? (im not a mason, im a freeman)

sovereigntylost - 16 September 2010 06:38 PM

Dante’s Rite maybe? (im not a mason, im a freeman)

Sorry, but I have no idea what you mean about any of that.  I’m not sure what Dante’s Rite is, nor do I know what you mean by being a Freeman.

my apologies. was not my place anyway.