Good morning…

Yesterday I met up with my mentor (a Past Master) at the lodge around lunchtime.  Great guy…  Extremely knowledgable but also very hilarious at the same time.  He started busting on me about being retired US Coast Guard (Did you know the Coast Guard has a height requirement for sailors?  You have to be 6’ tall, so that you can just walk to shore in case the boat sinks).  Yeah, yeah, yeah…  I’ve heard ‘em all!  LOL…

Anyway, I (obviously) won’t reveal in detail what went on, but, it was really great.  He asked me what I remembered from my initiation as an EA.  At first, I was hesitant due to my obligation, but he reassured me.  The lodge was not open (tyled).  There was nobody around.  It was just the two of us in the lodge, very casual in blue jeans, etc…  I told him that I remember the dueguard, the sign, and the grip.  But I only remember bits and pieces of the catechism.

Long story short, we worked on sharpening up my presentation as an EA, etc…  But according to the Grand Lodge of Virginia, that’s all I really need to do (so far).  You don’t have to recite the whole catechism in order to advance to FC or even MM.  You are required to learn it - eventually - but at your own pace.

I told him that deep in the back of my brain, it feels like a jigsaw puzzle - regarding the catechism.  I need to put all the pieces together and fill in some missing pieces.  So, just for the heck of it, he asked me to recite the sections that I remember, and I did.  He helped clarify and correct some of the wording/phrases.  But that was about it.

Having a mentor is a great experience and extremely helpful in learning all there is to learn.  I had a feeling that I was trying to rush along, but he would stop me and reel me back in.  That way, I would be 100% sure I fully understood what was expected of me.

Butch—In case I haven’t said it before, congratulations on becoming a Mason. Being initiated as an Entered Apprentice is one of the highlights of a man’s life. Therein lies a problem: It’s such a tremendous experience that it tends to be overwhelming.

The masonic ritual is a marvel of language. When you get to be familiar with it so that you can sort of step back and analyze it a bit in your mind, you are struck by how condensed it is. Although when you first hear it, it seems diffuse, overly ornate, sometimes quaint, and outrageously loquacious, you come to realize that most of these first impressions are due to the 18th/early 19th century style and vocabulary. The English language has changed somewhat since the ritual was composed. 21st century English is more blunt; we eschew rhetorical ornamentation and the graceful syntax and composition of sentences and paragraphs which were normal for our ancestors. Besides the length of the degree, it is this linguistic time-shift which makes it hard to take it all in. Naturally, when you sit down with an instructor to study it in detail, it seems like a jigsaw puzzle. However, as you study it, you begin to appreciate how it packs in a huge amount of information, advice, and exhortation in a minimum amount of wordage, and often it’s packed into more than one layer. Even the grammar and syntax reveal hidden meanings. At my lodge’s officer rehearsal last week for the EA degree which we will confer this week (if not snowed out), I paused to point out how the grammar used reveals that Fortitude is a passive virtue but Justice is an active virtue, as are Temperance and Prudence, which has interesting implications if you think about it.

It sounds like you are lucky to have a good mentor. Nothing is more prized in a well governed lodge. It is not enough to possess masonic knowledge; more valuable is the ability to communicate it to new brothers who are eager to acquire it, and to do it in a way which makes it enjoyable and inspiring. That’s part of this forum’s purpose. I think that you are one of those new brothers who have the mind and the motivation which could make you a good mentor. I hope you will try. The craft will gain much, but you will gain more.

BTW, you have nothing to be nervous about regarding the FC degree. Compared to the EA, it’s a piece of cake, and it’s quite interesting.

Butch congrats.

My E.A. is scheduled for March 10th and boy am I looking forward to it. Is it true that once you receive your E.A. you can attend the lodge for the raising of other E.A.s?

If its true i imagine that watching someone else’s initiation would be a great way to increase your own understanding of the degree and the catechism.

Congratulations, MO.  Yes, it is true in every jurisdiction that I know anything about that an EA is entitled and welcome to sit in his own lodge when it is open in the EA degree. You may also sit in another lodge in the EA degree with the permission of the Wor. Master and if you are accompanied by a master mason. It’s not only a good way to learn about the degree—it’s the very best way.

Great. My lodge has several candidates scheduled to receive the EA degree. I don’t know where I am in the lineup but hopefully not at the end so I can get to watch one of the others get raised.

Not “raised”. A candidate is initiated in the EA degree, passed to the FC degree, raised to the MM degree.  As you will learn when you receive the MM degree, the word has a special significance.

Thanks for the correction. That is really part of the enjoyment in the process. The amount there is to learn. Can anyone suggest come other good resources for articles and such?

MO, I give you the same advice that has been given many times before on this forum:  Don’t do a lot of reading and researching until you have received all of your degrees. You will enjoy them more if you come at them fresh, and afterwards you will have more to ask about.

I am not so interested in reading anything about the degrees. I don’t want to ruin the surprise or the anticipation. I would like some trustworthy resources for the craft in general.

Thank you, guys…

I am fascinated with Freemasonry and love history.  The more I understand and the more something “clicks”, the more I want to continue on my “educational journey”.  ;)

Freemasonry’s amazing history was one of the factors that first attracted me to it. Another great aspect are the various concordant bodies. It is hard to imagine running out of curiosity and interest. There seems to be some debate about whether the York or Scottish right should be the Master Mason’s first step outside of the Blue Lodge. Am I right in assuming that the AASR is considered one body with one due, while the York Rite is composed of three bodies each with their own dues? If so is it expensive to be in a commandery?

MO, I’m glad to hear that you are considering the concordant bodies well ahead of time. Whatever you do about them, you will probably get the maximum enjoyment since you are being deliberate about it.

A quick overview:
The York Rite consists of:
The Chapter of Royal Arch Masons, which confers the Mark Master, Past Master, Most Excellent Master and the Holy and Sublime Degree of the Royal Arch, in that order and usually on three nights (the PM is short and is usually conferred the same night as either the MkM or the MEM). Exception: the PM is not included in Pennsylvania, since the GL of PA retains exclusive jurisdiction over it.
The Council of Royal and Select Masters confers the Royal Master and Select Master degrees, usually both in one evening, since they are short. Exception: There are no Councils in VA or WV. There the degrees are conferred by the Chapter (meeting as a Council) between the PM and the MEM. There is also an optional third Council degree called the Superexcellent Master which, because of its length and the large cast required, is conferred infrequently.
The Commandery of Knights Templar confers the Order of the Red Cross, the Order of Malta and the Order of the Temple. The OM has a short form, usually conferred at the same meeting as the ORC, and a long form which is a magnificent spectacle with a lot of history, but infrequently done because of the paraphernalia and large cast required.
All the above degrees may be conferred in a “festival” on a Saturday or on two Saturdays. (I advise you to avoid this—you get more if you do it the long way.)
The various local bodies compose Grand Chapters, Grand Councils and Grand Commanderies, one each per state (except Mass. and Rhode Island which are one Grand Commandery). The Grand Chapters compose the General Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons International, the Grand Councils compose the General Grand Council of Cryptic Masons International, and the Grand Commanderies compose the Grand Encampment of Knights Templar of the USA. All of these Grand and General Grand bodies are sovereign bodies. In Canada and other areas outside the US, Commanderies are called Priories.

The Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite is structured differently and operates a little differently in the two jurisdictions in the USA.
In the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction (all states east of the Mississipi and north of the Mason-Dixon Line) it consists of:
The Lodge of Perfection, which confers the 4th to the 14th degrees.
The Council of Princes of Jerusalem, 15th & 16th degrees.
The Chapter of Rose Croix, 17th and 18th degrees
The Consistory of Sublime Princes of the Royal Secret, 19th to 32nd degrees.
The 33rd Degree is conferred only by the Supreme Council and can not be applied for.
The Southern Masonic Jurisdiction consists of the rest of the states, including DC, Alaska and Hawaii. Its local bodies are
The Lodge of Perfection, 4th to the 14th degrees.
The Chapter of Rose Croix, 15th to 18th degrees.
The Council of Kadosh, 19th to 30th degrees
The Consistory of Masters of the Royal Secret, 31st and 32nd degrees.
The 33rd degree is, as in the NMJ, conferred only by the Supreme Council and can not be applied for.
The degrees may be conferred in the traditional way, one per week. More often they are conferred “Reunion style”, which is done in a full day or two full days maybe twice a year.
In both jurisdictions, there may be Lodges of Perfection only, in smaller towns or cities which cannot support the full complement of all four bodies, and which meet in the local lodge building. A “valley” is a city or town where one or more bodies meet. Each of the four bodies has its own officers, but they meet together and work together and usually share the same Secretary and Treasurer. When you join, you pay the fees of all four as one lump sum and one dues bill is sent out and you pay all four bodies together. In the NMJ, the executive officer of a local valley is the Commander-in-Chief of the Consistory. In the SMJ, an entire Orient (State) is under the charge of a Sovereign Grand Inspector General (SGIG) appointed by the Supreme Council.

As to costs, with the York Rite,of course it varies greatly from one place to another, just like lodge fees and dues, since the York Rite bodies act pretty much the same as lodges. The AASR, being larger and more monolithic, tends to be more uniform, although I believe local valleys set their own fees and dues. Since I can’t really give a general answer about costs, I’ll tell you what it is in the bodies I belong to. The figures for dues include assessments to Grand Bodies, etc.

York Rite: all in Baltimore, MD:
Blue Lodge initiation fee currently $200.00 (will increase to $300.00 if the Grand Lodge approves a pending amendment to the minimum fee specified in the Constitution). Dues $45.00
RA Chapter initiation fee $30.00, dues $35.00
Council R&SM; initiation fee $10.00, dues $22.00
Commandery initiation fee $100.00, dues $20.00

AASR (in Harrisburg, PA) Combined initiation fee $250.00, dues $65.00

Shrine, Baltimore: Initiation fee $350.00, dues $75.00
Knights of the York Cross of Honor (KYCH) Frederick, MD: Initiation fee $275.00, dues 0.00
Maryland Masonic Research Society: Initiation fee $25.00, dues $20.00
Past Masters Assn. of Baltimore City and County: Initiation fee 0.00, dues $10.00
Maryland Council of Anointed High Priests: Initiation fee $75.00, dues 0.00

Perhaps other members of the Forum will give their figures so you get a better idea of what you may be looking at.

Thanks for the explanation. It still seems a little complex but less so than it did. I have read in several places that the best next step after being raised to Master Mason is the Royal Arch degrees as the sort of continue on from where the Master Mason degree stops. Is that a fair comment? Also how long does it take to become an officer and should one wait to become an officer until after going through the concordant bodies or vice versa? I am not trying to put the cart before the horse here but I am excited about getting stuck in and trying to experience as much of Masonry as I can and in the order that will make for the best experience possible.

Also appologies to Butch for hi-jacking his post. I never think to start a new thread.

It sounds like you are “gung-ho” for Masonry, I am delighted to meet men like you.  There are over 100 (one hundred) appendant and concordant bodies affiliated with Masonry. Some are very public, like the Shrine. Some are more obscure, like the Society of Blue Friars, and the Royal Order of Quetzlcoatl. Some are “fun” organizations, like the “Turtles” (YBYSAIA). Some are invitation only, like the Royal Order of Jesters.

If you feel that you can serve your lodge as an officer, I encourage you to make it known to your Worshipful Master. He can advise you, on the process. Normally, you will start as a Junior Steward, and advance upward through the other offices. If you can handle the duties of the Junior Warden, and Senior Warden, you can advance right into the Worshipful Master’s chair.

If your time and finances permit, you can petition for the YR and/or SR immediately. You need not wait to serve your blue lodge concurrently.

I like to think of Masonry as a “cafeteria” of organizations. With over 100 to choose from, you can always find some sort of organization, that will suit your needs.  Also, you can experiment, and drop in and out of organizations, as you choose.  I used to be very active in the Shrine, but I dropped out, when I moved overseas. I intent to re-activate, and participate in the Shrine, when I am finished working in Iraq.

Thanks for the kind words and your thoughts.

Im sure a lot of you guys who have been in the craft for some time are chuckling at my naivete. I’m not in any big rush to sit in the Master’s Chair but I do want to experience as much as I possibly can and figured that might include the Master’s chair. On the other hand maybe it won’t and that what I am trying to figure out. Also I didnt realize there were os many other bodies outside of the York and Scottish Rites and Shrine. Are bodies like the Blue Friars common across lodges or from jurisdiction to jurisdiction?