Scottish Rite Reunion Day Two

First of all, let me apologize for the delay in posting this entry. It has been a little over a week since we had the second day of the reunion. It was another packed day full of information. The day started again at 7:15 for breakfast followed by the 19th-32nd degrees. The 19th through 22nd degrees were communicated. During that we were told what the degrees taught and explained the meanings behind each degree. The 23rd through the 29th were exemplicated. By that I mean it was between communicated and conferred. There were narrators that read all the roles and explained the degree to us. A candidate was chosen to fill in for the class and was led through their part of the degree. It is a great way to understand the degrees that are not conferred. I wish all of them not conferred were done that way. Brothers from the Valley of Knoxville (TN) came down and conferred the 30th degree. That was a beautiful enactment and I appreciate the time and effort for them to drive that distance for us. The 31st degree was communicated and the 32nd was conferred.

It was a full day for sure. It was not as overwhelming as the first Saturday since we had an idea of what to expect. I was voted to be class president for some strange reason. Basically, it is my responsibility to communicate with those in my class and keep them informed of what is happening.

At the end of the day we were presented with the first section of the Master Craftsman program and The Scottish Rite Ritual Monitor and Guide by Arturo de Hoyos. That is a huge book. We should have the first essay done before the next regular meeting and we will go over the material for the quiz as a class. This looks like a great program that any Scottish Rite mason should participate in. I will write more about that as I go along I am sure.

Our valley did have an open meeting between the two weekends to celebrate Maundy Thursday that I was sadly unable to attend due to another engagement. I look forward to the next regular meeting next month. I would like to thank all the brethren that helped put on the reunion for us. It is an amazing experience and look forward to becoming an active part.

Tonight I have a practice for a second degree that we will be conferring in my blue lodge. I am going to be a steward for that degree. I am also going to be inducted as the Junior Steward at our next stated communication. Our current Junior Steward is graduating college and getting ready to join the Army. This has been an amazing experience and has already changed my life for the better.

Scottish Rite Reunion Day One

The day was a very long one with a lot of information given at once. There is to much information to absorb all at one time. I am glad there is a week between the 2 days we are doing this so that I can reflect on what I experienced.

Our day started at 7:15 am with a light breakfast and then we started in with the degrees 4-18. There were 6 candidates for the degrees in the class. In the Scottish Rite the degrees are conferred as a short play you watch. During each play one candidate is chosen to play that part. Certain degrees must be conferred in that manor and some are just explained to the candidates. This day we saw the 4th, 9th-10th, 14th,  15th and 18th. The rest were explained.These plays were very well done and quite interesting to watch.

We are lucky in that the director of education for the orient of NC is a member of our valley. He is trying a very different method in explaining the degrees not acted out and it is working very well. I have no knowledge of how it was done before, but they are taking those degrees not acted out and carrying on a conversation and parts of the degrees between multiple people and explaining each section as they go. From my understanding it is taking longer to do it this way, but we are hearing more and understanding more.

We even had Bill Brunk, SGIG for NC there to talk to us a little. This was a wonderful and full day of education. We finished up about 5:30 that afternoon. I look forward to next weekend to finish the degrees.

As for what I expect and plan from the SR, I expect to stay very active in my blue lodge. That is, and should, be my main concentration for now. There is a lot to learn and experience there first. It is the foundation of masonry and it should not be neglected. I plan on using the SR as a tool for more education and will participate as fully as I can. If there is one that is neglected any (and I do not plan on neglecting any) it will be the SR. This is a life long journey and I have time to experience it.

Master Mason Catachism

I gave back my MM catechism tonight and received m proficiency card. It went really well. Both the DDGM and DDGL were there on their official visit as well as the Junior Grand Deacon who gave a masonic education talk. The DDGL was also at my raising but it was the first time I had met the other two gentlemen. I sat the senior steward chair for the night and took the place of the Junior Deacon for the entrance for the DDGL and DDGM. It was a great night. After the night was over the WM informed me that if I was willing, I would be installed as Junior Steward at the next stated communications.

This is going to be a busy month for me at the lodge. There will be a lot of things happening. I will be receiving the Scottish Rite degrees this weekend and the next. After that is the Grand Masters district visit. After that, there is the distract lodge of instruction. Throw in a second degree and a practice and it is going to be a very busy month. Freemasonry is a great experience and I have noticed changes in my life that is making me a better man. I am very honored to be included in such an organization of great men and brothers.

Scottish Rite

I went ahead and put in a petition to the Scottish Rite. The Scottish Rite is what is called an apendent body of Freemasonry and is the second largest group in the US. There are approxamently 1.4 million freemasons in the US and of those 550,000 are also Scottish Rite masons. The Scottish Rite confers the 4th through 32nd degrees. If accepted, I will receive the degrees in what tey call a reunion. The reunion will be held on the 9th and 16th of April from 7:30 in the morning till about 5:00 each evening. There is not any memory work involved in receiving the degrees.

The degrees are NOT above the third degree. The Master Mason degree (the 3rd degree) is the highest degree in masonry. Everything else is considered a side degree. This is a fact that confuses many because they see a higher number. How it has been explained to me is that the Scottish Rite degrees just expand on the 3rd degree.

I was a little concerned about putting in the petition so soon after being raised. I do want to learn as much as I can in the blue lodge. I have a very strong connection to my blue lodge and that is my first house. Anything else is just an  extension of that lodge. After reading many post in online forums as well as talking to other Brothers I feel like it would be a great experience to help me increase my knowledge. I can be as active as my time will allow and plan on concentrating on the blue lodge right now. I want to learn as much as I can but do want to spend the time getting down the blue lodge as much as I can. I see the SR as a place to expand my knowledge for now and become more active as time will allow later.

I will be giving back my third degree catechism before that in my mother lodge. I am ready for that. It will give me the option of taking a chair in the future. I hope I can go through the chairs in the blue lodge. Everything in masonry connects back to the blue lodge and we should do whatever we can to support it. This journey has already made me a better man. I hope that I can continue to grow. This has been a great honor that I just hope that I can give back a small amount of what I have received. Freemasonry is an organization that is nothing but honorable.

Two nights of firsts

I was able to attend a stated communication (regular meeting) for the first time last night. I was also asked by our Worshipful Master if I would sit in the Junior Stewards chair for the night. I did and was honored that he asked. We voted on 2 new petitions and the passed and the initiation was scheduled for the next night. We discussed some other business about paying some bills and giving some money to a couple places. It was a relatively simple meeting. The best part was getting to meet with some new and old friends. The WM encouraged me to return my third degree proficiency as soon as I could. I am working on that and should have it ready by next month's stated.

Tonight I did attend the initiation of the 2 candidates we voted in last night. I was again asked to ill the Junior Stewards position. That was a little more involved than last night but was instructed what to do before the meeting started. That was a great experience and only hope that I can participate in the future on more degrees. It is an honor and a privilege that I do not take lightly. We try to make the night as special for those going through the degrees as possible. I just hope I did not mess up to bad to detract from the experience.

There is a third degree scheduled for next Monday night and I plan on attending it to watch the entire thing. I am excited about being able to do that. I am even going to be a part of the degree team. It will definitely be a learning experience again.

Lecture service

I attended a lecture service held at our lodge on Saturday morning. In the state of NC, All lodges are required to have 5 hours of instruction on the ritual every 2 years. The even number lodges on even numbered years and odd number lodges on the odd number years. That was a great learning experience. Attending that made a few things come into context a little better. We spent 5 hours discussing how things happened in the lodgeroom and why. We are lucky do have a Deputy District Grand Lecturer (DDGL) in our lodge that gave the instruction. It is very interesting to me to see this. There is a district wide school of instruction happening at another lodge at the end of April. I plan on attending that one as well.

Raising

Last night I went to the lodge for my raising. There was another brother getting raised as well. We arrived there about 6 and had a nice spaghetti dinner and time of socializing. The lodge opened at 7 and Ron and I were left outside to change into some clothes that were provided for us. After a short while we were escorted into the lodge and asked a few questions then led back out to change back ito our own clothes. Ron was brought back in and I went back to the dining room area to have a drink of coke and a cookie. A little while later I was summoned in for what I can only describe as a very interesting experience. I tried to listen very closely and remember everything that was being said. The entire process took about 3 hours to complete and it was all done from memory. To me, that is an impressive task. I an honored and thankful that such a great group of men would allow me to join in their ranks. The master of the lodge did  tell both Ron and myself that there was one more catechism to learn and it was optional. He also hoped that both of us would complete it. It is a requirement for going through the chairs (holding an officer position in the lodge). I did talk to the man that has been coaching me so far and we are going to try to get together today or tomorrow and discuss some things. I do have a few questions after last night and still a lot to learn. Freemasonry is a growing experience that does not stop at the third degree. By that I do not mean that there are degrees of higher rank but that it is a lifetime of learning. To the brothers that were there last night, I want to express my deepest thanks and appreciation on your hard work and dedication. If there are any reading this that are just beginning to look at freemasonry, look at it openly and honestly. It is a wonderful group of men that will be your friends and teach you to live the life of a great man.

Raising delayed

Well, I received a call today from the master of my lodge and was informed that my raising would be postponed. It seems that the degree team has not been able to practice due to the amount of snow we have received this past week. The person that was to do the lecture now has to go to Atlanta for business that day due to the snow as well. I was hoping that I would be raised before the next stated meeting so I would be able to attend but it looks like I will have to wait till the next month. It is not that big of a deal actually. I have waited all my life for this, I can wait a little longer. I would like to be more active in the regular lodge activities but will wait till I am able.

FC exam

I did my FC proficiency tonight. It was also the first time that I was at the lodge before a regular stated meeting. There were about 15 members present and myself. I waited outside the lodge room while they opened the lodge. I was then summoned in and conducted to a chair where my coach was sitting across from. We went through the entire catechism without any problem. It was great experience. The catechism was much easier to learn this time than the first. My raising is scheduled for 2 weeks away on 1/17/11. I can not wait til then.

Almost ready

I have been working on the memory work for the fellowcraft degree. I have it down about 95% right now. This is going much faster than it did for the EA degree. I am possibly going to be giving it back in open lodge this coming Monday night. I will be ready by the for sure just in case. After that it will just be a matter of scheduling a time to be raised. I have been told that they do not like doing both the catechism (memory work) and the raising on the same night just because of time. And they do not usually confer degrees in their normal stated communications (meetings). If all goes well, I will be a Master Mason before the end of January!