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One-Day classes, What do YOU think?

Are you in favor of One-Day Classes?


  • Total voters
    144

tom268

Registered User
I never heard of ODCs outside the US. So, why do other nations deal with the same problems differently? Maybe, because it IS a riling-up issue.
 

JohnnyFlotsam

Premium Member
No. Not now. Not ever.
And especially not because "Today's candidates have busy lives and can't be expected to commit the time required for the traditional IPR path", which is the typical argument advanced for this travesty.

We aren't making Masons with such a process, we are making members. I don't want more members, especially those who don't value what the Fraternity has to offer enough to commit the time required to actually learn it.
 

gnarledrose

Registered User
I used to be more understanding of the one day classes, but I've come to fall into the anti-class camp. I really appreciated the excitement and anticipation between degrees, it motivated me to learn more about the fraternity in general and the specific degrees in particular. And if you don't have time to go through the degrees, how will you have time to make it to regular business meetings or honor your Masonic obligations? Why would you feel obligated to help a suffering brother if you haven't been in lodge after your MM? Not to mention the countless lessons you'll miss by not associating with older Masons and more well-informed brethren.
 

Brent Heilman

Premium Member
As a new EA I cannot see doing a one day class. I know the one thing that drew me in was the tradition. As I went through my initiation I felt like I was a part of something far larger and grander than anything I could have imagined. My hunger for learning has been rekindled and I look forward to every single step on this journey. I just think that the magic would have been lost in a class and that I wouldn't have this need for more. To me what made it so appealing was the history and tradition and by being a one day Mason I would have lost all that magic and with it the drive.
 

KFerguson84

Premium Member
Brent Heilman said:
As a new EA I cannot see doing a one day class. I know the one thing that drew me in was the tradition. As I went through my initiation I felt like I was a part of something far larger and grander than anything I could have imagined. My hunger for learning has been rekindled and I look forward to every single step on this journey. I just think that the magic would have been lost in a class and that I wouldn't have this need for more. To me what made it so appealing was the history and tradition and by being a one day Mason I would have lost all that magic and with it the drive.

Very well put. I had the same feeling going through the degrees. I still have it after being raised when I stumble upon a new piece of Masonic light which rekindles my need for more.

You have the right attitude, Bro. Heilman! It only gets better from here! If you always keep Freemasonry on your mind, you will always have the desire.
 

Brent Heilman

Premium Member
Thank you for compliment Bro. Ferguson. To me the Ritual was a kind of a magical experience. It was more than I hoped for. I felt like a child at Disney World for the first time. I had studied what Masonry was and stood for for several months before I finally submitted my petition and by doing that I had built up expectations on what it would be like. It turned out be more than what I thought. I had read where other people felt that being initiated had changed them. I wondered how it could, but I just found out. As I went through the initiation I couldn't help but to think back to all that I had read. I felt like I could truly feel the past right there in the room with me. I can see why some people would like the One-Day-Class and I will never fault them for it, but for me I wanted to feel more connected to the past and it's traditions.
 

Jacob Johnson

Registered User
i'm squarely in the "no" category as well. I felt that my degrees meant more to me BECAUSE of the fact that I had time to absorb the meaning of a single degree at a time.

To be honest, I even feel like I missed out on a lot of the Scottish Rite by being a member of a class (not like you have a choice there), even though we did receive all 29 degrees. Afterwards as I was reading for the Master Craftsman quiz, I was surprised to find that there was a plethora of symbolism that was effectively invisible from my seat in the audience, even with a fairly good seat. That said, I know it is pretty much impossible to do the SR degrees on an individual basis, and that it would take FOREVER if you could. BUT i do think that it would help the candidate to absorb more of the material.

I feel like a ODC cheats the candidate out of that precious "personalized" kind of Masonry that you can take ownership of and be proud of. Others have said that the degrees were magical for them, and I felt the same way. Without the work, that magic is faded.
 

jwhoff

Premium Member
No. Not now. Not ever.
And especially not because "Today's candidates have busy lives and can't be expected to commit the time required for the traditional IPR path", which is the typical argument advanced for this travesty.

We aren't making Masons with such a process, we are making members. I don't want more members, especially those who don't value what the Fraternity has to offer enough to commit the time required to actually learn it.

Off the topic of ODC masters ... I'm not too sure I don't agree with you totally. I don't think I'm ever for more members. I don't think I'd have a problem at all if there were only three or four million masons in the world. That is, if I could be sure that those three or four million masons were true to the principles of the craft.

The more I think of it, the more I'm very sure I agree with your statement 100 percent!

Again, this has absolutely nothing to do with how good a mason a man can become who receives his degrees on one day. However, I still believe he is at a distinct disadvantage and that his road will be a much tougher one filled with many a rough ashlar to overcome.
 
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jwhary

Registered User
I also have heard of states that have 1 day marathons. I'm not sure that you really have time to absorb the importance of what was happening. It gave me time to visit other lodges and see the ceremonies that I went through. Just my 2 cents worth.
 

JohnnyFlotsam

Premium Member
Again, this has absolutely nothing to do with how good a mason a man can become who receives his degrees on one day. However, I still believe he is at a distinct disadvantage and that his road will be a much tougher one filled with many a rough ashlar to overcome.
There are those that argue against that view, holding that the initiatory experience is part of what makes a man a Mason. The ODC candidate can not be said to have gone through that experience and will be something different than he would have been if he had gone through it. I can see some truth in that. Different, not necessarily "better", is certainly an unavoidable truth.
 

RTidwell

Registered User
I have mixed feelings about one day classes but I do understand when they can be deemed necessary.

By having to learn the work you do gain a better understanding of the degrees. It also helps in daily life because you are more apt to follow the lessons learned. But I am also one that believes the FC is sadly overlooked even in a non one day event.

However I do believe that special dispensation should be given to those in the military when needed.
 

Beathard

Premium Member
They are needed from time to time, but should be very rare and should have a plan to fix the deficiencies at a later date.
 

Michaelstedman81

Premium Member
Hmmm, I answerd no to this but I do think that there could be a couple of situations that we can allow the one day class. For the reason of soldiers getting deployed, yes, I think that they should be allowed to have their stuff expedited. Even with that, I think that it should be for a soldier that is already an EA at least and then finds out that he is going to be deployed before he can finish all his work. I do kind of cringe at a soldier just coming to the lodge and getting all three degrees in one day when he has never really met the guys from the lodge. But, I am very supportive of the troops, especially those that want to join the Fraternity.

As for anyone else, unless there is a really good reason I think that each person should go through the degrees like normal. Like everyone has said, there is too much information and more of it would be forgotten if it is given over a one day period.

I mean, look. Look at how the Scottish Rite degrees are. They have one, two, and three day events. But no work that needs to be turned in. There is no way that someone can get the first three degrees and complete the work in one day unless we totally did away with the work, come up with an extremely shorter version of the work, or just made them do the MM work. Either way, we are taking away we are taking away a solid foundation to build upon. Even the upper degrees like the Scottish Rite "build" upon the first three degrees. Whether the man is going to go on to do one of the Rites or not, taking away that solid foundation takes away the understanding of the teachings to become that "better man". It would just cause twice or more work for the iniate in the long run if he was actually doing all this for the right reason. For the most part, though, I see initiates coming in and getting their MM and then not really returning too much. At least when they have work to turn in to advance, they have a reason to be involved for a while.

I hope this don't offend...lol
 

Dave in Waco

Premium Member
While I do understand that there are special occassions for a One Day thing, as a rule, I say not only no, but hell no. They rob the candidate of a special experience that gives them the common bond with other brethren. As I often tell a nervous candidate, "You're not doing anything that everyone else in the room hasn't done."

Ok, and sometimes I throw in a devilish, "And just try to relax it'll hurt less."
 

JJones

Moderator
We seem to live in a society now that desires instant gratification and 1 day festivals seem to be an attempt to appeal to that.

That having been said, I disagree with it. If you're going to make it so easy, why even bother with any of the ceremony and just give them a dues card? I think giving up the waiting period and work causes masonry to sacrifice it's identity in the process.

If someone doesn't want to go through the trouble of learning the work and waiting a period of time between the degrees then masonry isn't for them at that time. Masonry isn't for everyone, nor should it endeavor to be.

That's just my opinion though, I'm kinda old school. :)
 

JohnnyFlotsam

Premium Member
We seem to live in a society now that desires instant gratification and 1 day festivals seem to be an attempt to appeal to that.
We may live in such a society, but I can tell you from first hand experience that most of those knocking on our doors today are definitely not looking for instant gratification when it comes to Freemasonry. They are looking for something quite apart from that; something with deep meaning and value.

That having been said, I disagree with it. If you're going to make it so easy, why even bother with any of the ceremony and just give them a dues card? I think giving up the waiting period and work causes masonry to sacrifice it's identity in the process.

If someone doesn't want to go through the trouble of learning the work and waiting a period of time between the degrees then masonry isn't for them at that time. Masonry isn't for everyone, nor should it endeavor to be.

That's just my opinion though, I'm kinda old school. :)
You and me both, Brother, but then we don't focus on things like membership and the revenue that brings in, out-of-step curmudgeons that we are. :001_tongue:
 

Brent Heilman

Premium Member
I think that I would have actually walked away had I been told it would be a one-day class. I wanted the ritual and all the work that comes with it. The harder you have to work for something the more valuable it is to you.
 

Benton

Premium Member
I think that I would have actually walked away had I been told it would be a one-day class. I wanted the ritual and all the work that comes with it. The harder you have to work for something the more valuable it is to you.

I think I would have done the same honestly.
 
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