My Freemasonry | Freemason Information and Discussion Forum

Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

Things I wish I had been told..

Lowcarbjc

Registered User
Would love to hear any things my brothers wished they have been told during their EA, FC and even MM times.


Freemason Connect HD
 

crono782

Premium Member
I wish I had been told to slow down and take more time between degrees even though I had no trouble with the catechisms. A proper understanding of the work should be the goal of instruction rather than just attaining the next degree. I realized this in hindsight after my FC and after my MM, I began to go back and devour the teachings with an aim to understand and learn rather than memorizing empty words.

I feel as though my zeal diluted what could have been a more fulfilling enlightenment journey, though I am doing my best to rectify this after the fact.


Freemason Connect HD
 

widows son

Premium Member
I was a curious fellow and read up about freemasonry prior to joining. I mistakenly purchased a book that had the ritual in it. Luckily I never made it past half of the EA degree. But I didn't want and still don't want to be told anything. Before i joined i read too many Masons experiences, so I want to clear my mind and take it in with my own perspective. As far as my brethren at my lodge, I welcome their input as any new or young mason should, however I refrain from asking questions unless its something that I can't figure.

The one thing I wish is told to all Masons of any rank is educational information. Anything from local lodge histories and community involvement to the esoteric.
 

Gibson90kb

Registered User
It's not how you become a mason, but the mason you become. Proceed with the degree work as you like. You can always attend EA and FC degrees to refine your enlightenment. Just like in judo, Sensei says, "You can practice this 100 times a night, and it wouldn't be enough."


Freemason Connect HD
 

SteveR

Registered User
Get every Brother's name that assisted in presenting your degree. Even a couple of years down the road, those men will mean the world to you. For me personally, a few have even since passed to their reward. I would've liked to go back and write a personal "thank you" card to each of those Brethren.
 

JJones

Moderator
It's already been said, but take your time, seriously. You'll be a mason the rest of your life but you only get to be an EA of FC once. I'd suggest you try to learn as much as you can from each degree before moving to the next and don't just try to learn the words but seek to understand the meaning behind the words.

Don't be afraid to ask questions. If your mentor doesn't know it may encourage him to learn as well. :)
 

Jay Welch

Registered User
STAY OFF THE INTERNET ! There is so much stuff out there true and false that aperson can see. You truly run a risk of ruining your own experience. when I meet potential candidates that's what I ask of them. Not to dash their thirst for knowledge but rather to maybe preserve the mystery and just not have the whole be a joke to them. That's just my take. If you have questions that's fine just beware of the vast array of hate and misinformation. Careful not to booby trap your own journey. Oh yeah never forget to have fun with it.
 

pointwithinacircle2

Rapscallion
Premium Member
After 15 years I think that I may have begun to understand the key that makes learning possible. Now I just need to apply it to some Masonic lessons and see if it works.
 

coachn

Coach John S. Nagy
Premium Member
Here's what I wish was shared with me:

Congratulations my Brother. What you have just experienced is a Road Map of Masonic Progression provided to you by your loving Brothers. It is one of Three Road Maps that you experience within the Symbolic Lodge Educational system. Each Road Map provides you a direction to make yourself a Better man.

Your Brothers shall Coach and Mentor you toward becoming Proficient in remembering each of these Road maps. They shall also help you to install them within your head and hopefully within your heart.

I caution you earnestly though to remember always that the work you do installing each Map is not the Work that makes you a Better man. That Work is performed by you when you take each map out, Recognize it for what it is, Understand the Work toward which it points you and then Apply it by Travelling the Territory it represents and do the Work.

Keep in mind always that no Map is a Territory. Should you merely memorize these Maps without following them, you shall be no Better off than had you not bothered to memorize them at all. Should you want to be a Better man, you must do the Work that each Degree directs you toward. Your Brothers should know this well and you can hopefully rely upon them to assist you in doing just that. If they can’t, find ones who can.

Once you have Traveled these Territories, Learned well their varying Terrains, and Established the Strengths that each are intended to bring forth within you, your Word shall open up your world in ways you cannot begin to imagine.

A final word of caution, Maps are not Substitutes for the real thing. Should you merely memorize these Maps, accept them as real and Travel not the Territories they direct you toward, you shall bar yourself from the world they are supposed to offer you.

Once again, I congratulate you and wish you well in all your Travels.

Fraternally and Sincerely,

Bro. John S. Nagy
 

pointwithinacircle2

Rapscallion
Premium Member
Awww John, I was going to make them guess what the key was! ;)

P.S. Great answer by the way. May I have your permission to memorize and repeat it as needed?
 

cacarter

Premium Member
Learn to say "No." You will be asked to join appendant bodies, take an officers position, etc. This is similar to take it slow. Yes, you should have some involvement in the lodge like filling in in different chairs in case of absence or being on a committee, but do not let yourself get spread out to much. You'll end up half assing things. And like Ron Swanson said, "don't half ass two things, whole ass one thing."
 

jwhoff

Premium Member
Get every Brother's name that assisted in presenting your degree. Even a couple of years down the road, those men will mean the world to you. For me personally, a few have even since passed to their reward. I would've liked to go back and write a personal "thank you" card to each of those Brethren.

My brother gave me this advice after he put my EA degree on me. So I had the Master of each degree, as well as the brother who taught me my work, sign and date my monitor. I then had the Grand Master sign my book at the following Grand Lodge session as well as my DDGM.

You are right as to what these men mean to you. My brother and the DDGM have since passed and I am very close to the brother who taught me the MM esoteric work. My brother conferred both my EA and FC and taught me the work on each before becoming too sick to work with me on the masters. He passed away one week after I was raised. That monitor means everything in the world to me. I often set down in a quiet place and look that front page over and think of them all.

I tell each of my candidates to remember to do the same.
 

dalinkou

Premium Member
Learn to say "No." You will be asked to join appendant bodies, take an officers position, etc. This is similar to take it slow. Yes, you should have some involvement in the lodge like filling in in different chairs in case of absence or being on a committee, but do not let yourself get spread out to much. You'll end up half assing things. And like Ron Swanson said, "don't half ass two things, whole ass one thing."

The true Lost Word in Masonry is "No". Brothers who get it are much happier in a few things they get to do than in the many if they spread themselves too thin.
 

mrpierce17

KOP Council director / Lodge instructor
Premium Member
Although this has already been stated I can't express how important it is to take your time between each degree, you should have a strong understand of the lesson hiding within each degree, If you follow my tread from EA to MM you will see it took me 7 months before I was raised not because I didn't no my work but basically because of scheduling conflicts ..that being said I would not have done it any other way that only made me Well Qualified why rush you have the rest of your life to be a Mason
 

jwhoff

Premium Member
{snicker}

Yes. Please do! I share it at the end of every degree when I can.

"When I can."

There's a mouth full Doc.

Ever notice how much heavier the swine are than the pearls?

Sometimes you just want to "front load" feed them through any invisible crack in the armor.

Then one realizes that the toleration one desires to instill is, I suppose, meant for oneself.

Esoterically speaking, "I'll just have another Hot Dog!"
 

hanzosbm

Premium Member
I wish I had been told to slow down and take more time between degrees even though I had no trouble with the catechisms. A proper understanding of the work should be the goal of instruction rather than just attaining the next degree. I realized this in hindsight after my FC and after my MM, I began to go back and devour the teachings with an aim to understand and learn rather than memorizing empty words.

I feel as though my zeal diluted what could have been a more fulfilling enlightenment journey, though I am doing my best to rectify this after the fact.


Freemason Connect HD
I completely agree with you in this regard. Only recently do I feel I've started to take a closer look and now I see that by simply pulling back the curtain a bit, there is a whole world behind each of these degrees that I had never seen. One could very easily spend years on each degree, and I wish that I had done so. Going back now to essentially try to 'relearn' this information is going to be significantly more difficult. It's hard to say "the true meaning of this lesson in the EA degree is this" when your brain is trying to bring in what you know about the FC degree.
 
Top