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First degree question on study materials??

MarkR

Premium Member
We use a two-letter cipher. Even when I'm pretty familiar with the ritual I'm looking at, I sometimes have a little trouble reading it!
 

Bloke

Premium Member
Actually it depends on your jurisdiction, it is not any landmark of freemasonry that I have ever heard that you had to learn it mouth to ear. I have heard of jurisdictions that give you a cypher to learn.

LOL... I'm not ever sure I would call ours a "cypher". No, you actually can't. It simply occasionally has "... that on the ___ was called ___ and that on the ____, ____." First word is "left" and the third one is "right". There's pages where here is not a single blank in our ritual book. We regard "the secrets" purely as the modes of recognition. We do have the standard ob not to "mark, carve engrave indite" etc.. but apparently it does not apply to Grand Secs.... I thought it was strange for a long time, until I realised the critical place of symbolism in Freemasonry, yet, it always feels weird when I think about it... but having a written ritual makes life so much easier and one of the cores of Freemasonry (ritual) so much more accessible. We go a step further with a book of "workings" which even has dance steps for deacons. We've got a lot of PMs, but even we have trained ourselves to check the book.... we pride ourselves on uniformity across our lodges and a very high standard in the lodge room, and these tools help achieve this... These are not restricted, but given to every MM who wants one - it's why most of our charges in my lodges are delivered by MMs - because they have to tools to learn them.
 

Ripcord22A

Site Benefactor
LOL... I'm not ever sure I would call ours a "cypher". No, you actually can't. It simply occasionally has "... that on the ___ was called ___ and that on the ____, ____." First word is "left" and the third one is "right". There's pages where here is not a single blank in our ritual book. We regard "the secrets" purely as the modes of recognition. We do have the standard ob not to "mark, carve engrave indite" etc.. but apparently it does not apply to Grand Secs.... I thought it was strange for a long time, until I realised the critical place of symbolism in Freemasonry, yet, it always feels weird when I think about it... but having a written ritual makes life so much easier and one of the cores of Freemasonry (ritual) so much more accessible. We go a step further with a book of "workings" which even has dance steps for deacons. We've got a lot of PMs, but even we have trained ourselves to check the book.... we pride ourselves on uniformity across our lodges and a very high standard in the lodge room, and these tools help achieve this... These are not restricted, but given to every MM who wants one - it's why most of our charges in my lodges are delivered by MMs - because they have to tools to learn them.
In Oregon we have the "cypher" that has everything from the prep of a candidate with the anteroom lecture, opening and closing in all 3 degrees, all 3 deg rituals, funerals, GM or Reps visits. Also included is the "floor work" example: when the SW is saying why the WM is in the E, the book tells you when the WM should stand. In NM it is just the speaking parts that are included. NM has what they call the "WHITE" book, as the cover is white, that has all the floor work.
 

Bloke

Premium Member
In Oregon we have the "cypher" that has everything from the prep of a candidate with the anteroom lecture, opening and closing in all 3 degrees, all 3 deg rituals, funerals, GM or Reps visits. Also included is the "floor work" example: when the SW is saying why the WM is in the E, the book tells you when the WM should stand. In NM it is just the speaking parts that are included. NM has what they call the "WHITE" book, as the cover is white, that has all the floor work.
Thanks - interesting....
 

Brother_Steve

Premium Member
I just went through my apprenticeship!!!! I am very excited to begin however I have a question???I received my first degree catechism booklet & entered apprentice guidebook, does anyone know if there is any audio, mp3, etc to help with the memorization? I drive a lot & thought this would be helpful with my studies.

I look forward to any assistance.
Brother Scott


Sent From My Freemasonry Pro App
find an EA degree happening in your area and go watch it from the sidelines.

Also, I'd recommend Claudy's books.
 

Seeves

Registered User
The key here is that you drive a lot.... If you know only the first answer to the first question you can practice that while driving. Establish rhythm, volume, voice control, mastery. After you've convinced yourself you know that well enough then learn Q/A# 2

This is exactly how I did it. My job is nothing but driving. Brothers from another lodge had directed me to make a recording for myself, but after taking the obligation during the degree I could not bring myself to do it because to me it was breaking the oath I had already taken. Encrypted or not its still stamping or staining. I chose the method described above.

Luckily my dad is mentoring me so each night I would learn a question and answer. Easy ones maybe two or three. And just recite them to myself during all my windshield time. As the days went on I commuted the entire degree to memory in 30days.



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Abe Johnson

Registered User
I don't think an audio recording of the lecture questions breaks the obligation... As it is not capable of ... fill that part in and I think it will be clear. None of those things are revealed in lecture questions. My humble opinion.

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Brother_Steve

Premium Member
I don't think an audio recording of the lecture questions breaks the obligation... As it is not capable of ... fill that part in and I think it will be clear. None of those things are revealed in lecture questions. My humble opinion.

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Our OB hearkens from a time before audio recordings!

IWNPPSSCCWoE them.

The question is, what is "them?" In my jurisdiction "them" refers to the modes of recognition that we are entrusted with. The obligation is there to seal the deal.

Some jurisdictions make everything the secrets of masonry.

We could all agree that however where the work is written in jurisdictions where it is interpreted to be 'legal,' the work is still private to masons only.
 

Brother_Steve

Premium Member
'Merican EA ob might have some answers...
I am going to graduate university in the spring of '17 at the age of 40. I told my wife upon returning to school two years ago that, when I graduate, we are going to the UK. I want to witness your EA degree or at least sit in lodge with an English mason so that I may read the OB to compare the differences.
 

Bloke

Premium Member
Bloke's in Australia, I'm in California. I think we'd all enjoy a trip to the UK to study another jurisdiction's work!
:)
I can cheat though.... we have an English lodge here working under UGLE because it never joined our GL.... i've visited the quite a few times; but never seen their third degree.... must do that....
 

Glen Cook

G A Cook
Site Benefactor
I am going to graduate university in the spring of '17 at the age of 40. I told my wife upon returning to school two years ago that, when I graduate, we are going to the UK. I want to witness your EA degree or at least sit in lodge with an English mason so that I may read the OB to compare the differences.
You can order the more prevalent rituals from Lewis Masonic.
 
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