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One Day York Rite Festival

Warrior1256

Warrior1256

Site Benefactor
Just got back from doing a one day York Rite Festival. We did all of the degrees from Mark Master through Knights Templar in about twelve hours. We had thirteen candidates go through and all stated that they had a great time. The cast, including me, had a great time also. We do this once a year but we also bring candidates through in the the more traditional way, that is over a period of months. I'm tired but content, lol.
 
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David612

Registered User
I just had a random musing, I don’t know that l disagree with large conferals of degrees as much as I feel I should.
As I’m only experienced in the blue lodge I will use it as an example.
when initiated you are given your work to do, to be passed to the second. It’s as though you are reaping the benefit (superficial title confirmed with the the ritual) prior to doing the work in that degree.
A having such a huge number of degrees thrust upon you means you have much work to do to earn those titles but you have a lifetime to toil.
 
Matt L

Matt L

Site Benefactor
We just did the Council degree's and the preliminary Orders today. Two weeks ago we did the Chapter degrees. The Order of the Temple will be done at the Companions home Commandery. You had a long day Warrior!
 
Warrior1256

Warrior1256

Site Benefactor
David612 said:
I just had a random musing, I don’t know that l disagree with large conferals of degrees as much as I feel I should.
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We do this once a year primarily for those that do not have the time to go through the YR by the more conventional means of month to month. Even when we went through EA, FC and MM we actually understood very little of what was happening. We got the deeper meanings of the degrees by watching others being performed and participating.
David612 said:
A having such a huge number of degrees thrust upon you means you have much work to do to earn those titles but you have a lifetime to toil.
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It only takes 6-7 months to earn these degrees / orders in the normal fashion and you still have a lifetime to toil.
 
CLewey44

CLewey44

Registered User
Bro. Warrior, I'm not in the YR or AASR but just curious of you and others thoughts on these 1-3 day conferrals of degrees. Does it cheapen it, too much info at once or is it all good? We treat BL as a progressive science and I'm wondering why we don't AASR and sometimes YR.
 
Warrior1256

Warrior1256

Site Benefactor
CLewey44 said:
Bro. Warrior, I'm not in the YR or AASR but just curious of you and others thoughts on these 1-3 day conferrals of degrees. Does it cheapen it, too much info at once or is it all good? We treat BL as a progressive science and I'm wondering why we don't AASR and sometimes YR.
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Excellent question Brother. In my opinion one day, two day or three day festivals / reunions do not cheapen the degrees / orders for the York Rite or Scottish Rite or cheat the candidates in any way. As stated in my previous posting some people do not have the time to participate in months long initiations but still want to be part of the Brotherhoods. Also as previously stated most of us that go through degrees / orders do not understand much while actually going through the degree or order. It is by observation and / or participation in the degrees of others going through that we actually learn and understand the deeper meanings. However, I am not in favor of these one, two or three day festivals for the Blue Lodge simply because of the memorization required between degrees. There is no memorization required between degrees or orders within the York or Scottish Rites. This is simply my personal opinion on this matter. As we are aware many disagree.
 
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chrmc

Registered User
CLewey44 said:
Bro. Warrior, I'm not in the YR or AASR but just curious of you and others thoughts on these 1-3 day conferrals of degrees. Does it cheapen it, too much info at once or is it all good? We treat BL as a progressive science and I'm wondering why we don't AASR and sometimes YR.
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I don't think it cheapens the degrees either, but I think it hits on the fact that there is only so much information your brain can take it before it get's fried. I'm a big believer in taking the degrees individually, both to have full focus on each degree, but certainly also to stretch time a bit. There are only so many degrees in the craft that I don't think we should rush through them.
 
CLewey44

CLewey44

Registered User
Thanks guys for the insight and perspective. In Europe, I have heard they do it differently, as most things Masonic, and wondered why we do it the way we do here. There is probably no wrong or right way. I certainly didn't mean to imply it cheapened it because I would think presentation would decide that, ie how well the degrees were put on. I wasn't sure if there was much memorization with the YR or SR. If there is a wrd, tkn or other thing associated with each degree in SR, that's a lot to remember!
 
Matt L

Matt L

Site Benefactor
In my jurisdiction, our York Rite festivals are worked on two weekends. All of the degrees in the Chapter, Council and preliminary orders of the Commandery are done in long form.
All the candidates go through the floor work, we don't pick one for each degree and have the others sit on the sidelines, unless he has a physical ailment. We work in full regalia and the candidates get our very best effort.
The Order of the Temple is normally done at the Companions local Commandery. The Order of the Temple is my favorite degree, I was deeply moved when I had mine. Like the 3rd it truly changed my life. I recommend if you have a choice, have your Order of the Temple done at your Commanderies annual inspection.
 
Warrior1256

Warrior1256

Site Benefactor
Matt L said:
We work in full regalia and the candidates get our very best effort.
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Same here. Each degree / order was done in full costume / regalia.
Matt L said:
The Order of the Temple is my favorite degree, I was deeply moved when I had mine. Like the 3rd it truly changed my life.
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Same here.
Matt L said:
I recommend if you have a choice, have your Order of the Temple done at your Commanderies annual inspection.
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We usually have two inspections annually. One on our proficiency on opening on the full form, one on the Order of the Temple degree.
 
goomba

goomba

Neo-Antient
Site Benefactor
I had a one day festival of the degrees and orders. That was a long day and sometimes this might be the only option. With that being said I would have preferred to go through the degrees one at a time or one body at a time. The Commanery, to date, doesn't excite me. However, the Capitular and Cryptic degrees do. The Mark Master, Most Excellent Master, and Royal Arch are extremely powerful and meaningful degrees. The Cryptic degrees are short but great. Being able to have a face to face conversation with Hiram is very moving. I think so many people want to be knighted that the magnitude of the Chapter and Council are missed.
 
Warrior1256

Warrior1256

Site Benefactor
goomba said:
I think so many people want to be knighted that the magnitude of the Chapter and Council are missed.
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Totally agree! I see some people stop participating in Chapter and Council after going through the Order of the Temple. They have the mistaken idea that the Knight Templar orders are the "top" or "highest" degrees in the York Rite.
 
goomba

goomba

Neo-Antient
Site Benefactor
One thing I liked about my YR in Alabama was all the bodies meet at the exact same time. Each opening once every quarter in form and the other two accepting votes from the opened body.

So for example the chapter would open on full form. But if a Commandery issue came up it'd be voted on in the chapter. It was nice.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk
 
Warrior1256

Warrior1256

Site Benefactor
goomba said:
One thing I liked about my YR in Alabama was all the bodies meet at the exact same time. Each opening once every quarter in form and the other two accepting votes from the opened body.

So for example the chapter would open on full form. But if a Commandery issue came up it'd be voted on in the chapter. It was nice.
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Our Commandery meets every third Tuesday and the Chapter and Council meets every third Wednesday. We only conduct business pertaining to each within that particular body. For example, we would not conduct Commandery business in Chapter. We would only conduct Commandery business in the Commandery, Chapter business in Chapter and Council in Council. The only exception I know of is when voting on new members for Chapter and Council. As we hold our Council meeting immediately after that of Chapter if the same members are applying for Council as were Chapter instead of holding another vote in Council we will simply accept the vote of the Chapter since the members voting are the same. Just differences in jurisdiction.
CLewey44 said:
I've always felt a little more drawn towards YR for some reason. AASR is fascinating too but YR seems more into what I'm into.
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Same here. As I have said, I really like the Scottish Rite but I love the York Rite.
 
Matt L

Matt L

Site Benefactor
Warrior1256 said:
Our Commandery meets every third Tuesday and the Chapter and Council meets every third Wednesday. We only conduct business pertaining to each within that particular body. For example, we would not conduct Commandery business in Chapter. We would only conduct Commandery business in the Commandery, Chapter business in Chapter and Council in Council. The only exception I know of is when voting on new members for Chapter and Council. As we hold our Council meeting immediately after that of Chapter if the same members are applying for Council as were Chapter instead of holding another vote in Council we will simply accept the vote of the Chapter since the members voting are the same. Just differences in jurisdiction.

Same here. As I have said, I really like the Scottish Rite but I love the York Rite.
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Same here, I really enjoyed the AASR, love the York Rite. Warrior, when is your York Rite Annual communication? If I'm free, I could take the trip up.
 
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