Turning in Proficiency

[CLewey44]

I think that each candidate should have their own degree night. This also keeps the lodge members sharper on ritual vs doing it once a year for five or six guys. As for proficiency, it's important to have it down but I assure you, if two guys do it well in tandem they are profecient. That is the least of Masonry's problems.

 

[Bro. A]

Having your own degree and proficiency night is YOUR night. It means alot more in my opinion. And you're right there are other issues that need to be addressed in Freemasonry. But that's another subject.

 

[CLewey44]

Having your own degree and proficiency night is YOUR night. It means alot more in my opinion. And you're right there are other issues that need to be addressed in Freemasonry. But that's another subject.

Absolutely. Some GLs allow more than one which I find ridiculous. It's not about "pushing thru" as many candidates as possible. To me it's all about the experience. Also, like I said before, it gives lodges practice vs. doing it once a year or less resulting in an awful presentation. Recently a lodge I was at did four candidates at once. The lodge hadn't done an EA in about two years. It was very evident when at one point I thought we were just going to have to start over or give the candidates their money back.

 

[Bro. A]

Absolutely. Some GLs allow more than one which I find ridiculous. It's not about "pushing thru" as many candidates as possible. To me it's all about the experience. Also, like I said before, it gives lodges practice vs. doing it once a year or less resulting in an awful presentation. Recently a lodge I was at did four candidates at once. The lodge hadn't done an EA in about two years. It was very evident when at one point I thought we were just going to have to start over or give the candidates their money back.

That's crazy. That's the whole purpose of floor school. We as the younger generation have to bring back the proper ritual of the Blue Lodge and really start learning and practicing regularly. It can be embarrassing when you have brothers visiting from other lodges during a degree and that lodge is making multiple mistakes. You want your lodge to be known as a strong and knowledgeable lodge. Again, floor school is important.

 

[Brother JC]

To me it's all about the experience.

Indeed! The Initiatic Experience has already been so watered down as to be unrecognizable in some areas, to turn it into a discount store version is heartbreaking.

 

[Bro. A]

I can say that my E.A. and FC degrees were actually pretty good. I didn't know what to expect and that made it that more meaningful. You want each degree to mean something to you. I'm hoping my MM degree will be just as exciting as the preceding degrees.
But I have been to other lodges for both EA and FC degrees and I do hear some mistakes during the ritual. Every lodge isn't perfect, I get that but we as a Brotherhood and The world's greatest Fraternity need to stick to the ritual as our Brothers who have gone this way before us have and actually learn it. It has to survive!

 

[dfreybur]

An important point of round robin is every Brother has to know it all. At any one point the mentor could double up and reverse who's doing what answer. And the entire obligation MUST be delivered by every candidate. As long as that is done I'm sort of okay doing it in small groups.

But. Only in a lodge that's doing at least two nights of degrees per month so it's the only way to fit everyone on the calendar. If your lodge has had a stated meeting without a proficiency in the last 3 months, your lodge has time to do them individually.

I think the same about scheduling degrees but less so. A lot of candidates very much like walking on the floor in a degree as a team of 2 or 3. With every candidate doing the obligation individually and completely.

Having degrees with candidates in the audience, I did my Scottish Rite degrees like that so I know it works. I've worked through the line of chairs with guys who got their degrees like that so I know it works. But I'm still gratified that most candidates like degrees in person or on the floor as small teams.

 

[Warrior1256]

An important point of round robin is every Brother has to know it all. At any one point the mentor could double up and reverse who's doing what answer. And the entire obligation MUST be delivered by every candidate.

Exactly! This is why I would have been o.k. if someone was taking the proficiency at the same time as me. As you have no idea of the order in which the questions are going to be asked you still have to have memorized the entire thing.

 

[Bloke]

Greetings Brothers,
I would like your thoughts on this...
Two candidates are initiated on the same night. They are assigned an instructor to begin studying their work. Now it's time to turn in proficiency... Do you let them "tag team" in answering the questions or do you have them turn in their own proficiency one at a time?

We tag team them - but don't tell then which sections they will be doing.. This is not a lodge choice, it is prescribed by our book of workings..

 

[Warrior1256]

We tag team them - but don't tell then which sections they will be doing.. This is not a lodge choice, it is prescribed by our book of workings..

Nothing wrong with that....you still have to know the whole proficiency in order to pass.