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2014 Certifications

Companion Joe

Premium Member
The gentleman to which I am referring could competently open and close the lodge, but it was far from smooth. By the time he was master, he was in his 70s, long removed from his lectures. He tried to beg out of being master, stating his lack of ability to do memory work like a champ. His lodge owed it to him to make sure he had the opportunity to be WM, an honor he richly deserved. Sometimes, the pride and respect goes from the group to the individual. This person, if you measured on a scale of 0-10 for being a man and Mason, he'd be a 12. Some people are ritualist, and some are not.

In Tennessee, Masons are only required to learn the EA and FC lectures to advance. You have to present the MM lecture before open lodge in order to get a certificate from the GL, but it is not a requirement. By that time, you have already been raised a MM and are entitled to the benefits of such. Heck, my dad is an old man and closing in on being a 50-year Mason. He is not now, nor ever has been, a ritualist. He could probably answer the first question of the MM lecture, but beyond that probably not. He is in lodge every time the door is open and has been the primary investigator for our lodge during the last 20 years. Just because he doesn't do memory work doesn't make him less of a Mason and a valuable contributor to the lodge.
 

Bill Lins

Moderating Staff
Staff Member
The gentleman to which I am referring could competently open and close the lodge
That's all I ask.

Just because he doesn't do memory work doesn't make him less of a Mason and a valuable contributor to the lodge.
Never said it did. To me, one of the beautiful things about Masonry is that there is a way & place for every Brother to contribute. The Brother who keeps the lawn mowed & looking good is just as important to the Lodge as the Master. That said, each Brother has to be honest with himself and the Lodge as to his abilities and limitations. Many Brethren simply do not possess the skills to lead a Lodge, however, some of those want the status of WM and get upset if they don't "receive their due".

The best advice I ever got regarding Masonry was back when I first became a Master Mason. I was advised to never ask for anything- just let it be known by my actions that I was willing to serve the Lodge in any way I could to the best of my abilities, and that if I was considered "worthy", the Lodge would find ways I could serve.
 

Bill Lins

Moderating Staff
Staff Member
Originally posted by Bill Lins: "In the not too distant past, we only had the "A" (all or nothing?) certificate."

How long ago was that? It had to be pre-1997 because that system was in place when I was raised. I got an "A" certificate in 1999 and 1999, but lapsed in 2000 due to lack of time because of family and work concerns.

I was a man without a country from 2004-2012, but I'm active again and I'm going to shot for my "A" certificate this year!

I just re-certified yesterday. I asked R:.W:. T.K. Anthony your question- he stated that, to the best of his recollection, the change occurred back around 1985 or so.

Good luck with your exam!
 

Pscyclepath

Premium Member
As of November, I have my Officer's Proficiency card in hand. Polishing now to test for the Certified Instructor ("blue") card toward the end of this winter. Then start working to master the "Red" card, which covers the 2nd section of the Master's degree.

Arkansas offers four levels of certification: Certified Lecturer, which covers the three proficiency lectures for the EA, FC, and MM degrees. Officer's Proficiency, which covers opening and closing the lodge sequentially in all three degrees, opening and closing individually in each degree, and suspending and resuming labor between degrees. Certified Instructor, or "blue" card covers the requirements for both the Lecturer's and Officer Proficiency cards, plus all parts and floorwork in the conferral of the three degrees, as well as the 2nd Section of the EA degree and the explanatory lecture on the Monuments and Emblems following the MM degree. The "Red" card covers all parts of the second section of the MM degree. Altogether, once you hold the blue and red cards, that's a hair over 80,000 words of ritual, and doesn't count the 3rd section of the EA or 2nd section of the FC (not tested because they're printed in the Monitor, but you're expected to be able to deliver them). Certifications are good for 4 years, after which you have to be re-tested.
 

crono782

Premium Member
Just passed my "B" cert exam today for the first time. Not as challenging as I thought it would be... Anywho, time to keep workin' on that "A".


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JJones

Moderator
Finally got my "C" paperwork last Tues, it was a nice surprise. :)


Working on learning the EA lecture now...I dunno if I'll try for anything more than a C for the immediate future though.
 

chrisu0017

Registered User
I've had my "C" certificate for three years now and finally took my "A" exam last weekend.


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Pscyclepath

Premium Member
As noted above, Arkansas has the four certified proficiencies: Certified Lecturer, Lodge Officer Proficiency, and Certified Instructor. there is a separate certification for having learned all parts and the floorwork for the second section of the Master's degree. The standard is a word-perfect performance for all work, depending on the examiner you may be allowed three un-self-corrected words. I got my Officers' Proficiency last fall before being seated in the South, and was passed last week as a Certified Instructor, which covers all the adopted work with the exception of the second section of the Master's. I went ahead and bit off the whole chew at once, while it was one heck of an exam (took about 2 3/4 hours, considering that having been passed on the obligations as part of the proficiency lectures in the first part of the exam, I didn't have to recite them all over again while conferring the degrees ;-) Second sections of the EA and Fellowcraft were included, and the Emblems lecture that makes up the third section of the Masters degree from the monitor. But the good thing is that having passed, I only have to keep up certification for the one "blue" card from here on out. Certification is good for four years; to recertify, if you have been actively working and the Grand Lecturer is happy with your performance, you may likely get checked on the more critical parts and they dig deeper into your knowledge if you turn out to be a bit wobbly anywhere ;-) If you let it lapse, then you have to go back thru the whole ordeal of petitioning the Grand Lodge for certification and reciting the entire work for score all over again.

The cards aren't as common as you might think... Out of our lodge of ~150 members, we have three current cardholders. The Secretary & Treasurer have the OP card, and are due to recertify this summer, I have the OP card and the only current Instructor card. Others have held them in the past though, and it's a pain to go back and recertify once you've lapsed.

I'm working with the guys behind me in line to get them their OP cards before they move up into the principal chairs, as well as get them ready to take more responsibility in the degree work. At the same time I've been working on the parts in the second section of the Master's, and can function in all the parts so far except King Solomon and Hiram of Tyre. Time and an available lecturer permitting, I'm going to try for the Red card around the end of this year. At the same time, I'm proceeding quietly so as to not ruffle too many feathers with our current Director of Work, who's getting way on up there in years and only drills us these days on opening and closing the lodge :-(
 

crono782

Premium Member
Passed my first "A" certificate exam today! Man what a relief, hah.
ImageUploadedByMy Freemasonry1415480857.915785.jpg
 

Pscyclepath

Premium Member
Examined Thursday evening by a panel of three instructors, and found proficient for my Red Card...together with my Blue Card from last spring, this certifies me as an instructor in the entire adopted work for AR... and apparently there are derned few holders running around now with both the Red & Blue cards... Just have to let the paperwork catch up...
 

Roy Vance

Certified
Premium Member
I realize that the title of this thread is for 2014, but I am reading it in 2015, so I will comment in 2015. Last August (2014), I went for certification to get my "C" certificate for three years. I will go this August (2015) and work to get my "B" certificate. The difference between the two in Texas is that the "B" is everything in the "C" and being able to confer all three degrees. An "A" in Texas is a "B" plus all of the lectures. I am not even near that good,...yet. I will try for the "A" in a couple of years. After all, I have only been a MM for less than four years.
 

Kenneth NC Mason

Registered User
I'm working in getting my Certified Instructors Certificate. The GL of NC holds exams for that in August so luckily I don't have much more to learn. We don't have any proficency requirements to become master ( although, if you're a lodge UD, then you have to know all degrees and lectures if your a master or warden, someone inNC correct me if I'm wrong) . To be a District Deputy Grand Lecturer you have to know all degrees and lectures. They have a separate certification called Certifed Lecturer that they have to do so to be elected for that.

For CI you have to do ( listed in order of things I can do to things I still working on)
Tyler's Oath
Open MM Lodge and Close a MM lodge
Dispense with and Resume Labor
Take all parts in the EA Degree including Apron Lecture and do Catechism Q&A
Take all parts in FC Degree including the SD Lecture, and the Geoemetry Explanation that is supposed to be done by the WM. I did both the lecture and the Letter G explanation a few months a go. Also must do Catechism Q&A.
Take all parts in the MM Degree first and second section and explain in detail the MM short form

To be a CL you have to do the EA ( which I just did two weeks ago) and MM lectures. If you have a CI Certifcate, you can go back a year after your exam and just do the remaining two lectures , then you're a CL. Either certification is valid for five years.
 

Bloke

Premium Member
As for holding certain proficiencies to hold office as some jurisdictions require, I don't like that at all. One of the best masters, if not the best, we've had in my time as a Mason couldn't do any degree work with much proficiency. We still laugh and say he couldn't open the lodge if he was using a chainsaw! He certainly couldn't confer a degree. But, when he was master, attendance was outstanding, we did things for the lodge, and it was just an all around good year.

If our state or lodge placed proficiency requirements on being WM, this man wouldn't have had the opportunity he deserved, and our lodge would have been the poorer for it.

Our last Master was exactly the same, he could open and close, run his business and that is it. That's all we asked him to do. He says he respects ritual but had no time or aptitude to learn it. All too often Freemasons choose their leaders by their ability to deliver a charge rather than lead. That's a big mistake in many lodges and Grand Lodges.. being a parrot does not a leader make... He was a fantastic master and a real shot in the arm, and it was great to see everyone support him - he delegated all his degree work and we had a great year.

More generally, to be a WM, you need to have served as Warden and have been a MM for not less than 5 years.

To be advanced to a FC, you need to be able to answer the required questions, and have doe the "Masonic Advancement Program 1" aka MAP 1. Not less than 12 weeks must have elapsed since you were initiated.
To be raised as a MM, you need to be able to answer the required questions, and have done your MAP2.. Not less than 52 weeks must have eleapsed since you were initiated.
To obtain your MM certificate, you need to have done the MAP3.

Once any brother has done MAP1, 2 & 3 they get a lapel pin.

The MAPs are basically a walk through of the degree the brother has done and a Q&A session. They run anywhere from 40 mins to 3 hours, depending on he presenter and the discussions around the degree and freemasonry..
 
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