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One-Day classes, What do YOU think?

Are you in favor of One-Day Classes?


  • Total voters
    144

nixxon2000

Premium Member
My mentor and I have discussed this at pervious meetings. 80% of me agrees that it should take time and that you get more out of it in the long run. However the other 10% sees the value of doing the insta-mason day.

I know in some countries it can take a year between degrees. However the EA and FC can participate in meetings of their degree which are available often. I know that here in Wisconsin stated meetings are held in the MM degree. So an EA or FC can miss out on lectures and visitors. However since the minimum time between degrees is only 2 weeks ( and I think it should be longer) there are few reasons I think we need the day classes.



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j_gimpy

Registered User
In my jurisdiction I am against them. Every lodge I've been to is more than willing to step down to FC or EA so a brother of that degree can attend. Likewise, one has the option of either proving up/doing proficiency, or doing an alternate proficiency composed of technical questions related to symbolism and protocol to advance to the next degree.



Junior Steward
Phoenix Lodge #154
Sumner, WA
 

Aircraftmaniac

Registered User
I have gotten so much out of doing it the old fashion way. Instamaster would have made me feel cheated out of the preparations for each degree and I would have felt that I did not earn the degrees

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flameburns623

Registered User
About half of those who were joining when I came in were really only interested in beconing Shriners.
At that time, one had to belong to both a Blue Lodge and either the York Rite or the Scottish Rite, before you could petition for the Shrine.

Many of the Blue Lightning classes offered the option to be made a Scottish Rite 32° AND a Shriner in short order. (I don't know if this was done in one day or in two).

I opted NOT for the Blue Lightning initiation but instead took nearly five years to go from EA to MM, having experienced a divorce, moved out of Illinois, then remarried and moved BACK to Illinois in that period of time.

My York Rite initiation was done all in a single day, and with the option offered (again) to become a Scottish Rite AND Shriner for additional fees (ballpark estimate, around $250.00, but that's from memory). I was tempted, although my interest was less in the Shriners than in the Scottish Rite.

It appears that MOST York and Scottish Rite inductees experience their degree work in single-day sessions. I don't see that doing likewise in the Blue Lodge is going to adversely affect membership.

Clearly during my initiations, many of those involved in doing the various rituals were reading from scripts, had never studied the rituals they were conducting, and yet conveyed the purposes and intent of each section or degree as well as did more-polished members.

I saw similar variations in familiarity with degrees when I attended meetings. A few Brothers knew their roles well, many (sometimes most) were reading from the Blue Book or watching the rest of us for visual cues as to what to do next.

If the retention/attrition rates are similar, make Blue Lightning/ One Day Classes an option. But make Lodge classes a priority. And recognise that some are going to drop out, and others will focus on appendant organizations such as the Shriners.

My two cents.

Edit: btw: I felt, as did many others here, that I got a GREAT DEAL MORE out of earning my degrees the 'old way' than I might have done via Blue Lightning.
 
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Kenneth NC Mason

Registered User
My blue lodge degrees were done the traditional way..

When I went through my York Rite degrees they were done over the course of three evenings in the following order

Wednesday Night- Mark Master- Most Excellent Master
Saturday Morning- Royal Arch, Council Degrees, Order of Red Cross, Order of Malta.

Another Wednesday night but this time at Castle McCulloh- Order of the Temple

I felt like doing it this way I was able to digest the information a lot better.

When I went to a one day York Rite festival...I...was...shocked

They had to skip entire lectures for the sake of time, the ones who did do the lectures literally left out in some cases entire paragraphs , and the whole thing seemed draining. By the time it was done everyone was tired , and I'll bet you a million dollars the candidates brains were fried.

I'm not a fan of one day classes for any Masonic body because I feel like it cheapens the experience for the candidate. If we're against it for blue lodge , why do we allow it for York and Scottish Rite ? Just asking a question, not causing a debate


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flameburns623

Registered User
My blue lodge degrees were done the traditional way..

When I went through my York Rite degrees over the course of three evenings in the following order

Wednesday Night- Mark Master- Most Excellent Master
Saturday Morning- Royal Arch, Council Degrees, Order of Red Cross, Order of Malta.

Another Wednesday night but this time at Castle McCulloh- Order of the Temple

I felt like doing it this way I was able to digest the information a lot better.

When I went to a one day York Rite festival...I...was...shocked

They had to skip entire lectures for the sake of time, the ones who did do the lectures literally left out in some cases entire paragraphs , and the whole thing seemed draining. By the time it was done everyone was tired , and I'll bet you a million dollars the candidates brains were fried.

I'm not a fan of one day classes for any Masonic body because I feel like it cheapens the experience for the candidate. If we're against it for blue lodge , why do we allow it for York and Scottish Rite ? Just asking a question, not causing a debate


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You would win that bet at MY York Rite initiation.
 
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dfreybur

Premium Member
Clearly during my initiations, many of those involved in doing the various rituals were reading from scripts, had never studied the rituals they were conducting, and yet conveyed the purposes and intent of each section or degree as well as did more-polished members.

Interesting. In my degrees all the Brothers had memorized their parts. It was impressive. But I've seen degrees with individual Brothers reading their parts and the candidates didn't notice - and not always for the obvious reason. The side liners notice vastly more than the candidates.

Edit: btw: I felt, as did many others here, that I got a GREAT DEAL MORE out of earning my degrees the 'old way' than I might have done via Blue Lightning.

The proficiencies are still mandatory from any Brother who gets his degrees rapidly. All that changes is when they get delivered. So while I feel I got a great deal out of doing my proficiencies one degree at a time that also happens for any Brother who gets his degrees rapidly.

Rapid ways I've seen -

All three in one day. Works fine when the candidate intends to move on to the Shrine immediately. Does not happen in Texas. Has happened once in the last decade in Illinois. Used to happen one group per year in California back in the 1990s. Candidates still need to turn in their proficiencies, but the appendent bodies don't reject Brothers who never bother.

FC and MM together called Blue Lightning. I've only seen this in Illinois. Candidates still need to turn in their proficiencies. Statistics say at least as many candidates become active as ones who do individual degrees. I've seen exactly that happen though I've never understood why it works that way.

Three degrees in three days immediately before a military deployment overseas. The Brother needs to work on and present his proficiencies when he returns. I've only been on degree teams for this in Illinois but I suspect it's an option in several other states.
 

billyjfootball

Registered User
In PA, there is a one day class where you get all three blue lodge degrees, get your 32 Scottish Rite degree, and become a Shriner. All in one day!!

How does anybody get anything from that? I can see maybe one full day for each degree or something.

I'm glad I chose traditional way.


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Kenneth NC Mason

Registered User
In PA, there is a one day class where you get all three blue lodge degrees, get your 32 Scottish Rite degree, and become a Shriner. All in one day!!

How does anybody get anything from that? I can see maybe one full day for each degree or something.

I'm glad I chose traditional way.


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I agree ! And as unique as I hear PA Ritual is, it's something to be experienced slowly and one degree at a time.


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dfreybur

Premium Member
In PA, there is a one day class where you get all three blue lodge degrees, get your 32 Scottish Rite degree, and become a Shriner. All in one day!!

How does anybody get anything from that?

Where anybody is the candidate - He gets into the Shrine. Where anybody is the blue lodge's budget - We get an annual dues check. Where anybody is the lodge's degree team - We don't waste our time on a Brother who is almost never going to attend.

To me that's a win-win.

I'm glad I chose traditional way.

As am I. But my degrees were about me and your degrees were about you. As hard as it is to accept the candidate's degrees are about him not us.

I am gratified that most candidates now chose the slow way but I reached peace with Shriners rushing through their degrees to get to the Shrine. I am a Shriner who happens to be vastly more involved at the blue lodge level rarely attending the Shrine.
 

flameburns623

Registered User
Where anybody is the candidate - He gets into the Shrine. Where anybody is the blue lodge's budget - We get an annual dues check. Where anybody is the lodge's degree team - We don't waste our time on a Brother who is almost never going to attend.

To me that's a win-win.



As am I. But my degrees were about me and your degrees were about you. As hard as it is to accept the candidate's degrees are about him not us.

I am gratified that most candidates now chose the slow way but I reached peace with Shriners rushing through their degrees to get to the Shrine. I am a Shriner who happens to be vastly more involved at the blue lodge level rarely attending the Shrine.

Appreciate this Brother's perspective on this.
 

Levelhead

Premium Member
Every 1 day mason i have met ive not been impressed with. Have also had bad dealings with them. One of my lodges is full of them.

They just dont know their obligations.. i dont blame them.. i blame the lodge for being desperate for members and doing 1 day raisings.

Rushing people through cause you got an open sw, jw, or even a wm chair nobody wanted.

Throw them in a top 3 chair and you have created a monster whom now had a power trip but dont even know the work.

Then they are in a rush to raise people fast, then let them "mentor" new candidates. What a joke. You have created a mini version of your 1 day mentality.

Recipe for destruction that ive heard happened years before and will probably happen again.

With that said its not directed to every 1 day mason. Im sure there are great apples in a bag of bad apples all the time!

Just reflecting in my personal experiences.


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Warrior1256

Site Benefactor
I can only speak for myself. I went through a one day AASR class. Information overload? Sure, but it did not dissuade me. This was 14 months ago and I have been very active in the AASR ever since and have a better understanding of it every time that I attend. I feel that I would have done the same if I had attended a one day Blue Lodge class.
 
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stevenellis11

Registered User
I disagree on this method of fast tracking , how could you turn to this brother for advice and knowledge if he has been on a one day course .
Surely this would not give him the respect as it would a time served Master Mason


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Glen Cook

G A Cook
Site Benefactor
I disagree on this method of fast tracking , how could you turn to this brother for advice and knowledge if he has been on a one day course .
Surely this would not give him the respect as it would a time served Master Mason


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How does two months in the fraternity give that respect for a time served MM?
 

David612

Registered User
It depends entirely on the lodge culture, if there are good mentoring programs in place and time will be spent with the new master to ensure the lessons are really passed on then the degree itself is irrelevant BUT the weight of the lessons can’t be fully comprehend in a day in my opinion
 
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