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Grand College of Rites / Questions

Forthright

Registered User
I've been reading up on GCR and am interested in petitioning, and may do so. One thing I found in their constitution though I found a bit curious, and wanted to know if any members might provide some color on this as I can't find any information:

The Grand College of Rites has for its major objects:
2. The elimination of sporadic efforts to resuscitate or perpetuate Rites, Systems and Orders of Freemasonry in the United States, except to bring them under control of the Grand College of Rites.
I can imagine reasons why this would be a major object of the GCR, but I don't want to guess. Could anyone fill in the blanks?
 

Mark Stockdale

Premium Member
Maybe taken out of context as I am not in the USA, and only seeing that one small statement, but looks to me like they want to control all the GLs in the USA. Imagine 1 body controlling all the ritual in the USA, able to tell you that it must be done their way. Part of the beauty of Freemasonry for me is those differences in ritual, not only here in Scotland where every lodge has a slightly different ritual, but around the world.
 

Forthright

Registered User
Maybe taken out of context as I am not in the USA, and only seeing that one small statement, but looks to me like they want to control all the GLs in the USA. Imagine 1 body controlling all the ritual in the USA, able to tell you that it must be done their way. Part of the beauty of Freemasonry for me is those differences in ritual, not only here in Scotland where every lodge has a slightly different ritual, but around the world.

I did not interpret it to have anything to do with controlling grand lodges. My first assumption was that the GCR had concern over Masonry fracturing though. For all the regional differences we have, probably amity is easier because most of the jurisdictions evolved from a very small set of distinct rituals.

I can imagine that amity & unity would be much, much harder if people started picking up old 18th century ritual, putting their spin on it, and kicking off a new group. I can imagine that it would be extremely difficult and contentious to determine whether those people were Masons or not.
 

Glen Cook

G A Cook
Site Benefactor
I did not interpret it to have anything to do with controlling grand lodges. My first assumption was that the GCR had concern over Masonry fracturing though. For all the regional differences we have, probably amity is easier because most of the jurisdictions evolved from a very small set of distinct rituals.

I can imagine that amity & unity would be much, much harder if people started picking up old 18th century ritual, putting their spin on it, and kicking off a new group. I can imagine that it would be extremely difficult and contentious to determine whether those people were Masons or not.
The ritual worked has nothing to do with whether craft jurisdictions are in amity, outside of preservation of the Hiramic myth and use of a VSL. There are over 80 actively worked rituals in England. The Scottish Rite and Rectified Rite Rituals are starkly different than the Preston Webb and Emulation families of ritual.

There are still groups who either do pick up disused rituals or create their own in the 20th C., The Operatives, Athelstan, Acon, Spiritual Knights, August Order of Knights, Scarlet Cord.

The few rituals controlled by The College could all be worked as side orders, maintaining the current Craft degrees as prerequisites.
 

Forthright

Registered User
The second point at the top of the thread was an element in the GCR constitution, a reason for GCR to exist:

The elimination of sporadic efforts to resuscitate or perpetuate Rites, Systems and Orders of Freemasonry in the United States, except to bring them under control of the Grand College of Rites.​

I was wondering why this point is so foundational as to be in their constitution -- that the organization should seek to eliminate efforts to resuscitate old rites.
 

Glen Cook

G A Cook
Site Benefactor
The second point at the top of the thread was an element in the GCR constitution, a reason for GCR to exist:

The elimination of sporadic efforts to resuscitate or perpetuate Rites, Systems and Orders of Freemasonry in the United States, except to bring them under control of the Grand College of Rites.​

I was wondering why this point is so foundational as to be in their constitution -- that the organization should seek to eliminate efforts to resuscitate old rites.
It actually helps GLs, by limiting spurious groups who wish to take a disused ritual and seek to use it.
 

Pointwithinacircle3

Registered User
Here is my personal experience with outdated Masonic Rites and Ritual. I was raised two years after my jurisdiction “simplified ” the ritual. As part of this revision the catechism was changed so that the statements of the obligation were read to the candidate and he simply agreed to them. When I learned about this we were trying to generate more interesting content for our meetings. Since I had never learned the catechism I thought it might be nice to learn the old catechism and present it in Lodge. I thought the older Masons would enjoy it and the newer Masons, who had never seen it, might learn something new about the craft. While searching for someone to teach me the old catechism I mentioned my plan in the presence of our Deputy District Inspector. My DDI informed me that it would be a violation of Masonic Law to perform the old catechism in open Lodge because when the new catechism was approved the old one had been outlawed. I believe that this applies to all Masonic ritual. It is either approved or outlawed.
 

Bloke

Premium Member
Here is my personal experience with outdated Masonic Rites and Ritual. I was raised two years after my jurisdiction “simplified ” the ritual. As part of this revision the catechism was changed so that the statements of the obligation were read to the candidate and he simply agreed to them. When I learned about this we were trying to generate more interesting content for our meetings. Since I had never learned the catechism I thought it might be nice to learn the old catechism and present it in Lodge. I thought the older Masons would enjoy it and the newer Masons, who had never seen it, might learn something new about the craft. While searching for someone to teach me the old catechism I mentioned my plan in the presence of our Deputy District Inspector. My DDI informed me that it would be a violation of Masonic Law to perform the old catechism in open Lodge because when the new catechism was approved the old one had been outlawed. I believe that this applies to all Masonic ritual. It is either approved or outlawed.

I might be naughty.. but I say - BA HUMBUG !

You can have a "lecture" on many topics.. If I had of been present, I would have said how wonderful our degree ceremonies are and they should not be changed (they get changed) and asked if it would be a good idea to make a daily masonic advancement in masonic knowledge by acknowledging these old catechisms exist, that our ceremonies have evolved over time and place, and how interesting it would be to look at them and this evolution.. and maybe it would be good idea to present a lecture on them to spread Masonic Light. If there was an objection, I would say shouldn't we try to understand the Craft and be knowledgeable Masons? If more objections, I would have said "Thanks Brother, I'll take than on board".. and then prompt thrown it overboard (but not the objector because that would be unmasonic :) )....

I am a big supporter of consistent ritual (hey, I'm not Scottish :)) but also understanding it... and it helps to understand what is when you know how it changed in time and place.

It is likely you could not (and should not) have them in a degree, but I can't see any reason why you can't have a lecture on them, even if it starts with "This is how this was once done <insert old catechism>. Wasn't that lecture interesting Brethren !" End of Lecture. Discussion and question time !
 

Glen Cook

G A Cook
Site Benefactor
I might be naughty.. but I say - BA HUMBUG !

You can have a "lecture" on many topics.. If I had of been present, I would have said how wonderful our degree ceremonies are and they should not be changed (they get changed) and asked if it would be a good idea to make a daily masonic advancement in masonic knowledge by acknowledging these old catechisms exist, that our ceremonies have evolved over time and place, and how interesting it would be to look at them and this evolution.. and maybe it would be good idea to present a lecture on them to spread Masonic Light. If there was an objection, I would say shouldn't we try to understand the Craft and be knowledgeable Masons? If more objections, I would have said "Thanks Brother, I'll take than on board".. and then prompt thrown it overboard (but not the objector because that would be unmasonic :) )....

I am a big supporter of consistent ritual (hey, I'm not Scottish :)) but also understanding it... and it helps to understand what is when you know how it changed in time and place.

It is likely you could not (and should not) have them in a degree, but I can't see any reason why you can't have a lecture on them, even if it starts with "This is how this was once done <insert old catechism>. Wasn't that lecture interesting Brethren !" End of Lecture. Discussion and question time !
I think the difference is lecturing on the prior ritual, and presenting it as ritual.
 
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