Recent content by Christopher

I think this depends on what's going on. On degree nights, I personally like the idea of dressing more seriously, because I feel like the ritual is serious. We get maybe four hours over the course of three nights to take a good man and make him better by our ritual. We must then be very...

I will be in San Antonio next week for business, and I'd like to be able to attend some lodges while I'm there. Does anyone know of any lodges or Chapters/Councils that will be meeting this coming week, 4/11/11 - 4/15/11? Thank you for your help.

I agree completely. I really couldn't care less about one ball versus three balls. Anyone who wants to express his grudge with one black ball will be able to find two friends to make it three. This has been said by multiple people over and over and I have yet to hear a decent argument against...

Graded degrees are when a member of the Committee on Work (a Grand Lodge committee ostensibly devoted to preserving the wording of our ritual and work) comes and watches a degree that a lodge performs and gives a grade after the degree is over. The lodge begins the degree with 1000 points and...

My personal feeling is that there is a world of difference between a regular brother and an officer. I think it's great if a regular brother shows up looking nice, especially for a degree, but, as plenty of other brethren have already said, the important thing is that he showed up. However...

We had a forum at our lodge in February and I thought I specifically remembered R:.W:. Anthony saying that in a graded degree everything but the circumambulations and the roll of workmen was required to be memorized, including the prayer in the EA degree.

Is it actually against Grand Lodge law to hold a discussion on the candidate when the petition is read or before the vote is taken, or is it only against custom? ---------- Post added at 10:41 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:12 AM ---------- To play devil's advocate, how does 3 black...

This is exactly what I was talking about, though. Why would a petitioner want to belong to the same lodge as someone who dislikes him enough to organize a posse just to keep him out? And, from a fraternal perspective, at least in my opinion, that brother was there first, and if he doesn't want...

Well, for one, I think the crack-down on information seems...strange. Members are not allowed to talk to each other about petitioners or share information, as I understand it. If one member has negative information about a petitioner, then, the way I understand it, they're allowed to vote...

I think if a woman wore a Masonic ring, with only the Square and Compasses, just like what MMs wear, I think it would look very strange. I think a lot of people who saw it would mistakenly think the woman was somehow a member of a Blue Lodge, not the OES. If a woman wants to indicate her...

I personally think the whole system surrounding the selection of new members needs an overhaul.

Wow. That sort of attitude is disgusting and shameful for any man, more especially a Mason. Sounds like a sick prejudice biased his integrity...

But studying what, exactly? Does it include knowledge of all the degree work? Just the opening and closing?

Greetings all! I was looking at the Grand Chapter's website and found out that the Grand Chapter and Grand Council both award certificates of proficiency. Can anyone detail what is required knowledge for these certificates? Is it similar to the Blue Lodge certificates? Thank you.

I plan on testing for an "A" Certificate at the next forum near me, but it will be my first esoteric certificate.