Brothers,
I was raised June 1995 (hard to believe it has been 16 years). During my 3 degrees, I received the full lectures given to me by memory alone. At some point during the time when my cable tow prevented me from attending Lodge very often and at a point where my Lodge was not having many new members, Masonry made the decision to forego the long form of the lectures. Now the initiate, fellow and master receive the short form lectures.
While I will freely admit that the long form makes for a very, very long night (especially when you had to wait for the lodge to open in a MM and then call off and go to labor in the appropriate degree), I think that younger Masons are missing something. I mentioned the term "rough ashlar" the other day and got a blank stare from a young Mason.
I hope to learn the lectures (short and long form) and one day surprise my younger brothers with a long form lecture given from memory.
It is what the older brothers did for me.