relapse98
Registered User
Ugh. teach me not to look at my monitor more often!
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Reflection Chamber
- Thread starter anthonywilson
- Start date
Ugh. teach me not to look at my monitor more often!
I think that the point of this thread by brother anthony was not how the grand lodge is telling what to do, but that if you want any changes within masonry submit a resolution. I went to grand lodge last year and there was a resolution like to change the grand organist to grand musician. If this can make it to the floor and pass, then all of the things that have been talked about stand a chance. There were several things that we will too have to change at our lodge according to the committee of work. i.e. lights in degrees,when the columns are changed, etc:thumbup:
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I had not heard of this one. We almost always use the lights in our degrees when a brother is brought to light. I have had our district instructor on several of my degree teams and he has never said anything to me about not turning off any of the lights during degrees. We also had a member of the Committee on Work present for one of our MM degrees and he also never said anything about turning off any of the lights. That may be just the district in which you reside, I don't know. I am at a loss on that one.
widows son
Premium Member
It probably is a district thing. We do our third in darkness.
I would hope that the committee men would be consistant across the board. Im sure they are as consistent as they can be. I wouldnt think that the districts within Texas would be that different if they listen to the c.o.w. I am sure that there are brethren that will think they know better. I am also sure there are brethren that take it more seriously and listen to every detail.
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anthonywilson
Registered User
Sorry for the lack of replies, the notification e-mails have been going to my spam box for some reason. To answer the questions, yes, you can't play with the lights during the degree; we have a brother who liked to turn all of the lights off (with the exception of a couple) to create a more dramatic effect, after the forum it's not happening anymore. There was also something that was brought up in regards to the Bible, when it's open to the specific verses, the pages cannot be turned under no circumstances (even during the degrees). As Bro. BennyLee said, there are proper channels to get stuff changed/added, such as the chamber of reflection, do it properly. If anyone has the ability to attend a forum, please do so that way everyone can get the proper context on what I'm saying.
relapse98
Registered User
Can you explain this further, as you understand it.
You have to have every light in the room on during a degree? Or once the degree is started you leave the switches alone? There is a big difference between the 2 and I just want to make sure I understand what you think you heard (this sounds like a horrible game of telephone).
Every light in the room on for the entire degree.. blind and headache from fluorescent. Can't turn them on/off during a degree, just fine.
JJones
Moderator
I'm curious then how GL feels about dimmers? Technically the lights stay on but they're dim.
There's a certain point where the GL nit-picking about every aspect our our lodges feels a bit excessive. It just struck me. :confused1:
dfreybur
Premium Member
Is this a detail that changes regularly in Texas? It changed in my jurisdictions faster than the details of the floor work and I don't remember a year that didn't have a floor work change. It seems like every ritual school I attended put on by certified instructors the instruction on how to work the lights changed. Some times it would be don't change any lights during a degree. Other times just leave on the G and altar light the rest and not taught. Other times this is the point where you turn the lights on if you do degrees dimly lit.
I've noticed that a lot of brothers near the switches have no idea about the dramatic timing involved in changing lighting levels. Don't change the lights the second the brother is shown the great lights. All that does is dazzle him so he doesn't see anything at all. Every so often I've seen a brother count one one thousand, two one thousand, three one thousand and then gradually turn the dial. That way the candidate starts out seeing nothing but the three great lights and the three lesser lights and then gradually the rest of the lodge comes into view so he sees the brethren gradually as a part of a dramatic unveiling. It's great the rate times it happens. The look on the faces of the first degree candidates shows how much impact it has when it happens like that.
But given how common it is to do it wrong I'm not surprised if many jurisdictions has settled on not touching the lights during a degree. Even with a slide show during a lecture it's easy to get the lighting wrong.
anthonywilson
Registered User
Leave the switches alone. We have a P.M who liked to leave the "G," the two lights over the East, Lesser lights, and the light over the alter on; to give more of an effect after the obligation (hint hint hint).However, we were told to leave the switches alone during open lodge, even though people like to "dim" or turn them off during that specific part. However, I don't want to mislead anyone that reads this thread, so if anyone would like to contact Bro. Brown I'll get his information.
Our candidates are absolutely blinded in their ceremonies. I've asked since I came in if we could alter the lighting during our degrees and was given the answer seen above. Leave the switches alone.
So we'll keep blinding them and on and on we go.
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So we'll keep blinding them and on and on we go.
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dfreybur
Premium Member
Last night I was at an OV where the Chamber of Reflection was discussed. It seems there was at least one lodge that took the candidate from the dark room directly into a tiled space. No wonder it was banned. There is no way a non-obligated man should be allowed into an opened lodge (insert comment about at refreshment here) in any way except the way all candidates have gone before them. That's also not how a Chamber of Reflection is supposed to work. Maybe had they done it correctly there might not be any controversy about it now. The entire Chamber of Reflection event is supposed to take place and be complete before the lodge opens. As such it's not a part of the ritual and thus just some social event that happens to be deeply meaningful. Screwing it up in this way made it a part of the ritual and thus under direct control of the Committee on Ritual. The result was very predictable. The practice got banned and the memory of it is probably going to keep it banned.
I know of one lodge that practices Chamber of Reflection - Vallee de France in Pasadena, CA. They are a tenant in the building owned by my mother lodge. They work in French and they were chartered out of New Orleans before the California GL was formed. Their charter allows them there own special first degree and it does include a Chamber of Reflection. The candidate is put in the Chamber before lodge opens. The candidate is moved from the Chamber to the tiler's room before the lodge opens. The lodge opens, the candidate's written responses read, the degree starts and the candidate is admitted in the usual manner.
I rather like the idea of a Chamber as an optional event that happens and completes before the lodge opens. But not smashed into the middle of a degree with a non-obligated man going into an opened lodge. That was never what Chamber of Reflection was supposed to be about.
I know of one lodge that practices Chamber of Reflection - Vallee de France in Pasadena, CA. They are a tenant in the building owned by my mother lodge. They work in French and they were chartered out of New Orleans before the California GL was formed. Their charter allows them there own special first degree and it does include a Chamber of Reflection. The candidate is put in the Chamber before lodge opens. The candidate is moved from the Chamber to the tiler's room before the lodge opens. The lodge opens, the candidate's written responses read, the degree starts and the candidate is admitted in the usual manner.
I rather like the idea of a Chamber as an optional event that happens and completes before the lodge opens. But not smashed into the middle of a degree with a non-obligated man going into an opened lodge. That was never what Chamber of Reflection was supposed to be about.
Frater Cliff Porter
Premium Member
Brother Jim Tresner senior said you could tell the success/health of an organization by the amount of rules. Organizations that are dying sit around and nitpick rules...successful and healthy organizations are too busy doing real work to do so.
I've said this before, but I think it bears repeating. There are several important parts of our ceremonies that have become "optional" which, in my estimation, deserve more attention than ceremonies that have never been part of our work. I would be willing to bet that most of the brethren complaining that the Committee on Work won't let them put a skull in their preparation room don't give their candidates the lectures on the fixed and movable jewels, the ornaments of the lodge, the tenets of masonry, the importance of Geometry, the explanations of the orders of architecture, or the Master's Carpet. If you feel that you need to give your candidates "something extra" to enhance their initiatic experience, may I humbly suggest that you avail yourself of the material approved by the GLoT before you start looking for material from other jurisdictions?
Tom Ball
PM 1173 and 1010
33*, KYCH, OPC
Tom Ball
PM 1173 and 1010
33*, KYCH, OPC
dfreybur
Premium Member
Last night after lodge closed I had a discussion with the RW district ritual instructor about differences between California and Texas ritual. I quoted a couple of small bits that are present in California ritual that are absent in Texas ritual. He asked about other differences.
I pointed out that a huge part of the staircase lecture is done by the SD in all of the other jurisdictions where I've seen 2nd degrees. Look at the pillars, give that part, walk forward. Look at the number three, give that part, walk forward. Etc. The first time I attended a Texas 2nd degree I sat there with my mouth hanging open astonished that almost the entire second section had been deleted. But then the missing parts were delivered from the east instead of by the SD. Okay, I've seen parts moved to other officers so why not this one. But when it stopped there were still parts missing. The part about the rise and fall of civilizations and the arch of history is some of my favorite material in all of the degrees. It's why the second degree is my favorite. I quoted lines about numberless worlds to the RW district ritual instructor.
He smiled sadly and told me I had just quoted parts of the long form lecture of the second degree to him. They appear in the monitor but are rarely delivered in lodge these days. There are other long/short options. The long/short apron lecture option is present in all of the variations I've seen.
But back to the Chamber of Reflection. Don't think that because no one local remembers a time when it was used that it was never a part of the ritual. There are long forms that are now being lost because they are rarely used. There are also forms that were lost in the past for the same reason. The Chamber of Reflection is one of those lost forms. Long ago is not the same as never. Think about the wonderful variety of prayers at the opening and closing ceremonies in Texas. All but two are lost in Illinois. Just because something is lost in one jurisdiction doesn't mean it's lost in all jurisdictions either.
Chamber of Reflection is a restoration not an innovation. Taking a candidate directly from the Chamber to the inside of a tiled lodge screwed it up completely. That's the Chernobyl approach to it. It'll leave a bad reaction that folks will remember for many years. It took an idea that works when done correctly and did it totally wrong. And now people will view the entire thing as a disaster not just the part that was wrong.
Brother Freyburger;
I wholeheartedly agree with your last paragraph. In my parent lodge, San Angelo #570, our SD is the degree officer who delivers that part of the dialogue in the 2nd degree, all the way past the SW. I have never seen it done any other way. Maybe I am one of the lucky ones. My lodge had a rep for having one of the best degree teams in the area, I was told. That has been several years back, but, there are still some of the older ones from that team, one of which was my mentor/instructor, that like to do things the old way.
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Frater Cliff Porter
Premium Member
Claiming the Chamber is an innovation because it is not found in the lodge minutes is like claiming the same for a preparation room. We don't write in the minutes that a man entered the preparation room, nor did lodges write they a man entered the chamber. It is done outside the lodge.
I will assume with all the defense and support of the Chamber of Reflection we will see a resolution. I will look for it at Grand Lodge this year.
Granbury #392
Glen Rose # 525
Granbury #392
Glen Rose # 525
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I'll be surprised if it makes it to Grand Lodge. It would be cool if it did, but I don't think there will be enough backing to get it up there for consideration. Just my opinion, though. Too much controversy.