Warrior1256
Site Benefactor
I went to a quite place where I was alone and went over the material....and over....and over....and over....
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MEMORIZING THE WORK!
- Thread starter ARizo1011
- Start date
In my experience, preparing the mind before you begin is the most important part of any endeavor.
ARizo1011
Premium Member
Brethren, I learned, understood, memorized the work and gave back the catechism on July 7th. I was just recently passed to the degree of Fellow Craft on the 12th of August. And it was an incredible lecture there was so much to absorb. And may I say that the catechism is fairly easier to pick up on. It haven't been a week since I've gotten my catechism and I'm understanding the work faster then I did the EA. Thank you brothers for your comments and advice it was put to use!! 
hopefully I will give back this catechism by Sept.!!!
hopefully I will give back this catechism by Sept.!!! 
Pscyclepath
Premium Member
Having attained my Blue Card certification as an instructor, I'm currently working on my "Red Card" proficiency for the 2nd Section of the Master's degree in order to "collect the whole set." Just like with the other work, I start at the beginning with every part, and work my way forward, learning it in chunks, a phrase or two at a time, then stringing it together. I go to degrees and listen closely to pick up the parts, and do a good bit of work myself to practice actually delivering specific parts. On my own, I work through and up to the point I know, and then sit down with another instructor or a friend who has the work, and identify and clear out the Bad Words. When I can, I go to the Grand Lodge schools for their exemplifications and to check my questions out with the Grand Lecturer. I'm about 70% there and hope to test for the card around the end of the calendar year. While this is a technique that I've worked out for myself in preparing for the certification exams, it works just as well in memorizing and presenting the stuff like the proficiency lectures.
But for the other young brethren out there, it all starts with your mastering your proficiency lectures,or Q&As... As you gain more light, there's more to learn in the ritual of opening and running the lodge, presenting the degrees, and passing the lectures on down to the younger brothers who are following your path. In the long run, it's a fun process, and helps strengthen your ties to your mentors and your students alike.
After lecturing the past two years, I'm leaning more toward teaching our younger guys the questions and answers alike, and at the same time. That way they can be more effective in "lecturing themselves," and to rehearsing themselves in their spare time; and it seems to flow better. I see a lot of the new guys taught in the old way (answers only) being unable to rehearse much on their own, as they're missing 50% or so of the material (the questions). So far, it's working well...
But for the other young brethren out there, it all starts with your mastering your proficiency lectures,or Q&As... As you gain more light, there's more to learn in the ritual of opening and running the lodge, presenting the degrees, and passing the lectures on down to the younger brothers who are following your path. In the long run, it's a fun process, and helps strengthen your ties to your mentors and your students alike.
After lecturing the past two years, I'm leaning more toward teaching our younger guys the questions and answers alike, and at the same time. That way they can be more effective in "lecturing themselves," and to rehearsing themselves in their spare time; and it seems to flow better. I see a lot of the new guys taught in the old way (answers only) being unable to rehearse much on their own, as they're missing 50% or so of the material (the questions). So far, it's working well...
ARizo1011
Premium Member
Wow brother congrats on the BLUE CARD And you will have the RED CARD in no time! You deserve it with all the effort you are putting in.
I want to work hard and in a couple years I want the GOLD CARD! xD
I know if I just work hard and keep striving for more and keep practicing I will in time reach my goals!
But for now I just seek more light and I just put my all in masonry and absorb all that I can from one degree to another 
Levelhead
Premium Member
We have cards in FL also, as i am now working to get my silver card. We have to renew them every three years to prove proficiency. Is that the same where you are?
Sent From Bro Carl's Freemasonry Pro App
Pscyclepath
Premium Member
Arkansas' system issues four cards: "Certified Lecturer," (white) which covers the questions and answers for the three proficiency Q&As; "Lodge Officer Proficiency" (white), which covers all parts and stations, plus the floor work for opening & closing the lodge in all degrees, plus dispensing and resuming; "Second Section of the Master's Degree," (red), which covers just what the title says, and "Certified Instructor," (blue), which covers the requirements for Certified Lecturer, Lodge Officer Proficiency, as well as all parts and floor work in conferring all three degrees, 2nd section of the EA, Monuments & Emblems lecture, and a working knowledge of the remaining degree sections from the Monitor. Having both the blue and red cards certifies you in the entire esoteric ritual for the GL of Arkansas. Certification is good for 4 years, after which you must be re-tested and re-certified by a panel appointed by the Grand Lodge. All in all, there's some 30,000 words of ritual covered by the blue card; and around 6000 words for the red card.
To be certified, you need to apply to your lodge for recommendation, and they vote on it, after which the secretary sends an application to the GL under his signature and the lodge seal. GL then appoints a panel (2-3) of brothers who are certified in those disciplines to examine you. The exam is to sit down in front of the panel and exemplify the work that you are applying for. To pass, you must be word-perfect, with no prompting, and no un-self-corrected errors. If you catch yourself, you can back up to a point before the error and proceed from there; or the panel may ask you to repeat a certain section or block of the work to see if you miss that part again, without telling you just what you missed. In my case, it was just like turning in your lecture in lodge, except I sat down in a chair facing the Deputy Grand Master (a member of my lodge; they try to use as local a panel as they are able) and another brother, and we started with the EA lecture, and went straight on through all the rest of the work. I already had my Lodge Officer Proficiency card, but still had to be re-checked on that... 3.5 hours later, they were satisfied, and signed off on the exam form. It was returned to Grand Lodge, and a couple of weeks later I received my card, #1722, which I picked up from the Grand Secretary.
A little later, while celebrating a little bit with my mentor, we got to comparing cards, and to my surprise from his card (1696), issued in 2008, to mine (1722), there were only 26 blue cards issued from between the summer of 2008 and May 2014... and out of some 16K Masons in Arkansas, there are fewer than a hundred or so current blue card holders. And the the DGM's, issued way back in the Dark Ages somewhere, was 1422.... ;-)
You do not have to have a certification card to lecture someone for their work; any brother who knows (or thinks he knows) the Work is authorized to give instruction as may be needed, but the certification system ensures that there are at least a handful of brothers out there who preserve the adopted ritual and serve as a resource for those working to improve their accuracy.
To be certified, you need to apply to your lodge for recommendation, and they vote on it, after which the secretary sends an application to the GL under his signature and the lodge seal. GL then appoints a panel (2-3) of brothers who are certified in those disciplines to examine you. The exam is to sit down in front of the panel and exemplify the work that you are applying for. To pass, you must be word-perfect, with no prompting, and no un-self-corrected errors. If you catch yourself, you can back up to a point before the error and proceed from there; or the panel may ask you to repeat a certain section or block of the work to see if you miss that part again, without telling you just what you missed. In my case, it was just like turning in your lecture in lodge, except I sat down in a chair facing the Deputy Grand Master (a member of my lodge; they try to use as local a panel as they are able) and another brother, and we started with the EA lecture, and went straight on through all the rest of the work. I already had my Lodge Officer Proficiency card, but still had to be re-checked on that... 3.5 hours later, they were satisfied, and signed off on the exam form. It was returned to Grand Lodge, and a couple of weeks later I received my card, #1722, which I picked up from the Grand Secretary.
A little later, while celebrating a little bit with my mentor, we got to comparing cards, and to my surprise from his card (1696), issued in 2008, to mine (1722), there were only 26 blue cards issued from between the summer of 2008 and May 2014... and out of some 16K Masons in Arkansas, there are fewer than a hundred or so current blue card holders. And the the DGM's, issued way back in the Dark Ages somewhere, was 1422.... ;-)
You do not have to have a certification card to lecture someone for their work; any brother who knows (or thinks he knows) the Work is authorized to give instruction as may be needed, but the certification system ensures that there are at least a handful of brothers out there who preserve the adopted ritual and serve as a resource for those working to improve their accuracy.