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Questions and answers for York Rite

chrmc

Registered User
Does any of you know if the York rite has the catechisms or questions and answers that we know from the first three degrees in blue lodge? Either as something transferred verbally or written down?

Reasons for asking is that the Q&As work as a tool to understand both the meaning, philosophy and teachings behind the degrees and I'm missing that a bit in the higher degrees in the YR. I think that have profound wisdom, but it's hard to access.
 

pointwithinacircle2

Rapscallion
Premium Member
There was no catechism or learning required in the YR degrees in the jurisdiction where I received them. I eventually demitted from them because I did not understand them.
 

Brother JC

Moderating Staff
Staff Member
There's no catechism that I know of.
I feel the "firehose" method of imparting the lessons makes it even more difficult to understand them. I understand why the bodies united, but it destroyed the individuality of many of the degrees.
 

Companion Joe

Premium Member
There are no lectures, but each degree has a historical summary (at least in Tennessee). After the Select Master degree in the Council, you should have been given A Summary of Ancient Craft Masonry. This explains and puts a bow on everything. It brings the entire story together.

Building off the other thread, no, you won't fully digest and comprehend everything when you get the degrees at a festival. I tell candidates that right up front. It will take some reading on your part and seeing/participating in the degrees a few more times. I'm sorry, but if someone doesn't understand the degrees, then that is the fault of their officers and their own fault for not putting forth any effort.
 

chrmc

Registered User
There are no lectures, but each degree has a historical summary (at least in Tennessee). After the Select Master degree in the Council, you should have been given A Summary of Ancient Craft Masonry. This explains and puts a bow on everything. It brings the entire story together.

Ok this sounds interesting. I know that I received a ritual book after both the Chapter and Council degrees, but is that it?

From a historical perspective it's interesting why this wouldn't have been developed in line with the general outline of the other degrees.
And from a symbolic side it is unfortunate that no explanation exists as a lot of symbolism for instance may be lost. Good example would be the shoe in the 1st degree. If that hadn't been explained to me I'm not sure I'd ever get that connection.
 

Pscyclepath

Premium Member
No lectures that you have to memorize, but each body has an opening and closing ritual series of questions and answers that pretty much conforms to one of the ties in the Past Master obligation...
 

Companion Joe

Premium Member
I can't speak for every state, but the summary which I mentioned should be at the very end of the Select Master portion of your Council book. All the Chapter and Council degrees have a historical summary, but the one for Select Master is really detailed.
 

chrmc

Registered User
I can't speak for every state, but the summary which I mentioned should be at the very end of the Select Master portion of your Council book. All the Chapter and Council degrees have a historical summary, but the one for Select Master is really detailed.

Thanks. I'll have to check that out.
 

Mel Knight

Registered User
I hope there's no or very little Q&A's in York Rite. I will receive my YR degrees in February. Speaking for myself, I didn't get much out of the Q&A's in blue lodge. Most of my understandings came from curiosity not Q&A driven
 
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chrmc

Registered User
I hope there's no or very little Q&A's in York Rite. I will receive my YR degrees in February. Speaking for myself, I didn't get much out of the Q&A's in blue lodge. Most of my understandings came from curiosity not Q&A driven

How do you then intend to learn the symbolism and really understand the lessons of the degrees? We can debate if the process of learning the Q+A as memorization is worthwhile, but I still believe that they presently are one of the main ways of transmitting knowledge to the candidates.
I belong to a jurisdiction where all the Q+A are written down in books which can be read after the degree. The great thing about that is that it gives the ability to really sit and ponder the lessons, and focus does not become on getting the words right. It has helped my masonic growth and understand quite a lot.
 

Warrior1256

Site Benefactor
We can debate if the process of learning the Q+A as memorization is worthwhile, but I still believe that they presently are one of the main ways of transmitting knowledge to the candidates.
Agreed.
I belong to a jurisdiction where all the Q+A are written down in books which can be read after the degree. The great thing about that is that it gives the ability to really sit and ponder the lessons, and focus does not become on getting the words right
Same here.
 

TSM

Registered User
Unrelated to this question, I have a question about York rite. A couple of brothers and I have been researching it but there is so little literature explaining details which confuse us. For instance I saw many ways in which W, S and B can be arranged in York rite but the fact which confuses us the most is that W is in many "versions" placed in NE. I haven't found an explanation for this and by all logic no pillar is supposed to be in NE. If anyone could explain the mystery or point a finger at a book, we'd be very grateful.
 

Glen Cook

G A Cook
Site Benefactor
I eventually demitted from them because I did not understand them.
This is one of the problems in the US amalgamation incorrectly called a Rite. When one can obtain just the Mark degree (as in Utah, UGLE, Scotland), then just HRA without the expectation of an additional, unrelated ceremony, the lessons are more easily learned.
 
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BroBill

Site Benefactor
Site Benefactor
There are no lectures, but each degree has a historical summary (at least in Tennessee). After the Select Master degree in the Council, you should have been given A Summary of Ancient Craft Masonry. This explains and puts a bow on everything. It brings the entire story together.

Building off the other thread, no, you won't fully digest and comprehend everything when you get the degrees at a festival. I tell candidates that right up front. It will take some reading on your part and seeing/participating in the degrees a few more times. I'm sorry, but if someone doesn't understand the degrees, then that is the fault of their officers and their own fault for not putting forth any effort.
I encourage brothers petitioning for the Chapter and Council degrees to familiarize themselves with the EA, FC, and MM lectures before starting their Chapter degrees... much of the story is threaded through the lectures of the nine degrees and three orders and the meanings of the lessons of the degrees are easier to grasp (IMHO) if they are following the lectures. ... just something I have found useful.
 

Bill Lins

Moderating Staff
Staff Member
I didn't get much out of the Q&A's in blue lodge. Most of my understandings came from curiosity not Q&A driven
That reflects poorly upon your "instructor" who, had he done his job properly, would have taken the time to explain the lessons contained therein as y'all went along. Otherwise, the student only learns to "parrot" the words without understanding the symbolism of the degrees. :(
 

Warrior1256

Site Benefactor
I encourage brothers petitioning for the Chapter and Council degrees to familiarize themselves with the EA, FC, and MM lectures before starting their Chapter degrees... much of the story is threaded through the lectures of the nine degrees and three orders and the meanings of the lessons of the degrees are easier to grasp (IMHO) if they are following the lectures. ... just something I have found useful.
This is the reason that I waited 6 months after I was raised to petition the York Rite.
That reflects poorly upon your "instructor" who, had he done his job properly, would have taken the time to explain the lessons contained therein as y'all went along. Otherwise, the student only learns to "parrot" the words without understanding the symbolism of the degrees. :(
Absolutely right. Parroting the words back with no understanding of what they mean in useless.
 

chrmc

Registered User
That reflects poorly upon your "instructor" who, had he done his job properly, would have taken the time to explain the lessons contained therein as y'all went along. Otherwise, the student only learns to "parrot" the words without understanding the symbolism of the degrees. :(

What Brother Bill said. I'd however like it if we started getting a little more relaxed approach to written material in the US. It's true we shouldn't write down secrets, but it's been taken so far that we don't write down anything. I'n my Swedish Rite lodge the GL issues a Guide to each degree which consists of 3-4 texts from learned brethren who go through the most important symbolisms, lessons, explanations etc. It's absolutely fantastic and something I'd like to see for the York Rite as I believe it could add a lot of Light.
 

Glen Cook

G A Cook
Site Benefactor
What Brother Bill said. I'd however like it if we started getting a little more relaxed approach to written material in the US. It's true we shouldn't write down secrets, but it's been taken so far that we don't write down anything. I'n my Swedish Rite lodge the GL issues a Guide to each degree which consists of 3-4 texts from learned brethren who go through the most important symbolisms, lessons, explanations etc. It's absolutely fantastic and something I'd like to see for the York Rite as I believe it could add a lot of Light.
It depends on the jurisdiction. Some have more monitorial material than others
 
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