Questions and answers for York Rite

[Bill Lins]

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.

It doesn't matter whether the work is taught "mouth-to-ear" or from a text- my point is that the lessons contained within MUST be explained to the student. It isn't enough for him to merely learn the wording in the proper order- he needs to understand what it MEANS.

 

[BroBill]

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.

I'm anxious to see the new Texas Ritual Books for Chapter and Council. They're out now and we've ordered the new sets (ritual book and monitor) and I hope we get them soon. We have a member of the Committee on Work in our Chapter & Council and he tells us the new set is a vast improvement over the last editions. He reviewed some of the changes and the books sound like they're going to be way more useful and informative. ... fingers crossed!

 

[BroBill]

It doesn't matter whether the work is taught "mouth-to-ear" or from a text- my point is that the lessons contained within MUST be explained to the student. It isn't enough for him to merely learn the wording in the proper order- he needs to understand what it MEANS.

Definitely agree. It's the reason we have teachers in the classroom - to teach the material in the books along with material that doesn't translate well to the written word.

 

[Warrior1256]

It isn't enough for him to merely learn the wording in the proper order- he needs to understand what it MEANS.

Exactly! If my mentor had not explained the meaning behind all that I was memorizing I would not have understood a quarter of it.