# Getting raised



## David612 (Oct 14, 2018)

Today’s the day,
It’s been two years since I first inquired and tonight I’m due to be raised to the sublime of a master mason-


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## hfmm97 (Oct 14, 2018)

Congratulations, Bro David612 - are you in Australia? Does it normally take years to be raised to the sublime degree of an MM?


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## David612 (Oct 14, 2018)

hfmm97 said:


> Congratulations, Bro David612 - are you in Australia? Does it normally take years to be raised to the sublime degree of an MM?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using My Freemasonry mobile app


I am in Australia yes and it depends on your jurisdiction- some lodges are happy to speed up the process a bit but it’s generally a year or more-
I never pushed for the next degree and just spent time reading and learning my work.
We work in the 1st degree, EA can vote in lodge etc so not really a big drawback from being an EA other than getting kicked out of some stuff early.


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## hfmm97 (Oct 15, 2018)

Bro David612 - my younger brother (not a Freemason) is also named David- I think that in Texas (and the rest of the USA) we go through the degrees much too fast (I took six months, and all I was required to do was memorize questions for the EA, FC and MM) most brothers take about a year....
I've heard in South American lodges the brothers are REQUIRED to read classics on philosophy, history (Masonic and non-Masonic) as well as religious texts, then write papers and present them orally in Lodge. The only time we have to write papers and do Masonic research is if we join a special research lodge (must be a Master Mason to join as an associate member). In the MW Grand Lodge of Texas only MMs can vote but most of our meetings are open on the EA degree except when passing a brother to the FC or MM degree or if receiving dignitaries such as District or Grand Lodge officers in an official visit.


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## CLewey44 (Oct 15, 2018)

hfmm97 said:


> Bro David612 - my younger brother (not a Freemason) is also named David- I think that in Texas (and the rest of the USA) we go through the degrees much too fast (I took six months, and all I was required to do was memorize questions for the EA, FC and MM) most brothers take about a year....
> I've heard in South American lodges the brothers are REQUIRED to read classics on philosophy, history (Masonic and non-Masonic) as well as religious texts, then write papers and present them orally in Lodge. The only time we have to write papers and do Masonic research is if we join a special research lodge (must be a Master Mason to join as an associate member). In the MW Grand Lodge of Texas only MMs can vote but most of our meetings are open on the EA degree except when passing a brother to the FC or MM degree or if receiving dignitaries such as District or Grand Lodge officers in an official visit.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using My Freemasonry mobile app


I think too, the more you invest in something (monetarily or emotionally) the more you'll take it seriously and be involved with it. We had the 'Insta-Masons' in Oklahoma where they showed up one day as a candidate and left that afternoon a 'Master Mason'. The two guys I knew that did that rarely, if ever, showed up to lodge. Pretty sad how we assume here easier means more people will be involved but really all it does is cheapen the whole thing and makes it less desirable to join in the first place. In those areas it takes years to be a MM, they probably take it seriously. Granted there probably isn't a lodge on every street corner of every little town, the ones that exist are probably thriving and doing well.

I think Masonry has to evolve away from a social activity (something most people don't have time for anymore) to a more philosophical organization. This would dwindle numbers even more but I'm ok with that if it means less lodges hanging by a thread and more exploding with activity. It would also produce the type of men we want by giving them something to go by vs. telling them a password and grip and saying good luck, you're a mason. Now, let's go talk about fundraisers, someone's friend's, wife's 95 y/o great-aunt that broke her hip and vote on paying our electric bills.


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## Warrior1256 (Oct 16, 2018)

Congratulations Brother!


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## Matt L (Oct 16, 2018)

Congratulations Brother!!!


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## David612 (Oct 17, 2018)

Thanks for the kind welcome guys- been a long couple of years to get here.


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## dfreybur (Oct 17, 2018)

Welcome again, and again, to the family thrice adopted Brother.


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## David612 (Oct 18, 2018)

Since being raised I have been assigned an EA to mentor-
Some have pointed out that this is very early however my interpretation of mentoring in our lodge is basically being the new masons contact between meetings, building a friendship and yes helping them with their work- Someone has to ask so you may answer, right?

There seems to be some concern that a new Master is not yet experienced enough to help an EA, I can’t help but think back to my raising and some of the instructions given on this subject.


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## Keith C (Oct 18, 2018)

David612 said:


> Since being raised I have been assigned an EA to mentor-
> Some have pointed out that this is very early however my interpretation of mentoring in our lodge is basically being the new masons contact between meetings, building a friendship and yes helping them with their work- Someone has to ask so you may answer, right?
> 
> There seems to be some concern that a new Master is not yet experienced enough to help an EA, I can’t help but think back to my raising and some of the instructions given on this subject.



Just my opinion, but a faithful and dedicated newly raised Master Mason, who is willing to find the answers he may not know, is better than a more experienced Brother "going through the motions."  Also you will grow as a Master Mason in this endeavor almost as much as the Brother you mentor.

In our lodge if you are the first line signer of a petition, you are expected to serve as mentor to that person throughout their degrees and first year as a Master Mason. So no one is ever "assigned" to be a mentor, they take that responsibility on themselves when signing a petition.


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## hfmm97 (Oct 18, 2018)

One of our newest Master Masons (he is in his late 50s) is one of our best instructors (in Texas a word to ear state)


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## hfmm97 (Oct 18, 2018)

And I've always believed that at least as Freemasonry is concerned good instructors are also good mentors


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## David612 (Oct 18, 2018)

I had not even considered that a new master would not be considered suitable for mentoring an EA until it was pointed out to me-
I have to say I was a little defensive at the notion, in the two years of my degrees I think I met with my mentor no more than 3 times to work, obviously this is just my experience but it seemed obvious to me that the new EA would be the one to fall through the cracks as he isn’t comfortable enough to be more demanding of time as he doesn’t know what to expect and as such is a perpetual outsider-
A new master- not yet eligible for the appendant bodies to my mind would be an ideal mentor, the work is fresh in his mind,the Masonic demands on his time are lower and so on..


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## jermy Bell (Oct 18, 2018)

People are dying to become a master mason ! Lol


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## dfreybur (Oct 19, 2018)

David612 said:


> Since being raised I have been assigned an EA to mentor-
> Some have pointed out that this is very early however my interpretation of mentoring in our lodge is basically being the new masons contact between meetings, building a friendship and yes helping them with their work- Someone has to ask so you may answer, right?
> 
> There seems to be some concern that a new Master is not yet experienced enough to help an EA, I can’t help but think back to my raising and some of the instructions given on this subject.



Some of our secrets are the type that we could shout from the roof tops and they stay secret.  One of them is the fellowship.  We start with shaking hands at lodge and gradually moving from acquaintances to friends.  Being mentored and later being the mentor is one of those ways.

Right now you teach a Brother who just begun his work.  Right now you learn what your actual work as a Master Mason is.  For him it's about the proficiency and what the ritual means.  For you it's about the secrets that are hidden in the open and what the ritual points to.  While he is learning by heart, you are learning heart.  One word of difference, a world of difference.

The not yet experienced part is deliberate though not necessarily conscious.  You are the bridge between the young and the old.  The faithful heart may be listed third, but you are now learning that it comes between the receptive ear and the instructive tongue.

I give Masonic Education talks at various lodges and sometimes at district.  This month my topic will be three symbolic meanings of the EA jewel.  This discussion has given my an outline for a similar topic on the meanings of the FC jewels.


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## Keith C (Oct 19, 2018)

dfreybur said:


> I give Masonic Education talks at various lodges and sometimes at district.  This month my topic will be three symbolic meanings of the EA jewel.  This discussion has given my an outline for a similar topic on the meanings of the FC jewels.



These terms - EA jewel & FC jewels are not something used in PA.  Is this something you can elaborate on in this forum or is it something to discuss only in a tyled environment?


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## Brother JC (Oct 19, 2018)

I believe he is referring to placement of the Lights... so not something that should be openly discussed.


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## Keith C (Oct 20, 2018)

Brother JC said:


> I believe he is referring to placement of the Lights... so not something that should be openly discussed.



Gotcha! Not the term we use for that, but I believe I understand!


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## Bloke (Oct 22, 2018)

Congrats Bro David !



hfmm97 said:


> ...I've heard in South American lodges the brothers are REQUIRED to read classics on philosophy, history (Masonic and non-Masonic) as well as religious texts, then write papers and present them orally in Lodge....



Indeed. We have a joining member from Chile where they not only do this, but spent two years as an EA, two as a FC...


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## dfreybur (Oct 22, 2018)

Keith C said:


> These terms - EA jewel & FC jewels are not something used in PA.  Is this something you can elaborate on in this forum or is it something to discuss only in a tyled environment?



With the S&C each degree has them in specific positions for reasons that are explained at the altar.  You could list the S&C in that position as the jewel but it would require significant magnification to tell them apart. We could consider that a usage of the word hidden if we like.  It's part of why EAs and FCs aren't supposed to wear and S&C in many jurisdictions.

I mean the symbol that an EA would wear on his ring.  Or if sideliners wore collars and jewels the symbol that would be on the collar.  For the EA I mean the one that's described in all of the versions of the lecture that I've learned. I have seen the EA symbol on lapel pins handed out at first degrees. That's the one I'll do three meanings for it.  I don't see any of the three in the article below, probably because my points start with how we stand during the tiled obligation.

https://www.masonic-lodge-of-education.com/point-within-a-circle.html

The precious jewels of an FC aren't conducive to images on rings.  Neither are the wages.  How fun is it that there are two lists of three for the FC.


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## CLewey44 (Oct 22, 2018)

I think the EA and FC lapels would be more popular if more time was spent between degrees. Being an FC should be a big deal but we glaze over it typically. You've put in some work and seen some stuff by that point.


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## Keith C (Oct 22, 2018)

Thanks dfreybur.

We do not refer to the S&C pins worn by brothers as jewels here in PA.  The only jewels are those of the officers of the Lodge or Grand Lodge which are pendant on the collars and the PM's jewel and possibly the pin given to Lewises may be called a jewel, I can't recall at the moment.  The rest are just "pins".


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## David612 (Nov 22, 2018)

In an update my GL has started a program for the accreditation of mentors-
Open to all Master masons


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## Warrior1256 (Nov 23, 2018)

David612 said:


> In an update my GL has started a program for the accreditation of mentors-
> Open to all Master masons


Cool....they deserve it.


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## David612 (Nov 23, 2018)

Warrior1256 said:


> Cool....they deserve it.


Absolutely-
It’s great to see this initiative starting, I was close to calling off many, many times early on until I found my way into areas of the craft not represented strongly in my local lodges.


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## Bloke (Nov 23, 2018)

David612 said:


> Absolutely-
> It’s great to see this initiative starting, I was close to calling off many, many times early on until I found my way into areas of the craft not represented strongly in my local lodges.


Interesting, what area did you find David ?


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## David612 (Nov 24, 2018)

Bloke said:


> Interesting, what area did you find David ?


The wider world of esoteric study generally- anything deeper than the surface of the ritual is not known to me in my area, that said it may be represented in a side order however given membership is drawn from the same pool I can’t imagine a huge variance.


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## Bloke (Nov 25, 2018)

David612 said:


> The wider world of esoteric study generally- anything deeper than the surface of the ritual is not known to me in my area, that said it may be represented in a side order however given membership is drawn from the same pool I can’t imagine a huge variance.


*shrugs* -  I never get that..  this idea that "esoteric" study is something other than the Craft - even using the word "Craft" is esoteric..  you **have** to do more than scratch the surface of the Craft in order to understand the first three Degrees of Freemasonry - well done and glad you found your way into that study, sounds like you actually try to make a Daily Advancement..


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## dfreybur (Nov 27, 2018)

David612 said:


> The wider world of esoteric study generally- anything deeper than the surface of the ritual is not known to me in my area, that said it may be represented in a side order however given membership is drawn from the same pool I can’t imagine a huge variance.



Freemasonry defines esoteric as the secret part.  As such every degree practice at lodge is esoteric.

If you mean it the way it gets used outside of lodge, you never will find that in any order. The spiritual stuff is always individual.


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## David612 (Nov 27, 2018)

dfreybur said:


> Freemasonry defines esoteric as the secret part.  As such every degree practice at lodge is esoteric.
> 
> If you mean it the way it gets used outside of lodge, you never will find that in any order. The spiritual stuff is always individual.


The meanings of the degrees are not explored, they are performed  almost verbatim and the exploration of the degree is left to the candidate to explore the subject matter.


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## Bloke (Nov 27, 2018)

David612 said:


> The meanings of the degrees are not explored, they are performed  almost verbatim and the exploration of the degree is left to the candidate to explore the subject matter.


Well.. even in a lodge which talks esotericism to the cows come home, it is still an individual path.. but it would be nice if there were more signposts on it


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## David612 (Nov 27, 2018)

Bloke said:


> Well.. even in a lodge which talks esotericism to the cows come home, it is still an individual path.. but it would be nice if there were more signposts on it


Oh absolutely, It would be nice if discussion happened and was limited to useful, masonically relevant information.


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## dfreybur (Nov 28, 2018)

David612 said:


> Oh absolutely, It would be nice if discussion happened and was limited to useful, masonically relevant information.



That's the core of all of my Masonic education talks. I pick an aspect of the ritual and say what it means to me.


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