# One Day Class



## Dontrell Stroman (Aug 24, 2016)

I found the below article interesting. It is far from the traditional Masonic experience most of us went through. Brothers what are your thoughts concerning men being made a  Master Masons, Sublime Prince, and a Shriner in one day ? 
http://www.midnightfreemasons.org/2016/08/brother-against-brother-masonic-civil.html?m=1


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## Brother JC (Aug 24, 2016)

I'm not a fan of the ODC for the Three Degrees, so adding an appendant and a concordant body to the mix thrills me even less.


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## coachn (Aug 24, 2016)

Travelling Man91 said:


> I found the below article interesting. It is far from the traditional Masonic experience most of us went through. What are your thoughts brothers concerning men being made a  Master Masons, Sublime Prince, and a Shriner in one day ?
> http://www.midnightfreemasons.org/2016/08/brother-against-brother-masonic-civil.html?m=1


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## dfreybur (Aug 24, 2016)

Statistically Brothers of one day classes participate in lodge meetings and go through the line in at least as high a percentage as Brothers who get their degrees individually.  To me that comes with an SMIB.  Very clearly it works for many.

I am gratified that the new generation come in droves to get individual degrees but I long ago resigned myself to the fact that degrees are about the candidate not about me.  Very clearly individual degrees work for many.

Classes work for the Scottish Rite and have for over a century.  I try to avoid getting on a high horse about using that long proven system in other ways.

Shriners show a puzzling trend.  Many go through their degrees specifically to qualify for the Shrine and we never see them again in lodge.  Uh-oh, here comes that high horse.  Not all that many do the reverse trend as I have of joining the Shrine and liking it but not showing up much because I'm too busy at lodge.  That high horse is sure nudging me to climb on isn't it.  We deposit their dues checks and bless those Shriners for their checks.  I guess I avoid getting on the high horse but I can't really shoo it completely away either.

Taken all together my reaction is sort of like a motorcycle trip.  One leg on each side of the issue and in between an engine that vibrates my jewels until they go numb until I have to rest under a bridge waiting for the feeling to return.


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## Warrior1256 (Aug 24, 2016)

Brother JC said:


> I'm not a fan of the ODC for the Three Degrees, so adding an appendant and a concordant body to the mix thrills me even less.


Agreed. I did the AASR in two days and I was on information overload so I can't even imagine how this must be.


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## Zack (Aug 24, 2016)

dfreybur said:


> Statistically Brothers of one day classes participate in lodge meetings and go through the line in at least as high a percentage as Brothers who get their degrees individually.  To me that comes with an SMIB.



Whose statistics?


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## dfreybur (Aug 24, 2016)

Zack said:


> Whose statistics?



When Illinois adopted FC+MM classes, not quite the same thing as all the way in one day, the stats were cited from all the states that were doing classes before then.  It would take digging through Proceedings for several years in the 1990s to find the citations.


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## coachn (Aug 24, 2016)

I'd love to see the statistics on overall retention vs drop out, as in, how many petition, how many drop out after each degree and how soon they do drop out.


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## Bostonian (Aug 24, 2016)

Here in Massachusetts, we do have One Day Classes and from what I have heard, those who participate in the ODC are no more likely to drop out vs. someone who went through the degrees traditionally.  Rather, it is our ability as leaders of our lodges to keep our brethren engaged and interested in what Masonry has to offer.


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## Zack (Aug 24, 2016)

coachn said:


> I'd love to see the statistics on overall retention vs drop out, as in, how many petition, how many drop out after each degree and how soon they do drop out.


Brother John, I don't think our GL would be forthcoming with those numbers


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## Warrior1256 (Aug 24, 2016)

coachn said:


> I'd love to see the statistics on overall retention vs drop out, as in, how many petition, how many drop out after each degree and how soon they do drop out.





Bostonian said:


> Here in Massachusetts, we do have One Day Classes and from what I have heard, those who participate in the ODC are no more likely to drop out vs. someone who went through the degrees traditionally.  Rather, it is our ability as leaders of our lodges to keep our brethren engaged and interested in what Masonry has to offer.


Quite awhile back I read on one of our forums that the drop out rate for those doing the ODC was much higher than those that went through the traditional way. However, I don't remember who posted it or what evidence, if any, that they had.


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## coachn (Aug 24, 2016)

Zack said:


> Brother John, I don't think our GL would be forthcoming with those numbers


Nor any others...


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## Bill Lins (Aug 24, 2016)

Bostonian said:


> from what I have heard, those who participate in the ODC are no more likely to drop out vs. someone who went through the degrees traditionally.


That very well may be so, but what made me decide my stance on that issue was a conversation years ago with a young Brother who had ODC'd in another jurisdiction and had since transferred to GLoTX. He told me that, having seen how we give each candidate a separate Degree & teach him that Degree's catechism before advancing, he felt he had been cheated out of the initiatic experience he should have gotten. Too late for him, but I feel sad that any Brother might come away from his Degrees feeling that way. Maybe it works OK if they don't know the difference, but I still don't feel it's the right thing to do.


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## Warrior1256 (Aug 25, 2016)

Bill_Lins77488 said:


> That very well may be so, but what made me decide my stance on that issue was a conversation years ago with a young Brother who had ODC'd in another jurisdiction and had since transferred to GLoTX. He told me that, having seen how we give each candidate a separate Degree & teach him that Degree's catechism before advancing, he felt he had been cheated out of the initiatic experience he should have gotten. Too late for him, but I feel sad that any Brother might come away from his Degrees feeling that way. Maybe it works OK if they don't know the difference, but I still don't feel it's the right thing to do.


Excellent reason. I know that I am glad that I went though it one at a time for the very reason that you describe.


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## pointwithinacircle2 (Aug 25, 2016)

I think that the difference between knowledge and learning is pertinent to this discussion.  When I was raised I heard the MM Obligation for the first time.  At that point I had knowledge of the obligation, but I hadn't learned it.  In the jurisdiction where I was raised they use the short form catechism so I was not required to memorize the obligation, it was read to me and I, again, agreed to it.   I was a MM for about six months before, for personal reasons, it became important for me to memorize the MM obligation.  It was at this point that I began to learn.  By "learn" I don't mean aquire the ability to repeat the words back in the correct order, although that certainly happened too.  I mean that I learned what my obligation actually means.  I Learned what it means to have an obligation and to be able to live by it.  I learned that an obligation can be more than a promise, it can be a tool that is used to securely attach one's self to something greater than one's self.  To those who understand what I have written I am sure that my explanation is unnecessary.  To those who do not understand I am sure that no amount of explaining will make it clear.


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## coachn (Aug 25, 2016)




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## Warrior1256 (Aug 26, 2016)

pointwithinacircle2 said:


> I was a MM for about six months before, for personal reasons, it became important for me to memorize the MM obligation. It was at this point that I began to learn. By "learn" I don't mean aquire the ability to repeat the words back in the correct order, although that certainly happened too. I mean that I learned what my obligation actually means.


I couldn't agree more! Just memorizing the material and being able to parrot it back means nothing unless you actually understand its meaning.


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## Levelhead (Aug 26, 2016)

Sent from Mossy Oak Swamp Bottom


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## grayflannelsuit (Aug 27, 2016)

I personally would not take a one-day class as I feel it would rob me of the experience of going more carefully and deliberately through the degrees, but I would not begrudge someone else from choosing a different path.


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## Levelhead (Aug 27, 2016)

You can never live by your obligation if you don't remember what you repeated you were obligated to do.


You tell a kid to take out the trash, he forgets, doesnt do it.


Sent from Mossy Oak Swamp Bottom


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## Ripcord22A (Aug 27, 2016)

Knowing what i know now...no way do i take a ODC.  3 yrs ago when i was 1st initiated had my proposer told me it was a posibility amd told me he thought it was a good idea i probably woulda done it.

Sent from my LG-H811 using My Freemasonry Pro mobile app


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## Warrior1256 (Aug 27, 2016)

jdmadsenCraterlake211 said:


> Knowing what i know now...no way do i take a ODC.  3 yrs ago when i was 1st initiated had my proposer told me it was a posibility amd told me he thought it was a good idea i probably woulda done it.
> 
> Sent from my LG-H811 using My Freemasonry Pro mobile app


Same here! Not knowing a thing about Freemasonry if my mentor had recommended a ODC I would have done it. Like you, knowing what I know now, I am VERY glad that I took the traditional course.


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## MRichard (Aug 27, 2016)

I would have researched it first and passed. This ain't for everybody.


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## The Traveling Man (Sep 2, 2016)

Bostonian said:


> Here in Massachusetts, we do have One Day Classes and from what I have heard, those who participate in the ODC are no more likely to drop out vs. someone who went through the degrees traditionally.  Rather, it is our ability as leaders of our lodges to keep our brethren engaged and interested in what Masonry has to offer.



Although my Grand Lodge no longer allows One Day Classes, I agree with you that ability of the leaders to keep the Brethren engaged makes all the difference. I had this talk at Lodge 2 meetings ago, regarding Brothers who come in the normal way (which in my Jurisdiction can be a 3 to 6 month process) and still don't show up after being Raised. A Lodge is only as good as it's leadership.


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## Warrior1256 (Sep 2, 2016)

The Traveling Man said:


> A Lodge is only as good as it's leadership.


VERY true!


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