# Can you recite your obligation right now?



## Angler (Jul 18, 2014)

That's the question.  Can you recite your obligation correctly right now with no help?  

I confronted the brethren in lodge with this a few weeks ago.  The results were disappointing.


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## jjjjjggggg (Jul 18, 2014)

Yup, questions and answers... Working on my C card, and I will be senior steward next year.


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## crono782 (Jul 18, 2014)

Yessir. 


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## Zaden (Jul 18, 2014)

Yes. Also working on a C Certificate along with the rest of the line in our lodge.


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## pointwithinacircle2 (Jul 18, 2014)

No.  I could in my last jurisdiction but they have a different number of furthers here.


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## Pscyclepath (Jul 18, 2014)

Yes...   ;-)   Having earned the "blue card" this past spring, you can recite all three proficiency lectures, open & close in all degrees, confer all three degrees plus the following sections, all at the drop of a hat  ;-)   My mentor used to (and still will test me by throwing out a random phrase in the adopted work, and you have to pick up and recite all parts from that point.   

On your original question though, there are a lot of brethren who don't have that part of the work down except in generic terms...


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## goomba (Jul 18, 2014)

EA and FC yes.  MM no.


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## crono782 (Jul 18, 2014)

I also hope to have my A Cert by end of this year. 


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## BroBook (Jul 18, 2014)

I can hit all the main points to such an extent that it will be beyond the reasonable doubt that I am who I say I am and more!!!! That's almost a yes, but we have a saying help your brother. 


Bro Book
M.W.U.G.L. Of Fl: P.H.A.
Excelsior # 43
At pensacola


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## Companion Joe (Jul 18, 2014)

I'm a card holder in the Blue Lodge, Chapter, and Council. Which one do you want?


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## KSigMason (Jul 19, 2014)

RayW said:


> That's the question.  Can you recite your obligation correctly right now with no help?
> 
> I confronted the brethren in lodge with this a few weeks ago.  The results were disappointing.


I can say all the obligations from the Blue Lodge, Most Excellent Master obligation, Royal Master, Select Master, Order of Malta, Order of the Temple, Order of the Eastern Star, and Order of St. Thomas. I am also a presiding officer or do the conferring in each of these degrees/orders.


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## Levelhead (Jul 19, 2014)

Yep


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## dfreybur (Jul 20, 2014)

pointwithinacircle2 said:


> No.  I could in my last jurisdiction but they have a different number of furthers here.



It doesn't get any easier when you're working on your third jurisdiction.  If I were to try today I'd mash together more than one version unless I had a little bit of prompting.  Close but not quite word for word in any of my jurisdictions.  Not just furthers, there is also that list of verbs in the first.  Different list in every jurisdiction I've been to first degrees in.


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## Pete Ramboldt (Jul 21, 2014)

Yes, I'm a card holder in the Blue Lodge and can recite the obligations correctly right now with no help.


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## chrisu0017 (Jul 21, 2014)

Yes. Earned my A certificate this year.


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## Flatworlder (Jul 21, 2014)

I am not familiar with the Cards you are all mentioning. Is this something typical of American Lodges?
My apologies for my ignorance.


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## pointwithinacircle2 (Jul 21, 2014)

We don't do cards in my jurisdiction either, and I live in the U.S.


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## KSigMason (Jul 22, 2014)

Cards = Dues cards (a receipt that shows you have paid your dues for the year)


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## Pscyclepath (Jul 22, 2014)

The cards are issued by the various Grand Lodges to indicate that the holder has demonstrated word-perfect proficiency in specific parts of the ritual for that jurisdiction.  Texas, for example certifies in increasing order of the volume of work, C, B, and A-level proficiencies.  Arkansas has four certifications:  Certified Lecturer (white card; the three proficiency lectures for the degrees), Officer Proficiency (white card, opening and closing the lodge in all degrees, plus dispensing & resuming); Second Section, Masters Degree (red card; all parts & floorwork for the 2nd section of the Masters), and Certified Instructor (blue card; all the above, plus all parts in conferring all three degrees, second section of the EA; and demonstrated proficiency/working knowledge of the 3rd section EA, 2nd Section Fellowcraft, and the third section/emblems of the Masters).  All together, about 35,000 words or so for the red and blue cards together.

Arkansas is one of those places where there is no cipher or written version of the work other than what is printed in the Monitor, so this is their procedure to ensure that the Work is passed down correctly through the years, mouth-to-ear, via the Grand Lecturer, designated custodians, and the certified instructors.


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## otherstar (Jul 22, 2014)

I sure can (I'm working on my A certificate, which I lost years ago because I got too busy being a new dad---my cable tow got really short there for awhile).


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## dfreybur (Jul 22, 2014)

Flatworlder said:


> I am not familiar with the Cards you are all mentioning.



A few jurisdictions issue cards to brothers certified in the ritual.  Only one of my jurisdiction uses cards that way.

The Texas system of C, B and A level certifications use the word "card".  Saying you have an "A card" tells what parts (all) of the ritual you are certified to know, deliver (and instruct?).

In California every officer SD and up needs to demonstrate specific parts to be installed.  By the time you get installed WM it's much like the Texas C or B card.  Every lodge has an appointed Officers Coach who needs to know all of the degrees and common ritual.  The Inspectors (called DDGM in most jurisdictions) needs to know that plus much of the monitorial work, much like the Texas A card.  One elected Grand Lecturer needs to know it all.  No cards but the system is not that different from the card color code system.

In Illinois there are forms for every officer's part that are rarely used.  Certified Lodge Instructors who know all ritual and floor work of all degrees and common ritual but not the lectures.  Grand Lecturers also need to know all of the lectures (plus the funeral work I think).  Grand Lodge Instructors need to also know all of the stage/floor direction and all of the monitorial work.  Members of the Committee on Work need to know it all.  Here the word used is "certification" rather than "card" but it means something very similar.


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## otherstar (Jul 22, 2014)

My understanding of the Texas certification system is that it's primary purpose is to certify instructors so that the work gets passed on as correctly as possible since Texas' work is passed on orally. I've known a few brothers who have A, B, and C Certificates who never work in the degrees, but are excellent candidate instructors. I've known very, very few brothers in Texas that know any of the monitorial portions of the lectures let alone who include those portions when giving the lecture after a degree.


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## crono782 (Jul 22, 2014)

I have my B currently and have just a tad left on the MM lecture before testing for the A. I currently always do the full form (ritual + monitorial) EA lecture and about half the monitorial FC + ritual. The way it's generally been put to me is the cert certifies you to instruct the content thereof. 


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## Levelhead (Jul 23, 2014)

Blue card - know all your chetachisms all three back to back through examimation.
Gold card - know all and lectures, prayers everything.


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## cemab4y (Jul 25, 2014)

Can I recite verbatim all of the EA/FC/MM oath that I took over 30 years ago. I admit it, I cannot. BUT- I can recall the main points, and the "gist" of all three oaths. The important concept is to live up to the oaths, in letter and in spirit. If you do this, then you are meeting your obligations, which IMHO, is far more important than just being able to recite them.


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## Companion Joe (Jul 26, 2014)

In Tennessee, we have two types of cards in the Blue Lodge: Proficiency and Lecturer.
Lecturer means you can do questions and answers in all three lectures.
Proficiency means you do that plus every part in all three first sections of degree work.
The more card holders your Lodge has gives you extra points during its annual inspection.


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## Tx4ever61 (Aug 1, 2014)

yep!


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## jwhoff (Aug 6, 2014)

Yes.  Individually by degree or in mass, building one degree upon another.  It takes practice, but not as much as living the obligation.  That's the real work for a mere mortal.


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## JamesMichael (Aug 6, 2014)

Memorization is great in itself. However like others said before, it doesn't make you a better mason. In my experience sometimes the guy who has all the lines has just that a bunch of lines. Definitely not in every or most cases, but a few. Anyway its the inward man that makes the difference.


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## Brother_Steve (Aug 7, 2014)

I can recite my EA OB and my FC OB. I can also recite my MM Examination but not the OB because our MM exam does not contain all the furthermores.


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## phulseapple (Aug 7, 2014)

Indeed I can, but as others have said that is not the important part.  The work is the most important to me.


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## Levelhead (Aug 7, 2014)

Shoot I'm going to be going for my silver card next,

To receive that you must know all 3 back to back!

Btw cards might just be a fl thing not sure.


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## Warrior1256 (Aug 7, 2014)

I was just raised 3 days ago so can not yet recite the MM OB. Can recite both the EA and FC OB.


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## pointwithinacircle2 (Aug 7, 2014)

JamesMichael said:


> Memorization is great in itself. However like others said before, it doesn't make you a better mason. In my experience sometimes the guy who has all the lines has just that a bunch of lines. Definitely not in every or most cases, but a few. Anyway its the inward man that makes the difference.


"That's true" he replied cautiously, "but it can be difficult to become a better man if you haven't memorized the path".


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