# Intender



## Chicago Glenn (Aug 11, 2019)

So, I sat down with the individual claiming to be my Intender.  I has read that the Intender is supposed to be my guide, a "trusted friend."  Within a few minutes, my entire first degree became an unadulterated farce.  I swore not to divulge the secrets and rituals of Masonry to any non-Mason...or so I thought.  He said that most of the guys that memorize the "long form" have their wives ask the questions.  I thought it was a test or a bad joke. It wasn't.  I pressed.  He was dead serious.  He did the short form.  However, that was how he got through, as well.  I talked to someone from another Lodge.  He laughed tragically and said absolutely not.  That's not the way it was supposed to be.  When I brought it to the attention of another member of the Lodge, the recent former worshipful master, he said he would pass along my "concerns."  My concerns? If those vows mean nothing, why take them at all if you are going to contradict them days later? Is this practice just indicative of Illinois or is this widespread in the United States?


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## Bloke (Aug 11, 2019)

Hello Brother.

This is a tricky one - and it depends on the specifics your obligation and the local Masonic culture.

I know many Brethren who practice with a wife or daughter. They openly admit this and would not be brought up on a Masonic Charge here. However, the wife or daughter will not know the "Secrets" of Freemasonry as we (those in my Constitution) define them. These are the ways we recognize each other a Freemasons. For us, to reveal those other than an approved candidate or Freemason is to break our obligation. However, I could give a charge (like the working tools) in public and not be breaking my obligation - because it contains no "secrets". I used to leave my ritual beside the bed and my ex said she read it, I had no problem with that, because all the secrets were left as blanks.

Freemasonry is symbolic in many ways (indeed many rituals might say that very thing), and it confused the hell of our me we promised not to write the secrets yet had a ritual book. We can do that, as I later discovered, because the ritual books has blanks where the "secrets".

As an EA (I assume you are one) always err on the side of caution and follow your rules as you see them and your conciseness. For me, I only practice ritual with other Freemasons, but also have developed a much stronger understanding of Freemasonry over time and understand things which, at first view, confused the hell out me...


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## Bill Lins (Aug 11, 2019)

Bloke said:


> I know many Brethren who practice with a wife or daughter. They openly admit this and would not be brought up on a Masonic Charge here.


Here (Texas) it would get one expelled.


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## David612 (Aug 12, 2019)

In my jurisdiction if it is written then it it’s not “secret”. I personally don’t talk ritual with anyone who isn’t a mason and in person but that’s me.


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## Keith C (Aug 14, 2019)

Here in PA our Ritual Manual is not to be read by any non-Mason.  The only things that could be practiced with a non-Mason's assistance are the 3 Degree Charges, which are printed separately and the "Public" versions of the Officer's Installation Charges, as they are done in an untyled environment.


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## Jim Licquia (Aug 17, 2019)

A different Intender question. My Intender has been great in guiding me through the first two degrees, with one left. I will be raised sometime in the next month. My question is would it be inappropriate to offer him or his family a modest gift of some sort such as a gift certificate to a restaurant; or a Lodge donation in his name as a way of saying thank you?


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## Bill Lins (Aug 17, 2019)

I see nothing wrong with that. I gave my instructor a gift after turning in my MM work and I've had students do the same for me. It is a token of gratitude from those who understand the great amount of time & effort their instructors put in to teach them.


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## Brother JC (Aug 19, 2019)

Jim Licquia said:


> A different Intender question. My Intender has been great in guiding me through the first two degrees, with one left. I will be raised sometime in the next month. My question is would it be inappropriate to offer him or his family a modest gift of some sort such as a gift certificate to a restaurant; or a Lodge donation in his name as a way of saying thank you?



I carved my mentor a small square and compasses as a thank you gift. It sat on the mantel in his reading room.


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## Bloke (Aug 22, 2019)

Brother JC said:


> I carved my mentor a small square and compasses as a thank you gift. It sat on the mantel in his reading room.


Nice !
One of my guys gave me a bottle of scotch - it was one of the first physical gifts I was given having mentored someone,  another an electric shaver, another a pocket watch, a few S&Q pins which is not standard, another gave me the masonic ring off his finger, that was very special.. These are nice, but what really counts is watching them flourish having mentored them, esp when they take an office like WM, DC, SEC or GM... but I think WM and DC are the best, because in those positions they are key developers of the next generation...


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## jermy Bell (Aug 24, 2019)

Bill Lins said:


> Here (Texas) it would get one expelled.


Only in Texas. Kinda glad I didn't move there and become a mason.


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## CLewey44 (Aug 25, 2019)

On the Netflix special from earlier this year/last year, I believe one of the Mason's that was maybe learning the JW position, was practicing with his wife.


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## Elexir (Aug 25, 2019)

CLewey44 said:


> On the Netflix special from earlier this year/last year, I believe one of the Mason's that was maybe learning the JW position, was practicing with his wife.



And while it might be allowed in his juristiction, other rules apply in other juristictions.



jermy Bell said:


> Only in Texas. Kinda glad I didn't move there and become a mason.



Not just in Texas. Other juristiction also has rules against that sort of thing.


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## Bill Lins (Aug 25, 2019)

jermy Bell said:


> Only in Texas. Kinda glad I didn't move there and become a mason.


If one can't follow the rules... Our obligation prohibits us from sharing "the secrets of FM" with non-Masons & the esoteric portions of the memory work are considered a part of the secrets.


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## Thomas Stright (Aug 26, 2019)

Sounds like a clandestine lodge. Even if legit, I would walk away from a lodge like that.


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## CLewey44 (Aug 26, 2019)

Elexir said:


> And while it might be allowed in his juristiction, other rules apply in other juristictions.
> 
> 
> 
> Not just in Texas. Other juristiction also has rules against that sort of thing.


Um, yes of course.


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## Scoops (Aug 26, 2019)

Jim Licquia said:


> A different Intender question. My Intender has been great in guiding me through the first two degrees, with one left. I will be raised sometime in the next month. My question is would it be inappropriate to offer him or his family a modest gift of some sort such as a gift certificate to a restaurant; or a Lodge donation in his name as a way of saying thank you?


I acquired the 3 Festival charity Stewards jewels that were issued by UGLE in the year that he was born and presented them in a smart case to my proposer. 

Sent from my EML-L09 using Tapatalk


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## jermy Bell (Aug 26, 2019)

A who ?


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## David612 (Aug 26, 2019)

jermy Bell said:


> A who ?


What is, what Horton hears?


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## Schuetz (Aug 27, 2019)

Illinois - I was even encouraged to practice with my wife (from a family of Shriners). As has been said, if it's written down, then it's not secret.

Q. E. L. Schuetz, M.M.
Shekinah Lodge No. 241 • IL
Murphysboro Lodge No. 498 • IL


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## Bloke (Aug 27, 2019)

Schuetz said:


> ..., if it's written down, then it's not secret.



For me - that's a really good guide here..  Does it work in other places ? If it is written, it is not "a secret"  ? In our published ritual, the "secrets" are blanked.. but most of the ritual is not...


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## Elexir (Aug 27, 2019)

Bloke said:


> For me - that's a really good guide here..  Does it work in other places ? If it is written, it is not "a secret"  ? In our published ritual, the "secrets" are blanked.. but most of the ritual is not...



Depends on how the structure is and how the ritual is published and who are allowed to see it.


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## David612 (Aug 27, 2019)

as the obligation here specifies that you will not write, carve, finger on a foggy shower screen, sky write and so on it follows that any publication from a the GL cannot be considered masonicly secret.
Who may or may not see it is irrelevant- the act of writing it is a breach.


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## Scoops (Aug 27, 2019)

Elexir said:


> Depends on how the structure is and how the ritual is published and who are allowed to see it.


In England anyone can log onto the Lewis Masonic website and order an Emulation ritual book. As my antipodean brethren have already said, anything considered a "masonic secret" is blanked out. 

Sent from my EML-L09 using Tapatalk


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## Winter (Aug 27, 2019)

David612 said:


> as the obligation here specifies that you will not write, carve, finger on a foggy shower screen, sky write and so on it follows that any publication from a the GL cannot be considered masonicly secret.
> Who may or may not see it is irrelevant- the act of writing it is a breach.


Does your jurisdiction specify what is considered secret? Here it is pretty much only the modes of recognition though the majority of the ritual book is ciphered and considered secret. So, no practicing with the spouse. My EC Lodge that works in the Emulation Rite, that ritual book , which comes directly from the UGLE, is pretty much completely unciphered with only a handful of words considered secret.  

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## jermy Bell (Aug 27, 2019)

I practice with my father in law who is a 32° mason, and my wife who was a rainbow girl +  mother advisor. She helped her dad who was also a 32° mason, and her stepdad. She knows the rituals better than I do.


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## David612 (Aug 28, 2019)

JamestheJust said:


> The recognition signs are there to protect the secrets, but it seems that the recognition signs are the only secrets taught in Masonry.
> 
> Do the recognition signs then exist only to protect themselves?


No I’d say not but the true secrets aren’t communicated in plain format being discussed in my opinion.


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## Winter (Aug 28, 2019)

Organizations evolve and what was once considereda closely held secret is now easily accessible to anyone with an internet connection. I would posit that the reason the modes of recognition are themselves still considered a secret to be guarded is because of what they can unlock.  Not a mystical treasure but charity.  Consider a disreputable fellow masqurading as a Brother who was able to convince a real Mason they were in distress using certain signs. How much harm could they do if they were crafty enough.  

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## Bill Lins (Aug 28, 2019)

Winter said:


> Does your jurisdiction specify what is considered secret?


Yes, mine does.


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## CLewey44 (Aug 29, 2019)

Winter said:


> Does your jurisdiction specify what is considered secret? Here it is pretty much only the modes of recognition though the majority of the ritual book is ciphered and considered secret. So, no practicing with the spouse. My EC Lodge that works in the Emulation Rite, that ritual book , which comes directly from the UGLE, is pretty much completely unciphered with only a handful of words considered secret.
> 
> Transmitted via R5 astromech using Tapatalk Galactic



Bro Winter, good point on the cipher. We hear a lot on here that only the modes of recognition are "secret" (which implies 99.99% of the content as not secret), then why is most of the ritual ciphered in most red/blue books? Good point.

If I quote (or half assed quote/paraphrase) the GL ritual book on this site or otherwise, I try to use a cipher of sorts myself.


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## David612 (Aug 29, 2019)

CLewey44 said:


> Bro Winter, good point on the cipher. We hear a lot on here that only the modes of recognition are "secret" (which implies 99.99% of the content as not secret), then why is most of the ritual ciphered in most red/blue books? Good point.
> 
> If I quote (or half assed quote/paraphrase) the GL ritual book on this site or otherwise, I try to use a cipher of sorts myself.


My ritual books are written at length, so it would seem I can talk about it but you lot can’t


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## Elexir (Aug 30, 2019)

There was a norwegain mason who wrote a book where he compared the rituals of the vikings with masonic ritual.
He was expelled for it.
How something is written dont matter but rather what is allowed to be posted or disscus publicly that matters.


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## Chicago Glenn (Oct 2, 2019)

Bloke said:


> Hello Brother.
> 
> This is a tricky one - and it depends on the specifics your obligation and the local Masonic culture.
> 
> ...



Thank you for the reply.  I appreciate it.


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## Chicago Glenn (Oct 2, 2019)

Elexir said:


> There was a norwegain mason who wrote a book where he compared the rituals of the vikings with masonic ritual.
> He was expelled for it.
> How something is written dont matter but rather what is allowed to be posted or disscus publicly that matters.



Thank you for the reply.


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## Warrior1256 (Oct 3, 2019)

Bill Lins said:


> Here (Texas) it would get one expelled.


Same in Kentucky!


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