Corn, Wine & Oil

[Nickel City Dude]

I was wondering if any other lodges present the new Fallowcrafts with Corn, Wine and Oil during or after the 2nd Degree. We always present our new Fellowcrafts with the CW&O at the end of the degree. I make them for my Lodge and for several other Lodges in my district. Here is a picture of one.

 

[MarkR]

Yes, we do. And as Lodge Education Officer, I give a little presentation on the symbolism. I make up the sets; not as fancy as yours. No little wooden container; just shrink tubed together with a tag attached that says "The Wages of a Fellowcraft" and our lodge information.

 

[Winter]

I picked up a bunch of small stoppered vials to try recreating some of these. I thought the little pouch idea was neat when I saw it.

 

[Nickel City Dude]

I made up some Ritual for presenting them in Lodge. Here is a copy of the wording we use.

Corn, Wine and Oil presentation for 2nd Degree (Fellowcraft Middle Chamber ending) This is suggested wording for the presentation.
W.M. My Brother(s) this concludes the second degree of Masonry, however before you retire you will remember that in this Middle Chamber is where our ancient Brethren received their wages of Corn, Wine and Oil. It is here that you are entitled to receive yours. Brother Senior Warden…
S.W. Worshipful Master
W.M. Please attend to your duty and pay the craft their wages.
S.W. (Senior Warden comes to the East) In this and every regular and well governed lodge it is the duty of the Senior Warden to pay the craft their wages if any be due, that none may go away dissatisfied, harmony being the support of all institutions, especially this of ours. It becomes my duty at this time to symbolically pay you your wages of Corn, Wine and Oil, emblematical of nourishment, refreshment and joy. (S.W. gives each new Fellowcraft a temple with the corn, wine and oil in it) These wages of a Fellowcraft are yours to keep as a token of this august occasion and as a reminder of your time well spent in the quarries of Free Masonry. (Senior Warden returns to the West)

OR If the Senior Warden is doing the work alone.​

S.W. (Warden comes to the east) My Brother(s) you have already been informed that in this Middle Chamber is where our ancient Brethren received their wages of Corn, Wine and Oil. It is here that you are entitled to receive yours. In this and every regular and well governed lodge it is the duty of the Senior Warden to pay the craft their wages if any be due, that none may go away dissatisfied, harmony being the support of all institutions, especially this of ours. It becomes my duty at this time to symbolically pay you your wages of Corn, Wine and Oil, emblematical of nourishment, refreshment and joy. (S.W. gives each new Fellowcraft a temple with the corn, wine and oil in it) These wages of a Fellowcraft are yours to keep as a token of this august occasion and as a reminder of your time well spent in the quarries of Free Masonry. (Senior Warden returns to the West)

MarkR I would be interested in knowing what wording you use for the presentation.

 

[MarkR]

I do it "off the cuff," but here's a short article I wrote about it for the Grand Lodge newsletter that contains what I talk about:

Corn, Wine, and Oil

In the last few years, my home lodge has established a tradition of having the Senior Warden present a newly passed Fellowcraft with small glass vials containing corn, wine, and oil. They obviously represent the wages that were paid to the workers at the building of King Solomon’s Temple. A short education session accompanies the presentation, explaining the importance of those items. The meaning accompanying these Masonic symbols have an important lesson for us.

Corn is a term for the hard kernel of cereal grains, not just the corn that we in the Midwestern United States think of, which would be maize corn. In the biblical holy land, it more likely would have been wheat or barley corn. We use maize corn, which is perfectly appropriate for Minnesota, as it is the principal cereal grain of the region. Corn was of value because it could be ground and made into bread, and it could also be stored for food long after the harvest, and some saved to be planted for the crop of the next year. It has long been a symbol of plenty, of the harvest and good fortune.

Wine had value because it was a way of using the fruit crops in a form that could be stored and would last, unlike the fruit itself, which would quickly spoil. Also, safe water was in short supply, so wine provided liquid refreshment in a form that was safe and could be stored. “New wine” was the fresh pressings of the grape, and was used for refreshment. When stored, it would ferment into the alcoholic wine that we think of today. This is also an important symbol to mark the transition of the Mason on his journey, because a principal lesson of the Entered Apprentice degree is that of subduing one’s passions, a part of the maturing process necessary to pass from the youth stage of the apprentice. The Fellowcraft Degree represents entry into adulthood, and when one uses wine in moderation it can lift the spirits of the user, as opposed to causing problems as when used in excess by one who doesn’t properly subdue his passions.

Oil would have been olive oil, pressed from the olive harvest. This oil had great value because of its many uses. Once again, it was putting an important crop into a form that could be stored for long-term use. It could obviously be used as an ingredient in recipes, as well as a medium for cooking food. It could be used as a fuel in lamps to provide light, and for heat to cook. It was mixed with other elements to make cosmetics, and put in the hair for grooming. It also has a mild antiseptic quality, so it was used on wounds to help prevent infection. It was so important that it was used in religious anointing ceremonies, as in the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard...

But more, the new Fellowcrafts are instructed to view these vials of corn, wine, and oil as reminders of Masonic values. The corn should remind us of our duty to relieve the needy by providing for food for them. The wine teaches us that we should try to lift the spirits of the sorrowful and downcast. And oil reminds us to aid the afflicted and sick. So, we should all be mindful of the lessons of corn, wine, and oil, and provide what we can in the way of Masonic charity and relief to those less fortunate

 

[Nickel City Dude]

MarkR
That was a great article. With your permission I am going to make copies of it and give a copy it to the new Fellowcrafts after the 2nd degree at Lodge.

 

[Keith C]

Not a thing in PA at all. This must be something that comes out of the Traditions / Rituals of "The Moderns."

 

[Nickel City Dude]

Not a thing in PA at all. This must be something that comes out of the Traditions / Rituals of "The Moderns."

Presenting the new Fellowcrafts with C,W,&O tokens is not official ritual in NY but lots of lodges do it. Because it is frowned upon to modify the ritual the tokens are not presented until after the Master says "This concludes the 2nd degree of Masonry". At this point the prerogatives of the Master engage and we have not modified the ritual any.

 

[MarkR]

MarkR
That was a great article. With your permission I am going to make copies of it and give a copy it to the new Fellowcrafts after the 2nd degree at Lodge.

Absolutely. I'd be honored.

Presenting the new Fellowcrafts with C,W,&O tokens is not official ritual in NY but lots of lodges do it. Because it is frowned upon to modify the ritual the tokens are not presented until after the Master says "This concludes the 2nd degree of Masonry". At this point the prerogatives of the Master engage and we have not modified the ritual any.

Yeah, we do it after the degree is completed. The Master asks the Senior Warden to "pay the new craftsmen their wages" and then he asks me to explain. The first thing I tell them is that what we're doing is not a part of official Minnesota ritual, but simply a fairly new tradition of Mankato Lodge. Many Grand Lodge representatives have seen us do it, and not only don't object but have asked me for information on how to do it, so they could make the suggestion to other lodges.

 

[Bloke]

Not a thing here in Victoria Australia (but interesting to read).

 

[nickekcitydude]

Mark R
I lost my previous accouint here and I know that this is an old thread but I wanted to let you know that I uses your article about the Corn, Wine and Oil as a base for what I use after the presentation of the token and am in the process of comitting it to memory. If this works I will past it here. I would like to here what you think about it. My email is terry146@roadrunner.com
Corn, Wine, and Oil (optional lecture)

These tokens (This token) represent the wages that were paid to the workers at the building of King Solomon’s Temple. The meaning accompanying these Masonic symbols have an important lesson to teach us.

Corn is a term used for cereal grains. That which we call corn is more correctly called Maize which is native to North America and would have been unknown in ancient Israel. In Israel all grains were referred to as corn and would likely have been wheat or barley. Corn was of value because it could be ground into flower to make bread, and it could also be stored and used for food long after the harvest, and some would also be saved to be planted for the crop of the next year. It has long been a symbol of plenty, of the harvest, and of good fortune.

Wine had value because it was a way of using the fruit crops in a form that could survive long term storage, unlike the fruit itself, which would quickly spoil. Also, safe water was in short supply, so wine provided liquid refreshment in a form that was safe. “New wine” was the fresh pressings of the grape, and was used for refreshment. When stored, it would ferment into the alcoholic wine that we think of today. This is also an important symbol to mark the transition of the Mason on his journey, because a principal lesson of the Entered Apprentice degree is that of subduing one’s passions, a part of the maturing process necessary to pass from the youth stage of the apprentice. The Fellowcraft Degree represents entry into adulthood, and when one uses wine in moderation it can lift the spirits of the user, as opposed to causing problems as when used in excess by one who doesn’t properly subdue his passions.

Oil would have been olive oil, pressed from the olive harvest. Olive oil had great value because of its many uses. Once again, it was putting an important crop into a form that could be stored for long-term use. It could be used as an ingredient in recipes, it could be used as a fuel in lamps to provide light, and for heat to cook. It was mixed with other elements to make cosmetics, and put in the hair for grooming. It also has a mild antiseptic quality, so it was used on wounds to help prevent infection. It was so important that it was used in religious anointing ceremonies, as in the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard even Arron’s beard.

New Fellowcrafts should view these vials of corn, wine, and oil as reminders of Masonic values. The corn should remind us of our duty to relieve the needy by providing them with nourishment. The wine teaches us that we should try to lift the spirits and provide refreshment for those in need. And oil reminds us to strive to put joy in the lives of the afflicted and sick. So, we should all be mindful of the lessons of corn, wine, and oil, and provide what we can in the way of Masonic charity and relief to those less fortunate members of the human family especially a brother Mason.