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By WantToLearn - 02/09/2010 11:06:40
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Guys
Everyone i speak to tells me it takes up alot of time and effort to move through the different offices in the lodge. Id like to take an active roll in my lodge and wondered how many hours a week you guys dedicate to the craft?
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By dp - 02/09/2010 12:07:52
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This is a difficult question as different Lodges meet a different number of times throughout the year. One of mine meets 7 times per year and the other 9. Some Lodges only meet 3 times per year.
Also some Lodges have practice nights and the number of these will again vary from Lodge to Lodge. Then you have committee meetings which at some point you will be eligible to attend. Given my two above Lodges the meetings are as follows.
Lodge 1.
7 meetings per year.
22 LOI (practice) meetings per year.
7 committee meetings per year.
Giving a total of 36 meetings per year.
Lodge 2.
9 meetings per year.
0 practice
0 committee
Giving a total of 9 per year.
So you need to speak to your proposer to get an accurate idea of the commitment that will be required from you.
I would suggest that if you wish to progress through office 30min to an hour per day should in addition be set aside to read your ritual book.
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By sojourner - 02/09/2010 13:33:17
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The time taken to progress through Offices will also depend on the number of members a Lodge has, and whether P.M.'s are being 'recycled'. Generally a Lodge with plenty of members will take longer to progress than one with fewer members. It's still not a race.
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By BroPhil - 02/09/2010 13:52:46
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lol - every wednesday evening from September to May, plus learning in my own time.....:)
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By WantToLearn - 02/09/2010 19:57:54
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Thanks guys
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By Mike Martin - 02/09/2010 23:06:57
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Everything in Freemasonry takes time to do properly. Even though you can go through your three degrees in 3 months it can take years and much contemplation to actually understand what you went through. Unfortunately at this time Freemasonry is lacking some visionary leaders to help the membership to focus on and come to terms with this fact.
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By Cheshire - 02/09/2010 23:42:32
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If it takes so much time to actually understand what we went through, then why not give accepted new candidates some ritual books to read thoroughly before their initiation ceremony? So we get a better understanding, before taking our oaths?
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By Mike Martin - 03/09/2010 00:05:49
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I'm not following what you're suggesting. Every one surely knows that they can go and buy the Ritual books ad read through any time they want! I believe that is the wrong order though, which is why Mersey's Candidates are given the Ritual of each degree as they've taken it. This gives them the tools and the opportunity to start considering what happened straight after.
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By Cheshire - 03/09/2010 00:18:27
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Mike Martin (02/09/2010)
Everything in Freemasonry takes time to do properly.
Even though you can go through your three degrees in 3 months it can take years and much contemplation to actually understand what you went through. Unfortunately at this time Freemasonry is lacking some visionary leaders to help the membership to focus on and come to terms with this fact.
So would it not be better to inform new candidates to go and study the ritual through books that they can buy before hand? rather than study the ritual after they have taken part in it.
thanks for your reply Mike.
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By Tom Cherup - 03/09/2010 00:36:31
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As of today I have not gone through the line of Officers, and this month 37 years ago I was raised as a Master Mason. Like you I too learn something new about the craft every day.
All I have to say is take your time. Don't rush it, enjoy your lodge and the membership.
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By john dee - 03/09/2010 00:50:37
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Yes, visionary leaders. Where is Lord Northampton (PProGM) when he is needed most.
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By Mike Martin - 03/09/2010 09:26:22
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Cheshire (03/09/2010)
So would it not be better to inform new candidates to go and study the ritual through books that they can buy before hand? rather than study the ritual after they have taken part in it.This really should be the basis of a new topic within the Ritual section of the Forum. However and briefly, my answer is a resounding NO. The idea is ridiculous and treats our Ceremonies as if they are merely the rules of some club. To arrive at an Initiation pre-aware of its contents removes the point and the impact of the Ceremony, we are afterall an initiatic society regardless of what some will say. For an Initiation to be successful there is a need for an impact, this would be removed by having "pre-Initiation Classes" and the chances of brethren instinctively picking up on the importance of the Ritual content would be further lessened. We have dumbed Freemasonry down enough! If people are scared, worrried or concerned about joining and cannot place their trust in their future Lodge mates they should rightly be turned away. TRUST is just one of the important lessons of the first degree. Anyway to discuss this further a new topic should be started as this one is about the time needed to progress through the Offices in a Lodge.
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By Vintagemalt - 03/09/2010 11:02:00
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In the Lodges that I am a member of and attend regularly it is really quite simple. It will normally take about a year from Initiation to be raised to the sublime degree of Master Mason. During that year one can either 'sit it out' and just enjoy things from observation or one can get a bit involved either as a Steward or doing small pieces of ritual like the 1st degree Working Tools. After Raising you start on the ladder depending on how many newly raised M.M.'s there are in the Lodge but typically; 1 year as a Steward, 1 year as Inner Guard, then the two Deacons & the two Wardens so after 6 years you take the Chair for a year. So in the normal course of events it will take about 7 or 8 years to reach the Chair of K.S. During that time most of us will have at least presented the Working Tools of all 3 degrees at Installations and probably contributed in several other ways as well in Lodge. During this time on the ladder there is a couple of years served on the Social Committee as well. Beyond that of course there are several options possibly available, Secretary, Treasurer, Chaplain, Charity Steward, D.C., A.D.C. Asst Secretary, Asst Treasurer, even Organist & Tyler whatever floats your boat and suits your Lodge. Not sure if this is the answer you wanted but I hope it helps.
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By WantToLearn - 03/09/2010 11:11:06
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Yes very helpful thank you.
What about royal arch? I dont know anything about that. How long does that take to "get to the top" of RA?
I know it sounds like im trying to make a race of it but im not. Im just trying to work out how far i might b in 15/20 years time if i work hard.
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By mopsey - 03/09/2010 11:46:14
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You can join the Royal Arch 4 weeks after doing your 3rd degree.
However there are some offices that you cannot attain unless you are an installed or past master of a craft lodge.
It really is a lovely degree but is so different from the craft i'd say, in my opinion, that 4 weeks is not nearly enough time to have elapsed between become a MM and joining the Holy Royal Arch.
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By WantToLearn - 03/09/2010 12:19:51
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Thanks for the info. I like the way you describe the RA. Im definetly going to take things slow and enjoy and appreciate every minute of it.
Is there a begin and end to the RA like blue lodge. Meaning theres an inititation the raising to master (i know this isnt the "end" to blue lodge but theres no higher to 3rd degree). Or is it that you join RA and thats it, youre in RA and will stay at that level til you decide to move on?
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By Vintagemalt - 03/09/2010 14:15:29
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In Royal Arch as in most side orders there is a journey from initiate to Master of the Lodge, Chapter, Preceptory or whatever. I would recommend to you a small inexpensive book Beyond the Craft by Keith Jackson. This will give lots of very good information about all the popular side orders associated with Freemasonry. It is reasonably easy to obtain, the best place to purchase this is from our hosts. http://www.thefreemason.com/p-246-beyond-the-craft-5th-edition.aspx
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By WantToLearn - 03/09/2010 14:22:59
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Thanks for the recommendation. Ive been abit worried about buying books cos i dont want to read something i shouldnt know yet and spoil the journey.
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By Vintagemalt - 03/09/2010 17:10:09
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No problem with Beyond the Craft by Keith Jackson, it is a very good and informative book. I am sure that most regulars on here would recommend it as one of the two or three best books for answering the sort of questions you are asking.
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By WantToLearn - 03/09/2010 18:50:23
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Excellent thanks.
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By chestnut - 04/09/2010 16:24:20
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mopsey (03/09/2010)
You can join the Royal Arch 4 weeks after doing your 3rd degree.
However there are some offices that you cannot attain unless you are an installed or past master of a craft lodge.
It really is a lovely degree but is so different from the craft i'd say, in my opinion, that 4 weeks is not nearly enough time to have elapsed between become a MM and joining the Holy Royal Arch.
I would agree it is a lovely degree and best learnt by progressing through the PS and onto Z.
However the requirement to be WM in Craft to advance into the Principles Chairs was removed when the last jiggery pokery was done to the ritual. Therefore the passwords were altered accordingly. Readers Digest Masonry again!
Before taking on the RA a candidate must understand the Craft teachings.
This alteration means that you can be Z before being a WM, daft!!
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By Trouillogan - 04/09/2010 18:45:16
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chestnut (04/09/2010)
This alteration means that you can be Z before being a WM, daft!!
Whereas it is allowed, I know of no Chapter that implements that; perhaps to the first chair only but no further. It doesn't really make much sense to me but there you are!
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By Vintagemalt - 04/09/2010 21:53:27
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Tom M. Preuss (03/09/2010)
I just like to add , that the Holy Royal Arch is NOT a Side degree or Additional Degree but rather the completion of the Master Mason degree.
Remember to seek that which was lost ?
Well that is a matter of opinion NOT a matter of fact. It is also off topic and a new thread should be started to discuss this.
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By Tom Cherup - 05/09/2010 01:34:33
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I have to agree with Stephen, that if the membership want to discuss the topic Royal Arch/Holy Royal Arch side order and/or additional degree it would be a good idea to start a new topic.
In an answer about Royal Arch here in the states it is a side order and additional degree. It starts York Rite Degrees.
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