PROUD TO BE A FREEMASON IN THE
STATE OF
INDIANA
"Pride
is a sin." So I'm a sinner. Because I am VERY proud of my Masonic Lodge
Every once in a while in Masonry, something
happens, or you see something done, or you witness a Degree presentation, that
just re-awakens your love for this ancient fraternity. A few weeks ago I
attended a neighboring Royal Arch Chapter where they were
presenting the Most Excellent Master Degree and the Degree of Holy Royal Arch.
All of the Officers were relatively young men - I doubt there was an Officer
over the age of forty. The portrayal of both degrees was just simply excellent.
There are some very long - but meaningful - parts in both of the Degrees. The
Officers doing those parts were nearly word perfect on the ritual. But it takes
more than being ritually perfect to deliver a degree that captures the attention
of those who are candidates - and these two degrees met that standard too.
Each of the parts given were delivered with feeling, and with understanding of
the underlying importance of the lessons being delivered. To say that the
Officers were word perfect in the ritual is not paying them what is justly there
due. Yes, they were nearly word perfect in the work - but they also
delivered the message of the work in such a manner that every candidate had to
be impressed with the lesson being taught. That same feeling was stirred
in my soul again last evening at my Home Lodge - Whitney Lodge No. 229,
F.&A.M. of New Burlington, Indiana. Again, nearly all of the Officers
of the Lodge are young men. Again, the ritual was delivered in a nearly word
perfect manner. And again, the work was presented in such a moving manner that
the Brother candidate had to have been impressed with the lessons of the Degree.
But that is only part of this story. I mentioned that Whitney Lodge is my
home Lodge. I served as Master at Whitney in 1979 - that has been quite a long
time ago. When I was Senior Warden at Whitney (1978) the Brother ahead of me in
line, serving as Worshipful Master, was a man named Chester Cross.
Chester
and I would do the Work Lecture of the Master Mason Degree from East to West.
~ Let me diverge a bit here and explain what I mean: In Indiana the
"Catechism," or "Crossfire Lecture," which relates the story
of the Degree the candidate has just witnessed - and which the candidate is
expected to memorize - is termed the "Work Lecture." It is
called different names in different Grand Jurisdictions - but I think everyone
reading this will know the lecture that I'm referring to. Anyway, in the
Indiana
ritual this is shown as being presented with the Worshipful Master asking the
questions and the Senior Warden answering those questions. Now, that is
NOT the way it really is done here ~ normally, instead of it being presented
from East to West (Worshipful Master asking, Senior Warden responding,) the
candidate is seated near the center of the Lodge and two of the upcoming Lodge
Officers will rehearse the questions and answers in front of the candidate.
Sometimes, instead of it being Lodge Officers, the questions and answers will be
given "as proficiency," by recently Initiated, Passed, or Raised
Brothers who are "Proving" their proficiency in the memorization work
before the Lodge. So, as a general rule, even though the ritual shows this as
being presented from East to West - it is not actually performed that way.
To make a long story shorter - back in 1978, Chester Cross, as the Worshipful
Master, would ask me, as Senior Warden, the questions and I would give the
answers. We didn't do it that way for every Degree - just occasionally to
be a little different.
Chester
and I have gone back to Lodge a few times over the years and done the work that
same way - East to West. Not often though. Actually, I think the last time we
did it was in 1996 when the Past Masters of the Lodge did a Master Mason Degree
as part of an "honor Past Masters Night." Well, we did it that
way last evening. Chester Cross sat in the East and asked the questions -
I sat in the West and answered the questions. Some of our Officers
(actually almost all of them,) and some of our more recent Past Masters had
never seen it done like this before. In truth - some of those Officers were
still in diapers when
Chester
and I originally did the work this way - back in 1978. Now - as to the
"stirring the soul," I mentioned earlier. The work done last
evening, and not just my part in it, was all performed in a truly "soul
stirring" manner. Our regular Lodge Officers really impressed me with the
fact that they are continuing the tradition of excellent ritual that has been a
hallmark of Whitney Lodge for several years. And the work they perform is given
with feeling and delivered in such a manner that the recipient of the Degree
will understand the true lesson that the Degree is meant to deliver. In
other words they don't just know the work and give it by rote - they KNOW the
work and give it with feeling and comprehension. Very impressive it is to
see such memorable work still being performed by my home Lodge. But to top
that off with two old Past Masters like Chester and myself giving the work
lecture in a way that hasn't been seen by most of the younger members, added to
the "soul stirring" that I mentioned.
Chester
is celebrating his 77th. birthday today - and the work he presented last night
was just as word perfect, just as soul stirring, just as memorable, as it was 33
years ago when we first began to do the work together. My own performance
probably wasn't nearly as impressive - but I was happy with the work I did too.
And I think the candidate - the new Master Mason - walked out of the
Lodge this last evening with a much better understanding of what Freemasonry
really is, than what most new Master Masons have when their Degree work is
finished. I've been told that "Pride is a sin." So I'm a
sinner. Because I am VERY proud of my Masonic Lodge - very PROUD to
be a member of Whitney Lodge no. 229, F.&A.M., at New Burlington, Indiana ~
and very, VERY proud to be a Mason in this wonderful fraternity where men from
all different walks of life, all different religions, all different races,
creeds and cultures, can meet upon the Level and part upon the Square. And
very, VERY, PROUD to see Degree work done that actually stirs the soul of an old
Past Master who has been watching this same work - week in and week out - for
the past 39 years. Yep, if Pride is a sin - I'm a sinner. Oh - happy
77th. birthday Worshipful Brother Chester Cross - you continue to be an
inspiration to the Masons of Whitney Lodge and to this old Past Master too...
God bless you & yours and Happy, happy birthday.
By: Michael
Gillard