We’re now a third of the way through our 100 day Masonic study plan to get ready for being Installed as Master of you Masonic Lodge. Looking at what we’ve covered already, and what’s still left to cover, I bet you’re glad we started when we did! We are now going through our second learning of the First Degree ceremony. Yesterday we started from the beginning by Opening the Lodge, and started the Masonic Initiation Ceremony up to the point of preparing the Candidate for the Obligation, which as you can guess means today is…
Revising Masonic Ritual, Day 33 of 100: First Degree Obligation
On our first reading through we spent two days reading through the First Degree Obligation (pages 81-83 in my blue book of Emulation Ritual), and discussed how important this part is, not just for the fellow members watching, but also for the Candidate, as it’s the first chance they get to really relax and try and absorb what’s happening around them.
By the start of today the chances are you may be able to ramble your way through the First Degree Obligation requiring a lot of prompt from the book with perhaps the odd section that you can roll through, but by the end of today you won’t be perfect but will at least be able to work you way through with a few pause and the odd sneaky peek.
I split today’s session into two (and may have another crack at it later too). The first read through needed those prompts as mentioned, but this served as a reminder from the foundation I’d laid from those previous two days spent learning the Obligation. When I had another couple of read throughs an hour later I was able to recall much more of it. There are still areas that need work, but it demonstrated that the hard work I put in a few weeks ago was paying dividends. As they say in the army, train hard to fight easy! Each time you go over it becomes a little easier, and a little more sinks in.
At this stage repetition is the key. In a twenty minute session you should be able to read through the First Degree Obligation three or four times. Not skim, but properly read. By the last time you should be able to go through it quite quickly needing the occasional glimpse to keep your momentum going.
Don’t worry if you still aren’t word perfect or rely on reading and prompting. It will still be at least a couple of months until you will in the Chair for a First Degree ceremony so time is on your side, and the hard work now WILL pay off.