Onto day 12 of my the 100 Day Study Plan to learn Masonic ritual. If you’ve only just found this plan then you can easily start from Day 1, and see all the other days by clicking here: 100 Masonic Study Plan.
Since we started we have now gone through the Installation ceremony (at least the parts the Master Elect needs to learn) twice. We’re not planning to be be word perfect yet, but you should have a good grip on it, say be around 75% familiar. Basically, there’s bits you don’t know, but at least you are aware that you don’t know them, and if pushed could have a pretty good stab at guessing what they are, even if you don’t recall the words you know that “this is the sentence about…”
Learn Masonic Ritual, Day 12 of 100: Resuming and Closing the Lodge
The last few days have been pretty intense with yesterday revising A LOT of offices. I was tempted to split yesterday into two days, but as many of the offices only require a sentence to say what the jewel is (and some not even that) I thought I’d group them together. Two of the offices I was feeling quite confident on were the Inner Guard and Tyler. However, I realised that I was missing out small parts from each. Basically I was saying what is said in the Opening of the Lodge, but when investing the Officers there’s the odd extra sentence slipped in which is very easy to skip over. Now that I’m aware of this I can spend some extra time and care in the coming weeks making sure I don’t miss these parts out on the big day.
Today we are going to take another look at Closing the Lodge. Most Installation ceremonies will Resume in the Second and First Degree (page 68 in my book of Emulation Ritual), before going through the Lodge business and Closing (pages 62-65). Just because these are bits you’ve heard at pretty much all Lodges you’ve attended, and probably said yourself in Lodge of Instruction, do spend the time to ensure you are familiar with it.
You don’t want to invest your officers perfectly then forget how to close properly. Also ensure you are familiar with the Risings. The blue book only gives the basic template, but each Rising has its own way of being said in each Lodge – check now with the current Master to confirm you have it down correctly. Some Lodges will take the three Risings together, especially at an Installation to save time to avoid over-running. If this is likely make sure you know how to do this.
If you’re happy with the Resuming and Closing you can now choose one of the following options: Pat yourself on the back, put the kettle on and have a cup of tea, pleased that today was a shorter session than the previous days, or…
Whilst you’re here with the blue book to hand have another run through of the Installation, or,
Focus your attention on specific areas of the Installation you’ve identified as needing additional work.
Hopefully you aren’t sick of the Installation by now, don’t worry, we aren’t spending all of the 100 days just doing the Installation, but it still needs some work.