By W Bro Ian Alexander Pace ADGM KwazuluNatal Lodge Mentor Inanda Lodge 1192EC
This week’s Mentor’s Message offers a few opinions on the matter of learning Masonic ritual. It has long been my view that there are two important points regarding Masonic ritual: the most obvious one is what it teaches us about becoming a better man and living our lives according to Masonic principles as best we can, whilst acknowledging that we are not perfect. The other point is the challenge of getting it right and being proud of how we deliver the piece that we have volunteered (or have been volunteered !!) to do. Challenging ourselves to make constant improvements in everything we do is a game – to see if we win or lose – and it is what perhaps sets us apart from others.
However, for the relatively new Mason, and even for some Masons with years of experience, learning Masonic ritual is a daunting task. Being asked to learn a long piece makes a man swallow hard ! But it can be achieved and I hope the notes below are of some assistance.
Step 1: Figure out the words
The first step of doing ritual work well is to actually know what you are saying. This sounds obvious, but many will recite a part of the ritual like the proverbial parrot without being sure of what it’s all about. The vocabulary used can be quite old fashioned so if there are any words which you are unsure about look them up on Google or ask a more experienced Mason. There’s nothing wrong with recognising your limitations and no such thing as a stupid question. Once you understand all the words the meaning of what you are saying will become apparent.
I have never forgotten an evening of Installation at a Lodge here in Durban where a junior Brother presented the first degree working tools to the newly elected Master and said (verbatim) “…..I now present to you the WT’s of an EA. They are the twenty four in g, …” and so on. No-one had bothered to actually tell him what the abbreviations meant, and if there had been a rehearsal this brother didn’t attend it. How embarrassing ! Junior Brethren should never be left to flounder like that, and whilst the Director of Ceremonies should have
ensured that this Brother knew the words, the ultimate responsibility rests with the Master.
Step 2: Understand the Speech
This step gets overlooked even more often than Step 1 above. Read your part out loud from the book when you are alone and you will begin to know the subject that you are speaking about. Get to know the characters being spoken about – and again ask questions. By doing this your delivery begins to take shape as a story. Look at the structure: pieces of ritual are made up of separate components which need to be linked together. The first degree Charge is a good example: what is expected of you as a Mason, then as a citizen of the world, then as an individual, then back to you as a Mason and so on. The Working Tools are also an example – three items – twenty four inch gauge, common gavel and chisel. Group them together in your mind.
Step 3: Gradual memorisation
Read the part of the ritual you are doing out loud from the book over and over again until you can do it without breaks or hesitation. Then close the book to try and recite the first sentence by memory. Get the first sentence right before moving on to the second one and so on.
Then move on to the first paragraph, then the second one and so on.
The matter of reading it out loud to yourself is particularly important – the mental pathways used to talk are distinct from those used to read.
Step 4: Mindset and acting
The trick is to control the nerves so as to avoid stage fright. Remember that just about every senior Mason has been through this as well, and he probably also got stage fright. Think not so much about the words themselves (they will come by themselves if you have studied), but think about the meaning of what you are saying. The use of an alternative word here or there is not a crisis as long as you don’t stray from the meaning of what you are saying.
Get the breathing right and don’t rush. Rushing may save a minute here and there which don’t need to be saved, and you are likely to trip over your own tongue ! Go at a speed with which you are comfortable.
SMIB
Ian