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One Hundred One Questions

About Freemasonry

The Masonic Service Association8120 Fenton Street

Silver Spring, Marland 20910-4785

Twenty-fifth Printing December, 1996

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INDEXMany matters are discussed in these hundred one

questions besides those specifically mentioned in theinquiries. To make reference to these easy, this Indexhas been compiled. Numbers referred to are the num-bers of the questions, not the pages. For speedyinformation use the index.

Abif 80 Charge, FellowcrafaAcacia ...... ............... 89 Degree 100Actual Past Master... 29 Chart, Recognition ........,. 33Adjourn 52-54 Charter 59"After Light" . 12 Circumambulation ... 45Age of Masonr 2 Clandestine ..... .... .........33-58Ahiman Rezon . 62 Communication 53Allegory . 14 Communion of Rome. iiAltar and East, Between 42 Corn, Ear of 76Ample Form. 56 Corn, Wine and Oil. 13Ancient Accepted Scottish Cornerstone 70

Rite 93 Cowan 19Ancient Landmark. . 5 Cryptic Masonry 93Anderson's Constitutions 6 Demit 57Anno Lucis 12 Dimit 57Appeal 51 Discussion of Masonry . 100Apprentice 68 Dispensation 38Aprons 17 Doctrine of the PerfectAshlars 73 Youth 41Atheist 9 Dotage 82Ballot, Secrecy of 48 Due ExaminatiQß . 56Beasts of the Field 78 Due Form 56Behavior 11 Due Guard 46Bible on Altar 24 Eavesdropper 19Blue Lodge . 65 Ecclesiastes 83Board of Relief 96 Emergent Lodge ,.61Book of the Law 6-24 English Lodges 42Business with Masons. 98 Entered 68Cable. tow 44 Entered ApprenticeCedars of Lebanon.. 87 Questions .......66-73Chair, Passing the 29 Ephraimites .....,.. 77

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fellowcraft Questionsfellowcraftsfirst Grand Lodgeflag in Lodgefoolforty-Seventh Problemfour Crowned Martyrs...freebornfreemasonry in the U. S.freemasonsfreestonefree Wil and Accord.fundamental Tool.GarterGarter, Blue ,.. .General QuestionsGileaditesGoatGodGod, Kingdom of..Golden FleeceG.A.O.T.U.GrandGrand Architect,Grand LodgeGrand Lodges, Number ofGrand Lodges RecognizedGrand Master's Powers... .GuildHalliwell DocumentHatHecatombHele, Hail, Hale, Heal.Helene, Countess .High DegreesHigh TwelveHiram, Legend of.Hiram, Story ofHiram's DeathHistorical Questions

Hoodwink"House of the Temple"..Hunt, Charles C..Immortality , .Instructions

... 74-7974

271829277

5244

10796965

..14-307790

.. .. .. 9-4773

..6947314732353338

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SO

9267184584801481

1-131693

557

Iowa Grand Lodge (Hunt) 5Irregular 33Jewel, Past Master's 30Joppa. 88Jordan 77J ubelum 91Jurisdiction ... 37Knights Templar 93Landmarks 5Lay on the Table 54Legal Information. 26Legally Constitut'ë . 55Level 79liw~ ~Libertine 82Lion of Tribe of Judah 85Lion's Paw 85Lodge of Holy Sts. John 66Lost Word, . .101Low Twelve ....... 84Maimed Man ...... 41Manuscript Constitutions., 7Mason at Sight. .40-6Masonic Dates 12Masonic Goat 90Masonic Home . 99Masonic Light 16Masonic Ring 97Masonic Talk 96"Masonry Dissected" 86Masonry in Public ...100Master Mason

QuestionsMaster's CarpetMaster's HatMaster's Piece ...Master's Responsibilty:It aster's WagesMenial's WagesMonitorMonotheismMoon Lodge ...Most WorshipfulNew Jersey Landmark,.Newton on Ritual.

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.80-9586SO

.68.74541313275

63491564

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Nonsectarian............... 9

Northeaøt Comer . 70Number of Grand Lodges 35Number, Most Sacred 23Oath 20Obligation . 20Oblong Square . 72Occasional Lodge 60Old Charges 6Operative Art,

Symbolism ofOperative Masons 'Order of the Garer.Order of the Star.Pan . ... ............Parliamentary LawPartisan PoliticsPassages of JordanPast Master, Actual....Past Master, Virtual.

Past Master's JewelPenaltiesPenalties, IntangiblePerfect Ashlar 'Permission to LeavePlumbPoliticsPostponePritchardProfaneProselyte. ................,..Prove Yourself 'PythagorasQuestions aboutGrand Lodge

Questions about theLodge ...... .. ..,...., .42-65

Questions of Masonryand the Public .... . ...96.100Recognized 58Regius Poem 2.7Religion 9.11Repetitions 22Right Worshipful, 49Ring .... ..,.., , 97

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....69699054ii77292930212173437911548682109692

....31-41

RiteRite, Scottish. ...................Rite, YorkRitual.Rituals, Different

Roman Eagle .....Rough Ashlar ....Royal and Select MutersRoyal Arch .St. John.St. Ledger, ArthurSt. Ledger, Elizabeth

Sts. JohnSal uteSecrecySecret Society

Secret, What isSectarian ReligionShibboleth, Sibboleth ."So Mote it be"

SpeculativeSquareSqnare and Compasses.StairsStarStrangersSubstitute WordSupreme CouncilsSymbol of SymbolSymbol of Triangle.Symbolism of the

Operative Art .Third Degree LegendThirty.third Degree.Three DegreesTimeTracing BoardTrestle BoardTriangle, Symbol ofUnanswerable QuestionUnrecognizedUrbanitatisV.S.L. .Virtual Past Master.

Visit

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.... 69739393

..... .. 1011818

66-10143

51515117781

7939756996

101931723

55

952384868623

...10133

72429

.. ...34.36

. ,.--~ ,-." ~.-

Volume of the Sacred La. 5Vulturea ........,....... ......,.. 78Wages ............ UWalking arund ..... .......... l5Warrant. ..... ............ 59Washington; under aie..., 28Waterfall, Watenord ....... 76

Wheat, Sheaf oL... 76Who discovered Masnr? 3Winding Stairs 75Women Freemasons 18Word Pairs 22Working Tools 79Worshipful 49

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FOREWORDIn March, 1938, the Association published a Short

Talk Bulletin entitled "Nine Questions"; in May, onecalled "Nine More Questions," and in March, 1953,"Please Tell Me" (which contained stil another ninequestions). These are queries made especially by newlymade Masons.

So many are the requests for these Bulletins, and sonumerous are other questions which the Association isasked in almost every mail, that this booklet, containingone hundred one of the most commonly asked questions,resulted.

Replies to these questions are compiled from the filesof old publications, reference books, Masonic volumes,encyclopedias, the Transactions of Research Lodges.

As the information herein contained necessarily comesfrom many diverse sources, and is here combined intoa booklet by one staff and one Editor, it seems wise to

suggest that, while every attempt has been made tokeep it authoritative, there are paragraphs herein whichmay justly be judged as opinions.

The book is designed for any Mason of an inquiringmind, but should be especially useful to instructors inthe rituaL. These devoted brethren are sometimes greaterstudents of and experts with the words of the degreethan with simple explanations of the meanings of someof the words, phrases, symbols and practices of Masonry.

Should this small volume assist these-r, indeed,

any brethren-to "more light," the time spent on itwil bring to its compiler and Editor "a Master'sWages. "

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QUESTIONS RETING TO HISTORY1. Why is the Masonry of today called

"speculative" ?

The word is used in the sense that the Masonry oftoday is theoretical, not practical, building; that itis a pursuit of knowledge, not of the construction

of edifices.

Speculative Masonry began with the practice ofadmitting to membership in operative lodges menwho were not practical builders, stonecuttrs,architects, etc., but who were interested in themoral, ethical and philosophical teachings of the

Fraternity.

2. How old is Masonry?The question is not answerable unless Masonry bedefined. Some form of organization of builders,according to the oldest Masonic docl1ent, theRegius poem, existed as early as A.D. 926. Free.masonry, as distinguished from any other organi.zation of practical builders, probably began amongthe Cathedral builders of the middle agestenthor eleventh century. The first Grand Lodge cameinto existence in 1717. Freemasonry in the UnitedStates dates definitelY .., from l.30ud probablyearlier. .

3. W lw discovered, designed or inventedMasonry?No one man, any more than anyone man di-covered, designed or invented democracy, orphilosophy, or science, or anyone government.Freemasonry is the result of growt. Many MasD8had a part in it; it has taken to itself teachigs

from many religions, philosophies, syste ofknowledge, symbols.

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The most generally accepted orthodox belief as tothose who "began" Freemasonry is that the Craftis a descendant of Operative Masons. These Opera-tives inherited from unknown beginnings, of whichthere may have been several and were probablymany, practices and some form of rituaL. Specula-tive Masonry, reaching back through Operative

Masonry, touches hands with those who followedunknown religions in which, however, mall of theSpeculative principles must have been taught bythe use of symbols as old as mankind and there-fore universal, and not the product of anyonepeople or time.

4. Why are we called "FreemasoM' ?There are many theories: a man was a Freemasonbecause his ancestors were not slaves nor was hea slave; he was so called because he was free

within his Guild, or free of the Guild's laws and

could thus "travel in foreign countries" and workwhere he would; he was a Freemason because heworked in freestone, which is any stone which canbe cut, smoothed, carved in any direction; he wasfree when he had passed his apprenticeship andbecame a Fellow of the Craft; he was free when

he had left the status of serf or vilein and legallybecame free. Probably at one time or anothermasons were called Freemasons for any of thesereasons or for all of them. The consensus leans tothe theory that the Freemason was such because ofhis skil, knowledge and abilties which set him

free of those conditions, laws, rules and customswhich circumscribed masons of lesser abilities inthe Cathedral building age.

5. What are the Ancient Landmarks?Various Grand Lodges have "adopted" various

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"lists of Ancient Landmarks" and thus have gi\'enthe tenets in the list the force of law in those GrandLodges. But no Grand Lodge can make or unmakea landmark, any more than the Congress of theUnited States can make or unmake a law of nature.Congress might pass a law saying that the law ofgravitation was hereafter to be inoperative, butpresumably an apple rolling from a table wouldstill fall to the floor!Grand Lodges which leave landmarks undefinedand unrestricted hy listing seem to have the betterpractice, just as those churches which do not list"the moral law" clause by clause seem to have ahetter grasp of what it is.The late great Charles C. Hunt, Grand Secretary

of the Grand Lodge of Iowa, put this point of viewin a few words:

"The Masonic conception of a landmark is funda-menNÎllaw of Masonry which no body of men orMásons can repeaL. Anything that can be adoptedcan he repealed. If a Grand Lodge has power toadopt, it has power to repeaL. It is the very factthat they are unalterahle which makes the land-marks similar to scientific laws which cannot bechanged or altered by any man or body of men."It is probable that all English speaking Grand

Lodges wil agree that at least seven Masonicfundamentals are landmarks.These are:

a. Monotheism, the sole dogma of Freemasonry.b. Belief in immortality, the ultimate lesson of

Masonic philosophy:c. The Volume of the Sacred Law, an indispen-

sable part of the furniture of a lodge.

d. The legend of the Third Degree.

e. Secrecy.

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f. The symbolism of the operative art.g. A Mason must be a freeborn male adult.

Every Mason should ascertain what his own GrandLodge has adopted (or not adopted) as "land-marks" and govern himself accordingly.

6. Wha are the "Old Charges?"The first book of Freemasonry, printed in 1723, isknown as Anderson's Constitutions. In 11 appearsix "Old Charges" which are a statement of the oldlaws of operative Freemasonry concerning aMason and his conduct. These six Old Charges aretitled: Of God and Religion; Of the Civil Magis-trate Supreme and Subordinate; Of Lodges; OfMasters, Wardens, Fellows and Apprentices; Ofthe Mai:agement of the Craft in Working; OfBehavior. The last, sixth Old Charge is concernedwith behavior: "in the Lodge while constituted;after Lodge is over and the Brethren not gone;when Brethren meet without Strangers, but not ina Lodge; in presence of Strangers not Masons; atHome and in the Neighborhood; towards a strangeBrother."Many "Books of the Law"-Constitutions, Codes,etc.-of Grand Lodges print these Old Charges.

They can also be found in Mackey's Encyclopedia

and in the Little Masonic Library.

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7. What is the Regius Poem?Sometimes called the Hallwell Document, it is,loosely speaking, the oldest of the "ManuscriptConstitutions" of Freemasonry. Dated approxi.mately A.D. 1390, it is in old Chaucerian English,diffcult to read without a translation. It is pre-served in the British Museum.It is not, accurately speaking, ~/'nstitutioD,"although it has within it much'that is found in

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manuscripts. It is more a document about Masonrythan for Masons. It is discursive, rambling, wordyand parts of it are copies of contemporary docu-

ments, notably "Urbanitatis" and "Instructions toa Parish Priest." Within the Regius, thirty-eightlines are devoted to "The Four Crowned Martyrs,"who are not referred to in any of the manuscriptConstitutions.The book is approximately four by five and one-half inches, the pages fine vellum, the letters inred and what was probably once black but is nowa rather drab greenish brown color.Its most curious feature is that it is written inverse, which is why it is often called the RegiusPoem, although it is much more doggerel thanpoetry.It is important to Masonic students for many rea-sons; to the average Mason its most salient featuremay be that it ends with what are, so far as isknown, the oldest words in the Masonic ritual (seenext question).

8. Why do we use "So mote it be" instead of"Amen"?"So Mote It Be" are the final words in the RegiusPoem. "Mote" is old English for "may." Masonsha~e use~ the phrase since the beginning of thewritten history of the Craft. Freemasonry includesmany, other words, now obsolete, which bring thesanctity of age and the continuity of ritual fromancient days to modern times.

9. Is Freemasonry a religion or has it areligion?No, to both questions. "A" religion connotes someparticular religion. Freemasonry is nonsectarian.Before its Altar Christian, Jew, Mohammedan,

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Buddist, Gentile, Confucian, may kneel together.If the question be phrased "Is Freemasonry re-

ligious" then the obvious answer is that an insti-tution "erected to God" which begins its cere-monies and ends its meeting with prayer; whichhas a Holy Book upon its Altar; which preachesthe fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man,of course, has a religious character, although, letit be emphasized again, wholly nonsec~rian.All Grand Lodges require their initiates to expressa belief and trust in God. No atheist can be madea Mason.

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10. Why does Freemasonry forbid brethren toask their friends to become Masons?One of the fundamental concepts of Freemasonry

is that application for membership must be whollya voluntary act. A man must seek for himself andjoin "of my own free wil and accord." Under noother formula can men unite brethren of a thou-sand religious and political beliefs. Under no moreconstricting act could Freemasonry accomplish heronly end, the building of character among men.Men who become members of a Masonic lodge forany other reason than their own desires can neitherreceive nor give to others the advantages of a

wholly voluntary association. Freemasonry isbigger than any man; the man must seek itsblesings; it never seeks the man.

11. Why are discussions of politics and religionforbidden in lodge?

The prohibition goes back to the early history ofthe Fraternity. It is written in the second para-

graph of the sixth "Old Charge" (Behavior afterthe Lodge is over and the Brethren not gone,;"No private Piques or Quarrels must be brought

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within the Door of the Lodge, far les any Quarrelsabout Religion, or Nations, or State policy, we

being only, as Masons, of the Catholick Religionabove-mentioned; we are also of aU Nations,Tongues, Kindreds, and Languages, and are re-solved against aU Politicks as what never yetconduc'd to the Welfare of the Lodge, nor ever

wilL. This Charge has been always strictly enjoin'dand observ'd, but especially since the Reformationin Britain, or the Dissent and Secession of these

Nations from the Communion of Rome."Freemasons today hold that the Old Charge pro-hibits lodge discussions of politics in the sense ofpartisan politics and religion in the sense ofsectarian religion.

12. Masonic dates are written "A.L." beforefigures which never correspond with thenumber of the year in which we live; why?Freemasonry's practice has followed the ancientbelief that the world was created four thousandyears before Christ; that when God said "Letthere be light" the world began. Therefore Masonsdate their doings four thousand years plus thecurrent year, "Anno Lucis," or "In the year ofLight."It is but another of Freemasonry's many ties witha day so old no man may name it.

13. What are "A Master's Wages"?According to the ritual, corn, wine and oil aresymbolic of the payment a Freemason earns todayby "good work, true work, square work." "AMaster's Wages" may be the same, may be differ-ent, for every brother. They are the friendships

formed through Freemasonry; the consciousnesof unselfish work; takig part in movements and

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actions for the betterment of the condition of neigh-bors; inherent in learning and in making it possiblefor other men to learn that men of widely differentbeliefs, convictions, circumstances, education,

skils and character may live and work, play andlove together in peace and happiness. A Master'sWages are intangible, but the more real becauseany brother may earn as much as he wilL.

"I worked jor menIas wagesOnly to learn, dismayed,

Any wage I asked oj lodge,Lodge woul have paid."

This is a paraphrase indicating that there is .nolimit to the Master's Wages any brother may re-ceive, except that which he may put upon himself.

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GENERAL QUESTIONS

14. Freemasonry is said to be a beautifulsystem of morality, veiled in allegory andilustrated by symbols. lV hat is an allegory?

Allegory is from two Greek words and means,"story within a story"-the Masonic story is toldas a fact, but it presents the doctrine of immortality.Allegory, parable, fable, myth, legend, tradition,are correlative terms. The myth may be foundedon fact; the legend and tradition more probablyare founded on fact, but the allegory, parable,fable, are not. Yet they may be "true" if "true" isnot taken to mean factuaL. "In the night of deathhope sees a star and love can hear the rustle of awing" is beautifully true allegory, but not factuaL.

All allegories may contain truth, without beingfact.The allegory of the Master's Degree is not true inany factual sense, except in the historical back-

ground from the Biblical account of the buildingof the Temple. That the Hirams were GrandMasters; that the workmen on the building wereEntered Apprentices, Fellowcrafts and MasterMasons; that they met in various apartments ofthe Temple, with different numbers required forvarious quorums; that the events delineated in theceremony actually happened are not factual state-ments.Yet the allegory is true in the best sense of the

word. For the story of Hiram is the story of thede~r~st hop~ of mank.ind. It is a tale told in everyreligion. It is affrmation, by picture, drama, story,of man's rugged faith that Job's immortal question,"If a man die, shall he live again?" must beanswered in the affrmative. It is a Mason's ob-

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servation that truth, slain by error, wil be bornagain; it is the crucifixion and the resurrection ofthe Carpenter who died between two thieves. TheMasonic allegory is true iÌl~he deepest sense oftruth.

15. Masonry is a secret society. What can betold and what cannot?Masonry is not "a secret society" but "a societywith secrets." A secret society is one oLihich themembership, aims and ideals are unknown. Thereis no secret about who is, and who is not, a Free-mason. Lodges publish their rosters. Many GrandLodges publish the names of their me~bers inannual Proceedings. The world at large knows thatthe aims and ideals of Freemasonry are religious,charitable, friendly, fraternal.What is secret in Freemasonry is well phrased inthe Ninth Landmark as adopted by the GrandLodge of New Jersey:"The legend of the third degree; the means of

recognition; the methods of conferring degrees;

the obligations of those degrees and the ballot ofevery brother are, and must continue to be, in-violably secret."

16. Why are candidates hoodwinked?Blindfolding a candidate is symbolical of that statein which he has "long been in darkness and nowprays for light."It is not to keep him from seeing the lodge room,or the offcers, or the brethren, but to make a deepand lasting impression on his mind, that Mason-

ically, he has no, or but partial, light, and thatonly by the consummation of the ceremonies forwhich he has asked and which the lodge hasgranted, may he receive that Masonic light which

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wil enable him to "travel in foreign countries andreceive Master's wages."That the conclusion of parts of Masonic degrees

be accompanied by unexpected sight and sound isa very old and very effective way of making anevent memorable.

17. Why do Masons wear apron8?The use of the apron is extremely old, not, as withthe operative Masons, as a protector of clothingand body against tools and stone, but as a badgeof honor. It was so used by the priests of Israel,by candidates for the mysteries ,of Mithras inPersia, by the ancient Japanese in religious wor-

ship. Ethiopia knew aprons as did Egypt. In alltimes and climes, it has been a badge of distinction.It is as such that a Mason wears it.The material of the Masonic apron-lambskin-isa symbol of innocence, as the lamb has always

been.Color and material are important in its symbolismbut Masonry admits the "symbol of the symbol"-as, for instance, an electric light in place of acandle. Hence a Mason has more than once been"properly clothed" when the lambskin aprons ofthe lodge were all in use and he came through thetiled door clad in a white handkerchief!

18. Are there women Freemasons'?No; for a woman to become a real Freemason isas impossible as for a man to become a mother, aleopard to change his spots. A female duly elected,properl,r prepared, initiat~d and obligated, passedand raised, who signed the bylaws of a regularlyconstituted lodge, would not be a Freemason, asall which had been done with her would be ilegal,and one ilegally initiated is not a Freemason. The

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third of the Old Charges, foundation law of the

Craft, states emphatically: "The persons admittedMembers of a Lodge must be good and true Men,free-born, and of mature and discreet Age, noBondmen, no Women, or immoral or scandalousMen, but of good Report."There appear to hav~ been at least two historicinstances in which a woman was initiated. Priorto the formation of the first Irish Grand Lodge, anIrish lodge, meeting in the home of Artr St.Ledger, First Baron Kilmayden and ViscounteDoneraile, had its privacy invaded accidentally bythe Honorable Elizabeth 51. Ledger, later Mrs.Richard Aldworth. The lodge members decided theonly way to preserve secrecy was to obligate her;she was, therefore, duly obligated both as anApprentice and as a Fellowcraft.The second instance concerns Helene, CountessHadik Barkoczy, born 1833, "made a Mason" inLodge Egyenloseg, warranted by the Grand Orientof Hungary. The last of her race, at her father'sdeath she was permitted by the Hungarian courtsto take the place of a son, receiving his full in-heritance. In this was an extensive Masonic libraryin which she became much interested. In 1875 thelodge mentioned admitted her!The Grand Orient of Hungary took immediate

action on this "breach of Masonic vow, unjusti-fiably conferring Masonic degrees, doing thatwhich degrades a Freemason and Freemasonry,

and .for knowingly violating the statutes." TheDeputy Master of the lodge was expelled, the off-cers of the lodge had their names struck from itsrolls, and the members were suspended for variousperiods of time. To the honor of the Grand Orient

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be it sai~, its fi~al pronoúncement-apart fromthese merited punishments--was unequivocaL.

There are a dozen or more stories of other women"made Masons" but none of them withstandscritical examination.

19. What is a cowan? What is an eavesdropper?:'Cowan" is an old Scotch word, meaning anignorant Mason who put stones together withoutmortar, or piled rough stones from the field intoa wall without working them square and true. Heis.a Mason without the Word; the Apprentice whotries to masquerade as a Master.The eavesdropper in ancient times was that would-be thief of secrets who listened under the eaves ofhouses (there, was often a space between wall androof, for the purpose of ventilation). Because to

hear he had to get close to the wall under the~ave~, he received the droppings from the roof if

it rained-hence, eavesdropper. In modern times

the eavesdropper is that bold man who forges agoo.d standing card, or finds one and masqueradesas its owner; the man who has read a so-called:'exposé" of Masonry and tries to get into a lodge,in order to. ask for charity or help. He is very rare,and few tilers have ever met him! The cowan,however-the Fellowcraft or Entered Apprenticestopped for cause, the one-time member in goodstanding who is now dropped for one cause or~nother-these not infrequently try to pass thetiler.

20. Is there a distinction between Masonic oathand Masonic obligation?The "oath" is the "So help me, God" at the end ofany solemn promise made with hand upon theBook of the Law. The "obligation" is the substance

13

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,I,:

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,IIL .~- ,-:." "...._--.-.~~.~7':'! ~~~:--:;.-::,.:~~~-7':::: - ::~ ::~~~:-:~?:~~:T:T~:;S~?'~~~-:~-:r-::~;t:'~:~;:~~~;:-,?:.~:_.".:-~~~~.~~,:-.: .,-, ".:- ~_:'~ ~--:.,~ ~--: ~ .:.: ,.-.

of the preceding promises. "Oath" is thus sym-

bolical of man's fear of God; "obligation" signifiesthe promises and agreements. made preceding the

oath.

21. What Masonic penaltes are enforced?The only penalties known to Freemasonry arereprimand; definite suspension from membership;indefinite suspension from membership.expulsionfrom the Fraternity. To these must be added thatintangible penalty which comes to anyone wholoses all or any part of his reputation. Other

penalties suggested in the ritual are whollysymbolic-are not now and never have beenenforced. They were legal punishments in themiddle ages, designed with special reference to thereligious beliefs of the time that an incomplete

body could not "rise from the dead"; that a body

buried in unconsecrated ground (as between high

and low water mark) could not ascend into heaven.Some Grand Lodges offer an interpretation of theritualistic penalties, in order to be sure the initiateunderstands the symbolic character of these other-wise diffcult phrases.

22. Why does the ritual use so many repeti-tions, as in "duly and truly," "worthy andwell-qualified," etc.?Several "word-pairs" in Masonic ritual make in-teresting studies; "duly and truly," "worthy andwell-qualified," "free wil and accord," "parts andpoints," "hele and conceaL." At first glance it mayseem that these are so arranged only for emphasis.In Middle English writing, especially in the thir-teenth and fourteenth centuries, when Freemasonrywas in the process of formation, England had twolanguages. One was Norman-French, the other

;1:i"

I'

14

23.

Anglo-S~xon. To make sure of understanding,word pairs were much in use, a word of similarmeaning being taken from each language.The apparent redundancy of expression in anum.ber of places in Masonic ritual may be traced backto these Middle Ages. The perpetuation of suchusage now, when clarity of thought and under-standing might be served as well with one wordis o~e of many pr.oofs that Freemasonry delighbto cling to the ancient and venerated because it isvenerated and ancient.

Why has Symbolic Masonry three degreesonly and not four or seven or a largernumber, as have other branches of theFraternity?Three is the ~umerical symbol of the equilateraltriangle, which is man's earliest symbol for God.It was the "most sacred number" at the dawn ofcivilizat~on. Masonry .emphasizes it: three degrees,three circum?mbulations in the Third Degree,three Great Lights, three Lesser Lights three stepson the Master's Carpet, three Fellows ~ho stood atthe gates of the Temple, three who discovered theMaster Workman, three principal rounds, threeGrand Columns, etc.~vidently the ritual makers of an early age be-lieved that there should be a symbolism of numberas wel! as of object in the teaching of Masonryregarding the fatherhood of God, to instruct thatHe i~ present at all times in every ceremony andmeeting.

24. Are the V.s.L. (Volume of Sacred Law) andthe Book of the Law the same as the Bible?In. Ch.ristian lands t!ie holy book of the prevailingfaith is the Great Light. In American and English

15

,.

lodges that book is the l:oly Bible. A Masoniclodge cannot exist without the V.S.L., the Bbok ofthe Law. But in lands where there are other re-ligions, the sacred book of those religions becomestheir Great Light. What is important is that somevolume containing divine revelation be a part ofthe furniture of the lodge. Inasmuch as Free-

masonry is not concerned with doctrine or dogmaor set or denomination, but only with "that na-

tural religion in which aU men agree" (OldCharges), it is only necessary that the V.S.L. be

sacred to the members of the lodge. The Bible onAmerican Altars is not to be considered qnly as aChristian or a Jewish sacred book; it is a symbolof the revealed wil and teachings of the Great

Architect of the Universe-a name under whichany Freemason can worship that Deity in Whomhe puts his faith and trust.Why are Masonic rituals not the same inall States?Freemasonry came to the United States fromseveral different sources (England, Ireland, Scot-land) and its spread westward formed GrandLodges from lodges 'which sprang from the thirteenoriginal colonies. These admixtures of rituals pro-duced variations which were occasionaUy increasedby actions of Grand Lodges acting on recommenda-tionsof Grand Lecturers and Ritual Committees.

In the early days of Freemasonry in the United

States many "travellng lecturers" brought theirown conceptions of "the true Masonic work" tofar areas and taught these.AU rituals are "correct." What a Grand Lodgeapproves as its ritual is "correct" for its lodges. Norituals in the United States contradict each other;they vary in words and details, not in esentials.

16

25.

: i

iii

:1- ,J!-'I!:::-'~';:C-7:~"'_~~:~ ~'': ':'-:,~_ ~",.-:~7':~::~~~'~~~_'~:'.-:-i~._~-~-:.;~~:-:-:~-::._~:__~:t~-:i:;~~~~'''?;,"::~:~(:-,-''':_:-~~::_~'7::?5~~--: ':~ :-.

26. What is legal (or lawful) Masonic information?Legal or lawful Masonic information can be ob-

tained in three ways; "legal Masonic information"that A. is a Mason is attained by sitting in lodgewith him; when he is vouched for by some onewith whom a brother has sat in lodge; when hepasses an examination before a committee ap-pointed by the Master (or the Grand Master) .A letter from a friend introducing "Brother A"as a Mason is not legal Masonic information. Thereal Brother A may have lost the letter and it maybe presented by a stranger. No brother is at libertyto accept an avouchment that a man is a Mason bytalking over the telephone with one who knows himto be a Mason. Unless in his presence, and that ofthe man vouched for, no one can know that theMr. A spoken of over the telephone is the Mr. Ain mind.

Only by strict adherence to these principles canMasons be sure that no cowan or eavesdroppersits in their lodges.

27. What is a Masonic Monitor?The Monitor, or Manual, published by most GrandLodges in some form, is usually a pocket sizevolume which contains the exoteric or wrÜtenwork, as distinct from the esoteric, or secret, or"mouth to ear" work or rituaL. It is curious andinteresting that what is exoteric in one GrandLodga is sometimes esoteric in another, but noMonitor discloses any secrets to any reader.Monitors are of more use to offcers and otherswho take parts in the exemplification of degrees

than to lodge members who de not. Some Monitorscontain also explanations Qf various part of Free-

17

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,.

masonry and a few are comprehensive In theircoverage of the subject.

28. What is a Lewis?In Pennsylvania and England, a symbol of strength.Universally, a symbol of the son of a Mason notyet twenty-one years of age; hence the derivationof "strength" since a man's strength is in his son.Washington was under age when initiated. InNorth Dakota and Arkansas, a Lewis-may applyfor membership, but he may not be initiated untilhe is twenty-one. England initiates a Lewis ateighteen by dispensation; Scotland does it withouta dispensation.

29. What is the ceremony of "passing thechair" ?

In some, not in all, Grand Lodges, it is necessarythat a Master-elect be either an actual Past Masterbefore his installation, or a virtual Past Master, byhaving received the Past Master's degree in a

Chapter of Royal Arch Masons.

To make a Master-elect an "Actual Past Master"recourse is had to an emergent or occasional lodge,formed of Past Masters only, by dispensation ofthe Grand Master, which group performs thesimple but highly symbolic ceremony of giving aMastcr-elect certain instructions and impressingcertain facts upon him, designed to make hisMastership of his lodge more effective.

30. Why are a Past Master's compasses, in hisjewel, open at 60 degrees on a quadrantinstead of on a square?

The compasses open sixty degrees are in easyposition to construct a square. The Master hasworn the square while he pr~sided; now, as Past

18

Master, he is supposed to be in possession of the

knowledge necessary to make a square hence the

position of the compasses and the quadrant.There are many geometric methods of erecting asquare; the Past Master's jewel hints at one of thesimplest and most used methods as best for thePast Master to employ in instructing his successor.

19

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.,\

,-

QUESTIONS RELATING TO THEGRAND LODGE

the Grand Lodge of Sta'te B is not satisfied thatthe Grand Lodge of Foreign Country X confonnsto all the requirements of the Grand Lodge ofState B. Thus a Grand Lodge of a foreign countrymay be legitimate Masonry to the Grand Lodge ofone State, and "clandestine" or "irregular" or"unrecognized" by another State. The MasonicServi~e Association publishes every July a chart

showing what Grand Lodges outside the UnitedStates are "recognized" by each of the forty-nineGrand Lodges of the nation.

34. Am I allowed to visit in any lodge any-where on the globe?No. You have agreed to obey the laws of your ownG.r~n? Lodge. Those. laws provide that you canvisit In the lodges which are under the jurisdictionof Grand Lodges which your Grand Lodge recog-nizes as legitimate. All United States Grand Lodgesare in fraternal relations with each other. If yourtravels extend beyond this nation, and you wish tovisit lodges in foreign countries, ascertain, eitherfrom your Proceedings (puLlished yearly by allGrand Lodges), by correspondence with yourGrand Secretary, or by consulting the Chart re-ferred to in Question 33, which foreign GrandLodges your own Grand Lodge recognizes.

35. How many Grand Lodges are there in theworld?The annual Chart of Foreign Grand Lodges recog-

nized by the forty-nine Grand Lodges of theUnited States lists one hundred three Grand Lodgesbeyond the confines of this nation.There are, then, 5047 possible "recognitions" offoreign Grand Lodges by United States GrandLodges. (1963)

31. Why "Grand" Lodge? What is grand aboutit?Grand is used in the same sense as in grand total,grandfather, meaning first, principal, most impor.tanto It does not mean a lodge which is.:rand" inthe sense that it is big, impressive, beautiful, as

when the word is used in "a grand spectacle," "agrand performance."

32. What is the Grand Lodge?The governing body of Freemasonry within a cer-tain territory-in the United States, the governing

body of Masonry in each State in the Union andin the District of Columbia. It is composed of itsoffcers and its "permanent members"-usuallypast offcers, and the Masters, or Masters andWardens, or Masters, Wardens and Past Masters,of the several lodges. Some Grand Lodges authorizealso a special lodge representative. Grand Lodgesusually meet once a year, a few meet twice a year,one has three meetings each year and two, fivemeetings each year. The Grand Lodge has as itspresiding offcer the Grand Master and the legis-lation of the Grand Lodge is binding upon allMasons within its territory and upon all lodgesunder its jurisdiction.

33. What is a "recognized Gmnd Lodge"?The Forty-nine Grand Lodges of the United Stateshave different conceptions of "regularity." Thusthe Grand Lodge in State A wil "recognize"-that

is, accept as equal, regular, legitimate Freemasonry-the Grand Lodge of Foreign Country X, while

20 21

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,.

Actually, America's forty-nine Grand Lodges havemade 3226 recognitions or 64% (approximately).

36. Have I a right to visit in any lodge undera Grand Lodge which my Grand Lodgerecognizes?If you can prove yourself a Mason by passing anexamination, and have a good standing card, youwil have no diffculty. But your "right" to visit islimited. Any Master can refuse any"isitor per-mission to visit his lodge if he believes that Ùle

visitor wil injure the peace and harmony of hislodge. Many lodges do not admit visitors duringelection or installation communications. As a gen-eral rule, all lodges are glad. to receive visitors

and to make them welcome. But a lodge, like ahome, is a private institution and need not admitvisitors unless the "head of the household" (theMaster) so desires.

37. What is jurisdiction?1. Refers to the State. The Jurisdiction of Massa-

chusetts-the Jurisdiction of Oregon-mean theGrand Lodges and all the individual lodges ofthose States.2. Refers to the power of the Grand Master. He hasjurisdiction over all the Masons in his Statewhether they be members of his lodges or sojourn-ing Masons from other Grand Lodges.

3. Refers to the territory over which a lodge hascontrol as far as applications are concerned. Oftenin rural districts, jurisdictional lines are tightly

drawn, so that no lodge accepts applications frommen who live within the territorial jurisdiction ofanother lodge. In cities, "concurrent jurisdiction"is usual, any man being free to apply to any lodgewithin the city limits.

22

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4. Refers to the power a lodge has over its rejectedcandidates; the right to give, or withhold, permis-

sion for rejected material to apply elsewhere.

"Penal jurisdiction," as this is sometimes called,

varies in different Grand Lodges. In some, it isperpetual, in others, it lapses after a certain lengthof time.

38. What is a dispensation?A permission from the Grand Master to do certainthings otherwise forbidden by law. A Grand Mastermay grant a dispensation to shorten the time be-tween degrees, to admit more than the statutorynumber of candidates at one communication, toform a new lodge, etc. In general he cannot give adispensation which sets aside either the laws of theGrand Lodge or the by-laws of a particular lodge,except as set forth in the Book of the Law, Consti-tutions or Code of the Grand Lodge. In someGrand Lodges the Grand Master's power is so greatthat he can set aside almost any law; there are oneor two examples, for instance, of a Grand Master'semployment of the dispensation to make a Masonof a blind man, but such use of power is rarelyattempted and is usually frowned upon by GrandLodges.

39. Why are Square and Compasses more im-portant than other working tools?

Without compasses no accurate square can bemade: without a square no building can be erected.Square and compasses are universally the symbolof a Master Mason; of Freemasonry. Symbolistshave read many meanings into both these tools ofa Mason. Both symbols are much older than Free.masonry; Chinese manuscripts give, them a Ma-sonic significance (although there 'was no Free-

23

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..

.,\

,.

rmasonry in that country) two thousand years ago.No symbols in Freemasonry offer so many possibleinterpretations. But many symbols mean differentthings to different men; each interprets accordingto his best light.In modern Masonic rituals, the compasses are"dedicated to the Craft" and are emblematic of therestraint of violent passions. Here "passions" refersto any over-emotional lack of control. It is passionsin the larger sense; intemperance, tei:er, unjust

judgment, intolerance, selfishness, that the spiritualcompasses circumscribe. The positions of thesquare and compasses in the three degrees are uni-versally symbols of light, furter light, more light.

(Compasses becomes compass in six United StatesGrand Lodges.)

40. How is a man made a Mason at sight?The Grand Master calls into existence an emergentlodge under temporary dispensation, which lodgethen confers the three degrees, usually in short

form, and usually all three in one. consecutive

period, upon the man selected for the honor by theGrand Master. Most Grand Lodges admit the rightof a Grand Master to do this; a few specificallyforbid his doing so; one recognizes the right and

frowns upon its use. The objections to the act aretwo: first, he who seeks Masonry of his own freewil and accord honors himself and not the Order

by his application; Masonry need seek no candi-dates: second, the general belief that every Masonshould pass the ballot of his fellows and not bepicked by authority as beyond and above thatrequirement.The ceremonies of "making a Mason at sight" areless and less often performed as the years bring abetter perspective upon the practice.

24

~-.-:- :-:~ -:-:";:;:"'-':~::'?:~~:~~-:~-"~-:=5".-r:-~.~:'-;:-:~~~-:_':--:~j-~.:_~.,,~- =::;: ~'::-:'~"'::-:~:-:~:-_ :-__: :-::'::= ~:~.~...-:,:_:_:=~~~~;~~n~:-,~~~., :_...-. -~- - - . ., . - - - . - - ~ - -' -.' .. - .

41. Why cannot a maimed man be made aMason?He ~an. Half ~e Gr~nd Lodges in the nation nowa~lt men ~ith vanous degrees of physical dis-ability. Anciently it was forbidden because thefourt of the Old Charges sets fort that "NoMast~r should take an Apprentice, unless he hassuffcient Employment for him, and unless he be aperfect Youth, having no Maim or Defect in hisBody, that may. ren~er him u,ncapable of learningthe Art, of serving his Master s Lord, and of beingmade a Brother, and then a Fellow-Craft in duetime. . ."The ':doctrine of the perfect youth" has plaguedAmencan Freemasonry for many years; originallyall Grand Lodges were very strict; in later yearsmore and more have found an "out" from the OldCharge in the words "that may render him un-capable of learning the art," it being obvious thatthe lack of a finger, or even a hand or a foot ifcorrected artificially, does not render a man "~n-capable of learning the art" of being a Speculative

Mason.

25

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,.

QUESTIONS RELATING TO THE LODGE

42 Why do brethren not pass between the. Altar and the East when lodge is at labor?

Brethren do not pass between the Altar and. theEast in a Masonic lodge at labor (except In adegree) because the Master. is ~upposed to havethe Great Lights constantly In view. In theory, atleast, he draws inspiration from the Ah'r to pre-side over the lodge and must not, therefore, beprevented from seeing it at any time. ..The custom is but a pretty courtesy, but it isrooted in a fundamental conception of the. Craft-that the Altar is the center of Masonry, and thatfrom it and from the Great Lights it bears, flowall that there is of Masonic inspiration and truthand light. ., .English lodges do not have this problem, SInce In

them a pedestal near the Master is the Altar onwhich lies the Holy Book.

43. Why do brethren entering and leaving alodge salute the Master?Masons entering or leaving a lodge salute theMaster at the Altar if the lodge is at labor-theysalute the Junior Warden if the lodge is at refresh-ment. This practice assures the Master that thebrother knows on what degree the lodge is open. Abrother making a wrong sign can be instructedimmediately. It informs the Master. that the broth~ris a Mason of the degree on which the lodge isopen; if he mak'es an inferior sign, and cannot, onrequest, give the right ~ne, the Master can then useother means to ascertaIn that no Entered Appren-tice or Fellowcraft is present in a Master Masonlodge. The salute is a silent assurance to the

26

'~----:~'~'-';-_~,-:;:;-~~_-~7"~'~;"'':~;":-:::~-:~~-;f':'~-:v:-:",.::_"--:~::-';:-~-"::: ~'_:;: .~.-:.:-.~-:-:..:-~~:_ ~__: ~.:':: ~,:::- ;;~-:-:--::-2~~~~7"ót:~~~?;-~--,. .-, - - _.. . - - -.-

--rMaster and through him to the brethren: "I reomember my obligations."Brethren salute on retiring to get permission to

leave. No one can enter or leave a lodge roomwhile a lodge is at labor without permission. If

the Master does not wish the brother who salutesto retire he tells him so, instead of responding tothe salute.

At refreshment the lodge is in charge of the JuniorWarden and the same salutes are given him as areusually given the Master, and for the same reasons.In some Grand Jurisdictions, on busy evenings, asduring a visitation or other Masonic function, the

Master wil instruct the Tiler to ask the brethrento salute the West, instead of the East, in order tonot have his own labors in the East interrupted.

44. What is the meaning of Cable-tow?Ritualistically, the cable-tow is a symbol of amethod of control of an initiate. This somewhatdrab and practical idea gives way in many mindsto the thought that the cable-tow is symbolic of theumbilical cord necessary to begin life, cut when

love and care replace the need for it as a means

of growth and nourishment. The cable-tow is re-moved when love and care replace the need forphysical control.Rope, cable, cord, string, bond, thong, are inter-woven with a thousand religions and ceremonies.The use of a tie is as ancient as any known art.Authorities have written pages on the suggestive

meanings to be read into this universal symbol,Freemasonry's own only in her special applicationof its use.

In English the basic meaning is usually found inthe last syllable of a compound word; a "doghouse" is a house for a dog; a "honse dog" is a

27

-:.--~ ~,' ~__~.~_._~_~.'_~.~..~ .r/~..__..~ ~ _ ~:. _' "___' ~_' ",'.". - . ~ -, . ~ , -, -. '."." -'.- .'. - - - - - , .

,.

dog for a house. According to good English, then,it is the "cable" which is important. Ritualistic-ally, the cable can be used to "tow"-draw, pull,compel-whereas spiritually it is the "cable"-strong tie-which unites.

It is possible that the phrase comes from the Ger-man; whatever its origin, its Masonic use seemsto have a nautical flavor: a cable-a .Jry strongrope-and tow, to pull a great weight or mass. Thelength of a cable-tow differs for various brethren.It is now almost universally considered to repre-

sent the reasonable "scope of a brother's ability."

45. Why do we walk around the Altar so muchin the degrees?Circumambulation is walking around a centralpoint. In Masonic initiations it is always clockwisefrom East to West by way of South. Like so manysymbols, the ritualistic explanation does not ex-plain, except with the most elementary reasons.

During this part of a degree, members of a lodgeobserve that a candidate is properly prepared, butcircumambulation is far older than initiations. Toprimitive' man, the sun was God. The sun traveledfrom East to West by way of the South. Hence,early man circled his stone altar on which was hisimitation of the sun-fire-from East to West byway of the South, in humble imitation of the godin the sky.

Circumambulation is one of many concealed sym-bols of a Great Architect.

In those rituals in which in a certain part of theMaster's degree the circumambulation is in thereverse direction, Freemasonry imitates the ancientceremony signifying death.

28

'-_-=-:'-~-:--_;;~:::"'7---:~:?~~~~.:~--"'~':~.~.~~~:~~(-:;~ '~'.:~'~""'_:~-":'~:~"~:-;-':':~~;:~~~:~~~~0;~7ç;7:-:'~~"?:,:_-::..

46. Whence comes the Due Guard?It is a sy~bol of obligation; a reinder by himwho uses it .to all ',ho see him do so ~erem~mbers his promises. Masonic authorities ar~not In complete agreement as to the derivation ofthe words, although they unite as to what thewords signify. Mackey thinks the words mean "tod~tly guard against." Other authorities are con-vInced the phrase has a French derivation comingfrom "Dieu Garde"-God guard (me or you)It is universally used as a salute to the Ma'ster

before the Altar and to the Wardens during theconferring of a degree.

47. Explain the letters GAOTU.Gra.nd Architect, Great Architect, Grand or GreatArtificer of the Universe are titles under whichFreemasonry refers to Deity. A fundamental ofFreemasonry is ~ts nons~ctarian character; anyman may offer his devotions to the Deity he re-veres, under the Masonic title, no matter whatname he may use in his religion. Great Architect ofthe U?iverse (or any of its variations) is a symbolof Deity as named and worshipped in all religions.

48; Why is it un-Masonic to disclose how onehas balloted?

!n all Grand Jurisdictions the ballot on candidatesis secret and inviolable. It is considered un-Masonic, and in most Grand Jurisdictions isagainst Masonic law, for any brother to divulge

how he has balloted or wil ballot on any candi-d~te. Mas~ers are instructed strictly to adhere tothis requirement. Peace and harmony are thefoundations of all Masonic meetings. For Brother

29

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,.

, 'I

A to learn that Brother B has balloted or wilballot against his friend would disrupt that peaceand harmony. The rejection of a candidate is ablow to him who has applieil. If everyone knewwho had cast the black cube, the rejected manmight speedily learn, and cause of friction in theprofane world would then have come out of aMasonic lodge.A ballot is sometimes immediately retaken, becausethe appearance of a single black cube-may be anerror; the cube may have been cast by mistake. Ifthe single black cube appear~ the second time,

presumably it was intentionally cast.Ballots differ in different Jurisdictions. In some, a"collective ballot" may be taken on several candi-dates at once; if a black cube appears, each nameis then balloted on separately. In others, a "multi-ple ballot box" is used, with a compartment foreach name, which is printed above it. In stilothers, each name is balloted on separately fromthe beginning. In most Grand Jurisdictions, oneballot elects to all three degrees. In some, a separateballot is taken for each degree, and in one, atleast, stil another ballot on "moral qualifications."But in all Grand Jurisdictions, ballots are secret,inviolable and regarded as a cornerstone on whichthe fraternity is erected.

49. Why is a Master addressed as "Worship-ful" ?

Few Masonic matters are less understood by thenon-Masonic public than this. The word "wor-chyppe" or "worchyp" is Old English, and means"greatly respected." In the Wycliffe Bible "Honorthy father and thy mother" appears as "W orchyp

thy fadir and thy modir." English and Canadianmayors are stil addressed, "Your Worship." In

30

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~

some of the Old Constitutions of Masonry is thephrase, "Every Mason shall prefer his elder andput him to worship."

':Worshipful," ~erefore, in modern Masonry con-tinues an ancient word meaning "greatly re-spected." A Grand Master is "Most Worshipful"that is? "Most greatly respected" (exc,ept in Pen~-sylvania, where the Grand Master is "Riaht Wor-shipful," as are Pennsylvania's and Te;as' Past

Grand Masters).

50. Why does the Master wear a hat?A contemporary relic of the ancient custom where-by the King remained covered under all circum-~tan~es, while his subjects were obliged to uncoverin his presence. Apparently the custom which beganin English lodges is not common there now' butin American lodges a Master wears a hat as a'signand symbol of his authority.

51. Why cannot a brother appeal from a Mas-ter's decision in lodge?He can, but not to the lodge; only to the Grand

Master or Grand Lodge. The Master is strictlycharged and sworn to uphold and promote the peaceand .harmony of his lodge. Without complete au-th~rity he cannot assume complete responsibility.It is, th~refore, the Master's prerogative to beginor terminate debate; to rule on all questions; tocontrol the deliberations of his lodge (within theframework of the by-Iaws-a Master cannot for~nstance, legally open his lodge before the tim'e setin the by-laws, .or ?onduct business at a special orcalled communication not set forth in the call). Ifany brother could appeal from the Master to thelodge, the lodge would control the Master, not theMaster the lodge. The Master is not only a pre-

31

I.:

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siding offcer (as is the president of a club) but isliterally master of all proceedings, discussions andactions of his lodge, provided what he does iswithin the framework of Grand Lodge law and theby-laws of his lodge.

52. Why cannot a lodge adjourn and thenreconvene?The adjournment of any meeting is an act follow-ing a motion by some member of the.roup. NoMaster can give the power of termination of ameeting to any member, or to the lodge as a whole,without sacrifice of his power to control the lodge.Any Masonic lodge must be in one of three states:.closed, open and at work, or at refreshment. It isuniversally law that an open lodge must be closedbefore the brethren depart, otherwise a "recon-

vening of an open lodge" at some future date mightwork an injustice to some brother interested inlodge legislation, who could not be present at the"reconvened adjourned" meeting. The fundamentalreason for "no adjournment" is found in the factthat the Master's power to control, which meansopening and closing his lodge at his pleasure (butalways within the opening time set by the by-laws),cannot be abrogated by a member or by the lodgeas a whole.

53. Why is a lodge meeting called a "communi-cation" ?

In Old English "communication" was "to com-mon"-to share with others. In the church "com-munion" is the common partaking of a sacrament.In a Masonic lodge "communion," "to common,"is to gather in a "communication," signifying notjust a meeting of men to legislate, but a gatheringof men with a common purpose, governed by a

32

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I

common idea, believing in a common ideaL. It isone of the precious and delightful ways in whichMasonry keeps alive an old, old idea in the wordsof long ago.

54. Why does parliamentary law not apply ina lodge?Parliamentary law which governs the usual body

of men assembled in any organization cannotgovern a Masonic lodge. A Master may put amotion which has not been proposed or seconded.

He can close debate at his pleasure. He does nothave to put a question even after debate if he doesnot desire to do so. He entertains no motion to "layon the table" or to "postpone" or "to adjourn."

No one can "move the previous question" in aMasonic lodge, and so on.The reason is found in the responsibility which isthe Master's. The Grand Lodge and the GrandMaster hold him responsible for everything thathappens in his lodge. There are certain things hecannot do without lodge action, such as spend lodgemoney. He cannot open before the time stated inthe by-laws for a regular communication. But thelodge cannot dictate to him what can be discussedand if, in his judgment, something should not b;discussed or acted upon, it is for him and onlyfor him to say that it should or should not. Wereit otherwise, a lodge might "run away" with him,and in enthusiasm do that for which the Grand

Lodge or Grand Master would censure or punishhim. Therefore, the Master has full control ofdebate, and work, and acts; ordinary parliamen-

tary law, which might interfere with that control,does not apply.

~.

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33

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55. What is "just and legally (or lawfully)constituted" ?

A lodge. is "just"-meaning complete, properly

organized, legally entitled to conduct Masonicbusiness-when the statutory number of brethrenis present, when it has the proper furniture (theGreat Lights), when its Charter is present, andwhen it has been opened by the Master, or, in hisabsence, by the proper Warden. A lodge is "legallyconstituted" when it has been "constituiëa, conse-crated and dedicated" by a recognized and Ma-

sonic ally legal Grand Lodge; also, when it hasbeen opened after notice to the brethren, if aSpecial, and according to the by-laws, if a Stated,communication.Some lodges occasionally are neither just norlegally constituted. Opening without the lawfulnumber of brethren present, opening without aCharter in the room, or witn. the Great Lightsabsent, makes a lodge other than "just." Clandes-

tine lodges are never legally constituted. Thatwhich has no real existence cannot give real exist-ence to its offspring.

¡ii

56. What is the distinction between due formand ample form?A lodge is opened and closed by its Master "in dueform," meaning according to the ancient usagesand customs, the laws and ritual, of its GrandLodge. When the Grand Master opens and closes aGrand Lodge (or a particular lodge) he is saidto do so in "ample form." In some Jurisdictionsthe Grand Master wil shorten the common ritual,to save time, but his power and authority are"ample" to accomplish his purpose, regardless ofthe manner in which he does it.

34

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ln some Jurisdictions the phrase "due examina-

tion" is used in referring to one of the methods ofobtaining legal or lawful Masonic information."Due examination" specifies the manner of such anexamination; that it be conducted with due caii-tion, and according to all the regulations of !heGrand Lodge.

57. What is a dimit (or demit-it is spelleddifferently iii different Grand Jurisdic-tions) ?

Permission given a member to terminate his mem-bership; the paper representing that permission.

In nearly all Grand Jurisdictions obtaining a dimitis a formality; a lodge is obliged to grant a dimitto him who asks it, provided he is in good standingand no charges have been or are about to be pre-ferred against him. The theory is that as he joinedhis lodge of his own free wil and accord he shouldhave the right to leave it in the same way. In someGrand Jurisdictions a member may receive a dimitonly to join another lodge, or to remove from hisGrand Jurisdiction to another.

58. When is a lodge clandestine? What is aclandestine Mason?In general, a lodge or a Mason is clandestine whennot legally constiti.ed or made. But "not legallyconstituted" may not necessarily mean "clandes-

tine." A Fellowcraft receiving the Master Masondegree in a lodge in which the Charter has been

lost is not "legally" made and must be reobligatedto be "healed," but such a making is not "clan-destine." The clandestine lodge today is one whicbis set up by an unrecognized Grand Lodge whichis spurious, unlawfuL. Any group of men-evenmen not Masons-might declare themselves a lodge

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and "make Masons," hut all these actions, beingilegal, would produce only a clandestine lodge andclandestine Masons.Modern scholarship distinguishes between the"clandestine" and the "not recognized." For in-stance, for reasons not necessary to go into here,the Grand Lodges of Connecticut and Cuba are notin fraternal relations each with the other. But noConnecticut Mason would term the Cuban GrandLodge "clandestine"; he would say'mere'í that itis "unrecognized."

59. What is a lodge Charter, or Warrant?The document given to brethren who are membersof a "lodge under dispensation"-that is, per-mitted to meet as a lodge by a Grand Master-when such a group becomes an actual lodge.Charters, or Warrants of Constitution, are givenonly by Grand Lodge, and usually arter a lodgeunder dispensation has demonstrated its fitness toréceive that document. The Charter sets forth thefacts names the first Master and Wardens, author-izes ile group to be and to act as a regular lodgeunder the Grand Lodge granting the Charter.Subsequently to the granting of the Charter, and

before going to work,. the new lodge must be r~gu-larly constituted, dedicated and consecrated in abeautiful ceremony performed by Grand Lodgeoffcers concerned in the formation of the newlodge.Charters are now a necessity for any regular andrecognized lodge. In an earlier day what are knownas "time immemorial lodges" worked withoutcharters; "The Lodge at Fredericksburgh" .which

initiated, passed and raised George Washingtonhad no charter until several years after theseceremonies.

36

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160. What is an "occasional lodge"?

Any Grand Master may assemble the statutorynumber of brethren and declare an occasionallodO"e at his pleasure, and then dissolve it at theclo~e 'of the occasion. The occasional lodge is

usually that convened for "making a Mason atsight" but not necessarily so; such a lodge may be,at the Grand Master's pleasure, convened for anyMasonic purpose. (See also Question 40.)

61. What is an "emergent lodge"?Any regular lodge called for an emergency at aspecial communication by its Master. The purposeof such a meeting must be stated in the call,whether it be for an emergent degree on an electedcandidate-as on one who has received suddenorders for foreign service-or to consider an emer-

gency requiring lodge action, or a sudden call fora greater amount of charity than the Master iswiling to spend without lodge authorization.

62. What is the Ahiman Rezon?These words form the title used in South Carolinaand Pennsylvania for their "books of the law." Intimes gone by it was also used by Georgia,. N ort

Carolina, Tennessee, Maryland, Nova Scotia. Noone has yet discovered a meaning of the words notdisputed by others; they are variously translated

from a supposed Hebrew to mean "Wil of SelectedBrethren," "Secrets of a Prepared Brother,""Royal Builder," "Brother Secretary," "IntimateBrother Secretary," "A Prepared Brother."

63. What is a "moon lodge"?In the early days in this country many lodges met"on or after full moon," or "on or before fullmoon." Transportation was poor; roads were

37

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rough and diffcult; getting from home to lodgewas often a problem. Having the light of the moonmade such journeys safer and easier. Many oldlodges refused to change their dates of meeting

even when the necessity for lunar meeting tim'~shad passed. But many Grand Lodges have legis-lated the "moon lodge" out of existence by insist-ing that their lodges meet upon definite dates, andothers of the old moon lodges are graduallY givingup that distinction in favor of the more practicalsettled date. Only a few hundred moon lodgesstil exist in this country.

living, breathing, sentient truth, conveyed in

words, actions and symbols which by their veryantiquity prove that they are "best" for thepurpose.Dr. Joseph Fort Newton, beloved teacher of thespiritual aspects of Freemasonry, said: "Ritual isthe dramatization of belief, hope and spiritualdream. It assists imagination by giving form towhat otherwise would _remain formless, presentingvivid mental images which lend a reality-feelingto what is often abstract and unreaL. It is picturephilosophy, truth visualized, at once expressing

and confirming the faiths and visions of the mind."65. Why is a Masonic lodge called a "blue

lodge" ?

Schools of thought give different answers. Someauthorities think that as blue has from ancient

Biblical times been associated with truth, withDeity, with wisdom and hope; that, as Mackeytaught, the blue of the Old Testament is a .trans-lation of the Hebrew tekelet, which is derived froma root meaning perfection, blue came into Ma-sonry as its color by a natural association. Others

believe that as our ancient brethren met on hilsand in vales, over which the blue vault of heavenis a ceiling; that as Jacob in his vision saw theladder ascending from earth to heaven; that thecovering of a lodge is the clouded canopy or starrydecked heaven, these allusions seem to connotethat blue, the color of the sky, is that of all celestialattributes for which Masons strive.Man's earliest god was the sun. The sun rose,travelled, and set iii a realm of blue; to associatethe color with Deity was inevitable. Blue also isthe color of thie ocean, of mountain streams, oflakes of good 'drinking water-that blue should

39

64. Why is Masonic ritual regarded as so im-portant?Truth may be taught without ritual, but truthtaught by ritual is always taught as the original

teachers desired and makes a lasting impressionupon the mind of the learner.Man has always devised ceremonies of initiationfor his organizations; the Men's House of theIndians had them; savage tribes bring their youngmen offcially to manhood by rites which are some-times rather terrible; ancient religions admitted to

the temple only those who could qualify by suc-cessfully completing a course of initiation; manymodern churches - especially those denominated"high"-have set forms for religious worship;crafts and guilds of all kinds in all ages have hadcertain preparatory rites.A ritual which becomes sacrosanct in human belieftends to stabilize truth and to keep it uncontami-nated by "modern" ideas. Many a man has thoughthe could "improve" the ritual of Freemasonry.None has succeeded in making better that whichwas already "best," since its content was and is

38

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also become emblematic of purity is equallynatural.The Grand Lodge in England in 1731 changedfrom a previous determination that white was theMasonic color and denominated blue as that hue.A noted English Masonic student, Fred J. W.Crowe wrote:(1) that the Order of the Garter was the mostfamous Order of Knighthood in existence; (2)that Freemasons, in adopting the color (Gãrter

blue) attempted to add to their dignity and thegrowing prestige of Grand Lodge offcers; (3) that

two Grand Masters prior to the adoption of"Garter blue" were John, Duke of Montagu t GrandMaster in 1721) and Charles, Duke of Richmond(Grand Master in 1724) both Knights of theGarter; (4) the Duke of St. Albans and the Earl

of Chesterfield were both Craftsmen and Knightsof the Garter and (5) Bro. John "Al1tis" (Anstis),member of University Lodge, of which Dr. Desa-guliers and other Masonic notables belonged, wasRegister of the Order of the Garter.The two theories which find the most believers are(1) the adoption of the color by early operativeFreemasons because of an age-old association ofblue with those virtues which are peculiarly Ma-sonic, (2) the adoption of the color by the early

Grand Lodge in imitation of the nobilty and thefame of the color of the most famous Order ofKnighthood in the world.

40

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QUESTIONS RELATING TO THEENTERED APPRENTICE DEGREE

66. What is the "Lodge of the Holy Sts. Johnat Jerusalem"?Many a Master has been puzzled to answer thissimplest and most natural of questions. As thereis not now and never was such a lodge, there iscertainly some reason for confusion.Originally, lodges were dedicated to King Solomon.Later-at least as early as 159B-Masonry con-nected her name with that of St. John the Evan-gelist. Dedications to the Sts. John were made byother organizations as early as the third century,

when the Church adopted the two pagan celebra-tions of summer and winter solstices and madethem our St. John's Day in Summer and St. John'sDay in Winter. It was wholly natural for operativeMasons, having dedicated their Craft to the HolySts. John, to begin to believe that both Johns werethemselves Craftsmen. Craftsmen must have alodge-where should that lodge be, but in Jeru-salem? Hence "The Lodge of the Holy Sts. Johnof Jerusalem" came into imaginary existence.No such lodge ever existed in fact, and yet it isnot a fiction-it is an ideal, and without such ideals

our life would be dim and drab. The thought backof the question and answer, then, is that we comefrom an ideal or dream lodge into this actualworkaday world, where our ideals are to be tested.Today, as we use the phrase as the starting pointfor a Masonic career, Masons mean only that theirCraft is dedicated to these holy men, whose pre-cepts and practices, ideas and virtues, teachings

and examples, all Freemasons should try to follow.

41

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67. Define Hele; Hail; Hale; Heal.

The first three words are pronounced alike, butwith different meanings. Hele (Anglo-Saxon) is anold word meaning to cover, conceaL. Hail is togreet. Hale means hearty, welL. Heal means to makewelL. "Hele and conceal" is one of the many wordpairs in ritual which go back to the growth of theEnglish language, when two words were often u~edto insure that the hearer understood thi:meaningof at least one. (See also Question 22.)

68. Why is an Apprentice "Entered"?The word goes back to operative days. The Free-masons of the middle ages were a select 'group;they were the highest class artisans of their ~ime.. Itrequired sound health, moral. character, high In-telligence, to be a good operative Freemason, p.er-mitted to work on the great Houses òf God whichwere the Freemasons' work. They were proud oftheir abilities and of their repdtation and strict intheir rules.

To become a Freemason a young lad was requiredto serve a seven year apprenticeship before he

might ask to be permitted to make and submit tohis superiors his "Master's Piece," and be ad-mitted as a "Fellow of the Craft." Before he could

serve his time he had to prove himself; therefore

he served a period of time as an Apprentice. If atthe end of that period he had shown himselfpossessed of the necessary qualifications of indus-try, character, decency and probity, he was "en-tered" on the books of the Craft and became an"Entered Apprentice."Originally an Apprentice was not a member of theMasonic Craft even after being entered on thebooks of the l~dge; not until he had passed his

42

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apprenticeship and been accepted as a Fellow washe a Craftsman. This practice gradually gave wayto the modern idea and after 1717, Apprentices

initiated in lodge formed the bulk of the Craft.Ritual teaches that the Apprentice is a symbol ofyouth, the Fellowcraft of manhood, and the Masterof old age; probably this conception is derived

from the fact that learners, beginners, are young,experts are men, and the wise and learned theelder group.

69. What are the Golden Fleece, Roman Eagle,Star and Garter?

The Order of the Golden Fleece was founded byPhilip, Duke of Burgundy, in 1429.The Roman Eagle was Rome's symbol and ensignof power and might a hundred years before Christ.The Order of the Star was created by John II ofFrance in the middle of the Fourteenth Century.The Order of the Garter was founded by EdwardIII of England in 1349 for himself and twenty-five

Knights of Ùie Garter.That the use of the apron as a badge is moreancient than these is a provable fact. In averring

that it is more honorable, the premise "whenworthily worn" is understood. The apron is "morehonorable than the Star and Garter" when all thatit teaches is exemplified in the life of the wearer.

70. What is the significance of the NortheastCorner?Cornerstones are laid in the Northeast corner-

Entered Apprentices stand in the Northeast cornerof the lodge. The point midway between the dark.ness of the North and the briliance of the East waschosen by ancient builders as the point of begin-ning, a spot to mark a birth, the commencement

43

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of a new structure. Obviously, he who stands in thedarkness has no light; as obviously, he on whomfalls the whole light of the briliant East and itsrising sun is not in darkness. The po~nt .halfway

between, then, is a symbol of a beginning-thetraveller has left the darkness and moved towardthe light. Those who build have left the "darkness"in which is no building, and progressed far enoughtowards the "light" to lay a foundation stone-aplace which by its position symbolizes mõvementaway from blackness into the day.The symbolism of the Nort~east corner in t~eEntered Apprentice degree is taken from thisancient practice of laying the cornerstone in theNortheast corner. He who stands there in the lodge,"a just and upright Mason," is himself a corner-stone of the lodge which wil be. A lodge is erectednot only by, but upon, her sons. The Entered Ap-prentice of today is the veteran Mason and lodgemember of tomorrow.

:1

i

71. Where should the American Flag be placedin a lodge?If upon the platform, on a level with the Mast~r,

at his right, which is to the left of the brethren inthe lodge. If the flag is displayed in the East onits staff standing on the floor of the lodge, at theright of the brethren, on the left of the WorshipfulMaster. The flag is never draped, not even up(J~ theAltar; nothing should be beneath the Great Li?h!s

but the Altar; the flag is only draped when it islovingly laid upon a casket containing the remainsof a soldier or sailor. In lodges near the bordersof the United States it is a pretty courtesy to

display the flag of the neighbor.ing country whenvisitors from Canada or Mexico are expected.

44

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72.

-IWhen two flags are displayed side by side in lodge,the American flag is nearest the right hand of theMaster, if displayed on the platform; nearest to ii.:,:..the right of the brethren if displayed on the floor

of the lodge.

Why is a certain square in Masonry termedan "Oblong Square"?An oblong square has its greatest length from eastto west, its breadth from north to south.During the Solomonic era the world was supposedto have that oblong form. On a map of the worldinscribe an oblong figure whose boundary linescircumscribe and include that portion known to beinhabited in the days of Solomon; these lines,running a short dist~nce north and south of theMediterranean Sea, and extending from Spain inthe west to Asia Minor in the east, form an oblongsquare, including the southern shore of Europe,

the northern shore of Africa, and the westerndistrict of Asia, the length of the parallelogram

being about sixty degrees from east to west, andits breadth being about twenty degrees from northto south.

This oblong square enclosing the whole of whatwas then supposed to be the habitable globe, repre-sents what is symbolically said to be the form ofthe lodge.

"Oblong square" has been objected to by puristsas a contradiction in terms; they insist that anoblong is a rectangle with unequal sides and per-pendiculars while a square is a rectangle withequal sides and perpendiculars. The word "square"did not originally denote a figure with four eaualsides, but any figure which had right angles at allfour corners. Later. "square" came to mean not

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45

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only "right angled" but a figure inclosed by four

equal length lines any adjoining two of whichformed a, right angle. "Oblong square" then, meantanciently what "oblong" (noun) means today.

73. What is the symbolism of the Ashlars?In architecture, an ashlar is a squared stone.

Masonically, the ashlars are "rough"-not dressed,squared, or polished-and "perfect"-ready foruse in wall or other structure. The information

given in most rituals is scanty and does not includethe greater meanings which symbolists find in thesetwo stones. Students direct attention to the factthat the perfect ashlar is made from the roughashlar entirely by a process of taking away, re-moval of unwanted materiaL. Nothing is added toa rough ashlar to make it perfect. The analogy tothe Mason, who is a building stone in the spiritualtemple of Masonry, is that the plirfect man is withinthe rough man, and that perfection is to be ob-tained by a process of taking away the "vices andsuperfluities of life." Every beautiful statue evercarved from stone was always within that stone,needing only the tool of the artist to take away thematerial not wanted and leave the statue, whichwas there since the stone was first formed. CompareLuke XVII :21: "The kingdom of God is withinyou."

46I 'I i

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QUESTIONS RELATING TO THEFELLOWCRAFT DEGREE

-I74. Why are Masons of the Second Degree

called Fellowcrafts?Probably prior to 1726 all Freemasons except the

"King's Master Mason" were either Apprentices orFellows of the Craft, in imitation of the workers

of the operative days, when Apprentices becameFellows after a period of seven years training andthe making of a "Master's Piece" to show profi-ciency in some part of a mason's work. We con-

tinue the old names, as preferable to such moderni-zations as "beginners" and "members."

75. Why do the stairs in the Second Degreewind?In I Kings VI:8 appears "The door for the middlechamber was in the right side of the house: andthey went up with winding stairs into the middlechamber, and out of the middle into the third."The Fellowcraft climbs the winding stairs to reachthe middle chamber where are paid the wages hehas earned, in corn, wine and oiL. Symbolists findan especial significance in the "winding" of thestairs, denoting the necessity for a courageous

ascent. Stairs which wind do not disclose what isahead as does a straight stair. He who climbs awinding stair in confidence does so because he isa man grown, 110 weakling, but one able to faceeven an unknown future with courage.The Fellowcraft degree as a whole is a symbol ofmanhood, so it is appropriate to its teachings thatwinding stairs denote courage. The Entered Ap-prentice degree as a whole is a symbol of youth

47

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and the Master Mason degree as a whole a symbolof age.

76. Sheaf of Wheat, Ear of Corn, Waterford,Waterfall-which are correct?Either wheat or corn suspended near a waterford

or waterfall denotes plenty and is a symbol ofsecurity, since it was at the crossing of the J~rd.an,where ù1Ìs sign was displayed, that the Ephraimiteswere defeated by the men of Gilead, beingdetect~dby ùieir inability to pronounce the word Shib-bolet/i. Either an ear of corn or a sheaf of wheatat a waterfall or waterford is correct in the juris-dictions in which either combination is used. Themeaning is the same.

77. Where is the River Jordan?The longest and most important riv~r i~ Pale~tin~.It rises in the Anti-Lebanon mountains in Syna, issome two hundred thirty miles long, empties intothe Dead Sea. The river is mentioned in the OldTestament many times and in the.New !estame.itfifteen times; it was the Jordan In whic? ~h~istwas baptized. In the Fellowcraft Degree ~t ~s im-

portant because of Judges ~II. :5-6, desc~iptive ofthe Gileadites and the Ephraimites at the passagesof Jordan," in which verses also are the explana-

tions of Shibboleth and Sibboleth. The statement

that "there fell at that time of the Ephraimites

forty and two thousand" is considered to mean twothousand and forty, and not forty-two thousand.

78. What are the "beasts of the field"?Superstition in the middl~ ages i-aintained t;at .aman's body must be buned while perfect; if hissoul was to go to heaven. Hence, the destroyed

(eaten) flesh of á body prevented resurrection.

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"Beasts of the field" are not the familiar horses

and cows, but the wild beasts of Leviticus XXVI:22, "I wil also send wild beasts among you," etc.

These are bears, wild bulls, hyenas, jackals, leop-ards and wolves, all Old Testament animals.

79. Is there further information to be obtainedof the Working Tools of a Fellowcraft thanis to be found in the ritual?Decidedly so; it is half concealed, half revealed

in the association of the level with the Senior

Warden, the plumb with the J unior Warden andthe square with the Master, particularly in theceremonies of closing a lodge. In a lodge all

brethren meet on a level of exact equality, whichis not concerned with brains, or education, or

wealth, or position; men are equal in a lodge inmanhood, and in Masonic right and Masoniccharacter. "We meet upon the level" means justwhat it says; Masons trust each other, believe ineach other, help each other because they are,Masonically, level with each other.We "act by the plumb" in accord with Amos VII-the plumb line God said He would place "in themidst of my people IsraeL." In other words, theywere to be judged by their own plumb line, notanother's. Masons are to judge their fellows, if atall, by their fellows' plumb lines, not their own.One brother must not condemn another by personalstandards; only when a brother is false to his ownstandards can he judge him.

To "part upon the square" signifies that while asquare points in different directions, and men"part" to go each his own way, it is a known way,not a devious way, a wrong way, a bad way, but a"square" way. The Mason who goes his own way,

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so it is the square way, is never alone, even if outof sight of his lodge and his brethren. .The square is Ùie fundamental tool of the operativeMason' without its use no building would stand. Itis the fundamental tool of the Speculative Mason;without square thoughts and actions, no spiritualbuilding can stand.

QUESTIONS UELA TING TO THEMASTER MASON DEGREE

80. Is the Masonic story of Hiram Abif true?If by true is meant "factual," the answer is no. Ifby "true" is meant "containing a great truth" thenthe answer is yes; it is true as is the story of SantaClaus which tells a truth to children in words theycan understand. The Legend of Hiram as told inthe Master Mason degree is one of the oldestlegends in the world but Freemasonry's legend is

peculiarly her own. The three who encountered

Hiram at the gates of the Temple are themselves

symbols of error, evil, sin and the story as a wholeis of the ultimate weakness of such forces againstthe power of the Great Architect. The word Abijis translated both "his father" and "my father"with "father" used in these senses as a patriarch,a teacher, a source of wisdom, and not as the actualfather of a family. "Hiram, my father" is thus atitle of honor and respect.

81. What day of the week, in what month andin what year did Hiram Abif die?This is among the unanswerable questions, like thedate on which Santa Claus starts to manufactureChristmas toys. Myth and legend are alike silenton early Masonic dates. As the Temple was begunby Solomon in t"e fourth year of his reign, legend,if there was such, would have to place the deathlater. Solomon came to his throne approximately971 H.C., commenced the Temple 967 B.C. andfinished it 960 B.C. If Hiram died during thebuilding, the date would therefore be between 967and 960 B.C.

50 51

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82. Masonicallu, what are Fool, Dotage, Liber-tine, Profane?Masonically, a fool is a mature man without goodcommon sense. Legally, he is of age, mentally, heis retarded. Dotage begins at no special year; itis that time in a man's life when his mental powersdeteriorate. The fool never bas much mentalpower; the greatest mentality may decline indotage to complete lack of responsibility aña judg-ment. Some men enter dotage in early life; othersnever enter it at alL. Libertine, Mlsonically, refersto a freethinker, a nonconformist, one who sub-scribes to no higher authority in his thinking. Itdoes not denote what is meant by the word inmodern days, a man who is promiscuous sexually.Profane, Masonically, means "not a Mason"-itcomes from the Latin pro meaning before and

lanum, a temple; Masonically, a profane is one"outside of the temple," uninitiated. The word hasno reference to "profanity" in the modern sense

of taking the name of God in vain.

83. Explain the meaning of the allusions in the12th Chapter of Ecclesiates.Of the two favorite interpretations of Biblicalcommentators one makes this dramatic passage adescription of old age and senile decay; the other,a reference to the seldom experienced and muchfeared thunderstorm in Palestine.Verses 1,2: The darkening of light and luminariesrefers to coming blindness or extreme near-sightedness, and the clouds which return after therain to a continuation of poor sight after muchweeping.Verse 3: The keepers of the house are the handswhich tremble with palsy in old age. The strong

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men are the legs which become bowed with theyears. The grinders which cease when they are feware the teeth, and those that look out of the

windows are, poetically, the eyes.

Yerse 4: The doors are the ears which grow deaf~n age and :an. no longer hear the sound of grind-mg of gram m the little stone mils which the~o~en u~e. To rise. up at the voice of a bird maysignify either the light sleep of age easily inter-rupted by any slight sound, or the nervousness

which is so extreme in some old men that they startat any little noise. The daughters of music are thevocal cords which lose their timbre in age; hence,the cracked voice of senility.y'erse .5: The old man fears any height, knowinghis brittle bones wil stand no falL. He is timid, ashe has no strength with which to defend himself.

The almond tree blossoms white, like an old man'shair. Any little weight, even a grasshopper! is toomuch a burden for extreme age to carry_ The oldhave no desires. The long home is the grave, inanticipation of which the mourners go about thestreets.Verse 6: The silver cord is the spinal cord, thegolden bowl is the brain, the pitcher broken at thefountain a failing heart, and the wheel broken atthe cistern the kidneys, bladder and prostate gland,all of which give trouble to old men.Whether or not the writer possessed a suffcientknowledge of anatomy to symbolize part of the

body as the "silver cord," the "golden bowl," the"pitcher," the "wheel broken at the cistern" is soproblematical that much skepticism of this inter-

l pretation has been expressed.The storm interpretation is not open to this oh.

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jection and certainly it is far more in keeping 'withthe magnificent poetry of the words. .Think of a windy day, with clouds and ram;towards evening it begins to clear, but the heavensturn black again as the "clouds return after therain." This was a signal for caution if not forterror in Palestine. Men and women and childrenfeared the thunderstorm, probably because it cameso seldom. Doors were shut in the streets. Thestrong guards who stood before the houses of thewealthy were afraid, and trembled, for they mightnot leave their places. The little mils with whichthe women ground grain at eventide ceased; fewwould remain at their tasks in the face of thestorm. Women in upper rooms drew back into thedark. Those outdoors became nervous; no onesang; the black thunderheads flourished their whitetops like the almond tree; everyone feared the

lightning and the thunder on high; even a littleweight which kept a man from running to shelterwas a burden.Here the admonition is to remember the Creator

before the terror of death, which is worse than theterror of the storm. The rich man with his goldenwater bowl hung from a silver chain must fear it.The poor man with his earthen pitcher who mustsend his women to the well for water was in terror.Even the man strong and rough as the crudewooden wheel which drew the skin bucket to thetop of the well shook with fear. Death is the samefor all, and it is feared alike by all.

84. What are '''High Twelve"-"Low Twelve"?Noon and midnight. These expressions are but twoof Freemasonry's many emphases on time, whichthus becomes an important symbol, if one seldom

considered by ritualists.

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The Entered Apprentice divides his time wiùi thetwenty-four inch gauge; both Apprentice andFellowcraft wait a certain time before further ad.

vancement; geometry enables the astronomer to"fix the duration of time and seasons, years and

cycles." Ecclesiastes XII begins with "days of thyyouth." Job and the adaption of his words formthe Master's prayer in which is "man that is bornof woman is of few days." His "days are deter-mined"; "the number of his months is with thee";"turn from him that he may rest til he shallaccomplish his day"; the time of the construction

of the Temple of Solomon is taught in the MasterMason degree; the Master's carpet has three steps,which, signifying youth, manhood and old age, arethemselves symbols of time. The hourglass andscythe are instruments for the measure of time andthe bringing of human life and its time to a close.As in all life, time in Masonry is important;whether it is a symbol of life, of immortality, orthe unsolved puzzles of the universe, let eachbrother decide for himself.

85. What is the Lion of the Tribe of Judah?Judah was symbolized as a lion in his father'sdeathbed blessing. The lion was upon the standardof the large and powerful tribe of Judah. "Lion ofthe Tribe of Judah" was one of Solomon's titles.Christian interpretation of the phrase springs fromRevelation V:5: "Behold, the Lion of the Tribe ofJuda (Juda-King James version), the Root ofDavid, hath prevailed to open the book, and toloose the seven seals thereof."The idea of a resurrection is curiously interwovenwith the lion in all ages and was connected withresurrection long before the Man of Galilee walked

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upon the eart. In ancient E~y.pt, a lion ~aised

Osiris from a dead level to a living perpendicularby a grip of his paw; Egyptian carvingti .show a

figure standing behind the Altar, observing the

raising of the dead, with its left ann raised, form-ing the angle of a square.

The Lion of the Tribe of Judah, considered as

signifying a coming redeemer who would springfrom the tribe, or meaning the King of Israel whobuilt the Temple, or symbolizing the Christ, mustnot be confused with the Lion's Paw which is asymbol of the Mystic Tie, the bond betweenMasons, the strength which comes from unity.

86. Are the Tracing Board and the TrestleBoard Masonically the same?No. The tracing-board bears upon it representa-tions of the several symbols of one or all thedegrees; the trestle board is that drawing board,supported upon a trestle, on which, anciently, theMaster Builder drew his designs. In early lodgesMasonic symbols were drawn upon the eart or

600r with charcoal or chalk; these were erasedwhen the meeting was over. Later, such symbolswere presented upon a permanent surface and be-came the "Master's Carpet," and today in manylodges are to be seen upon oil cloth or canvas,pointed out by a Deacon during the delivery of thelecture. Trestle board appeared at least two hun.dred years ago, mentioned in Prichard's "MasonryDissected," early exposé of Masonic rituaL. Macke'yconsiders that the Volume of the Sacred Law isthe trestle board of modern Masons.

87. What are the Cedars of Lebanon?Lebanon is the name of a mountainous countrylying at the east end of the Mediterranean Sea, the

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"Great Sea" of the Old Testament, and nort ofIsraeL. In ancient times it was celebrated for its

large and old cedars, valuable building material.There are but few left today. Solomon's Temple

used many of them and, as most rituals explain,"the tree (were) felled and prepared in the forests

of Lebanon, conveyed by sea on floats to Joppa,thence by land to Jerusalem where they were setup with wooden mauls prepared for that purpose."

88. Where is Joppa?Joppa, or Jaffa, a city of fifty thousand or more,is a port on the Mediterranean Sea. In ancient

times it was the port of nearest access to Jerusalem.Originally it marked the boundary of the Tribe ofDan; after the captivity it became Hebrew terri-tory. It was from this port that Jonah set fort forTarshish and here St. Peter restored Tabitha tolife.

89. Why is Acacia a Masonic symbol?In putting acacia at the Master's temporary grave,Freemasonry follows beliefs which go back to thecaptivity of the Jews in Egypt. Here acacia wassupposed to have grown about and protected thechest into which Osiris had been tricked by hisjealous brother, Typhon. Searching for her hus-band, Osiris, Isis discovered the tree in the homeof a Phoenician king; for service she rendered the

king, he gave her the tree and thus the body ofher husband.

Like the evergreens of this country, acacia ishardy. Sprouts come often from beams andcolumns made of acacia, the shittah wood of theOld Testament. The Jews planted it on graves as asymbol of life, and to mark the resting place ofthe dead that footsteps profane it not.

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90. What is the "Masonic Gool'?Pan is one of the most ancient of mythological

gods. Originally he was a gentle, rather whimsicaigod with a sense of humor, the Arcadian god ofthe shepherds, chief of the inferior . peities, thechild of Mercury and Penelope. Pan possessed longears and horns; the lower half of his body was

that of a goat. He invented Pan's Pipes, or syrinx.From him we have the word "panic," the state intowhich barbarians were thrown on invading an-cient Greece and seeing Pan.When the early Christians drew upon mythology,they modified and changed it; gentle Pan becameSatan! To the common mind, Satan, or the devil,was a he-goat. Thus the devil came into possession

of horns and a tail and the familiar cloven hoofs.

Later, the devil was supposed to appear riding ona goat.

In the early days of Masonry in London, the ene-mies of the Fraternity employed ridicule; proces-sions of Mock Masons, the Gormogons and otherorganizations, made fun of the society; they saidthat Freemasons were accustomed to raise the devilin their lodges-and of course, he appeared ridingon his goat! Gradually the belief came into beingthat Freemasons "rode the goat."Tales of the Masonic goat carry forward a ridiculeof the Order begun more than two hundred yearsago. Lodge room goats perpetuate an ignorantsuperstition and slander the fair fame of the Insti-tution by indicating that its practices are anti-religious, blasphemous.

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91. Jubelum is not a Biblical name, yet thecharacter was an lsraelitish Workman onthe Temple. Whence came the name?Palestine, Phoenicia and Egypt had gods namedJah, Bel and Om, and India has Aum. To mostmodernists, the apparent similarity between the

names of J ubelum and his brothers and these godsis coincidentaL. Freemasonry has always sufferedfrom a gradual change in words and names; theFrench for Pythagoras was Pytagore; when thename again crossed the Channel it became PeterGower, who for years was a puzzle to antiquarians.There are many such corruptions; Nembroch forNimrod; Euglet for Euclid; Aymon for Hiram, allto be found in ancient manuscripts of the Craft.Originally Ghiblim was a name for stone cutters.It gradually changed: Ghiblim, Giblim, Gíbalim,

Chibbelum, Jublime, Jibelum, Jabulem, and lastlyJubelum. The names of his brothers are merelychanges in letters and carry out the ritualistic ideathat the three were blood as well as Masonicbrethren.

92. What is a hecatomb?One hundred head of cattle. Pythagoras is stated(Masonic ritual) to have "sacrificed a hecatomb"upon "discovering" the forty-seventh problem ofEuclid.The ritual is here not factuaL. Pythagoras was poorand could hardly have possessed a hundred headof cattle. He was a vegetarian and reverenced

animal life; he would not have killed one cow, letalone a hundred, to "celebrate" his discovery. He

may have cried "Eureka," but could hardly havebeen "raised to the SuLlimf" Degree of Mas,ter

Mason" which did not take even an ancient andsimple form until centuries after he died.

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93. What UJ a Rite?An approved usage, custom, cere~ony, usually t~provide instruction and convey rights to a peti-tioner or initiate. In Freemasonry the "Rite ofAncient Craft Masonry" consists of the three sym-bolic degrees.

The York Rite of Freemasonry adds to these thedegrees of Royal Arch Masonry, and the Orderof the Temple, with the Rite of Cryptic Masonry,Royal and Select Masters, as permissible but notmandatory for the completion of the York Rite.The Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, accordingto Mackey, dates from 1758 in Paris, and from1801 in the United States. It consists of thirty;threedegrees (of which the first three are the SymbolicDegrees and not conferred in the bodies of theRite) which are informative, philosophical, ethicalin content and carry the Masonic story furtherthan is possible in a Symbolic Lodgl1. In the UnitedStates there are two Supreme Councils of theScottish Rite, the Southern (Mother Council of theworld) with headquarters in the beautiful "Houseof the Temple" in Washington, D. C., and theNorthern, with headquarters in Boston, Massachu-

setts. The Southern Supreme Council includesthirty-three States and the District of Columbia;the Northern Supreme Council, fifteen States. .

94. What are the "High Degrees" in Masonry?In spite of the fact that the expression is in com-

mon use, there are no "high degrees" or "higherdegrees." There are only "more degrees" thanthose of the Symbolic Lodges of Ancient CraftMasonry .There are degrees which are, numerically, largerthan the Third Degree; the Ancient and Accepted

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Scottish Rite has degrees numbered up to andincluding thirty-three. But a horizontal line thirty-three feet long is no "higher" than one three feetlong; a hole in the ground thirty-three feet deepis no "higher" than one three feet deep. The con-

ception of degrees as notches in a flagstaff whichare three feet and thirty-three feet high respectivelyis as false as it is natural.All degrees of all rites of Masonry are dependenton the three degrees of Symbolic Masonry; no manmay receive the light from either the Scottish orthe York Rite unless he is a Master Mason.For this reason no degree is "higher" than that ofMaster Mason.

95. How do I apply for the Thirty-ThirdDegree?You do not apply. To ask for that degree is tomake sure that you wil never receive it. TheThirty-Third and last Degree of the Ancient andAccepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, in both

the Northern and the Southern Jurisdictions, is anhonor given by a Supreme Council for notableservices to humanity, country or Masonry. Toreceive it, a brother must have obtained the Thirty-Second Degree, but it is given only by sufferanceof a Supreme Council and cannot be requested. Thesame is true of the Military and Ecclesiastical

Order of the Red Cross of Constantine, in whichmembership comes by invitation, never as theresult of application.

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QUESTIONS RELATING TOPUBLIC CONTACTS

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96. How may I know that a stranger is aMason? How should I make myself knownto a stranger as a Mason?The answer is Punch's famous advice to thoseabout to marry-"Don't!"Ninety-nine times out of a hundred the man ~vho

wears a Masonic pin, or who says that he is aMason, actually is one. While occasionally im-

posters seek Masonic aid without a shadow of arIo-ht to it their number is small compared to theo ' .millions of men in this country who are Masons Ingood standing. But it is ~nwise, a.nd often risky,to engage in loose MasonIC talk with the strangerwho introduces himself as a member of the Craft.Nor is there any excuse whatever for him to askyou to prove yourself a Mason. There is no need

for you to know that he is a l\ias~n: Such anecessity would arise when you or he visit a lodge,but there the responsihility is the Master's, and itis for him to order a committee. Many newly raisedbrethren think that by giving some Masonic sign

they should secretly make themselves known to asupposed brother, but this is a mistake.Not even when' a call for Masonic help comes isthere need for a ritualistic "proof" of mutual

membership. If a man is in danger or diffculty,and time is short. there is no more need to findout whether he asks for aid hecause he is a Mason,than there is to ascertain of the drowning man thathe is a respectable citizen before you throw therope! If the Masonic lesson of charity and help

indicates that aid should be given, give it, whether

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the man be telling the truth or not. But beware ofthe man who offers to "prove" himself, and doesso by a ready knowledge of Masonry--and some-times a stolen or forged good standing card-tomulct the innocent.In large cities, refer Masonic requests for aid tothe Board of Relief which can be reached throughthe Masonic Temple or lodge. In general, do notdiscuss Masonry with strangers; do not try to

"make yourself known" as a Mason to strangers;and pay no attention to strangers who wish to talkMasonry with you. In that course lies safety toyourself and to the Fraternity.

97. How should I wear my Masonic ring; withcompass pointing towards my fingers or thereverse?No Grand Lodge has legislated upon the subjectexcept North Carolina whose law states that aMason should wear the ring so the tips of thecompasses are pointed towards him. But this issuggestive, not mandatory. The consensus is thatif a Masonic ring is worn to advise those who seeit that the wearer is a Master Mason, the tips ofthe compasses should be pointed toward the tipsof the fingers. If the ring is worn to remind thewearer that he is a Master Mason, the ring shouldbe worn with the tips of the compasses pointed

toward the wrist.

98. Is it expected that I do business only witha Mason?A problem which confronts a newly made Masonis his supposed obligation to give his business tofellow Masons rather than the profane.Masonry is most emphatically not a back scratchingorganization, a Board of Trade, a Chamber of

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Commerce or a mutual admiration society. Thereis no obligation actual or implied, which demandsthat, because y~i; have become a Mason, you m.ustforsake all tho~c with whom you have L(;cn doingbusiness who are not, and give your orders .tobrethren who may, or may not, be equally satis-factory as tradesmen. .Other things being equal, it is brotherly to giveyour business where it wil help a felløw .Mason.

But other things must BE equal. If the .twin bornwith you sold poor shoes at fancy prices, whileyour neighbor's son sold good shoes for reasonableprices, you would not buy of your own bloodbrother. To do so would be to injure yourself andyour family, since you would be wasting yourmoney. Exactly the same idea applies to yourfraternal brother.

The man who says: "Buy of me because I am aMason" is not anxious to serve you, but to servehimself. If he is a good business man, he does notneed to depend on mutual membership in anyorganization, whether lodge, church or club, for

his business. If he is not a good business man-~atis if he sells poor goods-he has no moral rightto' attempt to offset poor quality by whining thatyou both belong to the same lodge. Similarly hewho comes to you and says: "I have come to youbecause I know you are a Mason; now I expect adiscount because we both belong" is also using hisMasonry to promote selfish interests and should bediscouraged.

99. What can / do to get my relative into theMasonic Home in the State in which //wldlodge membership?You can do nothing. Each of the Grand Lodgeswhich maintains a Masonic Home and/or hospital

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for its aged and dependent Masons support thatinstitution for its own members only. A GrandLodge which admitted a guest with membership inanother Grand Lodge would deprive one of its ownsupporting members of entry to the Home, to giveit to one who had contributed nothing to its sup-port. Grand Lodges admitting others than theirown members and having espeially large, beauti-ful and complete Homes in particularly desirableclimates would be swamped by guests from otherGrand Lodges. No Masonic Homes admit "payingguests" for the same reason; to do so would de-prive a brother who had contributed to the Homeof the opportunity of entering it.

100. What discussion of Masonry is proper inthe presence of those not Maso1l?As little as possible, unless in answer to a directand respectful question the answer to which is notsecret. Such questions as "How may I become aMason?" or "When does the Masonic lodge in thistown meet?" or "What is the expense of becominga Mason?" of course are answerable questions. Noargument should ever be held with anyone regard.ing Masonry. In the charge of the Entered Ap-

prentice Degree it is stated: "Neither are you tosuffer your zeal for the institution to lead you intoargument with those who, through ignorance, mayridicule it." Freemasonry needs no defense fromanyone. The less Masonic matters are discussedin public, the better for Masopry. "The attentiveear receives the sound from the instructive tongue"(Charge, Fellowcraft Degree) refers to a Masonicear. "The mysteries of Freemasonry are safelylodged in the repository of faithful breasts"(Charge, Fellowcraft Degree) means what it says.

65

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THE UNANSWERABLE QUESTION

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101. Where and how may I discover the LostWord?Nowhere and in no way. In other rites you mayreceive other substitutes but the real Lost Word-never. This is the unanswerable question.

The Lost Word is the most abstruse and most im-portant symbol of the Fraternity; few if any are

less understood. The Lost Word is not a syllable,or several syllables; "word" is here used as S1.John used it: "In the beginning was the Word, andthe Word was with God, and the Word was God."The Lost Word is not discovered in Freemasonry;Masons are given a substitute. Of the Lost Word,it has been written (J ntrodiution to F reemasonrr) :"Never may we find it here. You shall gaze throughmicroscope and telescope and catch no sight of itsshadow. You shall travel many lands and far andsee it not. You shall listen to all the words of allthe tongues which all men have ever spoken andwil speak-the Lost Word is not heard. Were itbut a word, how easy to invent another! But it isnot a word but The Word, the great secret, theunknowableness which the Great Architect setsbefore his children, a wil-o'-the-wisp to follow, a

pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. Never here

is it to be found, but the search for it is the reasonfor life."The Sublime Degree teaches that in another lifeit may be found. That is why it is the Sublime

Degree. "

66

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".Additional information mar be had regarding theseveral questions by writing to:

THE MASO~IC SER\'CE ASSOCIATION8120 FEl'TON STREET

SILVER SPRIl'G. MD. 20910-4785

asking for the following documents. STB is ahbrevia-tion for Short Talk Bulletin. The numbers on the leftrefer to the numbers of the several questions; numberson the right are month and year of the Bulletin.

1. Elias Ashmole STB 10/47; Digest-From Op-erative to Speculative

2. From Whence Came We? STB 10/323. Regius Manuscript STB 8/46; Digest - Regius

Poem4. The Word, Freemason STB 2/535. Landmarks STB 5/33; Digest-Ancient Land-

marks6. Charges of a Freemason STB 3/36:, Old Ro-

mance 8/357. See question 3

8. See question 3

9. Masonry and Religion STB 10/34; Doctrine ofFreemasonry 1/44

10. Free Wil and Accord STB 1/4811. Masonry and Politics STB 9/38; Masonry and

Religion STB 10/3413. Master's Wages STB 2/3314. Veiled in Allegory STB 9/4915. Secret STB 12/41; Secrecy STB 1/2716. More Light STB 4/2717. Apron STB 6/32; Lambskin Apron STB 1l/2718. Women Freemasons STB 11/3319. Clandestine STB 12/35; Some Curious Masonic

Words STB 8/5320. Altar of Obligation STB 10/45

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24. Great Light STB 3/5025. Ritual DiHerences STB 1/34; STB 3/6126. "I Vouch for Him" STB 9/3028. Lewis and Louveteau STB 2/3529. Past Master STB 1/3130. Past Master's Jewel STB 4/4532. Grand Lodge STB 10/37; Mother Grand Lodge

STB 12/28; 1/29; 2/2933. Recognized Foreign Grand Lodges STB 3/3934. Visiting Brother STB 2/3035. Recognition Chart

36. See question 34

37. Jurisdictional Contrasts STB 7/3538. Dispensations and Dispensing Power STB 1/5039. Square STB 4/24; ~ompasses 5TB 5/2440. Making a Mason at Sight STB 3/3741. "Perfect Youth" Doctrine STB 2/3842. Ancient Usages and Customs STB 4/5443. See question 42

44. Cord, Rope and Cable-tow STB 9/5045. Left to Right STB 2/2746. Some Curious Masonic Words STB 8/5347. "G" STB 7/27; LetterG STB 6/3348. Balloting STB 11/48; Black Cube STB 11/29;

STB 7/6050. Master's Hat STB 9/3451. Parliamentary Law in Freemasonry STB 2/4852. See question 51; Foundations of Masonic Law

STB 3/34; STB 10/5854. Parliamentary Law in Freemasonry STB 2/4855. Lodge is Born STB 6/4856. Due Form STB 2/2858. Claiidestine STB 12/3562. Ahiman Rezon STB 1/3563. Moon Lodges ,STB 1/5864. "Rock that Abides" STB 12/49

68

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65. Masonic Blue STB 7/3466. St. Johns' Days STB 12/3368. Apprentices STB 9/5970. Northeast Corner STB 10/27; Great Corner.

stone STB 9/25;ï1. Flag in Loclge S-TB 1/42

72. Oblong Square STB 9/5373. Rough and Perfect STB 8/3374. Master's Piece STB 10/2375. Winding Stairs STB 1/3276. Passages of Jordan STB 12/3479. Square, Level and Plumb STB 12/43; Square

STB 4/24; STB 8/61; STB 2/58; STB 4/53;STB 3/60; STB 5/62

80. Hiram Abif STB 2/3483. Three Scripture Readings STB 12/3184. Time STB 1/2885. l\Ienagerie of Masonry STB 6/3186. Trestle-Board and Tracing Board STB 7/3289. Sprig of Acacia STB 11/3290. Menagerie of Masonry STB 6/3191. Ruffans STB 9/2792. Forty-Seventh Problem STB 10/3093. Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite 5TH S/37;

Royal Arch STB 5/509.t. Have Pride! STB 1/5196. Enemy Within STB 10/3898. l\fasonry in Business STB 10/24

100. Tell the World STB 12/30; Tell Your BrotherSTB 4/47; What to Tell Your Wife STB 7/39

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