Fraternal World LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Letters to the Editor Write to: The Editor, FMT, Freemasons’ Hall, Great Queen Street, London WC2B 5AZ Email: editor@freemasonrytoday.com
Time for a change?
and those who have not made any effort
Sir,
brethren face pressures from busy business
I enjoyed David Newman’s letter in the
commitments, and time is a premium. I do
Winter issue of FMT. There are three ways
not, however, subscribe to the suggestion
of delivering ritual. One, learned by
made by David Newman in the FMT Winter
heart and delivered accurately and with
edition that reading long sections of ritual
understanding and feeling: perfect. Two,
should become acceptable in order to
read from a script and delivered accurately
encourage younger brethren with busy
and with understanding and feeling: perfect.
lives to become Freemasons.
at all. I also accept that in modern times,
Three, learned by rote and delivered in a
Freemasonry generally has recognised
halting monotone, prompted at intervals by
the challenge of enthusing and retaining
the Director of Ceremonies, and with neither
younger brethren. It should not be
feeling nor understanding.
overlooked that one of the key factors in
Having visited many lodges in the UK
achieving those objectives is belonging to
and around the world, I know just how
or become backbenchers only, leaving
a lodge where all the brethren work hard at
commonplace option three is. So why do
the half-dozen well-retired and ageing
delivering ritual. Visitors attending those
we regard rote learning as a sacred cow?
ritualists to go round and round testing
lodges are always keen to visit again. I have
Not only does it deter potential Freemasons
our mental faculties.
visited lodges where all the brethren have
The stress put upon by work and family
read ritual (some very badly) and I would not
contemplate side degrees or moving up ‘the
responsibilities is far more these days than
wish to belong to such a lodge or indeed visit
ladder’), it also hinders those brethren who
it used to be years ago. There is also far
it again. You can bet that observing a Master
may be highly intelligent and massively
more expected of young men in the home,
reading the opening and closing of a lodge
qualified but who struggle with the rote
to say nothing of the stress of travelling
that most of the rest will also be reading.
learning of large volumes of what is often
for hours to work. Ceremonies run much
unusual text.
more smoothly when read, avoiding the
serious about the contribution you can make
It should be recognised that if you are
embarrassment of being prompted every
in supporting your lodge, you begin learning
officiates at a service, he feels no
few words due to nerves, etc., which has
the ritual months in advance. For a potential
compunction about reading from the prayer
resulted in resignations.
Master this would be at least 12 months.
When the Archbishop of Canterbury
Those who pick up a ritual book a few days
book or the Bible. Is he wrong? Not a new
To be fair, I have never heard any Visiting
question, I know, but before brethren the
Officer or other senior Freemason comment
before a ceremony for the first time no doubt
length and breadth of the land write back
on any of our readings. I would like to see
claim they are no good at ritual. Well, nobody
in horror, I must ask them to answer this
more open books in lodges.
would be with such a blasé approach.
question: where is the good in insisting
Phil Cook, Old Lancing Lodge, No. 4660.
on rote learning?
Metropolitan
I would be pleased if someone could explain why, when brethren join the ‘ladder’ within their lodge and make
Bill Wyllie, Willington Lodge, No. 4028, Sir,
little effort in learning ritual, they are
I will always accept that there are some
then promoted the following year and
Sir,
brethren who struggle to learn ritual.
so on. You wouldn’t do that in a business
I wholeheartedly agree with the letter from
For those who make the effort but have
environment, so why do we do it? I have
David Newman in Issue 48 of FMT.
problems in delivering in open lodge,
also been shocked on the number of
they are always worthy of support from
occasions where brethren have become
of the book to be accepted as the norm,
their fellow brethren. There is, however,
Masters with little knowledge of the ritual
except for the few sentences that require
a distinct difference between those who
or Freemasonry generally. The negative
questions and answers with candidates.
have attempted to learn and have for
impact when these brethren later receive
I have seen so many Freemasons resign
various reasons problems in delivery
Provincial honours cannot be understated.
Durham
The time has come for reading ritual out
72
Freemasonry FMT Spring 2020 Today
PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES
who lead busy lives (especially if they
