Solomon

THE MEANING OF MASONRY

As part of the Learning and Development team, ritual makes us members and self-improvement makes us Freemasons. By Nick Brown and Lee Taylor

As I came into Freemasonry, I remember the fi rst night. It was a very special evening, but I didn’t really understand what had happened; I just knew it was signifi cant. Within a few months, I was encouraged to be an active member of the Lodge and deliver some ritual. Brethren were supportive, but the focus was always on a word-perfect rendition of the piece, as opposed to understanding the meaning. This left me wondering: what is it all about?

As Freemasons, we are often asked what Masons do and why they meet. Have you ever stopped to consider what Freemasons get out of being part of such an ancient and honourable institution? Before many of us joined, I wonder if we fully understood its potential to be life changing, or that it makes you into a better version of yourself.

There’s no doubt it does both of these things, developing us through the learning of so many intangible latent talents. Obviously, we meet great friends and have a lot of fun – and if we don’t we are doing it wrong. But there’s more and I think this comes down to learning and development. Learning – I consider what I’ve learned about myself, about morality, symbols, diff erent viewpoints, from people I wouldn’t have met if it weren’t for the beloved Craft, and to dig a little deeper. Development – I think about what I’ve developed. I certainly have more confi dence, particularly in areas such as public speaking and teamwork.

I think the core of Freemasonry is learning and development, just as our operative brothers had a system of apprentices and masters so that every stonemason had a means to learn, develop and self-improve. In this modern age, we follow this same set of values, set down in the 1700s, albeit with a 21st-century outlook – and, often, refreshments.

It is the core running through what we do and people with diff ering roles support us on our way, like pieces that together make a Masonic jigsaw complete. I think about all those members of the Lodge, from my proposer to the mentor, to the Director of Ceremonies and the Preceptor in the Lodge of Instruction, and so many others who supported and encouraged me. We never stop learning and are encouraged as we go along.

The Members’ Pathway provides an overall framework to plan, attract and, more importantly, engage with its members. The aim is to help all Lodges become vibrant so that every meeting, including dining, is so enjoyable and worthwhile that every member looks forward to the next meeting with an enthusiasm that is infectious.

The cornerstones to engagement are supporting each and every new member and continued learning and development. A new concept under the Members’ Pathway is the Lodge membership team with a unity of purpose. Key factors are understanding, participation, and stewardship. As our 17th-century brethren met to discuss and speculate the questions of the day, so too are we encouraged to understand the ritual on a personal level as part of our own development. For participation and enjoyment, simply, the more you put in the more you’ll get out, guiding the Freemason throughout his journey in Freemasonry. It is essential that every member continues to learn, develop and enjoy. Our labour is then complete.

To be given the ritual makes you a member. To think about its meaning makes you a Freemason

Image: Alamy

THE WELCOME MODULES

Not sure how to navigate your way around Solomon? Here we explain the Welcome modules, which help you make sense of the Masonic ceremonies

Our ceremonies are unique to Freemasonry. We have all been a candidate at some time or other. Some in the dim and distant past, others not so long ago. What we can all agree on is that when we experienced the ceremonies, they were quite unlike anything we had ever come across before.

We were advised, quite rightly, not to research the ceremony in books or – these days – on the internet. To do so would ruin the surprise, we were told. However, with our curiosity aroused by this unique experience, we want to fi nd out more. But how do you go about doing that? The new Welcome modules on Solomon have been created exactly with this in mind. There are three that are currently available: 1. Welcome Apprentice 2. Welcome Fellowcraft 3. Welcome Master Mason

They are intended to be taken after the candidate’s initiation, passing or raising to help make sense of the ceremony. Welcome Apprentice, for example, provides commentary on the following topics: 1. An Overview of the Ceremony 2. The Working Tools 3. Symbols of the First Degree 4. The Tracing Board 5. The North-East Corner 6. The Entered Apprentice Apron 7. The Charge After Initiation

Subject matter is delivered in a variety of diff erent ways and is entirely self-paced. The Welcome modules can be done in a day or could take a year or more. It is entirely up to the participant to decide when and how they wish to engage in the modules.

The interactive nature of the material, such as videos and quizzes, use gamifi cation to make the experience more engaging. Badges can be earned to reward the participant’s endeavours and refl ect their achievements. However, participation in the Welcome modules is entirely voluntary and should not be seen as a form of progression in the Lodge.

Although they are aimed at those who have just undertaken a ceremony, they may also be of interest for the more experienced Freemason. Likewise, they need not be completed in isolation, but could be undertaken with the candidate’s mentor, or even with a group of candidates. Ultimately, the Welcome modules are there to help us make sense of our ceremonies, always bearing in mind that Freemasonry means diff erent things to diff erent people, and there are many interpretations to speculate upon.

The Welcome modules are a fi rst step towards gaining our individual perspective on the Craft and a step towards becoming a speculative Freemason. Here is what some of our participants have said:

‘The module was well structured and provided plenty of useful information. The good structure allowed me to not think about what I had to read, in which order (which is complex for a new initiate), but to simply follow the modules one by one.’

‘Very comprehensive, good structure, very useful commentary, all elements of fi rst degree were incorporated and explained in detail.’

‘Interesting content delivered well.’

If you have recently completed a degree, why not have a look at the new Welcome modules on Solomon? Alternatively, if you know a candidate who has recently undertaken a ceremony and wants to fi nd out more, encourage them to have a look at the Welcome modules.