6. Lodge of Instruction

Candidates were required to attend Lodge of Instruction. A dinner preceded the event, which took place at a Lodge in Lowell.

I do not know why LOI occurs at Lowell. Probably a pooling of resources. LOI is instruction on the degrees of Freemasonry. Several Lodges attended.

The Lodge in Lowell sits across the street from Town Hall. The Lodge building is a four story high brick structure typical of mid-19th century Lowell architecture. I do not think the front entrance is used, I entered by way of what seems to be a side entrance.

Down a few steps I entered a large hall. There I was greeted by the Lodge Master. I saw my sponsor, at a table giving out tickets. I went over to greet him. I was told that I would not be paying for the meal. Those who did paid $8.

I learned later that this Lodge actually houses four separate Lodges. Each Lodge schedules separate days to meet, though from the looks of it, the building could contain several Lodge functions simultaneously. Lodges from other towns also attended this event.

I noticed a table with several other candidates, and other members of Thomas Talbot, including the Secretary, so I sat there. After a while, a meal of pasta and sausages, along with a salad, was laid out buffet-style. A waiter made sure that water and coffee supplies were maintained.

After the meal,  we went up to the Lodge Room and took seats on the North side, near the East end. Each of us took from the supply of generic aprons, and put them on. In ceremonies, the aprons are more ornate. I guess each degree has a different one,

The Lodge Room was noticeably larger than Thomas Talbot. It was hard to hear speakers at the West end.

Women attended the dinner and also attended the meeting. I wonder if at least some of the women might be allowed in as widows of Masons, not that the women that I saw were especially old. This is one more instance where I just have yet to learn what is what.

Us Candidates were there for instruction, but were brought to this first part of the meeting for a reason. A Mason who is a teacher in the Lowell school system brought in a Lowell student and a women from the school. The girl, a junior, uses a wheelchair. Alas, and horrifically, her wheelchair was stolen. Stored in the wheelchair, an electric model, was her laptop. She uses speech recognition to help her with her schoolwork, so the loss of the laptop was critical.

The woman with her explained that it took a year and a half to get the laptop through the school system. As a junior, she would likely be graduated before she could get another. The Masons presented her with a new laptop, and discussed ways to finance a new wheelchair.

This is a clear value to an organization like Freemasonry. Freemasonry is a social network. Part of that network is the opportunity to work together in such ways.

At this point, Candidates were led away to the actual instruction. Three groups were formed, by degrees. I and the other TTL Candidates were in 1st Degree. The Master of Tewksbury Lodge led us to a smaller Lodge Room. Included in our number was someone from the Lodge in Andover. If I haven’t noted it before, the fellow who was Exemplar has not attended a meeting since that ceremony, or so far as I know he hasn’t.

This room was called the Egyptian Room because of its decoration. The West wall bore a mural of the Pyramids and Sphinx at Giza, and there are other Egyptian symbols and decorations. As with the whole building, things looked somewhat worn.

As was announced at the business meeting that I attended, instruction has been changed. Instead of someone lecturing us, a more dialectical approach has been installed. We were encouraged to ask questions. The Master spoke about the organization. He revealed nothing that I would deem a secret.

One thing that caught me was when he said that the floor of the Lodge Room, or maybe the Lodge Room itself, is called the Level. The import of this is that whatever is said in the Lodge Room is honest and to be trusted, that it is on the level. This is the basis of the fraternity. I could not quickly find if this derivation is correct, but the idea is good.

After about an hour of Q&A, our teacher offered to show us more of the Lodge. The exciting feature for most was the game room. It is a large room with several pool tables and several card tables. It is the site of the popular cigar dinner that someone told us about at dinner.

The cigar dinner is a full prime rib dinner. Included with the meal are six fine cigars. The game room smelled as if quite a few cigar dinners had occurred there. I have no interest in cards, pool, or cigars, so I doubt that I will partake of such an event. I appreciate the opportunity, however.

We returned to the main Lodge Room for the second part of the meeting. This consisted of more Masonic business. It seemed like there was more joking around than in TTL. It was good-natured and not inappropriate.

The meeting ended in a timely fashion.

5. Cipher Training

Part of the packet that came with the handbook was a small blue book. This book is the cipher book. It presents the ceremony which I saw and participated in, in cipher. Why in cipher?

I think the main reason at this point is tradition but I will avoid supposition here, and merely state that the ceremony is not especially secret. The handbook that I was given does not reveal the ceremony per se, but it explains the ceremony’s symbolism.  I glanced through the book when I received it, but since it was not immediately readable, I waited till we met for cipher training to study it.

Sunday evening, the Candidates met at the Lodge. I wore tie and jacket, because the handbook stated that for official Masonic functions, one should be so attired. A couple of the other Candidates dressed similarly, but everyone else was casual. I will go casual next time.

We gathered in the Lodge Room with a Lodge Officer. I am afraid I am unsure which office he held. I actually did not immediately recognize him, though he was part of the Candidate ceremony. I may not have mentioned earlier that the Officers were all dressed in tuxedoes with red bowties at the ceremony, but here this officer was dressed in jeans.

He sat us in the seats on the North side of the lodge (the dark side) and explained the cipher book. I do not know if the cipher really actually is a cipher. The cipher is merely a removal of some letters from words, rather than some letter replacement scheme.

The book represents the text of the ceremony. The officer read it to us. A number of other Masons attended unofficially. They supplied help when the officer could not recall or divine the proper interpretation. There was also some good natured kidding. Some of the text is not in cipher, for some reason.

After one read through, someone suggested that we do it again while going through the motions of the ceremony. I should add that the person who had been Exemplar did not attend, and in fact has not attended a function since.

We finished after about an hour. Directly following was a regular meeting, to which we were invited. Doughnuts and coffee were available in the kitchen. Tables in the Great Room were arranged in a large square, and everyone attending sat down.

It was a crisply run meeting, well moderated by whichever moderator it was. Reports about the various activities of the Lodge were given. It amounted to quite a few reports.

There were reports about the game room project, the Sunday breakfast, the New Year’s Eve party, the various Masonic charities, and much more.  I was impressed to learn that if a student at Billerica’s schools is found to lack shoes or clothing, the school will get in touch with the Masons and the Masons will supply the want. The Masons have larger charities to which they contribute but this community minded one touched me particularly.

The meeting was businesslike, as I have already indicated, but it did not lack for kibbitzing. There is a good sense of camaraderie evident. I have zero idea what such organizations as the Elks or Moose are like, but the Masons fulfill what I imagine they should be like.

During the meeting, the moderator suggested that anyone who knew a blogger, or was himself a blogger, that writing about things Masonic was encouraged. Thus I write this blog. As of this writing, I have yet to make this blog public. I wanted a fair amount of substance before I release it. Soon. Next chapter will concern my first Lodge of Instruction.

4. Candidate

I was finally invited to the ceremony at which my Freemason candidacy was confirmed. This ceremony is the first step in becoming a Mason. It is the First degree. I was told to wear a jacket and tie, but I would have anyway. This is something instilled in me by my father. It is a sign of respect.

I arrived at what I thought was the right time. I tried the front door, but it was locked, so I went around to the side. Candidates were already gathered in the vestibule there, and a Mason was explaining the upcoming ceremony.

I had been told by the Lodge Secretary that one person would be the Exemplar; he would undergo the ritual while the rest of us watched. With nine Candidates, the ceremony would have been long if all nine had to go through the rituals one at a time. I do not know how the Exemplar was chosen but he had been through two rehearsals with, I gather, all of the relevant Lodge Officers.

The Mason, another Past Master, reiterated the message that the Exemplar would not undergo any discomforts or embarrassments, nor would the rest of us either. It was not a hazing. That sort of stuff is malarkey. I would have left if there were such silliness.

We were brought upstairs and waited outside the Lodge Room. The Exemplar had to change into I do not know what to call it, a long shirt. One of his shoes was removed, and he was hoodwinked: blindfolded.

When he was ready, he knocked on the doorknocker (or someone did, I could not see). Someone within asked who was there, he answered, and we entered.

I forgot to mention that by the other entrance to the Lodge Room sat a Mason. He was the Outer Tyler, or sentinel. I do not yet know where that term comes from. I mean I do, because much of the terminology of Freemasonry comes from the stoneworkers guild. But I have yet to do my homework. The one on the inside answering the knocks was the Inner Tyler.

Okay, so we enter. Now that I think on it, I guess the Exemplar has yet to enter. The rest of us come in and sit in the seats on the North side of the Lodge.  Seating was arranged so that each of us had a Mason as a neighbour. This Mason assisted us in following the ceremony properly.

Once we were settled, the Exemplar entered, with ceremony. It was quickly clear that the ceremony was a performance. All participants had lines, all was performed with formality and drama. It was further clear that this was a way of teaching.

The wording of everyone’s lines, if I can put it that way, are anachronistic, originating in pre-Colonial days when Freemasonry began in this country. This anachronism provides a sense of wonder, one might say. Shifted from present day vernacular, the vocabulary is straightforward yet grounded in a timeless sort of imperative. It is how the King James version of The Bible differs in impact from the more modern translations.

I envied the Exemplar. I would have liked to experience the ritual first hand. A Mason (the Marshal, I think) led the exemplar by hand throughout the ceremony. The symbolism of moving from darkness to light was powerful. The Marshal led him to the various stations in the ceremony, and helped him kneel when that was required.

I cannot repeat from memory all that went on in the ceremony.  The Exemplar was quizzed by an officer. I am still unclear on all the Masonic offices, so I will not try to specify who did what. The Exemplar was asked, essentially, why he wished to become a Mason. The implication is that the Candidate is an infant, ignorant, waiting for light.

Much of the ceremony was at the center of the room, by the altar. The altar has the Bible, and the Masonic square and compass. A spotlight is directed on the altar.

The Bible is, in this jurisdiction (Massachusetts), the standard holy book on which Masons swear, but each person can choose which holy book to use, Quran, Talmud, Book of Mormon, or I do not know what else.

There is an organ on the North side of the Lodge. The Organist played music when people moved from place to place. His selection of music struck me as odd. I recall “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” and “Edelweiss”, the same sort of music you might hear at a roller rink. I would expect classical music, but who is to say?

Eventually, the hood was removed from the Exemplar, as he entered the light of Freemasonry. I am reminded of William Blake’s Poems of Innocence and Experience. I wonder if Blake was a Mason. He was probably too poor, and I do not see him joining organizations, but it certainly was possible.

The rest of us Candidates were brought before the Master, who shook our hands and presented each of us a packet including the Freemasonry handbook, the Lodge newsletter, and a card indicating that we had passed the initial step, or degree, in Freemasonry.

The handbook is not secret, and in fact we are encouraged to show it to friends and family. It provides a history of the organization, information on how Freemasonry works, explanations of the degrees, and descriptions of the organizations affiliated with Freemasonry, like the Shriners, Eastern Star, and Scottish Rites.

We were also given aprons, such as stonemasons used. These are worn at Masonic ceremonies. We will wear this initial apron three more times, and at our funeral, if we choose to have a Masonic funeral. As one goes up in degree one gets different aprons. I hope I am not too far off in my information.

When the ceremony finished, we went to the big room for dinner. The Candidates were not allowed to pay for the meal, everyone else paid $5. It was a simple meal of ravioli, meatballs, and salad. I sat with several of the Candidates. We were eventually joined by a Mason, or Brother. The conversation included Freemasonry but ranged into gardening, weather, and such.

After the meal, we went back to the Lodge Room for the second part of  the meeting. An Officer explained the ceremony to us, doing so verbatim according to the ritual. A lot of memorization is required in these ceremonies. Whenever someone went up on their lines, a specific Officer—and  sometimes other Brothers—would supply the hint.

Following the explication, the meeting moved to routine Masonic business. A couple of new officers were conducted around the Lodge Room to applause. Two other Brothers were acknowledged as having risen in degree.

There were votes on a couple of issues. One vote was for two prospective Candidates.  I guess such a vote already occurred for me and the other Candidates. These people were not in attendance.  My memory fails me, but I think this vote was by black ball. Brothers lined up, reached into a wooden box containing black and white balls, and deposited their choice somewhere in the box. A black ball indicates NO.

This voting was another example of streamlining the process. With multiple candidates, one still voted with one ball only. If a black ball appears, some procedure is followed to determine which person received the black ball. I think it is rare that a black ball is employed. I am afraid I cannot remember if the results were announced. I think they must have been.

The other major business was a vote on whether to disperse money from a fund to pay for the new game room. The sum was substantial. One Brother was concerned that there was no breakdown of the expenses. Another stated that repairing the elevator should take precedence. There are many older Brothers, as well as others who have difficulty with stairs.

The concerns were well answered, if I may be allowed to say so. The fund would be paid back by donations from a list of already committed Brothers. The elevator repair was already in process. A Brother, the Past Master who sponsored me, spoke against the lack of trust evident in the request for a breakdown of expenses. He put his trust fully in his Brothers working on the game room. And he believed strongly in the worthwhile nature of the project, of Brothers getting together to work on the Lodge. It was stated that whatever funds remained once the game room was completed would be returned to the fund. The debate got a little spirited, but the vote, by raised hand, was overwhelmingly in favour of releasing the funding, and the storm blew over. The Candidates, I should add, were not allowed to vote. A breakdown of expenses was promised.

The meeting finished with ceremonial flourish. Candidates were advised that there was Cypher Training coming up on Sunday, which we were required to attend. Cypher Training, then, is my next chapter.

3. I visit a Lodge

To find out more about Freemasonry, I checked online. I discovered a website for the Lodge in town and called. As I learned, there is no staff or regular Lodge hours. I left a message. Sometime later, a Mason called and invited me to have a tour.

The Thomas Talbot Lodge in Billerica sits across the street from the town green, between the library and the Unitarian church. That is a pretty common New England set up. Some 200 Lodges spread across Massachusetts, with I guess a similar spread across the country. American Freemasonry began in Massachusetts in 1733. Freemasonry worldwide is much older, but I do not know the history yet. I will refer to people by their Masonic titles, which is their function in the Lodge. My aim is to speak of the organization, rather than the people.

The building was built in the late 19^th century. I assume that it was built for, and possibly by, the Masons, because it is laid out sensibly to the organization’s needs. It is not unlike the secular parts of most churches. In saying that, and despite the religious overtones to some of the organization’s accouterments, Freemasonry is not a religion.

[Note: I have since learned that the building was initially a store. For a while it continued so after the Masons bought it. I certainly did not notice but a fellow Candidate pointed out that the East/West orientation of the Lodge Room does not exactly conform to the East and West travels of the Sun outside. The symbolism remains effective even without celestial  accuracy.

The Lodge features a large kitchen, a large function room, and numerous smaller rooms. On the second floor is another large room where ceremonies are held, and more small rooms. The roomy 3^rd floor attic is being converted into a game room.

Throughout the building are pictures of members past and present, as well as symbols of the craft. It is a well-worn but vibrant building.

My cicerone was a Past Master. A Past Master is one who has served as Master of the Lodge. One can serve only once as Master, for a term, currently, of one year. The title Past Master can be regarded as an honorific.

The Past Master explained the organization while showing me the sights. I expected the Lodge Room, where ceremonies are held, to be off limits, but he took me in and explained the details of how it is laid out (which I will do shortly).

Symbolism is central to the Masonic manner of teaching. Freemasonry is regarded as a spiritual path, and I cannot disagree. The Lodge Room illustrates this symbolism.

The Lodge Room is an oblong square, i.e., a rectangle, or imperfect square. It is modeled after the Temple of Solomon. The rectangle runs along an East/West axis. Formal chairs, like thrones, are set at the East, West, and South for Masonic officials. Electric candles are also displayed at these points. The North sides is dark in imitation of the Temple of Solomon (which sits so far up the elliptic that it receives no light inside from that direction). This darkness also fits the symbolism. Benches for everyone else run along the North and South walls. In the center of the room is an altar with the Bible. The effect of the room, with its careful lighting, is both dramatic and thought-provoking.

When we finished the tour, we sat and talked. I was asked directly if I believed in God, which I affirmed. The Past Master invited me to the monthly breakfast the following Sunday.

My wife and I attended this breakfast. It was the sort of perfect early autumn day that New England can throw at you occasionally: clear sky and just slightly cool. The front door of the Lodge was open and the place bustled. I found the past master who invited me in the kitchen. During the interview, he offered to be my sponsor, which every candidate needs. He told me to go in and have breakfast.

The meal was a reasonable $5 a head. A woman collected money at the door, and women (and lots of children) attended the breakfast, but all cooking and serving was done by Masons.

We were given slips to check off what we wanted for breakfast: bacon, sausages, ham, eggs, pancakes, coffee, oj, and beans. Might have been more to the selection than that, but that is certainly enough.

We were joined by a man, with whom we conversed. We were new to Billerica and he was a longtime resident, so we talked about the town. I assumed that he, and all the men there, were Masons, but indeed he was not. He just liked the meal.

The breakfast is a way to make money for the Lodge, and is deemed successful in that way. It also develops camaraderie among the Brethren as well as provides a way to show off Freemasonry. I think a change in the organization occurred some few years ago that allowed a more active pursuit of members. Radio ads began appearing, featuring Ben Franklin.

After the meal, my sponsor came to take me away. He brought me to a table in the hallway outside the Lodge Room. He gathered a quorum of 3 other Masons. It was like a job application. I filled out an application, which included references.

While so engaged, I heard some noisy music. Someone was passing behind me, and I thought he carried a radio or something. After a moment I realized that it was my phone. Not my phone, really, but that of my son. I  had inadvertently grabbed his instead of mine. He uses his phone as an alarm clock, hence the loud (and obnoxious) screaming of the ringtone. I apologized but it was just an amusing moment.

They inquired of my interest in Freemasonry, asked if I believed in God, and made other similar queries. I mentioned my grandfather and father-in-law. One of them said that he could look up my grandfather in the records.

After the formalities, I returned to my wife with my sponsor. We chatted briefly. He made it clear that my wife was welcome in one of the sister organizations, and my son, being over 18, could become a Mason, too.

I heard nothing from the Masons after that. I understood that it took a  while to process applications. I do not know how rigourously they follow up references but I know of no blots on my ‘scutcheon, so I was surprised my this lack of communication. I finally called my sponsor, who was surprised that I had heard nothing. He put me in touch with the Lodge Secretary, one of the people who interviewed me.

The Secretary remembered me, and said that they were deciding how to handle the applications that they had. An open house sometime mid-October pulled in a goodly number of prospective members. They were working on the logistics of how to get all initiated.

It was not until January that the Secretary called me. A mailing that he’d sent out had been returned. My address had been transcribed wrong. He indicated that I was invited to the initiation. I shall speak of that ceremony next.

2. Introduction: My Interest in Freemasonry

I joined the Freemasons at the instigation of my wife, whose stepfather was a longtime member. She said that he got a lot from being a Freemason and that I might enjoy it, as well. The time was ripe.

I knew little about Freemasonry. My mother’s father was a Mason but he died when I was seven so I hardly knew him. I remember pictures of him in Masonic regalia, and there was a ceremonial sword in the house, a memento. I suspect other of my forbears were Masons but have no hard knowledge of this.

I was leery of the Masons only because of their reputation for secrecy. Of course, I knew that many of our Founding Fathers were Masons. And it is not like I believe the sort of Dan Brown conspiracy theories that are bandied about. I just thought the Masons were not for me. I have not been much of a joiner, through the years, but now see the value in such a community.

I should explain that Mason and Freemason are synonymous terms. I am just learning this stuff myself, and am confused about much. I may err in my understanding, but if I do, I will correct misprisions as soon as I am aware of them. More objective views can be found elsewhere, what I write here is my subjective view.

Masonic secrets are a small part of Freemasonry. As noted in the handbook that I was given, “Masonic buildings are clearly defined and Masonic philosophy and symbols are discussed in books accessible to anyone.” The few secrets that I have encountered are private matters, like those of a family. So far, the secrets have proven pretty mundane.

As I think on it, I know only a couple of Masonic secrets, one being how to identify another Freemason. My knowledge does not actually extend that far. I know how to identify myself as a candidate, that is, an initiate. The way of identification is secret, which secret I promised to keep, but Freemasons are not enjoined against self-identification. I was even given a Masonic decal along with the handbook on Freemasonry, so I guess one can publicly be a Mason.

Freemasonry is for men only, which makes me uncomfortable, because I do not like exclusion. Affiliated organizations for women, girls, and boys exist, as do occasions when all may gather, like the Sunday breakfast, and various parties and celebrations. The Masons specify that race, creed, and all that are not considerations as to who is fit for freemasonry.

To become a Mason, one must state a belief in God. No further restriction on religious belief exists. I am fine with such a declaration. “As all men are alike (tho’ infinitely various),” as William Blake wrote, “So all Religions & as all similars have one source.” I can fit my understanding of the world (Buddhist in inflection) into Masonic terms.

As to why I became a Mason—in truth, I am not fully a Mason but a candidate at the initiate stage—there are several attractions:
1. I like the historical element.
2. I like the idea of having an organization to belong to. I have not belonged to an organization since being a Boy Scout.
3. I like the sense of service that surrounds the Masons. The Masons are busy doing charitable work, both for members and their families, and for the world at large.

Though the organization includes various officers and official leaders, it is a tenet that all Masons are equal. I have felt genuinely welcomed in all my interactions at the Lodge.

1. Preface: I join the Masons

Before detailing why I began this journey, and recount events as they happen, I shall state how far along I am. This far:

1. I researched Freemasonry online, found the local Lodge, and called for more information.

2. I met with a Mason at the Lodge, who showed me the building and gave me the Freemasonry 101.

3. I attended the monthly Sunday breakfast with my wife. The breakfast costs $5.00 and is open to the public. After eating I met with several Masons and filled out an application.

4. Along with nine other men, I participated in the first ceremonial step in becoming a Freemason.

5. Along with the nine other new candidates, I heard the first lecture. This lecture explained the symbolism of the ritual that I participated in. That same evening I sat in on the monthly Masonic meeting, during which people reported on the various projects and functions of the Lodge, including repairs of the building.

There, I have set the scene. An introduction, in which I explain why I chose to explore Freemasonry and speak of early experiences more fully, follows this preface.