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.