17. Lodge of Instruction, Sort Of

It was off to Lowell for Lodge of Instruction last week. Unfortunately, I had the date wrong. The only people I saw were dressed in what I believe is the Scottish Rites uniform (it looks like what my grandfather wore in the picture I have). A Brother from Thomas Talbot confirmed that I had the wrong night. I might have consulted the Lodge’s online calendar but my Internet service was down. It was a lovely evening, at least.

Back home, my wife and I were watching one of the history channels and what should come on but a show about Freemasonry. I would not mind learning more about the history of the organization. I know that many Founding Fathers were Masons but  have yet to do much reading on the subject.

It turns out that this show was not a lot of help in elucidating the history of Freemasonry in America. Some factual information was were relayed but holy cow what a lot of obvious malarkey was mixed in with those tidbits. Lots of supposition. Lurid supposition.

The show centered on Ben Franklin, a remarkable and larger than life figure, as we all know. Things rapidly took a salacious turn as leering reference to Franklin’s sexual proclivities was made. Okay, he liked the ladies. Let it go.

It is hardly substantiated, but Franklin may have been a member of another organization, the Hellfire Club. This seems to have been a club for sexual escapades. Even if Franklin did belong to this club, how does that relate to Freemasons? Well, it doesn’t. That did not prevent the producers of this show from going into depth about what members of this club did, or were supposed to do.

We repeatedly saw a Franklin impersonator giving the wink to ladies while suppositions were presented as damning facts. Many of the experts—and some of them were university professors—extrapolated to an unseemly degree. My wife and I love history, but this show was a travesty.

Midway through the show, as if things weren’t bad enough, a goofy occult segment was introduced. Some ghost hunters were shown using their ‘scientific’ equipment to discover Franklin’s spirit in some house that Franklin stayed at in London. That pretty much finished the show for me. The ghost hunters came up with lame ‘proof positive’ that Franklin’s spirit was present, and I went to bed.

I hope to make it to Lodge of Instruction this week.

16. District Deputy Visits

A regular meeting on Monday. I have wondered if I might exhaust the reader’s interest in goings on, but it strikes me, if not the reader, that the activities and ceremonies that I write about remain intriguing. So I carry on.

This was a regular meeting, as I said. However, when I arrived, it was clear that something was up. A number of brothers who I did not know milled about, and there was a reserved parking space for the District Deputy. I entered thru the kitchen, which was busy, and went upstairs. I was earlier than usual.

I had not witnessed the opening of the Lodge before, but it seemed like there was more activity than usual. Also, more people wore their Jewels, which are pins that represent honors that they have earned. I saw Mike, a Past Master who I have seen at most of the functions that I have attended. He said, Oh,you’re here. I got shook that this was somehow a private affair, and I asked, Is this a regular meeting? He said that it was.

I introduced myself to a stranger, who is from a Lodge in Western Massachusetts. He said that he was moving to town and planning to join the Lodge. I eventually wandered into the Lodge Room and took a seat. Things bustled then the meeting began.

The Worshipful Master mentioned at the card night that he might wear a hat at meetings. The Grand Lodge had suggested that hats be part of the ritual. There he was, then, in a jaunty top hat. He opened the Lodge.

I am glad that I finally witnessed this, it was illuminating. The ritual basically explained the various offices. That was helpful. I really like watching the ritual unfold.

A Masonic meeting must be tiled. That means closed and secured. I donot know where the term comes from.Tiling entails the Senior Warden literally checking the doors to ensure that no one is listening in on secrets. The Tyler sits outside the door to make sure of the same thing. Surely this was more essential in an earlier day, now it is strictly ritual. Masonic secrecy is no longer so dire as it used to be. The secrets are still to be kept, but it is definitely not a life-threatening situation.

This part of the meeting was sparsely attended, and no business beyond the ritual occurred. We then repaired to the dining room. A lot of people were there. We dined and talked until 7:00, when the meeting resumed.

Three candidates were to be entered as Entered Apprentices. I was happy to see the ritual again. The point of ritual,  I think, is in the repetition. One sees more each time. The risk of course is that the ritual becomes thoughtless. If it all becomes rote, it has lost its meaning. I am far from letting that happen.

Because there were fewer than five Candidates, each one got to go through the ritual: there was no Exemplar. This stretched out the ceremony some, but we got to see the different ways each Candidate responded. One Candidate replied to the question of whether he had anything to offer the Lodge (the expected answer is No) with: I have one shoe. Whee!

Eight prospective Candidates were voted on. This entailed the Secretary, Terry, reading their request, which just gives their name, address, employment, and sponsor. I do not know the extent of due diligence applied to new Candidates. I know that a committee investigates each Candidate, but they never discovered that I am actually a SECRET AGENT from an Eastern European country bent on destroying the fabric of American ways and making our wrestling champion the champion of WWE, so I don’t know. I met one of the Candidates at the open house. As far as voting goes, it is super unlikely that I would vote against someone.

This was my first vote, because only Master Masons can vote. The Senior and Junior Deacons, AKA Chris and Andy, brought out the voting boxes. We  lined up and, when our turn came, reached into a box and felt for either the white ball (yea), or black cube (nay). Or was it white cube and black ball…? Well whatever, I voted yea as did everyone else.

After a short recess, the District Deputy and his Suite were invited in. I wondered what the murmur outside the Lodge Room was about. The District Deputy had come for an official visit. The visit went like this:

The Worshipful Master and all the attending Past Masters gathered in a gauntlet at the door. Our District Ambassador then strode jauntily in announcing the District Deputy. In came the District Deputy and an entourage of maybe as many as 20. I do not know how people get into that suite. The people in the suite were Past Masters and Officers from various Lodges.

The District Deputy, with appropriate flourish, named each person in his suite, then they sat down. The District Deputy is the same fellow I have seen at Lodge of Instruction, and he was at Table Lodge. He congratulated the Candidates and spoke elsewise, as well.

In what proved to be a surprise, the District Deputy asked Tom, the Sentinel, to come forward. Tom was presented with the Rookie Award. The Rookie Award is a way to inspire participation in Masonic activities. It is for those who have been Masons for one year or less. I was surprised to learn that Tom only became a Mason in September.

To earn the Rookie Award, one must go to Lodge of Instruction (as a Master Mason) a certain number of times, attend a Masonic funeral, etc etc. Tom was completely surprised to receive the award from the District Deputy’s hand.

Keith, an Associate Steward, was involved in the night’s ritual. I learned the next day on FACEBOOK, that Jim, the Senior Steward (and the person who I worked with at the health fair), was hospitalized. Two Brothers were brought forth as new Associate Stewards.

The meeting ended sometime after 9:00. I will probably attend Cypher Training on Sunday. It is not required but I both enjoy doing this stuff and I need help with the cipher.

15.CHIPS Program

This morning I participated in the Billerica Health and Wellness Fair. The Masons participate by running the Child Identification Program. Other organizations and businesses did other things, most of which, to be frank, was simply commercial. It was, at least, a lively event, though I did not peruse too  carefully.

I arrived at 9:00. Things generally were just starting to be set  up. I saw no familiar faces until, after a few minutes, a few Masons arrived. Set up required bringing in a few boxes and figuring out the logistics of utilizing the limited available space.

The CHIPS Program provides parents with identification records for their children, in case something should happen. A dental group took DNA samples and tooth impressions. The Masons used three computer set ups to record fingerprints, movie, and photo of each child, the results of which were burned to CD. I was going to train on the machines last week but then work looked to preclude my participation in this event. As it turned out, I did not work today, which is why I showed up. I missed the Breakfast last week for the same reason.

I assisted Jim (Senior Steward).  He entered the personal information into the computer while I explained things a bit and helped with the fingerprints. I also interviewed the children so that we could get a recording of their voices. I asked what I thought was a surefire question: what is your favorite television show, and many of the children said they didn’t watch television. What has become of this young generation?

Miss Massachusetts Teenager had her information saved. I think she was involved with another booth and came by to check things out. She wore her official sash and was very poised, as I guess one might expect. Other celebrities might have attended.

A 6 month old boy was put through the ringer. He had a ball. He grinned at me the whole time. His mother helped apply his finger to the scanner, which proved to be a challenge. He was having fun with everything, plus his fingers were tiny. Never did get his smaller fingers.

I appreciate the opportunity to do something like this. The point of Freemasons is to gather as friends and brothers. They do $3 million a day in charitable work in North America, which is a bonus to the brotherhood. I think the Blood Drive is today, but I do not think I can do it today. Tuesday is the next regular meeting.

14. Table Lodge

Table Lodge is a yearly gathering of Masons for dinner that Lodges put on. Last night, Thomas Talbot put on its Table Lodge, and I was part of the help.

I arrived somewhat after 2:00. March has been an unusually rainy month, and we received more hard rain. The words sump pump have been occurring with frequency in conversation lately.

Terry, who was in charge of the dinner, and John the Worshipful Master, were already at the Lodge. John was setting up the tables. Terry put me to peeling potatoes. Fred, Junior Steward, arrived soon after and peeled carrots.

Others arrived as time went on,  and the kitchen was full of bustle as well as the usual sort of wiseass conversation that men produce. I spent more than two hours peeling and cutting 40 pounds of potatoes. Some 80 people were expected.

After the potatoes, I changed into my serving clothes: white shirt, dark pants, and red bowtie. Been so long since I wore a bowtie that I needed assistance getting it on. I then helped ready the dining room.

There were two columns of tables plus a head table, forming a U. At the far end from the head table was the servers table. The tables had three coloured strips, to identify for servers what people wanted to drink for the toasts. I will explain in a bit.

The Masons would not have a meal like this without a lot of ritual. Each course had its own toast, and there were required speeches throughout. This kept us servers busy.

A commemorative shot glass was set at each place. People placed their glass on the appropriately coloured strip on the table: red for red wine, white for white wine, and purple for grape juice. Servers refilled after each toast.

At the far end away from the head table of each column sat TTL’s two Wardens, Joe (Senior) to the left or North, and Ken, Junior, to the right or South. They and the Master gave the greater part of the ritual speeches. These were not memorized, everyone read their parts.

The toasts had a specific ceremony, which the Master explained at the beginning. Alas, I cannot remember the exact wording, but glasses were called to be charged, then, for the toast, we were told to ready, aim and fire.

After the glass was drained, we each performed a ritual motion with the glass, then the glass was slammed smartly on the table, then we clapped in three groups of three: right into left, left into right, right into left, then we yelled VIVAT (long live) three times. THEN we were ordered to take our dinner knife and use similar martial terminology to raise and salute with it then slam it on the table.

I am sure this ceremony derives from tavern fun in Britain. Seven ounces of wine, if one even chose to drink wine, through the course of a large meal, is not going to inebriate.

The ceremony was fun. It was not a drinking game, although it certainly could have been. I mean if stronger spirits were poured, or greater quantity, things could have devolved quite efficiently. But that was not the point of the dinner.

Still, the mock heroic nature of the toasts offered something to think about. Despite the playfulness, a sense of comradeship remains. We gather as a group, to be together as a group.

Ritual and ceremony continue to have import in our lives. At times, ritual and ceremony can become empty, and one goes through them unthinkingly. “The Star-Spangled Banner” performed at American sporting events tends to be an unthinking ritual,  judging by how cheers and clapping begin well before the song is over. Anticipation for the event itself sometimes overwhelms the ceremony of the anthem.

The speeches and toasts of  the dinner, despite their playfulness, fit the ceremony. Perhaps if there were more alcohol per toast, there would be more anticipation for the effects of the drink rather than the dinner itself. I guess I am overthinking this but I am trying to explain to myself why I enjoyed the dinner. I can be impatient with form lacking substance (or my suspicion of such), but here I felt there was substance to the form that the ritual took.

I did not mention who the servers were. William, the Exemplar for the First Degree, Jeff, and I were recently raised. We joined the veterans Andy (Junior Deacon), Jim (Senior Steward), and Keith (Associate Steward). I do not recall all who were in the bustle of the kitchen while the dinner went on. I know Chris (Senior Deacon) was there.

I was impressed by the efficiency with which the tables were cleared. We have all been in situations where a few people do a great deal and others do a little. I think I left a little after 9:00, with wine and food spatters on my white shirt.