Honored Shoulders

Among the questions often asked by new initiates—and sometimes by seasoned Brothers—is why Freemasonry repeats its ritual so consistently. Why do we speak the same words, recite the same lectures, and perform the same ceremonies with such fidelity?

The answer is simple, but profound: Freemasonry does not rely on repetition for ceremony’s sake. It relies on repetition for transformation’s sake.

Ritual repetition is the mechanism by which Masonry moves its teachings from the ear to the heart, from the heart to the conscience, and from the conscience to the daily conduct of life. It is how the Craft ensures that its lessons are not merely heard but inculcated.

Repetition is the oldest educational method known to humanity. Long before books were common, long before literacy was widespread, societies preserved their wisdom through repeated words, repeated stories, and repeated rites.

Freemasonry stands firmly in that tradition.

Each opening and closing, each lecture, each charge is designed to:

• reinforce the moral lessons of the Craft,
• deepen the symbolic understanding of the initiate,
• and cultivate habits of thought that endure beyond the Lodge room.

                Ritual is not meant to be memorized merely for performance. It is meant to be internalized for transformation. An example from my life is the Apron Lecture.   

                Every Mason remembers the night he received his lambskin apron. It is the first tangible emblem of the Craft placed into his hands, and it carries a message that echoes throughout his Masonic life:

                Never again from mortal hands shall an emblem so symbolic of purity be presented to you.

                This statement is not poetic flourish. It is a moral charge.

                The apron is not simply a badge of membership. It is a symbol of:

• innocence,
• purity of intention,
• and the lifelong pursuit of moral improvement.

                The apron is the first gift of Masonry, and it becomes the last emblem that accompanies a Brother to his final rest.

                As I advanced through the Craft, I was called to serve in positions of leadership. The regalia of a Grand Lodge officer—the purple collar, the jewel, the apron—are outward signs of inward responsibility.

                The first time that I opened the case containing that regalia, I felt something unexpected: not pride, but weight.

                Not the physical weight of the jewel, but the moral weight of:

• the Brothers who taught me,
• the mentors who guided me,
• the Craft that was entrusted to me,
• and the obligations I swore to uphold.

                Leadership in Masonry is not a reward. It is a burden of service.

                The purple of the fraternity rests upon the shoulders of a man who must strive—always strive—to be worthy of the trust placed in him.

                The ritual reminds us that with Light added to the coming Light, your ambitious feet may tread rung after rung of the ladder that leads to fame in our Mystic Circle, and even the purple of the fraternity may rest on your honored shoulders, never again shall any honor so distinguished, so emblematical of purity and perfection be conferred upon you.

                This reminder is deliberate.

                It teaches that:

• honors may come,
• titles may be bestowed,
• offices may be held,
• but none of these surpass the moral significance of the white apron.

                The purple is temporary.

                                 The white apron is eternal.  

                The purple is a trust.

                                The white apron is a charge.

                The purple is worn in life.

                                The white apron is worn in death.

                When a Mason’s earthly labor is complete, he lays down the working tools of life. The honors he held, the offices he served, the purple he wore—all these remain behind.

                But one emblem goes with him: the lambskin apron. It rests upon his casket as he is lowered beneath the clods of the valley, symbolizing the hope that his life was spent in pursuit of the purity it represents.

                The apron he received in youth becomes the emblem that accompanies him in death. It is the Craft’s final testimony to the moral aspirations of the man.

                We repeat our ritual because:

• the lessons must be learned deeply,
• the symbols must be understood fully,
• the obligations must be remembered constantly,
• and the teachings must be lived daily.

                Repetition ensures that Masonry is not merely practiced in the Lodge room but carried into the world. It ensures that the apron remains spotless—not only in symbol, but in life.

                Freemasonry speaks through ritual. Ritual speaks through repetition. Repetition speaks through memory. And memory speaks through conduct.

                We repeat our words so that they become part of us. We repeat our lectures so that they shape us. We repeat our charges so that they guide us.

                And when the purple is set aside, when the collar is removed, when the working tools are laid down, the white apron remains— the first gift, the last emblem, and the symbol of the man we have endeavored to become.

Judgment, Obligation, and the Masonic Duty to Reprove With Love – A Consideration for the Master Mason

These days judgment can come from anywhere. A man may walk down the street wearing the wrong hat, sporting a nose ring, or expressing an unpopular opinion, and he will find himself the subject of instant criticism. Strangers feel entitled to judge him without context, without relationship, and without responsibility.  Some people feel like they have the right to come up and judge you to your face and challenge you and they don’t even know.

 Judgment can also come from very unusual and absurd sources. I have an electric razor that judges me every morning. The razor has a sensor that marks how I use the razor, it is programmed to expect that I make circles on my face when I shave. It has a little symbol on it that shows red, saying I didn’t make enough little circles on my face. I know my face better than the razor does, so I go up and down or I go sideways to follow how my beard grows, but it doesn’t think I’m doing it right, so it judges me. I do not accept the judgment, but I do notice every day that it’s judging me. I think I can set up Wi-Fi so it can judge me over Wi-Fi into my phone, I don’t, but I think it’s pretty ridiculous

It and many people assumes that their standards are universal, and when you deviate, it signals failure.

This phenomenon illustrates a deeper cultural confusion: everyone feels free to judge, yet no one believes they should be judged. Freemasonry offers a strikingly different perspective—one rooted in duty, obligation, and brotherly love.

The Paradox of Modern Judgment

Society today operates under two contradictory assumptions:

• Individuals believe they may judge anyone for any reason.
• Those same individuals insist that no one has the right to judge them.

This contradiction erodes civility and undermines meaningful moral discourse. Judgment becomes a weapon rather than a tool for improvement. It becomes impulsive rather than principled.

Freemasonry rejects this confusion. Our system of judgment is not based on personal preference, cultural trends, or emotional reaction. It is grounded in obligation, freely taken and mutually understood.

Masonic judgment is rooted in obligation. A Master Mason is not merely permitted to judge his Brother—he is charged to do so. The ritual teaches us that we must:

• Judge with candor
• Admonish with friendship
• Reprehend with justice

These are not casual suggestions. They are essential components of the fraternal bond. Masonic judgment is not arbitrary; it is anchored in the obligations each Brother voluntarily assumed.

A man who enters Freemasonry of his own free will binds himself to a system of moral discipline. His promises are not coerced; they are chosen. This voluntary act is what gives Masonic judgment its legitimacy. It is the difference between a drafted soldier and a volunteer; the oath may be the same, but the relationship to the oath is not.

A Brother cannot fulfill his duty to correct another unless he understands:

• The ritual,
• The symbolism,
• The obligations,
• The charges,
• The meaning behind the words spoken in Lodge.

Without this understanding, judgment becomes misguided. A Brother may attempt correction without knowing the standard he is applying. Likewise, a Brother who lacks understanding may feel wounded when corrected, not realizing that the admonition is rooted in love and duty.

Thus, study is not merely an intellectual exercise. It is a moral necessity. Only through study can we judge properly, receive correction humbly, and maintain harmony within the Craft.

Masonic judgment is restorative, not punitive. Its aim is:

• To guide,
• To uplift,
• To correct,
• To reform,
• To preserve harmony,
• And to strengthen the character of the Brother.

When a Brother errs, we do not condemn him. We aid in his reformation. When he strays, we do not shame him. We help him return to the Light. When he falters, we do not attack him. We support his improvement.

This is judgment as the Craft understands it, judgment as an act of love.

My electric razor, with its insistence on circular motions, is a humorous reminder of what judgment looks like when it lacks understanding. It applies a rigid standard to a face it does not know. It assumes its method is universal. When you shave differently, it flashes red—its version of disapproval.

A Brother must never behave this way.

Masonic judgment requires:

• Knowledge,
• Context,
• Compassion,
• Shared obligation,
• And the intention to help.

We do not demand circles when a Brother’s face requires straight lines.

Masonic judgment is an expression of Brotherly Love

Freemasonry teaches that judgment, when properly understood, is not criticism but care. It is the Square applied gently, the Compasses extended wisely, and the Trowel used to spread the cement of Brotherly Love.

We judge not because we are superior, but because we are responsible. We correct not to shame, but to strengthen. We admonish not to wound, but to heal.

When we help a Brother return to the path, we elevate the entire Craft.

Bloom Where You Belong: A Masonic Reflection from the Tennessee Forest

Not long ago, Wendy and I traveled to Gatlinburg for the Southeastern Masonic Conference. We spent several days with Grand Lodge officers from Georgia and across the southeastern states—good meetings, good fellowship, and the kind of conversations that remind you why Masonic relationships matter.

When the conference concluded, someone recommended a scenic drive through the Great Smokey Mountain National Park. It was a narrow one‑lane road with a fifteen‑mile‑per‑hour speed limit, winding quietly through the mountains. The air was cool, waterfalls dotted the landscape, and with the convertible top down, the world felt peaceful. It was on that slow, reflective drive that I noticed something simple yet striking: ferns, growing everywhere, naturally and effortlessly.

That observation became the seed of a deeper thought.

I’ve tried to grow ferns at home—front porch, back porch, shade, careful watering. No matter what I do, they die. Yet here in the Tennessee woods, untouched by human hands, ferns thrive. No fertilizer. No irrigation. No special care.

They grow because they are in the environment meant for them.

They bloom because the soil, the moisture, the shade, and the air all support their nature.

They flourish because they are where they belong.

This made me think of the familiar saying: “Bloom where you’re planted.”

There is wisdom in that phrase. It encourages perseverance, commitment, and making the best of one’s circumstances. But the ferns teach us another truth: Sometimes you cannot bloom where you are planted. Sometimes you bloom where you belong.

This idea extends far beyond gardening.

A person may join a Lodge, a church, a temple, or any organization and discover that it never feels right. They may try to participate, try to fit in, try to grow—but something in the environment simply does not nourish them.

We often tell ourselves:

• “I’m here, so I should stay.”
• “I should make the best of it.”
• “Bloom where you’re planted.”

But the truth is more nuanced.

Growth is not only about effort. Growth is about environment. Growth is about belonging.

A fern on the wrong porch will wither no matter how much care it receives. A fern in the right forest will thrive without effort.

People are no different.

Freemasonry teaches self‑improvement, but improvement requires the right conditions. A Brother in the wrong environment may feel disconnected, uninspired, or spiritually stagnant. That does not mean he is a poor Mason. It means he is a fern planted in the wrong soil.

A Lodge should:

• feed your curiosity,
• inspire your growth,
• challenge your thinking,
• and feel like home.

If it does not, then perhaps the best course is not to “make the best of it,” but to seek the place where your heart, mind, and spirit can flourish.

This is not disloyalty. This is wisdom.

This lesson is not only for individuals, but also for Lodges themselves.

A Lodge must ask:

• Are we good soil for new Brothers?
• Do we nourish growth?
• Do we welcome and inspire?
• Do we cultivate Light?
• Do we create an environment where men naturally flourish?

A Lodge that does these things becomes like the Tennessee forest—where growth is effortless because the environment is right.

The ferns in the Tennessee woods taught me a simple but profound lesson:

Life flourishes where it is meant to flourish. Men grow where they are meant to grow. Masons thrive where they are meant to thrive.

Do your best wherever you are planted. But do not be afraid to seek the place where your soul is nourished, your heart is inspired, and your growth is natural.

Bloom where you belong.

Pondering the Jewel of the Deputy Grand Master

Sometimes we do things without knowing why, and even without showing curiosity regarding the ”why”. Ponder is not a word that we use much in today’s language. I use it to describe thinking and considering different aspects of our Craft and our Ritual. Let’s define “Ponder”:

1: to think about : reflect on
2: to weigh in the mind: evaluate, appraise
3: to think or consider especially quietly, soberly, and deeply

As I was attending the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, I looked at the Jewel I was wearing, and I began to ponder the meaning of symbolism of the star. In Georgia, my Jewel of Office as Deputy Grand Master; is the Five-Pointed Star.

Interestingly, this is not my first time wearing a Jewel with this symbol; I wore it as the Deputy Master of the Tenth Masonic District Convention. I will admit that I never pondered the meaning or symbolism of the Jewel at that time. As I said, we do not always give a lot of thought to our Ritual and Symbolism, and I am as guilty as the next guy.

We are all familiar with the Jewels of the Officers in a Lodge. The Jewels of the elected officers and their meanings are described during the Installation Ceremony, but the meaning of the Deputy Grand Master’s/Deputy Master’s Jewel is not described in the Grand Lodge or District Convention Installation of Officers. In the Installation Ceremony used by our Grand Lodge, the Deputy Grand Master is presented with the Book of Constitutions as his Working Tool. No mention of the Jewel is made.

When I finally came to ponder the Jewel, the first thing that I considered was that it is a five-pointed star. We are taught in the Master Mason Degree, that “the five-pointed star has been adopted as a Masonic symbol. Differing, as it does, entirely from the blazing star, which the first degree refers to as symbolizing Divine Providence, it is consecrated, in the third degree, as a symbol of the Five Points of Fellowship.”

Now that we have determined the symbol and it’s meaning, we need to ponder the “why.” Why does the Deputy Grand Master have a Jewel that symbolizes the Five Points of Fellowship? What were our forefathers in the Craft trying to teach us? Are we to infer that the Deputy Grand Master is to focus on fellowship with the Brethren? What is the lesson of the Five Points of Fellowship? The Five Points of Fellowship in Freemasonry symbolize the bonds of brotherhood and mutual support among Masons, emphasizing empathy, trust, and ethical conduct. The Five Points of Fellowship are central to Masonic teachings; they represent the moral and ethical actions that guide Masons in their relationships with one another. So, is the Deputy Grand Master invested with the five-pointed star to remind him of his duty to the Grand Master as a confidant and advisor? Is he called on to be a connection between the Grand Master and Grand Lodge Officers and the brethren of the Craft?

I believe that it can be all of these things at the same time. While I was pondering this, I came upon a post by Most Worshipful Brother Steve Norris, Grand Master of Masons in North Carolina, called “Sharing Freemasonry’s Light: The Jewel of Friendship.” While the jewel he is discussing is not the five-pointed star, we can follow the allegory. He discusses that many men of today are lacking close male friends. He reminds us that, in some jurisdictions, the three jewels of a Master Mason are friendship, morality and brotherly love, and we should live by these and it will help our brethren and help bring new men into our Craft. How does this tie in with the jewel of the Deputy Grand Master? Friendship is built into the five-points of fellowship. We are to support, pray for, trust, protect and counsel our brothers, is there a more obvious description of friendship?

Returning to our Installation Ceremony, The Deputy Grand Master is reminded that: “The station to which you have been called by the suffrages of your Brethren is one of great dignity and much importance. In the absence of the Grand Master, you are to exercise his prerogatives in presiding over the Grand Lodge; in his presence, you are to assist him with your counsel and cooperation. But while your powers and privileges are thus extensive, remember that they carry with them a heavy share of responsibility. The honor that has been conferred upon you, and the trust that has been reposed in you, demand a corresponding fidelity and attachment to the interests of those to whose kindness and confidence you are indebted to for your official elevation.” (Emphasis mine.)

The Jewel of the Deputy Grand Master should be a reminder to him and to the brethren that we are called on to be friends and brothers with our fellows of the craft.

Ritual

As I travel the state visiting different lodges and listening to the ritual, I truly love being with the brothers and hearing the work. At the same time, it can be disappointing when the brothers don’t know the ritual as well as they should. I’ve also noticed that some seem to think they need to rush through it as fast as they can, instead of savoring the words—speaking them clearly, with meaning, so they can be understood and felt.

One thing we must remember is that even the opening and closing rituals are lectures. They are lessons in how we maintain a lodge, how we run a lodge, and what the duties of the officers are. All of that can be brought down to the duties we assume for ourselves, and how we maintain and improve ourselves so that we continue to be good men. It is especially disappointing when, on the final night officers serve in their current stations, they still do not know the ritual after twelve months of meeting once or twice a month.

Our ritual is what makes us who we are. It’s not the fellowship in the dining room—you can find that at the Elks Club. It’s not primarily the charities we support. It is the ritual that teaches us, shapes us, and helps us grow. As you grow as a Mason, if you pay attention to the ritual—if you read, study, and reflect—the symbols will come to mean different things to you than they did when you first began. You have changed and grown, and so you will hear and understand different things in the ritual than you did at the start.

The ritual should be presented in such a way that the feeling, meaning, and understanding of the words are brought out. It does not need to be hurried. There is no rush. If you say the words as fast as you can, it will still take about fifteen minutes to close lodge—but you will have missed the opportunity not only to hear those words yourself, but to present them to your brothers so they can gain a deeper understanding of our work. Part of how we make each other better men is by taking the time to work together, teach each other, learn from each other, and continue to grow.

I urge you to listen to the ritual—really listen. Listen to the degree work, to the opening and closing, to all the lectures. Actively look for and think about things you may never have considered before. Why do we say the things we say? Why do we do the things we do? It is not happenstance; it is not by accident. Every word is chosen to mean something. If the words carry that kind of meaning, we should present them in such a way that meaning comes through. There is no rush in opening, no rush in closing, no rush in delivering the lectures. The more time we spend together—working, learning, and growing—the better men we will be, and the better Masons we will become.

Open Installations

Every December most Lodges, at least in this jurisdiction, hold our annual elections followed by the installation of officers. This is a vital time in the life of our lodge to select the leadership for the ensuing year. To make sure that, hopefully, that we’re picking right brother to lead the lodge. Almost equally as important is the ceremony of the installation. Often, I see brothers that aren’t interested in the installation of their officers, they don’t come to the installation, and I see lodges that will hold the election then immediately install the officers with only the Mason’s present. I feel that you are missing a great opportunity to demonstrate Masonry to your family, your friends and anyone else who may be interested. If you’ve got a coworker or friend that has expressed even the slightest interest in masonry, invite them. Get your Lodge to hold open installation so you can invite your family and friends and interested men to see a part of our ritual. Now, it’s not a secret ritual, but the importance of the Master’s obligation and the questions we ask the Master lay out all of the duties of a Master of a Lodge and really, all of the duties of a Mason. The questions that we ask him to agree to uphold are really the Ancient Landmarks of our Craft and are from Time Immemorial.

The importance of having your family there when you’re installed as Worshipful Master can be a major highlight for you and your family. For some of us it may be the pinnacle of our success as a Mason maybe even our success in life. Maybe you’ve never been in leadership position or a position of authority like this in your job or in your life. Regardless, it’s a very important time, and having your family there to witness it, having a brother see you receive your apron, your collar and hear your duties and responsibilities described, really inculcates the meaning of what it means to be a Lodge Officer.

 I have memories and pictures of my son investing me with the Jewel of my Office when I became a Steward of my first Lodge and I was very proud to have him do that. He’s now a four-time Past Master and the State Chairman of Masonic Education and Leadership Development Commission and very active. I have a picture of my daughter investing me with the Jewel of my Office when I was appointed as Junior Deacon; she didn’t marry a Mason, but her husband became a Mason after they got married and now he’s very active in his lodge. I have several pictures of my wife investing me with the Jewel of my Office as Worshipful Master when I was installed as a Master of three different lodges.  Open Installations shows us, and shows them, that we take this seriously that it’s important to us. Again I don’t know if my son would be the Mason he is if he wasn’t there to see me become the Mason I’ve become

Another thing about installations is that I’ll often see the Worshipful Master installed, but then all the other officers line up and they basically give them their duties, invest them with their Aprons and Jewels and have them go to their chairs. I think it’s very important to bring them up individually to call them by name to give them their duties so that all of our family members, friends and brothers see that this is an important event. Then his wife or other family member, friend, or special brother invests them with the Jewel of his office. Especially when he is elected as an officer in the Lodge as one of the highest offices in the Lodge. It is important to demonstrate that and to celebrate the incredible honor. As we have said in in some of our discussions that Junior Warden is a position that many men have sought and met with failure so to get to this point is an honor and it’s an honor that should be celebrated and should be able to be shared with your family with your friends. We can use an open installation to show the importance of our Craft to our family and friends.

I encourage you to hold open installations; advertise it, have a nice meal have a celebration of the St John’s Day and make this an event that we remember; that we come back to, that we look forward to every year. It will pay dividends for your Lodge

Vows, Oaths, and Obligations

What does it mean to be under an Oath or Obligation or having taken a Vow? Are they the same? We often use these terms interchangeably, but are there differences? Have you taken the opportunity to ponder what they mean to you?

            Let’s start by defining each of these:

Obligation: a legal or moral duty to do something (Cambridge Dictionary)

Obligation: The action of obligating oneself to a course of action (as by a promise or vow). Something (such as a formal contract, a promise, or the demands of conscience or custom) that obligates one to a course of action (Merriam Webster Dictionary)

Oath: a promise, especially that you will tell the truth in a court of law.

Oath: A solemn usually formal calling upon God or a god to witness to the truth of what one says or to witness that one sincerely intends to do what one says (Merriam Webster Dictionary)

Vow: a solemn promise or assertion; specifically, one by which a person is bound to an act, service, or condition

While vows, oaths, and obligations are very similar I don’t think they’re quite the same. The first oath I took was my Oath of Enlistment in the United States Army. I swore to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States. The first vow I took was my wedding vow where I swore to be faithful and live together as man and wife till death do us part. My first obligations were as an Entered Apprentice Mason where I was taught to keep secrets; and then as a Fellowcraft where I was taught how to treat my fellow man; and as a Master Mason where I was taught how to be a man, how to live my life, and how to be a member of society.

In “The Newly-Made Mason”, H.L. Haywood says that “When a Candidate gives his promises to obey the laws, rules and regulations, it is called his Obligation, a word meaning “to tie together.” His Oath or Vow is the part of his Obligation in which he pledges himself and submits himself to Masonic Discipline.”

One of the differences in these ways of giving your word: an oath; a vow; and obligation is its intended audience. I believe that an oath is made to a higher power or society where you swear how you will act and interact with them. A vow to me is more to an individual; I vow to love my wife forever. An obligation is given to a specific group and truthfully, it’s given to God, but it’s an obligation you take on how you will interact with a specific group of people. In this case it’s with my fellow Freemasons. The obligations that we take and keep each other secrets to care for each other, to care for our children to care for our each other’s children, wives, widows and orphans so that we know that we can count on each other.

One of the things that the three have in common is that they are the giving of your word. They are so those who you make those obligations oaths and vows to know that they can count on you to do what you say you will do. Recently I went and watched (for the 100th time) The Lord of the Rings the Two Towers, there is a scene that really tied this together for me. It is when Frodo is leaving, and Sam goes with him. Sam struggles to swim, and Frodo saves him from drowning, Sam says, “I made a promise, Mr. Frodo. A promise. “Don’t You Leave Him, Samwise Gamgee.” And I Don’t Mean To.” A promise to Sam was so important that he was willing to die to keep that promise. We should all care that much about our word, about our promise.

In our Legends and our myths, we have an illustrious figure who gave his life rather than break his word. It’s an example for all of us. It is our responsibility, no it’s our duty, to revisit these obligations, oaths, and vows; revisit these promises that we’ve made to ourselves, to others, and to our God. To evaluate ourselves and make sure we’re living the way that we promised we would. We owe it to ourselves, we owe it to those around us, owe it to our creator to think about what we’ve said we would do, and then plan to live that way. Once in a while plans don’t come through; in the Army we say that a plan does not survive first contact with the enemy, and sometimes the enemy is us. But if you fail and do not follow your plan to live the way that you promise to live, it’s never too late to recant to go back, to apologize, and to begin to live the way that we promise to live and focus on the future.

Freemasonry and Leadership

Masonry is a unique organization; our leaders have almost ultimate power with few checks and balances. The Worshipful Master is basically sovereign, and only the Grand Master can curtail his actions. Similarly, when Grand Lodge is not in Session, the Grand Master is imbued with the authority of the Grand Lodge. This being said, how do we survive under what could be a dictatorial situation? We survive because the men that we elect to these positions are dedicated to our Craft and the founding principles of our Fraternity.
Most of our leaders understand the phrase in the Installation Ceremony for the Worshipful Master that he is …” not only its leader but its greatest servant. As such you should endeavor to actually serve, not for the sake of your glory and honor, but for your lodge and brethren. First, last, and always.” The newer literature on Leadership calls this “Servant Leadership.” It seems like they have finally caught up with some of our principles.
How do we grow Servant Leaders? We start with what we have, Brother Masons. We treat them well; we give them opportunities to work within their individual skillsets, and we nurture their strengths. But we don’t stop there, we must teach them what it means to be a Servant Leader. Leadership is a learned skill; it can be taught, and we should be teaching it. We just had the 10th Annual Masonic Leadership Conference; this Grand Lodge is investing in the idea of helping Brothers become better leaders. There are some changes coming to the curriculum and format for this year’s conference, and I am excited to see how we continue to grow our leaders.
The Masonic Education and Leadership Development Commission is also working to develop Leadership training that will be available to Brethren in your Lodges and Districts. I encourage you to participate in these opportunities even if you are not currently an Officer or think you will never be an officer again. Do this for yourself, but more importantly, for your Lodge and your Brethren. Many have discussed how our current leadership training has helped them, not only within the Craft, but also in their vocations.
The only cost is your time, and it will pay dividends for the future of our fraternity.

Hele: A Misunderstood Word

[This is the first Masonic Paper I wrote. I found a copy and thought I would share it here.]

I recently listened to a podcast on the Scottish Rite website, it was an interview with S. Brent Morris, 33°, Grand Cross, the Managing Editor of The Scottish Rite Journal, and all­ around well-known Masonic scholar. Brent spoke of his early attempts at research and how it is best to start with things that you know or are interested in or that are local to you. This is my first attempt at taking his advice.

During my early years as a Mason, I tried to read and study to increase my knowledge in Freemasonry. I did not get far; work, family, college and other obligations took up my time. Lately, I have had more time to study; I have completed the Master Craftsman I Program and all of the GLofGA MELD courses. Through these studies, I have renewed my thirst for more light and knowledge and have begun studying some of the old books that I have picked up over the years.

I went through my old notes and came across an interesting tidbit that I pulled from Morals and Dogma shortly after I became a Scottish Rite Mason. It has to do with word usage and how we can often lose the true meaning of words through the years of rote memorization. In our ritual, we have the phrase, “I will always hail, forever keep and conceal, and never reveal.” In our Catechism we state, “Q: I hail, A: I conceal”. When I received my degrees and worked in my Blue Lodge, I used to think that this was a greeting. Hail, as in hello, an introduction. If you think about the phrases above, you will see that they do not make sense. Why would we say hello, then keep and conceal? The word is actually “hele” and the true meaning of the word is to tile, to conceal. Pike tells us in Morals and dogma that,

“Through ignorance and misunderstanding, the word “hail” has been interpolated with the phrase, “From where do you hail?” But the word is really “hele”, from the Anglo-Saxon verb elan (helan), to cover, hide, or conceal. And this word is rendered by the Latin verb Tegere, to cover or roof over. “That you fro me no thynge woll hele, ” says Gower. “They hele from me no pruyte,”says the Romant of the Rose.”(Pike)

The word then means that we are both saying the same thing; I hele, I conceal. We are covering, hiding, and concealing the secrets of Freemasonry.

Wicktionary defines “Hele” as: From Middle English helen, helien, from Old English helan (“to conceal, cover, hide”, strong verb) and helian (“to conceal, cover, hide”, weak verb), from Proto-Germanic *helanan (“to conceal, stash, receive stolen goods”), *haljanan (“to hull, conceal”), both from Proto-Indo-European *kel- (“to hide”). Cognate with Scots heal (“to cover, hide, conceal”), Eastern Frisian hela (“to conceal”), Dutch helen (“to conceal”), German hehlen (“to conceal”).

According to Pike in Morals and Dogma, “To heal a house is a common phrase in Sussex; and in the west of England, he that covers a house with slates is called a healer. Wherefore, to “heal” means the same thing as to “tile” – itself symbolic, as meaning, primarily, to cover a house with tiles, – and means to cover, hide, or conceal. Thus language too is symbolism, and words as much misunderstood and misused as more material symbols are.” (Pike)

Mackey’ s Encyclopedia of Freemasonry also discusses the actual meaning of Hele.

‘The curious word in the OB which is pronounced to rhyme with fail and which appears to be contradictive of the pledge of which it is a part has been in continuous use in England since the early Middle Ages. In his comments on “Notes on Some Trade Guilds at Ludlow,” in Ars Quatuor Coronatorum, Vol. XXXII., 1919, page 149 (page 14 in reprint) Canon Horsley writes:

” The old Saxon word Helyer is still in use. I asked my church warden who thatched his ricks. ‘Ahelyer from Bearsted’ (the next village), he said The helyer heles or covers the rick. A gardener heles the potato plants he earths up, and so Hell in the Apostles’ Creed is the covered place, the unseen world, the ancient conception of the world being that of a flat place with the river of ocean running round it, while above there was a hemisphere heaved up and hence called heaven, and correspondingly beneath there was the heled or covered place. Men could look up and understand something of the star-spangled arch of blue, but the reversed arch or crypt beneath was to the eyes of flesh ‘heled, concealed, and never revealed, ‘ or, as some would I suppose say, ‘hailed, concealed, and never reviled’.” (Mackey)

We could actually call our Tyler the “Heler” as it means the same thing.

This small word whose true meaning has been distorted should make us stop and consider, what else has been lost or obfuscated within our Rituals. Only a diligent study of the ancient usages can help us discover the interesting and meaningful lessons of our Masonic history.

Bibliography

Claudy, C. (1932). Introduction to Freemasonry

Mackey, Albert G., and Clegg, Robert Ingham. Encyclopedia of freemasonry. 17th ed. Chicago, IL: Masonic History Company, 1946. Print.

Pike, A. Morals and dogma of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry: prepared for the Supreme Council of the Thirty-third Degree, for the Southern Jurisdiction of the United States. Charleston, SC

The Modern Ritual Association. (1959). The Modern Ritual;

Washizu, Y. Notes on Hele. The Philalethes, pp 57-60, June 2000,

Is Masonry Truly Universal?

We are told that Freemasonry is Universal. It can be found all over the world and men of all nations can partake of the brotherhood of Speculative Freemasonry. Is it truly universal?

I have travelled to different Jurisdictions in my Army career, I have also visited different Jurisdictions in my time as a Grand Lodge Officer, and recently enjoyed two Tri-State Conventions where brethren of three states gather to confer or emulate the Degrees using their Jurisdictions’ Ritual. I also had the opportunity to visit Germania Lodge No. 46 in New Orleans, one of only 10 Lodges that are chartered as Scottish Rite Symbolic Lodges that are authorized to confer the Blue Lodge Degrees in the Scottish Rite form. Talk about different! These Brethren from the 16^th Masonic District of the Grand Lodge of Louisiana were incredible.  

              All of these have been great for fellowship and allowed me a glimpse of the work done in these States. It is fascinating to see the differences in the conduct of a Lodge meeting and the Ritual of the Degrees. I can say without hesitation that the Ritual of Freemasonry is not universal. Of course, we can’t even perform the ritual the same from Lodge to Lodge in Georgia! Uniform Work is not always so uniform. For those strict Ritualist who love the Work and feel that the words of the Ritual are the most important part of our Craft, this can be very disturbing. I can agree to a certain extent, the ritual of other Jurisdictions can sound wrong, because they do not use the exact phrases and lectures and their floorwork is way off, based on my limited perspective.

              If we focus on the phrasing of the Ritual, we can lose the meaning of the words, movements, and philosophy of the Craft. In my experience every word, movement, gesture and even how we stand in Lodge have specific meanings and lessons. Not to mention the meanings of the various symbols and working tools, each with powerful lessons and significance. But those lessons are impressively taught using different words, movements and symbols than those of which I am familiar.

What makes Freemasonry Universal is the philosophy, the underlying meaning of the words and Ritual. Even with the difference in the words spoken, or the floorwork, the lessons still come to the forefront.  The universality of masonry is in the Square, the Compass, the Altar, the Station of the Worshipful Master in the East, but more importantly, the meanings of these and other aspects of the philosophy that we are to inculcate based on the lessons taught us using the symbols of the builder.

We teach, using the tools of the builder, to square our actions towards all mankind, to use the compasses to learn and practice self-control. Our Charges are not confined to the Lodge room or with our brethren, we are to take these lessons in our interactions with all people in the outside world as well. The moral, philosophical and spiritual principles of Freemasonry are universal. They are the lessons taught by the world’s philosophies and ancient mysteries. The act of living by the square of virtue as an upright man and Mason, following the lessons of the plumb and relieving the needs of our fellow man are not unique to our Craft. However, we have kept these ideas purer, keeping out the piques and quarrels that can infest the heart of men in the profane world.

If we really consider the expansive effects of Masonry on our lives, it is easy to see that the lessons of Freemasonry are universal, regardless of the differences in Ritual. As Freemasons, we can and should use this knowledge to make ourselves and world a better place through the practice of our noble art.