Last night I had the pleasure of traveling to Milltown Lodge No. 294 F&AM in Milltown, New Jersey to see an Entered Apprentice degree put on for the first time.  The degree was excellent in its execution and it was quite an educational experience to witness the whole degree without a hoodwink on.  It also warmed my heart that there was not just one candidate, but 4, who were entered last night and  I believe I heard that this particular lodge also has another 4 candidates awaiting their EA degree as well.  It looks to me like we as a Fraternity are rounding the membership bend and are continually taking on more and more people - I have great hopes that this continues!

A big congratulations and a hearty welcome are in order for these four new brothers.  I hope your journey in Freemasonry is as rewarding and fruitful as mine has been thus far!

On my last article, The Allegories, Symbolism and Metaphors of the Entered Apprentice Degree, Brother Carter left a comment asking where I've gained my insight into Masonry thus far.  His question is as follows:

Bro, you are no ordinary [FC]. Where did you gain your insight? Looks like you did lots of studying prior to taking the journey. Do tell.

I believe that is a valid question for anyone who reads my blog to have so I will do my best to try and answer it.

The long and short of it is that I am lucky enough to have an excellent instructor who is very thoughtful and well versed in the more esoteric aspects of Masonry.  Not only do we have our regular weekly instructional sessions for the proficiency, but we also set some time aside to expand upon the teachings of the degree (for instance referring to passages in the bible which relate to the degree work).  I also do a lot of reading on my own; I read every blog I can get my hands on, I browse through the various Masonic forums daily and I've read a lot of books on Masonry. My Lodge, for instance, gives out a copy of the Claudy book corresponding to the degree being conferred that evening.  Truth be told, I read Bro. Hodapp's "Freemasons for Dummies", Bro. S. Brent Morris' "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Freemasonry", Bro. Robert's "The Craft and its Symbols" and Bro. MacNulty's "Freemasonry: Symbols, Secrets, Significance" (which, despite its title, does not reveal any of the secrets of Freemasonry) before I was even initiated as an Entered Apprentice. I'm also a musician so I tend to look for a deeper meaning within words and I contemplate very deeply on what I read.

That being said, I've been very careful not to expose myself to any of the materials which claim to expose the secrets of Freemasonry or the degree rituals (which is easier said than done with all the garbage posted on the Internet!) - I have no desire to ruin those for myself.  Every single one of those books I listed above, in addition to the others I have in my "to read" pile, are written by active Masons who honor their obligations not to reveal any of the fraternity's secrets.  I couldn't tell you a thing about the 3rd degree yet (grips, words, signs, ritual, etc) and I have made it a point not to watch the TV special which reportedly shows a Master Mason ritual being performed.

Finally, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the role my recommenders and those who signed my petition play in my Masonic pursuits.  I feel indebted to those people who went out on a limb to recommend me, signed my petition, dropped the white ball on me, participated in my degrees and who spend their time teaching me what I need to know to find light.  I don't want to let them down in any way and, in the case of my Cousin who made his final journey to the Lodge on High shortly after recommending me, I feel a duty to honor his memory by not only being a Mason in name, but by living as one too.

With the first leg of my journey into the world of Masonry now complete and after some serious contemplation of my travels thus far, I feel compelled to write about my experiences.  Since there are so many aspects to cover (esoterical, emotional, evaluative), I have decided to break this article up into its constituent pieces so each can be given due consideration.  Today I will be focusing on the Allegorical, Symbolic and Metaphorical teachings that I have learned during the EA degree from initiation through proficiency.

To an intelligent and thoughtful man, the degree of Entered Apprentice serves a much more important function that that of providing a means to an end whereby a man can be labeled a Freemason; it serves as the tool (I've come to learn that Masons love tools) through which a candidate is introduced to the mysterious and beautiful world of Freemasonry.  It is a world steeped in traditions and full of allegories, symbols and metaphors through which a man can be transformed into a Mason.  I say "can" because it is only after a deep, philosophical discussion with one's inner conscious that the teachings of the degree will be revealed - that it's not being called a Freemason which is important - it's the act of being one... It seems to me that those not willing to think long and hard about its implications are doing themselves, and Freemasonry as a whole, a disservice.

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Well, after a month of studying the EA proficiency exam materials, I proved myself and received the degree of Fellowcraft last night.  I definitely enjoyed the content of this ceremony a lot more than the one for the Entered Apprentice degree; it seemed much more informative and the inherent beauty in how the Craft uses its metaphors and allegories really blew me away - this was especially so during the journey to collect my wages.  I look forward to learning all I can about the substance of this degree in the next few months.

Greetings both Brethren and visitors alike!

It has been some time since I posted to this blog; the reasons are many but I don't dare bore you all with the details.  Suffice to say, it has been a crazy month since I was entered on October 15th, 2007 and I am now well on my way to Fellowcraft.  Needless to say for those who have gone this way before, with the date of my Fellowcraft Degree rapidly approaching (11/26/2007), I have been busy studying my Entered Apprentice proficiency under the expert tutelage of Brother Gordie from Union Lodge #19.  It has been a real challenge first learning the cipher and then committing it to memory word perfect, but truth be told, I am enjoying it very much.  After all, nothing truly worth having should ever come easy.

I am still digesting the Entered Apprentice ritual... the sights and sceneries of that night - and the emotions they conjured up - are something I will never forget.  Overwhelming and humbling all at the same time, it was definitely an experience like no other I've ever had.  What has been the net effect so far on my life?  I cant really say yet, the tools I'll need to effectively gauge what impact this journey will have on my life have not been completely developed as of now.  That being said, I hope to post my impressions of the degree soon after I turn in my proficiency and turn my eyes towards Fellowcraft.

- Scott