MasterMason

Originated by C Dalby in The New South Australian Freemason. 1970
Adapted by V.Ex.Comp. Norman McEvoy

It seems that the word has come to us from the Scottish operative masonry of long ago.

In Scotland, the word “Cowan” denoted “Dry-dyker” -a man who built walls of stones held in position by their own weight and not by mortar. As he did not use mortar or prepared stones in his trade, he was looked upon as an inferior type of artisan by the operative mason, and as such was denied admittance to a mason’s “Lodge”, which in those days probably meant a group of operative masons engaged in some building project.

So conscious were the operative masons of the need to keep cowans out, that the early Tyler’s–who, as their name suggests, were those who placed roofing tiles in position after the masons had completed the walls and the carpenters the rafters-from their lofty perch on the roof were charged with the additional task of reporting the imminent approach of cowans. This, presumably, was intended to give the masons time to band together to keep off the “cowans and intruders”.

This was pure snobbery—the cowan was probably just as skilled as the mason. Nevertheless the distinction persisted, for the records of operative masons dated 1460 speak of cowans, while it was not until 1688 that there is any record of a cowan being admitted a member of a Masons fraternity.

John Syme “an honest old man and a cowaner” was admitted to the Cannongate Lodge in that year. Over 100 years later a stone-dyker was admitted as an Entered Apprentice in the Stonehaven Lodge, which consisted of “operative masons, speculative Masons and one cowan”

Over the years the word “Cowan” seems to have undergone a change when used by our ancient brethren the operatives. Instead of referring only to “dry-dykers” it came to include:

1) those who had never served an apprenticeship to the mason trade
2) those who had not completed an apprenticeship

It would appear that operative masons, jealous of their skill and status, had far more reasons to exclude such persons as those described in (I) and (2) than the true Cowan.

Finally, what has speculative Masonry made of the Cowan??

In the early 1700’s there are records showing that the early speculatives were, if anything, more bitterly opposed to the admission of Cowans than even the operatives had been.
As early as 1738 the “Constitutions” laid down that
“no free and accepted Mason shall work with, be employed by, or teach his trade to a cowan

About this time the import of the word underwent a further change, for it came to include any person not a Brother. Before the end of the century it also applied to the “eavesdropper one who listened to conversations not intended for his ears.

The word comes from the practice of lurking between the eaves-drop (the line along which rain ran off the eaves) and the wall of the house while listening.
An old catechism speaks of a “Cowan or listener” being punished “by being placed under the eaves till the water runs in at his shoulders and out of his shoes”

So it appears that speculative Masonry has dealt more harshly with the Cowan than ever operative masons did. T­he old operatives may have excluded him because of his lack of skill and training but at least they did not use the word as we do.
We could, with justice apply it to anyone not a Freemason, but we are on much more uncertain ground when we use it as a term of reproach

There are literally thousands of miles of 3 to 4 foot high dry stone walls throughout Britain, and no doubt, further afield, some of which have been standing for a thousand years or more.

If a farmer wanted his land separated from his neighbour’s, or divided into fields, he would employ the local Cowan or dry stone wall builder to do it, because that is what a Cowan was.

The reason for the inclusion of Cowans in the Masonic ritual begins to become apparent if not entirely obvious, as both Masons and Cowans worked in stone, and although they had entirely different methods of building with the same materials, they were both art forms with similarities.

So the Cowan, like the stonemason, was an artist in his own right.

No doubt when the local Cowan had no immediate work prospects, and as he was a stone worker, or a mason of sorts, why not seek work as a stonemason where there was a church, cathedral, or castle in the course of construction.
And who can blame him, after all, like everyone else he was obliged to earn a living any way he could. =======However he was lacking in qualifications.

For instance, he didn’t serve a recognised apprenticeship.
He had never learned to cut and shape stone according to a prepared plan or drawing.
He didn’t have a registered journeyman’s mark and above all, he didn’t know the mason’s word.

So the chance of his obtaining employment at any of these places was slim at best, but obviously, it didn’t stop him from trying. His prospects of finding work as a stonemason were confounded even further around the end of the sixteenth century, when the Warden General of the Masons of Scotland, a Mr. William Schaw, introduced the first Masonic statutes or regulations governing all Scottish Masons, and at the same time, creating the first permanent Lodges in Scotland.

One of the regulations contained within the statute stated that no Mason shall work with a Cowan. Hence no Cowan was allowed on a work site where stonemasons were employed.

So the phrase “To keep off all Cowans and intruders” means literally to disbar any dry-stone wall builders or any other unqualified person from working with the stonemasons on any construction site.

This would also prevent the Cowan from joining a Mason’s Lodge.

In today’s world, with the demise of the stonemason’s trade, as well as the dry stone building work of the Cowans, in practical terms the rule doesn’t apply any more.
However, as a part of that unique teaching tool that we refer to as the ritual, it remains an essential ingredient.
And so brethren, although we have nothing to fear from Cowans, we are still going to keep them out.

Comment:
Hopefully this paper will help us all to understand The Inner Guard > when he makes his duties known.
Have a wonderful Fay & God Bless
Norm

by R. W. Bro. Garnet E. Schenk, F.C.F.
Adapted by V.W. Bro Norman McEvoy for sharing in The Educator

Something significant happens, or at least should happen for Masons when an initiate confirms in whom he puts his trust.
The response can easily be overlooked but it does have importance for all three degrees.

When we witness that response, and let it pass as mere formality, we miss part of the beauty, knowledge and understanding we as Masons are challenged to seek in this life.

The initiate is told that he is in then hands of a true and trusted friend whom he can follow with firm but humble confidence.

It is useful for each Mason to reflect upon the meaning and the implications of that statement in the larger sense.

Every man seeks answers to the fundamental questions of his existence:
What am I? Why am I here? Where am I going?

Our Masonic art guides and directs each man to know himself by providing a carefully constructed course in self-improvement, self examination, self -discovery, self-analysis, self-realization along with an understanding of his relationship with the Creator.

Of itself, Masonry does not, nor can it, make good men better, but that great work of moving from Darkness to Light must be done by the Mason striving each day to be a better man before the Deity in whom he puts his trust.

Regarding initiation as a mere ceremony may mean very little. However, in a symbolic sense initiation is really a picture of a man starting on the journey of life.

It is a journey of moving from darkness toward light through the three degrees. It is a journey from the unreal to the real, from darkness toward light and from out of the shadows of mortality into the way of life everlasting.

The candidate sets out on a mystic journey on an unseen road, traveling West to East and East to West by way of South seeking the location where truth is known and life reveals both meaning and mystery.

The journey makes him fully aware of the moral lessons contained within the lectures and how they should be used in building character and understanding and trust in the Deity.

It is a fact that from the time of our birth until the time that we pass through the valley of the shadow of death we need a guide to keep us on that path. It does not lie within man to direct his own steps on that path. Freemasonry sets out the principles along with many guideposts in its teachings. Simply, but unmistakably stated, from our first steps to the last we live and walk by Faith and not by sight. The V.O.S.L. lays out the path in clearly defined terms.

The Freemason, who understands the concept of needing guidance from a Higher Power, has arrived at the beginning of wisdom.

Man cannot find his way alone in the rough and tumble of life nor can he, as an initiate find his way in lodge without humbly trusting his guide and his mentor. He leans on his guide, he follows him and he fears no danger. Trusting his guide is a model for trusting God in whom he vows to put his trust.

Freemasonry is a moral science and it teaches that we must learn the way and the will of God, not in order to use Him for our own purposes, but to be used by him for His own ends.

The difference may seem minor at first; it is really the difference between true faith and a false faith – between religion and superstition. In Freemasonry morality occupies first place and without it Freemasonry would not be Freemasonry.

The journey out of Darkness toward the Light has a deep and abiding meaning. It offers answers to the persistent questions that are as old as creation.

What am I?   Whence come I?    Whither go I?

It tells us that the West is the symbol of this world and the East is the world of above and beyond.

The Mason properly instructed and guided learns the secret that the soul has its setting from beyond the world of sense and time and is given by the Creator to discipline and develop us.

`Our life on this earth is not a futile quest in which we are engaged but that life has meaning and purpose. Freemasonry teaches that we are guided and guarded by a Friend who knows the way and can be trusted to the end. There is the promise that we can penetrate the veil that dims our eyes. We will be able to see and hear the truth of the V.O.S.L. and the lessons contained therein when we a ready and worthy to receive it. There is a biblical injunction that tells Mason to let their light shine. The light however, will not shine unless the Mason takes the time to fill the lamps with oil.

What the candidate and/or member gets out of Freemasonry starts with his rebirth by way of initiation.

What he ends up with depends totally on himself, but the message shared with him is that he seek out & adopt the beautiful system of morality, veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbols.
If the Freemason seeks diligently he will get more out of it than he puts in – not materially but spiritually and mentally.

We all need to learn that truth again and again. It is emphasized in the ritual line by line, precept by precept, as we move around the Altar and up the winding stairs and beyond that, into the light and joy of eternal life.

The Freemason needs always to consider the summary statement by an eminent theologian,

“Remember light shines into darkness – never let the darkness remove the light.”

So when the initiate responds by saying that he puts his trust in God we rejoice with him welcome him to the Fraternity that has a true and trusted guide in this world and in the next.

Comment

Just about one hour ago, I uncovered this wonderful paper and it seems to me to be an excellent follow-up to my previous paper on Prayer.
As I am sure you all are aware, the majority of papers being shared with you have been previously shared with me, and, in this case, as with many, the timing is perfect.
Have a wonderful Day & God Bless

Norm

by R.W. Bro. Garnet E. Schenk
The Committee on Masonic Education [GLCPOO] December 2008

Prayer is an important part of the ritual in the Craft. The opening and closing of the degrees and ceremonies invoke prayer and guidance from God, the “Great Architect of the Universe.

Beginning with an examination of the earliest Manuscripts of “Old Charges”, the Regis Poem Manuscript of 1390 A.D., shows that all lodge activities were begun with prayer to God.

Prayer is considered by Masons as being an important and integral part of the Order. The Universality of Prayer in Freemasonry can best be expressed in its acceptance of a principle as that “in which all good men agree.” The initiate is required to profess a belief in a Supreme Being who is the Creator, Maker and Sovereign over us all.

Masons are taught from the very beginning not to start any enterprise without first invoking the guidance of the Deity.

On entering the Lodge the initiate is asked “In whom do you put your Trust?” The reply forms the foundation of belief in the one True God. The affirmation of that belief inspires within the Mason the spontaneous praise, thanksgiving and honour for the maker and giver of life.

The need for prayer is further affirmed for the E.A. when he is presented with the Working Tools of the degree. He is taught the moral interpretation of the 24-inch gauge and that he should apportion a part of each day Prayer, Labour, Refreshment and Sleep.

Thus he is encouraged to bring balance to his life and honour to his God by opening the day with prayer. It is significant to observe the order in which the explanation of the 24-inch gauge is given; prayer is stressed as the first requirement.

What is Prayer?

It has been described as a petition or solemn or humble request to God for His blessing or thanksgiving. It is a communication between man and God and is a means by which man can coordinate his mind with the will of God.

Prayer is universal because it speaks to some basic human need. As Thomas Merton put it,

“Prayer is an expression of who we are. We are living incompleteness. We are a gap, an emptiness that calls for fulfillment.”

Merton’s thoughts on prayer fit into the Masonic Philosophy of making good men better.

Prayer in Lodge raises the sights above the petty circumstances of life and affords a glimpse of that lofty perspective. Prayer is a declaration of dependence on God. It brings together the mind of man and the divine Spirit giving confidence to the suppliant that his petition for Divine Guidance will be granted. It creates reason and logical thinking within the petitioner.

The Ancient Hebrews exercised a “dialogue” with Jehovah whose “ineffable name” could be pronounced only by letters or syllables.

It is the Mason’s duty to continue that “dialogue” as a response to the moral imperative set forth by the 24-inch gauge. The main purpose of prayer in the Lodge is not to make life easier, nor gain magic powers, but to get to know God “in whom we put our trust”.

The early Masonic Fathers were sincere men of faith and dedicated the Fraternity to the moral and spiritual improvement of mankind. The ceremonies that they developed contained moral lessons that were intended to enhance the spiritual improvement of candidates and the brethren. The ceremonies contained in the modern rituals of our Grand Lodge are intended to foster that spiritual improvement. Freemasonry is not a religion, nor is it a substitute for religion. We are joined together in pursuit of universal brotherhood- recognizing the Fatherhood of God and the Brotherhood of Man. All Masons acknowledge the Supreme Being that imposes order on the Universe. The use of Scripture illustrates the fact that God-fearing men practice our gentle craft. Our ritual clearly demonstrates the extent to which Freemasonry places its dependence on God and the efficacy of prayer.

Freemasons, as builders of character, work on the inner man to polish and refine the raw material. The lodge is a quiet place conducive to reflection and introspection.

The lectures, charges and prayers of the several degrees are intended to assist a man to contemplate the deeper meaning of life and to ponder his place and purpose in it.

To think seriously about the eternal

Why am I here?

Where did I come from?

What am I doing here?

And where do I go from here?

When a man puts the timeless precepts and time honoured principles of Freemasonry into practice the world will indeed be a better place. His prayers will have been answered.

Freemasonry’s attitude toward things spiritual is an important part of our belief in the Supreme Being and in the future life. Masons believe that at the time of death the soul returns to God who gave it. Freemasons are bound by the “eternal truths” contained in the Volume of the Sacred Law and those sacred truths are given to us to govern the rules of life and conduct.

References, therefore, in the rituals of the Masonic Degrees to the omnipotence of God impresses upon the candidates and the brethren the power of prayer in Masonic Work.

God is not the Great I Was, but the Great I am.

In Him we live move and have our being. He speaks to us in nature, in the moral law, and in our own hearts, if we have ears to hear. He speaks most clearly in the V.O.S.L. which lies open on our Altar.

Every prayer in the ritual has a purpose and has an appeal to the Deity for direction and guidance. It is necessary not just to learn the prayers by rote but to reflect on them and think about their meaning for the life a Mason.

The place of prayer in Masonry is not perfunctory. It is not a mere matter of form and note. It is vital and profound. It is truly a great prayer when we join in and place ourselves in the very hands of God, as all must do in the end, trusting His Will and way, where there is no path into the soft and fascinating darkness which men call death. The response of the Lodge to that prayer, as to all others offered at its Altar, is the old challenging phrase “So Mote It Be.”

Comment 

What an incredibly wonderful paper in that it speaks to each and every Freemason in the World irrespective of his religious denomination.

Many of readers, will know that my publication “A Journey to the Spirit” does not speak or refer to any denomination but recognizes that each and every one of us is on our own Personal Spiritual Journey.

I feel honoured and privileged to be able to share this with you.

Have a Wonderful Day & God Bless

Norm

written by: William Herbert “Skip” Boyer, 32°

Business as usual, especially for organizations such as ours, is not only unacceptable, it is suicidal.

At this 2002 Scottish Rite Leadership Conference, I am reminded of Bro. Mark Twain at the celebration of his 70th birthday. It was a remarkable celebration-a glittering, black-tie dinner at the legendary Delmonico’s in New York on December 5, 1905. The great writer stood up, lit a cigar, and said, “I have achieved my 70 years in the usual way – by sticking strictly to a scheme of life which would kill anybody else. I will offer here, a sound maxim: we can’t reach old age by another man’s road. My habits protect my life but they would assassinate you.”

With that advice ringing in our ears, please allow me to offer some suggestions on time, service, and leadership. These suggestions may or may not assassinate you, so please handle with care.

When he was coaching the number-one-ranked Irish of Notre Dame, Lou Holtz once noted, “We’re not number one. We’re trying to stay number one.” There is a difference. Complacency turns number-one teams into also-rans. And it doesn’t take much to become complacent. In fact, it’s downright easy. Let me remind you of some folks who did.

• • Pan Am or TWA once were the only way to fly.
  • Your mother used to shop at Montgomery Wards.
  • Schlitz was the best-selling premium beer in America.
  • Chevrolet was the number-one car in America.
  • Railroads were once the only way to handle long-distance travel.

Of the 100 largest companies in the United States in 1900, only 16 are identifiable today. During the 1980s, a total of 230 companies-46 percent-disappeared from the Fortune 500. And that doesn’t even touch what happened to the dot.coms in the last couple of years.

Lest you think this only applies to the world of business and products, when was the last time you heard much about the Foresters of America, Patrons of Husbandry, Woodmen of the World, Ancient Order of United Workmen, and United Order of Mechanics?

What happened to them? It is simplistic to suggest there was only one cause for the erosion of great brands and powerful civic and social organizations. Clearly, there are many reasons. Let me suggest just one or two.

In part, it was an eye problem.

One of my staff was late the other morning, and I queried her about it. She told me she had an eye problem. She just couldn’t see coming to work. The eye problem facing us is a bit broader in scope and deals with the essential concept of vision.

Bill Keene’s “Family Circus” is one of the world’s most beloved newspaper comics. Each day, the artist explores the joys and challenges of family life and, on occasion, teaches a few basic lessons along the way. Recently, the cartoon featured small son Billy peering intently at a long, single-file line of ants stretching down the sidewalk. “That first ant better know where he’s going,” he observed to his sister.

How’s that for a basic lesson in leadership?

Keene comes straight to the point. Leadership, like any journey, begins with a destination. Where do you want to go? Or where do you want to be? That’s the real point. It’s not important where we are right now-it’s important where we are going.

A couple of years ago, I examined part of this concept in the Scottish Rite Journal. Perhaps you remember the article “The Leadership Secrets of the Cheshire Cat.” If you remember Alice in Wonderland, you know that her problems stemmed from a lack of visionary leadership in Wonderland.

First, she followed a white rabbit that was more interested in time management than real leadership. Managers who are like Wonderland’s white rabbit are usually so worried about the appearance of things-the ritual of it all-that they forget what it was they were trying to accomplish. Alice followed the rabbit with his large pocket watch and ended up in a deep hole, which is usually the way that sort of thing works out.

Then she met a caterpillar who may or may not have been on controlled substances and who suggested that she could solve her problems by trying a bit of the magic mushroom. It was the latest trendy thing to do. Try it! Everyone else is. So, she did, and the next thing she knew, she was too big for her shoes and frightened everyone around her. Then she tried another trendy solution, and suddenly she was too small to accomplish much of anything. And when she turned to ask the caterpillar just what the devil was going on, he-like many a good consultant or Past Master-had already left town.

The high point of her day came when she met the Cheshire Cat. She found him perched in a tree at a crossroads-right about where we of the Scottish Rite are standing today.

• “Which road should I take?” she asked the cat.
• “Where do you want to get to?” the cat asked helpfully.
• “I don’t know,” admitted Alice.
• “Then,” advised the cat, “any road will take you there.”

The cat’s message is one for us. If we don’t have the vision to see where we’re going, it doesn’t make any difference how we get there. If we don’t have the vision and the willingness to plan, it doesn’t matter what we do. And perhaps the most important point of all: if we don’t have the vision to lead, then who will?

Incidentally, being a visionary leader-looking for a better way-is no longer an option. Business as usual, especially for organizations like ours, is not only unacceptable, it is suicidal.

We must recognize that everything is changing, from the men who have yet to knock at our door to the very environment in which we compete. And make no mistake about it, we are competing, just like any other major corporation. The measure of competitive success today isn’t market share or consumer demand or even money. It’s time. Time is the currency of today’s generation, and we are most certainly in competition for it.

I wish you could meet my son. He’s a fine young man, age 28. He earned a college degree in advertising and is busily pursuing his career in Los Angeles, where he married the prettiest girl in town, and she’s even brighter than he is.

He heads west coast advertising for Tennis magazine and a couple of other publications, as well. His life, with a young bride, a career in the fast lane, good money, etc., is a whirlwind, and he loves it.

I have hopes he will knock at our door, sooner rather than later. He would be a sixth generation Master Mason, if and when he does. But what will attract him? What can we offer that will make him part with the only commodity that is really in short supply in his life and the lives of his generation-time? The emergence of time as the fundamental currency of a generation is a significant change. It was not so in the days of our fathers and grandfathers.

Relatively speaking, the days of ragtime and the great strength of organizations such as ours were much less complicated. Today, for example, nearly 100% of our frequent travelers have a cellular telephone, 85% have a personal computer, and over 50% are surfing the Internet a number of times each week. Grandpa didn’t have to reckon with AOL.

Please do not underestimate the impact of this most basic of changes. The search for time is restructuring entire industries, including my own, the travel and tourism business.

To fully understand this change and respond to it requires leaders with real vision and an intuitive understanding of what is important to men in our environment today.

There is something else inherent in the word vision. By its very definition, it means motion, a pattern of movement from one place to another, from one level to another. The greatest enemy of vision is the status quo. We talked about that a moment ago. We called it complacency. Incidentally, this is an especially sensitive point in an organizations like ours, built on a foundation of rock-solid tradition. However, if you are satisfied with where you are, you aren’t dreaming about where you can be. You’ve already reached your destination. That’s the first step to failure and oblivion.

Here’s an interesting point: as times change, established leaders are often those most blinded by their past successes. I mentioned a few companies that used to own their markets. Let’s go back a bit further and see what happens when you exchange a vision of the future for the status quo of the moment.

Did you know, for example, that none of the companies that dominated the thriving ice-harvesting market in the Nineteenth Century converted to the refrigeration business?

One of my first jobs while still in high school was working for the railroad. I worked on passenger trains, and you could go almost anywhere in America by train. Today, I live in Phoenix, the seventh largest city in the United States, and there is no rail service. And what’s left of the greatest passenger rail network in the world, Amtrak, is high-balling towards extinction.

The giant retailer Sears almost didn’t make it into this century because it didn’t pay attention to changes in who was doing the shopping in America. “Come see the softer side of Sears” was the company’s nearly last-minute answer as they sought to appeal to women shoppers. Of course, we’ve seen what happened to Montgomery Ward, and the jury is still out on K-Mart.

One of the most beloved CEOs in the country has been Herb Kelleher at Southwest Airlines, an industry not renowned for beloved CEOs. Herb wrote a letter to his staff a few years ago. In part, here’s what he said: “We must not let success breed complacency, cockiness, greediness, laziness, indifference, preoccupation with non-essentials, bureaucracy, hierarchy, quarrelsomeness, or obliviousness to threats posed by the outside world. A company is never more vulnerable than when it’s at the height of its success.” How clear is that? The status quo is deadly, whether it’s a single Lodge or a major airline. Of course, it’s also the easy, short-term way out. Just walk away from the situation and shake your heads. After all, it’s “just the way things are.”

Earlier, I highlighted a few great company names that had, perhaps, lost their focus and vision. It’s only fair now to point out a few that did not.

Southwest Airlines: The only consistently profitable major airline in the U.S. For every one of the past 27 years (since 1973), it has employee turnover rates of 4% to 5%, in an industry where double those rates are typical. In the notoriously cyclical airline business, Southwest has never had a layoff. With the lowest ticket prices, the company still ranks at the top in customer service and safety.

Cisco Systems: Whose employee turnover runs less than 10% although it is headquartered in Silicon Valley where turnover averages 25% to 30%. Not only does every employee carry the company values embossed on an ID badge, but all bonuses are dependent on meeting customer satisfaction goals.

MBNA: The only credit card company that believes customer retention is so important that it reports the statistic in its annual report. The company retains 97% of its profitable customers. Did you catch the common thread running through those success stories? Customer service, customer retention, customer loyalty. I work for a hotel company-the biggest in the world. And we know people vote with their feet. They like you, they walk in. They don’t like you, they walk down the street. That applies to just about every human endeavor.

Now let me return to that concept of time we discussed earlier and offer one more very graphic and timely example of vision and change and impact for your consideration. Thirty-five years ago, if someone asked you what nation dominated the world watch-making industry, what would you have said? The likely answer is Switzerland. The Swiss made the best watches in the world, and they were constantly improving them. They invented the minute hand and the second hand. They discovered better ways to make the gears, the bearings, and the mainsprings. They were on the cutting edge of waterproofing. They were constant innovators.

By 1968, they had done so well that they had more than 65 percent of the world market in watch sales and more than 80 percent of the profits. By 1980, however, their market share dropped from 65% to less than 10%. Can you guess why? They ran into something new. Mechanical watches gave way to electronics. Everything they were good at-gears, bearings, springs-was suddenly irrelevant.

Between 1979 and 1981, 50,000 of the 62,000 watchmakers in Switzerland lost their jobs. For a nation as small as Switzerland, it was a catastrophe. For another nation, however, it was the opportunity of a lifetime. Japan, which had less than one percent of the watch market in 1968, was in the middle of developing a world-class electronics technology. The electronic quartz watch was a natural. Seiko led the change and gained 33% percent of the market and the profits.

Seiko’s success was short-lived. The Swiss soon came up with a new idea of their own-the Swatch, a simple little thing with only 51 components and a thousand different looks. Launched in 1983, Swatch is the largest watchmaker in the world today. It owns the marketplace. If you doubt me, ask your kids-or look at their wrists.

My Brothers, listen carefully. Do you hear something ticking steadily in the background? It’s the heartbeat of a generation, a generation that knows the fastest fast-food drive-through is Wendy’s at 2:11 minutes and the slowest is Steak ‘n Shake at over five minutes and that bases its meal habits on that information.

The ticking you hear is the constant reminder that each second is important, each moment different and constantly changing. It’s a reminder that time and our environment, like my young son and the needs of his generation, are continually evolving.

If you don’t hear these things, you’re not listening with an attentive ear. And if you’re not listening, the very best time for our beloved Rite may already be ticking away forever.

Comment:
I have read this paper many times over and from my experience I am unable to identify a single mistake if we were in the BUSINESS WORLD
That World is a very busy place and, those who STOP to smell the roses are very frequently left behind.

Freemasonry to me is “A Way of Life “and as relevant today as it was at its beginnings & possibly even more so.

In my opinion, our Fraternity, the World Over, shares with its brethren a “Way of Life”
that provides each and every one of us with a GUIDE to attain acceptance to the GLA.

Have a wonderful Day & God Bless
Norm

A PATH THROUGH LIFE

By: W. Bro. C. B. Lawless, P.S.G.D. – U.G.L.E.
P.M. Albion 196 and Union 7551 English Constitution Member Brant 663 & Lodge Pelican 1750 S.C.

Having taken the 3rd or Master Mason’s Degree, a Mason has completed the Trilogy of degrees which marks the progress he has made in the science. It is appropriate that a Master Mason review in his mind the three degrees through which he has passed and how they relate to him as a person.

When we joined Freemasonry we were told that it is a beautiful system of morality, veiled in allegory, and illustrated by symbols. As we pass through our three degrees in Craft Masonry, we are instructed in many aspects of these truths as they are revealed, in our ceremonies. However it is left for the individual Mason to seek out for himself some of the parallels between our Masonic journey and our daily lives.

The three degrees in Masonry are a guide and inspiration to us as men of honour and goodwill. They provide signposts in our journey through life, and are depicted in the Tracing Boards of each of the degrees if you know where to look for them.

Intrinsically, each of us who is a Mason is a good man. Our system ensures that this is so. Being human, we sometimes do make mistakes, but the number of these mistakes is negligible, and the system ensures that they are corrected, or correct themselves, long before they can do any harm to our Order.

Having selected a good man, he may be regarded as a rough ashlar of good quality stone fit for the hands of the expert workman. So we start him on his Masonic journey by initiating him into our Order.

We immediately tell him of the high standards we expect of him in his conduct as a man and a Mason. So, in the First Degree we let him know that Masonry expects him to exemplify moral truth and virtue in his daily life.

Proceeding onward, in the Second Degree he learns that he is expected to extend his endeavours to better apply the excellent qualities of moral truth and virtue into the hidden mysteries of nature and science. He is presented with a symbolical obstacle in the form of a winding staircase which he has to climb to receive his reward. Ostensibly he is climbing the stair to receive his wages. However, when he is in the place where his wages are to be paid, his attention is peculiarly drawn to certain Hebrew characters, denoting G.., the G.G.O.T.U.

The real moral lesson of the Second Degree is to impress upon the candidate an awareness of God, and that He is the One to Whom we must all submit, and Whom we ought humbly to adore.

And so we come to the Third Degree. Our further progress in Masonry and through life is depicted in the symbols of the 3rd Degree Tracing Board.

Having been exhorted in the 1st Degree to be good men and true, and in the 2nd Degree being reminded of the important part God must play in our passage through life, we now come in the 3rd Degree to traverse the mosaic or chequered pavement representing our passage through life.

The chequered squares of black and white represent the ups and downs of our daily lives. When we have reached the end of the chequered pavement, we have reached the end of our mortal lives and stand at the Gateway of Death.

When we pass through the Gateway into the Sanctum Sanctorum, we stand in the Court of Life, bathed with the full revelation of Divine Truth emanating from the Dormer.

This allegory is valid whatever the personal spiritual belief of the Mason may be, for all major Faiths believe in a life after death.

Comment

I see this paper as being succinct & to the point making it exceptional especially to the newly made Master Mason.

Having said that I would gladly recommend that it be added to whatever material is shared with the brother as he commences his Personal Journey,

Have a wonderful Day & God Bless

Norm

INTRODUCTION

• Brethren, medieval city dwellers lived in the shadow of the greatest manmade structures of their time; the soaring Gothic cathedrals that still fill us with wonder today. This talk is about the masons who built them and the tangible reminders of their working lives to be found in a modern speculative lodge.
• Later historians would portray the middle ages as crude and uncivilised; but in fact there were many advances in learning and despite the famine and plague of the 14^th century it was generally a period of growing prosperity and stability. The population grew, commerce flourished and the church became increasingly powerful, by 1300 owning nearly a third of England’s landed wealth.
• The resulting building boom demanded well constructed aesthetically pleasing structures, not the crude utilitarianism of the previous millennium. The biggest commissions still came from royalty or clergy; but public bodies and wealthy individuals also began to instigate projects, not just churches but all types of municipal and private works. The cathedrals are the undoubted gems of this new era, but there were also great monasteries, castles and bridges.

THE MASTER MASON

• This period encompasses the evolution of Gothic architecture; a technically demanding style that prompted both new construction techniques and the rediscovery of ancient skills. Masons had been regarded as crude artisans, but those with the necessary technical and organisational abilities now took on the role of both lead contractor and architect.
• They were called master masons; but unlike our generic degree this was a special distinction, as in addition to managing the masons they would prepare designs, solve technical problems, and liaise with other crafts and suppliers. On larger projects the master mason would appoint under-masters or wardens to supervise the working masons and a clerk of works might take on administrative tasks, such as bookkeeping. This could free the master mason to run more than one project and visit other sites to give advice or gather new ideas.

WORKING MASONS

• Trained masons other than masters were called fellows. The designation of freemason first appears in the early 14^th century; despite later connotations it was probably a contraction of the term freestone mason, freestone was the best stone for carving so was worked by the more skilled masons. Masons learnt their skills in the quarries, on site and in the lodge; often these were passed down through families, formal apprenticeships are first recorded in the late 14^th
• The most skilled working masons were the stone hewers and carvers; the best might become imaginators, the medieval name for sculptors. Less skilled were the stone layers or setters; and the rough masons who built walls and worked alongside the quarrymen cutting the stone into rough blocks.
• The work was hard and dangerous, many were injured by falls from scaffolding and they constantly breathed in stone dust, a metre thick layer was recently excavated from the medieval masons’ yard at Wells Cathedral. Pensions are recorded for master masons, but most masons had to rely upon charity if they could not work; our almoner’s jewel depicts a medieval scrip purse.

HOURS & WAGES

• Many masons were journeymen, moving between sites as required. They worked a 6 or 5½ day week, a normal working day was from sunrise to sunset with breaks for refreshment and an afternoon rest; our opening and closing ceremonies still refer to the rising and setting sun. They had no annual holidays as such; but could have up to 40 often unpaid days off for religious festivals, when they might feast together at festive boards. In winter most outdoor work had to stop, so many masons were laid off; those kept on worked in the lodge or other sheltered areas, but the days being shorter their wages were cut.

• A working mason’s earnings depended upon his skill and output; some were paid on a piecework basis and we can still find the identifying marks they cut on stones. In the mid 14^th century the average wage for a skilled working mason was about 5 pence a day; at that time a butcher or baker made about 3 pence a day. Masons were often paid wages and bonuses in kind such as accommodation, food or clothing; working masons might be given gloves or aprons but the master mason would get a fur lined robe.
• Master masons were paid considerably more than other masons; the best were on a par with educated lawyers and physicians, a few even became master masons to the King. Increasingly from the late 13^th century they were employed under contracts; these could include the supply of labour and materials, as well as penalties for failure.

THE LODGE

• The lodge was a temporary shelter erected at quarries and building sites where masons could work, eat and rest; the master or his warden would knock on the lodge door to call them from refreshment to labour. The masons associated with each lodge were themselves collectively called the lodge and no doubt they often gathered around a work bench to eat or talk; just as the early Speculative Masons gathered around tables in their lodges, our pedestals were a much later innovation.
• Devastating famines and plagues in the 14^th century, coupled with rising taxation, triggered increasing unrest between the ruling aristocracy, the middle classes, and a growing number of wage earners not reliant upon feudalism. These social and economic tensions may have spurred masons to become better organised; with some well established lodges adopting written charges or constitutions. Two early 15^th century charges survive, the Regius and Cooke manuscripts, both were probably written or copied for lodges by ecclesiastical employers.
• In addition to trade regulations the charges also gave guidance on manners, morals and religious duties. However, most notable for us are the legendary histories they provided for the craft; these drew upon many sources and may have included some pre-existing Masonic folklore. These charges were read aloud to masons before they took an oath to obey them and guard each other’s secrets; such oaths are recorded at York in the 1370s. Our modern book of constitutions still opens with a summary of the Antient Charges, that is read aloud to every master elect prior to his obligation.

• The medieval charges and wage statutes do refer to general assembly’s of masons, but it seems unlikely that working masons would have travelled far to attend such gatherings. Indeed there is no direct evidence that they took place or for that level of Masonic association having existed; although journeymen masons did provide informal links between lodges.
• Nor as a rule did medieval masons form their own guilds; even though guilds would later have a major influence on Speculative Masonry. Medieval masons were generally wage earners, and moved around too much to become part of the urban commercial world of the trade and craft guilds. The exceptions were in cities where a number of masons did become resident; as in London where there was a Masons’ Company in the mid 14^th

CLOTHING

• Most working masons wore long leather aprons over their everyday tunics. The more skilled may have left the apron bib or flap down to show that they did not do the rough tasks requiring its protection; in some speculative lodges today Entered Apprentices still wear their apron flap up. Some masons wore gauntleted gloves, usually as protection from the lime mortar they used; made from un-dyed skins they were naturally whitish in colour. Medieval carvings and illustrations also show many masons wearing hoods or skull-caps at work, in summer some employers provided them with straw hats.

• Our speculative forebears adopted as their badge the operative’s plain leather apron and also wore white gauntleted gloves. However, over the years our aprons have become smaller and, apart from the Entered Apprentices’, have been adorned with ribbons, rosettes and badges. We do still wear plain white gloves, but only the principal officers’ are gauntleted by embroidered cuffs.

MYSTERIOUS SECRETS

• To medieval writers the word ‘mystery’ also meant a calling or skill, not just that something was inexplicable. The special skills or mystery of a master mason were certainly beyond the understanding of most men, but the better educated could discern the underlying geometrical principles. The 13^th century Archbishop Robert Kilwardby wrote
• ‘does not geometry teach how to measure every dimension, through which carpenters and stoneworkers work’?
• Indeed the actual title of the Masonic Charge we call the Regius manuscript is ‘The Constitutions of the Art of Geometry According to Euclid’;
• whose 47^th proposition is our Past Master’s jewel.
• However, few operative masons would have studied theoretical geometry or mathematics; most learnt their skills from other masons and empirically. Nor did they study structural engineering; initially they had relied solely upon the inherent stability of well fitted stone blocks in compression, but as they gained experience with increasingly complex designs they learnt to build in safeguards, such as flying buttresses and tie bars. Even so vaults did crack and towers collapse, often due to inadequate foundations.

• Their patrons may have been classically educated and have seen Muslim or Byzantine architecture, but the designs of the early master masons derived mostly from local traditions and skills. New ideas spread and develop more quickly when both patrons and masons began to travel more; as in 1175 when William of Sens became master mason at Canterbury Cathedral and brought from France the Early Gothic style that combined high pointed arches, rib vaulting and large windows. Developing increasingly ornate features, such as tracery and fan vaulting, the Gothic styles would become the embodiment of the medieval masons’ skill.

• Patrons would first outline their requirements to the master mason, who might then prepare studio drawings of the key features; sometimes these were coloured to show how the stonework would be painted. High status medieval buildings were extensively painted, the plastered walls being covered with decorative motifs or elaborate devotional themes.

• The design approved working drawings or tracings were prepared, from these wooden templates known as ‘moldes’ could be made to guide the working masons. The working drawings rarely survived, as most were incised on plaster covered floors or wooden tracing boards. The latter possibly gave their name to the boards our masters are charged to draw designs upon; some modern stonemasons still use whitewashed boards.
• The drawings employed a technique we call constructive geometry; that uses simple squares, triangles, polygons and circles to define more complex shapes. They did not have scales, but could provide proportional ratios for each dimension relative to a set baseline; such as a bay width. Although experienced master masons would have known many of the required ratios without recourse to drawings.
• The drawings were two dimensional, but different sections and elevations were sometimes superimposed on one drawing. Master masons also had techniques for taking elevations from simple ground plans; such as drawing projecting arcs to determine the curvature of a vaulted ceiling, a Masonic secret that literally involved finding a P. within a circle.

• Masons like other craftsmen would have been reticent about sharing their special know-how with outsiders, but there is no evidence of any esoteric secrets or rituals. Some urban masons did take part in religious pageants called mystery or miracle plays and these have been likened to our rituals, but they were public performances and not specifically Masonic.
• Speculative masons would adopt the charges, legendary history and many trappings of the medieval mason; but our rituals, secret signs, grips and passwords derive from other periods and sources. Whilst speculative lodges needed such modes of recognition, a medieval mason’s operative skills were easily tested. That said, it was intriguing to recently hear a modern stonemason say he could identify other stonemasons by the ‘thick thumb’ they develop from holding a chisel.

WORKING TOOLS

• Since ancient times writers have used tools such as plumb lines and squares symbolically; some medieval religious texts depicted God as an architect with a pair of compasses. However, there is no evidence that medieval masons ever moralized upon their tools and the first records of speculative masons doing so do not appear until the 18^th

• Operative masons used many different tools; the disposable ones such as chisels were often provided for them but they probably kept their own squares and compasses. We allocate just three tools to each degree, the first set relevant to labour, the second to testing the stone and the third to design. Let’s now consider these, but in their original forms not our stylized versions.
• A medieval mason’s wooden rule or straight edge did not fold and was not necessarily 24″ long; they also used much longer measuring staffs and lines. Standard linear measures were not fixed by law until 1340. They varied regionally and could even be site specific. Masons drew with a metal stylus called a lead point, although drawings might afterwards be inked or coloured in. A medieval pencil was a fine brush used by painters; graphite for the type of pencils we know was not discovered until the 1560s.
• Their squares and compasses were usually much larger than our symbolic versions; being used not just to prepare drawings but also to mark out ground plans, scribe templates and test stones. Iron squares are recorded but most were made of wood, often old cask staves were used; they usually had arms of unequal length, which might be fitted to a curved guide to facilitate their use.
• When marking out ground plans they used reels, very like our skirrets, to feed out the line. These are pictured in medieval documents but not named; the term skirret was not used for such tools until the early 19^th century and then only in a speculative context.
• Operative masons used a variety of hammers and mauls. The dictionary defines a gavel as a setting maul, but our rituals describe it as the scappling hammer or axe masons used to prepare the rough stone; mallets not gavels were used to strike the chisels. Increasingly from the 12^th century steel tipped chisels would replace axes as the chief tool for dressing and carving stone.
• Plumb lines and bobs were an essential tool of the medieval mason; some speculative lodges today have them as an extra working tool. Medieval masons used them not only as simple plumb lines, but also mounted on straight edges or in wooden frames to form levels and plumb rules.

THE BUILDING SITE

• Living and working accommodation had to be arranged for a sometimes large workforce; such as when craftsmen were impressed to work on royal projects. At Harlech Castle in 1286 there were 227 masons, 115 quarrymen, 30 smiths, 22 carpenters, and 546 general workmen or labourers; although just 4 clerks to do the paperwork.

• Organising the supply and carriage of building materials was a major task. The master mason had to find quarries with the right stone, as well as ensuring supplies of other materials such as timber and lead; the works at Vale Royal Abbey between 1278 and 1280 needed 35,000 cartloads of stone!

• Construction started with marking out the foundations; at Vale Royal Abbey in 1277 the ledgers record the levelling of ‘a place on which the ground plan of the monastery was to be traced’. Using measuring poles, frames, chalk lines and constructive geometry the plan was marked out in the soil or with pegged ropes. The first speculative masons drew simple ground plans on their meeting room floors, and our tracing boards developed from those drawings. The corner tassels depicted on the 1^st Degree board, and some lodge carpets, may represent rope ends; and the chequered lodge floor itself could be a grid for plotting designs.
• Churches were usually orientated east-west and when possible construction commenced in the east, but the foundation stone was not always laid in the NE corner. A rectangular mason’s lodge erected alongside such works would also lie east-west; just as we deem our lodges to do. This orientation also maximised the daylight coming into the lodge, medieval masons rarely worked by candlelight; our Junior Warden sitting midway along the south wall would also enjoy the most daylight were our lodges open sided.

• The master mason provided measurements, patterns and templates for the hewers at the quarry and on site; who used them to work the stone into rectangular blocks called ashlars and other basic shapes. In our lodges we display both a rough unfinished and a smooth or perfect ashlar; our early ritualists possibly confused perfect with perpend or perpent, which were ashlars dressed on two faces as they would be visible both sides of a wall.
• When carving more elaborate features the masons were guided by full sized drawings incised on plaster tracing floors; such floors have survived at York Minster and Wells Cathedral. The drawings could be very complex; to draw the east window tracery for Carlisle Cathedral arcs must have been scribed from 263 different centres. Measurements could be taken from these drawings or the stones tested directly upon them, each stone being marked to show its intended location. Drawings might also be scratched on a convenient flat surface near the feature being constructed; these were later covered over but a 13^th century example is now visible by a rose window in Byland Abbey.

• Carpenters erected hoists and scaffolding for the masons, including timber frameworks called centring to support the arches and vaults during construction. Scaffolding rose from the ground or rested upon the rising building itself, ‘putlog’ holes being left in the walls for that purpose; masons reached these working platforms by ramps and ladders, or using the spiral staircases and passages being built into the walls. Jacob’s ladder and a winding staircase both figure in our ritual, a few lodge rooms even have wooden representations of them. We usually depict the staircase as curved not spiral, but Josephus the 1^st century AD historian said that the original in King Solomon’s temple was built into the thickness of a wall.
• Materials were carried or lifted into place using just manpower; several tread mill hoists still survive, including one at Canterbury Cathedral. Our smooth ashlar usually sits beneath a simple tripod hoist, with ropes attached to a hole in its top face by an iron cramp called a lewis. Lewis holes are found in Roman and Saxon masonry, but medieval masons more often used slings or metal scissor clamps that fitted over the stone; modern operatives call this an external lewis.
• Using trowels and heavy mauls, both found in our lodges, the layers bedded the stones in mortar; whilst testing them with levels and plumb lines. Structural cavities were filled with mortared rubble and where necessary the masonry was reinforced with dowels, metal clamps or tie bars; sometimes molten lead was also used to strengthen joints.

• Even with a large workforce a project could take many years to complete, especially if funds ran out or a patron died. Typically it took 40 to 60 years to complete the main body of a cathedral, but a tower or elaborate west front might take much longer; work progressed in stages, so that completed sections could be brought into early use.

CONCLUSION

• The golden age of the operative mason drew to a close in the 16^th century, as brick became more popular, ecclesiastical building declined, and the number of specialist contractors grew. Also architectural design was ceasing to be a predominantly operative role; as a classical revival and sophisticated new drawing techniques were changing it to a scholarly profession.
• In fact Gothic architecture came to be regarded as monstrous and barbaric.
• Than being the case, our speculative forebears chose to concentrate on classical architecture. Happily a few medieval Gothic masterpieces have survived, so we can continue to, as did King Solomon, ‘Oh Wonderful Masons!’

The above talk was taken from a booklet A Medley of Masonic Talks by Brother Clive R. Moore of Kent England, and shared with us me by:- R.W. Bro. Robert Taylor Retired Librarian Sidney Australia

Comment 

As Freemasons, and others who may be reading this paper, surely we must wonder at times,

WHY           do we do the things we do.???

WHERE      did all this gobble de gook stuff come from & is it really necessary?

Fortunately there have been & continue to be brothers, such as Clive Moore, who write and share papers such as this.

Personally, I am delighted that he did, because, even after my 63 years in the Craft, I find I am continuing to learn and getting an even better understanding of Who & What I represent as a Master Mason and the history of where & HOW this all came about.

Brethren ===

Who & What are we ?????

We are more than a club where the members wear funny looking aprons and stuff.

We are among the largest benefactors in the World.

As this paper shares our ROOTS are very deep, and we need to be PROUD of who and what we are and not only WHAT we do.

Have a wonderful Day & God Bless

Norm