Brother: Coach, I
have a quick question for you.
Coach: Sure, fire away.
Coach: Sure, fire away.
Brother: What’s
your thought on the time spent as an Apprentice?
Coach: Why do you ask?
Coach: Why do you ask?
Brother: I’ve noticed some (if not most) lodges allow their
Apprentices to be passed and raised within a very short time (3 meetings in
each degree), where some, like my own, you must spend a minimum of nine
meetings (not including your communications where you are entered or passed.)
and only when the Master deems you fit may you be passed or raised. Any
thoughts?
Coach: I have a bunch.
Coach: I have a bunch.
Brother: Great!
Please share them.
Coach: Most of today's USA criteria for progression fitness are so inconsequential that time between Degrees is a joke.
Coach: Most of today's USA criteria for progression fitness are so inconsequential that time between Degrees is a joke.
Brother: Why do
you say this?
Coach: As long as the current lodge system policies prevent Apprentices from attending Lodge Business Meetings, and, more importantly, continuously sabotages all efforts for Apprentices to actually DO the Work that the Apprentice Degree points them toward because the are so focused upon having candidates focus strictly upon getting their next degree, the time that they spend between degrees is absolutely irrelevant. It makes no difference whatsoever to the average Brother going through.
Coach: As long as the current lodge system policies prevent Apprentices from attending Lodge Business Meetings, and, more importantly, continuously sabotages all efforts for Apprentices to actually DO the Work that the Apprentice Degree points them toward because the are so focused upon having candidates focus strictly upon getting their next degree, the time that they spend between degrees is absolutely irrelevant. It makes no difference whatsoever to the average Brother going through.
Brother: I believe the candidate e needs to understand what he’s memorizing
and not just memorizing it.
Coach: I agree!
Brother: It might take only 9 days for one Brother to get through his proficiencies while, in my case, it took me 4 months. So I think it all depends on the person.
Coach: True, but this is just the memorization work. It is NOT the Work that the degrees point toward.
Brother: It might take only 9 days for one Brother to get through his proficiencies while, in my case, it took me 4 months. So I think it all depends on the person.
Coach: True, but this is just the memorization work. It is NOT the Work that the degrees point toward.
Brother: Don’t you think as long as a Brother gets the meaning out of his degree it’s time to move them on?
Coach: That's the problem my Brother. Almost everyone who goes through the degrees has no clue what they actually mean. They are only filled with the Hose of Ritual, not the Wisdom of the Craft! And that’s just for starters. Far fewer come away from the experience understanding the Work that each Degree asks them to do. Even fewer are motivated to actually do this Work and even fewer than that are willing to communicate this understanding to each successive generation.
Brother: That is very true coach the work is getting
lost.
Coach: So, in response to your original question… If a lodge continues to have progression based upon proficiencies that require memorization without understanding, the time in between degrees is inconsequential.
Coach: So, in response to your original question… If a lodge continues to have progression based upon proficiencies that require memorization without understanding, the time in between degrees is inconsequential.
No comments:
Post a Comment