Ronaynes Handbook Of Freemasonry 31

Ronaynes Handbook Of Freemasonry 31

Senior Deacon, removes the candidate's thumb to

the second knuckle of the Master's right hand, while

the Master removes his thumb to the second knuckle

of the candidate's hand. (See page 142.)

 

Senior Deacon: "The real grip of a Fellow

Craft."

 

Worshipful Master: "Has it a name?"

Senior Deacon: "It has."

 

Worshipful Master: "Will you give it to me?"

Senior Deacon: "I did not so receive it neither

will I so impart it."

 

Worshipful Master: "How will you dispose of

 

it?"

 

Senior Deacon: "I will letter it with you."

Worshipful Master: "Letter and begin."

Senior Deacon: "No^ you begin."

Worshipful Master: "You must begin."

Senior Deacon: "A."

Worshipful Master: "J."

 

 

 

128 HAND BOOK OF FREEMASONRY.

 

Senior Deacon: "C."

 

Worshipful Master: "H."

 

Senior Deacon: "I."

 

Worshipful Master: "N "

 

Senior Deacon: "Ja."

 

Worshipful Master: "Chin."

 

Senior Deacon (pronouncing) : "Jachin."

 

Worshipful Master: "The grip is right, the word

is right. You will arise and salute the Junior and

Senior Wardens as a Fellow Craft."

 

Worshipful Master (one rap) : "How is it in the

South, Brother Junior Warden?"

 

Junior Warden (rising and making the due-

guard) : "All right in the South, Worshipful/'

 

Worshipful Master (one rap) (to Senior Dea-

con) : "How is it in the West, Brother Senior War-

den?"

 

Senior Warden (rising and making due-guard) :

"All right in the West, Worshipful."

 

Worshipful Master (one rap) (to Senior Dea-

con) : "Brother Senior Deacon, you will re-conduct

the brother to the Senior Warden in the West who will

teach him how to wear his apron as a Fellow Craft."

 

The candidate here should not be led around the

altar, but simply re-conducted to the Senior Warden's

station where the Senior Deacon gives one rap on the

floor with the end of his rod, as usual, which brings

the Senior Warden to his feet and the Senior Deacon

says :

 

Senior Deacon: "Brother Senior Warden, it is

the order of the Worshipful Master that you teach the

brother how to wear his apron as a Fellow Craft."

 

 

 

WORK ON SKCOND D£GR££.

 

 

 

I29

 

 

 

*RITE OF INVESTITURE.

 

Senior Warden: "My brother, Masonic tradition

informs us that at the building of King Solomon's

Temple, Fellow Crafts wore their aprons with the bib

turned down and the left corner turned up in the form

of a triangle to serve as a receptacle for their work-

ing tools. As a speculative Fellow Craft you will

therefore wear yours in the manner that the three sides

of the triangle thus formed may symbolize the fidelity,

understanding and skill, which should characterize

your work as a Fellow Craft." And candidate is re-

conducted to the East.

 

WORKING TOOLS.

 

The Master here produces a set of miniature tools

made of wood and sometimes very richly ornamented,

especially if the Lodge is a silk stocking or aristocratic

one. In poorer lodges they are compelled to be satis-

fied with poorer and less costly implements.

 

 

 

 

Worshipful Master: "As you are now clothed

as a Fellow Craft you are entitled to your working

tools. The working tools of a Fellow Craft are the

plumb, square and level.

 

Worshipful Master: "The plumb is an instru-

ment made use of by operative Masons to try perpen-

 

 

 

* For origin of this ceremony, see "Master's Carpet," pp. 292-

 

297-

 

 

 

130 HAND BOOK OF FREEMASONRY.

 

diculars, the square to square their work and the level

to prove horizontals (hands the working tools to candi-

date) , but we as free and accepted Masons are taught

to make use of them for more noble and glorious pur-

poses. The plumb admonishes us to walk uprightly

in our several stations before God and man, squaring

our 1 actions by the square of virtue, ever remembering

that we are traveling upon the level of time to that

undiscovered country from whose bourne no traveler

returns* (Receives the working tools from candidate.)

You will now be re-conducted to the place from

whence you came, invested with what you have been

divested of, and in accordance with an ancient custom

adopted in every regular and well-governed Lodge, it

will be necessary that you make a regular advance

through a porch by a flight of winding stairs consist-

ing of three, five and seven steps, to a place represent-

ing the middle chamber of King Solomon's Temple,

where you will find the Worshipful Master, who will

give you instructions relative to the wages and jewels

of a Fellow Craft."

 

The candidate is conducted to the altar by the

Senior Deacon where he is taken in charge by the

Stewards, or in their absence by the Junior Deacon,

and having made the usual salute in this degree, due-

guard and sign, they conduct him to the preparation

room where he gets on his own clothing as speedily

as possible. This ends the first section of the degree.

 

While the candidate is dressing the Lodge is usual-

ly called from labor to refreshment, or in common,

everyday language the members have a short recess ; ;

This is announced by the Master saying, "The Lodge

will be at ease until the sound of the gavel in the

 

 

 

♦ "Standard Monitor," Cook, 1903, p. 30.

 

 

 

WORK ON SECOND D^GR^E.

 

 

 

East/' or "The Lodge will be called from labor to

refreshment until the sound of the gavel in the East."

During this short recess the Lodge is prepared for the

second section of the degree or as Masons technically

term it, "the middle chamber work/' which is done as

follows :

 

In every well-furnished Lodge there are two large

pillars, from eight to ten and sometimes fifteen feet

high, permanently fixed inside the "preparation-room"

door, one on each side, and about five or six feet from

it. These pillars represent the two celebrated pillars,

Boaz and Jachin, at the entrance of the porch of King

Solomon's temple and of which mention is made in

i Kings vi. 8. They are only brought into requisition,

in the second section of this degree.

 

Some brother, generally the Senior Deacon, brings

out three pieces of oil-cloth or large painting on easel

which he lays on the floor about five feet apart and so

arranged as to very faintly represent a flight of wind-

ing stairs.

 

On the first piece is painted the representation of

three steps and the letters E. A., F. C, M. M., that is

Entered Apprentice, Fellow Craft, and Master Mason ;

also the letters W. M., S. W., J. W., denoting Wor-

shipful Master, Senior Warden, and Junior Warden.

 

On the second piece of canvass is a representation

of five steps, also five pillars or columns to denote the

five orde/s of architecture and the letters H. S. F. S.

and T., to signify the five human senses — Hearing,

Seeing, Feeling, Smelling and Tasting, whose initials

these letters are. .

 

On the third piece are represented seven steps and

the letters G. R. L. A. G. M. A., the initials of Gram-

mar, Rhetoric, Logic, Arithmetic, Geometry, Music