Ronaynes Handbook Of Freemasonry 39

Ronaynes Handbook Of Freemasonry 39

around his body; an apron is tied on with the bib

turned down as a Fellow Craft (see page 129), in

which condition he is duly and truly prepared to be

made a Master Mason ; and being thus prepared, the

Junior Deacon leads him to the door as before, upon

wliicn he gives "three loud and distinct knocks/' The

Master in the meantime calls the lodge to order, arid

the Senior Deacon rising to his feet reports :

 

Senior Deacon: "Worshipful Master, there is an

alarm at the door of the preparation room."

 

Worshipful Master: "Brother Senior Deacon,

attend to the alarm and report the cause."

 

The Senior Deacon taking his rod proceeds to the

door of the preparation room upon which he also gives

three loud and distinct knocks, opens the door and the

following dialogue occurs:

 

Senior Deacon: "Who comes here?"

 

Junior Deacon: "Brother James Hunt, who has

been regularly initiated as an Entered Apprentice,

passed to the degree of a Fellow Craft, and now seeks

further light in Masonry by being raised to the sub-

lime degree of Master Mason."

 

Senior Deacon (looking at candidate) : "Brother

Hunt, i's this of your own free-will and accord?"

 

Candidate: "It is."

 

Senior Deacon: "Brother Junior Deacon, is the

candidate worthy and well qualified?"

Junior Deacon: "He is."

 

Senior Deacon: "Is he duly and truly pre-

pared?"

 

Junior Deacon: "He is."

 

Senior Deacon: "Has he made a suitable pro-

ficiency in the preceding degrees?"

 

Junior Deacon: "He has." x

 

 

 

1 62 HAND BOOK OF FREEMASONRY.

 

 

 

Senior Deacon : "Who vouches for this ? "

Junior Deacon: "A brother."

Senior Deacon: "By what further right or bene-

fit does he expect to gain admission?"

 

Junior Deacon: "By the benefit of the pass"

Senior Deacon: "Has he the pass? 39

Junior Deacon: "He has It not, but I have it for

him."

 

Senior Deacon: "Give me the pass."

 

The Junior Deacon approaches nearer to the door

and whispers into the ear of the Senior Deacon the

word Tubal-Cain, and again retires to the side of the

candidate.

 

Senior Deacon: "The pass is right; you will

await with patience until the Worshipful Master is

informed of your request and his answer returned."

 

The Senior Deacon closes the door and returns

to the front of the altar where he reports as follows :

 

Senior Deacon (making due-guard of Master Ma-

son) "Worshipful Master, the alarm was caused by

Brother James Hunt who has been regularly initiated

as an Entered Apprentice, passed to the degree of Fel-

low Craft and now seeks further light in Masonry by

being raised to the sublime degree of Master Mason."

 

Worshipful Master: "Brother Senior Deacon, is

this of his own free-will and accord?"

 

Senior Deacon: "It is."

 

Worshipful Master: "Is the candidate worthy

and well qualified?"

 

Senior Deacon: "He is."

 

Worshipful Master: "Is he duly and. truly pre-

pared?"

 

Senior Deacon: "He is."

 

Worshipful Master: "Has he made a suitable?

proficiency in the preceding degrees?"

 

 

 

WORK ON THIRD DEGREE.

 

 

 

163

 

 

 

Senior Deacon: "He has."

 

Worshipful Master: "Who vouches for this?"

 

Senior Deacon: "A brother."

 

Worshipful Master: "By what further right or

benefit does he expect to gain admission ? "

 

Senior Deacon: "By the benefit of the pass."

 

Worshipful Master: "Has he the passf }}

 

Senior Deacon: "He has it not, but I have it for

him."

 

Worshipful Master: "Give me the pass."

 

Senior Deacon: "Tubal-Cain" (aloud, and mak-

ing the due-guard).

 

Worshipful Master: "The pass is right, since

he comes endowed with all these necessary qualifica-

tions, it is my order that he enter this lodge in the

name of the Lord, and be received in due form."

 

The Senior Deacon being provided with a pair of

compasses, returns to the door which he opens with-

out ceremony, and exclaims:

 

Senior Deacon (to Junior Deacon) : "It is the

order of the Worshipful Master that the candidate

enter this lodge in the name of the Lord, and be re-

ceive^ in due form."

 

*RITE OF INDUCTION.

 

The Junior Deacon takes the candidate by the

arm and leads him into the lodge-room, halting him

about six or eight feet inside the door, and the Senior

Deacon standing immediately in front of him says :

 

Senior Deacon: "Brother Hunt, upon your first

admission into a lodge of Masons you were received

on the point of a sharp instrument pressing your naked

 

 

 

* For the origin of this ceremony see the "Master's Carpet,"

pp. 262-267.

 

 

 

164 HAND BOOK OF FREEMASONRY.

 

 

 

left breast. Upon your first admission into a lodge of

Fellow Crafts you were received on the angle of a

square applied to your naked right breast, which at

those times were explained to you. Upon your first

admission into a lodge of Master Masons, I receive

you on the points of the compass extending from your

naked right to left breast which is to teach you that as

the most vital parts of man are contained within the

breasts, so are the most excellent tenets of our insti-

tution contained within the points of the compass,

which are friendship, morality and brotherly love"

*RITE OF CIRCUMAMBULATION.

He then hands the compass to the Junior Deacon,

and taking the candidate by the right arm, conducts

him three times around the lodge-room, always travel-

ing with the course of the sun — that is from the West,

or Senior Warden's station, by way of the North

towards the East, and thence around by way of the

South, and so on to the West again. While the can-

didate is thus being led around, on passing the three

principal stations for the first time — that is South,

West and East — the Junior Warden gives one loud

rap, the Senior Warden one, and the Master one. On

his second trip around the Junior Warden gives two

raps in quick succession, the Senior Warden two, and

the Master two ; and on being led around for the third

time, each of these officers gives three loud and dis-

tinct raps. It is important to observe that the Junior

Warden in the South always leads off in giving the

raps in all the degrees, followed by the Senior Warden

in the West, and then by the Worshipful Master in

the East.As the candidate is being thus led on his symbolic