The Grand Court of the Masonic Order of
Athelstan
in England, Wales and its Provinces Overseas
Instruction
of a Candidate
2007
Recommendations for
a Court of Athelstan
The Court should be laid out as per the diagram
included in the Ritual.
The Wardens
chairs should be just in front of the Worshipful Master and
placed in a
Wardens chairs normally used in the temple are
large or have high backs
they should
The Rosetta Stone should be placed on a suitable
stand on an appropriate
small table or pedestal in the South of the temple and covered
with a cloth or
veil. The Junior Wardens chair if not in use by the JW should
be placed away
from its normal location, so it does not detract from the
focus on the Rosetta
Stone.
The Hourglass is a standard item of furniture in
the Court. It should
stand on an appropriate small table or pedestal in the West of
the temple. The
Senior Wardens chair (if not in use by the SW) should be
placed away from its
normal location so it does not detract from the focus on the
Hourglass.
The 2 framed visual aids should have
standardised, professionally produced
graphic representations of the Emblems of a Court Master
Mason. A recommended
size is A3. These visual aids should be on display at all
times in front of the
Wardens pedestals and under no circumstances should they be
turned in the manner
of a tracing board.
It should be emphasised that the appropriate
Volume of the Sacred Law be
used which is stated to be the Old Testament.
If double ceremonies are undertaken it is the
responsibility of the
Marshal of the Court to see that appropriate variations are
made to the ritual
to ensure that each candidate gets the maximum benefit from
the experience.
The Grand Marshal, with the assistance of the
Provincial Marshals should
ensure that all signs in the Order are consistent and in
compliance with the
instructions laid down in the ritual. Local variations should
be completely
eliminated.
Opening
The Brethren assemble in the Court to await the
entry of the Master &
his Wardens. The Marshal positions himself by the entrance to
the Court
Mar: Brethren, our Master
approaches this Court. Be
upstanding to greet him.
The Master and Wardens enter the Court; the
Master at the head of the
procession, immediately followed by the Wardens, SW on the
left, JW on the
right. They each go directly to their seats and remain
standing facing East. An
opening ode may be sung here., if it is the Court’s custom.
WM: Brethren, assist me
to call this Court to session.
WM to JW: Brother … What is
your first duty?
JW: To see that the Court
is duly sealed.
WM: Direct that duty to
be done.
JW to CoG: Brother …, see that
the Court is duly sealed.
CoG, standing on the edge of the carpet, gives a
Court Bow to the Master,
turns, goes to the door, and gives one knock, answered by the
Guard. He returns
to the carpet edge and informs the JW: The
Court is duly sealed.
JW, knocks once, to the WM (no name):
The Court is duly sealed.
WM to the SW:
Brother …, the next duty?
SW: To see that the
brethren appear to order as Master
Masons of the Court.
WM: To order brethren, as
Master Masons of the Court. Done.
WM: Brother JW, how many
principal officers are there
in the Court?
JW: Four, the WM, EP, S
& JW.
WM: Brother SW, how many
assistant officers are there?
SW: Four, the S & JD,
the CoG and the Guard.
WM to JW: The situation of the
SD?
JW: To the right of the
SW.
WM: His duty?
JW: To carry all messages
of the WM to the SW and see
that the same are punctually obeyed. Likewise to assist the JD
during the
ceremony of instruction
WM to SW: The situation of the
JD?
SW: To the left of the
JW.
WM: His duty?
SW: To bear all my
messages to the JW and await the
return of the SD, likewise to assist the SD during the ceremony
of instruction.
WM to JW: The situation of the
CoG?
JW: Within the entrance
to the Court.
WM: His duty?
JW: To admit candidates
in due form and obey the
commands of the JW.
WM to SW: The situation of the
Guard?
SW: Outside the door of
the Court.
WM: His duty?
SW: Being armed with a
drawn sword and the Book of
Constitutions, being ever guarded in his thoughts, words and
actions,
particularly when before the enemies of Freemasonry; ever
bearing in remembrance
those truly Masonic virtues, silence and circumspection. And
further to see that
the candidates are properly prepared.
WM: Brother JW, your
situation in the Court?
JW: To the left of the WM
WM: Why are you placed
there?
JW: To represent the sun
at its meridian, call the
brethren from labour to refreshment and refreshment to labour,
that profit and
pleasure may be the result.
WM: Brother SW, your
situation in the Court?
SW: To the right of the
WM
WM: Why are you placed
there?
SW: To represent the
setting sun and to close the
Court by command of the WM, having seen that every brother has
had his due.
WM: Eminent Prior, your
situation in the Court?
EP: Further to the east
of the WM
WM: Why are you placed
there?
EP: To represent our
links with the Holy Land, where
so many gave the ultimate sacrifice in defence of their Faith.
Likewise to bring
a spiritual blessing to all our works within the Court and to
embrace all Faiths
irrespective of Race or Culture that have a belief in a Supreme
Being.
WM: W Brother IPM, the
Master’s place?
IPM: The East, within the
cold light of Venus.
Worshipful Master.
WM: Why is he placed
there?
IPM: As the sun rises in
the East to open and enliven
the day, so the WM is placed in the East, to open the Court and
to employ and
instruct the brethren in Freemasonry.
WM: Then brethren the
Court being duly formed, before
I declare it open.
EP or WM: Let us invoke a
blessing from the Supreme Being on
all our undertakings that our work be conducted in peace and
closed in harmony.
WM: I, in the name of the
Supreme Being, now declare
this Court to be in session for the purpose of communicating
light to those who
seek it.
WM gavels **
**,
repeated by SW, JW, CoG, Guard. The sign is discharged after
the WM’s 4th
knock. The WM then opens the Old Testament at Proverbs C III,
v XIII and
positions S&C in 3°, the JD unveils the Rosetta Stone.
WM: A copy of the Rosetta
Stone is now displayed in
the South of the Court. First erected in c. 195 B.C. in honour
of Ptolemy Vth
Epiphanes (205—180 B.C.), it is of black basalt bearing an
inscription in
Egyptian Hieroglyphics, Demotic (the popular and simplified form
of the Ancient
Egyptian Script) and Greek. It was the key to deciphering
important historical
texts and hieroglyphics and gives us the opportunity to
understand the Wisdom of
the Ancients. It was discovered in 1799 by Boussard, a French
officer of
engineers in an excavation made at Fort St. Julien, near
Rosetta, in the Nile
Delta, during Napoleons Egyptian campaign (1798-1801) It was
translated by a
French scholar (Champollion) in the years following 1820 and now
can be viewed
in the British Museum.
Instruction
The Guard gives the knocks of a MM; the CoG gives
full penal sign.
CoG to the JW: Bro
Junior Warden there is a
report.
JW: Enquire who wants
admission.
CoG opens door and says to Guard:
Whom have you there?
Grd: Bro. …, who having
been summoned to this
assembly of Master Masons now requests admission.
CoG: On what does he hope
to gain admission?
Grd: The five points of
fellowship and with the words
of a Master Mason.
CoG: Is he in possession
of those secrets?
Grd: He is, try him and
prove him. Candidate
is proven.
CoG: Wait while I report
to the WM. Closes
door, goes to the edge of carpet and salutes the WM: WM,
Bro. …,
having been summoned to this assembly of Master Masons, is now
outside the door
and requests admission.
WM: On what does he hope
to gain admission to this
assembly?
CoG: The five points of
Fellowship and with the words
of a Master Mason.
WM: Is he in possession
of those secrets?
CoG: He is WM, I have
tried him and proved him.
WM: Then let him be
admitted in due form — Brother
Junior Deacon
JD, after placing kneeling stool in position,
goes to door, which is
opened by the CoG. The Candidate is admitted and stands on the
edge of the
carpet in the West – JD on the Candidate’s right.
WM: Brother … Welcome to
this Assembly of Master
Masons. You have gained admission on the Five Points of
Fellowship and with the
words of a Master Mason. However before I can entrust you with
the Ancient
Charges of our Order, it is first necessary for you to give me
further proofs of
your rank and worthiness to receive them. You will therefore
advance to me as a
Master Mason, first as an Entered Apprentice showing the frill
signs and words
of each degree.
Candidate responds with the sign & words.
WM: Brother …,whilst I
acknowledge you as a Master
Mason of our Order, it is clear from the manner in which you
have executed those
signs that you are in need of further instruction, before you
can continue to
preside over other Masons. For as a Master of a Lodge, it is
your duty to Employ
and Instruct die Brethren in Freemasonry But you will first
kneel on both knees,
whilst a Blessing is invoked in aid of our proceedings.
To order Brethren.
All SoP.
WM (or EP):
Supreme Being and creator of all
things, we implore Thee to send down Thy divine blessing on this
assembly and
pray that the candidate who now kneels before Thee is imbued
with the
continuance of Thy spiritual guidance and the wisdom of Enoch,
that he may one
day, ascend beyond this earthly plane and pass through the cold
light of Venus
to everlasting life.
All: So Mote it Be. Discharge SoP.
WM: The candidate will
rise. Brother JD, you will
direct the candidate to the SE corner of the Court, and we will
first remind him
of his duties as a MM. Be seated Brethren.
All sit. JD removes the kneeling stool and
conducts the candidate from the
North and directs him to the SE corner of the Court just past
the WM’s
pedestal.
WM: Brother …, It must be
very gratifying for you to
know that you are a Master Mason and that you have sealed your
allegiance to one
of the Grandest and Noblest of Fraternities in existence, one
that encircles the
globe and whose influence for good is never-ending.
Your particular
reasons for becoming a member of
this Grand and Noble Order are known only to yourself. It may
have been the
prompting of idle curiosity or it may have been for material
reasons; that being
true, be at once undeceived for Freemasonry offers no pecuniary
benefits to any
of its Initiates.
It may have been the
result of social aspirations;
that being true, you are now afforded the opportunity to
acquaint yourself with
many intelligent Brethren, whose acquaintance might be of some
benefit to you.
It may be that your
father was a Mason and
expressed a desire for you to follow in his footsteps. That
being true, it is
not only an honour to the Fraternity, but to yourself as well.
With emphasis: But
be the reason what it may,
this question confronts you: Are you worth anything or nothing
to Freemasonry
and is Freemasonry worth anything or nothing to you? Pause.
The question is for
you, and you alone, my Brother
to answer in your heart; for if you apply to your own life the
teachings
inculcated in the Three Degrees, you will not only become a
better citizen, but
also a better father, a better son and a fonder husband, and I
call upon some of
our Brethren to further explain this:
JD conducts the Candidate to the JW’s pedestal.
JW stands and recites
– Not to be read!
In a Mason’s Lodge,
with darkened eyes
And cable tow about
you,
You swore to guard all
mysteries
That Masons’ keep and
prize,
The Brother’s secret,
whispered low,
The words they speak,
the things they do,
In mystic manner
taught to you.
On yonder Book that
Oath you took; Indicates
VSL
And you should break
it never:
But stand by this, Takes E.A. step
And this, Makes
E.A.
sign
AND THIS. Cuts
the
E.A. sign.
Forever, and forever.
JD conducts Candidate to the SW’s pedestal. SW
stands and recites –
Not to be read!
You swore to answer
and obey
The Summons sent you
duly
By Brother’s hand or
Lodge away.
You swore that you
would never stray
From ancient laws and
rules that bind
All Masons in the
Craft,
But would observe them
truly.
On yonder Book that
Oath you took
And you should break
it never:
But stand by this, Takes F.C. step
And this, Makes
F.C.
sign
AND THIS. Cuts
the
F.C. sign
Forever, and forever.
JD sits, the SD conducts the Candidate to the WM
who stand and recites –
Not to be read!
You swore with
generous gifts to care
For those in sorrow
stricken,
The Brother on the
darkened Square,
The mourner with
dishevelled hair
The orphan doomed -
alas - to stray
Down Life’s cold path
and cheerless way.
Upon this Book that
Oath you took
And you should break
it never
But stand by this, Takes M.M. step
And this, Makes
M.M.
sign
AND THIS. Cuts
the
M.M. sign.
Forever, and Forever.
SD takes over and instructs the Candidate to make
half turn to the IPM or
EP who stands and recites – Not to be read!
You swore with honesty
to deal
With each true heart
around you;
That “Honour bright”
should ever be
The unbroken bond
twixt him and thee;
No wrong, nor guile,
nor cruel fraud
Should ever break the
Holy Cord
With which that Vow
hath bound you.
You swore the Chastity
to keep
Of women, true and
tender;
A Mason’s widow, wife
or child,
His Mother, Sister -
undefiled
Those pure in heart
Whose love adorns a
Mason’s home
Of which you are the
guardian, sworn.
On yonder Book that
Oath you took
And you should break
it never:
But stand by it,
forever.
Marshal instructs Brethren to stand with the sign
of Fidelity, SD takes
over and instructs Candidate to make a half turn towards the
GO (or the WM) who
stands and recites – Not to be read!
These are our vows,
our daily cares
And may such light be
given
In answer to our
earnest prayers
To God, that we may do
or dare
All that His Sacred
Law enjoins;
So when the evening
shades pass o’er us
We may be found in
Heaven, glorious.
For on this Book that
Oath we took
And we should break it
never
But stand by this, Indicates VSL
And this, Indicates
Square
And this. Indicates
Compasses
Forever, and forever
SD places Candidate in front of WM’s pedestal.
WM: Brother …, you are
now about to take an
obligation, in many ways similar to those you have taken in the
former degrees.
Are you prepared to meet it as you ought?
Can: I am. Prompted
by
SD if required.
WM:
Then you will kneel on both knees, place both
hands on the Old Testament, state your names at length and
repeat after me: Knocks
once – repeated by SW and JW, All rise. I full name, in the
name of the Supreme
Being and creator of all things, and in the presence of this
regular session and
assembly of Court Master Masons, of my own free will and accord,
do hereby and
hereon solemnly promise and swear, that I will never divulge the
secrets of a
Court Master Mason, to anyone in the world not lawfully entitled
thereto. I
further solemnly pledge myself to maintain and uphold the honour
and dignity of the Order, and the high
character and usefulness of this Court in both my civil and
private callings.
That I will pay due
allegiance to the Sovereignty
of the Grand Master of the Order and the Statutes of the Grand
Court of the
Masonic Order of Athelstan for England, Wales and its Provinces
Overseas.
Lastly I swear to pay
due respect to the Head of
State and pay due obedience to the statutes of the country in
which I do now, or
may in the future reside. So help me the Supreme Being and
creator of all things
in this, my solemn obligation as a Court Master Mason.
You will seal that
obligation twice and then twice
further with your lips on the Old Testament. Candidate kisses the Old
Testament.
WM: Rise, duly obligated,
Court Master Mason.
Candidate rises.
Mar: Brethren be seated
WM: Having taken the
solemn obligation of this degree.
I will now proceed to instruct you with its secrets The
SD and Candidate step back four paces from the WM.
WM: In this order, the
full signs of the degrees of
Craft Freemasonry are adopted. You will therefore take a short
step with your
left foot, bringing your right heel into its hollow.
This is the first
regular step in Freemasonry and
it is in this position that the sign of an Entered Apprentice
should be given.
Place your hands in
this position, right above
left, thumbs extended in the form of a square, as if holding the
open VSL
between your palms. The full sign is given from this due guard,
by dropping the
left hand to the side, raising the right hand thumb extended in
the form of a
square to the left of the windpipe, drawing it smartly across,
dropping it to
the side and recovering to the due guard thus.
JW, stands: You
are well aware of the words
of this degree, and the usage of the twenty-four inch gauge, the
common gavel
and the chisel. Likewise the three immovable and the three
movable jewels. I
will now explain the signification of a point within a circle.
Lodges were anciently
dedicated to King Solomon,
but Masons professing Christianity, dedicated theirs to St John
the Baptist and
St John the Evangelist, who were two eminent patrons of
Freemasonry; and since
their time, there is represented in every regular and well
governed Lodge a
certain point within a circle, the point representing an
individual brother, the
circle the boundary line of his conduct to God and man, beyond
which he is never
to suffer his passions, prejudices or interest to betray him on
any occasion.
This circle is embordered by two perpendicular parallel lines,
representing
those saints who were perfect parallels in Christianity, as well
as in masonry;
and on the vertex rests the Holy Scriptures, which point out the
whole duty of
man. In going around this circle we necessarily touch upon the
Holy Scriptures
and while a Mason keeps himself thus circumscribed, it is
impossible that he
should err.
WM: You will now take
another short pace towards me
with your left foot, bringing your right heel into its hollow as
before. This is
the second regular step in Freemasonry and it is from this
position that the
sign is given. Stand to order thus, again with the due guard. WM
demonstrates & the Candidate copies.
The full signs are
given by placing the right hand
on the left breast with the thumb extended in the form of a
square, elevating
the left hand, palm to the front, with the thumb likewise in the
form of a
square. The sign is discharged by dropping the left hand to the
side, drawing
the right hand smartly across the chest, dropping to the side,
and recovering to
the due guard. WM demonstrates & the Candidate copies.
Again, you are well
acquainted with the working
toots of this degree. You will therefore advance to me once
again with your left
foot, bringing your right foot into its hollow as before. This
is the third
regular step in Freemasonry and it is in this position that the
full signs of
the degree are given.
Stand to order thus. WM demonstrates the due guard.
It is
also from this position that the penal sign of a MM is given, by
dropping the
left hand to the side, drawing the right hand smartly across the
body, dropping
it to the side and recovering on the centre, before finally
discharging it.
This penal sign should
always be given in full when
addressing the WM or upon entering or leaving the Court, the due
guard sign when
addressing the WM and the penal sign to discharge it when
finishing.
The Grip or Token of
this degree is given by a
distinct pressure with the thumb on the fourth knuckle joint of
a brother’s
right hand. This grip demands a word, a word to be treated with
the same strict
caution as the other secrets in Freemasonry. For your
instruction I will give
you that word, it is Chokmah It is spelled C H O K M A H and is
pronounced
Hock—Mah. The import of the word is wisdom. Its meaning, comes
from the
earliest mists of time, when belief in an almighty was beginning
to form in the
minds of mankind. It equates to the Greek word ‘Sophia’ for it
stands for
the divine perfection of the Wisdom which is manifest in God’s
creative acts.
It corresponds to Uranus in astrology. Perhaps the best way to
describe Chokmah
is as the “Eureka” moment. At the very instant at which we solve
any problem
or puzzle, there are no words. There are no thoughts. There is
only an instant
of “Eureka” as we realize that we have found a solution. This
moment is soon
followed by thought, and yet the moment itself is beyond
thought. The flash of
creativity that is Chokmah is very close, to the “nothingness”
of Keter.
Proverbs 1.7 begins “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of
knowledge; but
fools despise wisdom and instruction”. The Hebrew word that is
used for fear
in this passage can also be translated as awe and it is in this
context that
this passage should be understood. Chokmah stands at the
threshold of Keter and
when we are able to trace that creative thought back to its
origin in that which
is beyond thought, we tremble with awe. Hence, wisdom is the
gateway to the awe
that lies beyond our world of thought and form.
Solomon said: “incline
thine ear unto wisdom and
apply thine heart to understanding.”
For “Happy is the man
that findeth wisdom, and
the man that getteth understanding.
For the merchandise of
it is better than the
merchandise of silver and the gain thereof than fine gold. She
is more precious
than rubies; and all the things thou canst desire are not to be
compared unto
her.”
Knowledge is
cognizance of fact. Wisdom is the
strength of mind to apply that cognizance soundly and to effect.
A Mason may
know every word of our ritual from the beginning of the Entered
Apprentice’s
Degree to the final words of the Sublime Degree of Master-Mason
and still be
without wisdom.
The JD picks up the large framed visual aid from
in front of the JW’s
pedestal, on which are depicted the emblems of a Master
mason’s Court and
holds it up in front of the Candidate.
WM: Our brethren will now
explain to you the meaning
of the emblems of a Master Masons Court.
JW, stands: I
will explain the emblems of a
Master Masons Court. The first three emblems of a Master Mason’s
Court are the
Three Steps, the Pot of Incense and the Beehive.
The first three
regular steps in Freemasonry
represent to us the three principal stages of human life, youth,
manhood and
age. In youth, as Entered Apprentices, we ought industriously to
occupy our
minds in the attainment of useful knowledge; in manhood, as
Fellow Crafts, we
should apply our knowledge to the discharge of our respective
duties to God, our
neighbours, and ourselves. So with age, as Master Masons, we may
enjoy the
satisfaction and happy reflection consequent upon a well-spent
life, as we
contemplate the ending of our mortal existence with the hopes of
the life which
is to come.
The pot of incense
alludes to a pure heart, which
alone is an acceptable sacrifice to the Deity and reminds us
that, as this glows
with fervent heat, so should our hearts continually glow with
gratitude to the
great and beneficent Author of our existence for the manifold
blessings and
comforts we enjoy.
The beehive is an
emblem of industry, essential to
some extent or another to all created beings, from the highest
seraph in heaven
to the lowest reptile of the dust. It teaches us that, as we
came into the world
able, rational and intelligent beings, so we should ever remain
industrious,
never sitting down content while our fellow-creatures around us
are in want,
when it is in our power to relieve them, often without
inconvenience to
ourselves.
Behold man, in his
infancy, more helpless and
indigent than brute creation. He lies languishing for days,
weeks, months and
years, totally incapable of self-sustenance; of guarding against
the attacks of
the wild beasts of the field, or of sheltering himself from the
inclemency of
the weather.
It pleased The Great
Creator of Heaven and Earth to
make fully formed men capable of great independence and strength
of mind. There
is, however, a wonderful paradox, since dependence is one of the
greatest
strengths of Humanity. By His wisdom mankind were made social
and dependent on
each other for protection and security By this apparent
weakness. we have been
truly blessed by the potential enjoyment and fulfillment of
reciprocal love and
friendship. Hence it is our profession as Masons to teach, and
communicate
happiness. Thus was man formed for social and active life, the
noblest part of
the work of God, and he that will so demean himself, as not to
be endeavouring
to add to the common stock of knowledge and understanding, may
be deemed a drone
in the hive of nature, a useless member of society, and unworthy
of our
protection as Masons.
JW takes the visual aid from the JD and holds it
for him.
JD: The next five emblems
are the Book of
Constitutions, guarded by the Outer Guard’s Sword, the Sword
pointing to a
naked heart, the All-Seeing Eye, the Anchor and Ark and the
Forty-Seventh
problem of Euclid. It is the duty of the Deacons to explain them
when required.
The Book of
Constitutions, guarded by the Outer
Guard’s Sword. reminds us of that important Latin Motto of the
Craft “Audi,
Vide, Tace”, and to be ever watchful and guarded in our
thoughts, words, and
actions, particularly when before the enemies of Masonry, ever
carrying a
remembrance of the values of silence and circumspection.
The Sword pointing to
a naked heart, demonstrates
that justice will sooner or later overtake us; and although our
thoughts, words
and actions may be hidden from the eye of man yet that
All-Seeing Eye, whom the
sun, moon and stars obey, and under whose watchful care even
comets perform
their stupendous revolutions, pervades the inmost recesses of
the human heart,
and will reward us according to our merits.
The JD steps back and the SD takes his place and
continues the explanation
of the emblems of a Master Mason’s Court.
SD: The Anchor and Ark,
being emblems of a
well-grounded hope and a well-spent life, are emblematical of
that Divine Ark,
which will safely carry us over our tempestuous sea of troubles,
and that anchor
which shall moor us securely in a peaceful harbour.
“There the wicked
cease from troubling, and there
the weary shall find rest.”
The Forty-Seventh
problem of Euclid was an
invention of our ancient friend and brother, the great
Pythagoras, who, in his
travels through Asia, Africa and Europe, was initiated into
several orders of
priesthood, and raised to the sublime degree of a Master Mason.
This wise
philosopher enriched his mind abundantly with a general
knowledge of things, and
more especially of Geometry, or Masonry. On this subject he drew
out many
problems and theorems; and among the most distinguished he
erected this, which,
in the joy of his heart, he called Eureka, in the Grecian
language signifying, I
have found it; and upon the discovery of which he is said to
have sacrificed a
hecatomb. It teaches Masons to be general lovers of the arts and
sciences.
The JW passes the visual aid to the SD who places
it in front of the
pedestal. The SD returns to his seat. The Candidate is
conducted by the JD,
followed by the SW, to the West, where the Hour Glass is
placed on a pedestal or
table.
SW: The Hour Glass, the
Scythe, the Spade, the Coffin,
Death-Head, Marrowbones and Sprig of Acacia are the final seven
emblems. You may
be acquainted with some of their symbolism, but it is my duty to
explain them to
you further, that you may be better enabled to contemplate the
next steps on
your journey.
The Hour Glass should be demonstrably turned over
and the flow of sand
indicated by the SW.
SW: The Hour Glass is an
emblem of human life. Behold!
How swiftly the sands run, and how rapidly our lives are drawing
to a close. We
cannot, without astonishment, behold the little particles which
are contained in
this machine; how they pass away, almost imperceptibly, and yet
to our surprise
in a short space of an hour they are all exhausted. Thus wastes
man! To-day, he
puts forth the tender leaves of hope; tomorrow, blossoms, and
bears his blushing
honours thick upon him. The next day comes a frost, which nips
the root, and
when he thinks his greatness is still ripening, he falls like
autumn leaves, to
enrich our mother earth.
The SW walks back to his pedestal but remains
standing. The Candidate is
conducted to the East by the JD and placed in front of SW’s
pedestal. The JD
then picks up the large framed visual aid, from alongside the
JW’s pedestal,
and holds it up in front of the Candidate.
SW: The scythe is an
emblem of time, which cuts the
brittle thread of life, and launches us into eternity. Behold!
What havoc the
scythe of time makes among the human race! If by chance we
should escape the
numerous evils, incident to childhood and youth, and with health
and vigour come
to the years of manhood, yet withal we must soon be cut down by
the
all-devouring scythe of tune, and be gathered into the land
where our fathers
have gone before us.
The Spade, Coffin,
Death-Head, Marrowbones and
Sprig of Acacia, are thus explained. The Spade opens the vault
to receive our
bodies where our active limbs will soon moulder to dust.
The Coffin, Death-Head
and Marrowbones are
emblematical of the death and burial of our Grand Master Hiram
Abif, whose noble
example of fortitude and fidelity to his Obligation is worthy of
your serious
attention.
The Sprig of Acacia is
emblematical of that
important part of man which never dies—and when the cold winter
of death shall
have passed, and the bright summer’s morn of the Resurrection
appears, the Son
of Righteousness shall descend, and send forth his angels to
collect our
ransomed dust. Then, if we are found worthy, by His password, we
shall enter
into the celestial lodge above, where the Supreme Architect of
the Universe
presides. There we shall see the King in the beauty of holiness
and with him
enter into an endless eternity.
SW sits. Marshal places seat in the South on the
edge of the carpet.
SW: Our Brother Secretary
will now explain to you the
Ancient Charges of a Master Mason You may be seated.
Candidate is seated in the South facing the
Secretary. JD replaces the
visual aid in front of the JW pedestal and returns to his
seat. The Secretary
rises.
Sec: In former times the
Ancient Charges of a Master
Mason applied to Operative Masons, who needed to be able bodied
to perform their
daily work. As Moralising, or Speculative Masons, we have no
need of such
stringent health and fitness to perform our duties. Similarly,
the Masons’
Guilds admitted in those times only Christian men, regular
churchgoers, whose
“Allogements”, (from which the word “Lodge” is derived) were
built as
temporary structures on the side of the Cathedral, Abbey, or
Church they were
working on. Nowadays, as has been the case for almost two
centuries, our Craft
Lodges and Royal Arch Chapters do not require members to be
Christians, but
admit all men professing a belief in a Supreme Being.
There were nine
Charges for all Masons and a
further nineteen Charges for Masters and Fellows. In the course
of a full year
all of these Charges will be read out to the members in open
lodge.
Sec: These are the Nine
Charges for All Masons.
· First, that you shall be true men of God and
holy Church and that you use
no error nor heresy but be discreet and wise men;
· Also that you should be true liege men to
the king of England without
treason or falsehood and that you know no treason unless you
amend it or warn
the king or his Council;
· Also that you be true to one another, that
is to say to every Mason of
the Craft you shall do unto them as they should do unto you;
· Also that you keep the counsel of your
fellows truly, in lodge and in
chamber or in other councils that ought to be kept by way of
Masonhood;
· Also that no Mason shall be a thief in
Company so far as he may know and
that he shall be true each to the other and to the lord or
master and truly see
to his profits and advantages;
· Also you shall call Masons fellows or
brethren and no foul names;
· Also you shall not take your fellow’s wife
in villany nor desire
ungodly his daughter or his servant or put him to disworship;
· Also you shall truly pay for his meat and
drink where you go to board;
· Also you shall do no villany where you go to
board whereby the Craft
might be slandered.
Secretary sits; SD collects Candidate and places
him in the centre of the
Court, facing the WM.
WM: Brother …, you have
proved yourself worthy of
your rank as a Master Mason. I therefore delegate our Brother SW
to invest you
with your apron as a Master Mason of this Court. SD conducts Candidate to SW.
SW: Brother …, by command
of the Worshipful Master,
I invest you with this apron of Crimson, ennobled by the Saxon
Crown of King
Athelstan. May you wear it with pride and by your actions bring
honour to our
Order every day.
WM: You may now take your
place in the Court and
attend to a retrospective of the history of this degree.
Candidate is seated in the centre of the Court on
the South side. SD
returns to his seat, EP moves to a position just in front of
the Candidate &
reads: Brother …, let me
first congratulate you on
taking this very important step in your Masonic knowledge. It is
hoped that it
will stimulate your mind to further Masonic research.
Although our Order can
claim links with the early
Egyptian Geometricians like Euclid and wise men like Solomon and
Enoch; indeed
since the time of the first settlement being built by the first
builder who laid
the first brick on the Earths soil. It is from the time of the
first
administrative structure in Operative Masonry that we take this
degree.
Athelstan was the
first King of All the English and
grandson of Alfred the Great. He reigned between 925 and 939.
Athelstan was a
distinguished and courageous soldier who pushed the boundaries
of the kingdom
further than anyone had done before, up until the time of his
death at
Gloucester on 27th October 939.
Under Athelstan, law
codes strengthened royal
control over his large kingdom. Currency was regulated to
control silver’s
weight and to penalise fraudsters. Buying and selling was
largely confined to
the Burghs, encouraging town life. Areas of settlement in the
Midlands and
Danish towns were consolidated into shires.
Overseas, Athelstan
built alliances by marrying
four of his half-sisters to various rulers in Western Europe. He
was also a
great collector of artworks and religious relics, which he gave
away to many of
his followers, and to churches to gain the support of the
clergy.
Athelstan died at the
height of his power, and was
buried in Malmesbury Abbey. He had been an ardent supporter and
endower of the
Abbey and it is fitting that he should be buried there.
Sir Frank Stenton,
whilst referring to a letter of
gratitude from the great and the good sent to Athelstan in
respect of his Law
making decrees, writes in the Oxford History of England.
‘But the most
significant of these unofficial
texts is a memorandum recording the measures taken for the
execution of the
King’s decrees by a body described as a ‘peace-gild’, of which
the leading
members were Bishops and Reeves belonging to London.’
He continues ‘The
ordinary members of the gild
were the countrymen of a region which certainly included all
Middlesex and may
also comprise of Surrey and parts of Hertfordshire.’
‘Like later
associations of the same kind, this
early gild made provision for the spiritual benefit of its
members.’
He continues further,
‘Its members were divided
into groups often, one of whom acted as headman of his company.
The groups often
were combined into groups of one hundred over each of which a
separate headman
presided. He with the headmen of the groups often formed a
standing committee.
They met once a month,
accounted for the money they
gave to the common stock, saw that the gild statutes were
adhered to and held a
“gild-fest” - And it from this model that we take our Order’s
structure.
In 926 Prince Edwin,
the half brother of King,
Athelstan, on the Kings behest, summoned a general assembly of
Master Masons at
York. He had for some time been concerned about the poor
practices of the
operative masons and decided to lay down certain standards
eventually to be
known as the Old Charges. These were recorded in a number of
manuscripts and a
full list should be available with each Court’s Secretary for
those who wish
to further their researches.
The EP returns to his seat, CoG stands and
addresses the Candidate from
his position in the Lodge: It
was thus that on your entry to
this Court that you represented one of the Master Masons
summoned to the Grand
Assembly in York. Your shortcomings in the signs and words of
the various
degrees requiring you to take further “Instruction”, before
being thought
worthy to receive the Ancient Charges. The term “Instruction” is
used in
this degree as it is the duty of a Master of the Masons to both
employ and
instruct his brethren in Freemasonry.
Prince Edwin went on
to meet a shameful end in 933.
This is further expounded upon in the inner workings of the
Ceremony of
Installation of a Master of this degree. He had attempted to
gain power from
Athelstan, but his treachery was discovered. He was set adrift
at sea in a small
boat without oars, food water or other supplies. Rather than
starve to death he
drowned himself. Earlier histories state that he had been
wrongly accused, but
written proof confirms this to be inaccurate and that a Coup
d’Etat had
actually been led by Edwin.
Assemblies continued
to take place in York and
elsewhere, some yearly, some every third year and eventually the
Old Charges
emerged to be used by the masons as a guide to their work and
faith.
Those Old Charges were
so important that when
Freemasonry began to take on a speculative nature, even the
“occasional
lodge” of which we know about, i.e. The Initiation of Elias
Ashmole at
Warrington in 1646, required that a copy of an Old Charge be
presented in the
lodge to make it ‘regular’.
Following the Fire of
London Sir Christopher Wren,
Assistant Surveyor General, almost certainly a Freemason and
possibly even what
today we would call Grand Master, was entrusted by the King with
the great work
of reconstruction and we owe to him the magnificent structure of
St. Paul’s
Cathedral. According to one account ‘The highest or last stone
on top of the
Lantern was laid by the hands of the Surveyor’s son, Christopher
Wren, deputed
by his father, in the presence of many other Free and Accepted
Masons’.
By 1715 four old
Lodges, all working in London,
decided to bring some order and regularity to the Craft and
formed themselves
into a Grand Lodge. This took place on St John the Baptist’s
day, 24th
June 1717, when Anthony Sayer was elected as the first Grand
Master. The Order
then became purely speculative whilst retaining the working
tools and technical
terms of art of the old operative masons. This Grand Lodge
became known as the
‘Moderns’.
During the early years
of the new Grand Lodge
exposures of Masonic rituals were published in London and
elsewhere so the Grand
Lodge had no option but to change some of the passwords and
ritual 10 prevent
the irregular ‘making of masons’. Not satisfied with these
alterations,
certain brethren from the growing number of Lodges in London,
decided to break
away from the original Grand Lodge and in 1751 formed the “Grand
Lodge of
England according to the Old Institutions” later to become known
as the
“Antients Grand Lodge”. The ‘Antients’ became a rival to the
“Moderns
Grand Lodge” of 1717 and was quickly recognised by the Grand
Lodges of
Scotland and Ireland.
The two Grand Lodges
continued in parallel through
to 1813, when the Duke of Sussex for the “Moderns” and his
brother the Duke
of Kent for the “Antients” united the two bodies to form the
United Grand
Lodge of England.
You will now attend to
the WM, who will present to
your notice the Warrant of the Court, the statutes of the Order
and by-laws of
this Court.
The Candidate is taken to the WM, by the SD who
shows him the warrant of
the Court and presents the BoC, by-laws and welcomes him to
the Order &
Court.
SD returns newly instructed brother to his place
in the Court and resumes
his own seat.
Closing
WM: Does any Brother have
anything, to communicate fur
the Good of the Order in General or this the … Court No ... in
particular?
All matters are dealt with at one rising,
commencing with the Grand Court,
the Province and then the Court. The Secretary will rise,
salute and communicate
any appropriate matters. This should be given in summary only,
unless
specifically directed otherwise.
WM: Brethren assist me to
close this Court. All
rise.
WM: Brother JW, JW
gives sign direct the CoG to ensure that the
Guard is at his post.
JW: Brother CoG, CoG
gives sign it is the WM’s command that you ensure
that the Guard is
at his post.
CoG cuts sign, goes to door and opens it. Having
seen that the Guard is at
his post, he closes door and returns to edge of carpet.
CoG, gives sign: WM,
the Guard is at his post and
all is secure.
WM: Brother SW, SW
gives sign see that the Brethren appear to order
as Court Master
Masons.
SW: Brethren, it is the
WM’s command that you appear
to order as Court Master Masons.
All stand to order.
WM: Eminent Brother
Prior, before the Court is closed,
will you kindly discharge your last duty?
EP (all give sign): We
thank thee Supreme Being fur
thy spiritual presence during our labours and crave the
continuance of thy
divine guidance in all our lawful undertakings in this world, so
that we may
finally receive our due reward in the world to come.
ALL: So Mote it Be.
WM: Brother SW, the
labours of this day being ended,
you have my command to close the Court. Gavels
with
left hand **
**.
SW: Brethren, in the name
of the Supreme Being and by
command of the WM, I close this Court. All
cut sign and SW gavels with right hand **
**.
JW: And it is closed
accordingly until our next
regular meeting on …, emergencies excepted of which every
Brother will receive
due notice.
**
**. This Court is no longer in session.
WM closes Old Testament, places S&C closed on
top and JD covers RS.
The National Anthem, followed by the closing ode, may now be
sung. The Marshal
will then form the retiring procession.