BEGINNING
THE JOURNEY
From Grand Lodge of Manitoba,
October
1947
No
man has a mind big enough, quick enough, open enough, to absorb
and understand in an evening, even the introduction to what
Freemasonry knows; not in a month of evenings. No degree, no
matter how impressively delivered, can possibly take him far
along this road. All that the E.A. degree can do is to point the
way, and give the seeker sustenance by which he may
travel. And equally true it is that while men do receive the
degrees of Freemasonry at the hands of their brethren, there is
no Freemasonry in a man's heart if he is not willing to
sacrifice some time, give some effort, some study, ask
some questions, digest some philosophy, to make it truly his
own. The candidate is designated an Entered Apprentice
because we have conferred the initiatory degree, in which he took
a central part. No man however, can in reality be
"Entered" unless he is willing to enter. In the character
of a candidate you were brought into a large place - a very large
place - a universal brotherhood. Henceforth a pathway lies before
you, and whether you will travel blindly or not, depends only and
wholly upon you. A s a newly initiated craftsman you should
ask yourself this question, "Have I become a real Freemason, or
merely joined the Lodge as another member?" An Entered
Apprentice is barely born, Masonically. He must learn and learn
well, if he is to enter into his heritage. That which is worth
having is worth working for. Experience in life teaches that what
comes without labour turns soon to ashes in the mouth. Without
labour there can be no rest; without work there can be no
vacation: without pain there can be no pleasure; without sorrow
there is no joy. You have crossed the threshold of a very old
and very ancient craft. What you do in the future, and how well
you learn the lessons taught you as an Entered Apprentice,
will be the yardstick by which your craftsmanship is
measured. In your Lodge you will find faithful brethren ready
and willing to help you, on your journey. In your Masonic Library
you will find a literature replete with the story of Freemasonry,
and these books may be borrowed simply by asking for
them. These observations have been prepared, from one of
our Library books written by Carl H. Claudy, and most of
his writings can be found on the shelves in the
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