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ENTERED APPRENTICE
THE MEANING OF THE TERM
"ENTERED APPRENTICE"
You are now an Entered Apprentice. The
first step in your journey to the Sublime Degree of a Master Mason has been
taken. Doubtless you found your
initiation an experience you will never wish to forget.
A Degree of Masonry is not an isolated experience, but an ever-enduring
privilege. Always you may sit in
your own Lodge when open on the Entered Apprentice Degree; always you can return
to observe, to participate in, and to study its ceremonies.
Your possession of the Degree is complete.
Doubtless you have an eager curiosity to learn more about this remarkable
Degree before you receive that of Fellow Craft.
Perhaps its ceremonies seemed strange to you; its language fell on your
ears with unaccustomed accents; and at its end you may have been somewhat
bewildered. It is our function to
help you interpret it by giving you a brief explanation of the term
"Entered Apprentice."
The builders of those remarkable structures in Europe and Great Britain, from
six hundred to nine hundred years ago, we call "Operative Masons,"
because they were builders in the literal sense.
It was necessary for the Operative Masons to recruit new members to replace
those lost through removal, accident, illness or death.
To do this they used the apprenticeship system, which was in vogue in all
crafts for many centuries.
The word "apprentice" means "learner", or
"beginner," one who is taking his first steps in mastering a trade,
art or profession. The Operative
apprentice was a boy, usually from ten to fifteen years of age. He was required
to be sound in body, in order to do work requiring physical strength and
endurance. He had to be of good
habits, obedient and willing to learn, and of unquestioned reputation, and be
well recommended by Masons already members of the Craft.
When such a boy was chosen as an apprentice he was called into the Lodge
where all the members could assure themselves of his mental, moral and physical
qualifications. If they voted to
receive him, he was given much information about the Craft, what it required of
its members, something of its early history and tradition, and what his duties
would be. He gave a solemn promise
to obey his 'superiors, to work diligently, to observe the laws and rules and to
keep the secrets.
After being thus obligated, he was bound over, or indentured, to one of the
more experienced Master Masons. As
a rule he lived with this Master Mason, and from him day by
day learned the methods and secrets of the trade.
This apprenticeship lasted usually seven years.
After this young man had "gone to school" in this manner long
enough to give assurance of his fitness to master the art and to become an
acceptable member of the society, his name was entered on the books of the Lodge
and he was given a recognized place in the Craft organization; and because of
this official entering of his name he was given the title "Entered
Apprentice." All of the same degree of advancement constituted the rank, or
grade, of Apprentice Masons.
It is difficult to exaggerate the care our Operative Masonic forebears
devoted to these learners. The
Intender, as the Master Mason to whom the Apprentice was indentured was called,
was obliged by law to teach him theory as well as practice.
Not until the Apprentice, after many years, could prove his proficiency
by meeting the most rigid tests of skill, was he permitted to advance to a
higher rank in the Craft. Other
Master Masons with whom he was set at work at the simpler tasks also were his
teachers. He was given moral
instruction: his conduct was carefully scrutinized; many rules were laid down to
control his manner of life. When we
read the Old Charges and ancient documents that have come down to us we are
impressed by the amount of space devoted to Apprentices.
The Operative Masons knew that the Apprentice of today made the Master
Mason of the future.
As time passed, therefore there grew up about the rank and duties and
regulations of the Apprentice an organized set of customs, ceremonies, rules,
traditions, etc. These at last
crystallized into a well-defined unit, which we may describe as the Operative
Entered Apprentice's Degree. When,
after the Reformation, Operative Masonry was transformed into Speculative
Masonry, The Entered Apprentice's Degree was retained as one of the Degrees
of-the Speculative Lodge, modified, of course, to meet the needs of the,
Speculative Fraternity.
As an Entered Apprentice you are a learner, a beginner, in Speculative
Masonry. You have taken the first
step in the mastery of our art. And
it is because you have this rank that certain things are expected of you.
First, you must learn certain portions of the Degree, so as to prove your
proficiency in open Lodge. But you
are to learn these parts not merely to pass this test; you should master them so
thoroughly that they will remain with you through life, because you will have
need of them many times in the future.
Second, you must learn the laws, rules, and regulations by which an Entered
Apprentice is governed.
As you stood in the northeast corner of the Lodge during your initiation you
were taught a certain lesson concerning a cornerstone.
The meaning of that lesson should now be clear to you.
You are a cornerstone of the Craft.
The day will probably come when into your hands will fall your share of
the responsibilities of the Lodge. You
are a cornerstone on which the Fraternity is being erected.
It is our hope and expectation that you will prove a solid foundation,
true and tried, set four-square, on which our great Fraternity may safely build.
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AN INTERPRETATION OF THE RITUAL OF
THE FIRST DEGREE
The Masonic Lodge room is represented in the Ritual as a symbol of the world.
The particular form in which this symbol is cast harks back to early
times when men believed the earth to be square and the sky a solid dome; but
while this no longer represents our idea of the physical shape of the world, the
significance remains the same.
The world thus represented is the world of Masonry; the Masonic career from
beginning to end, including all that lies between.
The West Gate through which the candidate enters represents birth.
In the First Degree the candidate is ushered into Masonic life; the old
life with all its accessories has dropped from him completely.
He now enters on a new life in a new world.
Masonry is systematic, well proportioned, balanced.
Duties and work are supervised and regulated, controlled through laws
written and unwritten, expressed through Landmarks, traditions, usage’s,
Constitutions and By-Laws, guided and directed through officers vested with
power and authority. The candidate
obligates himself to uphold that lawful system; when he salutes the Master and
Wardens he signifies his obedience to the legally constituted officers; when he
follows his guide and fears no danger he expresses his trust in, and loyalty to,
the Fraternity.
The new world is a lawful world in which caprice and arbitrariness have no
part. It has a definite nature, is
devoted to specified purposes, committed to well defined aims and ideals ' Its
members cannot make it over to suit their own whims or to conform to their own
purposes; they must make themselves over to conform to its requirements.
One should not become a Master Mason in order to become a Lodge member;
he should become a member in order to become a real Master Mason.
Among the first requirements of the Apprentice is that he shall offer
himself as a rough stone, to be shaped under Masonic laws and influences for a
place in the Temple of Masonry.
This world of Masonry is dedicated to Brotherhood.
Unless the Apprentice is willing and qualified to lead the brotherly life
he will never master the Royal Art. Unless
he is willing in all sincerity to abide by his obligations and the laws which
define, regulate, and control the brotherly life, he will be out of harmony with
the Fraternity, unable to find foothold in the world he seeks to enter.
All of our ritual, symbols, emblems, allegories and ceremonies, in the
richness and variety to comprehend Masonic teaching.
In his first Degree an Apprentice takes his first step into this life; leaves
the darkness, destitution and helplessness of the profane world for the light
and warmth of this new existence. This
is the great meaning of the Degree; not an idle formality, but a genuine
experience, the beginning of a new career in which duties, rights and privileges
are real. If a candidate is not to
be an Apprentice in name only, he must stand ready to do the work upon his own
nature that will make him a different man.
Members are called Craftsmen because they are workmen; Lodges are
quarries because they are scenes of toil. Freemasonry
offers no privileges or rewards except to those who earn them; it places Working
Tools, not playthings, in the hands of its members.
To become a Mason is a solemn and serious undertaking.
Once the step is taken, it may well change the course of a man's life.
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THE PRINCIPAL TENETS
Brotherly Love, Relief and
Truth
The principal tenets of Freemasonry are Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth.
It is necessary not to overlook the word "principal," for it
signifies that, while our Fraternity lays the greatest emphasis on these three
teachings, there are others which must not be overlooked.
By a "tenet" of Freemasonry is meant some teaching so obviously
true, so universally accepted, that we believe it without question.
Examples lie everywhere about US. Good health is better than illness; a
truthful man is more dependable than a liar; it is better to save money than to
waste it; an industrious man is more useful than an idle one; education is to be
preferred to ignorance -- these are but a few of the countless examples of
teachings that no intelligent man can possibly question.
Everybody takes them for granted. They
are tenets.
Freemasonry considers Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth to be teachings of
this kind, true in the sense that no man can question them; they are obvious,
self-proving, axiomatic. It is not
uncommon for men to consider brotherly love, while highly desirable, as not
practicable, and therefore but a vision, to be dreamed of but never possessed.
It is challenging for Freemasonry to call these "tenets", thus
stating that they are plainly and obviously and necessarily true.
Unless you grasp this, and see that the teachings of Freemasonry are
self-evident realities, not visionary ideals, you will never understand Masonic
teachings. For Freemasonry does not
tell us that the principles of Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth ought to be
true, that it would be better for us all if they were true-she tells us that
they are true. They are tremendous
realities in human life, and it is as impossible to question their validity as
to question the ground under our feet, or the sun over our heads.
Our question is not whether to believe them or not, but what are we going
to do with them?
Love places the highest possible valuation on another person.
A man's mother or father, his wife or sweetheart, his children, his
intimate friends, he values not for advantages he may gain from them, not for
their usefulness, but each one in his own person and for his own sake.
We work for such persons, we make sacrifices for them, we delight to be
with them; that in detail and practice, is what is meant by love.
What, then, is Brotherly Love? Manifest,
it means that we place on another man the highest possible valuation as a
friend, a companion, an associate, a neighbor.
By the exercise of Brotherly Love, we are taught to regard the whole
human species as one family. We do
not ask that from our relationship we shall achieve any selfish gain.
Our relationship with a Brother is its own justification, its own reward.
Brotherly Love is one of the supreme values without which life is lonely,
unhappy, ugly. This is not a hope
or a dream, but a fact. Freemasonry
builds on that fact, provides opportunity for us to have such fellowship,
encourages us to understand and to practice it, and to make it one of the laws
of our existence; one of our Principal Tenets.
Relief is one of the forms of charity. We
often think of charity as relief from poverty.
To care for the helpless or unemployed is deemed usually a responsibility
resting on the public. As a rule
the public discharges that responsibility through some form of organized
charity, financed by general subscriptions or out of public funds.
Our conception of relief is broader and deeper than this.
We fully recognize the emergency demands made by physical and economic
distress; but we likewise understand that the cashing of a check is not
necessarily a complete solution of the difficulty.
There sometimes enters the problem of readjustment, of rehabilitation, of
keeping the family together, of children's education, and various other matters
vital to the welfare of those concerned; and through the whole process there is
the need for spiritual comfort, for the assurance of a sincere and continuing
interest and friendship, which is the real translation of our first Principal
Tenets: Brotherly Love.
Masonic Relief takes it for granted that any man, no matter how industrious
and frugal he may be, through sudden misfortune, or other conditions over which
he has no control, may be in temporary need of a helping hand.
To extend it is not what is generally described as charity, but is one of
the natural and inevitable acts of Brotherhood.
Any conception of Brotherhood must include this willingness to give
necessary aid. Therefore, Relief,
Masonically understood, is a Tenet.
By Truth, the last of the Principal Tenets, is meant something more than the
search for truths in the intellectual sense, though that is included.
Truth is a divine attribute and the foundation of every virtue.
To be good and true is the first lesson we are taught in Masonry.
In any permanent Brotherhood, members must be truthful in character and
habits, dependable, men of honor, on whom we can rely to be faithful fellows and
loyal friends. Truth is a vital
requirement if a Brotherhood is to endure and we, therefore, accept it as such.
Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth are the Principal Tenets of Masonry.
There are other tenets, also; Teachings so obvious that argument is never
necessary to sustain them. With
this in mind we urge you to ponder the teachings of the Craft as you progress
from Degree to Degree. You may not find them novel, but novelty is unimportant
in the light of the knowledge that the truths upon which Freemasonry is founded
are eternal. The freshness of
immortality is on them because they never die; in them is a ceaseless
inspiration and an inexhaustible appeal. They
are tenets of Freemasonry because always and everywhere they have been tenets of
successful human life.
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SYMBOLS OF THE FIRST DEGREE
The symbols, emblems and allegorical ceremonies of the First Degree have a
meaning and comprise a large part of the teachings of the Degree.
Our time is too brief to give you complete explanations, but we believe
it will be profitable for you to have a few suggestions, especially as they will
show that every detail of the Ritual is filled with a definite significance.
The language of symbols is as universal as man.
In fact, language itself is an illustration of the uses of symbols to
transfer ideas from man to man.
We may divide symbols into two classes-natural and artificial-though sometime
the dividing line between them is very vague, and in many cases the same symbol
is used in both classes. By a
natural symbol we mean one in which the nature of the thing itself conveys an
idea and is independent of any other language, either spoken or written.
An artificial symbol is one to which an arbitrary meaning has been
assigned by common agreement.
In general we may say that the letters of the alphabet and words formed from
them are artificial symbols, and the level as it conveys the idea of equality is
a natural one.
The Hoodwink represents the darkness in which the uninitiated stand as
regards Masonry. It is removed at
the moment of enlightenment, suggesting that we do not create the great things
of life, such as goodness, truth and beauty, but find them.
They always exist regardless of the blindness of any individual.
The ancient significance of the Cable Tow is uncertain, and evidence of this
is found in the widely divergent interpretations one may read in the literature
of Masonry. However, without
stating in detail the reasons, we regard the assumption of the Cable Tow in
advance of each of the Degrees as a symbol of the voluntary and complete
acceptance of and pledged compliance with whatever Masonry may have in store;
and his subsequent release after taking the obligation indicates this symbol is
no longer needed, since he has assumed the definite and irrevocable pledge of
the Degree.
Concerning the penalty it suggests it may also be regarded as a physical
symbol of the spiritual penalty which naturally and inevitably follows the
violation of moral obligations. If
a man does not keep the law of his own free will he must be compelled to keep
it. The removal of the Cable Tow
signifies that when a man becomes master of himself he will keep the law
instinctively.
The Ceremony of Entrance signifies birth or initiation, and symbolizes the
fact that the candidate is entering a new world-that of Masonry.
The reception typifies the one real penalty for violation of the Obligation:
the destructive consequences to a man's nature through failure to be true to his
vows.
The Rite of Circumambulation is Masonry's name for the ceremony in which the
candidate is conducted around the Lodge room, an allegorical act rich with many
meanings. One of these is that the
Masonic life is a progressive journey, from station to station of attainment,
and that a Mason should continually search for more light.
An equally significant ceremony is that of Approaching the East.
The East is the source of light, that station in the Heavens in which the
sun appears to dispel the darkness. Masons
are sons of light, therefore, we face the East.
The Altar is a symbol of the spiritual heart of Masonry.
The Obligations have a literal meaning and as such are the foundations of our
disciplinary law, but above this they signify the nature and place of obligation
in human life. An obligation is a
tie, a contract, a pledge, a promise, a vow, a duty; in addition to the
obligations we voluntarily assume, there are many under which we stand
naturally-obligations to God, to our country, to our families, to employers or
employees, to friends and fellow citizens.
The Great Lights in Masonry are the Holy Bible, Square and Compass.
As a Great Light the Holy Bible represents the Sacred Book of the Law and
is a symbol of man's acknowledgment of and his relation to Deity.
The Square is an emblem of virtue. It
is an instrument of architecture that has been used throughout the ages, and our
ancient brethren who wrought in Operative Masonry could not have erected the
superb temple which immortalized the name of King Solomon without the use of
this instrument.
The Compass was employed in Operative Masonry for the accurate measurement of
the architect's plans and to enable him to give just proportions which would
insure stability and beauty. In
Speculative Masonry it is an equally important implement symbolic of that true
standard of rectitude of living which alone can insure beauty and stability in
life. The Compass signifies the
duty which we owe to ourselves-that of circumscribing our desires and keeping
our passions within due bounds. We
might also properly regard the Compass as excluding beyond its circle that which
is harmful or unworthy.
The Lesser Lights represent the Sun, Moon, and Master of the Lodge.
The Word and Grip are our means of recognition by which among strangers we
are able to prove others or ourselves regular Masons in order to enter into
fraternal intercourse.
The Rite of Salutation, in which the candidate salutes each station in turn,
is not only a test of his ability to give the proper due guard and sign, but it
is his recognition of the authority of the principal officers.
It is also a symbol of a Mason's respect for and obedience to all just
and duly constituted authorities. The
Old Charges state this in a single sentence: "A Mason is a peaceable
subject to the Civil Powers, wherever he resides or works."
The Worshipful Master is a symbol as well as the executive officer of the
Lodge. As the sun rules the day, he
should endeavor to rule and govern his Lodge.
The Apron is at once an emblem of purity and the badge of a Mason.
By purity is meant clean thinking and clean living, a loyal obedience to
the laws of the Craft and sincere good will to the brethren; the badge of a
Mason signifies that Masons are workers and builders, not drones and
destructionists.
The symbolism of the Rite of Destitution reverts to those ancient times when
men believed that the planets determined human fate and controlled human
passions, and that there was a mental by which each planet was itself
controlled. In ancient initiations
candidates were compelled to leave all metals behind, lest they bring into the
assembly disturbing planetary influences. While
with us this symbolism no longer has an astrological character, the old point
about excluding disturbing influences remains; the candidate is not to bring
into the Lodge room his passions or prejudices lest that harmony, which is one
of the chief concerns of Masonry, be destroyed.
There is another and more obvious significance in this Rite of Destitution:
that of the obligation of every Mason to recognize and alleviate, so far as his
resources reasonably permit, the distress of his fellowman; and we are reminded
that this obligation rests with even greater weight upon us when the one in
distress is a Masonic Brother.
The Northeast Corner is traditionally the place where the cornerstone of a
building is laid. The Apprentice
is, therefore, so placed to receive his first instruction on which to build his
moral and Masonic edifice.
The Operative Mason would have been helpless without his Working Tools.
Except for them there would have been no magnificent cathedrals, no
superb Temple of Solomon; even the Craft itself would have been non-existent,
and the world today infinitely poorer.
Nowhere in Masonry do we find the impact of symbolism more significant than
in its application to the Working Tools. Without
them, Speculative Masonry would be but an empty shell of formalism-if, indeed,
it managed to exist at all. While
they do not contain the whole philosophy of Masonry, the various Working Tools
allocated to the three Degrees by their very presence declare there is
constructive work to be done; and by their nature indicate the direction this
work is to take.
The Entered Apprentice is himself a symbol, one of the noblest in the
emblematic system of the Craft. He
represents youth, typified by the rising sun; trained youth, youth willing to
submit itself to discipline and to seek knowledge in order to learn the great
art of life represented and interpreted by all the mysteries of Masonry.
It is by such voices and arts as all these, that our magnificent First Degree
gave its teachings to you as a man and an Entered Apprentice.
We sincerely hope that these suggestions as to the meaning of these
symbols and emblems will lead you to seek further for more light, not only that
you may become a well-trained Mason, but also for their value to your life
outside the Lodge room.
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DUTIES, PRIVILEGES AND LIMITATIONS
OF AN ENTERED APPRENTICE
As an Entered Apprentice you have an immediate and personal interest in our
subject, but our discussion should lead you to see that it has a permanent and
important interest for every Mason, however long it may have been since he
received the First Degree. In a
sense we always remain Entered Apprentices; the teachings of the Degree remain
always in effect; its obligations and charge, subject to additions in the
succeeding Degrees, continue to be binding.
As Masons we associate with Apprentices, work with them, perhaps are
sought by them for counsel. Therefore,
it is important for us to have as clear an understanding as possible of the
duties, privileges and limitations of Apprentices.
An Apprentice cannot be a member of a Lodge, vote or hold office.
He is, therefore, not entitled to Masonic burial.
An Apprentice may not visit or sit in a Lodge except when opened on the
First Degree. Since most business
of a Lodge is conducted in the Third Degree, he has neither voice not vote.
Nevertheless, he possesses certain important rights and privileges.
He has the right to be instructed in his work and in matters pertaining
to his Degree. If charged with
violating his obligation, he is entitled to trial.
He has the right to apply for advancement to a higher Degree.
Also the Apprentice possesses modes of recognition by which he can make
himself known to other Apprentices, as well as to brethren who have taken
additional Degrees, and he has the privileges of using them.
Complete faithfulness to his obligation, and implied obedience to the charge
are among his important and lasting responsibilities.
'It is also the duty of the Apprentice to learn the required portions of the
Degree with thoroughness, not only because he must prove himself proficient in
order to advance, but also because it contains Masonic teachings of fundamental
importance that remain forever binding on every Mason.
He should not be content with learning the words letter perfect, but
should study the meanings, also-and if he cannot interpret these for himself he
should seek help from others. In a
measure the Degree is complete within its own field, and its teachings should be
permanently incorporated as a part of his Masonic life.
The Apprentice is on probation-- A Mason in the making; he is passing through
a period of trial and testing; his relation to the Craft is like that of the
medical student to the profession of medicine.
Therefore, it is his duty to be obedient, trusting himself without
question to his guides, and in a spirit of humility to respond quickly to the
instructions of the officers of the Lodge.
As yet it is not for him to question what he finds, to discuss the Lodge,
to enter into arguments, or to set himself up as a critic.
The clue to his whole position is furnished by
the word "Apprentice", which means "learner." Since his
status is that of a learner, his chief task is to learn.
But the Entered Apprentice's Degree has a larger meaning.
It signifies the doctrine of Masonic Apprenticeship as a whole, in which
Fellow Crafts and Master Masons also are included.
Freemasonry preserves a secrecy about all its work; it meets behind tiled
doors; it throws over its principles and teachings a garment of symbolism and
ritual; its Art is a mystery; a great wall separates it from the profane world.
Nor is its work easy to understand.
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Scriptures
Psalm 133, quoted in its entirety, is the
opening scripture for Freemasonry. The Psalm is taken from the "Wisdom
Psalms" and was one of the Psalms, or songs, that the worshippers sang as
they walked up the mountain to Jerusalem and the Temple. It was engraved upon
the memory of every loyal Jew, for its meaning was to bind all the people
tightly in the bonds of love and loyalty.
This Psalm begins with the characteristic
word of introduction, "Behold!" In other words, "Listen, take
heed, this is greatly important." The word "Behold!" had the same
power as that other very familiar phrase, "Thus saith the Lord!".
"Behold! How good and pleasant it
is For brethren to dwell together in unity."
This Psalm was written after the Jews had
returned from their Babylonian captivity and they had returned with foreign
wives, foreign ideas, and a very loose hold upon God. They all needed to draw
close together for national strength, for closer religious ties, for strict
observance of the laws of God. Family life had deteriorated under their
captivity and many of the Jews who returned to Palestine had been born in
Babylon and had no familiar ties to their real homeland.
In the olden days brethren dwelt in close
proximity; they lived as close to their birthplace as possible; they lived under
the influence of the larger family, or clan, or tribe. They had a closeness;
they felt a closeness; they had a very high and very deep sense of loyalty to
all the brethren. These attributes had been broken down in captivity, and the
call was to remember "How good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell
together in unity." Therefore, it was necessary to bring a reminder of the
glory of the past and the advantage of the future if men would live and act as
brothers.
The writer of this Psalm then brought up a
reminder of a past custom. A host would anoint his guest with the perfumed oil
of anointing that would fill the house with its scent. Turning to the historical
Aaron, the writer reminds his readers of the beard of Aaron and his beautiful
priestly robes. Aaron typified the "Called of God man," .."The
man separated of God" for a special task. Aaron was anointed for his
priestly office in a beautiful ceremony before the massed people. If brothers
will dwell together in unity it is like this:
"It is like the precious ointment
upon the head,
That ran down upon the beard,
Even Aaron's beard,
That went down to the skirts of his garments."
This oil of perfume, this oil of
anointing, gave forth a scent that all could be conscious of and all would be
impressed. "Brethren in unity" brings a consciousness of the perfume
of peace and strength. But there was something more.
Palestine was a harsh land of little
rainfall, many rocks, hot sun, little fertile soil, and many droughts. The
mountains were upon every hand, dry, barren, and all but hospitable. But there
was something about the mountains that appealed. When brothers dwell in unity,
it is as the freshness of the dew upon those mountains:
"As the dew of Hermon.
And as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion.
For there the Lord commanded the blessing, even
Life forevermore."
Brothers in unity refresh each other for
there is strength in unity and the brotherly spirit is beautiful, refreshing,
and restoring. And when unity is established then there is the blessing of the
Lord God. Only in unity, implies the writer of the Psalm, where the spirit of
brotherhood prevails, may the Lord give His blessing forevermore.
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ENTERED
APPRENTICE MASONIC
GLOSSARY
| Appertaining |
belonging to, or connected with, as a
rightful part or attribute; relating to
|
| Archives |
a place in which records and historical
documents and items are preserved
|
| Bade |
told; ordered; requested; directed
|
| Cable's Length |
a maritime unit of length; about 100
fathoms or 600 feet
|
| Cable Tow |
a twisted rope, usually of cotton or
synthetic material, used symbolically to bind or make fast; originally
a particularly strong rope
|
| Cardinal |
of basic importance; main; primary;
essential; principal
|
| Circumscribe |
to draw a line around; to limit in
range of activity definitely and clearly
|
| Circumspection |
carefulness in considering all
circumstances and possible consequences
|
| Clad |
covered or clothed
|
| Conduce |
to lead or tend to a particular and
desirable result
|
| Corporeal |
having, consisting or, or relating to,
a physical material body; not intangible
|
| Divested |
to deprive or take away from; to
undress or remove clothing, ornaments or equipment
|
| Due |
proper; according to accepted standards
or procedures
|
| Engrave |
to cut figures or letters into wood or
metal
|
| Equivocation |
to avoid committing oneself to what one
says; uncertainty; uncertain or questioning disposition or mind
|
| Etch |
to produce as a pattern on a hard
service by eating into the material's surface as with acid or a laser
beam
|
| Fellow |
a member of a group having common
characteristics; an associate; an equal in rank or power or character
|
| Fortitude |
strength of mind that enables a person
to encounter danger, or bear pain or adversity, with courage
|
| Guttural |
of, or having to do with, or involving
the throat
|
| Hail, Hele, Hale |
to hide or conceal; to cover; to keep
out of view
|
| Hoodwink |
a blindfold
|
| Hoodwinked |
blindfolded
|
| House Not Made With Hands, Eternal in the
Heavens |
that which lies beyond death; heaven
(II Corinthians 5:1)
|
| Immemorial |
extending or existing since beyond the
reach of memory, record or tradition
|
|
Impart
|
to
give; to communicate knowledge of something; to make known; tell;
relate
|
| Indite |
to write down; to put down in writing
|
| Intrinsic |
belonging to a thing by its very
nature; the essential nature or constitution of a thing; inherent; in
and of itself
|
| Invest |
to give; to furnish; to clothe
|
| Inviolate |
not broken or disregarded; not told to
others; respected
|
| Light |
knowledge or understanding
|
| Manual |
of, or having to do with, or involving
the hands
|
| Mystery |
the secret or specialized practices or
ritual peculiar to an occupation or a body of people; rites or secrets
known only to those initiated
|
| Passions |
great emotion; the emotions as
distinguished from reason; powerful or compelling feelings or desires
|
| Pectoral |
in, on, or of the chest
|
| Pedal |
of, or relating to, the foot or feet
|
| Precepts |
a principal or instruction intended
especially as a general rule of action;
|
| Prudence |
the ability to govern and discipline
oneself by the use of reason; skill and good judgement in the
management of affairs or the use of resources; caution or
circumspection as to danger or risk
|
| Saints John |
Saint John the Baptist and Saint John
the Evangelist, the two ancient patron saints of Freemasonry
|
| Shod |
wearing footgear, with shoes on
|
| Steady |
constant in feeling, principle, purpose
or attachment; dependable; firm in intent showing little variation or
fluctuation; unwavering; resolute
|
| Subdue |
to bring under control especially by an
exertion of the will; to reduce the intensity or degree of; tone down
|
| Superfluity |
excess; unnecessary; immoderate,
especially living habits or desires
|
| Superfluous |
exceeding what is needed; excess;
extra; not needed; unnecessary
|
| Temperance |
moderation in action, thought or
feeling; self-restraint; a habitual moderation in the indulgence of
the appetites or passions; moderation in, or abstinence from, the use
of intoxicating substances
|
| Tongue of Good Report |
having a good reputation; those who
know you report that you are a good man; a credit to yourself and to
society
|
| Usual your job |
the manner in which you make Vocation
your living
|
| Vouch |
assert; affirm; attest; to verify; to
supply supporting testimony; to support as being true
|
| Vouchsafe |
to grant or furnish; to give by way of
reply
|
| Warden |
an official having care or charge of
some administrative aspect or an organization or some special
supervisory duties; a British term used in the Episcopal Church and at
various colleges and in government functions
|
| Worshipful |
notable; distinguished; worthy of
respect; a British term used as a title for various persons or groups
of rank or distinction
|
FREQUENT
PHRASES
...barefoot nor
shod...
...but we as Free
and Accepted Masons are taught to make use of if for the more noble and glorious
purpose...
...due trial,
strict examination or legal information...
...duly and
truly...
...erected to God
and dedicated to the Holy Saints John...
...just and legally
constituted Lodge...
...neither naked
nor clad...
...promise and
swear...
...properly vouched
for...
...rights and
benefits...
...solemnly and
sincerely...
...wait a time with
patience...
...within the
body...
...worthy and well
qualified...
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