Masonic Discussion Board - Getting to far ahead?

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Getting to far ahead?

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Topic: Getting to far ahead?

Posted By: jdeal
Subject: Getting to far ahead?
Date Posted: September/30/2014 at 2:01pm

Afternoon everyone I am currently the lodges Tyler but in the time since I was Raised to the sublime degree I have begun learning a lot of work. IE from JS to JD. So in my observations only a few brothers knew the MC Lect. And I have noticed a lot of the other brothers made it through the SD chair worhout even learning it. So I took it upon myself to attack te work for that recently. I was successful last night I practiced it with the soon to be WM he was very pleased although I have not done it in open lodge I have the words down. My question is am I helping myself by learning the work for a few years ahead of my position?

Replies:

Posted By: Adept?
Date Posted: September/30/2014 at 4:37pm

short answer... Yes. If you're planning to go up through the chairs...The more you know the better.

However, you know what they say... if you don't use it, you lose it.

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"It is humanity that creates god, and men think that god has made them in his image, because they make him in theirs."

Posted By: droche
Date Posted: September/30/2014 at 4:50pm

You should at least know the work for the next higher office as you would normally be expected to step into that office in the absence or incapacitation of the current officeholder. If you can learn the work for higher offices than that without jeopardizing your current responsibilities I would say no harm done. You would probably forget a lot of it in the intervening years but it would come back quicker and take you a lot less time to master it than if you were just looking at it for the first time.

Posted By: jdeal
Date Posted: September/30/2014 at 5:58pm

Agreed I just want to be properly prepared for my journey and I have had to stand in above my current role. There is also the possibility of a brother stepping out of the line. I enjoy learning the work though.

Posted By: Anthony660
Date Posted: September/30/2014 at 6:26pm

My recommendation is that you become proficient in the work of your current chair and the one ahead of you. Dont jump too far ahesad as you want to be able to enjoy the journey and not become burned out.

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PM Alhambra #322 F&AM
West Covina #446 F&AM
Pasadena Valley AASR
Al Malaikah Shrine AAONMS
Cinema Grotto, MOVPER
GC Aben Zoar, Order of Alhambra

Posted By: Pscyclepath
Date Posted: September/30/2014 at 9:24pm

Too far ahead?? Not at all...

We all seek the light at our own pace. In my case, when I was promoted to senior deacon, I resolved to learn all the parts pertaining to that chair. My home lodge not being very much on ritual instruction at the time, I traveled to a neighboring lodge and got a couple of brothers to lecture me. After the first session or two, they said, "If you're going to learn the one part, you might as well learn it all." So started about a year and a half's work culminating in my getting my certification card in all the Work... just about halfway through the JW chair. It's been a benefit, as I travel around to degrees I can help fill in about any chair, and as a certified instructor, help out our smaller lodges as well as individual brethren.

Knowing your work - in any chair - opens a lot of doors to you as well as gives you a lot of additional insight to the ritual itself as you see how it all fits together, and as you ponder on it, there are very few wasted words in there.

Follow your vision, brother. Far too many people don't take an interest in the work, and in many cases that's a serious detriment to the lodge and to the fraternity.

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Tom Ezell
Adoniram #288, F&AM
Mablevale, AR