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New Year, New Duty

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Topic: New Year, New Duty
Posted By: log cabin Bill
Subject: New Year, New Duty
Date Posted: December/17/2019 at 9:15am
For the past 5 years I have been President of the Pittsburgh School of Instruction. Our principal instructor has asked me to move on and accept the title and duties of Senior Instructor which I have agreed to. Our long time Vice President will be moving into the office of President. We meet once a month, except for July and August. Officers from the lodges in our district must come to the school and prove proficient in the work of the chair into which they are going. This is done by coming to the school and meeting with an instructor. The instructor must not be a member of your lodge.

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North Hills Lodge, #716,PM
Allegheny RAM,#217,PHP
Allegheny Council,#38,PTIM
Allegheny Commandery #35
Knight Masons,Gateway To The West Council #5
AASR,Valley of Pgh.
Syria Shrine
Islam Grotto



Replies:
Posted By: Sec'yBob
Date Posted: December/17/2019 at 4:57pm
I like that policy.

It would sure advance our Lodge people in their work. We have so many that join and then just set in the side lines watching others. Tell me more on how this works

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Raised 2001
PM Crestwood-Anchor #443
PM Meramec #313 X3
Past DDGM Dist #24
Lodge Education Officer
Missouri Lodge of Research
O.E.S. Chapter 129 WP X3
Legion of Honor recipient


Posted By: log cabin Bill
Date Posted: December/18/2019 at 10:13am
For example: if you are going through the chairs in your lodge and when you are to advance to go into the Junior Warden's chair, you would have to come to the school and meet with an instructor to prove to him that you know that work/ritual that the Jr. Warden does when in that chair. It would be different in many jurisdictions. Before the Jr. W. can advance to the Sr. Warden's chair he must prove that he knows the work/ritual for that chair. Before the Sr. W. can advance to W.M. he must prove that he knows the work/ritual for that chair. Other lower officers (stewards, deacons) aren't required to come for instruction, but it is recommended. I hope that explains things. In order to advance you must also learn some of the degree work so that you are able to confer a degree.

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North Hills Lodge, #716,PM
Allegheny RAM,#217,PHP
Allegheny Council,#38,PTIM
Allegheny Commandery #35
Knight Masons,Gateway To The West Council #5
AASR,Valley of Pgh.
Syria Shrine
Islam Grotto


Posted By: Sec'yBob
Date Posted: December/19/2019 at 7:48am
Thanks, I am going to look into something like that here

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Raised 2001
PM Crestwood-Anchor #443
PM Meramec #313 X3
Past DDGM Dist #24
Lodge Education Officer
Missouri Lodge of Research
O.E.S. Chapter 129 WP X3
Legion of Honor recipient


Posted By: log cabin Bill
Date Posted: December/19/2019 at 11:02am
By the way Sec'y Bob, each one of the lodges in my district is also assigned to exemplify some aspect of the ritual work at the school of instruction. This is to make sure that everyone is doing the work the same way since the ritual manuals only have the words in them and do not describe any movements by the officers. They may be assigned to do any of the three degrees, opening or closing the lodge, etc. We do things a bit differently in PA as we are F&AM.

-------------
North Hills Lodge, #716,PM
Allegheny RAM,#217,PHP
Allegheny Council,#38,PTIM
Allegheny Commandery #35
Knight Masons,Gateway To The West Council #5
AASR,Valley of Pgh.
Syria Shrine
Islam Grotto


Posted By: Sec'yBob
Date Posted: December/20/2019 at 8:18am
Only in my district, and only in a few other districts throughout Missouri, we have a ritual club of which I belong.

As has been the established custom, at least since I have been there, we practice degree ritual. So for example, we have 10 Lodges in District 24. In January, one Lodge may offer the first section of the first degree. Then in February, a different Lodge will put on a different degree and so on.

This is all well and good, but...…………...our DDGL continually complains about the fact that he visits a certain Lodge, and the chairs cannot do their ritual to open or close, without an extensive amount of coaching. And then there is the floor work, that seems to differ between the DDGL , former DDGL's, and others who would proclaim to know the ritual. So then we get 10 Lodges with 10 Senior Deacons, with 10 different rituals and floor work.

This is why I like your post above. I am going to suggest that the ritual club consider practicing chairs instead of just degrees.
BTW, we too have schools of instruction, and often they differ also. The standard argument is that someone changed it, 7 men heard about it, 13 did not, and so they disagree.

-------------
Raised 2001
PM Crestwood-Anchor #443
PM Meramec #313 X3
Past DDGM Dist #24
Lodge Education Officer
Missouri Lodge of Research
O.E.S. Chapter 129 WP X3
Legion of Honor recipient


Posted By: log cabin Bill
Date Posted: December/22/2019 at 7:45am
Sec'y Bob---I am not sure what you mean by the "first Section" of the first degree. In PA, we don't divide things into first, second, etc. sections. Without going into too much detail in an open area of this forum, it is the WM who confers the degrees. We also have a regional school of instruction once a year where one of the degrees is exemplified and corrections are made by a team of regional instructors. Remember that in PA we are F&AM and do not use a lot of the paraphernalia (trestle boards, checkered pavement) that are used in other jurisdictions.

-------------
North Hills Lodge, #716,PM
Allegheny RAM,#217,PHP
Allegheny Council,#38,PTIM
Allegheny Commandery #35
Knight Masons,Gateway To The West Council #5
AASR,Valley of Pgh.
Syria Shrine
Islam Grotto


Posted By: Sec'yBob
Date Posted: December/23/2019 at 7:37am
From what I understand, our regional schools of instruction differ also, but then I do not attend those.

-------------
Raised 2001
PM Crestwood-Anchor #443
PM Meramec #313 X3
Past DDGM Dist #24
Lodge Education Officer
Missouri Lodge of Research
O.E.S. Chapter 129 WP X3
Legion of Honor recipient



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