[kcraig1011]

Thank you all for your supportive words. I passed the EA proficiency with ease, and was passed on to a FC Thursday night. It was a short, but interesting degree, and I look very forward to researching the lessons behind it. Thankfully, I do have a great instructor who seems to be a wealth of Masonic information. After seeing how easily I passed the EA test, I am very confident that my future tests will be manageable.

Scott, it is good to finally find a brother in the Pittsburgh area on this website. Please do keep me updated on events in the area. My home is less than a mile from the Guyasuta Lodge in Crafton, but I am looking forward to visiting many, if not all, of the lodges in the southwest PA region. Surely I will include Lodge 652 in my agenda.

I am off to continue my learning. Thanks to everyone for their continued support. I am sure I will be needing more in the near future. Take care, everyone.

[BG_TRBL]

Congrats, I really enjoy the second degree, I like the alter lecture, it's a very entertaining degree, even though short. If you continue on your path, there should be no problem with completing the next proficiencies. Enjoy the path, you will only travel this path once.

[Ashlar2006]

Congrats , I love the FC degree . Having passed your EA proficiency , you have laid the ground work for the next two proficiencies , and should breeze right throough them .

[kcraig1011]

Greetings, Brothers. On Thursday of this week, I will be raised to a Master Mason. I am incredibly excited to experience it. That same night, I will also get to witness two new EA degrees be performed. This will be the first time I get to experience the initiation from the observers viewpoint. It will be a very interesting night.

I hope I am not moving too quickly through the steps of Masonry, but I am curious as to how I will go about advancing in the York Rite? I am interested in experiencing both the York and Scottish Rite, but I believe I will start with York. I plan to ask my instructor the same question, but I enjoy reading the thoughts of the experienced members on here as well. Further, if you have any opinions or reasons to choose Scottish over York, I would be interested to read that as well. As I had stated earlier, I am trying to learn as much as I can and dedicate as much time as I can before my wife wants to have kids. Needless to say I hope to be able to spend a good amount of time after that also, but it's hard to forecast how such a life changing decision like having kids will impact my social life. Anyway, your thoughts and suggestions are much appreciated. Thanks again, everyone.

PS: If any MMs live in the Pittsburgh area and are available on Thursday night (Dec. 17), please feel free to come support me at the North Hills Lodge # 716 at 7:30. My real name is Kevin Craig, by the way. I will be happy to meet another Brother.

[Ashlar2006]

Congrats Brother and best of luck ! I really don't think it matters how fast you move through the degrees , but what you do as you go through them and after . It took me a month between degrees , so in three months I was a Master Mason . I studied hard on each of the degrees , and asked questions constantly . After you are Raised , you will have a liftime to study and learn so I do not think moving quickly through the degrees would be detrimental to you in any way .

I also went York Rite first myself and glad I did . It answered a slew of questions as to the "why's" and "what for's" in the Craft Lodge . There will be times you slap your forehead and think , "that's why that is done that way" or "That's why they say this in lodge" . Some think a new MM should wait to go into the other Rites , I think differently , there are lessons that can be gleaned from these bodies that will only aid you in getting a better understanding of Freemasonry and the Blue Lodge , and everyone learns at different paces anyways . But I do not think it matters which path you choose first since you are planning to go into both Rites .

I truly wish I could get up there and witness your Raising . It is great that you have given us the chance to walk with you through all your steps in becoming a Master Mason and have kept us up to date . You seem to have taken this very serious and I am just as proud of you as I am of new members in my own Lodge .

[BG_TRBL]

Hope all went well with your degree this evening. Looking forward to reading your response to the degree.

[Matt Liotta]

I know I'm jumping in here at the last minute. It's been a while since I've been on the forum. I really enjoyed this post. As Ash said, the York Rite filled in a lot of questions for me. Merry Christmas brothers, a Happy and Healthly New Year to you and your families.

[kcraig1011]

Hello, Brothers. I apologize for not posting sooner regarding my experiences on December 17th. Needless to say, the ritual was extremely interesting and thought-provoking. I was truly amazed with how well the acting WM had every word of the degree memorized. He did not stutter or stumble over his words a single time. The reenactment was exciting, and it certainly proved to be another moment in my life that I will never forget. The memories I have of all three of my Blue Lodge degrees will stay with me forever.

Since my raising, I have attended the January regular meeting, learned how to gain entrance to other lodges, and received my dues card. Although not as exciting as the degree work, the regular meeting, I thought, was interesting in it's own way. As I had stated in another post, the DDGM attended our January regular meeting, and I had an opportunity to meet with him. My first regular meeting proved to be a good first for me, as all of my Brothers had an open discussion with the DDGM about the changes the new PA RWGM has enacted. I received a Masonic penny from one of the elder Brothers, and a book explaining some of the symbols of the Craft from another Brother. I really enjoyed my first regular meeting, and look forward to attending more at my home Lodge, as well as traveling around and seeing other Lodges do their work.

The secretary of my home Lodge is the secretary for the Valley of Pittsburgh Scottish Rite, also. I have portrayed my interest in getting involved with the Scottish Rite to him, and just now completed my petition to join. I will be getting initiated on April 16th and 17th. I am very excited to see the degree work and learn more about our great Fraternity. I also registered to join the PA Masonic Scholars program, and am awaiting the notice of acceptance.

To some it may seem like I am moving to quickly through all of this, but I want to put as much time and effort into this while I can before the wife starts wanting children. We made the mistake of walking into a pet store nine days ago, and I made the wife promise me that we would not leave with a pet. The problem is, I did not make a promise to myself, and I saw the dog of my dreams (a Siberian Husky with both eyes a beautiful and sharp blue color), and I fell in love immediately. Surely enough, by my own insistance, we left with a pure bred Siberian Husky pup. I have realized that if a puppy is so much work, I cannot even imagine what a child will be like. Thus, I am even more motivated to learn and provide as much time as I can right now. Plus, the wife is studying for her CPA, so she needs time to herself also.

Ok, I am finished with this novel of a post. If any of you have any suggestions, comments, etc., please feel free to post them. Take care, Brothers.

[BG_TRBL]

Congrats on being raised to the sublime degree of a MM, I have no doubt these will stay with you. I applaud you on your diligence and desire to proceed further in freemasonry. I don't think you are moving too fast. Every other degree in masonry builds on the principles taught in the first 3 degree's. I never followed the scottish rite branch of masonry, I followed the York Rite branch. I found them to be extremely informative, and entertaining as well during the ritual. Ashlar I believe would be able to speak to the Scottish Rite side. Again, congrats on your advancement.

PS,
You are absolutely correct about children, they are taxing on your time, and your life will revolve around them. That being said, it is also one of the most rewarding experiencies I have ever had the pleasure of. Now mind you my kids are only 6 and 3, but I enjoy being a father. I also began my journey before we had children, and I was Master of my lodge the year that my 6 year old was born.

Good luck with your newest member of your family as well, pets are also in need of your time too

[Ashlar2006]

Congrats on your Raising ! I have often heard that one should wait a year or two before going into the appendant/concordant bodies , that they should not rush it . I believe that it is upto the individual . If one can learn and absorb knowledge from the Blue Lodge and the SR/YR at the same time , then you are not rushing it . I too went YR first , and I am glad I did .But I also like the SR , though I tend to favor the YR over the SR . We meet once or twice a month in the YR and only a couple of times a year in the SR so I get my monies worth in the YR , plus I found going through the YR degrees to be more moving and closer to my Blue Lodge experience . I believe you will like either path you choose .

The wife and I , long ago , made the decision that we do not want children so I have a lot of time on my hands to dedicate to my lodge and to Freemasonry . So I have no reference as to what it takes to be a Father , but I know it would have to take an incredible amount of time and energy .

Congrats on the new pup .