Brother Ed, I finally got a chance to read your paper. You have an excellent theory and it was an interesting read.
I am curious about your division of working tools on page 1. You state that the six working tools of the American Rites are divided with the EA degree having the 24 inch gauge, Trowel, and Common Gavel and the FC degree having the Plum rule, Level, and Square. Is this the common division? My Lodge divided them with the EA degree having the 24 inch Gauge and the Common gavel. The FC degree had the Plumb rule, Square, and Level. And the MM degree had the Trowel. …
I think you might be missing an important functional difference of the 6 tools pictured and therefore why the tools are divided between the EA and FC. These are operative tools given speculative allegorical uses.
Everyone knows there were only two divisions in the Degrees (early 1700 & before), the Entered Apprentice and the Fellow Craft while the Master was an exceptionally talented ‘Fellow of the Craft’ who was in charge of the works. But in fact, in the operative stone mason guilds there were Apprentice (helper), journeymen, and the Master (crew leader or owner). The Fellowcraft included both the journeymen and Master.
First, in order for an Entered Apprentice to become a Fellowcraft, he must learn how to use all 6 of the tool proficiently in operative masonry. Our speculative lecture only gives the first tools an operative Entered Apprentice begins learning to use, thus the 24 inch gage and the common gavel.
Next, the Fellowcraft were the ‘overseers’ of the work. Therefore, here, the functional difference of the above tools becomes important. The overseers (Fellowcraft) were the ‘quality control’ inspectors for the project. The plumb, level and the square are TESTING Tools to verify the work done by the Entered Apprentice (& other Fellowcraft ??) to be correct. Thus, these are also the testing tools use by the EA to shape and place his work in the building as his skills developed.
For the Master Mason, our lecture states ‘the Working Tools are ALL the implements of Masonry indiscriminately, but especially the Towel’. This towel is described as an operative tool of a Mason, but given a speculative use by the Master to spread the cement of Brotherly Love among all masons.
Thanks for your question, I think a better clarification is needed on that point in the paper.