Writing ceremony

[Ashlar2006]

Without going into details , has anyone witnessed the Writing ceremony after an EA degree ?

I have and I question it . What I question is , from what I have seen they ask the new EA to write down "his feelings" of what he just went through and when he goes to write his feelings down they remind him of his OB .

My problem is , this is not secret and they are enforcing that old "everything is secret" that many old heads live by today . Now if they asked him to write down the Pass , how to give the grips , how to give the signs then , yes , bring it to his attention but asking him to sum up his feelings is not a secret .

 

[Winter]

I have seen it. Only they asked him him to write everything about the degree that he could remember and then reminded him of his Ob. I only saw one new EA start writing, then he checked himself. I can see the pros and cons to it. One the one side, it does serve to drive home the prohibition concerning revealing the rituals, and on the other side it looks like the WM is "trying" to make the new Brother violate his Ob that he just agreed to and may not fully understand yet.

 

[Ashlar2006]

I have seen it. Only they asked him him to write everything about the degree that he could remember and then reminded him of his Ob. I only saw one new EA start writing, then he checked himself. I can see the pros and cons to it. One the one side, it does serve to drive home the prohibition concerning revealing the rituals, and on the other side it looks like the WM is "trying" to make the new Brother violate his Ob that he just agreed to and may not fully understand yet.

I too see the pros and cons of it . But I think if they are going to perform this ceremony , they need to re-word their request to what you have posted .

This is something that is not done in many lodges in my area , I can only think of one .

 

[Zack]

It is part of our ritual and is precisely worded in our code book. To the EA it might sound as a trick question but when said correctly and "listened" to it is not. It does impart a very important lesson not easily forgotten.

There is nothing about his "feelings" or his "thoughts".

 

[Ashlar2006]

I have heard some take this ceremony too far , members yelling and screaming at the new EA . And if that happened to me , members screaming & yelling , I would not have came back . Someone on another forum said he heard it from someone in my own jurisdiction that this very thing happened . And it may have in some old country lodge , but this ceremony is not common practice here .

I guess it does impart the importance of that part of the OB and is (or what should be) a gentle reminder . But I will be honest , I would have grabbed the pen and would have started writing away (heck , I may have even taken part of that ceremony during my own EA degree and no longer remember ) because the degree was a blur and I honestly remembered next to nothing of what I just went through . I , and many other new Masons , need time to go over the degree with their mentors because the candidate has a lot thrown at them so I guess it would serve a purpose .

Just a note , I am not taking away from those who do perform this ceremony . Just how it is performed and the wording of it would concern me .

 

[Zack]

I have heard some take this ceremony too far , members yelling and screaming at the new EA . And if that happened to me , members screaming & yelling , I would not have came back . Someone on another forum said he heard it from someone in my own jurisdiction that this very thing happened . And it may have in some old country lodge , but this ceremony is not common practice here .

I guess it does impart the importance of that part of the OB and is (or what should be) a gentle reminder . But I will be honest , I would have grabbed the pen and would have started writing away (heck , I may have even taken part of that ceremony during my own EA degree and no longer remember ) because the degree was a blur and I honestly remembered next to nothing of what I just went through . I , and many other new Masons , need time to go over the degree with their mentors because the candidate has a lot thrown at them so I guess it would serve a purpose .

Just a note , I am not taking away from those who do perform this ceremony . Just how it is performed and the wording of it would concern me .

That, to my way of thinking, is the purpose of the writing ceremony.
Imo it is not the ceremony that is negative but the actions of some of the Bros on the sidelines. The laughing, snickering etc is uncalled for.

 

[Duncan1574]

Is this not similar to the Chamber of Reflection?

 

[UFO]

I got my EA a few weeks ago. This happened in my initiation. It was not "write down your feelings" for mine. It was " you can write down any portion of this degree"

 

[Winter]

Is this not similar to the Chamber of Reflection?

No. The CoR is a vastly different ceremony. A candidate is placed into the CoR to prepare himself mentally for the Rite of Initiation. He is surrounded by objects in solitude to aid this mental preparation. And while he is required to write something, which varies by location, the purpose is to make him dwell on what he is about to embark on.

The writing ceremony that some Lodges do after the Initiation is designed to see if a candidate paid attention to the solemn Ob. he has just taken upon himself. Basically, it is designed to try and trip him up and see if he will violate the prohibition against making any mark that could reveal a portion of the ritual. The lesson is intended, I am sure, to drive home this prohibition and make an impression on the importance. But I am also sure it is occasionally abused and all it takes is one negative feeling by the candidate at the end of a beautiful initiatic rite to ruin the whole experience.

 

[Ashlar2006]

That, to my way of thinking, is the purpose of the writing ceremony.
Imo it is not the ceremony that is negative but the actions of some of the Bros on the sidelines. The laughing, snickering etc is uncalled for.

Oh , I agree . I dislike any laughing , yelling out etc; etc; from the sidelines . I see the point of the ceremony WHEN done properly . And if it is done , as you described in your jurisdiction , by the book and in a solemn manner then I am all for it .

But as Winter described above , if it is abused and done in a manner that humiliates the Candidate after such a solemn Initiation degree then the new Brother may go home with negative feelings .

 

[Ashlar2006]

No. The CoR is a vastly different ceremony. A candidate is placed into the CoR to prepare himself mentally for the Rite of Initiation. He is surrounded by objects in solitude to aid this mental preparation. And while he is required to write something, which varies by location, the purpose is to make him dwell on what he is about to embark on.

I truly wish our lodges used the Chamber of Reflection before the EA degree . I went through the CoR before my Order of the Temple and I tell you what , it made me think of things that........ let's just say it made me think .

 

[Duncan1574]

After reading through this thread that this practice could lead to abuse. The CoR would be a preferable addition to the EA.

 

[Ashlar2006]

After reading through this thread that this practice could lead to abuse. The CoR would be a preferable addition to the EA.

I have only heard of "verbal" abuse of any kind . What I have witnessed , it was the wording of it that I call into question . To many old heads think that EVERYTHING in Freemasonry is secret and in some lodges this perpetuates this mind set if the wrong question is asked . Here is a new EA who is now under the impression that he may not even talk about his feelings concerning the EA degree to non-Masons .

 

[DrewC]

Our lodge doesn't use the writing ceremony, however, we do use the CoR as the beginning of the EA degree. This is a fairly new change, because whenI was raised on 9/26/2011, the CoR was still used as part of the MM ritual, taking place right before the 2nd part of the short form degree.

 

[Bill_F]

Hello Bretheren,
After reading this thread, I did a little research on the CoR, as I didnt know what it was. After reading some, I would have to wonder what an Entered Apprentice would reflect upon? I guess the answer would be a little hard to explain in here though.
Is the CoR Scottish Rite, or York Rite? Or both?

 

[DrewC]

I think the CoR gives the EA a chance to reflect upon the solemn and serious nature of the journey hey are preparing for. Also, I think it offers an opportunity to consider the inevitability of death and the immortality of the soul.

 

[Ashlar2006]

I do not know about any other SR Valley , but we did not use it . All Sir Knights must go into the CoR before they may be knighted after the Order of the Temple . As I stated above I had a lot to reflect on and it made me think and I will leave it at that .

 

[Ashlar2006]

I think the CoR gives the EA a chance to reflect upon the solemn and serious nature of the journey hey are preparing for. Also, I think it offers an opportunity to consider the inevitability of death and the immortality of the soul.

This is why I wish we used it . Instead , we have some members teasing them about the goat , trap doors , and joking around (ETA to add) about Freemasonry in general . All the degrees are solemn engagements and should be treated as such , the candidate should be well aware of this and go into it with that mind set . Not looking at it as some sort of joke . Nothing I hate worse than hearing a full grown man on the sidelines during ANY degree make "BAAAAA" noises .

 

[Bill_F]

Please dont take any offense at my comment. I just remember my EA being so new and different that I dont know what I would have thought about in there.
Believe me, I know enough about the craft to know that I dont know anything, but I do want to learn, and glad the forum is here for me to ask questions.
And I totally agree with everyone about the jokes and such. Outside the Lodge, before the ceremony is one thing, but never during the degree.

 

[Duncan1574]

I have a goat ringtone for the Bro. Patrick. It makes me smile when he calls....