"The So-Called Webb-Preston Lectures"

Winter

I've been here before
I was doing some research recently on the differences between the working tools found in the American Rite versus the Emulation Rite since the question often comes up about why the Emulation Rite has the Pencil, Chisel, and Skirret that are not found in the American Rites. Like most Masons today I was taught that William Smith Webb modified the lectures he received from Preston and this gave uys the ritual we use in the United States today. But I happened to read an article from a Masonic magazine called The Builder from 1923 that made me think that it was not nearly so simple. (Note: The Builder is such an amazing magazine that it deserves its own thread) Here is the article I read. I highly recommend you read it and discuss it.

http://www.masonicdictionary.com/american.html

In this article, Bro. Kress attributes the differences in the rituals to the schism we are all familiar with between the Moderns and the Antients. "Let us keep in mind, then, that in the United States we have preserved essentially the ritual of the "Antients", while in England the ritual is essentially that of the "Moderns"."

The Moderns are not well thought of in the article as Bro. Kress states, "In referring to the ritual of the "Moderns", I intentionally said it was divided into three lectures, for it was distinctly true of the "Moderns" that the real "work" of their lodges consisted not in making of Masons, but in the rehearsal of these lectures to the accompaniment of eating and drinking."

The article is an excellent academic look at this subject.
 

CoachN

Builder Builder
Are you sure that you do not have the Antients and Moderns reversed here? The older of the two where the Moderns. The Antients are much younger and tried to make the Moderns appear younger by calling them "Moderns". I thought the PW Ritual was based upon the older of the two, the Moderns.
 

Winter

I've been here before
I am still reading different articles, but that is a direct quote from the one I referenced. Maybe we have been remembering it incorrectly.
 

Gary2112

Troll Stomper
Staff member
I am still reading different articles, but that is a direct quote from the one I referenced. Maybe we have been remembering it incorrectly.
You? Remember something incorrectly? Let me note the date and time in the ships log. Lol

Seriously though, keep us posted on your findings. This is an interesting topic.
 

Duncan1574

Lodge Chaplain & arms dealer
Cross-posting' I think it would be a good Lodge education night topic with Brothers from the different bloodlines each giving their tradition of each tool and then doing a comparison chart and then opening up the Lodge for discussion. If it got lively it could take several Lodge meetings to get through all the tools. Then task a young MM to compile it into a summary report for presentation to other Lodges and jursdictions.
 

Bill_F

Active Member
Cross-posting' I think it would be a good Lodge education night topic with Brothers from the different bloodlines each giving their tradition of each tool and then doing a comparison chart and then opening up the Lodge for discussion. If it got lively it could take several Lodge meetings to get through all the tools. Then task a young MM to compile it into a summary report for presentation to other Lodges and jursdictions.
What do you mean by bloodlines?
 

goomba

Active Member
Antients vs. Moderns. The two different ritual "bloodlines".
Got one that might throw you for a loop. The Grand Lodge of Alabama was AF&AM for over 100 years. Then around 1950 changed to F&AM. The reasoning was that when the state had done the incorporation paperwork it used F&AM so the grand lodge changed to reflect was was written in the state act.
 

Gary2112

Troll Stomper
Staff member
Got one that might throw you for a loop. The Grand Lodge of Alabama was AF&AM for over 100 years. Then around 1950 changed to F&AM. The reasoning was that when the state had done the incorporation paperwork it used F&AM so the grand lodge changed to reflect was was written in the state act.
So tather than change the incorporation paperwork to make a correction, they changed the entire way they did things? Bizarre...
 

Winter

I've been here before
The GL of WI was the same way. It was founded as A.F.&A.M. Then one day they dropped the A. I reviewed the proceedings of every GL session in the GL Library and never could find out way. My home Lodge's Charter still has the Ancient on it even though the state no longer does.
 

goomba

Active Member
So tather than change the incorporation paperwork to make a correction, they changed the entire way they did things? Bizarre...
I don't think anything changed but the name. A majority of the charters say AF&AM because they were issued before the change. It was easier to change the GL internal paperwork because some of our incorporation was passed by state legislation and would require the state legislature to pass a resolution to change the name on that portion of the paperwork.
 
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