Along the same lines as my previous post about religious belief versus principles, I'm please to find a writer who expresses similar sentiments outside the Masonry Lodge.

I attended the installation of the officers of Kirkland #150 lodge. This was my first experience of the practices within a lodge. I believe seeing the installation has been a good step in preparing me for the next step: entrance to the first degree, Entering Apprentice.

This was my day - to take the first official step toward being made a Master Mason.

I'm finding that a foundation of Masonic ritual is memorization. Most of the words spoken by officers in a formal meeting are straight out of a book from memory. Even at this early stage I'm faced with a requirement to memorize about a page of text. This scares me!

Around the end of the year is the time to watch officer installations and I've taken in all that I'm permitted to attend. (Some are open and others are closed to everyone but third degree Masons.)

The word "swear" has a common meaning in current society, as words that aren't spoken in polite company or flat-out cursing. These may be crude, vulgar or sacrilegious. I find that Masons use a more traditional meaning for the word. In Masonic ritual it means an emphatic and solemn promise. I am more accustomed to the contemporary meaning so I had to think about how this is used in the words of the Obligation of the Entered Apprentice.

This post is a followup to the one on memorizing, "By rote". The time it took me to effectively memorize the short Obligation of an Entered Apprentice Mason, proves my point that this is quite difficult for me. Kudos who have this talent! They rule!

In my study of Freemasonry I found numerous books, some public domain, some commercial, some "lawful" and some possibly not so, as far as I can tell from reading my Obligation of an Entered Apprentice. Some are restatements of the official texts, but one stands out for me as an honest, scholarly work that adds to my understanding of the origins of Freemasonry and of the practical interpretation of its principles.

I was passed to Second Degree Mason at my home lodge, Unity #198. Many thanks to all the Brothers who supported me with their attendance, good wishes and practiced ritual, especially to Bro. Phu Huynh from Lakeside #258, known throughout the District for his command of the degree lectures, who performed the honor at this ceremony.

After passing the Fellowcraft test I proved up the Lodge stated meeting on June 1 by reciting the Obligation of the Fellowcraft Mason in front of my Brothers.