First Degree Ceremony of Initiation Flashcards
IG — WM, — names Can — Mr ……, a poor candidate in a state of d who has been well and worthily recommended, regularly proposed and approved in open Lodge and now comes, of his own free will and accord, properly prepared, humbly soliciting to be admitted to the mysteries and privileges of Freemasonry.
WM — How does he hope to obtain those privileges?
IG — By the help of God, being free and of good report.
WM — The tongue of good report has already been heard in his favour. Do you, Brother IG, vouch that he is properly prepared?
IG — I do, WM.
WM — Then let him be admitted in due form.
IG cuts Sn.
WM — Brother Deacons.
SD places kneeling stool in position.
IG takes p and goes to door followed by JD and SD, JD on left.
*IG opens door, retaining hold on it as before, presents p to Can’s n l b.
IG — Do you feel anything? — and after an affirmative answer from Can raises the p above his head to show that he has so presented it.
JD with l h takes Can firmly by r h (SD on Can’s left) and leads him to the kneeling stool. All three stand facing E.
IG after Can is admitted, closes and locks door, places p on SW’s pedestal and resumes his seat
WM names Can — Mr Darren Creighton , as no person can be made a Mason unless he is free and of mature age, I demand of you, are you a free man and of the full age of twenty-one years?
JD prompting Can aloud — I am (Can repeats).
WM — Thus assured, I will thank you to kneel while the blessing of Heaven is invoked on our proceedings.
JD assists Can to kneel, instructing him if necessary in a whisper, and then releases his r h.
WM one SW one JW one
Ds hold wands in l h, cross them over head of Can and give Sn of R.
ALL stand with Sn of R (Can does not give Sn of R).
Blessing of heaven,
PRAYER
So mote it be
ALL drop Sn of R.
Ds uncross wands and hold them again in r hs.
WM — In all cases of difficulty and danger, in whom do you put your trust?
JD prompting Can aloud — In God (Can repeats).
WM — Right glad am I to find your faith so well founded: relying on such sure support you may safely rise and follow your leader with a firm but humble confidence, for where the name of God is invoked, we trust no danger can ensue.
WM sits.
JD assists Can to rise, taking his r h firmly as before.
ALL (except Ds and Can) sit.
SD draws kneeling stool aside to his left out of way of JD and Can.
WM one SW one JW one
WM — The Brethren from the N, E, S and W will take notice that Mr Darren Creighton is about to pass in view before them to show that he is the Candidate, properly prepared, and a fit and proper person to be made a Mason.
- Lap number 1
- End of lap number 1
SW holding up Can’s r h, Sp and EA Sn — WM, I present to you Mr , a Can properly prepared to be made a Mason — maintains Sn and continues to hold Can’s r h.
WM — Bro SW, your presentation shall be attended to, for which purpose I shall address a few questions to the Can which I trust he will answer with candour.
SW cuts Sn, replaces Can’s r h in l h of JD and sits.
JD takes Cn’s r h from SW and positions himself on r of Can still holding Can’s h, both facing E.
WM to Can — Do you seriously declare on your honour that, unbiased by the improper solicitation of friends against your own inclination, and uninfluenced by mercenary or other unworthy motive, you freely and voluntarily offer yourself a Can for the mysteries and privileges of Freemasonry?
JD prompting Can aloud — I do (Can repeats).
WM — Do you likewise pledge yourself that you are prompted to solicit those privileges by a favourable opinion preconceived of the Institution, a general desire of knowledge, and a sincere wish to render yourself more extensively serviceable to your fellow-creatures?
JD prompting Can aloud — I do (Can repeats).
WM — Do you further seriously declare on your honour that, avoiding fear on the one hand and rashness on the other, you will steadily persevere through the ceremony of your Initiation, and if once admitted, you will afterwards act and abide by the ancient usages and established customs of the Order?
JD prompting Can aloud — I do (Can repeats).
WM — Bro SW, you will direct the JD to instruct the Can to advance to the pedestal in due form.
SW — Bro JD, it is the WM’s command that you instruct the Can to advance to the pedestal in due form.
JD leads Can diagonally to position facing WM and about four feet from the pedestal.
JD aloud to Can: Take a sh p with your l f, bringing the hs together in the form of a square. Take another, a little longer, h to h as before. Another, still longer, hs together as before.
SD takes up position on l of C so that all three stand facing WM.
WM — It is my duty to inform you that Masonry is free, and requires a perfect freedom of inclination in every Candidate for its mysteries. It is founded on the purest principles of piety and virtue. It possesses great and invaluable privileges, and in order to secure those privileges to worthy men, and we trust to worthy men alone, vows of fidelity are required; but let me assure you that in those vows there is nothing incompatible with your civil, moral, or religious duties. Are you therefore willing to take a S O, founded on the principles I have stated, to keep inviolate the secrets and mysteries of the Order?
Candidate — I am.
WM — Then you will kneel on your l k, your r f formed in a square (Can does so); give me your r h which I place on the VSL — does so — while your l will be employed in supporting these Cs, one pt presented to your n l b.
WM one SW one JW one.
ALL stand with Sp and EA Sn.
Ds hold wands in l h, cross them over the head of Can, Sp and EA Sn.
WM to Can — Repeat your name at length and say after me: —
WM to Can — Repeat your name at length and say after me: —
I, …… — Can gives name in full — in the presence of the Great Architect of the Universe, and of this worthy, worshipful, and warranted Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons, regularly assembled and properly dedicated, of my own free will and accord do hereby — with l h touches Can’s r h — and hereon — with l h touches VSL — sincerely and solemnly promise and swear, that I will always hail, conceal, and never reveal any part or parts, point or points of the secrets or mysteries of or belonging to Free and Accepted Masons in Masonry which may heretofore have been known by me, or shall now or at any future period be communicated to me, unless it be to a true and lawful Brother or Brothers, and not even to him or them, until after due trial, strict examination, or sure information from a well-known Brother that he or they are worthy of that confidence; or in the body of a just, perfect and regular Lodge of Ancient Freemasons.
I further solemnly promise that I will not write those secrets, indite, carve, mark, engrave, or otherwise them delineate, or cause or suffer it to be so done by others, if in my power to prevent it, on anything, movable or immovable, under the canopy of Heaven, whereby or whereon any letter, character, or figure, or the least trace of a letter, character, or figure, may become legible, or intelligible to myself or anyone in the world, so that our secret arts and hidden mysteries may improperly become known through my unworthiness.
These several points I solemnly swear to observe, without evasion, equivocation, or mental reservation of any kind, in the certain knowledge that on the violation of any of them I shall be branded as a wilfully perjured individual, void of all moral worth, and totally unfit to be received into this worshipful Lodge, or any other warranted Lodge, or society of men who prize honour and virtue above the external advantages of rank and fortune.
So help me God, and keep me steadfast in this my G and S O of an EA FM.
ALL cut Sn.
Ds lower wands to r h.
WM removes Cs from Can’s l h.
SD lowers Can’s l h to side. Can’s r h remains on VSL.
So help me God, and keep me steadfast in this my G and S O of an EA FM.
ALL cut Sn.
Ds lower wands to r h.
WM removes Cs from Can’s l h.
SD lowers Can’s l h to side. Can’s r h remains on VSL.
WM — What you have repeated may be considered but a serious promise; as a pledge of your fidelity, and to render it a S O, you will seal it with your lips on the VSL.
WM — Having been kept for a considerable time in a state of d, what, in your present situation, is the predominant wish of your heart?
JD prompting Can aloud — L (Can repeats).
WM — Bro JD, let that blessing be restored to the Can.
JD should catch WM’s eye to indicate that he is ready.
WM raises gavel, moves it l, r, and down.
ALL give one clap as gavel strikes pedestal.
JD removes h w at the same moment.
WM pausing till Can is used to l and ready to continue — Having’s been restored to the blessing of material l, let me point out to your attention what we consider the three great, though emblematical, ls in Freemasonry: they are the VSL, the Sq, and Cs. The Sacred Writings are to govern our faith, the Sq to regulate our actions, and the Cs to keep us in due bounds with all mankind, particularly our Brethren in Freemasonry.
WM takes Can’s r h from VSL with his r h — Rise, newly obligated Brother among Masons — restores Can’s r h to JD.
WM sits.
SD returns to seat.
ALL (except JD and Can) sit.
JD takes Can’s r h turns l and conducts him to N side of WM’s pedestal so that both are in a position parallel to the pedestal and about two feet from it, facing S towards WM, and releases h
SW WM, I present to you Bro on his initiation for some mark of your favour.
WM — Bro SW, I delegate you to invest him with the distinguishing badge of a Mason.
SW Bro ….., by the WM’s command, I invest you with the distinguishing badge of a Mason. It is more ancient than the Golden Fleece or Roman…
WM — Let me add to the observations of the SW, that you are never to put on that badge should you be about to visit a Lodge in which there is a Brother with whom you are at variance, or against whom you entertain animosity. In such cases it is expected that you will invite him to withdraw in order amicably to settle your differences, which being happily effected, you may then clothe yourselves, enter the Lodge and work with that love and harmony which should at all times characterise Freemasons. But if, unfortunately, your differences be of such a nature as not to be so easily adjusted, it were better that one or both of you retire than that the harmony of the Lodge should be disturbed by your presence.
WM — Bro JD, you will place our new-made Brother at the N E part of the Lodge.
