From the East – June 2019
Dear Brothers,
We have reached the time of year when our Masonic schedule slows down a bit. I don’t care to use the term, “the Lodge goes dark”, because we really don’t. We may not have formal meetings, but we do have social activities and get together for the benefit of the Brothers and the Lodge itself.
June’s message is of still deeper and more abiding interest, as we say in our ritual.
While doing some light reading, I ran across a paper written some time ago by Brother J. Fairbairn Smith, who was raised in Hawick Scotland in 1925 and went on to become a noted Masonic Scholar. Brother Smith has an interesting take on two of our “moveable jewels”, and I’d like to share my thoughts on them.
We are first introduced to the rough ashlar and the perfect ashlar in the EA lecture. It is pointed out that the rough ashlar represents the candidate as he first comes into the Lodge while the perfect ashlar represents what we hope to become through our experiences in the Lodge. The terms come from our ancient operative Brothers referring to the stones in their various stages of preparation for the builders.
While we begin our actual Masonic journey as “Rough Ashlars”, awaiting the hands and tools of the workmen, there is actually work that has been done prior to that. Brother Smith references a “mold stone”, which was a tested stone given to a new Mason to demonstrate his skill. Just as our operative Brethren had to test the stones they were choosing for rough ashlars, to make sure they were of the right material, and had the needed qualities to make it worth the time and effort required to turn them into perfect ashlars, so we needed to be tested before we ever entered the Lodge.
The investigating committee serves the function of the Mason testing the “mold stone”, the candidate to determine if he has the necessary qualities if he is truly a good man, to be made better. Once that determination has been made, the candidate is admitted to the Lodge to become a “Rough Ashlar” at the end of the EA degree.
Our operative Brethren passed the rough ashlars on to the Fellowcrafts, to dress and prepare for the hands of the Master Masons. In the Lodge, we prepare the candidates through the EA and FC degrees, then on to the Master’s degree. While we can knock off the rough edges, and true up the lines and corners a bit the actual work of finishing up a candidate into a truly “Perfect Ashlar” can come only from the hand of each individual Master. The rest of the Lodge can provide guidance and assistance, but it is up to each individual Mason to bring his character straight and true and ready for the hand of the Great Architect.
I look forward to seeing you in Lodge!
Fraternally,
Rick Young