Masonic Life Network

Each one of our degrees has a special value in helping us to understand what it means to be a Mason. And each of us may have a special degree that we like more than others. Some the First, others the Second, and still others the Third Degree.

 I would like us to take a short look at the Fellowcraft. Degree. The Staircase lecture, in part, addresses many aspects of education. It discusses the degrees of Masonry, the human senses, architecture, and the seven liberal arts and sciences.

My question to you is this? Have you made a daily advancement in Masonry? Weekly? Monthly? When was the last time you read a serious book on the Craft, or an article? When did you attend a lecture discussing some aspect of Masonic education, philosophy or history?

Probably one of the best bargains in Masonic Education is the Southern California Research Lodge. http://www.theresearchlodge.org/ For a mere $20.00 a year you will receive a monthly mailing filling with gleanings of Masonic Education. You will find there excellent material for Stated meeting talks. Members also receive the Short Talk Bulletins, from the Masonic Service Bureau of North America.

But one of the best hidden secrets of the SCRL is their project for Candidate Awareness and Education. If you are a member of the SCRL, you can request a copy of Allen Robert’s book, The Craft and It’s Symbols, to be given, free of charge to the Entered Apprentice on the night of his degree. If you would do this once or twice this would more than pay for your membership. And what a great gift you have given the new Entered Apprentice; not only have you given him what might be his first book in his Masonic Library, but you have started him on the path of the Mason’s quest for Knowledge and Truth.

A visit to the SCRL website will give you a listing of dozens of quality books on Masonry at a discount price.

Have you ever attended one of the Masonic Symposiums sponsored by our Grand Lodge? The 2012 California Masonic Symposium, “The Emergence of Speculative Masonry,” will be held on June 30 in San Francisco and July 1 in Pasadena. For questions, please contact Kim Hegg, program services manager, at khegg@freemason.org or 415/292-9111.

Are you a member of The Philalethes society (freemasonry.org) or The Masonic Society (themasonicsociety.com)? Membership fees run between $39-50 annually. Both provide excellent journals.

Now you might say that it is too costly, in time or money, to do this. Allen Roberts used to say, “If you think Education is expensive, try ignorance.”

So, I ask you again: Have you had your Educational D-8 Today? Have you made your daily advancement in Freemasonry?

Mark R. Sandstrom, Inspector at Large, Division 8