Our First "Second"

Specialis Procer Lodge Under Dispensation met last night for the purpose of conferring a second degree on our new Brother. He has now become a Fellow of the Craft. In order for our Lodge to obtain a Charter we must do certain things. One of those is do demonstrate that we can put on the three degrees of Masonry. To that end we are taking our Candidate through the degrees.
In the degree of Fellowcraft the Brother is taken through a corridor and then up a symbolic flight of steps consisting of three, five and seven steps. While going along this path he is given a lecture which describes among other things his journey through life and the use of the orders of architecture and the seven liberal arts and sciences. He is then taken to a place representing the Middle Chamber of King Solomon's Temple (after passing two guards) where he receives the wages of a Fellowcraft and listens to a lecture describing the use of the letter G as displayed over the Master's Chair in every regular lodge. The lecture is not ritual but is what we call "monitorial" and it will vary depending on the person who gives it. Specialis Procer is very fortunate in having Ron Lindhart as one of our members for he does indeed give a magnificent lecture.

Brother Ron did double duty last evening as he also presented a paper on the Knights Templar and the story of how they met their end. He updated it to include the recent finding in the Vatican's secret archives of a document which absolved them of all wrong doing.
However before that we had a "social" hour and a delicious catered banquet with salad, beef, salmon, the usual trimmings and for those who wanted a nice Cabernet Sauvignon from the 14 Hands Winery. (Not your usual rubber chicken Masonic fare.)


Brother Kurt (on the left) described our evening on his blog and I have linked to it here. In it he says in part:

There is a certain smell to lodge, I don't know what it is, but every lodge I go to, as soon as the SW's column is raised, that smell is present. It's relaxing. I know that brothers Jay and Jason know the word for that feeling or smell, but I call it relaxation and comfort.

I love lodge, I love how we operate, we are truly becoming a brotherhood, not just friends.

Egregore is the word he is looking for. I find it interesting that he experiences it as a "smell" - for me it is a wonderful feeling of well-being when I am with these brothers. It is absolutely one of the best evenings of the month when I am with the "noble friends" of Specialis Procer Lodge, U. D. Thanks for stopping by. j