Masonic Educational Quiz #3A
Internet Version
The following educational suggestion is a part of the continuing program of the Masonic Education Committee of the Grand Lodge to provide a monthly educational program for lodge use. It should be passed on to the Lodge Education officer.
Setup for this program.
While the lodge is at refreshment, the education officer and 1 or 2 assistants should remain in the lodge and make some changes. The W:M: should be let in on the program and asked to go along with it. Any officer to be involved in a change should be informed in advance. Perhaps he can be used to explain the correct procedure or positioning. At the end of refreshment inform the brethren that upon returning to the Lodge room they may observe something different. If so they should refrain from commenting on it. After everyone is in place, the leader should ask the brethren to closely observe the lodge room. If they observe anything wrong to say nothing. The leader then asks each brother, one at a time to point out one thing that is wrong. As the changes are pointed out the reasons for our usage and practices should be discussed.
The following items may be moved, removed or changed. There are many others that you may think of.
1. Move the flag to the west. When it is pointed out, have it returned to the East and make sure it is placed on the 2nd level. Someone should realize that it goes on the highest level in the lodge. (See FLAG in the Digest of Edicts of the Handbook of Masonic Law)
2. Have the master leave his hat off. Be prepared to have someone explain why he wears the hat and when it should be removed.
3. The APRON:
(A) Let one brother leave his apron off.
(B) Have one brother with a coat over his apron.
(C) Have one brother with his apron reversed.
(C) Have a brother with his apron “in the wrong degree”.
(D) Have the Master wearing the Sr. Warden or some other officer’s apron.
4. Conceal the Charter. (This will emphasize that the lodge cannot operate without a charter.)
5. Have two of the officers’ aprons and/or jewels swapped.
6. Swap the Deacons rods.
7. Remove the Great Lights. When noted arrange them incorrectly.
8. Remove the lesser lights or reposition the lesser lights so that one light is on the north and two on the south of the stand. LA positions the lesser lights in the same relative position as the three principal officers. Be prepared to explain that there are 14 different arrangements of the lesser lights in the Gr. Lodges of this country alone. Only 17 states are the same as ours. Twenty-six Gr. Lodges position the 3 lights with one on each corner of the alter–but not always the same three corners. (Short Talk Bulletin Aug. 1945)
9. Move the Sr. Deacon someplace other than his regular station. The esoteric work may be used to explain why his position is fixed.
10. Have someone walk between the Master and the Altar.
The above changes should evoke more discussion than you will have time to cover. The idea is to enjoy ourselves and at the same time learn more about our fraternity and its practices.
USED IN ______________LODGE on _____________