In the Past, you had to sit in the East as Worshipful Master to be considered a Master Mason

It’s true. If you ever read about Masons who’ve joined the craft in the past (the really distant past), you will notice a peculiar item. They only received two degrees.

That is not because they did not complete their Masonic journey, it was to get your “Master” designation, you needed to be “Master” of the Lodge.

This actually makes sense. If you were a working (operative) mason in the past, you started as a apprentice, eventually became a fellow of the craft, but you would not be a Master until you ran your own stone construction project. You would not expect a construction site to have two Master Carpenters, likewise, you would not expect to have two Master Masons working the same project.

How might this apply in our world?

If you consider that in reality what you learn the night of your raising – even with memorizing your return is minimal. And In Masonry we often brag that we make good men better. And you may ask how do we do that? Well I can reassure you that we do not sprinkle some magic dust on you and suddenly you’re a better man. The improvements that we’re talking about takes years of growth. How does that happen? By ascending through the chairs one learns things like leadership, event planning, ritual, brother hood and the little pieces it takes to manage a lodge.

Do you think you’ve gotten everything you need to be a better man on the night you were raised? Do you think we sell ourselves short by stamping someone as a Master Mason the night they are raised? Let me know your thoughts below: