What is an Entered Apprentice!

What is an Entered Apprentice! by: Bro. Gary BondAdair Lodge # 936
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Please note: the comments within this document are that of the author only and do not constitute the views or opinions of any governing body within Freemasonry. The information gathered is from general conversation with others within the craft from all over the world and is not directed at any lodge, province or jurisdiction in particular and has been printed for fellows to read, peruse and comment on as they see fit.

No matter what jurisdiction you are in, no matter what level of Freemason you speak with whether it is at lodge level, provincial or district level or even grand lodge level certain topics seem to find their way to the surface, falling numbers, standard of Freemasonry and lack of knowledge are the main ones I hear all the time!

Now I don't know about you, but for me membership numbers for our fraternity and any member based group for that matter falls into two categories. Firstly, new members, the introduction of new blood, and secondly, retaining members, keeping those that join both interested and involved.Another common, dare I say it, complaint of brothers is the standard of Freemasonry practised in their lodges. Lapses in protocol, skipping or missing out certain small components of lodge life, fellow brothers not knowing when to use what signs (not those used for m.o.r. but reverence and fidelity for example) and brethren simply not knowing, understanding, or realising even the most basic of information regarding the craft, it's history and what it means to be a Freemason. And finally the last of the big three, from the Entered Apprentices themselves no less, lack of information, lack of direction, being rushed through, not being able to find understanding, not being involved, not really earning anything before proceeding on their journey, waiting too long before being told ANYTHING other than commit this to memory see you next month! It is in my personal opinion, after talking with many brethren from all over the world, these issues and many many more, can be addressed by the Apprentice and our approach to them.

The foundation stage of a Freemason and the foundation stone of Freemasonry. By creating the correct foundation we can re-build and continue to build Freemasonry to what it was and what it can be in the future! After all where do we place the new initiate and why do we tell them they are there?So many times I hear the following and similar said to and about our newly invested brothers:"You are only an Entered Apprentice""Wait till you are raised""An Entered Apprentice doesn't know anything""You don't learn anything until you are a Master Mason""We'll get you raised as quickly as possible"This is the approach we are taking toward the future of Freemasonry! An Entered Apprentice should be overwhelmed with information, should be filled with questions about our craft, its history, its traditions, and all should be eagerly answered by the raised brethren of his lodge.

An Apprentice should be filled with awe regarding the ceremony he has just undergone, should be able to explore the symbols, experience and knowledge bestowed unto him through "his" worth as an Entered Apprentice! An Entered Apprentice should be given the "foundation" information about Freemasonry to enable him to fully appreciate the journey he has begun and will continue for the rest of his life! At present it is solely down to the Entered Apprentice to conduct and control his own learning, the same with the Fellow Craft and once raised a Master Mason seldom travels backward to discover the knowledge available through the first two degrees, but continues East where his first regular steps in Freemasonry are, in the end, forgotten all bar seeing someone else go through the same. And once this mason arrives at the chair how can he instruct the new brethren and place them on the correct path to the East?

Freemasonry is a moral school of the sciences, not a place to show off how much text you can remember, not a place to get a decent meal and some fraternal bonding once or twice a month, but a school a place of learning. If you do not learn, how do you improve, if as Freemasons we do not improve ourselves, how does Freemasonry"Make Good Men Better"? Modern life is playing an intricate part in the demoralising of Brothers, the package deal, the short cuts, all in the name of what?Is Freemasonry predominantly a business? I think not. Is Freemasonry's main concern money? I sincerely hope not! Do those entering Freemasonry in today's world simply want to be called a Freemason? Again I hope not, I would like to think that those entering our craft want to be Freemasons."Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you"An Entered Apprentice, to be, asks by petition and all he gets is a bill for his initiation and subscription for the forth coming year, but what was he told or what did he learn about Freemasonry to make him petition? Is the image of Freemasonry so much better than being an actual part of it is?An Entered Apprentice seeks and finds what? A lot of strange things that mean nothing, experiences a number of alien events that mean nothing, all these things that mean nothing and will not be explained, even though he is told in his "ordeal" on entry that it is his right, and it is expected, that he learn it. An Entered Apprentice knocks by showing proficiency to be passed, but proficient in what, not knowledge that is for sure, but simply the ability to recant and repeat, memorise and recite, what else can he do when he is taught nothing else, asked nothing else. Why do we say a candidate for passing will need to show proficiency in his current degree and then not even test him to show it?You will never find more zeal than in an Entered Apprentice, a Freemason talks of the craft more as an Entered Apprentice than at any other time, when the excitement is still there, the energy or anticipation is still high and when he awaits to be confronted with the mysteries of the craft.

So, to the solution, how does an Entered Apprentice solve the crafts problems? In short we educate them! Our duty as Freemasons is to impart knowledge as well as seek it, not simply pass on dated mantras about "making good men better" it isn't enough anymore. Good breeds good, if we install quality in the Apprentices of this generation, they will instil it in the next. Our membership number issue has no easy solution, no quick fix, but by raising the standards of Freemasonry, even if only back to what they were will raise at the same time the opinion of Freemasonry, moving back out of the "social" group category and back to the "best" and oldest fraternal society in the world. Freemasonry was a desirable group, people wanted to be Freemasons and openly seeked us out to learn the moral lessons of our craft and that was a lot to do with the opinions of us, what we stood for, what we aimed for, and that we adhered to standards on all levels. We bring our standards back up, our image will slowly return to the worlds greatest Fraternity, our doors will once again be knocked on for moral enlightenment. This is not done by worrying about the number of people we initiate, playing the numbers game as if in a sales office but rather the quality.

Good breeds good, if we install quality in the Apprentices of this generation, they will instil it in the next. And over time, and if we are lucky, our great grand children will be entering the true craft of our forefathers. That can be the unselfish gift we give them. Instead of selfishly trying to find the quick fix for us now and potentially taking the craft further down that slippery slope of becoming simply another "social org" we install a legacy, we replace the true foundation stone at the base of Freemasonry and re-build it for others. In returning our standards to that higher place we improve the issue of sloppy freemasonry, as much as good breeds good, contempt also breeds contempt.

The state of Freemasonry today, regarding ritual short cuts, the omitting of parts of ritual and lapses in quality work etc was not created by our generation but has built up over time. A small deviation here by one Master, another here by his successor so on and so forth. Modern life begs for the easier option, craves for the short cut through the progression of man and instils this attitude in us as children, and it is being spoon fed to our children now, but as Freemasons should we not be better than this, should we not be able to see the better way, do we really want it handed to us on a plate. Should we no be showing our newly initiated brothers that easy doesn't mean better? Too often our Apprentices are filling their time trying to find pins, rings, car badges, ball caps and paraphernalia to display membership in something they do not understand, to display symbols they do not yet know, simply waiting for the next degree to come about. These things do not make you a Freemason, your apron doesn't make you a Freemason, your actions do. When we receive a new brother he is told about Freemasonry by pamphlet, something to read on his own away from his new brethren. We preach brotherly love, but the first thing we do is get our brother to "go it alone". I know what you'll be thinking, what can you learn in 2 weeks? 28 days? or the time between degrees in your jurisdiction (if you actually go through degrees in your area?) it is better to just wait till his raised. Unfortunately by then it is too late, the standards and requirements of being a Freemason have already been established! Progression through our degrees is too fast and too easy, nothing incites enthusiasm like having to work for something, and no reward is greater than getting what you've earned. I have spoken to many brothers over the years, some from traditional lodges where they progress each 28 days minimum taking on average, due to other lodge commitments like installations etc, a year to be raised, others who have gone from petitioner to 32° of the Ancient & Accepted Scottish Rite quicker than the average summer holiday and one thing is overtly apparent, it happened too quick! They wish they had more time in the degrees to learn about them, and the fraternity itself.

Lets think, am I entitled to call myself a surgeon, or would you call me a surgeon, because although I haven't qualified yet I am at some point in my life going to go back and learn about it! No, I have to earn that right, prove my worth and why should it not be the same for Freemasons. Which is the greater honor, and to be a Freemason did USED to be an honor!, the name or what it means to have earned that name. The most precious jewel in Freemasonry is the Entered Apprentice!Lets treat them as such, and make FREEMASONS._________________

Fraternally Bro. Gary BondAdair Lodge # 936