Masonic Textbook

I was doing some spring cleaning today and stumbled across my great uncles masonic textbook. The title is "Masonic Text Book For use Of The Lodges In West Virginia. I've been skimming through it but i'm not shure what to make of it. Would anyone be interested in seeing some of the passages in it?

The table of contents is as follows:

Introductory matters, which include Landmarks - 7 to 27
Opening and Closing of Lodges - 29 to 32
Entered Apprentice Degree - 33 to 58
Fellow Craft Degree - 59 to 72
Master mason's Degree - 73 to 95
Constituting New Lodges - 96 to 112

Installation of officers -
Subordinate Lodges - 113 to 138
Grand lodgeb- 139 to 156

Dedication of masonic Halls - 157 to 1743
Laying of Corner Stones - 174 to 190
Funeral Service - 191 to 206

Forms -
Forms for Use by Secrataries - 210 to 226
Instructions to Lodges U.D - 228 to 229
Standard Form of By-Laws - 230

I am not exactly sure of the date the book was printed, as I haven't seen it anywhere yet, but it does say in the front that this is the fifteenth edition.

Anyways I hope everyone is interested in what this has to say and can help shed some light on it, just feel free to pick a topic. If anyone wants pictures I will have them up ASAP. Thanks Guys.

reply to post by GoldenObserver


What you have is normally called a Monitor. It's basic instruction on how to conduct a lodge meeting in certain special situations. It probably gives better insight into Masonic life than the degree ritual.

Cool! I'm thinking a synopsis of the Degrees and the Dedication of Masonic Halls should be interesting.

Looking forward to pics too.

reply to post by GoldenObserver


Could be very interesting... I would suggest scanning and posting the index.

Originally posted by rstregooski
reply to post by GoldenObserver

 

Could be very interesting... I would suggest scanning and posting the index.

I actually think that scanning and posting copywrited material could be a bad idea.

Anyone who wanted to stop you would only have to sue you and use this page as evidence.

reply to post by GoldenObserver


Sounds similar to the one I have which covers the 'public' portions of the ritual. i.e. those without any cipher in them.

Might want to rethink

Just Sayin'

reply to post by GoldenObserver


Have you read any of the other content? If so, anything interesting? I've always wondered what the true purpose of Freemasonry is. I've heard many conflicting stories from men claiming to be Freemasons, so I don't know for sure. I'm hesitant to buy into the theory that they're some sort of Satanic or NWO organization, but there must be something to why they're so secretive.

S&F

You've got to read between the lines with these traitors.
What's good is bad with these hypocrites.
Post something that is clearly open to interpretation.
Let's Roll.

reply to post by YourPopRock


right and what about scribid.....................

reply to post by AugustusMasonicus


I should hope that this portion is monitorial lectures, but I would hazard a guess from the small number of pages that it is.

Entered Apprentice Degree - 33 to 58
Fellow Craft Degree - 59 to 72
Master mason's Degree - 73 to 95

Anyway, to the OP...you should take a trip down to your Great Uncles Lodge and find out if they want it back or ask to keep it if it holds any sentimental value to you as a possession of his. They might give you a tour of the Temple and could tell you more about your uncle's Masonic activities. Who knows, maybe his picture is on the wall (It sounds like he was a PM).

reply to post by no1smootha


Surely if this book contained some sort of sacred information, no Mason would be reckless enough to leave it lying around where non-Masons could find it.

Well In That Case maybe no pictures will be scanned.

From what I've read, I found this particularly Interesting.
This is part of the Entered Apprentice.

"The Moveabe Jewels"
Are the Rough Ashler. The Perfect Ashler, and the Trestle Board.
The Rough Ashler is a stone as taken from the quarry in it's rude and natural state; the Perfect Ashler is a stone made ready by the hands of the Apprentice, to be adjusted by the working tools of the Fellow Craft; and the Trestle Board is for the Master Workman to draw his designs upon. By the Rough Ashler we are reminded of our rude and imperfect state by nature; by the Perfect Ashler, of that state of perfection which we hope to attain by a virtuous education, our own endeavors, and the blessings of God; and by the Trestle Board we are reminded that as the operative workman erects his temporal building agreeable to the rules and designs laid down by the Master on his Trestle Board, so should we, both operative and speculative, endeavor to erect out spiritual building agreeably to the rules and designs laid down by the Supreme Architect of the Universe, in the Great Book of Nature and of Revelation, which is our Spiritual, Moral, and Masonic Trestle Board.

There are also pictures accompanying the text beforehand, depicting (inside of a rectangle) carvings of steps, persian and victorian roofs, a box with an X in it, and a half sphere with a line shooting up and through the middle of it.

I really wonder if The Supreme Architect and God are the same to the Masons. Also, does anyone know exactly what "the Book of Nature" is?

IMPORTANT: Using Content From Other Websites on ATS

reply to post by HarmonicNights


Yes, I agree this handbook is probably information that could be obtained in any monitor. I was suggesting a visit to his great uncle's Lodge to learn more about the man.

Originally posted by no1smootha
I should hope that this portion is monitorial lectures, but I would hazard a guess from the small number of pages that it is.

I am fairly certain you are correct as even my ciphered lectures are around 20 pages each.

It does hold GREAT sentimental value to me, as I am really trying to find out what makes me "me", and I feel I can learn a great deal through my ancestors, as I seem to have a lot of simalarities to some of them, particularly the ones who were deeper in the higher spectrum. Although a tour of a Masonic Lodge does sound QUITE interesting.

The book of nature I would hazard would be observing nature and learning from it.

Hey thanks for the excellent breakdown--this is fascinating. I wonder what the following suggests:

Originally posted by GoldenObserver
...From sacred history we also learn that there was not the sound of axe, hammer, or any tool of iron heard in the house while it was building.