Raising James

James

James joined our lodge this year. He’s been a fellowcraft since June 19^th and has been waiting for a chance to be raised since July 1. I am frustrated that we have not been able to put together a MM degree for him ourselves; but having just been raised myself, I don’t know what the issues are. He shouldn’t have to wait this long to be a full member of the lodge. I know that other area lodges have banded together to do a third degree for their candidates; I would like to understand why we’re out of the loop.

We have a new candidate coming in next year, and during a cribbage match with a neighboring lodge, several members who know him offered to help raise him. And I’m sitting there with James thinking… we need help for James, NOW. Last Tuesday I was looking around the room and counted nine of us at the meeting. I know we can put on a MM degree with nine people – if we had to. Why aren’t we? But organizing a MM degree isn’t the sort of thing I can do during the first year of my Masonic journey; instead, I’m going to harness this frustration, and make sure this doesn’t happen when I CAN do something about it.

Of course there’s a problem with ME asking this question. I wasn’t present at the initiation of any of our EAs this year, nor was I present at James’ passing to FC. I’m a consultant and often have to travel, so I can rarely commit to a date more than a week in advance. I was traveling every time we performed a ritual.

James has helped out whenever he could, and he’s attended every meeting he could (we will open on the EA or FC degree if there is a brother of that degree present). In fact, he’s been elected Jr. Steward for next year.

James will be raised Saturday at an all-degree day, similar to the way I was raised, with 60! other MM candidates. I volunteered immediately to be his mentor – supporting his decision even if I didn’t agree with it. I do understand it, though, and frankly it will be a relief to raise him. I hope that as a mentor I can give him some of the intimacy that is lost by the exemplar ritual. He deserves better, but I’ll give him the best I can.

The master of the lodge holding the all-degree day wrote a letter to James’ brother, who is a PHA mason from Chicago. With this letter, he will be able to join us for the day.

I’m looking forward to observing the three degrees – I’ve never actually seen the first two. And I’ll be Senior Deacon the next time we initiate, pass or raise a candidate, so I’ll be paying particular attention all day.