tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3898336404849028382.post7891015910004660632..comments2023-01-25T02:06:37.096-06:00Comments on Essays of Robert G. Davis: Masonic Ritual Is An InnovationRobert G. Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02211353953715536761noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3898336404849028382.post-15857875588086661532011-01-13T10:08:38.329-06:002011-01-13T10:08:38.329-06:00"it is not in the power of man, or any body o..."it is not in the power of man, or any body of men, to make innovations in the Body of Masonry"<br /><br />If as you say this charge applies only to the structure of the institution, then the greatest innovation ever made would be the formation of Grand Lodges and Grand Masters. Those did not exist prior to 1717 and are not mentioned in the Old Charges.<br /><br /><br />Incidentally I just watched the video on the speech you gave on the origin of Masonic ritual. Very nice to see someone not fooled by all the silly theories that have been proposed. I had been doing the same research since I joined and came to the same conclusions as you, with perhaps some slight variations. I would point out that your statement about New York being the only jurisdiction that opposed the Baltimore Convention is misleading. Pennsylvania also was against it. In fact they didn't even accept the idea that it was proper for the other Grand Lodges to meddle in their affairs in any fashion at all, nor for PA to get involved with other jurisdictions about such matters.Mike S.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3898336404849028382.post-71619049036512378652010-09-14T09:37:34.555-05:002010-09-14T09:37:34.555-05:00Br. Brad, several of the comments posted by brothe...Br. Brad, several of the comments posted by brothers here have alluded to the Body of Masonry as referring its organization and structure. I agree with these posts. The "Body of Masonry" are those things which are foundational to it. Without adhering to these, we would be something other than what we are. For example, a Grand Lodge and a Grand Master are part of the Body of Masonry. We cannot have a lodge without both. The 1723 Constitutions are the Body of Masonry. We cannot operate without obeying them. Freemasonry is an Initiatic Order. One cannot belong unless he is an initiate. <br /><br />You get the idea. The Body of Masonry can be altered in part; but never wholly eliminated.Robert G. Davishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02211353953715536761noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3898336404849028382.post-91266391087987511372010-09-14T09:37:24.051-05:002010-09-14T09:37:24.051-05:00Br. Brad, several of the comments posted by brothe...Br. Brad, several of the comments posted by brothers here have alluded to the Body of Masonry as referring its organization and structure. I agree with these posts. The "Body of Masonry" are those things which are foundational to it. Without adhering to these, we would be something other than what we are. For example, a Grand Lodge and a Grand Master are part of the Body of Masonry. We cannot have a lodge without both. The 1723 Constitutions are the Body of Masonry. We cannot operate without obeying them. Freemasonry is an Initiatic Order. One cannot belong unless he is an initiate. <br /><br />You get the idea. The Body of Masonry can be altered in part; but never wholly eliminated.Robert G. Davishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02211353953715536761noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3898336404849028382.post-78754386923550541152010-09-01T19:53:42.636-05:002010-09-01T19:53:42.636-05:00Bro. Davis,
I appreciate and agree with your comm...Bro. Davis,<br /><br />I appreciate and agree with your comments here.<br /><br />However, would you be able to expand on what you feel is the "body of masonry": i.e. what are the parts of masonry that should remain static ?Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00409442480828118171noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3898336404849028382.post-88128363796356847172009-10-22T20:59:27.012-05:002009-10-22T20:59:27.012-05:00Good points, Bro.
When one thinks about the impro...Good points, Bro.<br /><br />When one thinks about the improvements that have been made in regard to the philosophy and symbolic structure of Masonry since the simple ceremonies of our beginnings, we have taken Freemasonry to a transformative art that literally changes the lives of men. Indeed, it has been the innovations made by men of great heart and genius that have changed our fraternity for the better. <br /><br />Thank you for your post.Robert G. Davishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02211353953715536761noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3898336404849028382.post-55078441667389526842009-10-22T20:23:44.828-05:002009-10-22T20:23:44.828-05:00Br. Davis, you and I met during Masonic Week in DC...Br. Davis, you and I met during Masonic Week in DC in 98, and we had a short discussion about "heretical" ideas in the craft - sand in the gears sorts of discussion, remembering the essay from the edge a few years back.<br /><br />I think it's extremely important to remember that the phrasing of the "no innovations" charge delivered to a new master, is in itself an innovation.<br /><br />The original wording is<br />"That it is not in the power of any person, or body of men, to make any alterations, or<br />innovation in the body of Masonry without the consent first obtained in the Annual Grand<br />Lodge."<br />This was adopted at a meeting of the Grand Lodge of England on 24th June 1723.<br /><br />Subsequently, in 1738, this resolution was incorporated into the Book of Constitutions as<br />one of the new Regulations and it has since been accepted as one of the basic rules of the<br />Craft, with the modification that the words "without the consent first obtained in the<br />Annual Grand Lodge" having been dropped.<br /><br />This is a shame.<br />We see groups of side degrees, appendant, concordant, whatever you may call them, most of which have sponsorship in the US from the big two, Scottish and York rites, and, were anyone to suggest any other side degree group that has fallen into abeyance be started up, they are called innovative rabble rousing upstarts.<br /><br />And yet, passed the making and the Master's part, it is ALL innovation.<br /><br />I won't even begin to talk about the "Four Chaplains" degree, having been fortunate enough to take my 4, 14, 18, 30, 31, and 32 in DC in 1996.MPhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15904412888243979076noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3898336404849028382.post-61628272579434085002009-05-21T08:09:08.453-05:002009-05-21T08:09:08.453-05:00Bro. Brian:
I will be happy to help. There are a ...Bro. Brian:<br /><br />I will be happy to help. There are a number of ritual exposures of the 1745-1769 period. Send me an email to gsrite@sbcglobal.net and we can discuss some possibilities for your project. This is a great idea!Robert G. Davishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02211353953715536761noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3898336404849028382.post-5358866270695447822009-05-21T06:34:21.871-05:002009-05-21T06:34:21.871-05:00Bro Robert
Our lodge will be celebrating its 250th...Bro Robert<br />Our lodge will be celebrating its 250th anniversary in a couple of years and I am considering the possibility of including a demonstration of a typical ceremony used at the time of our consecration.<br />In a search for a possible description of such a ceremony I stumbled across your most excellent blog. I was fascinated to read your original post which awakened many echoes in my mind and has given me much food for thought but I must confess to a more mercenary motive in making this post, as it occurs to me that you may very well have the necessary information to guide my search for an apropriate description of the ceremony circa 1750's.<br />BrianBrianWhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07983846623726246919noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3898336404849028382.post-89775802333704797202008-12-10T09:30:00.000-06:002008-12-10T09:30:00.000-06:00Thanks for this, Bro. Robert. I agree with you abo...Thanks for this, Bro. Robert. I agree with you about differences in how we learn. I read somewhere that we retain 10% of what we read, 20% of what we hear, 30% of what we see, 50% of what we see and hear, 70% of what we say, and 90% of what we say and do. This is one reason fraternal association is equally important to ritual. <BR/><BR/>Thank goodness you also don't always agree with me! If everyone was always in agreement, it would be a boring and stagnant world indeed.<BR/><BR/>RobertRobert G. Davishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02211353953715536761noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3898336404849028382.post-48171459412596802572008-12-09T22:54:00.000-06:002008-12-09T22:54:00.000-06:00Bob,You have truly touched on something that I bel...Bob,<BR/><BR/>You have truly touched on something that I believe has always been an issue in Masonry. The ritual, as you have so eloquently stated, is not the part of Freemasonry that is unchangeable.<BR/><BR/>Not all men learn the same way. Some are visual learners, some require hands on training and others can learn from mere words and lecture. Most of us learn through a combination of the three. In our ritual we do have a combination of the three, however there are many Masons that never receive "full" degree work. This is an unfortunate reality.<BR/><BR/>The one thing that we as Masons must remember is that the ritual is not actually immutable. As you have said the organization, sructure and landmarks of the fraternity are what we hold as absolute. Ritual can change as long as the spirit and intent of the work is maintained.<BR/><BR/>I really appreciate your blog site. It is always enjoyable to read your insights on the many matters that you write about, even if I do not always agree with your point of view.<BR/><BR/>Fraternally,<BR/><BR/>Bob Poole IIAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3898336404849028382.post-34618990856995607302008-11-22T22:34:00.000-06:002008-11-22T22:34:00.000-06:00Brother Bob, You know how I feel about your writi...Brother Bob, You know how I feel about your writing. I decided to give you an award. <BR/><BR/>http://baileysbuddy.blogspot.com/2008/11/i-got-award.html<BR/><BR/> Don't feel you have to follow the rules though. jjaycoles@gmail.comhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16299489611656202052noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3898336404849028382.post-6617761609514652182008-11-11T09:34:00.000-06:002008-11-11T09:34:00.000-06:00Thanks for your interest, Bro. Matt. Indeed, if ou...Thanks for your interest, Bro. Matt. Indeed, if our ritual ceremonies had not been an innovative process, all Masonic ritual would now be the same everywhere. Every attempt to standardize ritual workings between Jurisdictions has been met with failure.<BR/><BR/>Masons have always had an inner urging to learn. They intuitively know that, whenever rules governing any method of learning also limits, stifles, or fixes what may be learned, the flame of knowledge will not long burn.Robert G. Davishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02211353953715536761noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3898336404849028382.post-2951884723367656892008-11-10T14:29:00.000-06:002008-11-10T14:29:00.000-06:00Excellent observations, Brother Davis. I had often...Excellent observations, Brother Davis. I had often found an inconsistency in hearing no innovations could be made in ritual, only to see obvious examples of just that in the words used in our rituals (eulogy to mother). Logic told me that ritual had to be excluded from the statement concerning innovation. However, it was not until reading this that everything came together in my mind. Thanks for bringing more light on the subject (pun intended).<BR/><BR/>Fraternally,<BR/>Bro. Matt AnthonyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com