The Pillar of Beauty Has Indeed Fallen

By Bro. Jackson M. Rolyatt, Jr. and Bro. Hermie O. Mastenfeldt III

What means this confusion among the Craft and why are they not at work as usual?

The Pillar of beauty has indeed fallen.

To what do you allude, my Brother?

The proficiency of the Craft is missing; there are no proficient workmen among the Craft and no one who can do the work.

The proficiency of the Craft is missing? How did this atrocity come about?

The Most Worshipful Grand Lodges in their Great Wisdom and in their various jurisdictions have taken upon themselves to replace the Craft’s proficiency in the Art with a Short Form Freemasonry.

What is this Short Form Freemasonry and what does it entail?

There are two parts to the Short Form Freemasonry. One is the compromising of the initiation rituals and the other is the compromising of the proficiencies of the degrees themselves.

How are the initiation rituals compromised?

The Most Worshipful Grand Masters are holding ‘all the way in one day classes’.

What does that do?

It makes Entered Apprentices, Fellow Crafts, and Master Masons of candidates without them serving due time, without them giving suitable proficiency in each degree and, consequently, them not being able to perform the work of the Lodge.

How else does this affect the candidates?

It robs them of the Masonic Experience.

What is the Masonic Experience?

Having the degrees conferred on each candidate as his own, all alone; having an interpersonal relationship with a coach for each long form proficiency; knowing that “They all came just for me”.

What is the second part of this Short Form Freemasonry?

Candidates for Freemasonry are initiated in the degrees in the traditional manner, but, the proficiencies are cut to a bare minimum.

What is that bare minimum?

The Solemn Obligation and the modes of recognition in each degree.

How does that contribute to the confusion among the Craft?

There are no workers among the Craftsmen proficient in the Rites, Rituals and ceremonies.

What conclusion shall we draw from this?

The Pillar of beauty has indeed fallen.
There are no Master Masons able to draw designs on the trestle board.
The Craft has become a group of cowans.
Their temples have been built without mortar.
Freemasonry is at its end; cold and mute, wrapped in the cloak of death.
We may as well all join a luncheon club.

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A Page About Freemasonry is http://web.mit.edu/dryfoo/Masonry/