The Forgotten Half of Our Degree's
The Forgotten Half of Our Degree's
There is a tool in Freemasonry that is so powerful, so perfectly designed for both education and engagement, that you might be shocked to learn we've simply stopped using it. What makes matters worse, is this actually makes up the other half of each Degree. I'm talking about the Sectional Lectures of our Three Degrees.
If we went back to using this forgotten tool, not only would it benefit our own Masonic Education, but the Lectures complete the other half of our Degree while providing a structured Mentoring and Education program that builds understanding and comprehension of the lessons, principles and meaning of our ceremonies.
In this edition of Daily Masonic Progress, I will share:
Why we've fundamentally misunderstood what the Sectional Lectures are
How we've forgotten that our degrees are actually two-part experiences
Where these lectures can transform your lodge's effectiveness
And by the end, you'll have a clear blueprint for using this forgotten tool to revolutionize your lodge's, your own masonic education and complete your knowledge of each Degree which you undertake.
But First, What Are These Lectures and Their Purpose?
The Sectional Lectures are actually a series of carefully crafted instruction manuals for each degree Freemasonry, but they’re not done in the way you might think. They're composed in a unique question-and-answer format - like our degree examinations - that cover the rituals and symbolism of each degree in Craft Masonry and also incorprare elements and parts of the different charges and addresses.
Think about this for a moment: before we had printed ritual books, how did Masons learn their craft? They didn't just read about it - they lived it. The traditional way was beautifully simple yet effective. Brethren would gather around a table, and the Worshipful Master would ask each member specific questions in turn. These weren't random questions - they were carefully designed to test and teach both ritual knowledge and moral understanding.
These question-and-answer sessions became known as the "Lectures of the Craft," and over time, they evolved into something even more comprehensive. They became a complete instructional system that covered not just the mechanics of our ritual, but the spirit and morals of Freemasonry itself. Think of them as the original Masonic curriculum - one that grew and adapted as Freemasonry developed.
However, during the second half of the 19th century, these lectures gradually fell out of regular use in English Lodges. We've largely forgotten about this powerful tool that our Masonic forebears created specifically for teaching and testing Masonic knowledge.
By not utilising the Sectional Lectures, we have forgotten that each Degree is not just a Ceremony. In reality, our degrees contain two essential parts: a Ceremony and a Lecture. Think about it like a university course - you have both lectures and tutorials, each serving a distinct but complementary purpose. For example, the First Degree isn't just the Ceremony of Initiation - it's completed by its companion, the First Degree Lecture.
By not recognizing that the Sectional Lectures are part of the Degree, we have fundementally misunderstood their purpose, and by extension misunderstood our Ceremonies themselves. The Lectures aren’t supplementary education materials - they were our original system for both teaching the deep meaning of our ceremonies and testing a brother's qualifications and proficiency in his former degree before advancement.
But did you know we've been using parts of these lectures in our ceremonies already? The preliminary examination of each degree is actually a selection of questions and answers from the different sections of these Degree Lectures. This should demonstrate just how fundemental and foundational they are to Freemasonry.
So now we understand what the sectional lectures are, their purpose, their power, and have remembered that our degrees are two-part experiences, how can we implement them into both our lodges program as well as our Education of Candidates to prepare them for advancement?
In my mind, there are multiple ways lodges can deploy these lectures effectively. Let me share these approaches and why some work better than others.
The time has come to dust off this perfect educational tool and put it back to work. But here's the truth you need to face: if you keep ignoring these lectures, you're not just missing an opportunity - you're actually working against the very system our ritual tradition designed for making, passing, and raising Masons.
The question isn't whether you should start using the Sectional Lectures - it's how quickly can you implement them to transform your lodge and provide this essential Masonic Education to your members. Because while we've been searching for the perfect education tool, it's been sitting in our toolbox all along.
1. Regular Meetings
Some might suggest performing the Degree's Lecture in the month following a Degree Ceremony. While this sounds logical, I'm not fully convinced. Here's why: our lodges should be focused on performing Degree Ceremonies during regular meetings. Plus, we still face the challenge of finding meaningful work for brethren below the degree being worked. So while this approach might seem obvious, it's probably not our best option.
2. When Brethren have been retired during a higher degree
Here's a better approach: when a higher degree is being performed, why are we letting brethren of lower degrees just sit around waiting? Instead, they should be outside the lodge with an Education Officer, Mentor, or Past Master, actively working through their own sectional lectures. During a Third Degree, I'd even split the Apprentices and Fellowcrafts so each group can focus on their specific lecture. This turns "waiting time" into "learning time."
3. Rehearsal Nights are also nights for Instruction
Have you ever noticed how rehearsal nights often become "officers only" events? What a missed opportunity! Here's a better way: while officers are rehearsing, other brethren can split into degree-specific groups and spread out through the Masonic Centre, each working through their degree lecture with a Past Master. Suddenly, your "practice night" becomes a full lodge engagement night.
4. Mentoring Groups
But here's where it gets really interesting. Each Lecture has multiple sections, and each section can form the basis of a mentoring or study group session. Think about this - hosting these sessions in a brother's home doesn't just teach the material, it builds those crucial relationships we're always talking about. Everyone can ask questions, discuss meanings, and really dig deep into understanding. By using each section as a different "class," you create a structured curriculum that naturally flows.
Now we understand the different places where we can incorporate the Lectures into our lodge and also our members education -- what is the best frequency or cadence to use them?
Many brethren struggle to memorise the examination likely because we give them this card and tell them to memorise 15 seperate questions and answers. So they go away and focus on memorisation, not understanding, and then struggle through them. This burdens them, but also sets them up with a belief that they can't actually memorise ritual. The real issue is not that they can't memorise it, I believe they can, but it's that we have set them up for failure by focusing on pure memorisation and not understanding.
Remember how we learned that the preliminary examination questions come from these lectures? Well, by breaking down each lecture into its sections and covering them one at a time in these study groups, we create the perfect environment for learning the examination.
Because the examination is a selection of questions and answers from each section of the lecture, doing a section a month, breaks down the volume of work he has to remember into smaller parts (hmm, 24 in guage). But because we’ve done this in a study group, he’s been able to ask questions and participate in a discussion around the meaning and application of the lessons, he’s not just memorizing answers for an exam, but developing a deep understanding of the degree itself.
Take the First Degree Lecture. There are 7 sections, so that is 7 individual classes, which can be done in a study group or at rehearsal once a month over 7 months. All of a sudden, you now have a 7 month program for the brother to go through in order to become proficient in the First Degree. The work of the exam is now broken down into 7 parts to learn progressively, one part each month. Not to mention, the added benefits of developing deeper relationships with his fellows outside of the regular meeting and increasing the engagement he has with the Craft.
I would bet any money that instead of overwhelming a brother with all the task of memorising all questions at once, because he’s had time to digest the meaning and the lessons of the degree, as well as the questions and answers of the examination properly, he won’t have any issue peforming the examination from memory on advancement.
Since the whole point of the Preliminary Examination is to test the Brothers proficiency and qualifications in the former degree, tell me who is more profificient and qualified?
a) The Brother who memorises perfectly the questions & answers over 4 weeks and is advanced to the next degree at the next meeting
b) The Brother who has attended 7 classes / study groups over 7 months where each night a section from the lecture was not only read, but discussed, debated, interrogated and analysed for its meaning, interpretation and application — but completely fails to deliver the answers from memory
I would double down on my previous bet, to say Brother B, is far more proficient and qualified in the former degree than Brother A. You see, Brother B, would actually be able to tell you why you are prepared in your heart, what the importance of it is and how to apply that in your life. Brother B would also be retained for longer because he’s engaged. Who between the two would be most likely to be an active Mason for life?
The time has come to dust off this perfect educational tool.
But here's the truth you need to face: if you keep ignoring these lectures, you're not just missing an opportunity - you're actually working against the very peculiar system of morality that teaches the mystic art and noble craft as a progressive science. You are ignoring our usages and customs that were perfectly designed for making, passing, and raising Masons.
The question isn't whether you should start using the Sectional Lectures - it's how quickly can you implement them to transform your lodge's effectiveness, and give your brethren the Education they came to Masonry for.
Because while we've been searching for the perfect education tool, it's been sitting in our tool box all along.