MEMBERS CORNER

A few observations and musings from the vantagepoint of an Entered Apprentice.

The journey of the Entered Apprentice in Freemasonry offers an opportunity for personal growth and thoughtful reflection through a panoply of symbols, tenets, and closely held rituals. The philosophical rebirth of the Entered Apprentice within our steadfast craft is significant, especially since brothers have shared this common experience for centuries. During my own personal Entered Apprentice interval, not only have I learned foundational elements of our work but have also taken time to consider the deeper speculative meaning and elegant syntax of other similar structures that use symbols as a mode of communication – namely the musical score.

It is widely known that operative stonemasons built awe-inspiring cathedrals that were acoustically vibrant through their grand architectural dimensions and enveloping hard surfaces. The resultant edifices also created a sacred and inspirational environment for composers to imagine and then make manifest a new artistic form of expression — a true rebirth or renaissance of the musical idiom scholars term polyphony. The Oxford English Dictionary refers to the era recognized as the Renaissance as “the great revival of arts and letters, under the influence of classical models, which began in Italy in the 14th century and continued during the 15th and 16th” and includes “any revival, or period of marked improvement and new life, in art, literature, etc.”

The formational roots of polyphonic choral music date back to the Dark Ages, roughly 1200 AD, and are specifically found in the great Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France. But the true apex of this compositional technique for multiple acapella voices rests squarely within the Renaissance as shown by composers such as Josquin des Prez in France, Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina in Italy, and Thomas Tallis in England. In keeping with the practice of utilizing symbols as representations of Masonic meaning for the Entered Apprentice, analogies are found in the musical elements: melody, harmony, and imitation. These three stylistic components are concordant with masonic thought. One such stylistic example is how multiple melodic voices enter and recede at various structured points within the composition to represent the various leadership roles and obligations our members willingly undertake for the betterment of our lodge throughout the year. Secondly, musical harmony and counterpoint in polyphonic compositional forms are reminiscent of our interactions with lodge brothers as we strive to move ourselves and the lodge ever forward. Frequently brothers are harmonious and of one mind, but often the greatest growth comes from the energizing counterpoint of offsetting viewpoints. And thirdly, how the use of the musical technique of imitation, where one melodic voice imitates another, is symbolic of the unity sought as mentioned in Psalm 133: “Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!”.

I am grateful to be on this fraternal journey in the Kona Lodge alongside my brothers in the craft. The Masonic symbols, tenets, and traditions revealed thus far in the first degree extend beyond their primary pedagogical purpose. The resultant impact of operative stonemason’s work during the Dark Ages undeniably cultivated the musical advances that were to occur in the Renaissance. These ethereal compositions, through their own musical language framework, provide fertile ground for analysis through a speculative lens. Not unlike the solitary and determined astronomer whose telescope searches in darkness to eventually observe the extraordinary glow of a distant star burning bright.

“Time flies” is an idiomatic expression which has a relation to the Entered Apprentice’s Twenty-four Inch Gauge working tool. And through our Masonic ritual and study we learn to recognize that one should spend time wisely since it is in the longitudinal arc of a lifetime, fleeting. More specifically, we find that we should strive to spend a third of our time serving God and those in distress, a third of the day working in our chosen profession, and the final third for refreshment and sleep. At first blush, this recommendation implies moderation in how one takes on the day— roughly eight hours for each third. Upon reflection however, one’s attention might also be drawn to how we often realistically devote our time given a contemporary lifestyle.

There is a phrase attributed to the business theorist and amateur composer William Edwards Deming “in God we trust; all others must bring data.” In this spirit, I present some interesting findings from the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics website. https://www.bls.gov/charts/american-time-use/activity-by-age.htm# On average, liberally parsed, Americans taken as a whole, spend about two hours a day “caring for and helping household/non-household members” in addition to “organizational, civic, and religious activities.” They spend approximately five hours a day in “working and work-related activities” and finally, some eleven hours a day “eating and drinking” as well as “personal care, including sleep.”

The one true outlier of the three data points I compared is the first of the three Masonic categories: how we as Americans generally spend much less time serving God and those in distress. I am hopeful, and thankful, that we as Free and Accepted Masons endeavor to do a little more in this area within the division of time in our lives as we fly through our busy and productive days.