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“Why is it that so many sensible and intelligent men Th e language of MacBride accomplishes the
aft er being initiated drop out of the ranks and become admirable goal of being ornate while at the same time
lapsed members ? Is it merely the “pure cussedness” of doing nothing more adventurous than explaining the
human nature, or selfi shness, fi ckleness, or laziness ? If same elements and principles known to any symbolic
we look closely into the matter we will fi nd we cannot lodge, so many of which go unexplained to thousands
lay “this fl attering unction" to our souls. Is the lodge- of men who have gone through our degrees over the
work so honestly and intelligently conducted that there ages. Th e diff erence with MacBride is that there is
is no excuse for the non-attendance of absent members, more explanation, more of an eff ort to communicate
or for the ignorance of those present? Masonry to-day to the candidate, as well as to all brothers present,
has too many members who are not masons, because what it is that the candidate is meant to take from the
the work of too many lodges is not masonry. If lodge- ceremonies. It is meant to install a genuine passion for
work was more faithfully and thoughtfully done, if the Craft in every brother, and to put the teachings of
more attention was given to the study of our symbols, Masonry at the forefront of every Masonic meeting.
and less to mere show and "harmonies," the number
of our intrants might be less, but the number of real Yet, if the ritual is so powerful, so moving, why then
masons in the world would be greater. Many of our is it that only nine lodges in the world work it? Th e
beautiful symbols are scarcely ever heard of in our explanation is not due to a lack of interest, or any fl aw
lodges, and only a few of our members have studied in the nature of the ritual itself, but that it challenges
them, and learned the truths they contain.” every offi cer of the lodge from the moment he accepts
the offi ce. It also involves about twice the work of
Very well then. What is the MacBride ritual, and almost any other English-speaking ritual, and just
how is it diff erent? While it can be diffi cult to write as with any other discipline in life, there are very few
eff ectively about ritual without divulging the ritual students who will say to their teachers, “Give me more
itself, hopefully the explanation that follows can give work to do, so I can challenge myself in this course.”
a sense of why it has been perceived through the years
as one of the treasures of Freemasonry.
Th e MacBride ritual is certainly a challenge for any
In 1917, the renowned American Masonic author lodge, but even more of a challenge to do it well. As
(and Past Grand Chaplain of the Grand Lodge of Masonry suff ers from the same ills that plague all
Iowa) Joseph Fort Newton remarked in his exemplary other human endeavors, despite its exhortations to go
magazine Th e Builder that “the ritual prepared by further and be better than what is expected from the
[MacBride] comes nearer to our ideal of what a profane world, it is no surprise that a ritual that asks
Masonic ritual should be, alike in accuracy, dignity for more, not less, from the quarries would not be the
and beauty of form, and depth and suggestiveness of most popular new thing to arrive on the scene.
meaning, than any we have ever seen.”
An even more human explanation is that most
MacBride sets about to accomplish three things Scottish lodges are quite independent, already have
in his ritual: (1) to further explain the meaning of a ritual they are comfortable with, and don’t want to
the ritual through the ritual itself; (2) to make clear bother with taking on a new one. Th at is not an issue,
to everyone present, from the candidate to the Past however, for a new lodge, where traditions have yet to
Master, the meaning of the ceremonies by explaining be established, and the brethren are eager to learn how
them as the candidate is going through them; (3) to to build.
make sure that the ritual abilities of the lodge do not
suff er in future, by engaging a maximum number of From its conception, the goal of Alba Lodge was
offi ce bearers in the work. to work to bring this exceptional ritual to our Grand
Lodge. Our realization of that goal would make us
Everyone involved in a MacBride lodge must be a only the tenth lodge in the world to do this work,
ritualist or be willing to become one. Th e Stewards have and the only lodge in North America. Th e successful
lines in the opening of the lodge. Th eir relationship to implementation of the MacBride ritual by our lodge
the Junior Warden is expressed during that opening would once again off er another jewel in the crown
in such a way that no Steward of a lodge can ever be of DC Masonry, and further the reputation of our
in doubt as to what he is supposed to do. Th e Junior Grand Lodge as a centre of Masonic diversity and
Deacon has as a part of his duties what would equate experience on the continent. Th e annus horribilis of
to the the fi rst part of the EA lecture in the Preston- 2020 interrupted our plan to begin studying the work
Webb work; the Wardens have exponentially more to in rehearsals, but fortunately, by means of the ritual
say than in any other English-language ritual known book published through the Grand Lodge of Scotland
to this writer.
Montana Freemason Page 38 March/April 2021 Volume 97 No. 2