When I am asked to describe my perception of Freemasonry, I simply break it down into three phases. Phase one is the social side or the ‘Knife and Fork’ element of Freemasonry.
     This we all experience when we first join and hopefully this friendly introduction into the Craft makes the Brother Initiate feel both welcomed and in amity with his newly found family.
     I have heard this element likened to the RAF Sergeant’s Mess, which was an attraction to a friend of mine who found his move from the RAF, (where he was a MP Sergeant) to the civilian police lacking of a group of like minded individuals whom one could always rely on. If you look back at the summer issue of Freemasonry Today you will find more than a dozen articles related to the social side of Freemasonry. www.freemasonrytoday.com/public/features-social.php
     With the support of your sponsors and a good mentoring programme the ‘Ritual’ hopefully starts to develop meaning and importance. The timing of what may topically be called the “Masonic Big Bang” very much depends on the individual. The difference between those who choose to allow the ritual to impact on their masonic future and those who don’t is simply comfort and comprehension. To become familiar and comfortable with the many unusual and obscure words and terms used in our ritual and understand their meanings and intended context. There are many routes one can take if wishing to understand, learn and present good ritual; the lodge Mentor, your sponsors and of course the internet. All of which may be accompanied by the plethora of publications available to aid in navigating this section of the journey. Interestingly, if you Google the words ‘understanding masonic ritual’ there are some 174,000 search results – some extremely helpful and some rather stupid and useless! So be careful and take guidance.
     Now we come to the last leg of the journey, ‘The Rabbit Hole’ You must be thinking that this Skidmore chap has gone mad…Maybe? But over recent years, I have personally stuck my head into the Rabbit Hole and thus far found it to be bottomless. This is where the issues of ‘what is Freemasonry, where did it come from and what does the ritual actually teach us’ are raised, debated, agued over and written about. It is both frustrating and fascinating but inevitably makes one question the things we accept without a known foundation, therefore the mind becoming open. Hence the erudite freemason will develop and progress at a faster rate than those who simply accept what they see without question. Be careful how far you poke you head down the Rabbit Hole, it can become obsessive!
     Guess what? I Googled ‘Masonic Mentoring’ and found some 90,000 results… Go for it and maybe make a year’s advancement in masonic knowledge in just one day.
     A few Provincial and Lodge sites recommended are: Burbach Lodge No 8699 at www.burbachlodge.org.uk The Provincial Grand Lodge of East Lancashire now has a super site at www.pglel.co.uk, as have the Province of Kent, whose clean and informative site can be found at www.eastkentfreemasons.org Durham’s Provincial site at www.durhamfreemasons.org and University Lodge of Liverpool
     If you know of any other sites we should take a look at email us at online@thefreemason.com

Andrew Skidmore.