‘Haywood’s outline for Masonic education’

     

Masonic Dictionary

Although education-minded Masons in the United States a century ago did not have The Journal of the Masonic Society at their disposal, there were quality periodicals available then. One of them was The Builder.

Published by the National Masonic Research Society during the early decades of the previous century, The Builder, thanks to Editor-in-Chief H.L. Haywood, also offered a correspondence course to guide education Masons through their lodge communications and study group meetings.

A few hours ago, I spoke with Bro. Doug, chairman of my own lodge’s education committee. After we hung up, I sent him this outline I cribbed from The Builder, which published it as a kind of advertisement for this Correspondence Circle. And then it occurred to me to share it here. Excerpted:


The Course of Study has for its foundation two sources of Masonic information: The Builder and Mackey’s Encyclopedia… The Course is divided into five principal divisions which are in turn subdivided, as is shown below:

I. Ceremonial Masonry

a) The Work of the Lodge
b) The Lodge and the Candidate
c) First Steps
d) Second Steps
e) Third Steps


II. Symbolical Masonry

a) Clothing
b) Working Tools
c) Furniture
d) Architecture
e) Geometry
f) Signs
g) Words
h) Grips


III. Philosophical Masonry

a) Foundations
b) Virtues
c) Ethics
d) Religious Aspect
e) The Quest
f) Mysticism
g) The Secret Doctrine


IV. Legislative Masonry

a) The Grand Lodge
1. Ancient Constitutions
2. Codes of Law
3. Grand Lodge Practices
4. Relationship to Constituent Lodges
5. Official Duties and Prerogatives

b) The Constituent Lodge
1. Organization
2. Qualifications of Candidates
3. Initiation Passing and Raising
4. Visitation
5. Change of Membership


V. Historical Masonry

a) The Mysteries: Earliest Masonic Light
b) Studies of Rites: Masonry in the Making
c) Contributions to Lodge Characteristics
d) National Masonry
e) Parallel Peculiarities in Lodge Study
f) Feminine Masonry
g) Masonic Alphabets
h) Historical Manuscripts of the Craft
i) Biographical Masonry
j) Philological Masonry: Study of Significant Words