‘Advances in Masonic learning’

    

An advancement in Masonic knowledge is being introduced by the Masonic University of New York, where learning soon will be understood in two denominations: the Masonic Development Curriculum, for in person interaction; and Hiram, for online work.

The introductory Zoom meeting this morning was very productive (dozens in attendance), and there will be duplicate sessions through the summer to share these plans with more New York Masons. In short, the Masonic Development Course is being phased out. It remains current through this Masonic year, but beyond then it will be superseded by the Masonic Development Curriculum. And Hiram, which we’ve been hearing about for several years, is coming to fruition. Its content is not fully uploaded at this time, but it is possible now to enroll and have a look around. (GLNY membership credentials required.)

RW Bro. Bob Drzewucki, co-chair of the Leadership and Education Services Committee, led the hourlong discussion today to explain the opportunities the brethren can expect shortly. The Masonic Development Course has been in place for about twenty years. Both its content and the style in which it is presented have been overhauled. I received certification in MDC a number of years ago, and I admit I don’t recall much of its content, but this new work, it seems to me, will be more probing and will require more thinking and personal expression.

My class years ago was led by our then District Deputy Grand Master, and it took the better part of a Saturday. The work was a traditional classroom approach with testing at the end. The new approach does not require a Grand Lodge Staff Officer to lead the instruction, and instead will have qualified facilitators do that. The GLSO simply will certify that the sessions have taken place.

Let me share a taste of what we can expect.

And Hiram? Click here and you can see the beginnings of the program. Logon credentials are provided to New York Masons in good standing.

I don’t know everyone on the team that has been laboring to put all this together, but if I could offer one piece of advice thus far, it would be eschew the bureaucratese of the education business. (e.g., “The Hiram System is a Learning Management System and repository which presents a modern and timely system for collaborative knowledge delivery.” That almost sounds like Kamala Harris.) Instead, simply borrow from Freemasonry’s ample prose, whether from the Standard Work and Lectures or the vast body of literature published over the centuries. You’ll be glad you did.