The Grand Master's Class
An Historic Masonic Event 
In Washington, DC

Charles S. Iversen, 33 
S\G\I\G\ in the District of Columbia
2800 Sixteenth Street, NW 
Washington, DC 20009-4297

On November 13 and 14, 1992, in Washington, DC, all three symbolic Degrees of Freemasonry were conferred upon 114 men in one class. M\W\ Jerold J. Samet, 32, Grand Master of Masons of the District of Columbia, announced in June that Osiris-Pentalpha Lodge No. 23, without the requirement of memorization, would confer all three Degrees in the Scottish Rite Temple in two days on men who, after due processing of their petitions, were elected by their Lodges to receive the Degrees, provided that the Lodge requested Osiris-Pentalpha Lodge to confer them. The Grand Master, as permitted by the Masonic Code, waived the waiting period between the Degrees.
	This was made possible in the District of Columbia because the Grand Lodge Code requires only knowledge by the candidate of the modes of recognition (signs, grips, words, etc.) in order to advance to the next Degree. Nothing was omitted in the Ritual of the three Degrees, and each candidate was required to perform each portion of each Degree.
	The members of this class were unusually young, and the class consisted of a high number of professional men.
	There were many pluses accomplished by the class: (1) a high degree of camaraderie among the candidates; (2) outstanding Degree work by some of the top ritualists in the city; (3) the excellence of the physical surroundings, including a large projection screen, props, and other embellishments; (4) the large number of Brethren added to those Lodges which participated; and (5) the number of members of this class who became Scottish Rite Masons and Shriners the ensuing weekend when 90 Masons became Masters of the Royal Secret, 32 .
	The candidates' comments were very positive following both the Symbolic Lodge and Scottish Rite and Shrine initiations. Many stated that they could not have become candidates had they been required initially to spend many hours memorizing the catechism. It was also interesting to see the large number of fathers who conducted their sons. For instance, Ill\ C. Fred Kleinknecht, 33, conducted his son Henry F. Kleinknecht and son-in-law Allen R. Dunbar to the Masonic Altar as did Ill\ W. Gene Sizemore G\C\, Grand Executive Director of the Supreme Council, 33, who accompanied his two sons, Robert C. Sizemore and W. Gene Sizemore II. 
	Most of the credit for this historic event must be given to M\W\ Samet. This was, indeed, a novel, effective, and extremely well-executed idea.     s

Charles S. Iversen
is a practicing attorney in DC and MD. In 1990 he was Grand Master of Masons of the District of Columbia. He has been active for many years in the Scottish Rite and was appointed S\G\I\G\ in the District of Columbia in 1991.
