Another Look
at Memorization

The late John R. Nocas FPS publish-
ed an article in a 1991 The Philalethes, 
titled "Memorization- A Masonic 
Fetish! and It's Destroying Us. "
 
In his thoughtful presentation he 
made several important points such as 
the lost hundreds of Masons, because we 
insist candidates must memorize. After 
we have accepted a candidate and we 
have presented him with the badge of a 
Mason, the Lamb Skin Apron, we drop 
him because he doesn't pass the 
memory test. He recommended the 
reading of lecture and charges thereby 
making it easier to attract men who 
could become the potential leaders we 
need.
 
Lct's take a look at how we arrived at this 
point in our development; why do we 
memorize?
 
Memorization in Masonic Lodges 
dates back to the day of the Operative 
Masons, the guild. Few, if any of this 
group could read. Consider two factors; 
(1) In the period of 1100 to 1600, liter-
acy was a privilege limited to the 
Nobles, The Church Leaders and the 
wealthy. (2) There was little material 
available to read. It was in 1440 that 
Guttenberg started to print books. 
Skills, procedures and rules were passed 
down to the apprentice by example, re-
petition and memorization.
 
In 1600's with the decline in guild ef-
fectiveness and reduction in cathedral 
construction, the guilds or Lodges be-
came more of a social organization. At 
that point they began to accept mem-
bers who had never been stoneworkers 
or masons. These men became known 
as speculative masons. It stands to rea-
son the speculative masons had a higher 
percentage of literate members than did 
the operative masons. The equalizer or 
leveler between the two groups, "The 
Bridge" was memorization. Memoriza-
tion put all members on equal footing. 
Proficiency in memorization dictated 
who would rise to leadership in these 
new Masonic Lodges. This approach to 
learning continued down through the 
development of the Masonic Order till 
the present day.
 
Memorization has served its purpose, 
now its relationship to the total proce-
dure should be adjusted. There is no 
recommendation, in this paper, to alter, 
amend or omit any part of any ritual, 
just change the delivery system. It is not 
suggested that memorization should be 
eliminated, simply amend the scope.
 
The Grand Lodge of Wisconsin evi-
dently has taken the initial step in this 
transition. That grand jurisdiction 
offers individual Lodges the option of 
participating in the "Wisconsin Ex-
perience" or continue traditional proce-
dures.
 
The "Wisconsin Experience" allows 
the following steps to be taken, after 
taking the Entered Apprentice Degree, 
the candidates are taught to decipher 
approved code books. This permits con-
tinued study and understanding of the 
degree given. There is a series of lec-
tures the candidates must attend. These 
lectures are outstanding in their com-
position and content.

The Grand Lodge of Wisconsin has 
taken a major historical step towards 
moving our fraternity into the modern 
era. Most important, the Wisconsin Ex-
perience has had a dramatic positive 
impact. The number of petitions has in-
creased, the percentage of candidates 
completing all three degrees has im-
proved, there has been many Entered 
Apprentice and Fellowcraft Masons 
who have been contacted and have 
finished the remaining degrees, using 
the Wisconsin Experience. It has 
generated renewed Lodge activity and 
enthusiasm. I understand seventy per-
cent of Wisconsin Lodges are partici-
pating in the program. Perhaps other 
jurisdictions have done something simi-
lar, but I am not aware of it.
 
I suggest the "Wisconsin Experience" 
should be expanded to include the rec-
ommendations set forth in the John R. 
Nocas article.
 
It may be difficult to bring certain 
members to this conclusion.
 
My birth date is 1921 and like many I 
was raised with memorization viewed as 
the mortar that held together the build-
ing blocks of education. Today the 
potential candidate for membership has 
received a different public education. 
He is highly mobile and conscious of the 
limited family time. He is oriented to a 
world of extensive information at his 
finger tips through the computer, televi-
sion, speed reading and high speed 
communications. So much information 
is at his disposal that this candidate is 
more comfortable with information 
management and its access, than full 
content. This is a different orientation
to information and memorization than I 
had at the same age. These men, the 
brightest and the best, are our source of 
future members and leaders. We must 
adjust the disciplines of our fraternity in 
order to attract them.
 
Finally, whenever a Mason, while en-
couraging another brother to join the 
York Rite or the Scottish Rite, reassures 
him by saying "you will find it very 
interesting and there is nothing to 
memorize" he has essentially agreed 
there is too much emphasis on memori-
zation in the symbolic lodge.


The Philalethes, August 1995
