Masonic Rituals for the Entered Apprentice Degree
From About Freemasons
When an apprentice takes an entered apprentice degree, he is taking the first degree of Masonry. The ritual requires a Master Mason and a lodge that is recognized by a Grand Lodge. Most entered apprentice rituals include not only a Master Mason, but also several masons who are part of a lodge. These various Masons hold the offices of the lodge. The apprentices and Master Mason as well as any additional Officers gather in a lodge, usually in the second or third story of a building that has been especially designated for lodge purposes. The room must be private and free from possible intruders and eaves-droppers. One mason usually sits by the door to ensure that no one enters without permission while the rituals take place.
In the room, the Officers take their respective seats, based on their degrees and the offices held. The apprenticed Officers are allowed to enter the lodge and must salute The Worshipful Master. The intent of the would-be masons to receive their entere4d apprentice degree is usually stated and The Worshipful Master usually asks for any masons in the room who know the entered apprentices. These masons in good standing effectively “vouch” for the new masons. The Worshipful Master and the chief Officers of the lodge usually ask the would-be masons some of the basic tenets of Freemasonry. The masons will have studied the responses and the language so that they are able to answer in form. At most lodges, the language is based on tradition and symbolism, so it is usually more about memorizing the ritual than about knowing certain facts. The masons repeat back the memorized responses.
The candidates are asked a series of questions as well to ascertain their seriousness in becoming masons. Although the language differs from lodge to lodge, a candidate might be asked “Do you seriously declare, upon your honor, that unbiased by the improper solicitation of friend, and uninfluenced by mercenary motives, you freely and voluntarily offer yourself a candidate for the mysteries of Freemasonry? Do you seriously declare, upon your honor, that you are prompted to solicit the privileges of Freemasonry by a favorable opinion conceived of the institution, a desire for knowledge, and a sincere wish of being serviceable to your fellow creatures? Do you seriously declare, upon your honor, that you will cheerfully conform to all the ancient usages and established customs of the Fraternity?”
Once a candidate has agreed to these oaths, he may be allowed to put on a Mason’s apron (although this practice, too, varies by lodge). The candidate is usually asked to kneel at the altar and place his hand on the Volume of Sacred Law or the Bible which open at every lodge. The candidate must then recite the oath (sometimes known as the obligation) of the entered apprentice degree. This oath is usually worded as follows: “I, ____ __ ____, of my own free will and accord, in the presence of Almighty God and this Worshipful Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons, erected to God and dedicated to the memory of the Holy Saints of Jerusalem, do hereby and hereon, solemnly and sincerely promise and swear, that I will always help, forever conceal, and never reveal any of the secret arts, parts, or points of the hidden mysteries of Freemasonry, which I have received, am about to receive, or may be hereafter instructed in, to any person unless it shall be to a worthy Brother Entered Apprentice, or within the body of a just and duly constituted Lodge of such; and not unto him or them whom I shall hear so to be, but unto him or them only whom I shall find so to be after due trial, strict examination, or lawful Masonic information. Furthermore: I do promise and swear that I will not write, indite, print, paint, stamp, stain, hue, cut, carve, mark or engrave the same upon anything movable or immovable, whereby or whereon the least word, syllable, letter, or character may become legible or intelligible to myself or another, whereby the secrets of Freemasonry may be unlawfully obtained through my unworthiness. To all of which I do solemnly and sincerely promise and swear, without any hesitation, mental reservation, or secret evasion of mind in my whatsoever; binding myself under no less a penalty than that of having my throat cut across, my tongue torn out, and with my body buried in the sands of the sea at low-water mark, where the tide ebbs and flows twice in twenty-four hours, should I ever knowingly or willfully violate this, my solemn Obligation of an Entered Apprentice. So help me God and make me steadfast to keep and perform the same.”
