June 7, 1955 – April 5, 2020
This page is dedicated to the memory of Worshipful Brother Richard Dale Carver. All materials, below, were written by Rick.
FORWARD
I am a proud member of the fraternity known as Freemasonry. The meanings and practices of Masonry are set by the various Masonic jurisdictions, mine being the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of Kansas. Despite there being many jurisdictions with each being completely antonymous, Freemasonry remains remarkably consistent throughout the world. For all intents and purposes, there is no higher authority than the Grand Master of a Masonic jurisdiction.
It is my privilege to work with the Grand Lodge of Kansas from time to time, and it is my joy to be of service to Grand Lodge and to the Grand Master. Quite possibly my greatest reward is working in a Blue Lodge and being asked to provide various means of Masonic Education.
Although it is not specifically written in the Kansas Grand Lodge Bylaws or Constitution, many of the recent Grand Masters have wisely issued an edict implementing the use of a program know as the Intender Plan. This is a mentoring program whereby the Worshipful Master of the Lodge pairs each candidate for the Mysteries of Freemasonry with an experienced Master Mason in the Lodge. The mentor is responsible for making sure the candidate makes suitable proficiency between Degrees, and he is also responsible for finding answers to his questions.
Notice that I did not say it was his duty to answer his questions directly. This is often because candidates ask the darndest questions! They ask things most of us have never even considered. They catch the little quirks in our ritual that do not follow basic logic. They find errors and irregularities in the slide show we present during the lectures. Little detail escapes them, and then they ask their mentors why this is so.
Needless to say, as a Masonic mentor, you can expect to get a lot of questions that you cannot answer. Some may be tempted to reply, “That is just the way we do it,” or “That is the way it has always been done,” but these type of answers leave new members wanting. Likewise dangerous is the making up a false fact or offering a generally sketchy explanation. New Masons find Masonic ignorance and simple apathy very unsatisfying, and they will not tolerate it long before they loose interest and stop asking questions.
The true genius of the Intender Plan is that it not only serves the new Mason — it also stimulates the thought process of the mentor by introducing new ideas and questions. The answers provided herein are not facts that I just know. They are quite the opposite, in fact — they are all things that I did not know.
There are many sources and references available to the Masonic researcher. One of my favorite methods is to simply present a question to Masons in other jurisdictions, and see how they respond. An excellent forum to do this is available on the Internet at www.thesanctumsanctorum.com which is provided by some Brothers at the Grand Lodge of Colorado and is frequented my some of the finest and most knowledgeable Masons from around the globe. This is where I go when I am stuck, and where I go when I am looking for the deeper meaning of a Masonic subject. It is also a great place to make new friends, to learn about some of the minor difference between various Masonic jurisdictions and to marvel that the similarity we share between them.
I have shamelessly copied many of the comments and replies made by the various Brothers who frequent The Sanctum Sanctorum, but I have also made every effort to obtain individual permission and credit them as appropriate. Their efforts have made me look much smarter than I really deserve, and I gratefully and humbly acknowledge this simple reality.
It is my sincere hope that this work gives you a chance to support the efforts of The Sanctum Sanctorum.
Become a Masonic mentor.
Learn.
Share.
Rick Carver, Past Master
Inner Quest Lodge #456 & Shawnee Lodge #54
Ancient Free & Accepted Masons of Kansas
DISCLAIMER: I would also be greatly remiss in my duty if I did not point out that; the answers provided herein are my own opinions and provide one answer to questions that may other solutions or have more than one correct answer. They are not the only possible answer, and that they are not the official position of Freemasonry or of any specific Grand Lodge, Masonic jurisdiction or Masonic body.
Rick’s Essays
10/4/2023 – Essays added to this page today:
– Ancient, Free, or Accepted
– Cowans and Evesdroppers
– Masonic Rods
Check back later. More of Rick’s essays will be added in time.
