The First Degree – The Entered Apprentice Degree

[Excerpt from “An Explanation of the Means of the Three Degrees of Freemasonry, A Discourse on Freemasonry,” by Harold J. Spelman, undated]

You have now entered upon your own individual journey through Freemasonry. This process may, at this time, seem strange to you and all that has happened unfamiliar and not similar to your usual experiences. The deep and serious philosophy of Freemasonry is not to be grasped and fully understood simply, easily nor quickly. It will, as any student of the Craft will tell you, take a lifetime of study to fully understand and appreciate the deep meaning hidden in the Degrees and in the workings of the Fraternity.

The first thing you must understand is that the philosophy of Freemasonry is taught by symbols and allegory; a method of teaching as ancient as mankind. By this method you are required to work out some of the meanings yourself. By doing this your own experience will unite with these symbols and allegories and give to you not only the deeper meanings, based on your own life experiences, but these meanings will be more lasting and make a deeper impression then if told to you by a lecture method.

Secondly, and of equal importance is that Freemasonry treats and is concerned with the individual man, not mankind nor men, but man, the you and the me, the individual. Its usual statement is "that it takes good men and makes them better men". How it does this is the subject and work of the Three Degrees.

The First Degree, that which you have just taken, is the beginning of this process. These Degrees have a symbolical meaning themselves, in as much as they represent and are symbols for the three ages of man - youth, middle age and old age. The First Degree represents you in your young manhood, that period just after leaving the joys and carefree days of your youth; the age when you begin to undertake full responsibility for your life. By entering into this degree you leave the things of youth behind you. The training and decisions which have been made for you for you by family, society, church and school will no longer be made for you. You, yourself must make them. You yourself must bear the responsibility for their correctness. Remember, even if you are of later years and are receiving this degree, it is symbolic. By knocking on our door for admission you are in effect saying, "I am leaving youth behind and asking for admission to manhood." Masonry will then teach you the proper manner of making your decisions and life plan in a moral and upright fashion. It will teach you your duties towards God and how to perform those duties. While you will still be responsible for your decisions it will teach you and give you the proper tools for making those decisions. But it will not make these decisions for you.

Regardless of your religion you will find by applying yourself to Freemasonry and its lessons you will obtain a deeper understanding of the nature of God and your duties towards Him. In your advancement you will find that we refer to God in all our work as The Grand Architect Of The Universe.

The First Degree bears another symbolic meaning. Just as man is of three ages, so is man of three parts: body, mind and soul. The First Degree represents the body of man. At your Lodge meetings in time to come you will hear this in the form of a question, when the Worshipful Master asks the Senior Warden; "What came you here to do?" And is answered, "'To learn to subdue my passions and improve myself in Masonry."

We must subdue our passions, our strong bodily desires, our emotions, so that all our thinking may be done logically, all our actions planned and well reasoned. We must learn to understand ourselves, to look within, seeing and knowing our weaknesses and our strengths. We have, when the Lodge doors close, entered a new world, a world wherein we are solely responsible for our actions, a world in which we must learn to improve ourselves, a world based on reason. How do we do this? By the lessons taught in Freemasonry.

We received a minimal introduction to Freemasonry in this Degree. We learned what a lodge is, its furnishings and physical make up. We were taught our basic and fundamental duties; those duties towards our God, our country, our family, our neighbors, and last but not least our duty towards ourselves. Those duties which will shape our future actions.

We learned that charity is not just the giving of alms, but that it is love, suffering for another, aiding the unfortunate to overcome misfortune and always joining in another's success.

The cardinal virtues were taught and explained - Temperance, Fortitude, Prudence and Justice. Together with Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth, you began to learn and understand what is expected of you.

And lastly the Three Great Lights were explained to you; The Holy Bible, Square and Compasses, with these and with your working tools you should never err in making the correct decision and finding your own proper rule of life.

Three times has man tried to build a Temple wherein God might dwell; three times he has failed. You now start to build the fourth Temple, wherein God may reside, but this one is different, this one will be built in your heart, there God may finally dwell and rest - in your heart, and this Temple shall never be destroyed, unless you destroy it - what an awesome responsibility.

So stand there in the Northeast corner, were you were placed and where all buildings are begun and begin, each one of you, to build your own Temple, a Temple which may only be built with the help of Freemasonry.