Class of Instruction

First Tuesday in Month

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1st 2009

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6th 2009

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3rd 2009

TUESDAY. DECEMBER 1st 2009

TUESDAY, JANUARY 5th 2010

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2nd 2010

TUESDAY, MARCH 2nd 2010

Fourth Tuesday in Month

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22nd 2009

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 27th 2009

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24th 2009

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 22nd 2009

TUESDAY, JANUARY 26th 2010

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23rd 2010

TUESDAY, MARCH 23rd 2010

The Mystic Art: Edward Lytton

The world may rail at Masonry,
And scoff at Square and Line,
We'll follow with complacency
The Master's great Design.

A King can make a gartered Knight,
And breathe away another,
But he, with all his skill and might,
Can never make a Brother.

This power alone, thou Mystic Art,
Freemasonry, is thine;
The power to tame the savage heart
With brother-love divine!

There are many different ways of preparing yourself for taking Office, everyone has
their own particular method to learning ritual, reading, reciting, writing, and Classes
of Instruction, are the usual ways that come to mind, but there are of course more
technology based means too, MP3 players requiring a pc, through to the professional dictation devices or "voice recorders" which do not.

The rote learning system, is a method of learning Ritual quickly, and is best explained
with an example of the times table from primary school, in that constantly repeating
your chosen table imprints it into the memory, hopefully!

Some can remember with a quick glance while others have much more difficulty in
learning ritual, rote learning relies more on memory than the understanding of the
words being said, and requires less knowledge of the subject, constant repetition the
key, unless you have a photographic memory of course!

It is difficult to see yourself learning page after page but if you break it down to
sentences and paragraphs it seems more manageable, try different methods to find
what is best for you.

The Class of Instruction helps to reinforce your chosen method with practice in the
Lodgeroom in the manner you would usually do so at your own Lodge.

The Grand Lodge of Ireland formed in 1725, and followed the example of the Grand
Lodge in England, organising Freemasonry in Ireland under Grand Lodge Rule.

Ireland as a "whole", work Masonic ritual in Lodges under the auspices of the Very
Worshipful, The Grand Lodge of Instruction, this governing body ensure Masonic ritual across the Island is uniform and standardised, they have the authority to test and
promote those proficient Officers, the first step is as a Provincial Grand Instructor,
and eventually to the GLoI as Elected Members, if and when a position is available.

As far as i know, Ireland is the only Grand Lodge to have one recognised Masonic Ritual,
including Provincial Grand Lodges outside Ireland,and Travelling Lodges, abroad, which
does make it easier for Brethren who like to travel across the country, any Brother can take office in any Lodge, in the knowledge that no surprises await him! well not Ritual based anyway?, allowing better participation in, and enjoyment of our Ritual.

The Class in Newtownards has two of the fifty Elected Members of the Grand Lodge
of Instruction, and two Provincial Grand Instructors, we meet on the first Tuesday and
the fourth Tuesday of every month, September through to March, at 7:30pm, until 9:30pm, preparation for the Installation Ceremony is the prime aim at the start of the
year, November through to February as a guide, and is dependant again on Master's
elect attending class.(All work in Ireland is done in the 1st Degree?, except Degree
work, no other business is permitted. Opening in the 3rd is reserved for the Grand
Lodge, PGL, and the GLoI). Calling up the Lodge, testing of Visitors and Degree work
are dependant again on how many Masters are present through the Installation period, Installing his Officers and governing the Lodge, the class covers every eventuality from
the opening of the Lodge to reception of Grand or Provincial Grand Senior Officers, explanations are given on points raised in the class, and on any other matter a Brother
is having difficulty with, receiving, conducting and Obligating are covered, as is
proposing a candidate and then the ballot for him, so you can see the obligation the Instructors have undertaken in time and effort, to ensure our ritual remains constant.

The Ideal candidate is one who has just received his third degree, it's better to start
well, than end badly, if there are any Brother Master Mason's out there, come in to the
Masonic Centre and see how relaxing and enjoyable the experience can be. Possibly
the name "Class" is a misnomer, as it conjures pictures of schooldays past, you will see
that it is a place to make new friends as well as to learn the ritual in an agreeable
atmosphere, no one will laugh at you, the class prefer Brethren who are not
knowledgeable, so in this case if you know nothing at all, it's good! That’s what the
class wants, and certainly before the bad habits creep in?.

You will learn from the best Instructors this Island has to offer, they do give up a considerable amount of time and effort to ensure those attending classes have all the
tools required to manage any communication in the year.

The Master can achieve excellence through self taught methods and without having to
attend Class, but the younger Members below him look to his example in all things and think they can do the same without instruction, it's too late when they find out they cannot, Lead your Lodge by example and expect your Junior Officers to follow, question why, if they do not, you will be doing them a service in doing this, and no more than is expected of a WM.

Senior Lodge Officers should still attend classes, this is especially true of Directors of Ceremonies, this is one of the most Important Offices in a Lodge, and must be done
well, his work on the floor reflects on the Lodge as a whole, he ensures his Deacons are aware of their positions during our Ceremonies, his job is to assist the Master in the preparation and running of the Lodge, he must have a good working knowledge of our ceremonies and ritual, and good management skills, Instruction in this important office is essential for the new and present D.O.C alike.

Newtownards Craft Class of Instruction 2009/10
1st &4th Tuesdays 7:30pm Dress Casual Smart
September	October	November	December	January	February	March
1st & 22nd	6th & 27th	3rd & 24th	1st & 22nd	5th & 26th	2nd & 23rd	2nd & 23rd