Ex Tenebris Lux

While revisiting some of my favorite blogs, I came across a post on Freemasons for Dummies about Richard Dreyfuss and Shaquille O’Neal being made Masons at sight.  I’m a bit behind on the news since both occurred in June of this year…but it’s news to me and it’s interesting, so I’m posting it.  In some of my previous reading, I’ve come across brief mention about the prerogative of a Grand Master to make a Mason at sight, but the stories on O’Neal and Dreyfuss are the first I’ve read about it in being done.  I was surprised at some of the negative reactions in the blog comments about the practice.  It seems to me that, if it’s allowable under a jurisdiction’s rules, then one who is made a Master Mason at Sight by a Grand Master is no less a Mason than any other.  Our fraternity doesn’t have half-Masons…you’re either a Mason or you’re not.  If you’re a bit curious about the practice, Chris Hodapp has already done some reference work as to it’s legitimacy, so there’s no need to replicate his work here…I’ll just provide the link:  Making Masons “At Sight“.  If you’re not in the mood to follow the link, the summary is…in many jurisdictions the practice is considered one of the ancient landmarks of masonry…Albert Mackey and Henry Wilson Coil both agreed in their masonic encyclopedias.  It’s my understanding that someone made a Mason “at sight” isn’t just declared a Master Mason, but that they also go through an abbreviated form of the degrees in sequence usually through a lodge convened under special dispensation by a Grand Master.  It seems to me that this is hardly different than the practice of some jurisdictions that confer all three degrees in one day.  Curious what some of my fellow Freemasons think…I welcome Bro. Dreyfuss and Bro. O’Neal to the fraternity and hope that they continue on their journey.

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