Finding Lessons on the Lodge Sidelines
- Christophor Galloway
- Aug 18, 2025
- 2 min read
Updated: Aug 18, 2025
Most recently, I have become fascinated by reaction videos on YouTube. These are videos where people hear songs for the first time that I grew up listening to. As I watch their reactions, I experience nostalgia. Their discovery of the music brings up my own memories and allows me to relive the feelings I had when I first heard those songs.
Yesterday, I found myself in a similar moment of reflection. I was sitting on the sidelines in my mother lodge, watching a candidate be initiated in the Entered Apprentice degree. As I observed the ritual, I asked myself a question. Is the degree for the candidate, or is it for all of us?
Most would argue that the degree is for the candidate. It is, after all, their first step into Freemasonry. Yet in many ways, the experience can be overwhelming for them. Their senses are heightened in some areas and restricted in others. Nerves and excitement make it difficult to absorb the lessons fully. They feel the moment, but the deeper knowledge often comes later.
For those of us watching from the sidelines, the degree offers a different kind of gift. We are given the chance to see the ritual anew. Each moment can speak to us in ways we may not have noticed before. Yesterday, the lesson that stood out most to me was when the candidate was taught to contribute to the relief of anyone in worse circumstances than themselves.
That reminder carried weight. It made me think about the people I encounter in everyday life, such as someone in a wheelchair sitting at a corner with a sign asking for help. If I have the means, I am called to give. The degree teaches us that we must care for our brothers in Masonry, but it also reminds us of our duty to care for others.
So the next time you find yourself in a degree, whether as a participant or on the sidelines, take a moment to truly tune in. There is often something in that experience meant for you to hear that day. It is not just for the candidate.
Chris Galloway, PM
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