Degree Discussions in the Minneapolis Valley

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Degree Discussions in the Minneapolis Valley
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BACKGROUND

•      1996 Class
•      Brother Ronald C. Parker
•      What did the degrees try to tell me?
•      There were many philosophical questions.
•      Few were available to answer questions.

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•   Bridge to Light was helpful, but inadequate.
•   If Brother Parker had questions, others must
  also have them.
•  Maybe class candidates could benefit from
  discussions following degrees.

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FIRST STEP

•  Brother Parker sought approval to explore a
  Degree Discussion Program.
•  Approval was instant and enthusiastic.
• Masonic education is a primary function of the
  Scottish Rite.
•  Candidates must be free to draw their own
  conclusions and to interpret the degrees as he
  wishes.

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EDUCATION MAXIM Brother Parker is an educator.

• Tell them what you want to tell them.
• Prologue to the Degree
• Tell them.
• Degree Presentation
• Tell them what you just told them.
• Degree Discussion

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EARLY DEVELOPMENT

• Studied Bridge to Light.
• Studied Degree Prologues.
• Asked Degree Directors to provide several
  questions and answers.
• No yes/no answers.
• Multiple-choice for most questions.
• At least one open-ended question.

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EXAMPLE 1

•    Sample question from 13?
•    Questions
•      What did the explorers find?
•      What did it look like?
•    Answers
•   A pedestal made of alabaster and shaped like a
  cube having a gold triangular plate mounted on it
  and engraved with mysterious characters.
•  (Well get to those mysterious characters later
  in the 14?).

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Example 2

• Open-ended question (10th degree)
• Should you be intolerant of intolerance?

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Later Development

• Added words to complementary musical selections
  heard in degrees.
• Dropped multiple-choice questions.
• Added selections from Morals and Dogma.
• Candidates often come early, sit quietly and read
  these excerpts.

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Latest Development

• Brother Parker is continuously improving some of
  the questions and plans to revise them this
  summer.
• Brother Parker has determined that he will likely
  revise the questions on a yearly basis.

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For more Information

• For a downloadable Word file of the formatted
  booklet (115 pp) contact Ron Parker 32
  K?C?C?H?rceeparker_at_aol.com
• Or Ron Nelson 33 I?G?H?, Secretary, Minneapolis
  Valley
• Secretary_at_scottish-rite-mpls.org