Book Description

This series of books sets out to provide for each Officer of a Lodge as accurate as possible a description of Emulation Working as it applies to his office. It is largely derived from the author’s earlier book, Emulation Working Today, which does not slip conveniently into the pocket of a coat or apron, and it therefore aims to remedy that defect.Each book in the series, like its bigger brother, Emulation Working Today, is intended as a supplement to the Emulation Ritual book. It does not claim to be exhaustive as a description of Emulation Working, for in many, if not most, cases the Emulation Ritual is quite clear as to the procedure that is to be followed. There are, however, many instances where, despite what might be thought a clear description in the rubric of the Ritual, Brethren commonly fail to carry out the action described in accordance with the practice of Emulation Lodge of Improvement (which, it should not be forgotten, preserves as far as possible the only Craft ritual that has ever been formally approved by the Grand Lodge). There can be various reasons for such failures: sometimes a weak or ignorant Director of Ceremonies or preceptor may have allowed Brethren to fall into careless habits; conversely a strong Director of Ceremonies or preceptor may have enforced his own idiosyncratic views; whichever may be the case, that fickle and shifting concept, the tradition of the Lodge, is usually invoked as justification. Leaving aside such shortcomings in the ritual actions, there are also several "accident black spots" where the wording of the ritual is liable regularly to be rendered inaccurately.