The novice comes to the scene of Masonry as a layman, able to see
the beauty and order of its manifestations.

The Master Mason reveals to him the significance of some of its
symbols in that the novice will advance to the temple of knowledge
and fulfilment by three steps of accomplishment centred about and
embracing the three pillars of wisdom, strength and beauty; the
journey beginning in the presence of, and under the guidance of, the infallible Holy Book on the alter of personal sacrifice of selfishness.

He learns that his way has been smoothed and beautified by his
distinguished predecessors and that the course is well defined and
limited against straying from the proven path of personal progress
to an uplifted and embellished position as a man of the world.

His commitment to Masonry is of his free choice as a mature man,
and as a Mason he must remember the priceless heritage of civil freedom
of the individual and the corresponding personal responsibilty to act
positively in all things and at all times to prove and maintain his
worthiness to freedom of the individual.

The perfection degrees are the temple degrees, basing the instruction
to be given on incidents chosen from the construction of King Solonom's
Temple; hence a basic portrait of that construction in progress. The
candidate has advanced to Master Mason as symbolized by portraying him
with a square, the tool of the Master in checking and passing the work
of the apprentices and fellowcrafts, in his hand

He stands before the tracing board on which the plans and designs
for the Temple are envisioned, considered, settled and formulated,
reminding him that the course of life entails those elements as essential
to create an acceptable and progressive personal position and standing
in the community and in his chosen field of endeavor.

The Master Architect holds plans in his hands which he is about to
entrust to the Mason of Perfection for due execution and completion.

We are symbolically reminded that in the accomplishment of anything
worthwhile there must be a centre of planning of that which is the
objective of accomplishment; there must be experience and knowledge
to formulate sound plans. The final conclusions must be advanced from
mental conception to a detailed exposition or plan that will enable
all who may be introduced to the accomplishment of that which has been
undertaken to completely understand all, and so enable them to guide
their actions to attain an effective fulfilment of the objective.

The Rose Croix degrees are depicted by symbolic suggestions of a
central theme portraying the Scottish Rite doctrine of the adulation
of the Risen Christ as distinguished from the theme of some Christian
congregations in the worship of the Crucified Christ.

The Scottish Rite epitomizes the empty Cross with its universal
significance as symbolic of eternal life and the promise of man's
devine heritage to turn defeat and humiliation into victory and
triumphant ascendancy.

The basic guideposts of Faith, Hope and Charity are introduced;
and as a reminder of the seven prime factors that can debase and
degrade humanity to a great darkness and the seven factors that can
elevate and create an environment of light, knowledge and progress,
the seven branched candlesticks are mute testimony. The scene reminds
us that only in deep, impregnable convictions of the mind and soul can
an undeviating path of progress in the person be accomplished in spite
of what may seem to be impossible obstacles, and only in deep meditation
and prayer can that transcendent attitude of mind and soul be accomplished.

The Consistory degrees being designated as the Chivalric degrees
the depiction assumes at large that subject matter and will direct
memory towards that central theme while at the same time in symbolic
portrayal reminding that even in these ultimate degrees the candidate
has not progressed beyond constructive instruction; he finds himself
among the leaders of human endeavour and learns the elements of the
personal attributes of those who rise to accept leadership and the
responsibilities that are inherent in that eminence.

The cryptic symbols of DeMolay significance remind him that there
have always been those who, in the name of worthy objectives, have
carried out acts of violence and savage cruelty, and that moral
leadership must recognize this danger and suppress it. Here are
seen symbolic portrayals of those cardinal factors that will demean and
defeat mankind unless there is active enlightened, unselfish leadership
to, without respite, combat and ultimately eliminate their existance in
the accomplishment of the ultimate of an acceptable plane of existance
for all mankind, freed from the machinations of the unworthily ambitious
and heedless oportunist.

Thus alone a man may by instruction and contemplation assume and
discharge creditably, leadership and authority among his fellowmen.

The depiction as a whole reminds us that in life as in Masonry
the accomplishment of worthy and justified leadership and responsibilty
comes only in degrees of progress, in the accumulation of knowledge and
experience, motivated by upright conceptions, driven by unconquerable
faith and guided by the ancient marks in faith, hope and charity, the
greatest of which is love of our fellowman. All of which has been proved
sound in conception and worthy of acceptance by the fact that Scottish
Rite established on that premise has steadly progressed for over one
hundred years in Canada.