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Guidelines for Degree Masters

January 4, 2006

The opportunity to serve as Degree Master of a Scottish Rite Degree Team is a rewarding and challenging experience.  Each Scottish Rite Degree is a play to be performed before an audience of candidates who are desirous of gaining more Masonic light and knowledge and becoming 32° Scottish Rite Masons.  The Degree Master is the director of the play.  Through his intimate knowledge of the Degree script and its intended symbolic lessons, he guides and directs the cast members of his team to transform the Degree into a meaningful experience that draws the candidates into the story and reveals its mysteries to them much like a flower bud opening up to the warmth of the sunlight to reveal the beautiful petals hidden inside. 

The reward for such effort is the pride of accomplishment that is shared with your team each time your Degree is presented, reinforced by the applause of the candidates and the glowing comments you receive from them afterward.  The deep fraternal bond that you form with your team is a priceless treasure that will be valued and talked about for years to come.  If you don’t believe it, just ask some of the old “retired” Degree Masters about their experiences, but be prepared to listen for a while because they will have much to share with you. 

The challenges you face can be trying at times, but with an adequate knowledge of the task at hand and some preplanning on your part the risks will be small and the experience overall will be a fulfilling one that will serve you well in all of your fraternal endeavors.  The following guidelines have been compiled to help you understand the requirements of a Degree Master and show you how to develop an active and accomplished Degree team.

I.       Choosing a Script & Developing a Team

1.      Once you decide to become a Degree Master, you should first spend some time watching the Degrees to decide which one will interest you the most.  Developing a Degree team should be fun and rewarding, not burdensome or overwhelming.  Better to start out small and simple than to try to tackle the most complex and difficult.  You can always work your way up to a larger Degree later, once you have developed the necessary skills.  Once you have selected a Degree to your liking, obtain a Degree script from the Reunion Director and study it well.  As you look through the script you will no doubt think of some questions.  MAKE A LIST of the questions and discuss them with your Reunion Director or other Degree Masters.  After studying the script thoroughly, develop a list of parts and spend some time thinking about who you know in the Scottish Rite who might be interested in learning those parts.  Try to list at least two or three names for each part.  You may even have someone in mind who is not yet a Scottish Rite member.  This is a great way to recruit new members.

2.      Begin developing your Degree team.  A member of a Degree team must be willing to commit the time to memorize his part, attend practices as set by you, follow your directions and attend all conferrals based on the yearly Reunion Schedule.  Without such a commitment your team will be plagued with troubles from the very beginning.  Based on your knowledge of their capabilities, approach the brethren you have listed and ask them to be a part of your team.  If they are interested be prepared to assign them a part to study and hand them a copy of the script right then.  DO NOT WAIT.  If you are not prepared to give them a script, they may assume that your interest in them is not entirely sincere and they may lose interest.  Be sure to get all of their contact information, such as name, address, telephone, cell phone, e-mail, work number, etc.  When selecting team members, keep in mind that you will be having practices, so be certain that all of your team members live close enough to be able to attend those practices without too much inconvenience.  It is always a good idea to have extra members of the team who are assigned as backups for key parts. They can take turns in the conferrals so that everyone gets an opportunity to perform.

NOTE:  Although many Degree Masters like to have an active part in the Degree, IT IS NOT A REQUIREMENT that you learn a part.  You may certainly do so if you choose, but you will find that a Degree Master has many responsibilities without having to memorize a part as well.  Some Degree Masters prefer to act as a backup and fill in only when a team member is absent.  You decide for yourself how you will fit in with the team.

3.      Once you have recruited your team, notify them as soon as possible of a practice date.  This confirms your requirements for their participation.  You should have a secure place to practice without interruption, a date, a time and length of practice.  Have an alternate date and time available in the event that you encounter unforeseen conflicts.  The first practice may be nothing more than a walk-through to help everyone become familiar with the script and their part in particular.  Plan your practice ahead of time so that you have clear objectives then communicate those objectives to your team so that everyone has the same understanding of your expectations.  Your ultimate goal should always be to have a full team that has memorized their parts and knows the flow of the Degree from beginning to end.  Your chief responsibility at this point is to determine how many practices will be needed to reach that goal and what level of completion should be achieved at each practice.  Start your practices on time, keep them reasonable in length and do not run over your allotted time.  You are the one who sets the requirements for team participation, but you must abide by those guidelines as well.  Within four to six months you should have your team ready to confer your Degree.  

4.      Communicate your progress to the Reunion Director and to the presiding officer of the Body that governs your Degree (i.e. Lodge of Perfection, Chapter of Rose Croix, Council of Kadosh, Consistory).  Let them know as far in advance as possible when you think your team will be ready to confer your Degree.  Although the Reunion Schedules are made a year in advance, it is sometimes possible to alter the schedule to allow you an early opportunity to present your Degree.  The Reunion Director will need to know when your team will be ready so that he can arrange the Reunion Schedule for the next year accordingly.

SUMMARY

1.      Choose a Degree that interests you.

2.      Obtain a script and study it thoroughly.

3.      Select a team that will be committed to participating in the Degree.

4.      Organize and implement practices with clear objectives and communicate them to your team.

5.      Advise the Reunion Director and presiding officer of your governing Body as soon as possible when your team is ready to confer your Degree.

II.   Managing Your Degree Team

You now have an eager new team that is well practiced and anxious to show their abilities in an actual conferral.  Your duties as a Degree Master now undergo a slight shift from director of a stage play to manager and coach of a team.  Communication becomes just as important as practicing.  You have accomplished a great deal in organizing and preparing your team, but your Degree is only one part of the overall effort of presenting a Scottish Rite Reunion.  Of course you want your team’s Degree presentation to be one of the best at the Reunion, but you as Degree Master must help to make the overall Reunion a success.  Communication and team discipline are key elements of that success. 

1.      Practice prior to your scheduled conferral in a Reunion.  Depending on the elapsed time since your team’s last performance you may only need one or two refresher practices.  If you have added new members since the last performance and you expect them to participate in the next one, you may need a few more.  Schedule them far enough in advance and communicate them to all your team members so they can be present.  Don’t assume that your team remembers their parts well enough from the last conferral.  Give them an opportunity to refresh themselves. Practices are vital to a good performance.  They also give the team an opportunity to discuss and try out new ideas to enhance their performance and improve the Degree presentation. 

2.      One week prior to the scheduled conferral, contact the members of your team and confirm that they will be able to attend.  Develop an understanding with your team that communication works both ways.  If something unexpected arises that prevents them from attending, they should notify you as soon as possible so that you can find a replacement before the date of the conferral.  Do not wait until the day of the conferral to try to fill vacancies unless it is absolutely unavoidable.   Otherwise you gamble with the success of your Degree and run the risk of jeopardizing the Reunion schedule.  

3.      COMMUNICATE through the Secretary’s office to the Reunion Director and the presiding officer of your governing Body that your team is ready for the Reunion.  If your team cannot be present or you will have vacancies on your team for the conferral, please relay that information also.  This may seem like a trivial point to you but it is vitally important to the Reunion Director and the presiding officer as they share responsibility for the entire Reunion schedule.   

4.      On the day of your conferral, have your team present a minimum of one hour prior to the scheduled time for your Degree.  This allows you time to ensure that you have a full team present and gives you one last opportunity to have a team review.  If the Reunion should be running ahead of schedule, you may be called upon to present your Degree sooner than the scheduled time. 

Assuming the Reunion is running on schedule, have your team begin putting on their costumes no later than 20 minutes prior to the start of your Degree.  This avoids congestion in the wardrobe area when the team ahead of you comes out to remove their costumes.   

At present the Galveston Scottish Rite has 5 wireless remote microphones to be worn by members of the Degree team during conferral. Some teams have more than five members.  As Degree Master it is your duty to decide which 5 parts are most important and see to it that they wear the microphones.  The very best Degree performance is meaningless if the candidates cannot hear what is said.  On some occasions not all of the remotes are working.  Use what is available and make adjustments accordingly.  The microphones will not be available to you until the team ahead of you finishes their Degree.  When your Degree is finished, have your members remove the microphones and leave them backstage. 

Do not allow your team to enter the stage area until the stage crew has nearly finished changing the scenes and props.  The stage area is small and the presence of a Degree team on stage between Degrees slows down the stage crew, creates safety hazards for everyone present, and causes unnecessary delays in the schedule.  You should be the only one to enter the stage area between Degrees so that you can communicate with the Stage Manager when it is safe to have your team enter.  While the stage is being set for your Degree, observe and check that the stage crew has set out all the necessary props that you will need.  In their haste to prepare, they sometimes overlook a needed prop.  Once you have the Stage Manager’s approval, bring your team on stage, set them in their places and tell the Stage Manager when you are ready to begin your Degree.   

When your Degree is finished, have your team leave the stage area immediately so the stage crew can begin preparing for the next Degree.  Have your team return their costumes to the wardrobe area, then get together and celebrate your success.  REMEMBER!  The day of the conferral is not the time to practice!  There is too much activity and stress that day to have a meaningful practice.  BE PREPARED ahead of time. 

5.      A good Degree Master should always be prepared for the unexpected.  Despite your best efforts, there will be times when you have last minute vacancies on your team, there is a sudden change in the Reunion date or time for your Degree conferral, or perhaps you yourself experience a problem that prevents you from attending.  It is always a good idea to assign a member of your team as an alternate Degree Master.  This person should be familiar with the duties and responsibilities of a Degree Master as well as the Degree itself.  He can be very helpful in assisting you with the team and can assume your duties in the event you are unable to be present.   

On the day of the conferral bring extra copies of your Degree script in the event that you must draft someone to fill a vacancy on the team.  You can often find brethren at the Reunion who are willing to fill in if you can provide them with a script and time to look through it.  If you have difficulty finding a fill-in, notify the Reunion Director.  He may be able to help.  Extra scripts are also very handy for recruiting new members to your team.   

Assign someone to be a prompter during the conferral.  This can be done by you or by someone else.  This person would have a copy of the script with him and would follow along in it as the Degree is conferred.  When a team member stumbles or forgets a line, your designated prompter will be ready to give him the necessary cues to get him going again. 

Develop a notebook or folder for your use that contains a copy of the Degree script, the names and contact information for all of the members of your team, the names and contact information for the Scottish Rite Secretary’s office, the Reunion Director and the presiding officers of the four governing Bodies, and a copy of the latest Reunion Booklet or at least the dates and schedules of the Reunions for the current year.  You might also include a diagram of the stage settings for your Degree and a list of important props that should be set out.  Again, carry extra copies of your Degree script.

 

SUMMARY

1. Always practice your team before a scheduled conferral.
2. Assign a dependable member of your team to serve as Assistant Degree Master.
3. Confirm your team’s availability one week prior to the scheduled conferral.
4. Communicate your team’s readiness through the Secretary’s office to the Reunion Director and the presiding officer of your governing Body one week before the start of the Reunion.
5. Assemble your team a minimum of one hour prior to the scheduled conferral time.
6. Get your team in their costumes a minimum of 20 minutes prior to the start of your Degree.
7. Assign microphones to the team members having the 5 most important speaking parts.
8. Keep your team out of the stage area until the Stage Manager tells you it is OK to bring them on.
9. Check the props to see that everything needed for your Degree has been set out.
10. Assemble your team on stage as efficiently as possible and signal to the Stage Manager that you are ready to start the Degree.
11. Have a designated prompter available to follow the script and cue the cast when needed.
12. When your Degree is completed, have the team members with wireless microphones remove them and leave them backstage.
13. Exit your team from the stage as quickly as possible and have them return their costumes to the wardrobe area.
14. Most importantly, congratulate your team for their fine performance.

III.             Additional Considerations

1.   Each year about September or October, the Secretary’s office will send you a letter and a name sheet asking you to provide an updated list of the members of your Degree team.  This information is needed to update the Reunion Booklet for the coming year.  Please take the time to fill out the sheet and return it as soon as possible, even if there have been no changes since the previous year.  The Secretary’s office cannot begin updating the Reunion Booklet until all sheets have been returned. 

2.      The Reunion Director has been engaged in an ongoing project to update all Degree scripts and put them on computer in a standard format.  This format incorporates not only the dialogue of the Degree, but directions for the Stage Crew, the Sound Crew and the Cast as well.  One of the biggest factors hampering the success of our Reunions is the lack of uniform scripts for all to follow.  The Stage Crew uses the script to determine when to make scene changes, lighting adjustments, active props, etc.  The Sound Crew uses the script to know when to inject music into the background to enhance the Degree presentation.  In the past, some Degree Masters have felt the need to make modifications to the scripts to better adapt the Degree presentation to our stage and auditorium conditions or make it easier for cast members to learn or candidates to understand.  Strictly speaking, no changes should ever be made to any script without approval of the Valley Chairman.  At the very least, any desired changes should be discussed with the Reunion Director prior to obtaining the Chairman’s approval.  By doing so, the changes can be monitored so that the scripts are properly updated and distributed.  This ensures that all three groups (Cast, Stage & Sound) are working from the same script thereby allowing the Degree presentation to be better coordinated. 

3.      During each Reunion, the Reunion Director monitors each Degree presentation and records critical notations such as the actual start and end times versus the scheduled start and end times, reasons for delay, problems with sound or stage preparation and team performance.  This information is useful in determining how long each Degree presentation typically runs to better prepare future Reunion schedules.  It also provides information that will help improve future Degree presentations by identifying and correcting deficiencies in stage management or cast performance.  This information is available for you as a Degree Master to review at any time.  You can discuss them with the Reunion Director and perhaps develop new ideas to improve future performances.  

4.      During each Reunion, there is a Reunion Staff at work in the background to help keep the Reunion schedule on time.  This Staff consists of the Reunion Director as Chairman, an Office Liaison who communicates information back and forth between the Director and the Secretary’s office, a Wardrobe Area Assistant and a Stage Assistant.   

The Wardrobe Area Assistant is supposed to keep the Degree Master of the next Degree informed of the progress of the current Degree and advise him when it is nearing completion so that he has ample time to get his team ready.  He also communicates with the Stage Assistant to know when it is safe for the Degree Master to assemble his team on stage.  If the Degree Master has an unfilled vacancy on his team and needs assistance, he informs the Wardrobe Assistant who aids him in finding a person to fill in on the Degree.  The Wardrobe Assistant keeps the kitchen staff advised as to when lunch should be ready if the time schedule changes.  

The Stage Assistant serves as liaison between the Stage Manager and the Degree Master.  He prompts the Degree Master in the Wardrobe Area when to bring his team on stage, monitors the team’s preparation, assists in getting the wireless microphones passed from one Degree team to the next, and advises the Stage Manager to start the Degree once the Degree Master has indicated that his team is ready.  When the Degree is completed, he collects the wireless microphones and ushers the Degree team off stage to allow the Stage Crew room to work. 

Ideally, this system seems to work well.  However, the Wardrobe Area Assistant and the Stage Assistant often find themselves being drafted to fill vacancies on Degree teams because Degree Masters did not make adequate preparations to ensure that they had a full Degree team available.  When this happens, the Wardrobe and Stage Area coordination is lost and the Reunion Schedule suffers unnecessary setbacks.   

Please understand that small delays tend to compound the problems of keeping the Reunion on schedule.  If there are seven Degrees scheduled for a Reunion day and each Degree suffers a ten minute delay, by the time the last Degree of the day is ready to go on, the schedule is already over AN HOUR BEHIND!  Wouldn’t you be a bit upset if you followed the guidelines by having your team present an hour before your scheduled start only to find out that you would not be able to go on stage for at least two hours? 

By adhering to the guidelines set forth previously and managing your team well you can provide valuable assistance in keeping the Reunion Schedule on time.

IV.              Warning Signs

After several seasons of success, it is natural to develop confidence in your ability to manage a Degree team.  As predicted, no year has passed without a few problems arising now and then, but nothing drastic has occurred.  You and your team have developed a close relationship and all of you feel relaxed and satisfied with your performance.  As time goes on you begin to notice little problems that seem to recur over and over again and you find it increasingly difficult to field an adequate team for conferrals.  We could write pages and pages of speculation about probable causes but you are intelligent enough to figure those out for yourself.  Sometimes the greatest difficulty comes from not recognizing the early warning signs of impending disaster.  Listed here are just a few of the more common symptoms of deeper troubles ahead.  If you find that some of these symptoms apply to you and your team then perhaps you should review your leadership practices, identify the deficiencies and develop some corrective actions to bring your team’s performance back up to your former high standards.  Enlist the aid of your Reunion Director or other Degree Masters to help you develop a plan for improvement.

1.                  Failure to practice.

2.                  Feeling the need to practice on the day of the conferral.

3.                  Team members consistently late or not showing up for a conferral.

4.                  Depending on “pot luck” to fill vacancies in the team on the day of conferral.

5.                  Team members reading scripts during a conferral.

6.                  Team lacks coherence in the Degree conferral.

7.                  Consistently late in starting your Degree.

8.                  Team members seem to lose interest in the Degree.

9.                  Difficulty keeping a full team or recruiting new members. 

A Scottish Rite Reunion is aptly named.  It is an opportunity for good brethren from many backgrounds, professions and distant locations to reunite in fraternal friendship under the Banner of Scottish Rite Masonry to talk about their past experiences and share new ones with new members joining the Order.  As a Degree Master you play a key role in this unique phenomenon by organizing and presenting a symbolic Scottish Rite Degree that provides the catalyst for learning and discussion.   Without your efforts to provide a quality performance and focus for learning it would be nothing more than a simple gathering of friends.  May your efforts and experience as a Degree Master be as satisfying and rewarding to you as it is to those who come to watch and enjoy the fruits of your labors. 

Presented by,

Mark D. Myer, 33° 

Reunion Director

Galveston Scottish Rite Bodies