MN1.3 – Charge After Initiation

Learning Objectives

• To understand Guilds: The Origins of Freemasonry and the Charge After Initiation
• To understand principles and traditions that underpin Freemasonry today

Charge After Initiation

audio link

A guild is an association of craftsmen or merchants formed to provide mutual aid, protection, and to further their professional interests. Guilds were particularly significant in Europe from the 11th to the 16th centuries. There were two main types of guilds: Merchant Guilds and Craft Guilds. This discussion will focus primarily on Craft Guilds.

Craft Guilds consisted of Master Craftsmen within a specific town or city. These individuals joined forces to regulate the standards of work, pay, and conditions for their trade. Each industry, such as weaving, dyeing, masonry, or blacksmithing, had its own guild. These guilds were influential in both local government and the economy, providing significant help to their members and engaging in philanthropy.

Master Craftsmen employed apprentices, who were generally in their early adolescence (around 14 years old). These apprenticeships lasted between five to nine years, during which the apprentices received no pay but were provided with food and lodgings. In some cases, families even paid Master Craftsmen to train their sons.

Living with the Master Craftsman, apprentices were taught not just the skills of the trade but also how to maintain a good reputation. This involved respecting the Master’s household, being well-dressed and punctual, and treating clients courteously. Failure to adhere to these standards meant apprentices could be sent back to their families without qualification.

After completing their apprenticeship, craftsmen became journeymen, traveling from job to job, refining their skills. To become a Master, a journeyman had to produce a “masterpiece” judged by established Masters within the guild. Upon success, the craftsman could open his own workshop and take on apprentices, adhering to the guild’s high standards in work quality and personal conduct.

Guilds maintained their reputation through their own professional courts, which investigated complaints to uphold their high standing in the community.

It is during the peak of the guilds that Freemasonry is thought to have originated. The Coat of Arms of the United Grand Lodge of England features symbols that recall those of the Worshipful Company of Masons, a guild registered with the College of Arms in 1472. This connection underscores Freemasonry’s historical roots in these early associations of skilled tradesmen.

The development of guilds coincided with a period of significant religious upheaval in Europe, marked by events such as the Crusades, the Reformation, and the shifts between Catholicism and Protestantism among English monarchs from Henry VIII to William III. During this time, guild members were often required to attend church, reflecting the era’s strong religious influences.

As guilds rose in prominence, honourable men of standing sought to be associated with them. Over time, these men were accepted as social or “speculative” members of the guilds, leading to the phrase “Free and Accepted or Speculative” Masons.

Understanding the origins and structure of guilds provides valuable context for appreciating the Charge after Initiation in Freemasonry. Just as guilds emphasized the balance of professional excellence and personal integrity, so too does the Charge in guiding the conduct of new Freemasons.

By exploring the intricate history and function of guilds, one can better comprehend the enduring principles and traditions that underpin Freemasonry today.

Activities

Since the foundation of English freemasonry, the Charge after initiation is delivered to every newly made brother at their initiation.

This lesson provides a commentary and context in our modern world

Read just this article in the series – (approx. 5 mins read, 25 mins video)

Once completed return back here to continue with the next lesson