Ben Wallace & The Middle Chamber Masonic Education
Program Of North Carolina
By Wor. Brother Frederic L. Milliken
Click on the link above to view the Middle Chamber Program on YouTube
WB Ben Wallace always knew that there were deeper meanings embedded in Masonry, it just took him awhile to find them. And when he did, there was no stopping him from organizing and promoting esoteric, philosophical Masonry across the entire state of North Carolina.
First, he had to found North Carolina’s first Traditional Observance Lodge, Sophia Lodge.
Sophia Lodge
Next through his TO experience, becoming Master at Wilkerson College Lodge No 760, North Carolina’s Research Lodge, and then Chairman of the North Carolina Grand Lodge Committee on Masonic Education he developed a 3-hour presentation of the Allegory and Symbolism of the Three Degrees. With permission from the Grand Master, he toured North Carolina giving this presentation for three years.
Ben Wallace
But Ben Wallace was not done with promoting esoteric and philosophical Masonry. He had a burning desire to take it to the next step. And the next step was to morph his Allegory and Symbolism lecture into a full-blown program sanctioned and offered by the Grand Lodge of North Carolina. Thus, was born North Carolina’s Middle Chamber Masonic Education Program.
This program is given quarterly for a full year.
Part One is an Introduction to Masonic Allegories and Symbols, the original Wallace lecture. It became known as “The Hook” because it was given to interested Brethren free of charge to give them an overview of what was coming. After that, any Brother wishing to take the next step had to sign up with the Grand Secretary and pay the sum of $150. That payment included the “Big Five,” 5 books chosen for the course. They are:
The Meaning of Masonry by Wilmshurst
Freemasonry Its Hidden Meaning by Steinmetz
The Way of the Craftsman by MacNulty
Contemplative Masonry by Dunning
The Rough and Rugged Road by Hornsby
So, the first quarter is The Hook.
The second quarter is the 1st Degree, The Physical Nature of Man, our interactions with the physical world
The third quarter the 2nd Degree, The Psychical Nature of Man – Psychology and “mind stuff.”
The fourth quarter is the 3rd Degree, The Spiritual Nature of Man, the spiritual aspect of the student.
It takes a whole year to graduate but Wallace says even this is too fast.
We don’t want to give away any more of this great program because the rest of the story is in the video. Don’t miss it!!
