J. F. Swartsel Lodge No. 251 F. &A.M TRESTLE BOARD Published Monthly Volume LXXXIX Issue No. 1 January 2014 3109 Lutz Lake Fern Road, Lutz FL 33548-1475 Mail: P.O. Box 1475 Phone: 813-949-4814 Website: www.jfswarsel251.org Facebook: www.facebook.com/jfswarsel251 STATED COMMUNICATIONS: 1st & 3rd Thursdays Dinner 6:30 PM - Meeting 7:30PM Lodge Stated Communications IN THIS ISSUE Masonic Education For JANUARY 2014 The Masonic Trestle Board 2 The Masonic Tracing Board 3 Chair Chatter 5 Thursday January 2nd Lodge News & Events 6 th Thursday January 16 Birthdays/Anniversaries 8 LODGE CALENDAR 9 Dinner at 6:30pm Lodge Officers 9 Past Masters 10 Stated Communication at 7:30pm Sponsors 11 1 to which it belongs. The Trestle-Board, Trestle- Masonic Trestle-Board is to be Board, Tracing-Board, and found only in the Entered Trestle-Board again, Education Apprentice's Degree. the definition has There is a Tracing-Board continued from the The Masonic in every Degree, from the earliest part of the first to the highest. And, eighteenth century to the Trestle Board lastly, the Trestle-Board is present day the same. It a symbol; the Tracing- has always been Board is a piece of enumerated among the furniture or picture jewels of the Lodge, containing the although the English representation of many system says that it is symbols. immovable and the It is probable that the American movable; and it Trestle-Board, from its has always been defined necessary use in as "a Board for the Master Operative Masonry, was Workman to draw his one of the earliest designs upon." symbols introduced into In Operative Masonry, the Speculative system. It the Trestle-Board is of is not, however, vast importance. It was on The Trestle-Board is mentioned in the Grand such an implement that defined to be the board Mystery, published in the genius of the ancient upon which the Master 1724. But Prichard, who Masters worked out those inscribes the designs by wrote only six years problems of architecture which the Craft are to be afterward, describes it, that have reflected an directed in their labors. under the corrupted name unfading luster on their The French and German of Trestle-Board, as one of skill. The Trestle-Board Freemasons have the immovable jewels of was the cradle that nursed confounded the Trestle- an Apprentice's Lodge. the infancy of such mighty Board with the Tracing- Browne, in 1880, following monuments as the Board; and Doctor Oliver Preston, fell into the error cathedrals of Strasburg (Landmarks I, page 132) of calling it a Tracing- and Cologne; and as they has not avoided the error. Board, and gives from the advanced in stature, the The two things are Prestonian lecture what he Trestle board became the entirely different. terms "a beautiful degree guardian spirit that The trestle is a of comparison," in which directed their growth. framework for a table in the Bible is compared to a Often have those old Scotch, trest; the Trestle- Tracing-Board. But the Builders pondered by the Board is the board placed Bible is not a collection of midnight lamp upon their for convenience of symbols, which a Tracing- Trestle-Board, working drawing on that frame. It Board is, but a Trestle- out its designs with contains nothing but a few Board that contains the consummate taste and diagrams, usually plan for the construction knowledge - here geometrical figures. The of a spiritual Temple. springing an arch, and Tracing-Board is a picture Webb, however, when he turning an angle there, formerly drawn on the arranged his system of until the embryo edifice floor of the Lodge, whence lectures, took the proper stood forth in all the it was called The Floor- view, and restored the wisdom, strength, and Cloth or Carpet. It true word, Trestle-Board. beauty of the Master's art. contains a delineation of Notwithstanding these What then is its true the symbols of the Degree changes in the name, symbolism in Speculative 2 Freemasonry? To interpretation of the the Master Workman construct his earthly symbol shall be according (Architect) to draw his Temple, the Operative to what each one plans and designs upon to Mason followed the supposes to be the give the workmen an architectural designs laid revealed will of his outline of the work to be down on the Trestle- creator. But so rigidly performed. In today's Board, or book of plans of exacting is it that the terms, we might call it a the architect. By these he symbol shall be preserved blueprint. It is one of the hewed and squared his and, in some rational way, 3 movable jewels. materials; by these he interpreted, that it A trestle board is a raised his walls; by these peremptorily excludes the framework consisting of he constructed his arches; atheist from its (usually 3) vertical, and by these strength and communion, because, slanted supports (or legs) durability, combined with believing in no Supreme with one or more grace and beauty, were Being - no Divine Architect horizontal crosspieces on bestowed upon the edifice - he must necessarily be which to hang or display which he was without a spiritual Trestle- an item. Today, it is constructing. Board on which the better known as an In the Masonic designs of that Being may "easel". education, the Speculative be inscribed for his Some jurisdictions Freemason is reminded direction. around the world call it a that, as the Operative tracing board. It would be Artist erects his temporal Source: somewhat of a "circular building in accordance http://www.masonicdictionary.c logic" task to argue the om/trestleboard.html with the rules and designs difference, as, while laid down on the Trestle- neither can be fully proven Board of the Master (in historical writings), the Workman, so should he The Masonic "Tracing board" may very erect that spiritual Trestle/Tracing well have preceded the building, of which the Board use of the word "Trestle material is a type, in Board" because lodges in obedience to the rules and Europe - which pre-date designs, the precepts and American lodges - use the commands, laid down by word "Tracing Board”. the Grand Architect of the Universe in those great Hiram's Tracing Board books of nature and revelation which Hiram Abif's tracing constitute the spiritual board is believed to have Trestle-Board of every been made of wood, Freemason. covered with a coating of A set of antique tracing boards depicting The Trestle-Board is the symbolism of Three Degrees of wax. Each day he would then the symbol of the Freemasonry from St. Andrew's Lodge draw his Master natural and moral law. in the UK. Each tracing board measures architect's measurements Like every other Symbol 30 x 20 inches. They are framed and symbols into the wax identically. The size of frames 31.5 x of the Order, it is universal 21.5 inches. Each painting is marked in order to instruct his and tolerant in its with its order in the degree, with tacks Master Masons of the work application. Freemasonry on the upper portions of their burled that was to be does not interfere with wood frames. They were found with accomplished. their pine storage box inscribed St. any particular form or Andrews Lodge, 1817 At the end of the day, development of anyone's he would simply scrape off religious faith. All that it A Masonic trestle the wax and pour a new asks is that the board is a design board for layer of hot wax onto the 3 board to ready it for the drawing board at a partially or fully next day's work. construction site where destroyed. each workman could Masonic Tracing Board receive clear instruction as to what his specific Much later, in the days participation entailed. where lodge was held in When the team's work secret areas and on hills was completed, it was and vales, (valleys) once obvious that each Master lodge was in session, the Mason not only Tiler (or Tyler) would draw understood their specific an oblong (rectangular) or part in the undertaking, but how their part (no oblong square depiction Therefore, "Squaring (image) into the dirt that matter how small), contributed to the the Lodge" in a semi- represented the form of military-like precision, the lodge. construction of the entire edifice (building). goes back many centuries Again, onto that as the means of tracing board was drawn The meaning of the words "Nothing further preserving the ritual and the architect's plan...the the degrees being worked working tools in the remains to be done, according to ancient so as not to destroy the degree that was to be symbolism of their worked. custom, except to disarrange our emblems" markings before their is a reference to the now usefulness on that day has Masonic Trestle Board antiquated use of these been completed. trestle boards (or tracing Through the years, the Source: http://www.masonic- boards) during which the lodge-of-education.com/trestle- Masonic Tracing Board dirt on the ground was progressed to charcoal or board.html erased or the chalk marks chalk on the floor of on the floor of these taverns where lodges lodges was mopped or were held back in the scrubbed, to leave no 1700s. After the lecture, trace of the form of the the Stewards or the Lodge or the contents Entered Apprentice, as a drawn thereon. lesson in secrecy, would The reason why your get a mop and bucket and lines of travel are at right remove all trace of these angles within the lodge drawings.