The Universal Language of Freemasonry - ArchiMeD - Johannes ...

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Chapter 5 - Technical Terminology
High Twelvian. According to the Constitution, the International is "non-political,
non-sectarian, composed of representative business and professional men, who
feel a keen interest in the welfare and progress of their communities and the
affairs of the world and who desire to live the ideals taught in Masonry." 968 The
aims of High Twelve Clubs are, among others, to unite Masons in the happy
bond of a social hour, to inform them of the progress of Masonry, to encourage
virtues that aid in civic betterment, to maintain educational facilities, and to give
support and personal attention to the American youth. In 1995, there were 365
active High Twelve Clubs in the United States and Hawaii, belonging to the
High Twelve International, Inc. 969
8. Lewis
Q: If you had a son, and wished to give him a Masonic name,
what would you call him?
A: Lewis.
Q: What does Lewis denote?
A: Strength.
Q: How is it depicted in a Masonic Lodge?
A: By certain pieces of metal dovetailed into a stone, which forms
a cramp, and enables the Operative Mason to raise great
weights to certain heights while fixing on their proper bases.
Q: Lewis being the son of a Mason, and his name denoting
strength, what ought to be his duty to his aged parents?
A: To bear the burthen [sic] and heat of the day, from which his
parents by reason of their age ought to be exempt; to assist
them in time of need, so as to render the close of their days
happy and comfortable.
Q: For this filial duty I presume he claims a privilege?
A: He does, that of being made a Mason before any other person
however dignified by birth or fortune. 970
An interesting technical term not found in profane dictionaries is the Masonic
word "lewis." The quotation above from the catechectical question-and-answer
dialogue of the Entered Apprentice lecture of The Text Book of Freemasonry,
dating from 1881, explains the provenance of the term "lewis" from the operative
craft where it was a tool (a cramp) and its figurative meaning, a "Lewis" being
the "son of a Mason." A corresponding definition of "lewis" is given in The
'Standard' Ritual of Scottish Freemasonry:
968
CME, p. 137.
969
Cf. CME, p. 137.
970
Anonymous ("Compiled by a member of the Craft."), The Text Book of Freemasonry from 1881,
p. 91.