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

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Chapter 7 - Rituals
Chapter as strangers. You were admitted as friends [...]. You were greeted as
Brothers when you bound yourself to us by the solemn vows you have taken." (p.
44). Note that, as in many fraternal orders, the candidates have undergone a
transformation from "stranger" to "friend" to "brother" and fully acknowledged
member. Before the candidates are received into the fellowship of lasting
fraternity, they have to bind themselves to the DeMolays by a final vow.
The DeMolay Degree Obligation consists of a reaffirmation of the vows that
the candidates have already given in the Initiatory Degree Obligation. In their
outer forms, these two ceremonies also correspond with each other, and here it is
important to hint at the formation according to the floor plan: the brethren form a
shield at the altar, as is shown in the diagram. The floor work in Masonry and
also in other fraternal orders is entirely symbolic, and thus, squares, crosses,
triangles, and shields are formed which express a certain symbol (the square
stands for lodge, the triangle for God, and the cross for Christ, just to name one
possibility of interpretation). We have seen that the officers of the DeMolays
march into and out of the Chapter Room in the formation of a triangle. The
shield here seems to be a reminder of chivalry, being an attribute of the Medieval
Knights Templar who fought the crusades in the Holy Land. Such formations are
also remains of militaristic drill exercises, and last but not least, they make the
whole ceremony much more interesting and more difficult to perform.