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

Chapter 9 - Masonic and Anti-Masonic Literature 779
The applicant, without hoodwink, is then placed upon the Camp goat
and ridden around the hall. The use of the Ferris-wheel goat is strictly
forbidden.
The use in this part of the degree, of spankers, judgment stand, trick
chair, electrical appliances, or any appliance which would require
exposure of the person of the candidate, or by the use of which it would
be possible for injury to result to the candidate, is absolutely forbidden.
See Section 157 of 1941 By-Laws. 1932
A Shriner who has joined
One can conclude from the warning that several
appliances as well as the "Ferris-wheel goat" were
strictly forbidden, and that the candidates sometimes
were quite roughly dealt with. For example, in his book
Freemasonry in American Courts, W. Irvine Wiest
accounts the incident of damages inflicted during
initiation ceremonies in 1955 which led to suing a temple
of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine for liability for
injuries: The plaintiff had suffered a herniated cervical
disc when shocked by an electric current while sitting on
a bench. The arguments of the temple were "that the
injury happened during the "fun" section of the
ceremonies, that the plaintiff did not have to take part in
it [...]." 1933 The court decided, after all, that the temple
had to pay $ 33,918.
The figure above which was sold at an auction shows such a Shriner who has
joined, having sustained a swollen eye and a bandaged arm and leg. This alludes
to the rough experience made in the fun section of the ritualistic ceremony. Now,
the Shrine is called the Master Mason's playground and is the right place for such
frolic. Another example of a fun device is the Masonic trick chair, for which ads
can be found in old versions of the deMoulin catalogue for Masonic regalia and
equipment, and which is also depicted in Material Culture of the American
Freemason. The following auction pictures show such a trick chair, made
between 1915 and 1932. This common kitchen-style chair was constructed with
collapsible legs and a concealed .22 cal. blank cartridge detonator mounted under
the seat. Thus, the seated initiate would suddenly find himself on the floor as a
spring-driven release catch simultaneously fired the blank cartridge and caused
the hinged legs to swiftly collapse outward.
1932 Official ritual of Modern Woodmen of America, p. 50.
1933 Wiest, Freemasonry in American Courts, p. 77.