ENTERED, NOVEMBER 4, A. D. 1752, A.L. 5752.
PASSED, MARCH 3, A. D. 1753, A. L. 5753.
RAISED, AUGUST 4, A. D. 1753, A. L. 5753.

  

BRETHREN:

     M:. W:. Robert E. Evans, Grand Master, in his address to the Grand Lodge in 1901, recommended that a monitor and forms of ceremonies be prepared and published. In accordance with his recommendation, your committee was appointed in 1908, by M:. W:. William A. DeBord, Grand Master. The committee did not undertake to make new work or to construct something new for Nebraska Freemasons. Realizing that the Thomas Smith Webb work has been the adopted monitor in use in this Grand Jurisdiction for about forty years, we followed that as closely as possible, making the monitorial part of the work conform with the esoteric portion.

      In preparing the monitor much of our material came from a copy of the Webb work published in 1816. The funeral service beginning on page 151, prepared by Past Grand Master Samuel P. Davidson, adopted and approved by the Grand Lodge June 6th, 1905, has been in use since that date; and with his permission, slight changes were made in this service. The committee has by permission made use of The Masonic Text Book, Maine; Masonic Ceremonials, Grand Lodge of Utah; Masonic Hand Book of Vermont; Mackey's Manual of the Lodge; Mackey's Masonic Ritualist; Webb's Monitor; Virginia Text Book; Michigan Monitor and Ceremonies; Monitor of the Work, Lectures and Ceremonies of New York.

      The committee appreciates the kindness of Stephen Berry, Grand Secretary of Maine; Christopher Diehl, Grand Secretary of Utah; Charles E. Merrill Co., Publishers, New York; Joseph W. Eggleston, Grand Master of Virginia; Lee S. Tillotson, Grand Master of Vermont; Lou B. Winsor, Grand Secretary of Michigan, and Edward M. L. Ehlers, Grand Secretary of New York, for permission to use portions of the books above referred to.

      The committee submits the result of its labors, hoping that it will meet the expectations of the Craft, the approval of the brethren, and result in uniformity of work in this Grand Jurisdiction.

OMAHA, NEBRASKA, DECEMBER 1ST, 1909.

TO THE MASTERS, WARDENS, AND BRETHREN OF THE SEVERAL LODGES WITHIN THE JURISDICTION OF THE MOST
       WORSHIPFUL GRAND LODGE, ANCIENT, FREE, AND ACCEPTED MASONS OF NEBRASKA:

GREETING:

     Whereas, at the fifty-second annual communication of the M:. W:. Grand Lodge, Ancient, Free, and Accepted Masons of Nebraska, held in Omaha, June 8th, 9th, and 10th, 1909, the following resolution relating to the monitor and ceremonies was adopted:

      "Resolved, That the Monitor and Ceremonies reported by the committee be adopted as the monitor and ceremonies of this Grand Jurisdiction, and when printed and ready for distribution by the Grand Secretary, shall be used in all lodges, and the use of any other monitor or ceremonial be strictly forbidden.

      The Grand Master shall, by circular letter, direct when the use of the new monitor shall go into effect."

      Now, therefore, I, Michael Bowling, Grand Master of Masons in Nebraska, make known and direct that the Monitor and Ceremonies compiled by Past Grand Master George H. Thummel, Past Grand Master Robert E. French, and Grand Secretary Francis E. White, is the adopted monitorial work and ceremonies for all lodges within this Grand Jurisdiction, and that from and after January 1st, 1910, it, will be unlawful in this Grand Jurisdiction, to use in whole or in part, any monitor or form of ceremony while conferring degrees or conducting ceremonies, except such as are provided for in the Monitor and Ceremonies referred to.

      Witness my hand and seal the date first above written..

MICHAEL DOWLING,
[SEAL]                      Grand Master.

     The following order, relating to innovations in our work, was issued to the subordinate lodges by M. W. Henry Gibbons, Grand Master, on January 25th, 1912:

      "I, Henry Gibbons, Grand Master of Masons for Nebraska, after consultation with the Grand Custodian, hereby most solemnly call the attention of all Masons to this subject and call upon all, particularly the Masters and Wardens of our lodges, to see to it that nothing unauthorized in either our esoteric or monitorial work be permitted or allowed. That Nebraska work and Nebraska work only be used without the addition of a single word, lecture, address or any part thereof, and that no part of our work be omitted.

      "Masters should see to it that when others by request confer any degree that the Nebraska work be used without any additions or interpolations."

      Which action of the Grand Master was unanimously approved by the Grand Lodge on June 4th, 1912, and our law was amended by adding to Section 131-A the following:

      "Nothing outside of our esoteric work as authorized and our monitorial work as published by this Grand Lodge shall be given or be permitted to be given in the conferring of degrees, at funerals, or in any work of the lodge."

      It is hereby certified that the following pages, Nos. 1 to 182, inclusive, are printed from the same electrotype plates as the first and second editions of the Monitor and Ceremonies, Ancient, Free, and Accepted Masons of Nebraska.

      The following changes from the first edition have been made:

      On page 29 a point was placed within the circle
      On page 31 a row of asterisks was placed at the foot.
      On page 50 asterisks were taken from the foot.
      On page 166 brief instructions for committing the body were added.

Grand Secretary.