Freemasonry - 1st Edition/First Print -1969 Emulation Rituals - 1969

***The 1969 edition of the Emulation Ritual stands as the single most critical milestone in modern English Masonic publishing, representing the moment English Craft Freemasonry officially transitioned from a strictly oral tradition to an authorized printed text.

Before 1969, the Emulation Lodge of Improvement (ELoI)—which had met every Friday evening since 1823 to demonstrate the ritual—actively discouraged and forbidden officially printed copies.

The Path to the 1969 First Edition1. Over a Century of Oral Tradition (1823–1969)The core of the ritual stems from the Lodge of Reconciliation, which was formed following the union of the "Antients" and "Moderns" Grand Lodges in 1813. Approved by Grand Lodge in 1816, this working became the bedrock of Emulation from 1823 onward. Because the United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE) maintained that ritual text should never be printed, accurate transmission depended completely on memory, instructional repetition, and strict oral examination.

The Rise of "Pirate" ExplanationsDespite the official ban on printing, unauthorised, heavily coded exposures and "private" pocket rituals emerged in the late 19th and early 20th centuries (most notably The Perfect Ceremonies in 1871). Because these private printings varied wildly, contained numerous errors, and risked altering the precision of the ceremony, the ELoI Committee realised that continuing to rely solely on oral preservation was failing to prevent corruption of the text.

The 1969 Authorization and ContextTo solve this issue and establish an unshakeable reference standard, the Emulation Lodge of Improvement Committee broke over 140 years of precedent and authorized the publication of the very first official, printed Emulation Ritual booklet in 1969.

The 1964 Structural AnchorThe textual baseline printed in the 1969 edition was heavily influenced by a major constitutional shift five years prior. In 1964, UGLE officially approved an alternative form of reference to the traditional "ancient physical penalties" within Masonic obligations. The 1969 edition systematically integrated this 1964 adjustment, paving the way for later massive overhauls—such as the total removal of symbolic "blood oaths" by UGLE decree in 1986


Freemasons often say that they "are not a secret society, but rather a society with secrets". The secrets of Freemasonry are the various modes of recognition – grips (handshakes), words (akin to modern passwords), and signs (hand gestures) that indicate one is a Freemason. While these and the rest of masonic ritual have all been exposed multiple times through the years, Freemasons continue to act as if they were secret, and promise not to discuss them with outsiders more out of tradition than a need for actual secrecy. Indeed, as all of these gestures are readily available for the public to find, the responsibility is on individual masons to memorise and not disclose these secrets, and not necessarily for lodges to prevent their “leakage”. Such is the de facto lack of secrecy that lodges frequently post pictures and documents showing these rituals and gestures on their websites or social media accounts. The secrets are not an end in themselves, but rather a reflection of history, values, and fraternity.



**Objects:**
All the objects included in this auction originate from my family’s private used collection, which has been passed down through generations of true Masons.

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