Examination of a Visitor

it?The examiner, taking the visiting brother by the hand, as in ordinary hand-shaking, the following dialogue takes
place, and must be literally in accordance with the prescribed formula, as this is strictly and purely the most
essential part of Freemasonry.

Examiner: (taking visitor by the hand): "I hail."

Visitor: "I conceal."

Ex.: "What do you conceal?"

Vis.: "All the secrets of Masons in Masonry to which this (presses the top of his thumb hard against the first
knuckle near the hand) token alludes."

Ex.: "What is this?" (pressing with his thumb the first knuckle of visitor's hand).

Vis.: "The grip of an Entered Apprentice Mason."

Ex.: "Has it a name?"

Vis.: "It has."

Ex.: "Will you give it to me?"

Vis.: "I did not so receive it neither will I so impart it."

Ex.: "How will you dispose of it?"

Vis.: "I will letter and halve it with you."

Ex.: "Letter and begin."

Vis.: "You begin."

Ex.: "Nay, you must begin."

Vis.: "A,"

Vis.: "Az."

Ex.: "B."

Vis.: "0."

Ex.: "Bo."

Vis.: "Boaz."

Ex.: "What does it denote?"

Vis.: "Strength."

Ex.: "How is it represented?"

Vis.: "By the left-hand pillar at the entrance of the porch of King Solomon's Temple."

Ex.: "Will you be off or from? ". (Still holding the other's hand.)
Vis.: "From."

Ex.: "From what to what?"

Vis.: "From the grip of an Entered Apprentice to the pass-grip of a Fellow Craft."

Ex.: "Pass."

The visitor moves his thumb from the first knuckle joint to the space between the first and second knuckles; the
examiner then moves his thumb the same part of the visitor's hand.

Ex. (pressing his thumb): "What is this?"

Vis. (returning the pressure): "The pass-grip of a Fellow Craft."

Ex.: "Has it a name?"

Vis.: "it has."

Ex.: "Will you give it to me?"

Vis.: "I did not so receive it, neither will I so impart it."

Ex.: "How will you dispose of it?"

Vis.: "Syllable it with you"

Ex.: "Syllable it and begin."

Vis.: "No, you begin."

Ex.: "You must begin."

Vis.: "Bo."

Ex.: "Shib."

VIS.: "Leth."

Ex.: "Shibbo."

VIS.: "Shibboleth."

Ex.: "What does it denote?"

Vis.: "Plenty."

Ex.: "How is it presented?"

Vis.: "By a sheaf of wheat suspended near a waterfall."

Ex.: "Will you be off or from.?"

Vis.: "From."

Ex.: " From What to what?"

Vis.: "From the pass-grip of a Fellow Craft to the real grip of the same."

Ex.: "Pass."
The visitor now moves his thumb to the second knuckle, the examiner also doing the same.

Ex.: "What is this (pressing hard on the knuckle)?"

Vis.: "The real grip of a Fellow Craft."

Ex.: "Has it a name?"

Vis. "it has."

Ex.: "Will you give it to be?"

Vis.: "I did not so receive it, neither will I so impart it."

Ex.: "How will you dispose of it?"

Vis.: "I will letter and syllable it with you."

Ex.: "Letter it and begin."

Vis.: "No, you begin."

Ex.: "You must begin."

Vis.: "A."

Ex. : "J."

Vis.: "C."
Ex.: "H."

Vis.: "I."

Ex.: "N."

Vis.: "Ja."

Ex.: "Chin."

Vis.: "Jachin."

Ex.: "What does it denote?"

Fis. : "Establishment."

Ex.: "How is it represented?"

Vis.: "By the right-hand pillar at the porch of King Solomon's temple."

Ex.: "Will you be off or from (still holding the hand) ?"

Vis.: "From."

Ex.: "From what to what ?"

Vis.: "From the real grip of a Fellow Craft to the pass-grip of a Master Mason."
Ex. "Pass."

The visitor now moves his thumb to the space between the second and third knuckles, the examiner also moving
his.

Ex. (Pressing his thumb as before): "What is this ?"

Vis.: "The pass-grip of a Master Mason."

Ex.: "Has this a name?"

Vis.: "It has."

Ex.: "Will you give it to me ?"

Vis.: "I did not so receive it, neither will I so impart it."

Ex.: "How will you dispose of it?"

Vis.: "I will syllable it with you."

Ex.: "Syllable it and begin."

Vis.: "No, you begin."

Ex.: "You must begin."

Vis.: "Bal."

Ex.:. "Tu."
Vis.: "Cain."

Ex.: "Tubal."

Vis.: "Tubal-Cain."

Ex.: "Will you be off or from?"

Vis.: "From."

Ex.: "From what to what?"

Vis.: "From the pass-grip of a Master Mason to the real grip of the same."

Ex.: "Pass."

The visitor here looses his grip of the examiner's knuckles and again catching his right hand very firmly he presses
the tops of his fingers hard against the other's wrist where it joins the hand, the thumbs of both being interlocked
and pressing tightly against the hand, the fingers of each also being somewhat apart.

Ex.: "What is this (grasping the other's hand very strongly) ?"

Vis.: "The strong grip of a Master Mason or Lion's Paw."

Ex.: "Has this a name?"

Vis.: "It has."

Ex.: "Will you give it to me?"

Vis.: "I will if you place yourself in a proper position."

Ex.: "What is that proper position?"

Vis.: "The five points of fellowship."

Ex.: "Which are the five points of fellowship?"

Vis.: "Foot to foot, knee to knee, breast to breast, hand to back, cheek to cheek, or mouth to ear."

As the visitor mentions each 'point he places himself as indicated, his right foot against the other's right foot, his
right knee against his knee, his right breast against his, the left hand of each on the other's back and the visitor's
mouth to the examiner's ear and in this position, still holding by the grip, the grand omnific word is mutually
whispered as follows, and is the only position in which it can be given.

Vis.: "Mah."

Ex.: "Hah"

Vis.: "Bone"

This ends the examination.