Known by several names, Most Worshipful Bro Benjamin Levi Hadley's poem, On Yonder Book, is inspiring fraternal poetry.
Throughout all of Masonry our charges and rituals don't usually differ too much. Some grand lodge jurisdictions do, however, have alternate charges used during some of their degrees. One of these charges, as seen here, is used by a traveling degree team within the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. This charge, because of its use by the RCMP degree team, has come to be known as the Canadian Charge, though it is referred to by the RCMP degree team as the Walking Charge.
However, it would seem that this charge has a long history, has changed names, and has been modified throughout the past century and a half. Some of the names this charge has been known by are: On Yonder Book, the Candlelight Charge, the Walking Charge, and the Oklahoma Charge. It was originally believed that this charge only dated back to the 1940s when On Yonder Book was written by MW Bro Benjamin L Hadley, Grand Master of Maine 1942-1943.
Upon further research it was found, however, by W Bro Col Ian M Donald of Kentucky that the Oklahoma Charge which was found in Oklahoma's cipher ritual in the 1890s. For the original article, click here...
This older charge that was very similar to On Yonder Book and the Canadian Charge made Bro Donald dive deeper into finding out the origins of these charges. The origins, Donald found out, probably stem from two, even earlier, poems written in 1875 and 1884 and published by Dr Rob Morris in the 1884 edition of Masonic Odes and Poems.
An interesting coincidence of a modified version of Bro Morris poems being used by the RCMP degree team, is that Bro Morris was elected as the Past Deputy Grand Master of the then newly formed Grand Lodge of Canada in 1858. The poems, A Mason's Pledge and A Masons Vow, respective of the dates above, bear a striking resemblance to the later poems and charges. The first verse of A Mason's Pledge actually contains the words on yonder altar, and the chorus of A Mason's Vow says, "On yonder book that oath I took, and will I break it never." So it is quite clear that these poems inspired some of the writings and charges that came after it.
All of these poems and charges put the oath we take very beautifully and you can see that the message in different versions remains the same and true to the original. I will leave you with the chorus of A Mason's Vow: "On yonder book that oath I took, and break it will I never, but swear by this, and this, and this, forever and forever.""
By Stuart C Pool, 32º Assistant to the Director of Education, The Scottish Rite of Freemasoncry, Supreme Council Southern Jurisdiction, USA