DUTIES:

Be zealous, faithful, disinterested and benevolent.

Act as a peacemaker.

FOR REFLECTION:

Why act the peacemaker?

IMPORTANT SYMBOLS:

Triple-delta, King Solomon, King Hiram,

the color crimson.

SIXTH DEGREE

INTIMATE SECRETARY

The principle lesson of this degree is that decisions should

not be made only on appearances. To be curious is a good

quality when directed toward the examination of social

 miseries, their reasons, and how they can be eliminated.

 A Mason should not remain detached from the world

 around him; he should not be an indifferent person. To

  keep and restore peace, he must be involved in the

 events of his world. It is the duty of a Mason to provide

 that men live in peace and harmony.

The apron is of white lambskin bordered in bright crimson; on the flap is an embroidered equilateral triangle. The designs on the flap are Phoenician letters; in the center are the two letters which are on the apron of the 5th Degree. Three additional letters at the upper corners and one at the center near the bottom are represented in English by 'B', 'N' and 'Sh'. These are the initials of words meaning a covenant, agreement or Divine Law; a vow; and, completion, performance, an offering in accomplishment of a vow, perfect, salvation. The Phoenician characters serve to remind us that the Master Hiram, though of a Jewish mother, was himself considered a Phoenician. He served a Phoenician king and presumably worshiped the Phoenician expression of the Deity.

     The cordon is a broad watered crimson ribbon, worn from right to left, or a collar of similar material, with the jewel suspended from it.

The jewel is a triple-delta superimposed upon an equilateral triangle of gold. Each delta has a center design composed of one of the astrological signs for the Sun, Moon and Mercury. As explained in the degree summary, the form of the jewel is utterly derived from Pike's favorite source of Masonic Symbolism, the Pythagorean Tetractys.

We read in the Holy Writings:

Now Hiram the king of Tyre had furnished Solomon with cedar-trees and fir-trees and with gold, according to all his

desire, that then King Solomon gave Hiram twenty cities in the land of Galilee.

And Hiram came out from Tyre to see the cities which Solomon had given him; and they pleased him not

(1 Kings 9:11-12)

Although the Biblical account ends as above, the story is allegorically extended here to provide certain lessons.

The focus of the story is an argument over this agreement between King Solomon and King Hiram of Tyre. (p.32)