The "Board" in French-speaking Freemasonry

So many Entered Apprentices and Fellowcrafts have shuddered at the thought of having to "board" ("plancher" in French, i.e. giving a presentation in front of the Lodge). Bad memories of school time, fear of not being up to the task, fear of being judged... For French-speaking Freemasons, the "Board” ("Planche" in French) is above all a piece of work that a Freemason Brother or Sister has prepared on a subject that is often imposed and that he or she has to read in front of the assembled Lodge. This work is also called a "Piece of Architecture". This reading generally leads to the work of the whole Lodge, and each Fellowcraft and Master Mason can in turn "add his stone to the edifice", as the saying goes. Where does the name "Board" come from? And what is a ”Board” for a Freemason?

The origin of the Masonic "Board"

In French-speaking Freemasonry, the "Board" does not only refer to the presentation that a Freemason has to make before the Lodge. The term is more generally used to designate any written document, particularly of an official nature. For instance, a convocation to an assembly is called a "Convocation Board", an investigation report on a candidate is called a ”Enquiry Board”, and the minutes of an Ordinary Meeting are often referred to as a "Traced Board".

The use of these expressions obviously goes back to an operative tool often mentioned in Masonic rituals and catechisms : the Tracing Board. This instrument is assigned to the degree of Master Mason, because the Master is called upon to draw the plans of the building. But why is the surface on which the plans are drawn referred to as the "Board" ? Because, originally, the plans were drawn on the ground, in a shed whose floor was boarded with planks. The tracing board was therefore originally a tracing floor. A reminder of this can be found in the ancient Masonic rituals, which required the lodge drawing (which later became a mat) to be drawn with chalk in the centre of the lodge, and erased at the end of the works. Anglo-Saxon Freemasonry still refers to this lodge drawing as the "Tracing Board".

The Board as a Lecture 

In his actual Masonic life, the French-speaking Freemason is mainly confronted with two kinds of boards. The Orator's Boards, and the Boards that he and his comrades are called upon to produce. In both cases, they are speeches or presentations.

Some Orator's Boards can be described as "circumstantial". They refer to speeches given on a particular occasion: after the reception of a new Entered Apprentice, Fellowcraft or Master Mason, on the occasion of solstitial celebrations, the installation of a new Worshipful Master, a Funeral Service, the visit of a Dignitary, etc. Most often, these "Boards" are written by the Orator himself, but some rituals require the reading of a compulsory "Board", particularly after the ceremony of reception of the three Craft Degrees. In some Lodges, the Orator is invited to present a "Board" at each Meeting, and this "Board" is naturally free.

The widespread use of Orator "Boards" during Lodge business dates back to the nineteenth century. In the eighteenth century, the Orator gave a speech in the Lodge when a new Apprentice was received, and that was pretty much it. The other speeches were reserved for the Banquet that traditionally followed the work in Lodge, at which various Officers spoke, and not only the Orator.

As far as the Brothers' and Sisters' boards are concerned, practices can vary from one Lodge or Obedience to another. In some Lodges, the Freemasons board often, in some not. It is above all the Entre Apprentices and Fellowcrafts who board. Two "Boards" per Masonic year would therefore seem to be a good rhythm if you want to progress. And in many Lodges, a special "Board" is required before moving on to the second and third degrees.

Master Masons are generally no longer required to submit "Boards", which is a great pity. We fortunately know of Lodges where Master Masons continue to "board", and not only at the third degree. The progression of each Freemason should not stop with the attainment of the degree of Master Mason, on the contrary, and the "Board" is a demanding exercise which enables personal development.

Here again, the practice of the "Board" does not go back further than the nineteenth century, and essentially concerns French-speaking Freemasonry. In French-speaking Freemasonry, Masonic work consists essentially of reading a "Board" and the ensuing discussion, whereas in the Anglo-Saxon Masonic tradition, work consists essentially of practising the ritual. Any lectures are held during the Banquet, in accordance with ancient custom.

Anxiety of many Freemasons regarding the "Board"

Many Freemasons are really nervous about the idea of having to write and then read a "Board" in public. Many books and websites provide advice, often very judicious, for beginners and old hands alike. We're not going to take the place of these instructions, but rather talk about the state of mind in which you should prepare a "Board".

The "Board" should above all be personal. The aim is not to be erudite, to cover a subject exhaustively, or to be brilliant. Of course, the research underlying the board needs to be serious and rigorous, but under no circumstances should it be a display of abstract theoretical knowledge. What would be the point of that? You've been an Entered Apprentice for three months and you claim to be able to explain the Mallet and the Chisel to a Brother or Sister with twenty years' masonry experience? Apart from inflating your ego, you'll gain nothing!

The important thing, for you as for the Lodge, is to integrate the symbols, to do something with them in your life. It's not the pure and abstract knowledge of the symbols that will take you forward. It's much more your ability to apply their transforming power to your own existence and your own inner mechanisms. And that's what will enable your Brothers and Sisters to see your evolution and rejoice in it.

So don't be afraid to open up, to reveal yourself, to be sometimes daring in your interpretations, and to follow your heart and not only your mind. But above all, avoid copying and pasting from existing "Boards" (there are plenty of these on the web) : that is not only dishonest in an intellectual sense, but it is also a sign of laziness and disinterest in the real work on yourself that Freemasonry offers. You are the Rough Stone that you first need to carve in order to build the Temple of Humanity, together with your Brothers and Sisters, then for goodness sake, don't build it using prefabricated materials!

What about the verb "to board"?

In French, the verb "to board" ("plancher"), meaning "to work hard", is well known in the secular world, where it is widely used. Does this verb, which appeared in the twentieth century, have Masonic origins? Tempting to think so. Unfortunately, the direct origin of this verb is not Masonic, but academic. It derives from "board", a 19th-century school slang word for blackboard. "To board" first meant "to take an exam, to be questioned (by the teacher)", and by extension "to engage in work of an intellectual and studious nature".

However, an indirect Masonic origin cannot be entirely ruled out. French Freemasons were heavily involved in the fight for compulsory, secular and free education, provided by the State for both girls and boys. In 1866, Brother Jean Macé founded the "Ligue de l'Enseignement", modelled on the "Ligue de l'Enseignement et de l'Éducation permanente" founded in Belgium in 1864 by Freemasons and Freethinkers. From then on, many republican teachers, often Freemasons, began to consider this secular and egalitarian ideal as a real mission, to the point where, in 1913, teachers in the National Education system were given the nickname of "Black Hussars of the Republic". Did the slang use of the word "board" to designate the blackboard come from the Freemason teachers rather than from their pupils? The answer will be left to the historians of the French language...