On June 12th, Barnes Encampment 77 held a degree for one very special member. Alison Holeman had been unable to be present for the previous conferral of the Golden Rule degree of the encampment back in March, and we had already decided that we would be doing the Royal Purple degree at the end of the month at the Three Links camp festival. For Alison to be eligible, we needed to do it again. So that’s what we did!
Alison took the entire ordeal in stride like the true champion that she is. Was it our best performance? Not by a long shot! No one had the secret work handy, so we had to do our best to give it from memory (which you’re supposed to do anyway of course), and there were other issues with blocking, and some lessons had to be re-explained afterward because pantomime is not the clearest form of communication (if you’ve taken the degree, you understand). But we all enjoyed the experience. Many of the people giving the degree were the same ones who had received it only 3 months prior. But that’s a good thing! Receiving a degree and then giving it to someone else is the best way to learn it.
We’ll get better, and the important thing was we knew Alison would be able to join the Royal Purple degree at the end of the month. And since it was a Barnes Encampment degree, it ended with a delicious bowl of ice cream for everyone.
— By Mason Wolf
