The working tools of an Entered Apprentice in the First Degree are the twenty-four-inch gauge and the common gavel 1.
The operative mason uses the twenty-four-inch gauge to measure stone dimensions during preparation 1. In speculative Masonry, its twenty-four divisions represent the hours of the day, teaching the Mason to divide his time into three equal parts: eight hours for the service of God and a worthy distressed brother, eight for his usual vocation, and eight for refreshment and sleep 1.
The gavel takes the form of a stonemason's hammer, made with a cutting edge so that the workman may break off the rough corners of unhewn stones 1. While the operative tools served to shape raw physical materials, speculative Masonry applies them to moral self-improvement.
An article on the Grand Lodge of India's website observes that the working tools of the First Degree represent Intellect, Will and Feeling. The United Grand Lodge of England states that the explanation of an Entered Apprentice's working tools is presented to teach how to build a better world for others to live in.
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