The Length of My Cable Tow.

In the most recent copy of The Scottish Rite Journal there is an article called "How Long Is My Cable Tow", written by Brother W. Howard Coop, 32 Degree, KCCH.

Bro. Coop was introduced to a cable tow for the first time in 1952 when he was made a Mason He admits his first thought about it was;

"another piece of rope."

He soon learned a cable tow is much more then a rope. It is one of the first symbols of introduced to new Masons and has both a simple and sublime meaning.

Here is the definition of a cable tow, according to An Encyclopedia of Freemasonry, written by Albert G. Mackey;

CABLE TOW

The word tow signifies, properly, a line wherewith to draw. Richardson (Dictionary) defines it as " The word is purely Masonic, and in some writings of the early part of the eighteenth century we find the expression cable rope. Prichard so uses it in 1730. The German word for a cable or rope is kabeltauw, and thence our cable tow is probably derived.

In its first inception, the cable tow seems to have been used only as a physical means of controlling the canidate, and such an interpretation is still given in the Entered Apprentice's Degree. But in the Second and Third Degrees a more modern symbolism has been introduced, and the cable tow is in these grades supposed to symbolize the covenant by which all Freemasons are tied, thus reminding us of the passage in Hosea (xi, 4), "1 drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love."

CABLE TOW'S LENGTH

Gädieke says that, "according to the ancient laws of Freemasonry, every brother must attend his Lodge if he is within the length of his cable tow." The old writers define the length of a cable tow, which they sometimes called a cable's length, to be three miles for an Entered Apprentice. But the expression is really symbolic, and as it was defined by the Baltimore Convention in 1842, means the scope of a man's reasonable ability.

Brother Mackey's definition got Bro. Coop thinking about how long is a cable tow and is there a limit to its lenght?

Bro. Coop admits there have been times in the past when these questions hounded him. It was at those times he face demanging situations that required a response from him and he needed to know what was his responsibility to those situations. He asked himself;

What is the length of my cable tow?

Bro. Coop goes on to write about a phone call he received from from whom he had never met. The person who contacted Bro. Coop spoke in a gentle voice and was very polite. Bro. Coop thought at first that it was a solicitor because they often call and are very polite when someone answers the phone.

He soon realized this was not a solicitor and that he was wrong for thinking the caller was one. The person calling soon identified himself in was that Bro. Coop understood that he was talking to a Brother Mason as the caller had said things that identified him as such. The Bro. calling stated he was on the U.S. Virgin Islands in the West Indies. He then asked Bro. Coop for help and assitance.

It was at this moment again that Bro. Copo started thinking about the length of his cable tow. His thoughts were;

"Does my cable tow reach all the way from Lancaster, Kentuckey, to one of the U.S. Virgin Islands in the West Indies to help a man about whom I had never heard?"

Bro. Coop accepted the valid identification he gave and on the basis of what he said Bro. Coop recognized him to be a Brother Mason and gave the help he asked for.

Bro. Coop took away from this experience that his cable tow has no and knows no limits. The length of a cable tow is not measured by distance or even geographical location. Rather by the need of a Brother Mason, where ever he is and another Brother's ability to respond to that need.

Bro. Coop is absolutley correct. For it is during one of the 3 obligations every Mason takes that we agree to fly to the aid of a Brother Mason if within the length of my cable tow, when and if a Brother Mason is in need and asks for help.

I took my obligation's at the end of 2004/beginning of 2005 and I have, when ever and where ever I could aided, assisted and helped a Brother Mason when called upon and asked.

I hope every Mason would do or has done the same.

Here is a copy of the article;