In what order should the Altar candles be turned on and off?

The New York Ritual does not specify an order. Purely as a matter of practicality, it may be useful for the Senior Deacon to address the candles according to the order in which he encounters them, starting with the east for the opening and the south for the closing. The important thing is that the candles are always lit when the Bible is open, thus the Senior Deacon lights the candles before opening and extinguishes them after closing the Bible.

Considering all of the bad behavior we observe in our daily lives, what does the Ritual tell us we should do to help improve society and the human lot?

One of the most notable features of our system is that it does not tell us what to do, but instead presents us with concepts and encourages us to reach our own conclusions about how they should apply outside of the Lodge. That said, I do think our Ritual implies that the most important way Freemasons improve society is simply by existing within it and acting on Masonic principles. The Second Degree Charge has something to say in this connection, for example, and it turns out to be supported by scientific inquiry. Researchers looking at data from the decades-long Framingham Heart Study noticed that behaviors tended to pass from friend to friend, and in examining the reach of this influence they found that it extended about three degrees of separation. Thus, for example, if the friend of a friend of a friend quit smoking, your likelihood of quitting increased by more than ten percent. Three degrees of influence and three Degrees of Masonry. . . Surely not a coincidence!

Why do Brothers sometimes say that “the Ritual is for the Candidate”? What about the Brethren?

The Candidate is certainly the focus of each Degree conferral, and these remarks are intended to highlight that importance. But the Ritual is by no means only for the Candidate. I would suggest that Degree conferrals are around fifty percent for the Candidate and fifty percent for the Brethren. After all, there are important parts of our Ritual practice such as the erection of the Symbolic Temple that are not even visible to the Candidate. Our Ritual itself proclaims that the lessons and principles of the Craft are imparted to Masons through inculcation, which is the process of learning or teaching something through frequent repetition or admonition. In the Masonic context, it means that the principles and practices, rules and maxims, duties and lessons of Freemasonry are imparted to us as a result of repeated exposure to the Masonic Work in which they are contained. Inculcation explains why it’s important to attend Degree conferrals again and again, for there can be no inculcation without repeated exposure.