Feb 7, 2023·edited Feb 7, 2023Liked by Cameron M. Bailey
This subject should be taught in all lodges and at out yearly Leadership training program. It's that important for our craft to understand this protocol.
Feb 7, 2023·edited Feb 7, 2023Liked by Cameron M. Bailey
I am guilty of this MW, thank you for the reminder. I had sent emails (via their own "contact us" page on their website) a lodge in the UK, I was asking about aprons. I never got a response back, and now I know why. Again, thanks for the reminder, I was told this years ago, but it slipped my mind in my quest for answers.
I've received nothing but warm responses. I've contacted individual lodges in IL, when I was going to travel for business and I asked what they would need from me in order to sit in lodge. In the communication, I provided my member number along with my lodge secretary's email for verification.
When I contacted Grand Lodge of Ohio and California, inquiring about my masonic heritage, I did the same and received tons of help. With social media, websites and such, there's always a "Contact Us" portion, but I've never seen anything that spells out that folks outside of the area need to go through Grand Lodge.
My thought process is, "Who cares?". While that sounds harsh, I think that when we purge the lodge, the SW instructs the deacons to "Satisfy themselves" that all present are [insert degree here] masons. I have made it a point, upon entering a lodge prior to a meeting, to seek out a brother and asked to be introduced to the Secretary, the Master and Deacons and then offer to show my dues card and photo ID. If I'm traveling alone, I ask the Secretary of my lodge to transmit - through GL - a letter of good standing and I carry a hard copy of the same.
In our lodges, when we have a visitor, we have an obligation to ask for the same, have a brother vouch for our guest, or there is the option of having a committee "investigate" a brother and deliver a test oath.
As far as more formal communications, I would run those through Grand Lodge.
Ancestry. com was a gift to me ! I dicovered that over 400 Anniveray of the Oldest masonic records in the world. The Grand Lodge of Scotland is custodian. Aitchison's Haven . The first entry in the Minutes Books of that Lodge is dated 9th January 1598. Bro. James Aytone George Baxter fellow craft.
Thank you I’ve been sick friend I’ve just noticed that you’ve responded I guess it doesn’t get any clearer than that go to the lodge! Ok thank you sir Bailey
I don't think it's that Masons don't get it. I will go out on a limb here - making it clear this is my opinion and does not represent any body or jurisdiction - in saying it's Grand Lodges that don't get it.
We no longer live even remotely in a world where these rules make sense across the board.
For formal communications, yes it can be argued the horse-and-buggy protocols still make some sense.
But there is no putting the toothpaste back in the tube as far as mass online communication between Masons, Lodges, and Bodies.
And if I want to visit a Lodge on vacation, I'm calling ahead and no Grand Secretaries need know. Some may say I'm breaking protocol, but others will say not to waste Grand Lodge's time.
The line needs to be drawn in ways that make sense, or we deserve to go the way of the dinosaur.
This subject should be taught in all lodges and at out yearly Leadership training program. It's that important for our craft to understand this protocol.
I am guilty of this MW, thank you for the reminder. I had sent emails (via their own "contact us" page on their website) a lodge in the UK, I was asking about aprons. I never got a response back, and now I know why. Again, thanks for the reminder, I was told this years ago, but it slipped my mind in my quest for answers.
I've received nothing but warm responses. I've contacted individual lodges in IL, when I was going to travel for business and I asked what they would need from me in order to sit in lodge. In the communication, I provided my member number along with my lodge secretary's email for verification.
When I contacted Grand Lodge of Ohio and California, inquiring about my masonic heritage, I did the same and received tons of help. With social media, websites and such, there's always a "Contact Us" portion, but I've never seen anything that spells out that folks outside of the area need to go through Grand Lodge.
My thought process is, "Who cares?". While that sounds harsh, I think that when we purge the lodge, the SW instructs the deacons to "Satisfy themselves" that all present are [insert degree here] masons. I have made it a point, upon entering a lodge prior to a meeting, to seek out a brother and asked to be introduced to the Secretary, the Master and Deacons and then offer to show my dues card and photo ID. If I'm traveling alone, I ask the Secretary of my lodge to transmit - through GL - a letter of good standing and I carry a hard copy of the same.
In our lodges, when we have a visitor, we have an obligation to ask for the same, have a brother vouch for our guest, or there is the option of having a committee "investigate" a brother and deliver a test oath.
As far as more formal communications, I would run those through Grand Lodge.
Ancestry. com was a gift to me ! I dicovered that over 400 Anniveray of the Oldest masonic records in the world. The Grand Lodge of Scotland is custodian. Aitchison's Haven . The first entry in the Minutes Books of that Lodge is dated 9th January 1598. Bro. James Aytone George Baxter fellow craft.
Grandfather was most worshipful master blue lodge of Scottish rights currently live in Hancock Ny do I find a lodge? And ask?
Contact the Grand Lodge of New York, they will direct you to your local Lodge:
https://nymasons.org/site/
Thank you I’ve been sick friend I’ve just noticed that you’ve responded I guess it doesn’t get any clearer than that go to the lodge! Ok thank you sir Bailey
Mr Bond
I don't think it's that Masons don't get it. I will go out on a limb here - making it clear this is my opinion and does not represent any body or jurisdiction - in saying it's Grand Lodges that don't get it.
We no longer live even remotely in a world where these rules make sense across the board.
For formal communications, yes it can be argued the horse-and-buggy protocols still make some sense.
But there is no putting the toothpaste back in the tube as far as mass online communication between Masons, Lodges, and Bodies.
And if I want to visit a Lodge on vacation, I'm calling ahead and no Grand Secretaries need know. Some may say I'm breaking protocol, but others will say not to waste Grand Lodge's time.
The line needs to be drawn in ways that make sense, or we deserve to go the way of the dinosaur.