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I had to opportunity in visiting Italian And Canadian Lodges and one thing that captured my attention is that the Immediate Past Master continues to have a huge role as the mentor of the Master of the Lodge still sitting on the East behind and at the side of the Master. In Italy, the Immediate Past Master also has a distinct apron identifying him as such. In Italy, the Master presides the Lodge for a minimum two years. U.S. Lodges and other U.S. influenced Lodges normally has the immediate Past Master appointed as Tyler greatly diminishing to the role too fast with the least amount of responsibilities.

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The Immediate Past Master continuing to have a large leadership role, and sitting in the East is interesting, and something that I've not seen. I can see where that could be of assistance, especially when a Master is quite new in the job.

We do, here, have the Immediate Past Grand Master sitting with the Grand Master in the East during our Annual Communications, perhaps we get that tradition from a European source such as you saw.

I can very easily see the benefits of two year instead of single year terms. It seems like that could give a Master more time to accomplish all that he wants to do. Although, I've often wondered...

Is the fact that the WM sits for only a year, properly without the ability of re-election, symbolic? Symbolic of human life, in that life as well is over much sooner than we hope, or in most cases expect. Does it try to communicate to us that we must work fast to do what we need to do in Lodge, and in life, for both will be over very soon?

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