I knew that there was a time when most if not all United States Grand Lodges only allowed business to take place on the Master Mason Degree, due to the Morgan Affair, but in Washington we returned to prior practices of allowing business on any Degree long ago, and I guess that I had just assumed that all the other Grand Lodges had done s…
I knew that there was a time when most if not all United States Grand Lodges only allowed business to take place on the Master Mason Degree, due to the Morgan Affair, but in Washington we returned to prior practices of allowing business on any Degree long ago, and I guess that I had just assumed that all the other Grand Lodges had done so as well.
Can I ask, if they were without ritual for opening and closing on the First and Second Degrees, earlier do you know if they had to then confer the EA and FC Degrees while open on the Third, or did they have some ritualistic way of calling down for the Degrees to be performed?
It is awesome for visitors when Lodges do like those around your Sister's home and meet on consecutive nights. We do have one area in Washington where one can spend a few days and visit all the area Lodges, one right after the other. It was one of the first things I did after being elected JGW.
I too have experienced tremendous hospitality from Lodges when traveling, it is truly a tremendous benefit that Freemasonry offers to us all.
I am assuming that they opened the Lodge on the Third and called down only when necessary. To me that seemed strange but "when in Rome...." listen.
I personally, feel that every Lodge should be opened on the First Degree unless there is a reason not to. I know some Lodges open on the Third degree unless there is an EA or FC present or an EA or FC Degree is being done .
It is my opinion that the Ritual of opening on the First Degree is Allegorical Masonic education. The words "duty or duties" appears 6 times and some parts imply a duty. This wording is in my opinion allegorical instructions that can be applied to ones improving oneself in Masonry. In other words duties that are "frequently inculcated" and "forcefully .recommended" by 6.01 of the WMC.
I was saddened when I attended a Lodge in the WA Jurisdiction to witness a sitting WM who could not open the Lodge on the First Degree because his Lodge was accustomed to never have EA's or FC's present. He was at a loss of the ritual to do so and had the Secretary open and close the Lodge as PT WM.
I also heard of an instance where a MM took an EA to visit a Lodge and the ritual was so poorly done that the EA asked the MM, "If they don't have to memorize the ritual, why should I?" It was a valid question.
I knew that there was a time when most if not all United States Grand Lodges only allowed business to take place on the Master Mason Degree, due to the Morgan Affair, but in Washington we returned to prior practices of allowing business on any Degree long ago, and I guess that I had just assumed that all the other Grand Lodges had done so as well.
Can I ask, if they were without ritual for opening and closing on the First and Second Degrees, earlier do you know if they had to then confer the EA and FC Degrees while open on the Third, or did they have some ritualistic way of calling down for the Degrees to be performed?
It is awesome for visitors when Lodges do like those around your Sister's home and meet on consecutive nights. We do have one area in Washington where one can spend a few days and visit all the area Lodges, one right after the other. It was one of the first things I did after being elected JGW.
I too have experienced tremendous hospitality from Lodges when traveling, it is truly a tremendous benefit that Freemasonry offers to us all.
I am assuming that they opened the Lodge on the Third and called down only when necessary. To me that seemed strange but "when in Rome...." listen.
I personally, feel that every Lodge should be opened on the First Degree unless there is a reason not to. I know some Lodges open on the Third degree unless there is an EA or FC present or an EA or FC Degree is being done .
It is my opinion that the Ritual of opening on the First Degree is Allegorical Masonic education. The words "duty or duties" appears 6 times and some parts imply a duty. This wording is in my opinion allegorical instructions that can be applied to ones improving oneself in Masonry. In other words duties that are "frequently inculcated" and "forcefully .recommended" by 6.01 of the WMC.
I was saddened when I attended a Lodge in the WA Jurisdiction to witness a sitting WM who could not open the Lodge on the First Degree because his Lodge was accustomed to never have EA's or FC's present. He was at a loss of the ritual to do so and had the Secretary open and close the Lodge as PT WM.
I also heard of an instance where a MM took an EA to visit a Lodge and the ritual was so poorly done that the EA asked the MM, "If they don't have to memorize the ritual, why should I?" It was a valid question.