dfreybur
Premium Member
If you came to my lodge and showed me a dues card, I'd be polite and ignore it and examine you. Flashing some card will not get you entry here. For overseas masons, we normally look for a Patent Letter or a MM Cert.
I'd be happy to recite mother jurisdiction's version of the Tiler's Oath or the longer version from one of my other jurisdictions. Or repeat after you the slightly different wording of the one from your jurisdiction. Slight variations like that are part of the fun.
If you ignored my dues card and asked for the other paperwork the result would be entertaining. A Patent Letter is a form printed by GL, signed and/or embossed by your lodge Sec, right? Here's mine. (Hands you the dues card you just ignored).
A rose by any other name is hilarious, but it's still a rose. You say puh-tah-toe I say puh-tay-toe. You say Patent Letter I say Dues card. I have a bunch of them in my wallet.
Texas has a rule that Texas dues cards are taken without question. Texas has a rule that the WM may question anyways. A couple of years ago the Texas GM instructed that they be taken without question anyways. I haven't managed to follow all those moving parts. When I visit a Texas lodge the first time I request to give the Tiler's Oath.