# Making a mason at sight



## david918 (Jan 4, 2010)

I was chatting with one of our brothers from Minnesota this evening and he said that their Grand Master was going to make a mason at site of a petitioner who is shipping out to Iraq later this week.I was wondering if Texas has ever done this.


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## HKTidwell (Jan 4, 2010)

I know in our laws, it is prohibited.

Art. 35. (35). Mason at Sight Prohibited. The Grand
Master has no power or authority to make Masons at sight. This
Grand Lodge will not recognize any mode of making Masons in
this Jurisdiction other than in a regular Lodge and after previous
investigation, regular election and due inquiry into the character
of the candidate.

 I do not know if it has ever been done, sometimes laws are created because of situations occurring.  Does anybody have a pdf of the Laws with any changes from the 2009 session.


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## Bill Lins (Jan 5, 2010)

That article was not changed at the last Annual Communication.


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## HKTidwell (Jan 5, 2010)

Douh! I was more meaning did anybody have the new law book with changes in a pdf format?


I have the 2008 in pdf, which is where I pulled this from.  I knew I'd seen something in the laws about making a Mason at sight.  So as I was doing a search in the laws the thought crossed my mind to see if anybody had the updated ones.  When I made my post everything kind of ran together.


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## RedTemplar (Jan 5, 2010)

In Kentucky, a provision was brought up that would allow a serviceman about to be shipped to a war zone to have the period between degrees shortened was voted down 2 years ago. Personally, I was for it.


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## owls84 (Jan 5, 2010)

I have not heard of the Mason at sight other than what is posted here. However, we were granted dispensation (by the GM) to postpone the proficency of a guy that was an EA and came home from Iraq. He is a member here actually. SSG_Morrison. He was here for 36 hours and we did his FC and MM last week. We had to do a little work because he was initiated in KS but it was so worth it.


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## JTM (Jan 5, 2010)

i definitely think it would be cooler if i didn't have to come up with my own masonic passbacks.

"little dog"


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## fairbanks1363pm (Jan 5, 2010)

one our presidents was made a mason at sight and so was douglass mcarthur i believe.


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## MGM357 (Jan 5, 2010)

I was told that Mark White (pass TX Govr.) was made a Mason at sight.  Personally I don't think that soeone's notarity should allow this to happen.  When it comes to our freedom fighters, a case to case basis should be considered.


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## Bill Lins (Jan 5, 2010)

fairbanks1363pm said:


> one our presidents was made a mason at sight and so was douglass mcarthur i believe.


 
In Texas? Remember, other GL's have different rules & some of them allow "at sight".


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## tomasball (Jan 6, 2010)

I don't have the law in front of me, but the Grand Master does have the power to shorten the time between degrees and waive the memorization in cases of emergency.  

Tom Ball
San Juan 1173


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## fairbanks1363pm (Jan 6, 2010)

of the U.S.  i have a book on our masonic presidents.  i will research it next time i am at lodge


Bill_Lins77488 said:


> In Texas? Remember, other GL's have different rules & some of them allow "at sight".


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## Nate Riley (Jan 6, 2010)

tomasball said:


> I don't have the law in front of me, but the Grand Master does have the power to shorten the time between degrees and waive the memorization in cases of emergency.
> 
> Tom Ball
> San Juan 1173


 
I am opposed to one-day conferrals, but in certain cases (military deployment being a good one) I think it is acceptable for the Grand Lodge to give a special dispensation.  But making a Mason at sight?  That is crazy!!! It has no value, neither to the fraternity or the "candidate".


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## david918 (Jan 6, 2010)

From Mackey's masonic Jurisprudence landmark no.8
LANDMARK EIGHTH

The prerogative of the Grand Master to make masons at sight, is a Landmark which

is closely connected with the preceding one. There has been much misapprehension

in relation to this Landmark, which misapprehension has sometimes led to a denial of

its existence in jurisdictions where the Grand Master was perhaps at the very time

substantially exercising the prerogative, without the slightest remark or opposition.

It is not to be supposed that the Grand Master can retire with a profane into a private

room, and there, without assistance, confer the degrees of Freemasonry upon him.

No such prerogative exists, and yet many believe that this is the so much talked of

right of "making Masons at sight". The real mode and the only mode of exercising

the prerogative is this: The Grand Master summons to his assistance not less than six

other masons, convenes a Lodge, and without any previous probation, but on sight

of the candidate, confers the degrees upon him. after which he dissolves the Lodge.

and dismisses the brethren. Lodges thus convened for special purposes are called

occasional lodges," This is the only way in which any Grand Master within the

records of the institution has ever been known to "make a Mason at sight". The

prerogative is dependent upon that of granting dispensations to open and hold

Lodges. If the Grand Master has the power of granting to any other Mason the

privilege of presiding over Lodges working by his dispensation, he may assume this

privilege of presiding to himself; and as no one can deny his right to revoke his

dispensation granted to a number of brethren at a distance, and to dissolve the Lodge

at his pleasure, it will scarcely be contended that he may not revoke his dispensation

for a Lodge over which he himself has been presiding, within a day, and dissolve the

Lodge as soon as the business for which he had assembled it is accomplished. The

making of Masons at sight is only the conferring of the degrees by the Grand Master,

at once, in an occasional Lodge, constituted by his dispensing power for the purpose,

and over which he presides in person.


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## Bill Lins (Jan 6, 2010)

tomasball said:


> I don't have the law in front of me, but the Grand Master does have the power to shorten the time between degrees and waive the memorization in cases of emergency.



That's true, but the candidate still has to petition a Lodge, be investigated & accepted before being initiated- not so when being made a Mason "at sight". Texas GL Law specifically states that our GM does NOT have the authority to make a Mason at sight. (Art. 35)


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## JEbeling (Jan 6, 2010)

I know of two that were done in Texas... ! one was a Governor .. ! and the other was an astronaut.. ! somewhere around 1950's.. remember there being a lot of talk about it and the Texas law.. ! but once it's done it's kinda hard to undo..? don't remember the outcome of the astronaut but I know the Governor joined some lodge in Auston...? will run this by a friend on Texas Lodge of Research and see if he can come up with names...?


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## Smokey613 (Jan 7, 2010)

I found an interesting article on this subject. Though not involving Masons in Texas it is interesting as it about one of our Presidents.

http://www.masonicdictionary.com/sight.html


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## JEbeling (Jan 7, 2010)

That was very interesting reading... ! thanks.. !


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## Bro_Vick (Jan 16, 2010)

"Mason at site" was  an acceptable act, but can be seen as a method for the GM to push his influence into the profane world, ie. men who could not be made Masons before suddenly could now.  They are the orignal one day class.


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