# Please leave your phone in the car.



## Angler (Sep 21, 2016)

Last week we had two brothers who stared at their phones, non-stop, through the entire lodge.  Neither had attended in months. This was one of the most important meetings of the year, a budget meeting where we would approve spending for the next year.  It was a bloody mess where almost everyone disagreed (respectfully) along with discussing many other issues dogging the lodge.  Yet, these two grown men sat there like teenagers glued to Facebook or some other site.  They couldn't interrupt their entertainment for Even a few minutes.

I hope you brothers think about this when you attend lodge this week. I can think of nothing more disrespectful than to attend lodge and hold your phone in front of your face for everyone to see.  It shouts "Whatever you are saying is less important than Pokemon or cat pictures.".


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## Blake Bowden (Sep 21, 2016)

If that happened when I was in the East I would of brought that meeting to a halt lol


Sent from my iPhone using My Freemasonry


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## Brother_Steve (Sep 21, 2016)

I have another angle.

The Worshipful Master can get away with calling out an Officer for being on his cell during a meeting....

HOWEVER! (sorry)

I would place it in charge of the Brethren around that man to whisper wise council and nip it in the bud to avoid disrupting the peace and harmony of the Lodge. If you see wise council being offered and it is not headed, then by all means speak to him after lodge. If he does it again ... then you have no choice.

You may have found a new master's message if you can phrase it properly.


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## Ripcord22A (Sep 21, 2016)

Im in the Army, i also have a wife and 2 kids.  I keep my phone on me and if i feel it vibrate i discreetly check it, my alerts show on my lock screen so i dont even have to pull it all the way out.  But never would i get in the internet and search around.


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## Brother JC (Sep 21, 2016)

If a phone comes out during the Stated for any reason other than adding an event to the calendar, my WM will have choice words to say, and said phone will not be seen again.
If a phone comes out during the Lodge of Instruction, the nearest Brother will stop it before it lasts more than a few seconds, and the WM will have something to say afterwards.


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## Companion Joe (Sep 21, 2016)

I always put my on airplane mode so I won't receive calls or texts, but I don't leave it in the truck because I use it for my calendar. When it comes time for announcements, you see most people ranging from 18-80 reaching for their phones.


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## Warrior1256 (Sep 23, 2016)

I've seen this happen numerous times and it just seems disrespectful to me.


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## ej6267 (Sep 24, 2016)

I also use the phone for the calendar function, but it remains on silent the whole meeting. It's just a sign of the times, our older brethren pull out their paper calendars to write down events.


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## Warrior1256 (Sep 24, 2016)

ej6267 said:


> I also use the phone for the calendar function, but it remains on silent the whole meeting. It's just a sign of the times, our older brethren pull out their paper calendars to write down events.


I have no problem with this at all. I'm talking about Brothers that are texting or on social media almost the whole meeting.


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## Joe Mazzotta (Sep 25, 2016)

For us, unless you are an emergency responder cell phones are strictly forbidden in lodge. Little Falls NJ # 263 F&AM


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## alterian (Sep 25, 2016)

Place them on vibrate, if they make a sound donate a $1 or 2. Its a good way to ensure everyone has them on silent. As far as keeping them of I would advice against that as people have families and an emergencies might happen. We were at a stated and a brother got a call from his wife about 2 guys trying to brake in his house.


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## MBC (Sep 25, 2016)

Angler said:


> Last week we had two brothers who stared at their phones, non-stop, through the entire lodge.  Neither had attended in months. This was one of the most important meetings of the year, a budget meeting where we would approve spending for the next year.  It was a bloody mess where almost everyone disagreed (respectfully) along with discussing many other issues dogging the lodge.  Yet, these two grown men sat there like teenagers glued to Facebook or some other site.  They couldn't interrupt their entertainment for Even a few minutes.
> 
> I hope you brothers think about this when you attend lodge this week. I can think of nothing more disrespectful than to attend lodge and hold your phone in front of your face for everyone to see.  It shouts "Whatever you are saying is less important than Pokemon or cat pictures.".



This is just simply an act which one brother or a few brethren for not respecting the meeting(s).
I cannot see a point why it can be linked to teenagers or others.

P.S. I am now 22 and I am a both Facebook and Twitter users, also a hardcore Pokemon Go player, but I never took out my phone when the lodge is opened.


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## Warrior1256 (Sep 25, 2016)

MBC said:


> P.S. I am now 22 and I am a both Facebook and Twitter users, also a hardcore Pokemon Go player, but I never took out my phone when the lodge is opened.


That shows that you have respect for The Craft and others around you Brother. Good deal!


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## Scoops (Sep 26, 2016)

We're expected to have our phones off during the meeting. If you're expecting a possible urgent phone call (such as I was last week if my wife went into labour) then leave your phone with the Tyler.


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## rpbrown (Sep 26, 2016)

We make an announcement at the beginning of each meeting. Turn phones to vibrate or if it goes off its a $25.00 donation to the scholarship fund. If it goes off during a degree, its a $50.00 donation with $25.00 going to the candidate.
We cannot say no phones allowed as we have brethren in the service industry that are on call from time to time such as myself, and we also have some first responders that are on call as well.


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## Glen Cook (Sep 26, 2016)

I was at the RGL of Portugal this weekend. Looked at the row behind me. Some visitor had his phone out while sitting in the GRAND EAST AS A VISITOR.


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## Ripcord22A (Sep 26, 2016)

Glen Cook said:


> I was at the RGL of Portugal this weekend. Looked at the row behind me. Some visitor had his phone out while sitting in the GRAND EAST AS A VISITOR.


HOLY CRAP!! That's Crazy.  I take it that since they were in the Grand East that they were a sitting or PGM?


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## Glen Cook (Sep 26, 2016)

Ripcord22A said:


> HOLY CRAP!! That's Crazy.  I take it that since they were in the Grand East that they were a sitting or PGM?


Not entirely sure of rank. They may have been head of delegation. I was one of the last to go in, and so didn't see/hear what was occurring before I entered. 

Admittedly, it can get tedious sitting there for almost three hours, but it's part of the gig.


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## Warrior1256 (Sep 26, 2016)

Scoops said:


> If you're expecting a possible urgent phone call (such as I was last week if my wife went into labour) then leave your phone with the Tyler.


Excellent idea!


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## Companion Joe (Sep 26, 2016)

As much as I wish the dang things had never been invented (remember the joy of _not_ being able to be reached and not be on edge?), that genie isn't going back into the bottle.


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## Warrior1256 (Sep 27, 2016)

Companion Joe said:


> As much as I wish the dang things had never been invented (remember the joy of _not_ being able to be reached and not be on edge?), that genie isn't going back into the bottle.


I have my cell turned off more often than it is on. When someone asked me about this my reply is, "When it's turned on people tend to call me on it".


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## cemab4y (Oct 11, 2016)

Here in Virginia, cell phones are forbidden. (Exceptions for law enforcement, EMT,doctors on call,etc). If a phone rings in lodge, the offender should pay $20.


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## Warrior1256 (Oct 11, 2016)

cemab4y said:


> Here in Virginia, cell phones are forbidden. (Exceptions for law enforcement, EMT,doctors on call,etc). If a phone rings in lodge, the offender should pay $20.


Great idea!


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## Carl_in_NH (Oct 11, 2016)

Our GL in NH will 'fine' you $100 (to be deposited in the GL charity fund) if your phone rings while they are in session. A reminder of that usually causes those in attendance to silence them at the opening.

All the meetings in my lodge start with a directive from the East before the opening begins to silence them. There's nothing worse than some foolish musical ringtone in the middle of a heated 'pancake breakfast' or 'fish fry' fundraiser debate.


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## Warrior1256 (Oct 12, 2016)

Carl_in_NH said:


> There's nothing worse than some foolish musical ringtone in the middle of a heated 'pancake breakfast' or 'fish fry' fundraiser debate.


....or ritual.


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## CLewey44 (Oct 12, 2016)

I've seen them out to update calenders but just surfing around is a huge no-no. To be honest, it could sort of compromise the secrets of Masons and Masonry maybe with recorders and cameras on phones. It wouldn't be hard to set your phone somewhere discreetly and record a meeting or worse, a degree and throw it on Youtube or something. Gentlemen should bring a notepad and just jot things down and then update their calender when the meeting is over. A time will probably come where folks will need to check their phones at the door. My current job has a zero tolerance for phone use,  so married or not, kids or no kids, when in 'labor', phones stay outside. Twenty years ago, nobody had phones hardly and us and our families all survived. Washington would roll over in his grave....


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## Companion Joe (Oct 12, 2016)

If your lodge has a member who would video degree work and put it on Youtube, then there is a lot more to be concerned about than your degree work winding up on the internet.


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## Warrior1256 (Oct 13, 2016)

CLewey44 said:


> Gentlemen should bring a notepad and just jot things down and then update their calender when the meeting is over. A


Good point!


Companion Joe said:


> If your lodge has a member who would video degree work and put it on Youtube, then there is a lot more to be concerned about than your degree work winding up on the internet.


Yep.


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## Bloke (Oct 13, 2016)

I had my phone out in lodge tonight to read motions and such. Our sec was a no-show and the phone allowed me conduct the business. Later, I was using it to check the time and how that was going. ( i actually purchased a watch for lodge but use the phone in preference to the watch).  If I was on the benches, I'd happily have it off, but as an officer (DC) it's a useful tool for Masonic business... and its not on vibrate ( hate that buzz in the peace of a lodge room) but dead silent and often on aircraft mode..

I run a paperless office, why not go that way for lodge business given only two brothers are not on email ? We just snail mail those guys. We went paperless years ago, being past professionals,even our 80 year olds have email; but I acknowledge  paperless would not work in all Lodges, but they need to look at if paperless is viable... with 40 member x 11 meetings plus other notices, paperless saves the lodge a heap on printing and postage- a good way to get there is donate that paper and postage cost to a charity or use the saving to keep lodge dues low...

But during the degree or  even at dinner, lodge is not a place to be catching up on email or Facebook....


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## Ripcord22A (Oct 13, 2016)

I know you are 17hrs ahead of me but we too had lodge last night(Wednesday), I am assuming yours was Thursday for you, and the pins you sent attened their first Blue Lodge Metting and will attend their first AASR reunion tomorrow.


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## Bloke (Oct 13, 2016)

Ripcord22A said:


> I know you are 17hrs ahead of me but we too had lodge last night(Wednesday), I am assuming yours was Thursday for you, and the pins you sent attened their first Blue Lodge Metting and will attend their first AASR reunion tomorrow.



Awesome  Jim's pin (aka " the pin guy from PA")  walked around the lodge room for a second degree for our new 30 something WM'S first working night. Every charge except for the secrets and tracing board was given by MMS. It was a great night  it was 2:10 am Friday morning when I posted the above. Got home at 1:10 and needed some wind down time because I was still buzzing


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## Warrior1256 (Oct 14, 2016)

Bloke said:


> But during the degree or even at dinner, lodge is not a place to be catching up on email or Facebook....


True, just good manners.


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## CLewey44 (Oct 14, 2016)

Companion Joe said:


> If your lodge has a member who would video degree work and put it on Youtube, then there is a lot more to be concerned about than your degree work winding up on the internet.





Companion Joe said:


> If your lodge has a member who would video degree work and put it on Youtube, then there is a lot more to be concerned about than your degree work winding up on the internet.



True but not a compromise worth risking to me. Not all Masons are good peeps and slip thru he cracks.


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