# Tokens



## robstown1062 (Nov 9, 2013)

When you meet someone for the first time is it customary to provide a     token for acknowledgement? If so which one and do you use the same for a brother?


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## caution22113 (Nov 9, 2013)

I always meet a stranger on the first degree. 


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## robstown1062 (Nov 9, 2013)

Ok brother! What about a brother MM?


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## ssouthworth761 (Nov 9, 2013)

If you know that brother to be a MM then it would be okay. But if you are unsure I would meet on the first degree

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## Brother JC (Nov 10, 2013)

The way I look at it is, every Brother is an EA, but some certainly aren't MMs.


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## robstown1062 (Nov 10, 2013)

Understood. It makes sense. I really appreciate all the help gentlemen. 


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## BroBook (Nov 10, 2013)

When you were made to stand in the corner 
Remember "forever"


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## bullrack33 (Nov 10, 2013)

BroBook said:


> When you were made to stand in the corner
> Remember "forever"
> 
> 
> My Freemasonry



Exactly


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## dfreybur (Nov 11, 2013)

robstown1062 said:


> When you meet someone for the first time is it customary to provide a     token for acknowledgement?



I don't do that unless I think the man is a brother.  It's trivial to tell in a couple of minutes of conversation without using anything private.  If I do know him to be a brother I tend to part on the first not greet on anything.


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## SeattleMason0613 (Nov 15, 2013)

I have only met a few outside of lodge and have never met on any degree. I would only consider it if I planned to talk masonicaly 


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## Brother_Steve (Nov 15, 2013)

dfreybur said:


> I don't do that unless I think the man is a brother.  It's trivial to tell in a couple of minutes of conversation without using anything private.  If I do know him to be a brother I tend to part on the first not greet on anything.


What leads you to the conclusion someone is a brother when talking to them?  certain words or phrases? I'm not speaking of, "are you a traveling man?" kind of phrasing either.   As to the topic, I shake hands normally with strangers   I switch to a grip when receiving a token from a known brother. However I do not switch off to a grip from a stranger. I will simply ask them if they are a mason. I have yet to experience that though.


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## dfreybur (Nov 18, 2013)

Brother_Steve said:


> What leads you to the conclusion someone is a brother when talking to them?  certain words or phrases? I'm not speaking of, "are you a traveling man?" kind of phrasing either.   As to the topic, I shake hands normally with strangers   I switch to a grip when receiving a token from a known brother. However I do not switch off to a grip from a stranger. I will simply ask them if they are a mason. I have yet to experience that though.



Most of the time I figure someone is a brother because something comes up in conversation and the topic moves to lodge events.  Or I see a ring or symbol on their car.  Once in a great while someone uses vocabulary that appears almost nowhere but ritual and the topic turns to lodge events.  Or as you mention someone notices my ring or license plate or I mention a lodge activity.

Someone giving my the grip out of the blue?  It's happened a couple of times in two decades.  A pleasant surprise but extremely rare in my experience.


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## rpbrown (Nov 19, 2013)

I was actually chastised by a DDGM for meeting with a token without being in position.


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## Brother_Steve (Nov 19, 2013)

rpbrown said:


> I was actually chastised by a DDGM for meeting with a token without being in position.


There is only one thing I can think of that was asked of you. Other than that, I wont say any more.


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## Brother JC (Nov 19, 2013)

rpbrown said:


> I was actually chastised by a DDGM for meeting with a token without being in position.


In my experience, there's only one token with a "required position," and I certainly wouldn't use it when I first met someone.


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## robstown1062 (Nov 23, 2013)

I agree!


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## Bro Darren (Nov 23, 2013)

I was invited to supper last month after the Lodge had its meeting. During the evening events it came times to shake everyone's hands in a greeting. It was interesting to see each of the guys (brothers, but I'm not a brother yet) approach me, smile and give me a normal everyday handshake. I may not have been a brother, but it sure was nice to feel accepted and included in their greeting. 

After the greetings I asked the WM who I was seated next to for the night "I understand that different degrees have different handshakes but how do you greet each brother in the lodge" - His reply was straight to the point - "We are ALL Brothers, from EA to MM and there is one thing that we all share in common, that is how we greet each other"

He didn't say anymore but i guess he didn't have too after reading the posts in this thread. Plus the fact that he could not share more than that with a non Mason.


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## BroBook (Nov 23, 2013)

dfreybur said:


> I don't do that unless I think the man is a brother.  It's trivial to tell in a couple of minutes of conversation without using anything private.  If I do know him to be a brother I tend to part on the first not greet on anything.



When that is the case you are the token "living sacrifice "


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## BroBook (Nov 23, 2013)

trysquare said:


> In my experience, there's only one token with a "required position," and I certainly wouldn't use it when I first met someone.



Yea and that!!!


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## Brother_Steve (Nov 23, 2013)

BroBook said:


> Yea and that!!!
> 
> 
> Sent From My Freemasonry Mobile App


I was thinking about this the other day. Not so much the token but something else that goes with that token can only be given in a certain position. I think the DDGM was being a hard***


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## LBCutta (Dec 8, 2013)

Always on the first degree


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## PLAH3 (Dec 8, 2013)

I learned that it is always on the first degree. When I see someone i know on the street at the gym etc and I know them to be such whether they are in my lodge or not we still grip. Now how would it work if PHA and Mainstream crossed would one grip the other?

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## ssouthworth761 (Dec 8, 2013)

PLAH3 said:


> I learned that it is always on the first degree. When I see someone i know on the street at the gym etc and I know them to be such whether they are in my lodge or not we still grip. Now how would it work if PHA and Mainstream crossed would one grip the other?
> 
> Sent From My Freemasonry Pro App



I think to be safe we offer no token and let the conversation proceed as it will.

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## PLAH3 (Dec 9, 2013)

Ssouthworth where are you from? Only reason I ask is because I know a southworth in Florida at Tyndall AFB.

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## tldubb (Dec 9, 2013)

trysquare said:


> The way I look at it is, every Brother is an EA, but some certainly aren't MMs.



Ditto!

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## ssouthworth761 (Dec 9, 2013)

PLAH3 said:


> Ssouthworth where are you from? Only reason I ask is because I know a southworth in Florida at Tyndall AFB.
> 
> Sent from my SM-N900V using My Freemasonry HD mobile app



I'm from Florida, Sarasota area.

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## PLAH3 (Dec 9, 2013)

That's cool ssouthworth. 

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## JonBoy (Dec 9, 2013)

The last time I met a brother i asked him the first question,  "whence came you?" He and I went through all the work from the EA to the MM degree we talked a while I then found out he was a DDGM.


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