# Opening in an EA



## cacarter (Dec 17, 2013)

A few years ago, Grand Lodge allowed lodges to open directly into an EA or FC lodge and allow EAs or FCs into meetings. From what I have seen many lodges do just that and will now have stated meetings in the EA degree. To me this seems like a good thing, EAs are involved and they experience the business of the lodge. 

However some think having an EA at a meeting is taboo and if an EA or FC lodge is to be opened, it should be done after calling down from a MM lodge. I'm curious to see everyone's thoughts on this.


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## Brother JC (Dec 17, 2013)

The GL usually stipulates how it should be done. NM allows the lodge to open in any of the three, depending on Work and membership. Some GLs require opening in the Third and stepping down.


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## dfreybur (Dec 17, 2013)

cacarter said:


> However some thing having an EA at a meeting is taboo



That's a good opportunity for Masonic education!  Give a talk on how Stated meetings in the EA degree has been the world wide standard since the Premier Grand Lodge of England.  Talk about the Anti-Masonic movement of the 1840s, the Baltimore Convention and why staying away from the world wide standard has been obsolete since the Civil War.  To folks who say "We've always done it that way" point out that the "we" in question is world wide Masonry.



> and if an EA or FC lodge is to be opened, it should be done after calling down from a MM lodge. I'm curious to see everyone's thoughts on this.



Each jurisdiction gets to set its own ritual.  I don't like it that way and when I was given the choice I didn't do it that way.  But at the time I was in a jurisdiction that offered opening 1 or 2 or 3 directly or 123 or opening to 2 or 3 then calling down.  Since I had the choice I chose to involve the EAs and FCs as much as I could.

My 2nd year in the east it still took dispensation from the GM to open on the 1st, so I sent a letter asking for that dispensation.  Then I wrote an article for the Masonic newspaper about the history of how and why and when the US diverged from the world wide standard.  That's they year Illinois voted on restoring the world wide standard.  I was asked by the DGM to speak on the floor as a result of that article.  What happened is the outgoing MW GM told us how many lodges had requested dispensation.  Nearly half.  Hearing that was all it took.  Everyone lining up walked away from the microphones and the vote passed with almost no votes against.


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## Bro. Stewart P.M. (Dec 17, 2013)

The GLoTX leaves it to the Worshipful Master's option as to opening in the EA or FC degrees for meetings.

I choose not to conduct stated meetings in anything less than a Master's lodge.


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## Bro Darren (Dec 17, 2013)

Here is Australia the meeting is conducted in accordance with the lowest Degree member attending. 

Here we can not be passed to FC for a period of no less than 3 months and Master Mason for a period of no less than 12 months.


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## Bill Lins (Dec 17, 2013)

Bro. Stewart said:


> The GLoTX leaves it to the Worshipful Master's option as to opening in the EA or FC degrees for meetings.


Not exactly, Worshipful- you might want to review this more carefully:

*Art. 331. Stated Meetings.* 
Except when officially receiving Grand Lodge Officers, all stated meetings of a Lodge may be opened on the Entered Apprentice Degree or Fellowcraft Degree, *provided that if no Entered Apprentice or Fellowcraft Mason is present *_(emphasis mine)_, it shall be the option of the Worshipful Master to open said meeting on either the Entered Apprentice, Fellowcraft, or Master’s Degree.

As I read this, it appears that if an EA or FC is present for a stated meeting, the WM *must *open an EA or FC Lodge to accommodate them unless GL officers are being officially received, in which case the MM Lodge is to be called off after the official reception and an EA or FC Lodge opened as appropriate.


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## Bro. Stewart P.M. (Dec 17, 2013)

Bill_Lins77488 said:


> Not exactly, Worshipful- you might want to review this more carefully:
> 
> *Art. 331. Stated Meetings.*
> Except when officially receiving Grand Lodge Officers, all stated meetings of a Lodge may be opened on the Entered Apprentice Degree or Fellowcraft Degree, *provided that if no Entered Apprentice or Fellowcraft Mason is present *_(emphasis mine)_, it shall be the option of the Worshipful Master to open said meeting on either the Entered Apprentice, Fellowcraft, or Master’s Degree.
> ...



I still read that the way I said it... my emphasis on the words "may be". Maybe someone "should" have worded that text differently when it was written?? There is a difference between "may" and "must"...


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## Zaden (Dec 18, 2013)

Bro. Stewart said:


> The GLoTX leaves it to the Worshipful Master's option as to opening in the EA or FC degrees for meetings.
> 
> I choose not to conduct stated meetings in anything less than a Master's lodge.


Brother, if I may ask, what lead you to this choice? Pure curiosity, no argument for or against.


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## Bro. Stewart P.M. (Dec 18, 2013)

Zaden said:


> Brother, if I may ask, what lead you to this choice? Pure curiosity, no argument for or against.



For several reasons.

First, Having been initiated in 2007 I was the First EA to be admitted in into a Stated Meeting at my Mother lodge. Although I was honored to participate and found the procedural business interesting, that was an hour and a half that I could have better used studying with the Tiler outside the door. Needless to say, it was my only meeting until after I was Raised as a Master Mason.

Second, Having Stated Meetings in the Lessor degree there is a continual issue with "older" members (especially when voting) giving the incorrect signs. We also ran into similar issues when delivering Masonic History lessons, a lot of what one can use ans read aloud to members is way more advanced than the EA's & FC's in attendance.

Third, Since the changes were implemented to GL Law (speaking directly of my Lodge) the rate of advancement dropped in the years when the Master opted to open in the Lessor Degrees. The newly members were simply not progressing. I take that as, there is nothing to keep their curiosity up and keep them studying in order for them to find out "what's going on behind that closed door".


As seated Master, with the above (personal reasoning) briefly summarized, it is my personal belief that for the betterment of the advancing Brother that his time is better spent with Joining us with our family meal, and spending his time with the Tiler outside the door studying. Of course I realize that this belief automatically makes me a bastard in some people's minds.


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## Zaden (Dec 18, 2013)

Bro. Stewart said:


> For several reasons.
> 
> First, Having been initiated in 2007 I was the First EA to be admitted in into a Stated Meeting at my Mother lodge. Although I was honored to participate and found the procedural business interesting, that was an hour and a half that I could have better used studying with the Tiler outside the door. Needless to say, it was my only meeting until after I was Raised as a Master Mason.
> 
> ...



All interesting points. Thank you.


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## crono782 (Dec 18, 2013)

Bro. Stewart said:


> We also ran into similar issues when delivering Masonic History lessons, a lot of what one can use ans read aloud to members is way more advanced than the EA's & FC's in attendance.



This same issue continues to be a thorn in my side. It's really not fun to keep having to write "EA friendly" masonic education every time. Although there is plenty to write on and I'm more than pleased to do it, I'd like to present Master's level topics from time to time.


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## dfreybur (Dec 18, 2013)

Bro. Stewart said:


> Second, Having Stated Meetings in the Lessor degree there is a continual issue with "older" members (especially when voting) giving the incorrect signs. We also ran into similar issues when delivering Masonic History lessons, a lot of what one can use ans read aloud to members is way more advanced than the EA's & FC's in attendance.



Of course the longer the world wide standard is in local use the less this will be an issue.  I suggest that the way to handle inertia is to get past it not to increase it.  But while you are in the east you are in charge and you get to decide unless someone gets legislation passed to change the word in the code from "may" to "will".



> Third, Since the changes were implemented to GL Law (speaking directly of my Lodge) the rate of advancement dropped in the years when the Master opted to open in the Lessor Degrees. The newly members were simply not progressing. I take that as, there is nothing to keep their curiosity up and keep them studying in order for them to find out "what's going on behind that closed door".



This one I find strange - It was my experience that advancement improved in all of my lodges when that change passed.  New EAs tended to attend right away and as such had a higher chance of staying active than the EAs who had started out excluded.



crono782 said:


> This same issue continues to be a thorn in my  side. It's really not fun to keep having to write "EA friendly" masonic  education every time. Although there is plenty to write on and I'm more  than pleased to do it, I'd like to present Master's level topics from  time to time.



Many of the presentations I have produced are easily modified to account for the presence or EAs and FCs, then again most of them are easily modified to account for non-tiled attendance.  But as you report I do want to present on topics that require everyone to be an MM from time to time.  When Table Lodge was an option and when I lived in a region where I could attend a couple each year I had at least one chance to do so by signing up for a response during the MM-only portion.  But this day/week/month/year it;s not an option and I no longer live in a region where they are regular events.


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## SeattleMason0613 (Dec 18, 2013)

All the stated's I have been too at my lodge and others have always opened on the EA degree


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## STLamb (Dec 18, 2013)

I belong to two lodges, one of which will only open a stated meeting in a MM degree, the other which will open in the lowest degree available. After working in both situations, I believe that, for stated meetings, opening in the MM degree only has far more advantages than disadvantages. The problems Bro. Stewart has seen is his lodge also occur in mine. Particularly troubling is the EA's who have dropped away, mainly because we've bored them to death in a stated meeting. 
I also believe that the quality of the work suffers. It is distressing to me the number of W.M.'s in lodges I have visited who didn't know how to open and close a MM lodge, much less give a Master's charge. At the risk of offending some folks, in my opinion, opening in any other degree than MM is lazy. If there is a need to bring in an EA or FC, say, to turn in their work, then open in a MM and call it down. This should not be a problem, as the W.M. and Wardens are supposed to be proficient, aren't they?


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## crono782 (Dec 18, 2013)

STLamb said:


> I belong to two lodges, one of which will only open a stated meeting in a MM degree, the other which will open in the lowest degree available. After working in both situations, I believe that, for stated meetings, opening in the MM degree only has far more advantages than disadvantages. The problems Bro. Stewart has seen is his lodge also occur in mine. Particularly troubling is the EA's who have dropped away, mainly because we've bored them to death in a stated meeting.
> I also believe that the quality of the work suffers. It is distressing to me the number of W.M.'s in lodges I have visited who didn't know how to open and close a MM lodge, much less give a Master's charge. At the risk of offending some folks, in my opinion, opening in any other degree than MM is lazy. If there is a need to bring in an EA or FC, say, to turn in their work, then open in a MM and call it down. This should not be a problem, as the W.M. and Wardens are supposed to be proficient, aren't they?



I agree. EAs and FCs will eventually get to sit in on the meetings as long as they progress and can still come to floor school nights and the like to learn the work. It's less about "denying" them to right to the meeting and more about the stability of the lodge/meetings. The EA/FC presence doesn't necessarily affect this, but the atrophy that occurs from consistently ignoring conducting MM work and/or receiving MM educational topics cannot be good.

EDIT: to rant further, calling down does not take much effort or time if it is practiced consistently and also I too have seen the look on EA faces when they sit in on meetings only to be met with discussion on bills and minutes. It's downright saddening.


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## Brother JC (Dec 18, 2013)

How is opening in a different Degree "lazy?" You still have a full opening ritual to perform.
In NM, the Master is required to be able to open and close in all three degrees.
You say the EAs and FCs are bored in meetings... can you honestly say the MMs aren't? Is a communication in the third that much more exciting? I doubt it.


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## Bro Darren (Dec 18, 2013)

I have only been to one opening thus far and the reciting from the wardens is something that I try to reflect on each day as it puts me on the right foot to start my day. 

As an EA with so much to learn and the fact that we have strict time frames of advancement in Australia, I am appreciative that I can attend stated meetings and there openings.


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## dfreybur (Dec 19, 2013)

trysquare said:


> How is opening in a different Degree "lazy?"



Jurisdiction to jurisdiction variation.

In 2 of my 3 jurisdictions and in most of the jurisdictions I have visited the officer work in the opening ceremony for the degrees go 1st longest, 2nd middle, 3rd shortest.  Opening in the lower degrees is more work for the officers.  The total time and effort spent depends on if the jurisdiction gathers the pass from the craft in the 2nd and/or 3rd degrees and how many brothers are present.

Texas bucks that trend by abbreviating the opening ceremony so the effort spent in the opening is reversed for the degrees.  Opening on the first in Texas is very fast.  Blink and you miss it.  The first time I attended a first degree opening I looked around in astonishment that it was over that fast.  In Texas the third degree opening is the longest one.


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## crono782 (Dec 19, 2013)

Also consider this, in Texas you can open a "persistent" (I forget the actual wording) Lodge of Sorrow to be used throughout the year rather than having to do it every time it is needed. Boy you should see how bad the senior officers struggle to pull it off sometimes. The excuse is typically that since it is rarely done, it is thus okay that nobody knows it well. >_< Not a far cry to apply that line of thinking to a FC opening/closing.


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## Brother JC (Dec 19, 2013)

It sounds like the issue isn't with which Degree you open in, but in the Work itself. Having heard how strict GLTX is about many portions of their Work, I find it rather startling that they've let so much become abbreviated or forgotten.


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## crono782 (Dec 19, 2013)

trysquare said:


> Having heard how strict GLTX is about many portions of their Work, I find it rather startling that they've let so much become abbreviated or forgotten.


You and me both. I guess the forces of pride and watering down the work keep each other in balance.


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## dfreybur (Dec 19, 2013)

trysquare said:


> It sounds like the issue isn't with which Degree you open in, but in the Work itself. Having heard how strict GLTX is about many portions of their Work, I find it rather startling that they've let so much become abbreviated or forgotten.



My most recent year in the east (2008) I made sure we opened Stated meetings in each degree as often as possible.  If an EA attended, EA it was, but as a secondary priority when there was a choice I opened on the degree used the least recently.  I did this to keep my line in practice for every degree.  More work than opening in the same degree each time so I didn't view the strategy as lazy.

I found the abbreviations surprising but variation jurisdiction to jurisdiction is a part of the fun.


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## JJones (Dec 19, 2013)

I was pretty underwhelmed when I attended my first stated meeting as well.  I was doing my work 7-8 years ago, about the same time as Bro Stewart and I was among some of the first EAs that were allowed to sit in on a stated meeting as well.

I think this tells us a few things though, foremost that our meetings are boring and something needs to change about that.  It also tells me that you've saved time and effort on that EA as he would have still left after he got his Masters if the meetings didn't meet his expectations.


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## Blake Bowden (Dec 22, 2013)

When I was Master I was more than happy to open an EA Lodge if one was present. Nothing makes Jr. Officers more nervous than opening/closing a full form EA lodge.


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## Bill Lins (Dec 22, 2013)

Blake Bowden said:


> Nothing makes Jr. Officers more nervous than opening/closing a full form EA lodge.


Except walking into a Lodge in which one isn't well known, carrying an apron case. :wink:


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## rfuller (Jan 14, 2014)

I'm late to the game here, but I'm from cacarter's mother lodge.  Our Worshipful Master has been opening our lodge in EA since August or September.  We've got 4 EA's and it's been really nice to have them in lodge with us.  And as Jr. Deacon, it's been nice to have a little bit more to say.  

Here's one of the issues we've been having though.  Some of our Junior officers have been struggling though the full form EA closing.  With EA's present, I'm afraid it's giving them the wrong impression.  I believe the WM is going to open this next stated meeting as a MM :: and possibly address that very issue.  

I'm excited about having EA's in lodge with us, where they can participate as they are coming up.  And they will be present as we start our new lecture series which is nice, too.  But sometimes it can be a double edged sword.  Especially after decades of only opening EA and FC ::'s for degrees.


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## anraney (Feb 4, 2014)

I agree rfuller.  I also wanted to add that our Lodge does something to help with the voting and wrong sign given issue. Most if not all of our vote our done in a MM lodge. As for our jr. Officers...We just have to keep practicing.

Sent From My Freemasonry Pro App


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## mrpierce17 (Feb 4, 2014)

The W.M. of my lodge has decided to open in E.A. degree , we have many elderly members who dont attend regular meetings due to health issues , I am honored to get a chance to sit in and listen in on the lodge precedings not to mention getting a chance to see the degree being opened and closed first hand its very informative for me and I dont feel like im just sitting on the sidelines , kinda gives me a feeling of being groomed for something much greater ...just my 2 cent  for what its worth

Sent From My Freemasonry Pro App


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## rfuller (Feb 4, 2014)

anraney said:


> I agree rfuller.  I also wanted to add that our Lodge does something to help with the voting and wrong sign given issue. Most if not all of our vote our done in a MM lodge. As for our jr. Officers...We just have to keep practicing.



TOOOOOONNNNNNYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!

Yeah.  As a follow up, our lodge has since changed our floor practice night and we're getting better.  

And as a side note to Tony, I was up until 1:00 this morning making sure I never screw up sitting in the West ever again.
Also, you need a picture, bro.


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## anraney (Feb 4, 2014)

Yeah still working on the profile.  And.... For never doing the west you did great. Now I have lots en of work to do before our FCs next week.

Sent From My Freemasonry Pro App


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## anraney (Feb 4, 2014)

To your side note I would add that several of our Brethern are taking upon themselves to learn the work outside of Lodge as well. 

Sent From My Freemasonry Pro App


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## dfreybur (Feb 4, 2014)

anraney said:


> I agree rfuller.  I also wanted to add that our Lodge does something to help with the voting and wrong sign given issue. Most if not all of our vote our done in a MM lodge. As for our jr. Officers...We just have to keep practicing.



The wrong sign issue is something that will solve itself with patience and practice.  The change TO stated in the MM degree was temporary, but a version of temporary longer than any of us have been alive.  The change BACK TO stated in the EA is not temporary, and we can afford for the effects like wrong signs to decrease on a time scale of a lifetime.


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## Brother JC (Feb 4, 2014)

When I visited a lodge in Philly, I asked which Degree they would be Opening on... they looked at me like I was from another planet.


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