# Office



## MeCorby (Sep 30, 2017)

Hi Brethren,
It has been a while since my last visit in here.
Hope you are all well. 
Are you in the new masonic year ? 
I just have been invested as Inner Guard and really looking forward to the new Masonic year  

S&F





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## WX2CIB (Sep 30, 2017)

Congratulations! 

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## Warrior1256 (Sep 30, 2017)

MeCorby said:


> I just have been invested as Inner Guard and really looking forward to the new Masonic year


Congratulations. Is the the same as the Junior Deacon?


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## Tyler Atkinson (Sep 30, 2017)

Congratulations Brother! Great to see you advancing!


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## MeCorby (Oct 1, 2017)

Warrior1256 said:


> Congratulations. Is the the same as the Junior Deacon?



Its similar to Tyler who stays outside of the lodge and preparing a candidate (as an example) 
Inner Guard sits inside (jewel - 2 swords)








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## Scoops (Oct 1, 2017)

Congratulations, we have our installation in November.

I expect to be invested as steward for another year as there are a couple of brothers ahead of me in the line.

Warrior, the inner guard's duties are to admit masons on proof, receive candidates in due form and obey the commands of the JW.

He's generally in charge of opening and closing the door of the lodge and ensuring the lodge is tyled. He's therefore placed close to the door of the lodge to the left of the SW.

This is considered the first of the "line" officers and progresses to the JD.

ETA: Of course, this is strictly from a UGLE-Land point of view.

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## MeCorby (Oct 1, 2017)

Scoops said:


> Congratulations, we have our installation in November.
> 
> I expect to be invested as steward for another year as there are a couple of brothers ahead of me in the line.
> 
> ...



Thank you for the explanation.
I bet you cannot wait to be installed 

We have our first initiation in November so there is plenty to learn and practice for newly installed IG  


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## Ripcord22A (Oct 1, 2017)

Scoops said:


> Congratulations, we have our installation in November.
> 
> I expect to be invested as steward for another year as there are a couple of brothers ahead of me in the line.
> 
> ...



That sounds exactly like a JD.  What does a JD do then?


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## Warrior1256 (Oct 1, 2017)

Scoops said:


> Warrior, the inner guard's duties are to admit masons on proof, receive candidates in due form and obey the commands of the JW.


Thanks.


Ripcord22A said:


> That sounds exactly like a JD. What does a JD do then?


Ditto.


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## Canadian Paul (Oct 1, 2017)

Ripcord22A said:


> That sounds exactly like a JD. What does a JD do then?



In Scottish Lodges the Junior Deacon adjusts the Tracing Boards while the Senior Deacon adjusts the Lesser Lights during the Opening and Closing of Degrees. The  JD is the Conductor for the Candidate in the EA Degree, the SD for the FC and MM Degree.


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## Scoops (Oct 1, 2017)

Warrior1256 said:


> Thanks.
> 
> Ditto.


Going back to my little blue book, the JD's duty is to carry all messages and communications of the WM from the S to the JW, and to see the same are punctually obeyed.

In practice, here the JD conducts the candidate around during the first degree and accompanies the SD during portions of the second and third. He also takes the charity plate around the lodge and distributes ballot balls when a ballot is taking place.

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## Canadian Paul (Oct 1, 2017)

Scoops said:


> Going back to my little blue book, the JD's duty is to carry all messages and communications of the WM from the S to the JW, and to see the same are punctually obeyed.


My 'little green book' says the same. However, I've never seen Deacons actually doing that! A good thing too! Ceremonies are long enough!


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## Ripcord22A (Oct 1, 2017)

Sounds like American lodges did away with the IG and gave his duties to the JD and the conducting duties of the JD to SD.  Not sure what you mean by adjusting the Tresel boards.  In both my jurisdiction the SD opens the GLs and ignites the LL.  I have been in a lodge where the SD does the GLs and the JD does the LL


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## Warrior1256 (Oct 1, 2017)

Ripcord22A said:


> In both my jurisdiction the SD opens the GLs and ignites the LL.


Same here.


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## Canadian Paul (Oct 1, 2017)

Ripcord22A said:


> Sounds like American lodges did away with the IG and gave his duties to the JD and the conducting duties of the JD to SD. Not sure what you mean by adjusting the Tresel boards. In both my jurisdiction the SD opens the GLs and ignites the LL. I have been in a lodge where the SD does the GLs and the JD does the LL



In most lodges here the Director of Ceremonies adjusts the GL. In my lodge the Bible Bearer adjusts the GL.  The Tracing Boards for each Degree are on tripods in the NE and SE corners of the Lodge and the JD uncovers and covers them as needed.

A Scottish Lodge can choose to have any office that exists in Grand Lodge, so the actual offices found can vary from lodge to lodge. All will have a Depute Master and a Substitute Master, for example. When a brother joined my lodge who could play the bagpipes we added the office of Piper. Unfortunately, that office is now vacant as the only pipe-playing member we now have is now SD.

It is one of the great strengths of the Craft, I think, that the details of the arrangements of our lodges and our rituals can vary so much - yet we would all find the same familiar lessons in any lodge we visit anywhere in the world.


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## Bloke (Oct 2, 2017)

Congrats on your appointment Corby and great to see you drop back into the board.. all too often folk are active for a few weeks, or sometimes even just one post, then disappear. 

IG was my first office. I did not become a steward until after I was a PM  I know exactly what you are up too behind that door, our ritual is Emulation based... 
Rip, here the IG will mind the door of the lodge and admit the candidate who is then given into the hands of a deacon. Jnr for 1st Degree, Snr for 2nd, both for a third (when working on candidate).

Corby, I'm DC in one of the Craft Lodges - its a job I really enjoy, currently training my successor - I'm gonna be redundant and 46 years old - nice work ! I'll go back the the sink and start washing dishes again, they dragged me away from it last time I became Master....  hehehehee..


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## Ripcord22A (Oct 2, 2017)

....edited....


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## HoldenMonty (Oct 2, 2017)

Sounds like the job of a persivent or however it's spelled in my jurisdiction.


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## Bloke (Oct 2, 2017)

HoldenMonty said:


> Sounds like the job of a persivent or however it's spelled in my jurisdiction.



That would be a Pursuivant..
( I can never spell it either..)


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## HoldenMonty (Oct 2, 2017)

@Bloke  Thank you


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## Bloke (Oct 2, 2017)

HoldenMonty said:


> @Bloke  Thank you


My pleasure. Here - we only have one - the Grand Pursuivant, subordinate lodges do not have such a position.


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## MarkR (Oct 3, 2017)

We don't have either an inner guard or a pursuivant in lodge (the Junior Deacon attends to the inside of the door,) but Grand Lodge has a Grand Pursuivant.


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## Keith C (Oct 3, 2017)

HoldenMonty said:


> Sounds like the job of a persivent or however it's spelled in my jurisdiction.



I believe you are in PA, correct?

In PA The Senior Master of Ceremonies (Sits in front of the SW on the left of the 3 chairs there) is in charge of setting the S&C, Bringing attendance cards to the Secretary and answering alarms at the Examining Room Door.

The Junior Master of Ceremonies (Sits in the right of the 3 chairs in front of the SW) answers alarms at the Preparing Room Door.

The Pursuivant (Sits in the middle of the 3 chairs in front of the SW) is in charge of Tyling the Lodge,  answers alarms at the Outer Door and opens the door for those entering or leaving the Lodge when open. He also introduces the DDGM and Officers of the District on Official Visitations and the RWGM in case of his visitation.

The JD (Sits at the Right Hand of the SW) carries messages from the SW to the JW and back.

The SD (Sits at the Right Hand of the WM) carries messages from the WM to the SW and back, prepares the Ballot Box, seconds the Secretaries motions and transfers documents between the Secretary and WM.

Candidates are prepared and conducted by a Sr. Brother appointed as "Guide" by the WM.


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## HoldenMonty (Oct 3, 2017)

@Keith C  I am and you are correct. I was thinking about explaining it all but wasn't quite sure since I'm still new. Right now I'm in the Junior Master of Ceremonies chair as I'm learning the guide work for the first degree. We have guys that know it but they sit in other chairs of the Lodge and figure learning the guide work is a great start to learning the degrees


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## Keith C (Oct 3, 2017)

HoldenMonty said:


> @Keith C  I am and you are correct. I was thinking about explaining it all but wasn't quite sure since I'm still new. Right now I'm in the Junior Master of Ceremonies chair as I'm learning the guide work for the first degree. We have guys that know it but they sit in other chairs of the Lodge and figure learning the guide work is a great start to learning the degrees



Just be careful!

I was raised last November, in December & January I was asked to sit in the JMC chair for two Extra meetings.  In March our Junior Deacon stopped coming to lodge as he now had to work on Wednesday nights, so I was asked to be JD.  In August our Senior Deacon told the WM that he was unable to continue in the line for personal reasons, so would not be completing the requirements to run for Junior Warden.  So guess who is scrambling to do that now?


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## Warrior1256 (Oct 4, 2017)

Keith C said:


> I was raised last November, in December & January I was asked to sit in the JMC chair for two Extra meetings. In March our Junior Deacon stopped coming to lodge as he now had to work on Wednesday nights, so I was asked to be JD. In August our Senior Deacon told the WM that he was unable to continue in the line for personal reasons, so would not be completing the requirements to run for Junior Warden. So guess who is scrambling to do that now?


I was in a similar situation. I was raised in Aug. of 14 and four months later I was elected Senior Deacon.


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## Ripcord22A (Oct 4, 2017)

Warrior1256 said:


> I was in a similar situation. I was raised in Aug. of 14 and four months later I was elected Senior Deacon.



Same


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## Warrior1256 (Oct 4, 2017)

Ripcord22A said:


> Same


Yeah, it used to be that Past Masters were fairly rare as several people would join a lodge during the year but only one officer slot opened up in the line each year. These days chances are if you have been a MM for 5-7 years you are, or have been, master of a lodge.


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## MBC (Oct 4, 2017)

Congrats Brother!
I am preparing to install my successor at the end of this month.


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## Bloke (Oct 6, 2017)

Sorry if anyone gets upset about me posting this, but it's hardly a "masonic secret".... but a good topic



Keith C said:


> .....In PA The Senior Master of Ceremonies (Sits in front of the SW on the left of the 3 chairs there) is in charge of setting the S&C, Bringing attendance cards to the Secretary and answering alarms at the Examining Room Door.



Just a reminder, I am from UGLV in the Land of Oz 
There no "three chairs" beside our SW - only one - for our JD... and I know you guys will not have a lot of these offices..

Setting the S&C - the Director of Ceremonies
Attendance Cards - not such thing.. if you mean vouching, that's handed by the Tyler and Inner guard - with oversight from the JW.
Alarms - the Inner Guard... and its rare to find and "Examining Room Door" - we generally only have one entrance. I guess two is Scottish in origin ?



Keith C said:


> ...The Junior Master of Ceremonies (Sits in the right of the 3 chairs in front of the SW) answers alarms at the Preparing Room Door.


Inner guard.. he sits inside the door of the lodge. Normally in the NE - but it depends on where the door is... (normally NE on the East OR North wall)



Keith C said:


> ..The Pursuivant (Sits in the middle of the 3 chairs in front of the SW) is in charge of Tyling the Lodge,  answers alarms at the Outer Door and opens the door for those entering or leaving the Lodge when open. He also introduces the DDGM and Officers of the District on Official Visitations and the RWGM in case of his visitation.



Not such office as Pursuivant in our lodges. - the IG does all the door operating in our lodges.. DDGMs and such would be conducted and intro'ed by the Director of Ceremonies, if the RWGM was there, the DC would be joined by both Deacons who would conduct him in under the wands (rods.. but we always call them wands)..



Keith C said:


> ...The JD (Sits at the Right Hand of the SW) carries messages from the SW to the JW and back..


JD sits in the same spot and has the same job.. but also opens the 1st Degree TB (tracing board) AND conducts and answers for 1st Degree candidates... our deacons seem to be the general American Steward, Deacon and conductor all in one..



Keith C said:


> ...The SD (Sits at the Right Hand of the WM) carries messages from the WM to the SW and back, prepares the Ballot Box, seconds the Secretaries motions and transfers documents between the Secretary and WM.


Same job, but not seconding - how strange.. what if he disagrees with it..SD also opens and closed 2nd and 3rd TB, conducts 2nd and 3rd candidates, instructs the JD, and generally keeps busy..  Ballot material here - deacons both pay a part but different roles



Keith C said:


> ...Candidates are prepared and conducted by a Sr. Brother appointed as "Guide" by the WM.



Tyler prepares candidates - deacons conduct them..

There's other jobs like opening the tools (DC), VSL (IPM), but you get the general idea..  Deacons here seem to have a much larger role.. many will say its the best job in the lodge..


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## Brother_Steve (Oct 6, 2017)

New Jersey:
- Junior Deacon attends to all alarms at the outer door. Sees that the lodge is Tiled.
- Senior Deacon attends to all alarms at the inner door, receives candidates and accommodates visitors.
- Senior Master of Ceremonies prepares the candidate, reads the interrogatories to the candidate during an EA degree and brings the candidate into the lodge.
- The Junior MoC assists his Sr counterpart.
- We utilize a Masrshal which physically conducts the candidate while the SD heads the column.
-Stewarts just have floorwork during degrees.


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## Keith C (Oct 6, 2017)

Bloke said:


> There no "three chairs" beside our SW - only one - for our JD... and I know you guys will not have a lot of these offices..



The 3 chairs for the SMC / Pursuivant / JMC are in FRONT of the SW's Station.  The JD is to the right of it.

We have 1 outer door, a preparing room in the South West, an Examining room in the North West, with door between the Ante room (within the outer door, without the inner doors) and doors between the Preparing room and the Examining room and the Lodge room (SW & NW respectively)  Most PA Lodges have two inner doors, One between the Preparing Room door and the JD (who sits beside this inner door) and one between the Examining room door and the SW.  The first act in opening the lodge is the Pursuivant closing the outer door.  A bit later in the opening work the Pursuivant tyles the lodge, locking all the inner doors (Examining room, NW inner door, Preparing Room, SW inner door in that order).


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## CLewey44 (Oct 6, 2017)

Oklahoma, the JS and SS escort the candidate and the SD walks in front doing the speaking. The JS/SS only lines are upon entering from the NW. Also, OK only does one candidate at a time. No pursuviants, no MCs, no Marshalls, no Musicians, No IG/OG, Historians etc. Just WM, Wardens, Deacons, Stewards, Treasurer, Chaplain, Tyler and Secretary.


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## Warrior1256 (Oct 6, 2017)

CLewey44 said:


> Oklahoma, the JS and SS escort the candidate and the SD walks in front doing the speaking. The JS/SS only lines are upon entering from the NW.





CLewey44 said:


> No pursuviants, no MCs, no Marshalls, no Musicians, No IG/OG, Historians etc. Just WM, Wardens, Deacons, Stewards, Treasurer, Chaplain, Tyler and Secretary.


Same here.


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## Ripcord22A (Oct 6, 2017)

NM and OR
JD-ensures the lodge is Tiled, attends alarms at the outer door(this door is to the Right of the SW and leads out of the Lodge Room), Carries messages from the SW to the JW*
SD-Attends the Altar(opens the GL, LL), Attends to alarms at the Inner Door(this door is to the left of the SW and leads to the preparation room where the Candidate enters), welcomes and accommodates visiting brethren and introduces them at the Altar.  carries messages the WM to the SW*, Asks the interrogatories to the candidate during an EA degree and also receives the candidate on the tool. Prepares the ballot box and displays it for the Pedestal officers.
Both Stewards see that the Candidate is prepared and the SS answers the interrogatories at the door.
(officers are the WM,SW,JW,Sec, Trea, SD,JD, SS,JS,Marshall, Chaplain)

OR only-
SD-after receiving the candidate on the tool, then takes possession of the candidate for the rest of the ceremony, this is for all 3 degrees. 
J/SS- pass the C to the SD after he receives him on the tool and then follow until the E and the stay in the E flanking the WM.

NM only-
SD- after receiving the C on the tool then walks in front of the candidate and then takes possession at the stations passing back to the J/SS
JD-Purges the lodge/ ensures all that are unknown to him are properly vouched for(this is done by the SW in OR by rising and looking around)
J/SD-Receives the PW from the brethren when opening on the 2or3
J/SS-Conduct the Candidate in all 3 degrees

fun fact:
In AZ the J/SDs both attend at the altar and the SD gives the pass, token of the pass and on the step gives the DG and PS up to what ever degree is being opened on to the SW and WM at the opening and closing.

It seems as if some Jurisdictions have done away with redundancy in positions, consolidating multiple chairs in to a few chairs.  Really what is the point of having 3 chairs whose duties can be done by 1?


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## CLewey44 (Oct 6, 2017)

In OK, the JD/SD get the word on each corresponding side, but here in NY, if I recall, only the SD gets it from both sides which takes a hair longer I guess.


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## Bloke (Oct 8, 2017)

Keith C said:


> The 3 chairs for the SMC / Pursuivant / JMC are in FRONT of the SW's Station.  The JD is to the right of it.
> 
> We have 1 outer door, a preparing room in the South West, an Examining room in the North West, with door between the Ante room (within the outer door, without the inner doors) and doors between the Preparing room and the Examining room and the Lodge room (SW & NW respectively)  Most PA Lodges have two inner doors, One between the Preparing Room door and the JD (who sits beside this inner door) and one between the Examining room door and the SW.  The first act in opening the lodge is the Pursuivant closing the outer door.  A bit later in the opening work the Pursuivant tyles the lodge, locking all the inner doors (Examining room, NW inner door, Preparing Room, SW inner door in that order).


I know of only 1 lodge room here which has two doors into it.... we normally have 1 door and the convenient room is outside that; we all come in and exit through a single door.


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## Warrior1256 (Oct 8, 2017)

Bloke said:


> I know of only 1 lodge room here which has two doors into it.


All of the lodge rooms that I have been in so far have two doors.


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## CLewey44 (Oct 8, 2017)

Warrior1256 said:


> All of the lodge rooms that I have been in so far have two doors.



Bro. Warrior, sounds like we've been to the same places lol. I've only seen two doors too.


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## Warrior1256 (Oct 8, 2017)

CLewey44 said:


> I've only seen two doors too.


.....and each one is intended for specific functions although ordinarily they can simply be used as entrance / exit.


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## Ripcord22A (Oct 8, 2017)

Every lodge I've ever been in has a door on either side
of SW and then on on the south wall between the JW and the Secretary


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## CLewey44 (Oct 8, 2017)

Warrior1256 said:


> .....and each one is intended for specific functions although ordinarily they can simply be used as entrance / exit.



I've only seen NW and SW. Weird how they differ like that.


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## Warrior1256 (Oct 8, 2017)

CLewey44 said:


> I've only seen NW and SW. Weird how they differ like that.


Same here.


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## Bloke (Oct 8, 2017)

(I should mention you will see two doors in photos sometimes here - the second door is always a fire exit and a fire exit only).


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## HoldenMonty (Oct 9, 2017)

It's interesting to see how everything is still covered in each jurisdiction but how who does what is a little different.


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## Keith C (Oct 9, 2017)

Looking from East to West in our Lodge room.  Doors from left to right, Preparing room, to Ante-room, to Ante-room, Examining room.







Most of the Lodges in PA that I have visited are like this, some only have one door to the ante-room.


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## CLewey44 (Oct 9, 2017)

Interesting...looks super nice btw. Very cool.


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## MBC (Oct 9, 2017)

Bloke said:


> 1. Inner guard.. he sits inside the door of the lodge. Normally in the NE - but it depends on where the door is... (normally NE on the East OR North wall)
> 
> 2. Not such office as Pursuivant in our lodges. - the IG does all the door operating in our lodges.
> 
> 3. JD sits in the same spot and has the same job.. but also opens the 1st Degree TB (tracing board) AND conducts and answers for 1st Degree candidates... our deacons seem to be the general American Steward, Deacon and conductor all in one.



1. Our Inner Guard usually sits at NW, or where the door would be.
2. We only have Pursuivant in Provincial Grand or Grand level, but it is the same as Inner Guard in a private lodge.
3. Our JD sits right hand of the SW, the SW part of the Lodge


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## Brother_Steve (Oct 10, 2017)

Keith C said:


> Looking from East to West in our Lodge room.  Doors from left to right, Preparing room, to Ante-room, to Ante-room, Examining room.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


the taper in the south would get us hollered at here in NJ. We have to center the south taper on the alter's southern face.


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## Keith C (Oct 10, 2017)

Brother_Steve said:


> the taper in the south would get us hollered at here in NJ. We have to center the south taper on the alter's southern face.



Aren't the differences interesting?  Our North and South tapers are in line with each other and just west of the edge of the alter.  The outlets in the floor are set to the correct locations, so we just plug them in and center them on the outlet and we are good to go!


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## Brother_Steve (Oct 10, 2017)

Keith C said:


> Aren't the differences interesting?  Our North and South tapers are in line with each other and just west of the edge of the alter.  The outlets in the floor are set to the correct locations, so we just plug them in and center them on the outlet and we are good to go!


there is another difference. we do not have a north taper 

East, West and South.


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## Keith C (Oct 10, 2017)

Brother_Steve said:


> there is another difference. we do not have a north taper
> 
> East, West and South.



Yes, Technically ours are East, West and South, and the East and West are to the North of the Altar and the South is in line with the West.  I was (ineffectively) describing our arrangement vs Brother_Steve's.


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## Brother_Steve (Oct 10, 2017)

Keith C said:


> Yes, Technically ours are East, West and South, and the East and West are to the North of the Altar and the South is in line with the West.  I was (ineffectively) describing our arrangement vs Brother_Steve's.


I have to make it out to a PA lodge one of these days. I was nominated for JW last night so it may be a couple of years before I have the time to do so.


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## billyjfootball (Oct 10, 2017)

Keith C said:


> Just be careful!
> 
> I was raised last November, in December & January I was asked to sit in the JMC chair for two Extra meetings.  In March our Junior Deacon stopped coming to lodge as he now had to work on Wednesday nights, so I was asked to be JD.  In August our Senior Deacon told the WM that he was unable to continue in the line for personal reasons, so would not be completing the requirements to run for Junior Warden.  So guess who is scrambling to do that now?



Dude, that's crazy!  I believe we were raised about the same time like Novemberish 2016.  Same thing more or less happened to me.  So now I'm studying to be qualified in the EA degree so that I can become JW in December.  It's a very daunting thing, but will be worth it.  Nice to know I'm in the same boat with somebody.  I felt alone.


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## tldubb (Oct 10, 2017)

Keith C said:


> Aren't the differences interesting?  Our North and South tapers are in line with each other and just west of the edge of the alter.  The outlets in the floor are set to the correct locations, so we just plug them in and center them on the outlet and we are good to go!



Same PA PHA too.


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## MarkR (Oct 11, 2017)

In Minnesota, all three tapers are together on the north side of the altar (note: altar, not alter), arranged in a triangle east, west, and south.  Here's a picture of me doing an education presentation.  It was a public presentation on a night we were doing a fund-raising event, thus picture was okay. VSL not open, lesser lights not lit.


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## HoldenMonty (Oct 11, 2017)

Do any of you guys have other masonic bodies that meet at your Lodge. I was just thinking because our alter has wheels on it so it can move around the floor because from what I heard that some of the other bodies don't have it directly in the middle of the floor like we do so ever now and then depending on what they are doing it might be more towards the east so we have to roll it back to the middle of the floor between the three outlets in the floor where we plug in our three lamp stands.


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## Ripcord22A (Oct 11, 2017)

MarkR said:


> In Minnesota, all three tapers are together on the north side of the altar (note: altar, not alter), arranged in a triangle east, west, and south.  Here's a picture of me doing an education presentation.  It was a public presentation on a night we were doing a fund-raising event, thus picture was okay. VSL not open, lesser lights not lit.View attachment 6037



NM does the same but in the south..,,in Oregon we have 2 on the south side of the altar and 1on the north centered on the altar


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## Keith C (Oct 11, 2017)

HoldenMonty said:


> Do any of you guys have other masonic bodies that meet at your Lodge. I was just thinking because our alter has wheels on it so it can move around the floor because from what I heard that some of the other bodies don't have it directly in the middle of the floor like we do so ever now and then depending on what they are doing it might be more towards the east so we have to roll it back to the middle of the floor between the three outlets in the floor where we plug in our three lamp stands.




Yes, all 3 York Rite bodies meet in our Lodge Room and our Altar is on wheels as well.


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## Keith C (Oct 11, 2017)

billyjfootball said:


> Dude, that's crazy!  I believe we were raised about the same time like Novemberish 2016.  Same thing more or less happened to me.  So now I'm studying to be qualified in the EA degree so that I can become JW in December.  It's a very daunting thing, but will be worth it.  Nice to know I'm in the same boat with somebody.  I felt alone.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using My Freemasonry mobile app



Yes, it seems we are in the same boat! 

I had a session with our WM on Monday evening and I have the majority of it down. My main difficulty seems to be switching the order of words in the lecture.

Our Stated meeting is tonight and I hope to enlist the help of some other brothers to assist me.  I hope to be able to get signed off at our next school of instruction on November 1st, but our DDGM has graciously agreed to assist in finding someone to listen and sign off sometime after that but before the end of November in case that doesn't work out.


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## Warrior1256 (Oct 11, 2017)

HoldenMonty said:


> I was just thinking because our alter has wheels on it so it can move around the floor because from what I heard that some of the other bodies don't have it directly in the middle of the floor like we do so ever now and then depending on what they are doing it might be more towards the east so we have to roll it back to the middle of the floor between the three outlets in the floor where we plug in our three lamp stands.


Same here. My mother lodge and 4 others meet at the Knights Templar Commandery.


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## Bloke (Oct 11, 2017)

HoldenMonty said:


> Do any of you guys have other masonic bodies that meet at your Lodge. I was just thinking because our alter has wheels on it so it can move around the floor because from what I heard that some of the other bodies don't have it directly in the middle of the floor like we do so ever now and then depending on what they are doing it might be more towards the east so we have to roll it back to the middle of the floor between the three outlets in the floor where we plug in our three lamp stands.


Yes, we have different orders that set the lodge room according to the Order using it. Craft Lodges here have the alter in the East in front of the Master - the centre pavement is clear in the Craft. The location of the alter s a big hint on where the lodge room might be when looking at photos of them....


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## SCStrong (Oct 11, 2017)

Facing the West ( 2 doors - sw/nw  -  three tapers)


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## goomba (Oct 11, 2017)

The first diagram is for the Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia and  the second for the Grand Lodge of Alabama.  While I couldn't  find the official diagram for the Grand Lodge of Maryland the tapers are arraigned east of the alter and I've seen them in both a right triangle and equilateral triangle.


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## Brother JC (Oct 11, 2017)

I’ve previously posted a sheet of diagrams, which can also be found in Brother Davis’ “The Mason’s Words.”


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## Bloke (Oct 12, 2017)

Keith C said:


> Looking from East to West in our Lodge room.  Doors from left to right, Preparing room, to Ante-room, to Ante-room, Examining room.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


The ecclesiastical windows are interesting - was it once a church or build as a Masonic Centre?


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## Keith C (Oct 12, 2017)

Bloke said:


> The ecclesiastical windows are interesting - was it once a church or build as a Masonic Centre?



It was a church built at the turn of the 20th Century.  The congregation built a new building in the early 1960's and one of the two lodges that merged to form the current lodge bought the building then.


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## Bloke (Oct 12, 2017)

Keith C said:


> It was a church built at the turn of the 20th Century.  The congregation built a new building in the early 1960's and one of the two lodges that merged to form the current lodge bought the building then.


Thanks... I suspected something like that,  its common here as well, an old Church building makes a good lodge building.. we have several here like that, but I've also noticed often AASR buildings often have an ecclesiastic look...


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## Warrior1256 (Oct 15, 2017)

Keith C said:


> It was a church built at the turn of the 20th Century. The congregation built a new building in the early 1960's and one of the two lodges that merged to form the current lodge bought the building then.





Bloke said:


> its common here as well, an old Church building makes a good lodge building.


Hadn't thought of this before.


Bloke said:


> I've also noticed often AASR buildings often have an ecclesiastic look...


True although ours is built on the ancient Greek or Roman style....large stone building, large columns, etc.


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