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Lodge Room Etiqutte

Brother JStoffo

Brother JStoffo

Registered User
Hello Brothers,

I just moved from Florda to Oregon and was accepted into a local Lodge outside of Portland. Do regulations vary from state to state regarding in Lodge etiquette? For example, in Florida, I could stand and be recognized during a meeting at my own Lodge but not at other Lodges even in my own jurisdiction. Being a new member of my new Oregon Lodge, can I stand and be recognized at meetings? Is there a Masonic Lodge room etiquette guide in the Secretary's office? I couldn't find anything n the Grand Lodge website on line. I am interested in hearing your responses.

Bro James
FL Keys Lodge 323
Milwaukie OR Lodge 109
 
W

Winter

Premium Member
Unless Oregon publishes its own etiquette guide, I would say ask the Sec. there. Every jurisdiction has it's own flavor.
 
Bloke

Bloke

Premium Member
Brother JStoffo said:
Hello Brothers,

I just moved from Florda to Oregon and was accepted into a local Lodge outside of Portland. Do regulations vary from state to state regarding in Lodge etiquette? For example, in Florida, I could stand and be recognized during a meeting at my own Lodge but not at other Lodges even in my own jurisdiction. Being a new member of my new Oregon Lodge, can I stand and be recognized at meetings? Is there a Masonic Lodge room etiquette guide in the Secretary's office? I couldn't find anything n the Grand Lodge website on line. I am interested in hearing your responses.

Bro James
FL Keys Lodge 323
Milwaukie OR Lodge 109
Click to expand...
Hello Bro, Winter is correct, different places have different rules and customs.

Here the etiquette is to address the WM on business of the Lodge as "The Second Time of Rising" unless responding to a motion or an agenda item elsewhere.

The best thing to do is just ask the man who leads the ceremonial, sec or WM.
 
M

morganw320

Registered User
Brother JStoffo said:
Hello Brothers,

I just moved from Florda to Oregon and was accepted into a local Lodge outside of Portland. Do regulations vary from state to state regarding in Lodge etiquette? For example, in Florida, I could stand and be recognized during a meeting at my own Lodge but not at other Lodges even in my own jurisdiction. Being a new member of my new Oregon Lodge, can I stand and be recognized at meetings? Is there a Masonic Lodge room etiquette guide in the Secretary's office? I couldn't find anything n the Grand Lodge website on line. I am interested in hearing your responses.

Bro James
FL Keys Lodge 323
Milwaukie OR Lodge 109
Click to expand...
I'm the secretary of a lodge in Winston Salem NC, and I'd like to remind all of us that Masons meet on the level. Voting on a lodge issue is another issue, but a friendly comment about the meal, I think, would be welcome.
 
W

Winter

Premium Member
morganw320 said:
I'm the secretary of a lodge in Winston Salem NC, and I'd like to remind all of us that Masons meet on the level. Voting on a lodge issue is another issue, but a friendly comment about the meal, I think, would be welcome.
Click to expand...
Uh, what?
 
Bloke

Bloke

Premium Member
I was thinking about this. We really don't have a simple guide here. We give some written guidance to EAs and new MMs in our welcome packs, but nothing a general member can access.

I've written articles on Masonic Etiquette and Masonic Manners before so I googled it. Lot's of results. I liked this gem an I've added bold to a bit of it:

"A Brother wishing to participate in a discussion in open Lodge should always rise and address the Worshipful Master. He should speak on the subject at issue in the fewest possible words, not using his privilege of the floor as an opportunity to deliver a speech merely for its own sake.""

I'm gonna tell the Grand Master ! Hahaha...

But seriously, it drives me crazy when people speak for 5 mins on something that only needs 1.

Each Constitution (and sometimes lodge for that matter) has its own etiquette and customs, but the above quote came from here
https://www.grandlodgefl.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/GL-208-Masonic-Etiquette-Booklet.pdf

The sort of thing above is good and very handy for those to want to learn how to do something in particular or act in a particular situation.

There is a lot of advice out there and much of it specific to a Grand Lodge..
 
Brother JStoffo

Brother JStoffo

Registered User
Brothers, specifically I wanted to stand and make a motion to introduce the concept of having a 2-3 minute Masonic Education presentation at each meeting. Just a quick really cool bit of information that most Masons may not know but would be enlightening to any Mason. I also don't want to be that new guy in the Lodge that wants to come in and change everything. My new Lodge is great. The Brothers exemplify what Masonry is all about. We stick around after meetings and have toasts and spend time on off days together. I also think that we can always use a little improvement on our Masonic education. Would it be as simple as me standing to address the Craft and making a motion to do so? Thanks in advance for your comments.
 
MarkR

MarkR

Premium Member
Brother JStoffo said:
Brothers, specifically I wanted to stand and make a motion to introduce the concept of having a 2-3 minute Masonic Education presentation at each meeting. Just a quick really cool bit of information that most Masons may not know but would be enlightening to any Mason. I also don't want to be that new guy in the Lodge that wants to come in and change everything. My new Lodge is great. The Brothers exemplify what Masonry is all about. We stick around after meetings and have toasts and spend time on off days together. I also think that we can always use a little improvement on our Masonic education. Would it be as simple as me standing to address the Craft and making a motion to do so? Thanks in advance for your comments.
Click to expand...
I'd approach the WM informally to gauge his support. I would think any decent WM would be on board with it, and would simply add that item to the meeting agenda. Personally, I think every lodge should be doing an education piece in every stated meeting.
 
dfreybur

dfreybur

Premium Member
Brother JStoffo said:
Hello Brothers,

I just moved from Florda to Oregon and was accepted into a local Lodge outside of Portland. Do regulations vary from state to state regarding in Lodge etiquette? For example, in Florida, I could stand and be recognized during a meeting at my own Lodge but not at other Lodges even in my own jurisdiction. Being a new member of my new Oregon Lodge, can I stand and be recognized at meetings? Is there a Masonic Lodge room etiquette guide in the Secretary's office? I couldn't find anything n the Grand Lodge website on line. I am interested in hearing your responses.

Bro James
FL Keys Lodge 323
Milwaukie OR Lodge 109
Click to expand...
You definitely get to start giving presentations yourself. I did that long ago. I informed the Master and Secretary that if no one else had a Masonic education presentation, I would give one. I had been writing articles for the lodge trestle board for a few years so I was a known commodity. Plus it was a point in one of the Grand Lodge programs. After a couple of years I was presenting around the district.

That gives you a plan. Write articles to establish yourself. Then volunteer to present at Stated meetings. Then travel the district.

I like it even more when another Brother presents. I set the example that several wanted to do them like me.

Can you volunteer others? Not so much.

Consider the Short Talk Bulliten series to give you ideas.
 
Glen Cook

Glen Cook

G A Cook
Site Benefactor
dfreybur said:
You definitely get to start giving presentations yourself. I did that long ago. I informed the Master and Secretary that if no one else had a Masonic education presentation, I would give one. I had been writing articles for the lodge trestle board for a few years so I was a known commodity. Plus it was a point in one of the Grand Lodge programs. After a couple of years I was presenting around the district.

That gives you a plan. Write articles to establish yourself. Then volunteer to present at Stated meetings. Then travel the district.

I like it even more when another Brother presents. I set the example that several wanted to do them like me.

Can you volunteer others? Not so much.

Consider the Short Talk Bulliten series to give you ideas.
Click to expand...
And good to hear from you.
 
I

Ill John J. Tumolo III

Registered User
As Secretary for my Blue Lodge, I'm sometimes asked what the etiquette is for our Pennsylvania Lodge, usually after the Examination of a Visitor is completed. If you would like to know before attending a meeting, I suggest contacting the Lodge Secretary in advance-when I'm going out of state I always check if a Lodge in the area is listed for a Stated Meeting, then I ask the Secretary if it is the will and pleasure of the Worshipful Master to accept visitors at the meeting. It's a courtesy due to the fact that at rare times a Lodge may be involved with internal situations/problems that should remain within the body of their own open Lodge and isn't within the purview of outside Masons.
 
T

T.Hicks05

Registered User
Bloke said:
I was thinking about this. We really don't have a simple guide here. We give some written guidance to EAs and new MMs in our welcome packs, but nothing a general member can access.

I've written articles on Masonic Etiquette and Masonic Manners before so I googled it. Lot's of results. I liked this gem an I've added bold to a bit of it:

"A Brother wishing to participate in a discussion in open Lodge should always rise and address the Worshipful Master. He should speak on the subject at issue in the fewest possible words, not using his privilege of the floor as an opportunity to deliver a speech merely for its own sake.""

I'm gonna tell the Grand Master ! Hahaha...

But seriously, it drives me crazy when people speak for 5 mins on something that only needs 1.

Each Constitution (and sometimes lodge for that matter) has its own etiquette and customs, but the above quote came from here
https://www.grandlodgefl.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/GL-208-Masonic-Etiquette-Booklet.pdf

The sort of thing above is good and very handy for those to want to learn how to do something in particular or act in a particular situation.

There is a lot of advice out there and much of it specific to a Grand Lodge..
Click to expand...
SMIB
 
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