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Traveling Certificate

Warrior1256

Site Benefactor
We have a committee of 3, appointed as needed to examine a visitor and the Chair of that committee asks the pertinent questions, confirms the grip the 5POF and the word then administers the obligation.
Same here except we have one other thing that we are required to do besides the Tyler's Oath.
 

MarkR

Premium Member
We don't memorize the Tyler's Oath, and we don't expect anyone to have it memorized when they arrive. After seeing a dues card, confirming that his lodge/Grand Lodge are in amity, doing some examination, we use the Tyler's Oath in a "repeat after me" manner.
 

EVG Yumul

Registered User
We don't have dues cards in my jurisdiction, but we do have Travelling Certificates.
Note that Travelling Certificates are different from Master Mason's Certificates.
I regularly visit lodges outside of my jurisdiction and overseas, I always bring my Travelling Certificate and a Grand Lodge Certified copy of my MM Certificate.
I've attached my Travelling Certificate issued by the United Grand Lodge of New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory for every brother's perusal.
 

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Mrredsand9

Registered User
Anyone familiar if Grand Lodge of pennsylvania would issue a travelling certificate? This would greatly ease my mind when visiting other states with different examinations of visitors
 

Ian Hughes

Registered User
traveling patents are nice to have. inside the u.s., it's not really neccesary to use it, as your dues card and a letter of good standing from your lodge should suffice. the traveling patent is ideal for when you are going out of country, also needing to be accompanied by a letter of good standing, but the letter needs to come from your grand lodge, making sure that the letter has been dated close to the time that you are traveling out of country. some GL's offer multiple sizes of the certificate. my GL offers a standard letter size certificate and a larger certificate for framing. sorry, probably more info than was needed, just thought I would throw some info out there for you brothers.

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Winter

Premium Member
I moved to Florida a few years back and didn't even need a letter of good standing from my home jurisdiction in Wisconsin. There are so many Snow Birds every year that the lodges swell in the Winter months and they are used to receiving visiting Brothers as a regular occurrence here. Any lodges I visit (there are 20 in my county, about one one every other block) just asked to see my dues card and checked it against the current registry of regular and recognized lodges, gave me the examination to prove myself as a Master Mason, and administered the Tyler's Oath. After that they issued me a visitors card that allows me to attend as a visiting Brother as I please without calling ahead to the Secretary. I will say, every Lodge I visited for the first time in he GLofFL received me in very formal fashion as a visiting PM with all courtesy and ceremony. I was very impressed since I rarely received such treatment visiting in my home jurisdiction.

As a side note, there are so many Brothers from my home jurisdiction in Wisconsin living in Florida that the Grand Master of Masons of Wisconsin comes to Florida annually to hold a gathering and banquet for Wisconsin Masons that live in Florida!

[edited to correct number of lodges in my county]
 

Warrior1256

Site Benefactor
I will say, every Lodge I visited for the first time in he GLofFL received me in very formal fashion as a visiting PM with all courtesy and ceremony. I was very impressed since I rarely received such treatment visiting in my home jurisdiction.
Nice!
As a side note, there are so many Brothers from my home jurisdiction in Wisconsin living in Florida that the Grand Master of Masons of Wisconsin comes to Florida annually to hold a gathering and banquet for Wisconsin Masons that live in Florida!
Also nice!
 

dfreybur

Premium Member
traveling patents are nice to have. inside the u.s., it's not really neccesary to use it, as your dues card and a letter of good standing from your lodge should suffice. the traveling patent is ideal for when you are going out of country, also needing to be accompanied by a letter of good standing, but the letter needs to come from your grand lodge, making sure that the letter has been dated close to the time that you are traveling out of country. some GL's offer multiple sizes of the certificate. my GL offers a standard letter size certificate and a larger certificate for framing. sorry, probably more info than was needed, just thought I would throw some info out there for you brothers.

The dues card handles all of that. I get knew ones every year that say what year my dues are current for. And it's issued by my GL and embossed by my local lodge.

Except my Illinois life/endowed membership card. That one says it's good for life so it doesn't have that I'm in good standing. I could get kicked out and I'd still have that card. I don't think many Illinois Masons who have endowed their own life membership get expelled but there are a few expulsions each year and some will have funded their endowment.
 

Ian Hughes

Registered User
The dues card handles all of that. I get knew ones every year that say what year my dues are current for. And it's issued by my GL and embossed by my local lodge.

Except my Illinois life/endowed membership card. That one says it's good for life so it doesn't have that I'm in good standing. I could get kicked out and I'd still have that card. I don't think many Illinois Masons who have endowed their own life membership get expelled but there are a few expulsions each year and some will have funded their endowment.
that is good to know, for sure. I was just under the impression that going out of country required a letter, at the least, under the impression that not all american GL'S may be recognized or known outside of the states. I am still pretty new to the knowledge game, having only been raised back in august. Thats why I joined this site, hopefully the better to educate myself by some well versed brothers.

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Mark Stockdale

Premium Member
I find this all very interesting, especially as I am holidaying in Washington DC later this year and would like to visit a couple of lodges. I have been given permission from The Grand Lodge of Scotland and The Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia, but other than carrying my Master Mason and my Mark Master Mason certificates, I believe I will be issued a letter from GLoS with the stated permission.
 
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