Lodgeroom UK

A member of my Lodge is lucky enough to be receiving a very good promotion at out Provincial AGM, he is also lucky enough to have a good membership that want to come along and support him. All sounds good so far, however we have a very keen newer member who is a fellow craft and because of this is not allowed to attend the meeting and therefore not dine either. In these days of mentoring and a push for retention would it not be a good idea to relax the rules and allow any initated brother to attend ?
At the AGM the Lodge is only opened in the first degree so I have no idea of the explanation I should give to our new brother.

What you have to remember is that Provincial Grand Lodge is actually a Master Masons lodge, and as such only MMs are permitted to attend. That its only opened in the first degree is neither here nor there. Proof that it's an MMs lodge? What do you use to salute the ProvGM?

Are you sure it is opened in the First Degree every PGL I have attended is opened directly into the Third because it is a Master Mason's Lodge. If you notice the opening ritual is completely different from a Private Lodge. The same is true of Grand Lodge.

James

I will let you know after the AGM I may well be mistaken I always thought it was only opened in the first, I really hope you are right and I am wrong, at least I have an explanation then. Thanks very much

JamesB wrote:Are you sure it is opened in the First Degree every PGL I have attended is opened directly into the Third because it is a Master Mason's Lodge. If you notice the opening ritual is completely different from a Private Lodge. The same is true of Grand Lodge.

James

Good point, third it is - serves me right for reading and writing with 2 boys yelling in the background!
Oh - and Barrie (surname? first name?) .. as James indicated, if you listen to the opening careful, you'll note significant differences from the opening of a private lodge.
That or take a look in the blue book under "The Opening and Closing of Grand Lodge and of Provincial and District Grand Lodges". Page 289 in my copy (Emulation, 8th edition)

Freemasonry in my humble opinion is about learning, teaching and understanding.

One of the most important lessons is patience.

Enthusiasm has to be tempered with patience.

When I was a young man I was under the influence of an exstreme amount of enthusiasm. It got me into a lot of trouble.

The Lodge Mentor should be looking at what is the most important lesson for the new Masons to learn.

My Grandson loves ice cream and when the ice cream van sounded his bell, I jumped up [well as well as I can jump] and went out with him to get an ice cream. Now he screams the place down if he does not get an ice cream ?? so you work it out. Was I right to give into his enthusiasm for ice cream or not ??

So I say to hell with the Masonic numbers lets create good Masons.

JamesB wrote:Are you sure it is opened in the First Degree every PGL I have attended is opened directly into the Third because it is a Master Mason's Lodge. If you notice the opening ritual is completely different from a Private Lodge. The same is true of Grand Lodge.

James

Being from a smaller jurisdiction we don't have PGMs. So we only have yearly Grand Communicationa, And the ritual is different than any Craft degree, but I enjoy it very much.

W.Bro.Barrie wrote:Yes you are correct it was my mistake it was opened as a Master Masons Lodge. It was a wonderful day at the AGM and the Connaught Rooms have really upped their game from previous visits. Our newly raised brother really enjoyed the whole day so let's hope someone from our Lodge gets some kind of promotion next year so we can take our very keen Fellowcraft then

Unless your Province operates somewhat differently, if you are a PM, you are entitled to attend regardless whether someone is getting an appointment/promotion, as are MMs (by invitation of the ProvGM) so assuming he has been Raised, you can take him anyway and represent your lodge.

How did he enjoy the experience?

good idea to relax the rules and allow any initated brother to attend ?
gclub online

najatuw4646 wrote:good idea to relax the rules and allow any initated brother to attend ?
gclub online

No - Provincial Grand Lodge and Grand Lodge are Master Masons lodges. It's not a case of 'relaxing the rules', it how they are/were formed.