278 lines
12 KiB
Plaintext
278 lines
12 KiB
Plaintext
SHORT TALK BULLETIN - Vol.IX February, 1931 No.2
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WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT MASONRY?
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by: Unknown
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NOTE: With the permission of the Worshipful Master, this Bulletin
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should be read as an examination of the Masonic knowledge possessed
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by the brethren. Read a question, and ask the brethren to answer it.
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If the answer is correct, pass to the next question; if the speaker
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is incorrect, or not sufficiently clear in his explanation, read the
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answer, prefacing it with the statement: “This Bulletin gives the
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correct answer as . . . . .etc.”
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This Bulletin forms a “stunt” for the amusement and edification of
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the brethren. It can be made to cover an hour, or an hour and one-
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half of entertainment, if the brethren are responsive and willing to
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answer questions. If it is the Worshipful Master’s pleasure, the
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questions may form a contest, each being asked of brother after
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brother until one is found who can answer it, then asking him to take
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a seat in the East. At the end of the contest, the brethren who know
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the most about Masonry will crowd the East, and those who know the
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least will remain upon the benches. A prize may be given to the
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brother able to answer the most questions, and so on.
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The brother reading this Bulletin should inform himself as to the
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answers to the first ten questions (space is left to write the
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answers), which differ in all Jurisdictions.
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QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS JURISDICTION
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Who is the Grand Master in this Jurisdiction?
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____________________________________________
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Who is the Grand Secretary in this
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Jurisdiction?___________________________________________
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When was this Grand Lodge formed?
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___________________________________________________
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Of how many Lodges was it formed?
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____________________________________________________
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Name the oldest Lodge in this Jurisdiction.
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_______________________________________________
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When was this Lodge Chartered?
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_______________________________________________________
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How many Master Masons in this Grand Jurisdictions?
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_____________________________________
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How many Lodges are in this Grand Jurisdiction?
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_________________________________________
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How many Masonic Districts in this Jurisdiction?
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_________________________________________
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Who is the District Deputy in this District?
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______________________________________________
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GENERAL MASONIC QUESTIONS
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Q. When was the Mother Grand Lodge formed?
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A. In 1717, in London, England
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Q. Who was the first Grand Master of the Mother Grand Lodge?
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A. Anthony Sabers, Gentleman.
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Q. When were the Constitutions first printed?
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A. In 1723
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Q. How many Lodges formed the Mother Grand Lodge?
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A. Four.
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Q. What were there names?
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A. They had no names in those days; they were simply “The Lodge
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meeting at the Rummer and Grapes Tavern,” “The Lodge meeting at
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the Goose and Gridiron Tavern,” etc.
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Q. What Presidents have been Masters of Lodges?
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A. George Washington, of Alexandria Lodge, Alexandria ,VA; James
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Buchanan, of Lodge No.43, Lancaster, PA; and Harry S. Truman,
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Grandview Lodge No.618 of Missouri.
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Q. What Presidents have been a Grand Master?
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A. Andrew Jackson. He was never a Master of a Lodge, but was
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elected from the floor of the Grand Lodge to be Grand Master
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of Tennessee; and Harry S. Truman, Missouri, 1940
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Q. Who was William Morgan?
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A. A renegade Mason who disappeared, and who was falsely said to
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have been murdered by Masons because of his intention to publish an
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expose` of Masonic Ritual.
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Q. What famous German poet was a Freemason?
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A. Goethe, the author of many poems, including one on Freemasonry,
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the first verse of which runs:The Mason’s ways are A type of
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existence, And his persistence Is as the days are Of men in this
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world. The future hides in it Gladness and sorrow;We press still
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thorow Naught that abides in it Daunting us - onward.
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Q. What famous English architect was a Freemason?
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A. Sir Christopher Wren, who built, among many other famous
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structures, the great St. Paul’s Cathedral, in London.
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Q. Name three famous American Revolutionary Day patriots who were
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Grand Masters?
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A. Paul Revere; General Warren, who fell at Bunker Hill; and
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Benjamin Franklin.
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Q. Name the Presidents of the United States positively known to
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have been Masons?
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A. Washington, Monroe, Polk, Buchanan, A. Johnson, Garfield,
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McKinley, T. Roosevelt, Taft, Harding, F.D. Roosevelt, Truman,
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L.B. Johnson (and a few since then).
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Q. Was Lincoln a Freemason?
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A. In his heart, yes. He was never Raised in any lodge, so far as
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the records go.
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Q. Is there a General Grand Lodge of the United States?
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A. There is not. One was proposed in the early days of
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Freemasonry in this country, and George Washington was approached
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as a possible General Grand Master, but refused.
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Q. Will there ever be one?
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A. Impossible to say what the future will bring forth, but the
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sentiment of every Grand Lodge is unalterably opposed to it. The
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Grand Masters Conference is on record against it. The Masonic
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Service Association has written into its constitution a provision
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against it.
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Q. Would a uniform ritual in all Jurisdictions be desirable?
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A. Had the ritual been uniform from the beginning it might have
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been desirable. As all Jurisdictions have their own form of
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the ancient ritual, any change now, looking toward uniformity,
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would be deplorable. It would be resented by all who love the ritual
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of their own Jurisdictions, and would inevitably lose many
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historical allusions and connotations now preserved in the
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various rituals. All the rituals teach the same lessons and impart
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the same knowledge, only the wording being different. An attempt
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at uniformity would gain little, and might lose much.
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Q. What is the meaning of the “Profane” as applied to a non-Mason?
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A. Literally, “without the temple;” uninstructed, uninformed,
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ignorant of Masonry, not a member of the Order. In this
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connection it does not describe the non-Mason as a blasphemes
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person.
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Q. What is the meaning of the word Abif?
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A. Literally, “His Father,” meaning one having authority, an
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elder, a wise man looked up to. Hiram Abif thus means “Hiram, my
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father,” a man venerated for his wisdom and his
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accomplishments.
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Q. Why do we call Master “Worshipful?”
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A. From the old English word “worchyp,” meaning “greatly
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respected.” In the Wycliffe Bible, “Honor thy Father and thy
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Mother” is written, “Worchyp thy fadir and thy modir.”
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“Worshipful Master,” does not mean “Master to be Worshipped,”
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but “Master, greatly respected.”
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Q. Why do we have a Grand Master, a Grand Lodge, instead of a
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Great Master, a Principal Lodge?
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A. “Grand” here means first, or primary. It is also so used in
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grandfather, or grand total; the first or principal father of the
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family; the principal total.
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Q. Is a Worshipful Master obliged to wear a hat?
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A. No. It is his privilege, and his alone, to remain covered in
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the lodge. In ancient days the king or ruler remained covered,
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his subjects removing their headgear as a sign of respect.
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Brethren remove their headgear before entering a lodge as a
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sign of respect; the Master remains covered to signify that his
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position is that to which the greatest respect should be paid.
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The hat is a symbol of his office. But he is not obliged to wear if
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he does not desire to do so.
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Q. Why do Masons salute the Worshipful Master on entering and/or
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retiring from the lodge?
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A. To avow before all the brethren that they remember their
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obligations; a visible evidence that they recall what they
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promised and under what penalties they are bound. In most
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Jurisdictions a Mason salutes before casting his ballot, to
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signify that he does so with memory of his obligations as a Mason,
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and with the good of the Order and his lodge uppermost in his
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mind. The Master answers the salute to signify not only recognition,
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but that he stands upon the level with his brethren, bound by the
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same tie which binds them.
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Q. Has a would-be visitor to the lodge who requests a Committee a
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right to ask to see the Charter of the lodge?
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A. He has the same right to ascertain that the lodge he would
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visit is “legally constituted,” as the lodge has to ascertain, by
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an examination of his knowledge and his credentials, that he is a
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regular Mason.
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Q. Has a would-be visitor the right to demand a committee?
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A. All affiliated Masons have the right to visit other lodges,
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provided that right is not in conflict with the prerogative of the
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Master to exclude from the lodge any brother whose presence, in his
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judgment, would interfere with the peace and harmony of the meeting;
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or the right of any brother of the lodge to object to the
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presence of a visitor with whom he cannot sit in peace and
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harmony. A well-informed and courteous visitor will not demand, but
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request a committee to examine him.
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Q. How many members must compose such a committee?
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A. Unless the Grand Lodge has ruled a certain number, the
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committee may consist of as many as the Worshipful Master desires
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to appoint. Two or three are customary; a committee of one is
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not uncommon, although it is a courtesy to the visiting brother to
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send out at least two.
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Q. Has the visitor the right to demand that the committee take the
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Tiler’s Oath with him?
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A. A well-informed committee will not wait to be asked. The
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visitor has a perfect right to hear the brethren who are to
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examine him on Masonry state under oath that they too are regularly
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Initiated, Passed and Raised Masons.
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Q. Can a Master sit in Lodge without an Apron?
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A. He can. So can he keep his hat on in church. But he should
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not, if aprons are available. A Mason is not properly clothed in
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lodge without an apron. At a communication attended so largely
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as to use all the aprons available, it would be unthinkable to
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exclude late comers who would clothe themselves properly if
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they could. Most Master Masons, if all the aprons are in use, will
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use a pocket handkerchief as a substitute, merely as evidence to all
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that they know how a Mason should be clothed.
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Q. Should a lodge bury an Entered Apprentice or Fellowcraft with
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Masonic honors?
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A. Mackey states that the right of Masonic burial is one possessed
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only by Master Masons. Preston, the author of the original
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Masonic burial service, says in his “Illustrations of Masonry:”
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“No Mason can be interred with the formalities of the Order unless it
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be at his own request, communicated to the Master of the Lodge of
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which he died a member; foreigners and sojourners excepted; nor
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unless he has been advanced to the Third Degree of Masonry, from
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which restriction there can be no exceptions. Fellowcrafts or
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Apprentices are not entitled to the funeral obsequies.”
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Q. May a brother appeal from the decision of the Master of the
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Lodge?
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A. He may not. If he attempts such an appeal, a well-informed
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Master will rule him out of order. Appeal from the Master’s acts
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and decisions lies to his Grand Lodge or the Grand Master “ad
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interim.” The Master’s decisions on all that occurs in his lodge are
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final, until reversed by the Grand Master or the Grand Lodge.
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In some Jurisdictions appeal on some matters may be made to the
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District Deputy, and his decision overrules that of the Master, but
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he may in turn be overruled by the Grand Master or the Grand Lodge.
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Q. Can a lodge adjourn?
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A. No. A lodge must always be in one of three conditions: At
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labor, at refreshment, or closed. Nor can a lodge dictate to the
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Master when the lodge must be opened or closed. A Master cannot
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legally open his lodge before the Stated time, but he can open it as
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much later as he chooses; he has the sole power of calling special
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communications, and can close any communication at any time.
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Q. Is it permissible to offer a motion to lay on the table?
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A. It is not. The Master has the complete control of debate. He
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may initiate it, curtail it and close it at his pleasure. No
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motion which curtails his power to control and limit debate should
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ever be offered. If offered, the well-informed Master
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will decline to put it.
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Q. Where can information similar to that conveyed in these
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questions and answers be readily obtained?
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A. From the Code, by-laws and Constitutions of the Grand Lodge;
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from the ritual and manual of the degrees; from hundreds of
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fine Masonic books. The invaluable “Mackey’s Jurisprudence,” the
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“Little Masonic Library,” and a good Masonic encyclopedia are all
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excellent sources.
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