Traveling masons

From what I understand, freemasons can travel to another city or even country and enter a Masonic lodge and join its meetings. I have a couple of questions about this...

1. Can an unknown mason enter a lodge and join its meeting? Or does a local mason need to vouch for him?

2. Not all Masonic lodges or organization, (sorry I’m not familiar with Masonic diction) recognize each other, so I was wondering is recognition between lodges always reciprocal?
(for example, I know Moonchild could not enter Seb’s lodge, but could Seb enter Moonchild’s?)

If the answers to these questions are considered secret of recognition, (I’m sorry in advance if this is the case) feel free to ignore this post. If that is so could a mod delete this thread? I doubt non-masons could answer this one. And I'm sure non-mason masonic experts will respect the masons wishes.

Reading Axeman post about Masonic brotherhood during the civil war made me think of this. (Excellent post by the way, I gave you a “way above” for making me feel good!)

Originally posted by ConspiracyNut23
1. Can an unknown mason enter a lodge and join its meeting? Or does a local mason need to vouch for him?

Any Mason can go to any (mutually recognized) lodge and sit in on meetings. I think they can even sit in on degrees. All that is required is that the visitor prove he is a Mason, either by using one of the secret modes of recognition, or perhaps more often, by showing a current dues card from his home lodge.

2. Not all Masonic lodges or organization, (sorry I’m not familiar with Masonic diction) recognize each other, so I was wondering is recognition between lodges always reciprocal?
(for example, I know Moonchild could not enter Seb’s lodge, but could Seb enter Moonchild’s?)

No. It gets a little confusing at times, too. I typed up an explanation, and it was too convoluted; I'm not sure of the specifics so I'll leave that for someone better suited to answer.

I do know this: Even if Mason A's lodge recognizes Mason B's lodge, if Mason B's lodge doesn't recognize Mason A's lodge, he will not be allowed, by his own lodge's rules, to visit the irregular one. Does that make sense?

(Sorry, I'm still of the opinion that Moonchild is an interloper.)

And I'm sure non-mason masonic experts...

I dunno if you're talking about me, but if you are, you give me too much credit. I am far from an expert.

Reading Axeman post about Masonic brotherhood during the civil war made me think of this. (Excellent post by the way, I gave you a “way above” for making me feel good!)

Thanks dude!

[edit on 8/25/05 by The Axeman]

Originally posted by ConspiracyNut23
From what I understand, freemasons can travel to another city or even country and enter a Masonic lodge and join its meetings. I have a couple of questions about this...

1. Can an unknown mason enter a lodge and join its meeting? Or does a local mason need to vouch for him?

They can, in the US they must show a current dues card and be able to answer some specific questions correctly to get in. I cannot visit every lodge as some are considered clandestine by our Grand Lodge and therefore cannot be visited per our obligation.

2. Not all Masonic lodges or organization, (sorry I’m not familiar with Masonic diction) recognize each other, so I was wondering is recognition between lodges always reciprocal?
(for example, I know Moonchild could not enter Seb’s lodge, but could Seb enter Moonchild’s?)

Recognition is not always reciprocal. As master of our lodge I have received letters from clandestine lodges that wanted to be able to use our building to meet. One such allowed women to become members and was certainly considered clandestine by our Grand Lodge. I therefore informed them that we could not meet with them or have them work at our building. They understood. Those people recognized us as Masons but we could not recognize them.

Most of the time recognition is reciprocal as the different Grand Lodges meet and recognize each other and therefore every lodge in their jurisdiction.

When I traveled to the UK I had to bring a document that showed the dates that I went through the first three degrees issued by our Grand Lodge instead of just a dues card but I was definitely allowed to enter.

I hope this answered some of your questions.


Edited to correct quote boxes.

[edit on 25-8-2005 by No1tovote4]

Originally posted by ConspiracyNut23
From what I understand, freemasons can travel to another city or even country and enter a Masonic lodge and join its meetings. I have a couple of questions about this...

1. Can an unknown mason enter a lodge and join its meeting? Or does a local mason need to vouch for him?

I am in no way saying I know more about Masonic practices then Axeman, but... I remembered reading this and thought I would share it with you...

www.ugle.org.uk...

basically: "It is important that NO attempt should be made by English Constitution brethren to correspond with, telephone or e-mail any of the Grand Lodges listed on this site until on their territory, for to do so would be a contravention of Masonic Protocol. Brethren who are not members of the English Constitution should also bear this in mind. Correspondence received by the United Grand Lodge of England from Brethren who are not English Constitution members will be replied to via their Grand Secretary."

From what I've read some lodges frown on having outsiders just drop in. I know I've seen similar passages on other masonic sites but I can not recall off hand which other sites I saw it on.

Originally posted by CowboyKnight

www.ugle.org.uk...

www.ugle.org.uk
"It is important that NO attempt should be made by English Constitution brethren to correspond with, telephone or e-mail any of the Grand Lodges listed on this site until on their territory, for to do so would be a contravention of Masonic Protocol. Brethren who are not members of the English Constitution should also bear this in mind. Correspondence received by the United Grand Lodge of England from Brethren who are not English Constitution members will be replied to via their Grand Secretary."

From what I've read some lodges frown on having outsiders just drop in. I know I've seen similar passages on other masonic sites but I can not recall off hand which other sites I saw it on.

As someone who travels extensively, I can say without any doubt, that any Lodge is more than happy to have a fellow traveling man make an impromptu visit for an evening of fellowship. What the above is alluding to is that correspondence may only occur between Grand Lodges via the Grand Secretary (the elected officer responsible for such duties), once you are in another Grand Lodge jurisdiction, you may approach any Lodge directly (a call to that Lodge's Secretary is a nice gesture, but not mandatory). That is the beauty of the fraternity, the ability to always have a place you are welcome, and friends you can trust.

First Time Visitor Monkeys, not just for being first in line at the festive board anymore…

Originally posted by CowboyKnight
I remembered reading this and thought I would share it with you...

*snip*

From what I've read some lodges frown on having outsiders just drop in. I know I've seen similar passages on other masonic sites but I can not recall off hand which other sites I saw it on.

You know now that you mention it, it does seem like I heard something or read somewhere about lodges in the UK kind of frowning on their members visiting lodges in the US and vice-versa. I know that their ritual is different; there are nuances from one Grand Jurisdiction to the next, but I think American ritual is perhaps quite different than in the UK.

I could be mistaken but that sounds right. I'll be looking into that.

I think the page you posted there is only concerned with correspondance to the Grand Lodge; if I'm not mistaken it's not saying that brethren can't visit if they are there, but in order to correspond with the GL, the brother must geographically be within that Grand Jurisdiction.

[edit on 8/25/05 by The Axeman]

Originally posted by The Axeman
You know now that you mention it, it does seem like I heard something or read somewhere about lodges in the UK kind of frowning on their members visiting lodges in the US and vice-versa. I know that their ritual is different; there are nuances from one Grand Jurisdiction to the next, but I think American ritual is perhaps quite different than in the UK.

No, it's not THAT different. No more different than, say, California vs. Texas.

As for moonchild not being able to visit my lodge, and whether or not I can visit his, the answre is simple:

Freemasons are prohibited for having ANY kind of "masonic relations" with ANY unrecognized "freemason". This means that we cannot sit together in lodge as mason, cannot talk about Freemasonry and cannot share/compare esoteric secrets. So, even if I could, I wouldn't. Plain and simple.


[edit on 25-8-2005 by sebatwerk]