STB-AP80
MASONIC ETIQUETTE
by
J. Kirk Nicholson, Jr., PGM, Georgia
This Short Talk Bulletin was designed to
remind us of the ill-defined and often overlooked
niceties of common courtesy which should be
applied in our lodge rooms. We thank M.W.
Brother Nicholson for these thought-provoking
reminders.
Although Etiquette (Masonic or otherwise)
is something that most of us practice at all
times, it is a subject that we, as Masons, should
review in our minds and hearts from time to
time.
Etiquette, according to the dictionary,
implies observance of the formal requirements
governing behavior in polite society. Very little
of Masonic etiquette or its customs have been
defined in our written laws. The rules of polite
manners and correct behavior have been transmitted from the past. Where no such rules are
expressed, the good taste and sensitive feelings
of the individual Brother remain as the only
guidance.
To be more graphic in describing Masonic
Etiquette, there is nothing in any Masonic Code
which requires us to bathe or wear a clean shirt
when we attend lodge. These are matters of
good taste or poor taste, as the case may be.
In several Jurisdictions, the subject of etiquette has been addressed in pamphlets available to the Brethren. From these pamphlets,
many of the comments in this Short Talk Bulletin have been extracted. The information is
basic in nature and will be useful to all
Brethren.
Our Brethren cannot be blamed if they
occasionally adopt some familiarities when they
hear and see them from their leaders. An example, addressing a Brother as "Brother Tom"
rather than "Brother Jones." All Brethren
should be addressed by their surnames at a
Masonic gathering. A man does not attend a
lodge communication in his capacity as a private individual. He is not just "Tom" or
"Joe," but is there as a Master Mason. In
Aesop's famous fable of "The Fox and the
Lion," we find the adage, "Familiarity breeds
contempt. " Brother Samuel Clemens (Mark
Twain) further noted that "Familiarity breeds
contempt--and children."
No Brother should ever engage in private
conversations or discussions on the sidelines in
the lodge. If something becomes so important
to be said to another Brother he should follow
the guidelines of his own Grand Lodge in asking the Worshipful Master properly for permission to be excused from the lodge room. Private
conversations or discussions should be confined
to outside the lodge room, except when the
lodge is at ease. This problem was discussed in
the September, 1979 Short Talk Bulletin this
way:
"One of the most irritating and disconcerting things during any Masonic meeting is when
two or more Brethren on the sidelines get into a
sotto voce discussion. It's even worse when one
of them is hard of hearing. When this happens
during degree work, it can throw off even the
best of ritualists. We've all seen--and heard--it
happen.
"It is a distraction from the solemnity of the
ritual. It's discourteous to the degree team; it's
robbing the candidate of the benefit of what
should be a meaningful experience; and it is
insulting to the Brethren who are trying to hear.
"Unfortunately, the offending offensive
Brethren don't seem to realize that they are disturbing their colleagues. They don't realize that
they can be heard . . . or, possibly they don't
care."
A number of the niceties of Masonic etiquette deal with the reception of, and respect
due to, the Grand Master. The man chosen to
lead the Masons in a Jurisdiction has the
distinction of being in a position peculiar to the
Masonic fraternity. In no other organization is
there such an authoritarian figure. In the
broadest terms, he is the representative of King
Solomon, and as such, there devolves upon him
the rights, privileges, respect and power usually
reserved for royalty.
Upon his election to the office of Grand
Master by his Brethren, the man is no longer a
private person, he is the Grand Master. The
private man with his partialities and prejudices
must disappear in order that only the officer
may remain. To be Grand Master is one of the
most humbling and exacting of all the duties
which the position places upon the person in the
office. It means that if his closest friend
deserves a reprimand, he must reprimand him;
it means that if he must give instructions to
those far wiser than himself, he must nevertheless instruct them; it means that whatever
limitations, whatever sense of failing and shortcoming he may be conscious of, he must sacrifice to the demand of his position. (To a somewhat lesser degree, these same characteristics
also apply to a Worshipful Master.)
The responsibility of the Worshipful Master
and every Freemason is to maintain toward the
Craft and toward the Grand Master a respectful
attitude, not for the sake of the man in that
high office, but for the maintenance of its
supreme importance. Whether a man is personally liked or disliked . . . the office of Grand
Master should always be held in high regard.
When this man visits a lodge, it is not the
person of Grand Master which should be
honored, but the honor that is paid to the
Grand Master. The honor that is paid to the
Grand Master is to the office, the highest which
Freemasonry may bestow upon any of its members, yet one which carries with it the heaviest
responsibilities.
A visit from the Grand Master should be
one of the highlights of the year for any lodge.
This is the case whether the lodge invites the
Grand Master for a special occasion or the
Grand Master arrives for other reasons.
If a lodge wishes to invite the Grand Master
for a special occasion, the Grand Master should
be written to as far in advance as possible. His
time is in great demand and the sooner an
invitation is sent the more likely he will be able
to accept. If possible, give him a first choice
and second choice date. Be specific in your
invitation. Give him the exact time the meeting
is to begin; whether dinner will be served and if
so, at what time; where the meeting is to be
held, (i.e. Lodge Hall, First Methodist Church)
and the street address. If the meeting place is
not on the main street, directions should be
given on how to reach there. Give him information on the kind of program; if you wish him to
speak (and if on a special topic, give him the
subject), whether awards are to be presented, if
the meeting is a family meeting, open but for
men only, or tiled; time you expect him to
arrive. (See Short Talk Bulletin, July, 1978 -
"The Masonic Speaker.")
No lodge should ever feel that they cannot
invite the Grand Master or that the Grand
Master would not visit them. No lodge is too
small or too far away for the Grand Master. He
will be pleased to accept the invitation if a convenient date can be worked out. He feels that
each lodge is equal, regardless of size, distance
or what has been traditional. He is Grand
Master of all Masons in his Jurisdiction.
A committee should be appointed for the
Grand Master's comfort. When he arrives, the
Worshipful Master should be available to greet
him along with the committee. If for some
reason plans for the evening have changed (the
award recipient cannot attend, etc.) the Grand
Master should be advised immediately of
changes.
If it is a dinner meeting, formal or picnic
style, the Worshipful Master and committee
should see that a head table or proper seating is
arranged for the Grand Master. The Grand
Master and his party should be afforded every
courtesy and he should be escorted to his place
at the head table or to the head of the line if the
meal is to be served buffet style. The Worshipful Master's committee should be able to introduce the Brethren to the Grand Master and to
generally make him feel welcome.
During the meeting (open, closed or family)
the Worshipful Master should have an outlined
program. He should have done his homework
and know who will introduce the guests, who
will present the Grand Master at the Holy
Altar, etc. If it is a closed meeting, he should
carry out the order of business in a correct
manner according to the Code of his Jurisdiction and have the meeting begin and end on
time.
"The Worshipful Master who carefully
plans his meeting for the reception of the Grand
Master, who takes his officers and members
into his confidence, who appoints the necessary
committees and gives each of them proper
instruction in the details of his part in the ceremonies, and who, last, but not least, builds his
program so that it will serve to accent the message of the Grand Master, will be amply
rewarded. His will be the satisfaction which
always comes from a well planned and well executed meeting." (MASONIC ETIQUETTE,
by John A. Dunaway, PGM, Ga.)
One important thing to remember when the
Grand Master visits your lodge. Regardless of
the type of meeting (family, open, closed) when
the Grand Master has finished speaking, there
should be nothing to follow him except the closing. No other speakers should be permitted to
address the lodge when he has concluded. As
one of our late Grand Masters so aptly
expressed it: "When the Grand Master finishes
speaking, even the dogs quit barking."
When the Grand Master is unable to visit a
lodge and he sends his personal representative,
the representative should be given every courtesy. He should be accorded respect and should
never be addressed by his first name during any
part of a closed lodge ceremony.
Regarding a Worshipful Master's Hat:
again we should think of good taste. A cap
(golf, hunting, etc.) flop hat, or red plaid hat is
inappropriate. A Master would never wish to
wear any type hat that would distract from the
dignity of the office.
The Worshipful Master should remove his
hat only (l) for the Grand Master in person; (2)
during prayer; (3) when giving the obligations
when the name of Deity is spoken and (4) if a
funeral is held in a church or chapel.
The hat is not the personal property of the
Master but belongs to the lodge and is an
emblem of the Master's authority.
Officers' Dress. We have become a casual,
society and in some ways this is good.
However, just as familiarity breeds contempt,
being too casual can cause disrespect. We shall
again call on the term "good taste". The dress
of lodge officers is prescribed by at least one
Grand Lodge in the United States--Pennsylvania--to be "strictly Masonic," consisting of
black clothes, tail coat, (evening dress preferred), black vest, black tie, black shoes, black
silk hat and white gloves. In some lodges the
officers all dress in tuxedos. There is no set rule
of dress for the officers, but its practice is to
wear attire which will show respect and express
the dignity of Masonry. We should remember
that we represent a Fraternity that is great because of its sacred foundation and there is no
place for carelessness . . . in dress, ritual or
dignity.
All-too-frequently, we tend to become
sloppy in our use of Masonic titles. The Grand
Master (except in Pennsylvania) is always
addressed as "Most Worshipful." (In Pennsylvania, he is the "Right Worshipful Grand
Master . ") Past Grand Masters are usually
accorded the title of "Most Worshipful." A
notable exception is in the Grand Lodge of
Texas where Past Grand Masters become
"Right Worshipful." It is sometimes confusing
as to the proper terms of address. In some
jurisdictions you would say "Most Worshipful
Brother Jones"; in others, "Most Worshipful
Jones"; and in others, "Brother John Jones,
Most Worshipful Past Grand Master." It is
well to know which is proper in your Juris-
diction.
Professional, civic, military and clerical
titles are frequently used in conjunction with
Masonic titles; i.e., "Reverend and Brother
John Jones"; Doctor and Right Worshipful
Thomas Smith"; "Brother and Colonel John
Doe." The argument is sometimes given that as
we all "meet upon the level" such titles are not
necessary. Unless a definite policy is established
in your Jurisdiction, it is a matter of personal
preference and good taste.
Appearance of lodges is also considered a
matter of etiquette. If the lodge room is dirty,
the visitors' aprons not clean, and the overall
appearance shoddy, it's an indication of lack of
concern. "Spruce up!" "Paint up!" "Shape
up!" can be a motto for any lodge wishing to
show courtesy to its members and visitors.
Prayers at lodge functions should be
scrupulously in keeping with Masonic teachings. Never should they be an expression of
particular sectarian views or dogmatic creeds. It
is a matter of courtesy that all prayers, speeches
and discussions at Masonic affairs avoid
sectarian, controversial or political tones.
Punctuality in opening and closing is a
courtesy, too. It promotes harmony and is an
essential element of good leadership.
When thinking of Masonic Etiquette, there
is much that can be said and written. We must
use common courtesy, good taste, customs,
decorum, manners, observance and traditions.
Only one Masonic writing discusses the table
manners of a Mason. It is found in the oldest
known Masonic document on earth, the
REGIUS POEM, written in about 1390 by an
unidentified English Monk. The original is now
in the British Museum in London. Near the end
of the poem appear these stanzas which are
offered for the interest of the readers of this
Short Talk Bulletin:
TABLE MANNERS...
Good manners make a man.
To the next degree look wisely.
To do them reverence by and by;
Do them yet no reverence all in turn.
Unless that thou do them know,
To the meat when thou art set,
Fair and honestly thou eat it;
First look that thine hands be clean
And that thy knife be sharp and keen,
And cut thy bread all at thy meat,
Right as it may be there eaten
If thou sit by a worthier man.
Then thyself thou are one,
Suffer him first to touch the meat,
Ere thyself to it reach.
To the fairest morsel thou might not strike,
Though that thou do it well like;
Keep thine hands fair and well,
From foul smudging of thy towel;
Thereon thou shalt not thy nose blow,
Nor at the meat thy tooth thou pick;
Too deep in cup thou might not sink,
Though thou have good will to drink.
Lest thine eyes would water thereby--
(NOTE): The complete text and commentary of
this historic poem is contained in the M.S.A.
Digest, "The Regius Poem.")
In closing, a quotation from the Grand
Lodge of Georgia booklet, Masonic Etiquette
by John A. Dunaway, PGM, seems to sum up
the subject:
"It is by the method of teaching mouth to
ear, generation after generation, that the rules
of polite manners and correct behavior have
been transmitted to us from the past; and where
no such rules are formulated at all, in writing or
by tradition, the good taste and sensitive feelings of the individual Brother remain the only
guidance."
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