LODGE VISITATION - A PRIVILEGE
A parade of misfortunes had culminated by
forcing potato planter Fred Jensen to stop his
cross-country dash 85 miles short of his destination. From his home in Pocatello, Idaho, across
almost 3000 miles of highway, Fred's car had
given trouble, and now, at Henniker, N.H., the
cooling system finally gave up. Stifling a groan,
he edged the large sleek car to the curb in front
of Henniker's only garage. The sun was sinking
rapidly, as were his chances of acting, for the
tenth successive year, as keynoter for the
Potato-Growers Association to open in
Portland, Maine, the following morning.
"Henniker," Fred mused, "some sign at
the edge of town stated that this is the only
Henniker in the U.S." Watching the approach
of the garage man, Fred opined to himself that
it was just as well that it was. He could not help
notice the Masonic emblem dangling from the
man's watch chain, emerging from the upper
pocket of his denim overalls. "Well, at least we
have something in common," he thought. "We
have both met an obstacle, and both have overcome it. I wonder if that will make
any difference in the service I get?"
Three hours later Fred took stock. He knew by name nearly all the business men
of Henniker, had a splendid meal at the lodge hall,
had a fine room and bed in the home of our
garage man, and the assurance that his
mechanic would work all night, if necessary, to
have his car in readiness for the final dash to
Portland in the morning.
What wizardry lay in all this activity? What
transformed this traveler from far away, from a
faceless person behind an auto wheel into a
man of specific merit, and deserving of the
favors of these staid New Englanders? Was he
in possession of the proper amulet? Or did the
town folk mistake him for Marlon Brando,
traveling incognito?
None of these wrought the change. It was
his Masonic membership and the privilege of
visitation which was his, is yours, and is mine.
The Mason who travels often, particularly the
salesman, is no stranger to this privilege. Many
depend upon it to relieve the boredom of going
from place to place alone, and in time establish
firm friendships in the cities visited.
Any Mason in good standing may visit any recognized lodge in the country or
abroad, subject at all times to regulations of his own and
the visited jurisdiction. The privilege offers
itself to the Masonic traveler at the corporate
limits of the community, extends an invitation
to the sojourning brother, an invitation that
fades away only upon his departure from the
lodge area. To the Fred Jensens the world over
are made available the facilities of lodges, the
assistance, companionship, and hospitality of
its members, all when he presents himself at the
lodge portal. The cold exterior of a strange
community, and the aloof manner of its citizens
disappear upon his acceptance with the friendly
and fraternal handshake.
That less than ten in every hundred Masons
in the U.S. avail themselves of the privilege (or
ever will) is a regrettable circumstance. Many
brethren are unaware of their ability to call
upon lodges abroad, or that they may seek
assistance in case of emergency away from
home .
The word "privilege" has been mentioned frequently. One might ask why visitation
is not a right, especially since some by-laws refer to it in this manner. It is
a right only insofar as each Mason has the same chance, meets the same requirements, and is greeted as are all other
Masons upon visiting another lodge. However,
restrictions are placed upon the indiscriminate
visitation of lodges in much the same manner as
a man may regulate the traffic through his own
home. Any member present in lodge at the time
a visitor presents himself, may object to the
Master, and our traveler must remain outside
the tiled door. If already sitting in lodge, he
must retire. In Illinois and other jurisdictions
the member is not required to give his reason,
nor is the Master permitted to demand it. The
lodge is the member's fraternal home, so it is
for him as well as any other member, to select
those from other lodges to sit with him in his
own. In some jurisdictions only the Master is
clothed with the power of exclusion of visitors.
That this right of a member to exclude a visitor
is rarely employed is a tribute to the caliber of
men in the Masonic fraternity. Rarely is a case
of abuse of this right brought to Grand Lodge
attention, and many lodges operate for years on
end without a Master being required to execute
an order of exclusion.
However, there are logical times when objection is made, but the objection is
then not of a personal character. The visiting Mason should avoid meetings at
which election of officers and lodge audits are discussed, as well as
when any topic of a strictly local and unpleasant nature is to be aired. He may not be pre-sent
at Masonic trials unless he is on official
business in connection with such trial. Only
upon express invitation of the lodge should any
visitor presume to appear for admission under
these circumstances. otherwise he may encounter an embarrassing "impasse" Leaving an
unpleasant memory of his visit.
Again, there are certain non-members of
lodges who are not usually classed as visitors so
far as exclusion is concerned. These include, in
most jurisdictions, tic Grand Master, his proxy
or accredited representative, the district deputy
grand master of the district in which a lodge is
located and a candidate of another lodge who is
receiving a degree as a courtesy to his lodge.
The District Deputy Grand Master is immune
from exclusion only while he is on an official
visit. In Illinois, however, this can be during
any time the lodge is open and may be announced without previous notification; thus it were
imprudent to object to his presence, should he
be present informally. It would need only to
retire and have his office announced with the
desire for admission, and the objector would be
shorn of his power.
Most of us have none of these titles and are not involved in trials. Many of us
do not actually know the procedure of visiting another
lodge. The method to gain admission is in most
jurisdictions basically the same.
First of all, be certain you have something
to identify you, a dues card or letter under seal
from your lodge addressed to you, or any document issued under seal by it. Make certain the
dues card is countersigned--many brethren
have been careless of this in the past. A card
may fall into unscrupulous hands, and might be
used in an itinerant manner to beg money or
other assistance, all in the name of the brother
who forgot to sign and then lost his card.
If you are just plain Johnnie Mason, one of
the members who never studied the work and
seldom attend meetings, it might be well to
brush up on the principle grips and passwords
with a member of your lodge. Now, fortified
with all this, you are about to invade the
precincts of the strange lodge. Let us take the
procedure step by step, beginning with the
outer vestibule.
(a) You have previously determined that the
lodge is regular and recognized by your own
Grand Lodge. You approach the tyler and advise him of your desire to visit, introducing
yourself. He will make the necessary arrangements while you remain with him.
(b) Two or more members of the lodge will appear, from the lodge meeting if in
session, introduce themselves, and chat with you a short
time. These brethren are entrusted with the task
of satisfying themselves that you are a Master
Mason in good standing. They may ask you to
examine the register in the thought that a
brother may be inside who could vouch for you
and eliminate the examination.
(c) You know not a single brother present
however, and are requested to exhibit the documentary evidence to which we have referred.
The committee will check the directory of
lodges to ascertain the regularity of your own,
unless they already know of it.
(d) Having satisfied themselves in that
regard, the committee will retire with you to a
convenient place from which any and all other
persons are excluded while the examination is
being conducted . I f such a place is not
available, all those present and within hearing
distance must aver their membership and good
standing right along with you, the visitor.
(e) You and the others hold the Volume of
the Sacred Law while swearing to your eligibility to visit, and at the
conclusion of this portion of the ceremony the examination proceeds at the
discretion and in the judgment of the committee, who may at this point vouch for you
without further discussion.
(f) This avouchment is made to the tyler,
who will cause you to sign the register, to which
will be appended the name of the member who
is making the avouchment.
(g) After the committee have reported their
findings to the Master, you will be properly
clothed and conducted into the lodge by the appropriate officer. Here you will be introduced
to the members present and led to a convenient
seat next to brethren, if possible, so that you
may be made to feel at ease quickly.
(h) If you are a Grand Lodge officer or hold any title in the fraternity the
Master may, at his discretion, have you brought to the East for introduction, and accorded a seat beside him.
Now, suppose one day you find conditions reversed and you are appointed as part
of an examining committee. You will act as described
above, and will exercise tact and diplomacy in
your greeting and the way in which you make
the various requests of the visiting brother.
Some suggestions along this line may be
timely at this point. When about to give the
oath of good standing as a Master Mason, it is
advisable to ask the visitor if he wishes to give it
first, with you following. Never ask him if he
can give it; this is an impertinence. Possibly he
cannot, but it is not your province to be the
judge. By ascertaining whether the visitor has
ever held office or has been commissioned by
Grand Lodge, you may decide just to what extent you will examine him. You would
not expect a visitor who is only occasionally present in
his own lodge to rattle off a long lecture or conduct a degree for you in the examination.
Remember to give the visitor, at all times, the
benefit of courtesy and friendliness.
Above all, put the visitor at ease. He may never have undergone this ceremony
before. If you perceive that he is becoming "out of his depth" in replying to
your questions, suggest to him that he relate what transpired in the degrees in
his own words. This will often bring out the desired information from a brother
who finds himself unable to recite a word of ritual in the proper manner. Always
keep in mind that true Masonry lies far beyond the mere ability to recite its
ritual and ceremony, or the act of doing lip service to its teachings.
Visitation is, then, a true privilege. We now know that it is such, since one
may visit only at the sufferance of all members then present. It is a privilege,
however, in a greater sense as it enables a Mason to widen his scope of experience,
his acquaintances, his fund of knowledge, and his understanding of the complexities of human nature. We shall sometimes
find, as did our Western brother mentioned
above, a spiritual life and a renewal of our
confidence in mankind's basic honesty and
compassion. When we observe men who were
complete strangers only a short hour before,
greet us with a warm and fraternal handshake,
we realize that the fraternity is, after all, a collection of Grand Lodges, which in turn are collections of constituent lodges. Again, these
lodges are made up of the individual man--in a
sense, a procession of "Hennikers" scattered
over the face of the earth, but with a common
meeting point of the mind and heart. Here arc
the "grass-roots" of the Craft, and with these
qualities the newly raised brother may well plan
his Masonic beginnings.
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