TRAVEL IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES
Morris L. Budkofsky, P.G.M. Grand Lodge of Connecticut
In the ritualistic work of the third degree,
we hear the words "seeing the temple about to
be completed, and being desirous of receiving
the secrets of a Master Mason, whereby we
could travel in foreign countries."
Speculative Master Masons over the years
have taken the words from our ritual "traveling
in foreign countries" and have interpreted its
hidden and spiritual significance as referring to
the actual travel of Operative Master Masons, for upon completion of the temple,
they found they must journey into the surrounding provinces where they could practice their craft.
In an ever increasing mobile society today,
many of our brethren were also quick to
associate themselves with the ritualistic lines
"whereby we could travel in foreign
countries," which leads us to the precautions
one must take before leaving his Grand
Jurisdiction .
Confucius said, "If language is not used
rightly, then what is said is not what is meant.
If what is said is not what is meant, then that
which ought to be done is left undone; if it remains undone, morals and art will be corrupted, justice will go awry; and if justice goes
awry, the people will stand about in helpless
confusion . "
A Master Mason desiring to travel to a
foreign country who thinks that he might like to
visit a Masonic Lodge should and must make
himself cognizant of the terms, " REGULARITY, RECOGNITION AND JURISDICTION" as they apply to Freemasonry.
REGULARITY Constituted, appointed or
conducted in a proper manner.
RECOGNITION The act of recognizing or
the state of being recognized.
JURISDICTION Lawful right to exercise
authority, over those things for which such
authority may be exercised.
WHAT IS A MASONIC GRAND LODGE?
A Grand Lodge is the governing body of Freemasonry within a certain domain in
the United States, for governing Freemasonry in each State in our Union and the
District of Columbia. Hawaiian Lodges are under the Grand
Jurisdiction of California. A Grand Lodge of
Masons has as its presiding officer the Grand
Master and the legislation of the Grand Lodge
is binding upon all Freemasons and upon all
Masonic Lodges under its jurisdiction.
WHAT IS A RECOGNIZED MASONIC
GRAND LODGE?
The fifty Grand Lodges of the United States
have various conceptions of "regularity."
Thus, the Grand Lodge in State A is satisfied
that the Grand Lodge of Foreign Country X
meets the conditions of regularity, while the
Grand Lodge of State B is not satisfied that the
Grand Lodge of Foreign Country X conforms
to all the conditions of regularity requirements
of the Grand Lodge of State B. Thus, a Grand
Lodge of a foreign country may be regular
Freemasonry to the Grand Lodge of one State
and "clandestine" or "irregular" by another.
AM I ALLOWED TO VISIT IN A MASONIC
LODGE ANYWHERE ON THIS EARTH?
No .... you promised and swore that you
would "stand to and abide by all the laws, rules
and regulations" of your Grand Lodge. Those
laws provide that you can visit in the lodges
which are under the jurisdiction of Grand
Lodges which your Grand Lodge recognizes as
"regular." All regular United States Grand
Lodges are in fraternal relations with each
other. If your travels extend beyond this nation, and you wish to visit lodges
in foreign countries, ascertain either from your Proceedings (published each year by all Grand
Lodges), or by correspondence with your
Grand Secretary as to their regularity with your
Grand Jurisdiction. There is a chart titled
"Foreign Grand Lodges Recognized By The
Fifty Grand Lodges of The United States."
(This chart may be obtained through the
Masonic Service Association of The United
States, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910-4785.)
A Master Mason planning on visiting
another jurisdiction either foreign or within the
limits of these United States, unless personally
known, which in Masonic language is defined
as "having sat in Lodge with," and who may
have to apply for examination for admission to
a Lodge, should be in possession of a current
dues card and a certificate of membership
showing his name, lodge name, number of his
lodge (if it has such) and which should bear his
own signature in the margin. Each such card
bears the seal of the Lodge and the signature of
the Secretary. On the reverse side is the Grand
Secretary's certification as to the regularity of
the Lodge.
"Foreign Countries" do not necessarily
mean to us the various geographical and
political divisions of the old world. Foreign
countries could be, to a Master Mason, the
same as a symbol; like most symbols, they can
have more than one interpretation. However,
unlike many symbols, none of them are very
difficult to trace or understand.
Each year is published a paperback book
titled "List of Lodges Masonic" available
from Pantagraph Printing & Stationery Co.,
P.O. Box 1406, Bloomington, IL 61702-1406
($5.50 postpaid) which is made possible
through Grand Lodges who distribute the
books to their constituent lodges and to the
Grand Secretaries who correct the list of their
lodges and recognitions each year. These Grand
Lodges do not want any lists in the book except
those they recognize, with the exceptions given
at the end of the list of subordinate lodges.
Included are the dates of their annual
meetings, the names and addresses of the current Grand Masters, Grand Secretaries, the
names and locations of each of their subsidiary
lodges, as well as other pertinent information
regarding each of their respective Grand
Lodges.
As an adjunct to the Conference of Grand
Masters of Masons in North America there is a
"Commission On Information For Recognition" as a facility to gather,
collate and from time to time revise information on Grand Lodges in other lands,
as a service to the Conference of Grand Masters of Masons in North
America.
The Commission neither advises nor recommends that recognition be given to any Grand
Lodge, but merely indicates whether or not it
considers that a Grand Lodge in question
satisfies the conditions of regularity, according
to the adopted Standards of Recognition.
Standards adopted for use by The Commission
on Information for Recognition
in accumulating facts.
1. LEGITIMACY OF ORIGIN
That the Grand Lodge requesting recognition has been lawfully formed by at least three
just and duly constituted Lodges, or that it has
been legally recognized by a Grand Lodge in
fraternal relation with the Grand Lodge from
whom recognition has been requested.
That such Grand Lodge must be "under the
tongue of good repute" for an adequate
number of years before such fraternal recognition is extended. An existence for such a period
as satisfies the Grand Lodge whose recognition
is sought, during which time the highest standards of the Craft have been practiced by the
applicant Grand Lodge, may cure what would
otherwise be considered illegitimacy of origin.
II. TERRITORIAL SOVEREIGNTY
That it is an independent, self-governing
organization, having Masonic authority within
the governmental territory over which it
assumes jurisdiction whether Country, Province, State or other political subdivision; or
else shares such exclusive territorial jurisdiction
with another Grand Lodge by mutual consent
and/or treaty.
III. ANCIENT LANDMARKS
That it subscribes fundamentally, ritualistically and in all its relations to
the Ancient Landmarks, Customs and Usages of the
Craft. This requires adherence to the following.
1. Monotheism An unalterable and continuing belief in God.
2. The Volume of The Sacred Law an
essential part of the furniture of the
Lodge.
3. Prohibition of the discussion of Religion
and Politics.
M.W. Brother Budkofsky resides at 45
Brightview Drive, West Hartford, Connecticut
06117.
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