Your State, Masonic Year

Different states have different Masonic calendars. I thought it would be interesting to note the differences.

In Tennessee, the Grand Lodge (as well as Grand York Rite bodies) year is March to March; on the local level, we operate on a regular January to December calendar.

Grand Lodge of Arkansas runs from the first weekend of February to the next February... Individual lodges change over In December, on the feast of St. John the Evangelist. For budgeting at the lodge, we run a calendar FY, January to December.

In Texas my lodge has installation in June every year. I joined the line again and I'm JS this year. Years are listed as a range 2015-2016.

In California our installations are late Nov or early Dec just after GL so the slate of officers that goes to GL is experienced. Years are listed as the year with the majority of months. I was installed WM Dec 1998 so my year was 1999.

In Illinois GL is on Columbus Day weekend with some lodges installing just before to have a fresh line to attend, other lodges installing just after to have an experienced line to attend. Years are usually listed as the year with the majority of months but some prefer to list the years as the range.

I think GLs stagger their annual communications so grand lines can attend each others GLs. Cross attendance by any members help keep Masonry in sync to some extent.

In Minnesota, Grand Lodge has its Annual Communication in late March or early April, usually. That's when the officers are elected and installed for the coming year. Individual lodges can operate on whatever calendar they wish. My lodge installs its officers in December, but I know of many who operate more closely aligned to the Grand Lodge calendar.

dfreybur said:

In Texas my lodge has installation in June every year. I joined the line again and I'm JS this year. Years are listed as a range 2015-2016.

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To expand upon that, the Grand Lodge's year is December-December

My Mother Lodge holds its Installation on the last Wednesday in October so its 'year' runs from November to October. The lodges under both jurisdictions here (GL of Scotland and GL of Newfoundland and Labrador) have their Installations scattered throughout the year as set forth in their bye-laws. Their financial and/or 'reporting' years may vary from their Installation dates - my lodge's financial year's end in at the end of August.

The GL of NL has its Annual Communication in November. Our District Grand Lodge, the governing body for the Scottish Lodges Newfoundland and Labrador ( think of it as a 'State Legislature' while our Grand Lodge in Edinburgh is the 'Federal Legislature') holds Quarterly Communications in June, September, December and March, June's being its Annual Communication.

Under the Grand Lodge of Texas, the "Masonic" year for blue Lodges is from June 24th until the following June 23rd. The Grand Annual Communication meets beginning on the Thursday before the first Friday of December of each year.

MWUGL of Florida, our year goes from August 1st thru July 31st.

AF&AM our local lodge here is held on 1st Dec to 30th Nov, unless other wise in special occasion like next month we are selecting our new S and J warrant due to our SW stepped down. I am currently am the SS but due to the stepped down of our SW I am moving two sits up to the right hand of the WM. and on Dec if selected I will be in the South.

In Kentucky Grand Lodge goes October to October. My mother lodge, St. Matthews 906, goes December to December.

For GL, it is March to March. Not really sure why, just looked it up in the Const. thinking it might have simply been the first Month a GM was installed. I see our articles of union (bringing lodges from three (EC, SC & IC) Constitutions together are dated Melbourne, 14th January, 1889... but then

Article 1. — That the Masters, Past Masters, and Wardens of Lodges, under the
above Constitutions, having been summoned, attend a meeting on the 20th
day of March next, at the Freemasons’ Hall, Collins Street, Melbourne, and
form themselves into a Grand Lodge to be styled “The United Grand Lodge of
Antient, Free and Accepted Masons of Victoria”, and proceed then and there
to elect some distinguished Brother to be the Grand Master of the said United
Grand Lodge.

Good enough for me - it is March because that's when it started from.

Subordinate Lodges set their month for Installation, normally again from Foundation. If they vary the month installation one year, I've can't think of an example where it was not corrected back or forward to the traditional month hen the lodge was first founded.. but I am sure it has happened.

In the past dues were paid from Installation from Installation. This has been changed recently,it is now 1 July to 30 June which is also the standard financial year here in Australia.

California is Ocotober, NM is March. I wish dues followed the same calendar...

Brother JC said:

California is Ocotober, NM is March. I wish dues followed the same calendar...

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Lol....same here!