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The visiting Deacon

David612

Registered User
I have been visiting a local lodge as it’s exactly 2 weeks after my lodge meets and due to many of its members holding office in other orders or grand lodge they have found themselves without a Junior Deacon.
The WM asked if I would be willing to fill the role until their next instillation in December, I said I’m perfectly happy too as their lodge has afforded me a lot of experience, including delivering my first charge- I have all the time in the world for these guys as both my nominators belong to this lodge aswell.
So it looks like I get to hold office in a lodge I don’t officially belong too.
 

Thomas Stright

Premium Member
You are just filling in pro-tem and no holding the office.
Are you wearing just the JD jewels? or the jewels and apron?
 

Keith C

Registered User
You are just filling in pro-tem and no holding the office.
Are you wearing just the JD jewels? or the jewels and apron?

That is an interesting question. Here if you are sitting in the chair, you wear the apron and collar/jewel of the office. I suppose from your question it is different in your Jurisdiction?

One comment I have is that I would fear that that Lodge is in trouble if they do not have a Brother to put in that chair. Asking someone from another Lodge to take over an office would be the absolutely last resort for us and it certainly would result in a LONG discussion with our DDGM.
 

Bill Lins

Moderating Staff
Staff Member
That is an interesting question. Here if you are sitting in the chair, you wear the apron and collar/jewel of the office. I suppose from your question it is different in your Jurisdiction?

To begin with, under GLoTX the Tiler is the only installed officer who doesn't have to be a member of the Lodge he serves- all other installed officers of a particular Lodge MUST be members of that Lodge.

In addition, those serving "pro tem", whether or not members of that Lodge, wear the jewel but NOT the apron of the office in which they are sitting. If they are installed officers of that Lodge but are filling in elsewhere, they wear the apron of their installed office- i.e. if I'm filling in for the WM say, to conduct the Lodge election, I would wear the WM jewel but my Secretary apron.

If a member of another Lodge or a non-officer of my Lodge is filling in, he would wear the jewel of that office but a plain white apron.
 

Keith C

Registered User
That is indeed interesting Bro Bill.

Here in PA only the ELECTED Officers are installed, i.e., WM, SW, JW, SEC, Treas and Rep to the GL. The rest serve at the Will & Pleasure of the WM. As I said, if you are appointed by the WM to sit in a chair, either long term or for a single meeting, you wear the Collar & Apron of that chair.l have to review the Ahiman Rezon and the Digest of Decisions to know for sure if the WM can appoint someone who is not a member of the Lodge to fill a chair for a Stated Meeting, but I know for sure this can be done for Extra Meetings for Degree Work.
 

David612

Registered User
Well here our offices don’t have have special aprons but I will be wearing the collar and jewel of the office I’m serving as that’s the role I’m performing for the next 6 months.
 
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Bill Lins

Moderating Staff
Staff Member
Here in PA only the ELECTED Officers are installed, i.e., WM, SW, JW, SEC, Treas and Rep to the GL.
Here ALL officers, appointed & elected, are installed. Installations must be performed between June 24th and July 31st. If, for any reason, someone either elected or appointed cannot be present for his installation, he (or another Brother) can only fill his place or station "pro tem" for that Masonic year & would wear the jewel, but not the apron, when serving.
 

Brother_Steve

Premium Member
Here ALL officers, appointed & elected, are installed. Installations must be performed between June 24th and July 31st. If, for any reason, someone either elected or appointed cannot be present for his installation, he (or another Brother) can only fill his place or station "pro tem" for that Masonic year & would wear the jewel, but not the apron, when serving.
We use installation for all officers, but I think it is a term that is used loosely. The WM and elected line is installed. The WM then reads out his officers he has appointed. From there, the Installing Marshal plants everyone else into their seat.

So, I'm not too sure about how "installed" is to be used based on my experience unless I look at the constitution of my jurisdiction for a definition.
 

Bloke

Premium Member
Here, you cannot hold an office in a lodge in which you are not a member.. however, you can act in one.

I spent years as the IG of a lodge I was not a member of to help them out... I must have done it for 6 years. I was a member of two lodges, did the IG for another - but was always out at request to back fill an office. I did it last Sat - tyler for a lodge... a few weeks ago I was SW (they had invited me for dinner.. and rang me up an hour before and asked.. then listed the charges I was gonna do too LOL). I actually like doing it. I don't get bogged down in the lodge operations, just turn up, do the ceremony and have dinner. Sadly, the lodge I was IG at for so long, handed in its Warrant - it was bound to happen because they could not get new blood and just did the same old same old all the time - lovely guys and I knew what I was doing - keeping them going until they got too old to meet anyone. When they handed in their Warrant - within 12 months, several of the senior members were died.. I think the lodge helped keep them going in some ways.. I picked IG because I could skip rehearsals, but several times had a lodge give me membership so I could be a deacon for a year to fill a space (often of a guy on deployment).

Bro David, holding two offices, esp the same one, in two lodges, really develops you up, but once they start taking Warden (if that happens) you will need to made it clear to all which one you are gong through the chair in - don't be WM of two lodges at once - even if you are allowed to.
 

Bill Lins

Moderating Staff
Staff Member
We use installation for all officers, but I think it is a term that is used loosely. The WM and elected line is installed. The WM then reads out his officers he has appointed. From there, the Installing Marshal plants everyone else into their seat.

So, I'm not too sure about how "installed" is to be used based on my experience unless I look at the constitution of my jurisdiction for a definition.
Here, ALL officers are formally installed.
 

Bill Lins

Moderating Staff
Staff Member
don't be WM of two lodges at once - even if you are allowed to.
Here, one cannot be WM of two Lodges in the same year. In 2003, I was finishing my term as WM in my home Lodge and beginning as WM in my 2nd Lodge. I had to schedule such that my replacement in my parent Lodge was installed before I could be installed in my 2nd Lodge.
 

Bloke

Premium Member
Here, one cannot be WM of two Lodges in the same year. In 2003, I was finishing my term as WM in my home Lodge and beginning as WM in my 2nd Lodge. I had to schedule such that my replacement in my parent Lodge was installed before I could be installed in my 2nd Lodge.
We can hold WM in two Craft lodges with Dispensation from the MWGM which is quite rare - and normally given when there is an overlap of a month or so.
 

Bloke

Premium Member
Here, ALL officers are formally installed.
Here, WM, SW JW are installed - others are invested.

(A, perhaps, interesting aside -
WM is elected and installed,
Tyler and Tres elected and invested,
SW & JW appointed and Installed.,
all others appointed and Invested
- the point being there is no distinction on who is elected and installed vrs appointed and invested..).
 

David612

Registered User
I’m thrilled to be in a position to learn both Deacon roles in time.
I do however feel pretty bad-
My first time handling a deacons wand will be while conducting a candidate to be passed, there will be no rehearsal and we have no lodge of instruction... I just need to be perfect on the first try :)
 

Glen Cook

G A Cook
Site Benefactor
I’m thrilled to be in a position to learn both Deacon roles in time.
I do however feel pretty bad-
My first time handling a deacons wand will be while conducting a candidate to be passed, there will be no rehearsal and we have no lodge of instruction... I just need to be perfect on the first try :)
No rehearsal? Hmm.
 

Bloke

Premium Member
I’m thrilled to be in a position to learn both Deacon roles in time.
I do however feel pretty bad-
My first time handling a deacons wand will be while conducting a candidate to be passed, there will be no rehearsal and we have no lodge of instruction... I just need to be perfect on the first try :)
That's not ideal.... .I recommend you obtain a broom or something similar to the wand and practise in front of a mirror....
 

Canadian Paul

Registered User
We can hold WM in two Craft lodges with Dispensation from the MWGM which is quite rare - and normally given when there is an overlap of a month or so.

Here, during the month of May for a period of a few weeks, A Brother was simultaneously Master of a Lodge under the GL of Scotland and also of one under the GL of Newfoundland and Labrador. Dispensations were sought and received from both Jurisdictions. The two lodges are only a few miles apart.

We speculated that this must be a rather unusual circumstance. Does anyone know of anything similar?
 

Glen Cook

G A Cook
Site Benefactor
Here, during the month of May for a period of a few weeks, A Brother was simultaneously Master of a Lodge under the GL of Scotland and also of one underish the GL of Newfoundland and Labrador. Dispensations were sought and received from both Jurisdictions. The two lodges are only a few miles apart.

We speculated that this must be a rather unusual circumstance. Does anyone know of anything similar?
I served as a GL officer in Utah, and as master of my UGLE lodge and then Z of my English Chapter.
 

David612

Registered User
No rehearsal? Hmm.

That's not ideal.... .I recommend you obtain a broom or something similar to the wand and practise in front of a mirror....
Yeah, I’m not wildly thrilled about looking like a total idiot who had no clue in front of the DGIW and RGC but the meeting of the OSM clashes with their normal rehearsal and to be fair they have done seconds the last 2 months so a rehearsal would just be for my benefit.
 

Glen Cook

G A Cook
Site Benefactor
Yeah, I’m not wildly thrilled about looking like a total idiot who had no clue in front of the DGIW and RGC but the meeting of the OSM clashes with their normal rehearsal and to be fair they have done seconds the last 2 months so a rehearsal would just be for my benefit.
I understand your point, but more particularly, it is for the candidate ‘s benefit.
 
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