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Conducting Business on the EA Degree

Should business be conducted on the EA degree?

  • Yes

    Votes: 17 68.0%
  • No

    Votes: 6 24.0%
  • Depends

    Votes: 2 8.0%

  • Total voters
    25

Ripcord22A

Site Benefactor
Just got back from the first day of Grand Lodge for Kentucky. The proposal for opening lodge on a lesser degree than MM was voted down by a large margin.

So when a brother turns in his proficiency the lodge opens, drops to XX deg lets him in, he does his proficiency then immediately has to leave? Or is the rest of the meeting carried out on the lower deg until closing?
 

Bill Lins

Moderating Staff
Staff Member
Hmm. Do you have public grand honors in addition to private?
We have both but only use the private ones in the reception. Public grand honors here are entirely different & are used in constituting new Lodges and in some of the funeral rituals.
 

HoldenMonty

Registered User
So when a brother turns in his proficiency the lodge opens, drops to XX deg lets him in, he does his proficiency then immediately has to leave? Or is the rest of the meeting carried out on the lower deg until closing?
So I have been paying more attention to this in the Lodge I attend since we are only allowed to conduct business at the MM level.

For an example lets say we are going to do the 1st degree. We open on MM send out the guide, close the MM, open on the EA, perform the 1st degree, then the WM says anyone who are not MM please retire or something along those lines, we then close at the EA level, open back on the MM level, do any business at the MM level then fully close and then go out to have coffee and whatever refreshments were brought.

I think I might ask the question why so much switching back and forth because it seems kind of silly to open on the MM level just to close the MM level to go down to whatever degree we are going to do. It makes me wonder if it's one of those that's how it's always been things or I'm thinking probably one of the things passed down from Grand Lodge.
 

Ripcord22A

Site Benefactor
So I have been paying more attention to this in the Lodge I attend since we are only allowed to conduct business at the MM level.

For an example lets say we are going to do the 1st degree. We open on MM send out the guide, close the MM, open on the EA, perform the 1st degree, then the WM says anyone who are not MM please retire or something along those lines, we then close at the EA level, open back on the MM level, do any business at the MM level then fully close and then go out to have coffee and whatever refreshments were brought.

I think I might ask the question why so much switching back and forth because it seems kind of silly to open on the MM level just to close the MM level to go down to whatever degree we are going to do. It makes me wonder if it's one of those that's how it's always been things or I'm thinking probably one of the things passed down from Grand Lodge.

They probably don't "close" just "step down" and then "step up" but yeah I agree it's very inefficient
 

Brent Heilman

Premium Member
Last year Oklahoma voted to allow business to be conducted on any degree, so no longer do we have to open strictly on the MM. The EAs and FCs aren't allowed to vote but they can be there for the meetings. When doing degree work we opened on whatever degree was being done. Not long ago I had a Brother turning in his EA Cat Lecture. I opened the Lodge on the EA. We did the business stuff and then had him turn in his lecture. It was really nice to just be able to open on the EA and not have to open on the MM then go down, turn in his lecture, and then go back up and close. It definitely was a long time coming and it only passed when we had the Grand Secretary and several PGMs submit the resolution.
 

Keith C

Registered User
So I have been paying more attention to this in the Lodge I attend since we are only allowed to conduct business at the MM level.

For an example lets say we are going to do the 1st degree. We open on MM send out the guide, close the MM, open on the EA, perform the 1st degree, then the WM says anyone who are not MM please retire or something along those lines, we then close at the EA level, open back on the MM level, do any business at the MM level then fully close and then go out to have coffee and whatever refreshments were brought.

I think I might ask the question why so much switching back and forth because it seems kind of silly to open on the MM level just to close the MM level to go down to whatever degree we are going to do. It makes me wonder if it's one of those that's how it's always been things or I'm thinking probably one of the things passed down from Grand Lodge.

It is not from Grand Lodge, but might be from your DDGM or just the way your lodge does it. When we have extra meetings we open on the degree to be conferred, do the degree and then close on the degree conferred. The only time we open on MM, and then switch is when we do a degree on a Stated Meeting night, which is typically in December, when the new JW needs to either confer or emulate an EA Degree.
 

Warrior1256

Site Benefactor
So when a brother turns in his proficiency the lodge opens, drops to XX deg lets him in, he does his proficiency then immediately has to leave? Or is the rest of the meeting carried out on the lower deg until closing?
For an example lets say we are going to do the 1st degree. We open on MM send out the guide, close the MM, open on the EA, perform the 1st degree, then the WM says anyone who are not MM please retire or something along those lines, we then close at the EA level, open back on the MM level, do any business at the MM level then fully close and then go out to have coffee and whatever refreshments were brought.
The above is the way that we do it.
 

HoldenMonty

Registered User
The only time we open on MM, and then switch is when we do a degree on a Stated Meeting night, which is typically in December
That might be why because we only do degrees on stated meeting nights unless we have an extra meeting a particular month to do degree work.
 

Keith C

Registered User
That might be why because we only do degrees on stated meeting nights unless we have an extra meeting a particular month to do degree work.

Interesting. How do you have time for anyting else during your stated meetings? With the typical programs we have we would be in lodge until 11:30 - Midnight if we had to do degrees during our stated meeting.
 

HoldenMonty

Registered User
How do you have time for anyting else during your stated meetings?
Well the only one I have seen them do degree work during a stated meeting was when I got my 3rd degree since I became a MM they decided to do their business after so I could sit in and watch it. They either do it before or after and read the minutes from the last meeting, take care of any petitions in whichever stage they might be and the degree work is their program for that night.
 

Ripcord22A

Site Benefactor
Why though? Is how much the electricity bill really a masonic secret that only Master Masons can know? What if that EA is a world-class financier and the largest having problems with money by letting him sit in on a meeting maybe he could save the lodge I know that's a far out there hypothetical I'm just saying. There is no reason that an Entered Apprentice or a fellowcraft shouldn't be allowed to sit in on a regular business meeting

Sent from my SM-G386T using My Freemasonry mobile app
 

Brent Heilman

Premium Member
Why though? Is how much the electricity bill really a masonic secret that only Master Masons can know? What if that EA is a world-class financier and the largest having problems with money by letting him sit in on a meeting maybe he could save the lodge I know that's a far out there hypothetical I'm just saying. There is no reason that an Entered Apprentice or a fellowcraft shouldn't be allowed to sit in on a regular business meeting

Sent from my SM-G386T using My Freemasonry mobile app
I totally agree with you on that. That is one of the reasons I was so happy to see our GL pass the resolution. The only problem I am having with it is getting them in the door. We have one guy who would be there for everything, but his work schedule won't allow it.
 

Warrior1256

Site Benefactor
Why though? Is how much the electricity bill really a masonic secret that only Master Masons can know? What if that EA is a world-class financier and the largest having problems with money by letting him sit in on a meeting maybe he could save the lodge I know that's a far out there hypothetical I'm just saying. There is no reason that an Entered Apprentice or a fellowcraft shouldn't be allowed to sit in on a regular business meeting
I've already stated my reasons previously. We simply have a difference of opinion on this. Why keep going over and over the same ground?
 

daviddenboer

Registered User
When I was visiting in Arizona seeing states meetings there as a FC was beneficial to my Masonic journey. Lots to learn and it seemed to help other candidates feel part of the group.


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