My Freemasonry | Freemason Information and Discussion Forum

Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

Travelling man

rhitland

Founding Member
Premium Member
Now I have no problem not being a member of the GL of TX and knew that I was not but what has confused me is the obligation compared to the law. In a degree you are told you are a member of the GL of TX and a member of said Lodge you are in. The law states you are a member of your Lodge only which is a member of the GL of TX but according to the law you are not a member of the GL of TX. I see the order that is this law is inteded to keep and support it whole heartdly but I do wish they would have come up with a diffrent term for voting members of GL like "Senior Member".
Now if you are just a plano MM like myself or EA or FC do not think your voice is non-existant this could not be further from the truth. It may be a little harder for you to get things done but if it is a noble cause rest assure you will find some PM to help make it happen on the GL level.
 

Wingnut

Premium Member
Good Point Rhit! There are almost always like minded PMs on here that we can get to put in changes :)
 

Bill Lins

Moderating Staff
Staff Member
Now I have no problem not being a member of the GL of TX and knew that I was not but what has confused me is the obligation compared to the law. In a degree you are told you are a member of the GL of TX and a member of said Lodge you are in.

My obligation does NOT state that I am a "member" of Grand Lodge- just that I will obey what they tell me to do or not do. You might want to go back & recheck- mebbe you were taught incorrectly.
 

js4253

Premium Member
Premium Member
That is a funny thing-not being a member of the Grand Lodge of Texas-unless your a pastmaster. A lot of brethren had and still have a problem w/that term. I can understand why.
Are you a member of the Grand Lodge of Texas? No but my lodge is:drum:

Every year at Grand Lodge someone will go down to give his opinion about an issue and get shut down when it is discovered he is not a Past Master. Many Brothers are under the assumption that if they are Master Masons, they have voting rights.
 

Blake Bowden

Administrator
Staff Member
Every year at Grand Lodge someone will go down to give his opinion about an issue and get shut down when it is discovered he is not a Past Master. Many Brothers are under the assumption that if they are Master Masons, they have voting rights.

Ya I witnessed that last year...
 

rhitland

Founding Member
Premium Member
My obligation does NOT state that I am a "member" of Grand Lodge- just that I will obey what they tell me to do or not do. You might want to go back & recheck- mebbe you were taught incorrectly.

In our MM obligation you do swear to uphold the laws of GL of TX and also if you become a Member of any other GL other that TX you have to uphold there laws as well. The word member in that part of the obligation is what I was referring to as confusing, it can give some as it did myself the false impression they are a member of the GL of TX. Granted I very well could have been taught that wrong but I have always heard the word member said there. I will certianly check on that though.
 
Last edited:

rhitland

Founding Member
Premium Member
Do not get me wrong my Brothers, our GL system in my opinion is set about as good as it could be allowing only lodges and PMs to vote. This affords order and wisdom to prevail at grand lodge. I know for myself I do not want every MM to have the right to vote at GL that would be crazy. I was trying to talk about how the misconception that MMs are members of GL is born. I know from this discussion I will always inform people I am instructing on the MM q&a on the law of membership of the GL of TX. :)
 

Bill Lins

Moderating Staff
Staff Member
In our MM obligation you do swear to uphold the laws of GL of TX and also if you become a Member of any other GL other that TX you have to uphold there laws as well. The word member in that part of the obligation is what I was referring to as confusing, it can give some as it did myself the false impression they are a member of the GL of TX. Granted I very well could have been taught that wrong but I have always heard the word member said there. I will certianly check on that though.

The clause referring to the GL does not contain the term "member". It merely states that you agree to obey the laws, etc. of whatever GL you are in the jurisdiction of. The following clause deals with membership in a blue Lodge.
 

rhitland

Founding Member
Premium Member
The biggest DUH every!! I sat down last night and started from the begining of the MM work and I am not sure what I was thinking, idiocy is the only excuse. So now that I have my foot out of my mouth I can clarify that I was way off. I had the first to switched it is jurisdictions and the blue lodge part is member. It does say absolutley nothing about being a member of GL, you just you gotta follow the rules of the GL jurisdiction you are in. I should have questioned myself before b/c our obligation does not leave any wiggle room they are very straight forward but my foot in my mouth keep me from seeing that. I want to thank Brother Bill Lins and HK Tidwell for helping pull my foot outta my mouth and learn me sumtin! :)
 
Top