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Email etiquette

dfreybur

Premium Member
"Passed 11/4/2016"

Welcome again to the family twice adopted Brother.

Either of your suggested forms of address work fine.
 

BullDozer Harrell

Registered User
Brothers - What is the proper way to address the Worshipful Master of a lodge in an email? Is "Worshipful Master" preferred or will "Brother XXX" suffice?
Young Masonic Jedi, you shall learn protocol here and prosper. But seriously though, it's respectful to always address a Brother with his appropriate prefixed title.

I made a serious blunder when i was still a newbie. I thought that since 'we all meet on the level' as i kept hearing so frequently, I would call our District Deputy Grand Master simply Brother Blanks during one of his official lodge visits. Oh my god, you would've swore i cussed the man out.

Several Past Masters immediately jumped up to apologize. But the DDGM was cool about it. He told me later that he knew i was new, and that the PMs were overreacting as usual.

Android OS Nougat 7.0
 

dfreybur

Premium Member
Glen is right though, better to be over courteous than familiar... "yo bro" is good enough for me but might not meet others expectations :) , but "Dear Sir and Brother.." is always a respectful start.

Exactly. Times I've been in the line the officers tended to say "Worsh". Times I've been in the east I've been happy with my officers calling me "Worsh". More formal with less well known Brothers though.
 

Canadian Paul

Registered User
Maybe, but I believe the Scotts for instance, a PM there is just "Brother" not Worshipful Brother while a sitting Master is Rt WBro

It's does vary by jurisdiction...

In a Scottish lodge all brethren are addressed simply as 'Brother'. Titles are attached only to the Offices they bear. If holding an office they are referred to as 'Office-bearers', not 'Officers'. The Master's title of office is 'Right Worshipful Master' but he is addressed simply as 'Brother So-and-so'. Also, the wardens' titles are 'Worshipful Senior Warden' and the 'Worshipful Junior Warden' but they also are addressed simply as 'Brother'.

As a Past Master of my mother lodge I am still only 'Brother Miller', but may put the initials "PM" (for 'past master') after my name.

To add to the confusion, as a past master of a lodge under the GL of Newfoundland and Labrador, which follows UGLE practice, I am also 'Worshipful Brother Miller'!
 

Mark S

Registered User
Thank you. Some insightfull information shared. I hope I have not ruined my chances with my introduction e-mail to a local Lodge with my first sentence. I may have introduced myself a little too informal.

Sent from my SM-N910C using My Freemasonry mobile app
 

Bro. Stewart P.M.

Lead Moderator Emeritus
Staff Member
When in doubt, use "Honorable Sir". It is hard to go wrong there.

E-Mail etiquette is not all that different than conventional mail, and letter writing.
 

Bloke

Premium Member
Thank you. Some insightfull information shared. I hope I have not ruined my chances with my introduction e-mail to a local Lodge with my first sentence. I may have introduced myself a little too informal.

Sent from my SM-N910C using My Freemasonry mobile app

Don't worry about it, if you're sunk by a reasonable start in your email, look at it as a blessing and being guided to find a better lodge :)
 

Keith C

Registered User
Thank you. Some insightfull information shared. I hope I have not ruined my chances with my introduction e-mail to a local Lodge with my first sentence. I may have introduced myself a little too informal.

Sent from my SM-N910C using My Freemasonry mobile app

I wouldn't worry.

As you are not yet a Brother you are not yet under any obligation towards the WM. When I went to my first dinner at the Lodge before I petitioned the WM came and introduced himself and said "Hi, I'm Joe, glad you could come out!"
 
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