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Addressing Grand Lodge Officers

owls84

Moderator
Premium Member
Am I glad you asked or what. I a including this in the ALL program powerpoint I am working on. We were told at the wardens retreat this past weekend that in all Mason groups he is to be refered to as the following:

Most Worshipful Sir
Most Worshipful Counts (David Counts)
Grand Master Counts (David Counts)

In a public group:

Honorable Counts (David Counts) This goes for ALL Masons in a public setting or in correspondance. They asked we don't use brother or worshipful. They say this may give us a bad image to those that don't understand the history behind the terms.

As far as the officers it is in the Monitor and I don't have a copy with me. I would try and do it but I don't want to leave anyone out.
 

Wingnut

Premium Member
Another good source of titles and other interesting bits of information is the book that RW Donny Broughton's Lady was selling (and still available) that was called Masonry for the Masons Lady or something like that... Red book, think it sells for about $5 at most functions.
 

Bro. P.W.Wesson PM

Registered User
As I recall, Most Worshipful refers to Grand Master
Right Worshipful refers to elected Grand Officers : Grand JW, Grand SW, Grand Secretary and Grand Treasurer
Appointed officers by The Grand Master are referred to as Worshipful.
 

Glen Cook

G A Cook
Site Benefactor
As I recall, Most Worshipful refers to Grand Master
Right Worshipful refers to elected Grand Officers : Grand JW, Grand SW, Grand Secretary and Grand Treasurer
Appointed officers by The Grand Master are referred to as Worshipful.
I think you may have the record for the longest period to bump a post: almost nine years! :)

To your point: this is very much dependent on jurisdiction.
 

Glen Cook

G A Cook
Site Benefactor
So far all the posts I’ve read vary by Jurisdiction, not our Will and Pleasure.
Thanks
If I take your meaning correctly, the styles you mentioned are usually established by Masonic law. However, the will and pleasure of the presiding officer varies between jurisdictions.
 

Bro. P.W.Wesson PM

Registered User
Yes you are correct, and I appreciate your input. I have served in the same Jurisdiction all my Masonic life, and have seen numerous things deviate from what Masonic Law states, however I do understand that the Presiding Officer is in charge of the Jurisdiction. He don’t make the Laws but have the Power to alter them under his authority.
 

Glen Cook

G A Cook
Site Benefactor
Yes you are correct, and I appreciate your input. I have served in the same Jurisdiction all my Masonic life, and have seen numerous things deviate from what Masonic Law states, however I do understand that the Presiding Officer is in charge of the Jurisdiction. He don’t make the Laws but have the Power to alter them under his authority.
I will defer to your interpretation in your GL. I assure you the GM does not have the power to alter the Laws in my Masonic jurisdictions and many others.
 

Bro. P.W.Wesson PM

Registered User
My interpetation is that if Masonic Law states that the Grand Officers are referred to by those Titles, then how do they vary by Jurisdiction.
Explain Please.
Thanks, I guess choose not to enforce is a better fit for this.
 

Glen Cook

G A Cook
Site Benefactor
Because Masonic law is not uniform across jurisdictions. For instance, in Pennsylvania, the grand master is a right worshipful. In New York, representatives from other jurisdictions are right worshipful. Some jurisdictions also use very worshipful.
And you are correct, the law in various forms isn’t always enforced.
 

dfreybur

Premium Member
My interpetation is that if Masonic Law states that the Grand Officers are referred to by those Titles, then how do they vary by Jurisdiction.
Explain Please.

In all three of my jurisdictions there is a section of the GL bylaws book that has a table of grand offices and the titles for them, as well as past and former grand offices. In all three of my jurisdictions the lists are different.

For that matter all three of my jurisdictions have slightly different lists of grand offices. And even different definitions or usage for the words past and former.

Not to be outdone by such differences, all three of my jurisdictions have different names for what I just called the GL bylaws book.

Most Worshipful is agreed upon for the Grand Master, but since the overlap ends there I wonder if even MW is not universal. Languages other than English tend to use a word that resembles Venerable rather than Worshipful at the blue lodge level and that probably maps to their grand levels.
 

Glen Cook

G A Cook
Site Benefactor
In all three of my jurisdictions there is a section of the GL bylaws book that has a table of grand offices and the titles for them, as well as past and former grand offices. In all three of my jurisdictions the lists are different.

For that matter all three of my jurisdictions have slightly different lists of grand offices. And even different definitions or usage for the words past and former.

Not to be outdone by such differences, all three of my jurisdictions have different names for what I just called the GL bylaws book.

Most Worshipful is agreed upon for the Grand Master, but since the overlap ends there I wonder if even MW is not universal. Languages other than English tend to use a word that resembles Venerable rather than Worshipful at the blue lodge level and that probably maps to their grand levels.
Other than PA, I’m I unaware of any Grand lodge that does not use most worshipful or an idiomatic translation thereof. It is common in Spanish speaking countries to use Respectable for Worshipful.

A translation story: I was granted a Past Grand rank in Portugal. Past translated as Antiqua. Not sure I liked that.:)
 
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hanzosbm

Premium Member
One on one, I usually address them as 'Brother'. For one thing, there is no higher title. For another, their response tells me a great deal about the man.
 

Elexir

Registered User
Outside of lodge its just the name, I tend to only reference their office or rank if I dont know the name.

In lodge or other ritual settings its always title office name, it can be quite a mouthfull.
 

Warrior1256

Site Benefactor
I think you may have the record for the longest period to bump a post: almost nine years! :)
Yep....he even beat ME!
To your point: this is very much dependent on jurisdiction.
In my jurisdiction:
Grand Masters and Past Grand Masters....Most Worshipful
Other Elected Grand Line Officers.....Right Worshipful
Appointed Grand Line Officers....Worshipful, EXCEPT for the Grand Chaplin who is addressed as Right Reverend.
 
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