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Making a mason at sight
- Thread starter david918
- Start date
HKTidwell
Premium Member
I know in our laws, it is prohibited.
Art. 35. (35). Mason at Sight Prohibited. The Grand
Master has no power or authority to make Masons at sight. This
Grand Lodge will not recognize any mode of making Masons in
this Jurisdiction other than in a regular Lodge and after previous
investigation, regular election and due inquiry into the character
of the candidate.
I do not know if it has ever been done, sometimes laws are created because of situations occurring. Does anybody have a pdf of the Laws with any changes from the 2009 session.
Art. 35. (35). Mason at Sight Prohibited. The Grand
Master has no power or authority to make Masons at sight. This
Grand Lodge will not recognize any mode of making Masons in
this Jurisdiction other than in a regular Lodge and after previous
investigation, regular election and due inquiry into the character
of the candidate.
I do not know if it has ever been done, sometimes laws are created because of situations occurring. Does anybody have a pdf of the Laws with any changes from the 2009 session.
HKTidwell
Premium Member
Douh! I was more meaning did anybody have the new law book with changes in a pdf format?
I have the 2008 in pdf, which is where I pulled this from. I knew I'd seen something in the laws about making a Mason at sight. So as I was doing a search in the laws the thought crossed my mind to see if anybody had the updated ones. When I made my post everything kind of ran together.
I have the 2008 in pdf, which is where I pulled this from. I knew I'd seen something in the laws about making a Mason at sight. So as I was doing a search in the laws the thought crossed my mind to see if anybody had the updated ones. When I made my post everything kind of ran together.
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In Kentucky, a provision was brought up that would allow a serviceman about to be shipped to a war zone to have the period between degrees shortened was voted down 2 years ago. Personally, I was for it.
I have not heard of the Mason at sight other than what is posted here. However, we were granted dispensation (by the GM) to postpone the proficency of a guy that was an EA and came home from Iraq. He is a member here actually. SSG_Morrison. He was here for 36 hours and we did his FC and MM last week. We had to do a little work because he was initiated in KS but it was so worth it.
fairbanks1363pm
Registered User
one our presidents was made a mason at sight and so was douglass mcarthur i believe.
In Texas? Remember, other GL's have different rules & some of them allow "at sight".
fairbanks1363pm
Registered User
of the U.S. i have a book on our masonic presidents. i will research it next time i am at lodge
Nate Riley
Premium Member
I am opposed to one-day conferrals, but in certain cases (military deployment being a good one) I think it is acceptable for the Grand Lodge to give a special dispensation. But making a Mason at sight? That is crazy!!! It has no value, neither to the fraternity or the "candidate".
david918
Premium Member
From Mackey's masonic Jurisprudence landmark no.8
LANDMARK EIGHTH
The prerogative of the Grand Master to make masons at sight, is a Landmark which
is closely connected with the preceding one. There has been much misapprehension
in relation to this Landmark, which misapprehension has sometimes led to a denial of
its existence in jurisdictions where the Grand Master was perhaps at the very time
substantially exercising the prerogative, without the slightest remark or opposition.
It is not to be supposed that the Grand Master can retire with a profane into a private
room, and there, without assistance, confer the degrees of Freemasonry upon him.
No such prerogative exists, and yet many believe that this is the so much talked of
right of "making Masons at sight". The real mode and the only mode of exercising
the prerogative is this: The Grand Master summons to his assistance not less than six
other masons, convenes a Lodge, and without any previous probation, but on sight
of the candidate, confers the degrees upon him. after which he dissolves the Lodge.
and dismisses the brethren. Lodges thus convened for special purposes are called
occasional lodges," This is the only way in which any Grand Master within the
records of the institution has ever been known to "make a Mason at sight". The
prerogative is dependent upon that of granting dispensations to open and hold
Lodges. If the Grand Master has the power of granting to any other Mason the
privilege of presiding over Lodges working by his dispensation, he may assume this
privilege of presiding to himself; and as no one can deny his right to revoke his
dispensation granted to a number of brethren at a distance, and to dissolve the Lodge
at his pleasure, it will scarcely be contended that he may not revoke his dispensation
for a Lodge over which he himself has been presiding, within a day, and dissolve the
Lodge as soon as the business for which he had assembled it is accomplished. The
making of Masons at sight is only the conferring of the degrees by the Grand Master,
at once, in an occasional Lodge, constituted by his dispensing power for the purpose,
and over which he presides in person.
LANDMARK EIGHTH
The prerogative of the Grand Master to make masons at sight, is a Landmark which
is closely connected with the preceding one. There has been much misapprehension
in relation to this Landmark, which misapprehension has sometimes led to a denial of
its existence in jurisdictions where the Grand Master was perhaps at the very time
substantially exercising the prerogative, without the slightest remark or opposition.
It is not to be supposed that the Grand Master can retire with a profane into a private
room, and there, without assistance, confer the degrees of Freemasonry upon him.
No such prerogative exists, and yet many believe that this is the so much talked of
right of "making Masons at sight". The real mode and the only mode of exercising
the prerogative is this: The Grand Master summons to his assistance not less than six
other masons, convenes a Lodge, and without any previous probation, but on sight
of the candidate, confers the degrees upon him. after which he dissolves the Lodge.
and dismisses the brethren. Lodges thus convened for special purposes are called
occasional lodges," This is the only way in which any Grand Master within the
records of the institution has ever been known to "make a Mason at sight". The
prerogative is dependent upon that of granting dispensations to open and hold
Lodges. If the Grand Master has the power of granting to any other Mason the
privilege of presiding over Lodges working by his dispensation, he may assume this
privilege of presiding to himself; and as no one can deny his right to revoke his
dispensation granted to a number of brethren at a distance, and to dissolve the Lodge
at his pleasure, it will scarcely be contended that he may not revoke his dispensation
for a Lodge over which he himself has been presiding, within a day, and dissolve the
Lodge as soon as the business for which he had assembled it is accomplished. The
making of Masons at sight is only the conferring of the degrees by the Grand Master,
at once, in an occasional Lodge, constituted by his dispensing power for the purpose,
and over which he presides in person.
That's true, but the candidate still has to petition a Lodge, be investigated & accepted before being initiated- not so when being made a Mason "at sight". Texas GL Law specifically states that our GM does NOT have the authority to make a Mason at sight. (Art. 35)
J
JEbeling
Guest
I know of two that were done in Texas... ! one was a Governor .. ! and the other was an astronaut.. ! somewhere around 1950's.. remember there being a lot of talk about it and the Texas law.. ! but once it's done it's kinda hard to undo..? don't remember the outcome of the astronaut but I know the Governor joined some lodge in Auston...? will run this by a friend on Texas Lodge of Research and see if he can come up with names...?
I found an interesting article on this subject. Though not involving Masons in Texas it is interesting as it about one of our Presidents.
http://www.masonicdictionary.com/sight.html
http://www.masonicdictionary.com/sight.html
J
JEbeling
Guest
That was very interesting reading... ! thanks.. !
