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Meals -- Before or after the meeting

Smokey613

Registered User
I began to ponder on this after our last stated meeting. Most lodges I have visited have their meal before the meeting. We have ours after the meeting. I was wondering if there was a "standard" regarding this.
 

Bro_Vick

Moderator
Premium Member
Most places do meals before the meeting to allow participation of wives, etc. D.C. and Virginal are the only two jurisdictions I have been that they serve the meal afterwards.
 

dhouseholder

Registered User
Most places do meals before the meeting to allow participation of wives, etc. D.C. and Virginal are the only two jurisdictions I have been that they serve the meal afterwards.

No wonder the Virginal jurisdiction eats afterwards, they DON'T have any wives to participate.

... you know, being virgins and all.
 

Nate Riley

Premium Member
We do ours meal then meeting and we are in a town where a lot of folks commute to the Houston area for work. So, from a practical standpoint, having the meeting after the meal (at a later time) appears to allow more brothers to make to the meeting from work and other obligations. If the meal and meeting were switched it might make it harder for some to make the meeting. I find (from my position in the kitchen) the some brothers have dinner with their family before coming to the meeting. At first I thought "why not fellowship with the brothers", but spending time with family is more important (per our teachings).
 

Bigmel

Premium Member
Premium Member
We eat our meals before Meeting. It lets candidates and visitors have fellowship before meeting.
 

Christopher

Registered User
I like the idea of having the meal after the meetings. Stated meetings have a serious tendency to drag on with a lot of business and drudgery. I think a meal after the meeting would give some incentive to stay focussed and on-track and get our work done, and a way to relieve some of the strain from the back and forth haggling that sometimes happens at meetings. A bit of hunger might also prop up the attention spans of some brethren accustomed to napping after a good meal.

Christopher
 

kcir

Registered User
I belong to a lodge in Germany and we eat after the meeting and have a formal table lodge. The brothers are served the meal by all attending EA's and FC's. This is a tradition thaqt I miss.
 

TexMass

Registered User
During the meeting in MA. We usually break for refreshment and go to dinner after opening and doing any first half ritual. After dinner we return and do our business meeting then what ever part two ritual we have.
 

kcir

Registered User
There is a lot to the procedure. You can get an idea by visiting the web site of Army Lodge 1105 here in San Antonio. They have instructions for their formal table lodge. Good Luck
 

Wingnut

Premium Member
We do before, but I think we should do it after degrees, a chance to destroy the evidence by serving the goat.
 

TexMass

Registered User
During the meeting in MA. We usually break for refreshment and go to dinner after opening and doing any first half ritual. After dinner we return and do our business meeting then what ever part two ritual we have.

MA lodges usually start at 6:30 and dinner is at 7:00 to 7:45. IF the District Deputy is visiting, he is received at 8:00. This actually allows the DD to have dinner with us and after lodge has returned to labor you can get the business meeting out of the way and receive the DD. Whle he's there, he can view your ritural if you have a second part to do on a candidate. I think it works out really well.
 
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