Recent content by tom268

Why?

In all of Scandinavia, the grand lodges work the Swedish Rite, that is neither AF&AM, F&AM or whatever. The oldest Grand Lodge in Germany is the Grand National Mother Lodge "3 World Globes", again without letters. In France, Italy and Spain, grand lodges are usually called Grand Orients, and as...

Is this different in Texas? Are EA allowed to watch FC degree meetings? I ask, because it sounds to be something unusual.

I find this discussion very irritating for a masonic forum. 1st: Freemasons should respect ALL faiths, as far as I know. 2nd: Such discussions always (!) develop into disrespectful postings and sometimes even church bashing at some point. Just because you cannot control who is writing and those...

The altar per se is well known to me. In my jurisdiction, the altar is in the east, in front of the WM (he knocks on it), and other german jurisdictions have a "master's table" at this position and a triangular altar directly west of it, at the bottom of the three stairs to the east. I know...

I would like to know, when and where (and from which source) your altar in the center comes from. This is a typical US piece of lodge style and I never saw it in Europe (not counting the US army lodges in Germany).

That is quite easy to answer. The UGLE is the United Grand Lodge of England, the one GL in England, that is recognized by all the other regular GLs in the world, and the other is not. You may find the word "regular" in every two sentences on the RGLE website, and they also may list a number of...

On the other hand, if Bro. longhorn817 means with "our form" the way you do it in the USA, you can't date it back to 1717, as you have signifficant differences in ritual. How and when the ritual changes came to the states is out of my knowledge.

No, Andersons Constitutions are not part of my GLs lawbook. The rules of my GL are based on the General Regulations of Georg Payne in 1720. I'm sure, that we share the same principles, but surely not word by word. So it is difficult to compare what is part of your and my obligation. And yes...

Of course, if you say, that masonry is, whenever men are seeking enlightenment, then you can say, that freemasonry was ever. But that does not help, I think. In the same way you can argue, that we are a magical order, as all life is magic and therefore our masonry is magic. But that does not...

Well, I'm not sure, that we have the same obligations, but for me, taking the obligations mean a lesson on humblyness, to take the whole as the focus, the whole, that is bigger than all of us together.

Hm, pardon my ignorance, but Supreme Grand Master of what? And the Supreme Council of where? Masonic titles are numerous and widespread, but only few offices among masonic organizations have international influence. But as a quick answer to your question: What a GM can or can't do is usually...

Sorry to say that, but it is a strange attitude you brothers have towards masonry. Pay the due, be a mason, have a funeral? Is that all? I really miss some aspects here in the discussion. How do EAs and FC feel? How many do not come back after their initiation? What are the arguments of those...

In most of Europe, at least continental Europe, this is the common practice. All business is done in EA, and you are a dues paying and participating member from the moment you are initiated. Well, as you stay about a year in the EA degree and another year in the FC, it would be difficult to keep...

I never saw a brother in tail coat, wearing the apron above the coat. Exactly for the reasons you wrote. The lodge is no catwalk, but some basic dress rules should still aply, and tail should be worn not only with apron under the coat but also with dignity.