What do you do with your phone during lodge meetings?

Benton said:

Why was there a phone in the lodge anyway?

Click to expand...

The example was of rude "cell-phone" behavior.

Ah, ok, for some reason I thought it was a land line on the secretary's desk, which would be inappropriate. (In my opinion.) Guess I just assumed. Sorry.

tom268 said:

It was indeed common practice in the 18th century lodges to take penalty fees for talking during the degree, forgetting ones regalia, coming too late or forgetting to apologize in advance for not coming and other things. The fees were quite harsh, what clearly shows, that decorum in lodge was not very high in those times.

Click to expand...

Bro. Tom,
It would seem to me that perhaps the decorum was quite a bit higher in the golden olden days... the fines were probably quite rare indeed.

Decorum, particularly among my younger brothers (Masonically, not chronologically), seems to decline a bit.

A meeting rarely last longer than an hour. I understand emergencies, but think that we all consider ourselves indispensable to our businesses (which I own) and our families. I find two or three voice messages (all of them emergencies) to remember to bring home the milk... or "is that danged meeting over with yet?" on my phone after every meeting.

I leave mine in the car, because -- honestly -- if I turn it on silent, I will forget that it is on silent for the next three blessed days of not having the stupid thing buzz off on me whenever I am trying to get some peace. I've lost more phones because of that stupid silent button than I can count.... of course, I hate cell phones to begin with, but that is me personally.

And a certain pique of mine is to hear a Brother snort out a chuckle (usually when the Master is speaking), because he has read one of those insipidly stupid chain emails on his phone!

When I was first initiated, my father had told me not to bring my phone into lodge with me so nobody would think that I am recording or taking pictures of the rituals and things...lol I think he was just telling me that to add to my nervousness with all the "secrets", but I never really questioned it or brought it up afterwards and have just continued to leave it in my truck. Only recently have I brought it in with me, but I turn it completely off so that way it doesn't accidentally go off. Even on silent, if I have an alarm set on my phone it will be audible and I don't want to risk that happening in the middle of lodge...lol

I keep mine on me on vibrate. I'm normally on call for critical incidents and such.

Michaelstedman81 said:

...recording or taking pictures of the rituals...

Click to expand...

With the capabilities of today's cell-phones, it is a wonder that we havn't seen a conferral, or at least a significant part of one, on UTube of some other internet site.

I'm scared of it going off so I remove the battery.

SWATFrog said:

I keep mine on me on vibrate. I'm normally on call for critical incidents and such.

Click to expand...

Like I said previously, I keep mine on vibrate 'cause it feels good when it goes off.

At Grand Lodge here in Wisconsin a couple years ago MWGM J. B. Van Hollen (who is the current AG of Wisconsin) ordered that all cell phones be shut off, and any that rang during session would net the owner a $25.00 fine. The second day during the session a cell phone started ringing. No one answered it and it kept ringing. Finally GM Van Hollen said that he would pay the fine since it was his phone!

I keep mine on vibrate, as I am frequently on-call for work.

chrisu0017 said:

I keep mine on vibrate, as I am frequently on-call for work.

Click to expand...

Good way to stay awake during those exciting stated meetings, what? :wink:

The closest answer was leave it in car. I actually leave it in the Dinning room silenced.

Need an "other" option I would go as far as to give the option for extenuating circumstances. I have a 5 month old that will be 7 months when I will sit in my first meeting as a MM. I plan to let the WM know that I may be called because of an emergency and will need my phone on me on vibrate during a meeting. If it is a security issue for some the brethren have to realize they voted you in because they found you trustworthy to take the degrees and protect the secrets of the lodge and masonry as a whole.

Put it on silence drop it in the brief case until communication is over.
Bro. T.L. Wilson
Clarence C.Kittrell, #149 (PHA)
Phila, PA
MWPHGL Jurisdiction of PA


Freemason Connect Mobile

I would rather leave it in the car but my job requires me to be reachable 24/7. So, I put it on vibrate and put in my pocket. I only check it if I am recieving a call. I am at a military lodge so the brethern understand as others are in the same situation. But like I said I'd rather leave it in the car, or throw it in the water, or off a high, high building.

As much as I would like to leave it in my car, I have to keep it with me as I have men that work at night that may have issues on jobs as well as a father that is not in good health. I just silence it

We have an agreement in our lodge. If your phone goes off during a meeting, you have to buy a round of drinks for all lodge members present. The last time someone's phone went off it was during an official visit, and the phone belonged to the DDGM!
We marched him down to the local pub after the meeting, and he bought the first round!


Freemason Connect Mobile

I put it in airplane mode. The reason I bring it in to the lodge room is because I do use it as an electronic calendar and organizer. When I am on call, I inform the WM that I will need to monitor my phone prior to the start of business.

The cell phone has no place in the lodge leave it in the truck


Freemason Connect Mobile

As I just saw this thread yesterday I decided to reply even though it was started in 2011. I put my phone on Viberate I am required by a couple of agencies to reply with-in 10 min. when called. I won't be fired they put out alerts I must reply too. And it is tested once a week.