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Table Lodge

Warrior1256

Site Benefactor
After hearing about the Table Lodge on this forum just a couple of weeks ago I attended my first one tonight. With it being this close to Christmas only 6 members, including myself, showed up. The Master opened the lodge literally at one of the dining room tables. Very interesting.
 

RyanC

Registered User
We just did a festive board, the two are almost the same but one is open the public and one is not. We had 29 people show up had a real good time.
 

dfreybur

Premium Member
Was your Table lodge the style used in Maine with the list of toasts, or the style used in Illinois with a response in each degree to some point in the ritual (what the beehive means to me sort of talk) then a presentation on any topic? I've been to Table Lodge with and without songs. I have a terrible voice but I prefer with songs.
 

Companion Joe

Premium Member
We can't have a table lodge or festive board, in the traditional sense, in Tennessee. It is prohibited to serve alcohol in any Masonic building or at any function that is "Masonic" - the exception being if it is part of ritual that calls for it. Last year, there was a GL proposal to permit it, and people lost their minds. We have one TO lodge in the state, and if I am not mistaken, the proposal came from its membership so they could have the traditional post-meeting meal with toasts. No one suggested taking shots during degree work; no one proposed rolling a keg in for stated meetings; the legislation would simply permit traditional and established Masonic practices. Most everyone was of the opinion of "Ok, whatever." A very vocal minority caused such a stink it was defeated.
 

dfreybur

Premium Member
There was no alcohol, only soft drinks.

Allowed in Illinois is to have a Table Lodge at a Shrine center with GM dispensation. A bar before opening is allowed. The bar must close before the room is tiled. Then the toasts are done with juice. If a brother forgets which glass is which that's called a mistake. Alcohol rules in Illinois aren't as restrictive as some states, more restrictive than others.
 

Companion Joe

Premium Member
In Tennessee, the way I understand the regs, if a group of Masons wanted to go out to a private dinner 100 miles away from the nearest lodge and talk about the Super Bowl, if alcohol is consumed, then it is a violation. I may be mistaken, but that's the way I understand it. If inclusion in an event is restricted to men who have had the three degrees, it is considered "Masonic."

Now, is that easily circumvented if it is held somewhere other than lodge hall? Obviously. But, as I said earlier, the whole topic caused a major do-do storm last year at GL.
 

chrmc

Registered User
Now, is that easily circumvented if it is held somewhere other than lodge hall? Obviously. But, as I said earlier, the whole topic caused a major do-do storm last year at GL.

We had a similar situation in Texas a couple of year ago, but that was more on the ritual part as the committee on work wasn't happy that non approved rituals were being worked.
What it all however came down to was the important distinction and definition of what a table lodge actually is, which is an actual meal and meeting being held in a tyled lodge room.

What we most often see at various places is an agape or feast being held in adjoining rooms or at a restaurant where we use some rituals from the past and then we call it a table lodge. This is however an incorrect definition as was pointed out in the Texas case.
 

hiram357

Registered User
I attended my first table lodge a couple of months ago. It was pretty neat. The only problem is that it was in German, a language I don't speak! In any case it's a cool tradition that more American lodges should implement.
 
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