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I have been nominated to sit in the South next year.

Brother_Steve

Premium Member
I am half excited, half scared and half upset. Is that possible? I think it is in Masonry!

The chair I was installed in this year was Junior Deacon. I've always paid attention in Lodge...watching the chairs ahead of me. Reading and learning the work. I've learned the Lecture that the SD required to do in the Fellowcraft degree. I was in the process of hammering out the degree verbiage. Those of us who have been through the line know the similarities of questioning so it was just a matter of rehashing my lines from the SD's point of view. I was excited to be sitting as Senior Deacon next year.

Then came the bomb no lodge wants to hear. The sitting JW resigned his position for health reasons that he would not go into. We could tell something was not right. He was very upset at his last meeting.

Now I'm the "sitting" SD for the rest of the year. No biggie. I know the work the SD is required to do during a meeting. I've sat in the chair when I was needed.

I went from doing a full year of stated meetings to just doing five. I now have four left. Our next degree is going to be an EA degree put on by Past Masters in November. That is being done not because we as officers are in an abrupt transition, but because it is a son of a RWB in our lodge. That rules out my involvement beyond opening the Lodge. Then we have elections and that'll be it. I will sit as the SD in the second half of a FC degree next year and that will be my degree experience as a Senior Deacon.

We're strong enough as a lodge to absorb it. We have a full line with members wanting to get in so the ranks will be filled with competent Brothers. It just bothers me that I'm skipping a very important chair.
 

Brent Heilman

Premium Member
I went through all the chairs in an official capacity except JD. I was the pro-tem JD for the entire year I was actually appointed to the SS chair. This is my year in the East officially. I was in the East last year, but only because the guy elected was never there. In the end, as I went through the chairs I never really got to do SW either.

We like for whoever is in one particular chair to do that part in degrees, we never require it though. I have done just about every position in all 3 degrees and I like it that we can move about for the most part. We have a few guys that only want to do certain parts and that is fine with me. While I like conferring degrees, I like either the SD or either Steward position more.
 

Bro. Landry

Registered User
Small lodge here also, I started in the JW seat where I still am. Hope you enjoy it as much as I have.


Sent from my iPhone using My Freemasonry
 

Keith C

Registered User
Very similar here Brother_Steve.

The JD appointed last December only showed up to the January stated meeting and then disappeared. The chair was filled with various people for February and March. Meanwhile for Degrees I was asked to sit in various chairs, Pursuivant, Jr and Sr MC and JD. At one of our extra meetings in March I was asked if I would be willing to start "in the line" and be appointed JD for the rest of the year, which would mean next year being SD, and also begin to learn the EA Degree, Business of the Lodge and the Charges with the recommendation that I work on the charges, since very few brothers in my lodge know them. So April, May and June things were going well, and I had the charge down for the EA degree and then we went dark for July and August. The last week of August I got a call from both the SW and WM informing me that out SD was "stepping out of the line" and they would greatly appreciate it if I would be willing to stand for election as JW for next year. So I began the scramble to learn the Business of the Lodge and the EA degree before November ends. I have set up with the District School to emulate the Business of the Lodge on November 1st and the EA degree on November 15th. Wish me luck as there is really no margin for error here! If I mess either up the lodge will be scrambling to find someone to sit in the South.
 

Brother_Steve

Premium Member
Very similar here Brother_Steve.

The JD appointed last December only showed up to the January stated meeting and then disappeared. The chair was filled with various people for February and March. Meanwhile for Degrees I was asked to sit in various chairs, Pursuivant, Jr and Sr MC and JD. At one of our extra meetings in March I was asked if I would be willing to start "in the line" and be appointed JD for the rest of the year, which would mean next year being SD, and also begin to learn the EA Degree, Business of the Lodge and the Charges with the recommendation that I work on the charges, since very few brothers in my lodge know them. So April, May and June things were going well, and I had the charge down for the EA degree and then we went dark for July and August. The last week of August I got a call from both the SW and WM informing me that out SD was "stepping out of the line" and they would greatly appreciate it if I would be willing to stand for election as JW for next year. So I began the scramble to learn the Business of the Lodge and the EA degree before November ends. I have set up with the District School to emulate the Business of the Lodge on November 1st and the EA degree on November 15th. Wish me luck as there is really no margin for error here! If I mess either up the lodge will be scrambling to find someone to sit in the South.
Good luck. We too must do the EA as JW, FC as SW and MM as WM. However, we do not have to prove proficient before being elected and installed. I feel like a 4x4 vehicle that is downshifting into 4-wheel low to get done what I need to get done come December.
 

Keith C

Registered User
Good luck. We too must do the EA as JW, FC as SW and MM as WM. However, we do not have to prove proficient before being elected and installed. I feel like a 4x4 vehicle that is downshifting into 4-wheel low to get done what I need to get done come December.

Nice analogy. Reminds me of my single days when I had a Jeep and went off-roading with my friends on weekends!

I feel it is more like trying to drink water from a fire hose without spilling a drop!
 

Bloke

Premium Member
Congratulations ! (read the thread and I am sure you will do well - because you obviously apply yourself.)
 
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