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"Permissive Edict" - A good or bad idea ?

Bloke

Premium Member
"Consider the merits of a program started in Kansas in 2003 by Grand Master Robert M. Tomlinson, called "Permissive Edict." He states, "This gives the lodges the ability to allow petitions for the Mysteries to be received and balloted upon in the usual manner (including an investigation) without the man knowing and if elected, the recommending brother informs him that he has been selected for membership in the world's oldest, largest and most widely respected fraternal organization in the world." This is essentially the way our brethren selected new members in the earliest days of speculative Freemasonry. Several Grand Lodges, including Indiana, are experimenting with this program as of 2004"

From
Laudable Pursuit:A 21st Century Response to Dwight Smith. ByThe Knights of the North

What an interesting idea the above is...

( The whole paper should be well known to men interested in the viably of their Grand, and their "subborindate" Lodge. Read it here http://www.knightsofthenorth.com/documents/laudablepursuit.pdf )

  • What do people think of the idea of a "Permissive Edict" ?
  • Is it still used in North America ? Has it helped or hindered or done neither ?
 

Elexir

Registered User
"Consider the merits of a program started in Kansas in 2003 by Grand Master Robert M. Tomlinson, called "Permissive Edict." He states, "This gives the lodges the ability to allow petitions for the Mysteries to be received and balloted upon in the usual manner (including an investigation) without the man knowing and if elected, the recommending brother informs him that he has been selected for membership in the world's oldest, largest and most widely respected fraternal organization in the world." This is essentially the way our brethren selected new members in the earliest days of speculative Freemasonry. Several Grand Lodges, including Indiana, are experimenting with this program as of 2004"

From
Laudable Pursuit:A 21st Century Response to Dwight Smith. ByThe Knights of the North

What an interesting idea the above is...

( The whole paper should be well known to men interested in the viably of their Grand, and their "subborindate" Lodge. Read it here http://www.knightsofthenorth.com/documents/laudablepursuit.pdf )

  • What do people think of the idea of a "Permissive Edict" ?
  • Is it still used in North America ? Has it helped or hindered or done neither ?

If it was for an chilvaric order it would be an honour to be suprised like that.
When it comes to freemasonry however there is a diffrence as freemasonry is your own personal journey.
 

Keith C

Registered User
I don't like this idea one bit.

How can you conduct a proper investigation without an interview? How can you say the individual first sought in their heart to be made a Mason? This sounds like a very creepy way to gain members that otherwise would not seek to join.
 

Winter

Premium Member
Just because the man being investigated may make a good Mason there is no guarantee he is even interested in becoming one. Do we have so much extra time and resources that we can perform these checks, in secret, on a person wjem we don't even know if it will be in vain not?

Not to mention that I echo a previous statement that it is just creepy.

Transmitted via R5 astromech using Tapatalk Galactic
 

bro.william

Premium Member
echo the comments about seeking the light / being prepared in one’s heart / personal journey / etc.

my own journey took a good four or five years of mulling the idea and letting it gently steep, with the inheritance of my grandfather’s masonic ring as the event that got the ball rolling.

but reflecting on this thread prompted me to recall that, 10 years before that event, i’d been nudged a couple of times by a mason or two in my locality who said if i was ever interested they’d be happy to propose me. (not quite an invitation in the particular context, but almost blurred the lines.) i never took them up on it because i just wasn’t interested enough. nothing against masons; i just didn’t have a burning desire.

in the end, i finally had the exact right conversation with just the right guy at just the right time, and here i am. best decision i’d made in years, in fact, and i didn’t hesitate when the opportunity came. and although i might choose to wonder what if i’d joined 15 years ago, i don’t; not really. i got here when i needed to. i’ve got a mother lodge with long time friends and new friends i respect and value. and i’ve got it all by doing it all when, indeed, “i was prepared in my heart to be a mason”.

back to the OP, then, if those guys had voted me in, unbidden, 15 years ago, i can’t imagine it would have worked out so well. i might never have become a mason at all.
 

goomba

Neo-Antient
Site Benefactor
I like the idea of doing a pre-check (for lack of a better term) in case the man becomes interested. But to then extend an invitation, in my mind, feeds into myths about the fraternity.

Example: If I know a man who asks a bunch of questions about the Craft. At that point I see no reason not to get the ball rolling. But not just to jump on any and everyone and invite them.
 

Canadian Paul

Registered User
Where I come from a man must come of his own free will and accord, properly prepared, humbly soliciting to be admitted to the mysteries and privileges of Freemasonry not told "Oi mate, you're in when can we do you".

Where I come from this is also the requirement.
 

dfreybur

Premium Member
There are jurisdictions that work by invitation. This is a push in that direction by an assortment of jurisdictions that didn't officially allow invitations. Most such hybrids between invitation only and invitation banned are poorly described, poorly trained and poorly executed. Even then some lodges use them to good effect.

Tears ago Illinois called it Invitation to Petition. A lodge one district over used it, reversed their decline and thrived. Other local lodges read the documentation and couldn't make heads or tails of it.
 

Keith C

Registered User
Here in PA we are permitted to invite men we know and who's character we are willing to vouch for to petition. This change to the rules took place before I became a Mason, but it still is not universally applied. That is to say, there are still Brothers who know worthy men who would make good Masons, but they do not breach the subject with them, as they believe you should have to ask.

I do agree with this policy. Most men out in the world do not realize the tradition that you have to ask a Mason, and they may not even know someone they see and interact with every day is a Mason, so even if they DID know they had to ask, they may not know WHO to ask. In my case I did know you had to ask, and when I was ready to join pondered who I may know that was a Mason in order to ask. Thankfully Divine Providence manifested and a Friend who was serving as an Elder of my church along with me, sat next to me at one of our meetings and I saw a S&C on his lapel. NOW I had someone I knew well who I could ask, and after the meeting ended, I did. In later discussions he was unaware at that time that he COULD have broached the subject with me himself. As he was unaware of the policy he just waited and hoped I would bring it up. He told me "If I had known the policy I would have brought it up to you over a year ago!"
 

Mike Martin

Eternal Apprentice
Premium Member
Snipped for brevity
BUT the thing is that is NOT what this policy is advocating. It is saying that the Bro. puts the name of a possible Candidate to the Lodge which then pre-approves him THEN tells him that he has been pre-approved for membership regardless of whether he has any interest in joining or not. That is why my comment was negative, as that is not coming of their own free will and accord it is almost cajoling them into Petitioning.

Here in England we are allowed to mention to someone, who we feel would make a good Freemason, that they might get enjoyment from Lodge membership and that we are willing to answer their questions should they have any. If they do not take the offer up we are allowed to remind them of the conversation one more time. If they do not follow it up it's because they are not interested.
 

Keith C

Registered User
BUT the thing is that is NOT what this policy is advocating. It is saying that the Bro. puts the name of a possible Candidate to the Lodge which then pre-approves him THEN tells him that he has been pre-approved for membership regardless of whether he has any interest in joining or not. That is why my comment was negative, as that is not coming of their own free will and accord it is almost cajoling them into Petitioning.

Here in England we are allowed to mention to someone, who we feel would make a good Freemason, that they might get enjoyment from Lodge membership and that we are willing to answer their questions should they have any. If they do not take the offer up we are allowed to remind them of the conversation one more time. If they do not follow it up it's because they are not interested.

I think you misunderstood my post. I disagree with the policy the OP of this thread reported on, i.e. voting people in who have had no contact or discussion regarding the craft. Some folks advocated for the traditional "You have to ask" policy. I stated the policy in PA, where you can offer an invitation and said that I agreed with the policy in place in PA, NOT that I agreed with the policy quoted from Kansas.
 

Mike Martin

Eternal Apprentice
Premium Member
I think you misunderstood my post. I disagree with the policy the OP of this thread reported on, i.e. voting people in who have had no contact or discussion regarding the craft. Some folks advocated for the traditional "You have to ask" policy. I stated the policy in PA, where you can offer an invitation and said that I agreed with the policy in place in PA, NOT that I agreed with the policy quoted from Kansas.
You're right I did misunderstand and it looks like we are in agreement
 

CLewey44

Registered User
I think the Permission to Petition isn't such a bad idea. We often complain about letting in 'just anyone' and guarding the West. This would be a good practice in helping admit gents that we know to be good people. Perhaps a co-worker who has expressed even the most remote interest or just someone that you feel would make a good Mason. I don't like the background check or creeping around online on someone but a well recommended person might actually appreciate an invite if done properly. Send it in a nice, large envelope, maybe a wax seal for touch with S&C on it and printed on some nice stationary. It would be a good first impression before they get to the lodge and get fully disappointed with the other 100 issues we have in most BLs. It could perhaps help control who comes in vs. those less desirables.
 
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