My Freemasonry | Freemason Information and Discussion Forum

Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

Installed as Worshipful Master.

Brother_Steve

Premium Member
I cannot take credit for this, but I will use it here.

"It is weird looking back at the Steward's chair... I look at everyone ahead of me in the line. I then do the math and realize I'll be an older man when I become Master. Well, God plays a joke on you ... because here I am!"

A wise man once said (My father-in-law) You are not better than anyone else. Only luckier. I'm very luck to be standing in the East.
 

Keith C

Registered User
Congratz!

Have fun! Do you do open installations after the qualifications and investiture of the PM degree in a tiled Lodge?

It basically depends on the wishes of the incoming WM. As my wife and local Daughter are going to be off doing something with my Granddaughter we are not bothering with the open installation.
 

Brother_Steve

Premium Member
It basically depends on the wishes of the incoming WM. As my wife and local Daughter are going to be off doing something with my Granddaughter we are not bothering with the open installation.
This was the first time my wife came out to an installation. I wanted a closed installation, but I was guilted into doing it by the Past Masters. I will say I'm glad they did guilt me into doing it. I don't think our lodge has done a closed installation since any of them have been members...

Planning the food and getting the man-power the week before my installation was very stressful. We usually have roughly 90 people in attendance. I had to stretch 1500.00 to make all that work.
 

Thomas Stright

Premium Member
It basically depends on the wishes of the incoming WM. As my wife and local Daughter are going to be off doing something with my Granddaughter we are not bothering with the open installation.

So no one else being installed would like family/friends there?
 

Keith C

Registered User
Not this year, we have no one either willing or qualified to be JW, our SW's daughters have no interest and his Sons are already in the Lodge and it was the 5th & 6th term for the SEC and Treas. No one else is Installed. If someone requested it, the WM could decide to do it open, but it doesn't happen often in our Lodge.
 

Thomas Stright

Premium Member
Not this year, we have no one either willing or qualified to be JW, our SW's daughters have no interest and his Sons are already in the Lodge and it was the 5th & 6th term for the SEC and Treas. No one else is Installed. If someone requested it, the WM could decide to do it open, but it doesn't happen often in our Lodge.

Here we install all officers. It’s always a good size dinner/family event for us.


Sent from my iPhone using My Freemasonry Mobile
 

Keith C

Registered User
This was the first time my wife came out to an installation. I wanted a closed installation, but I was guilted into doing it by the Past Masters. I will say I'm glad they did guilt me into doing it. I don't think our lodge has done a closed installation since any of them have been members...

Planning the food and getting the man-power the week before my installation was very stressful. We usually have roughly 90 people in attendance. I had to stretch 1500.00 to make all that work.

Traditions are important and if it has been done open for a long time it is best to stick with that. In our case the way it is prescribed to do an open vs closed installation makes doing it open a logistical mess. As elections and Installations are done at the same meeting, and the Election must be the first order of business and Installations the last it leaves anyone wanting to attend an open Installation hanging around for almost an hour between dinner and the Installation. Then after the open Installation everyone except PMs gets kicked out of the Lodge Room for the Double Secret part of the Installation. This takes forever as people want to offer many congratulations and take photos. It just makes for a super long night for everyone. That is pretty much why we do it closed unless the incoming WM or one of the incoming Wardens specifically request it. I will say that our WM asked me repeatedly if I wanted to do it open, which I did not as no one from my family could have attended anyway.
 

Keith C

Registered User
Here we install all officers. It’s always a good size dinner/family event for us.


Sent from my iPhone using My Freemasonry Mobile

I can see why having the Installation open would be the best way in that case. Here only Elected Officers are Installed, the rest are appointed and serve at the Will and Pleasure of the WM and can be changed whenever he wishes.
 

Brother_Steve

Premium Member
So no one else being installed would like family/friends there?
We elections the first meeting in November. The second meeting is Qualifications. The Master is installed roughly two weeks later.

Some Lodges do Elections, Qualifications and installations in one meeting. This makes it a bit tougher to do open installations.
Traditions are important and if it has been done open for a long time it is best to stick with that. In our case the way it is prescribed to do an open vs closed installation makes doing it open a logistical mess. As elections and Installations are done at the same meeting, and the Election must be the first order of business and Installations the last it leaves anyone wanting to attend an open Installation hanging around for almost an hour between dinner and the Installation. Then after the open Installation everyone except PMs gets kicked out of the Lodge Room for the Double Secret part of the Installation. This takes forever as people want to offer many congratulations and take photos. It just makes for a super long night for everyone. That is pretty much why we do it closed unless the incoming WM or one of the incoming Wardens specifically request it. I will say that our WM asked me repeatedly if I wanted to do it open, which I did not as no one from my family could have attended anyway.
We do Elections on the first meeting of November. We do qualifications on the second meeting of November. The PM's kick everyone out, give the obligation of PM and invest the incoming master with the step, grip and word of PM. That same night a motion is made during the regular business meeting to have an open installation. We symbolically open the lodge before everyone gets upstairs on a Saturday afternoon so that we can enjoy our families.

A lodge in my district does it the way you do it. They do not have the room for an open installation even if they wanted it.
 

Mark Stockdale

Premium Member
Totally different here in Scotland, there is no such thing as an 'Open Installation', family are not involved in any way, unless they are brethren themselves. We elect all office bearers other than the IPM and the Substitute Master. In my mother lodge, nominations take place in November, the voting takes place in December and the Installation is in January.
 

KSigMason

Traveling Templar
Site Benefactor
I cannot take credit for this, but I will use it here.

"It is weird looking back at the Steward's chair... I look at everyone ahead of me in the line. I then do the math and realize I'll be an older man when I become Master. Well, God plays a joke on you ... because here I am!"

A wise man once said (My father-in-law) You are not better than anyone else. Only luckier. I'm very luck to be standing in the East.
Congratulations on being installed to the Oriental Chair
 

Brother_Steve

Premium Member
Totally different here in Scotland, there is no such thing as an 'Open Installation', family are not involved in any way, unless they are brethren themselves. We elect all office bearers other than the IPM and the Substitute Master. In my mother lodge, nominations take place in November, the voting takes place in December and the Installation is in January.
We get the secret stuff out of the way first. Investiture of the Word, grip and sign of PM, etc...

The Lodge gets dispensation to symbolically open on another day. Usually a Saturday. All modes of recognition are suspended.
 

Canadian Paul

Registered User
Totally different here in Scotland, there is no such thing as an 'Open Installation', family are not involved in any way, unless they are brethren themselves. We elect all office bearers other than the IPM and the Substitute Master. In my mother lodge, nominations take place in November, the voting takes place in December and the Installation is in January.

That is the way it is done both in Scottish Lodges and those of the GL of NL here in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Elections are done at the Lodge's Annual Meeting. The Installation is a separate meeting, often held on a Saturday afternoon and, although a closed meeting, there is usually a Reception or Banquet after at which wives and family are present.
 
Top