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Grand Hailing Sign of Distress

Brother_Steve

Premium Member
The type used at sea? I’ve not seen that.
If you have the luxury of knowing a Brother from NJ, ask him. If not,ask around. I'd love to explain it here, but I'm not comfortable doing so.

It utilizes portions of the vessel for day and night time to let others know they are in distress. Granted, more modern forms of equipment have replaced this method. I do find it interesting that our ritual does elude to seafaring men as our modes of recognition are older in time than the adoption of the Hiramic legend.
 

Glen Cook

G A Cook
Site Benefactor
If you have the luxury of knowing a Brother from NJ, ask him. If not,ask around. I'd love to explain it here, but I'm not comfortable doing so.

It utilizes portions of the vessel for day and night time to let others know they are in distress. Granted, more modern forms of equipment have replaced this method. I do find it interesting that our ritual does elude to seafaring men as our modes of recognition are older in time than the adoption of the Hiramic legend.
No, I wouldn’t expect you to do so. I will ask in two weeks at AMD.
 

Keith C

Registered User
I hear Michigan has millions of masons so in that state i could see the phrase being used but in my state where 5600 masons call home I had not heard or seen this yet and I am at almost every meeting and outings.

Michigan surely does not have "Millions" of Masons. The Grand Lodge in the USA with the most members is Pennsylvania and we are currently at around 98,000. Michigan has approximately 32,000 Masosns.
 

Chaz

Registered User
Michigan surely does not have "Millions" of Masons. The Grand Lodge in the USA with the most members is Pennsylvania and we are currently at around 98,000. Michigan has approximately 32,000 Masosns.
The Grand Lodge of Texas website states that there are currently around 122,000 Texas Masons.
 

Bill Lins

Moderating Staff
Staff Member
The Grand Lodge of Texas website states that there are currently around 122,000 Texas Masons.
@ the Grand Annual Communication a little over a week ago, it was announced that our membership has fallen to the 60,000 range, IIRC. Unfortunately, the Grand Secretary's report did not include the membership stats as it has in years past. The last time they were reported, it showed our total membership to be 79,992 as of 24 June 2017.
 

Chaz

Registered User
@ the Grand Annual Communication a little over a week ago, it was announced that our membership has fallen to the 60,000 range, IIRC. Unfortunately, the Grand Secretary's report did not include the membership stats as it has in years past. The last time they were reported, it showed our total membership to be 79,992 as of 24 June 2017.
Ahh, thank you for the clarification! That's quite a big difference.
 

J.R. Massey

Registered User
In the Irish Constitution they go to great lengths to impress upon you the seriousness of using the sign of distress, quite literally only use it in a life or death situation, not for a burst tyre.
 

Keith C

Registered User
In the Irish Constitution they go to great lengths to impress upon you the seriousness of using the sign of distress, quite literally only use it in a life or death situation, not for a burst tyre.

The same in Pennsylvania. Only to be used if your life is in danger.
 
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