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Just a question to further knowledge......

Geeksgalore

Registered User
I am a Canadian Mason, I have heard that in most or maybe all []s open in the third and only come down to second and first when there is work in that degree? Is this true? I would wonder how much a EA or FC would get to come into [] and participate? If this is true I am sure there is some sort of reasoning behind it, and if so I just got to know. ;-)
 

Beathard

Premium Member
This is the way we did it 20 years ago when I was raised. EAs and FCs were not involved in stated meetings of the lodge. We would open in a MMs lodge and call down to either a FC or an EA lodge. The EA or FC would enter the lodge at that point.

Recently Texas has changed to laws so that we can open a lodge into any of the three degrees. Most lodges will open on the level of the lowest ranked brother, unless it is a called meeting for a degree, in which case the meeting will be opened on the level of the degree.
 

Geeksgalore

Registered User
Thank you very much for the information Beathard, here in our small RR community, we open in the 1st and then move up if need be for any work.
 

Jacob Johnson

Registered User
I'm actually kind of disappointed that we don't still open a MM and call down. During an officer meeting recently, I suggested that we only needed 3 Master Masons willing to show up a bit early to do it. The rest of our business would still be conducted in the degree that includes all the brethren in attendance, but we'd be preserving an old tradition, and it would be fun, imho.

or maybe I'm an ambitious weirdo.
 

Bro. Brad Marrs

Premium Member
Jacob Johnson said:
I'm actually kind of disappointed that we don't still open a MM and call down. During an officer meeting recently, I suggested that we only needed 3 Master Masons willing to show up a bit early to do it. The rest of our business would still be conducted in the degree that includes all the brethren in attendance, but we'd be preserving an old tradition, and it would be fun, imho.

or maybe I'm an ambitious weirdo.

He ain't heavy, he's me Boaz. I'm right there with you brother. We will get it done.
 

CajunMason75

Registered User
I kinda think the lodge should pick either the short or long form and stick with it. When I was first raised, I got confused with the short and long forms. Maybe it's just me.
 

JJones

Moderator
I personally really enjoy the short form. Our meetings were starting to take an obsurdly long time to complete (3-4 hours for a stated meeting) and using short form openings is just one of several ways we've used to try and streamline things a bit more.
 

Beathard

Premium Member
I think we should long form the work and short form the reading of the minutes.

3-4 hours? Sounds like the WM needs to keep conversations under control. I belong to 5 lodges. 4 never have a hour meeting. 1 lasts 2 hours, but the minutes take 45 of that.
 

JJones

Moderator
At our last stated meeting we voted to approve the minutes before our secretary read them. There are apparently other lodges that do the same thing and it's really a great time saver. I can't speak for anyone else but I tend to zone out when the minutes are being read anyhow.

I think we've gotten our meetings back under control now. On top of short form and approval of minutes we've also adopted creating agendas for each meeting which really help structure things. I think with all of this our meeting this month took about an hour and a half or so.
 

david918

Premium Member
It only takes me a couple of minutes to read our minutes.My minutes don't go into all the details on the various items discussed just the important parts unlike some minutes I have heard.
 

Michaelstedman81

Premium Member
At our last stated meeting we voted to approve the minutes before our secretary read them


I visited a couple of lodges within the last few months that did this. It really did seem like it saved quite a bit of time, especially when compared to when I visited another lodge or two that the minutes seemed really drawn out and detailed.
 

Timothy Fleischer

Registered User
Brother,
I think that you are one of those Masons who knows that the work in the Quarry is NOT just reading of the minutes and paying the water bill.
I think from seeing your posts here, that you are the kind of Mason who believes the real work in the Quarry is in making men better through education and wise counsel....
 

jwhoff

Premium Member
I've seen that and do most whole-heartedly appreciate the thoughtfulness of the brother in the secretary's chair, Unless it's something of great importance this is the best approach.
 
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