A Worshipful Master's jewel, downloaded from here.In a recent discussion, one brother queried whether an Entered Apprentice Mason and a Fellow Craft Mason can salute an installed Worshipful Master. The reason for this is that in a recent Public Installation [open to the public and not tiled]; the Master of Ceremonies prevented the EAM and FCM brethren to salute the recently installed Worshipful Master.
My reply to the question; without knowing full well the particular Grand Lodge rules and regulations regarding the matter in that Jurisdiction, was in the affirmative. The reason being is that I believe that a Lodge, while representing the physical building and meeting place of our fraternal organization; is also a term to mean the collective members of Masons in a tiled meeting [11]*.
We know from Mackey’s Landmarks that Symbolic Masonry [2] is divided into three distinct degrees, to wit:
1. The First Degree composed of Entered Apprentice Masons [EAM]
2. The Second Degree composed of Fellow Craft Masons [FCM]
3. And the Third Degree composed of Master Masons [MM]
We also know that these three degrees, when duly assembled and tiled are governed [10] by a Master and two Wardens. In my Masonic travels, I have not seen a Lodge of EAM, FCM and MM governed by a different Master and Wardens. Obviously a Worshipful Master of any Lodge should have attained the degree of a Master Mason and most likely governs a Lodge of Entered Apprentice Masons or a Lodge Fellow Craft Masons, when assembled.
Using this reasoning and logic [if there’s any], this Worshipful Master is the Master of these three distinct Lodges when assembled and tiled as per our ancient custom. So therefore when a brother is installed as the Worshipful Master, we know that he will be the same Worshipful Master when we are assembled as an EAM, FCM or MM Lodge.
In some jurisdictions [notably in the UK, Australia, Canada, etc.] when the norm of most installations of officers is always tiled, i.e., only Masons are accepted – the EAM, FCM and MM are given the opportunity to salute the newly installed Master depending on which degree the Lodge is on.
As pointed out by another brother in this same discussion, it is in our benefit as a dwindling organisation to make sure that our novices feel welcome in our organisation. This is their “honeymoon period”, their first impression of how they will be treated in succeeding meetings and gatherings; and to my opinion this is not the right way to treat these brethren. They might not have attained the rank of a Master Mason, but this does not mean they are less that those who did. In any case, what do we lose when we prevent these brethren from saluting their installed Worshipful Master?
My reply to the question; without knowing full well the particular Grand Lodge rules and regulations regarding the matter in that Jurisdiction, was in the affirmative. The reason being is that I believe that a Lodge, while representing the physical building and meeting place of our fraternal organization; is also a term to mean the collective members of Masons in a tiled meeting [11]*.
We know from Mackey’s Landmarks that Symbolic Masonry [2] is divided into three distinct degrees, to wit:
1. The First Degree composed of Entered Apprentice Masons [EAM]
2. The Second Degree composed of Fellow Craft Masons [FCM]
3. And the Third Degree composed of Master Masons [MM]
We also know that these three degrees, when duly assembled and tiled are governed [10] by a Master and two Wardens. In my Masonic travels, I have not seen a Lodge of EAM, FCM and MM governed by a different Master and Wardens. Obviously a Worshipful Master of any Lodge should have attained the degree of a Master Mason and most likely governs a Lodge of Entered Apprentice Masons or a Lodge Fellow Craft Masons, when assembled.
Using this reasoning and logic [if there’s any], this Worshipful Master is the Master of these three distinct Lodges when assembled and tiled as per our ancient custom. So therefore when a brother is installed as the Worshipful Master, we know that he will be the same Worshipful Master when we are assembled as an EAM, FCM or MM Lodge.
In some jurisdictions [notably in the UK, Australia, Canada, etc.] when the norm of most installations of officers is always tiled, i.e., only Masons are accepted – the EAM, FCM and MM are given the opportunity to salute the newly installed Master depending on which degree the Lodge is on.
As pointed out by another brother in this same discussion, it is in our benefit as a dwindling organisation to make sure that our novices feel welcome in our organisation. This is their “honeymoon period”, their first impression of how they will be treated in succeeding meetings and gatherings; and to my opinion this is not the right way to treat these brethren. They might not have attained the rank of a Master Mason, but this does not mean they are less that those who did. In any case, what do we lose when we prevent these brethren from saluting their installed Worshipful Master?
As stated in a Masonic Etiquette article:
"The Masonic etiquette of saluting the Master is your renewed pledge of fealty and service. It is your public display of decorum before all other brothers of your obligation. It shows your courteous respect for all that the Master stands for and shows that you acknowledge his authority.
Salutes should reflect your heart-felt respect for all that for which he stands. The salute to the Master is your pledge of honor and service, your publicly shown obligation."
[Numbers denote Mackey's Landmarks. See this link for an excellent treatise of Masonic Landmarks and Old Charges by R. W. Bro Daniel Doron.]
2 comments:
I concur; a salute is a sign of acknowledgement, respect, and in ancient times an indication of non- threatening intention. Military culture has different variations of when, where and how to render salute. Our Craft is no different from such. There is a place and times for accolades as there are time and place for everything. An EA and FC are not expected to salute as MM. It seems out of place to make such sign for they would not know what those gesture stands and represents. This could be the reason why the Brothers were prevented from. Not knowing the full story, mine is just a speculation. It seems hard to believe that someone will prevent another from offering his respect and it is also a possibility that a counsel to ears was taken with negative connotation.
BTW, I recall the battery of three during public installation but MM salute, is this a normal practice in that jurisdiction?
I am talking about public Masonic salute during public installations in the Philippines. I believe there is only one such sign allowed whther one is EAM, FCM or MM - similar to most public Masonic funeral rites. So it is not even a "MM salute" as such but a generic Masonic salute for untiled gatherings.
Thanks for the comments.
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