Visiting a Masonic Lodge

Originally posted by no1smootha
I am curious how the other Brethren will answer this question.

In New Jersey it is suit and tie for Brethren and officers on business nights with officers wearing tuxedos on degree nights. Grand Lodge officers have a 'uniform' selected each year by the Grand Master who typically varies the color but it is usually a neutral or darker shade.

Scottish, or Highland, dress is acceptable particularly if the Masonic Kilties will be in attendance. I also know of a local lodge that held a 'Bermuda Night' for a group of vistors from that island. They donned linen light-weight suits and no ties for the evening and the Master wore a straw hat.

reply to post by AugustusMasonicus


Thank you for your answers AugustusMasonicus
That Bermuda Night sounds very nice!
Were the gentlemen from Bermuda prepared for the theme, or was it a nice surprise?

I once had a similair encounter with the masons in the town I live. They had somekind of charity-funding bookmarket and people where free to walk in, so I did...

It was nothing like most conspiracy theorists on the internet describe it, nothing evil, nothing satanic, more like the complete opposite. Friendly (mostly older) men who made jokes most of the time, a lot "masonic stuff" inside glass cabinets and offcourse a huge amount of interesting books variating from religion, psychology to sailing, gardening and cooking. They even had (a lot of) books about the U S of A, which I didn't touch offcourse...

Oh, and as I recall, it was a mixed lodge which I visited, they tend to be slightly different from the traditional stuff...

It depends on the lodge out here. There is a suggested dress code of dark suit, dark tie... I usually where a dark grey or black 3 button suit.

But!!! And it's a big but, in California's many districts it isn't unheard of that certain locales reach over 100 Fahrenheit in the summer and fall. Because of this many lodges go dark for several of the hottest months, but also the dress code loosens up quite a bit. I've seen a master open his lodge harmoniously wearing flip flops, shorts, and a Masonic t shirt, lol.

Geography does play a part in dress codes. When the wheather permits us we dress down a little. But all the rest of the year I'm a suit and tie Mason.

Also, (left this out) if A man just gets off work and is a blue collar guy, which there is a lot of at my home lodge, it's not UN common for them to come strait from the job and sit in lodge covered in dirt. We would rather see a Brother sitting in lodge covered in dirt with a nice white apron, than not sitting in the lodge at all.

reply to post by W3RLIED2


We had to lose the dinner jacket on the hot Degree nights of summer before we went dark because our AC broke. But never had any cool theme nights like that, sounds like fun!

reply to post by no1smootha

The Master of the Lodge sets the dress code. Most of the time it is just suit and jacket, but in the summer time, we go to short sleeve dress shirt, no jacket due to the heat. At GL the GM usually has his officers wear a tux. I know at Grand Council this last session the Illustrious Grand Master had all Illustrious Masters and dais officers wear Tuxedos to the Grand Session.

My year as Worshipful Master I required all my officers to be in a suit and tie, and on special nights, the elected officers and all Past Masters wore tuxedos...as it was Past Masters Night. When I went to the Prince Hall Lodge in Idaho they all wore tuxedos...so when in Rome.

Okay, here's another question....

Most (all?) of the Lodges I see are described as "A.F.& A.M." (Ancient Free & Accepted Masons), or F. & A.M.

Today I was driving through a heavily Hispanic part of the Big City, and saw a lodge with the name, "Gran Logia Mexico (something)", R.E. & A.A.

I've tried looking online, but don'w know what "R.E. & A.A." means - Spanish for AF&AM? That Lodge is further not listed as one of the Lodges on my state's Grand Lodge website.

Any ideas?

reply to post by Zhenyghi


It is a Continental Lodge working the degrees of the Rite Ecossais Ancient et Accepte under the Aegis of the Mexican Grand Lodge of XXXX. Possibly mixed.

Originally posted by Zhenyghi
Okay, here's another question....

Most (all?) of the Lodges I see are described as "A.F.& A.M." (Ancient Free & Accepted Masons), or F. & A.M.

In England in the early 18th century, there were two rival Grand Lodges that didn't recognize each other: The Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons (F.&A.M.) and the Grand Lodge of Antient York Masons (A.Y.M.). Both of these chartered Lodges and Provincial Grand Lodges in the American colonies.

The primary difference is that the AYM's conferred the Royal Arch degree upon Past Masters, while F&AM did not recognize that degree.

Eventually those two Grand Lodges merged and gave birth to the present United Grand Lodge of England. In the colonies where both GL's had a presence, they also merged. Modern American Grand Lodges with the word "Antient" or "Ancient" in their title are the results of such a merger.

Upon the merger, it was agreed to recognize the Royal Arch degree as the highest degree of Craft Masonry in its role as completion of the Master Mason's degree. However, the degree would no longer be worked in a Lodge, and the Chapter of Royal Arch Masons was instituted to replace a Royal Arch Lodge.

So do you want to take up masonry and build a new house? Oh I found this on masons on youtube www.youtube.com...

So I deliver parts to auto shops and in one shop in particular I saw the masons logo on his wall...I asked" who's is that he tried to avoid the question and pointed to a small sticker of us flag under the logo...i pointed at the logo and i asked him if he was a mason.. u should of seen his face he was like how old are you and how do u know about this, he told me about how he was been in masonry for a good while now and has taught many others I told him I emailed the lodge nearby a few days earlier and that i was waiting for a response.

The last thing he told me was "Ur on the right path"

He was probably 85-90 years old

Today I received a tour not just of a lodge, but of a regional Scottish Rite Cathedral. Very impressive. The place, in fact, is open to anyone to tour from about 9am-2pm.

This particular ediface was built in the early-mid 20's, and is a Neo-Classical behemoth. Inside was a veritable palace of marble. I was shown the Library, Ladies Sitting Room, Museum, Theater (seats about 2900), including the stage/backstage, and bowels of the theater. I was also shown the Kitchen, Banquet Halls (two of them). Four local lodges meet there (three in the basement level), each with their own room, and I was shown each one. One smelled of old cigar smoke from years past. The other another lodge meets in the upper reaches of the building, and was shown that as well.

Trying to take in all the opulent splendor, I didn't notice/recall the floors too much in the lodge rooms. I seem to recall all of them having the checkerboard pattern, at least immediately around the Altar. This is in contrast to the small town bingo-hall lodge I visited last week - actually their lodge floor seemed more impressive with other insignia and writings on the floor.

Despite being downtown in a large city, in an area where large numbers of homeless hit the streets after dark, I think the environs at this mighty Temple of Freemasonry might be better suited to me than the modest lodge in the small town. I've been known to have ostentatious taste....

All kidding aside, the lodges that meet here have many more members than the lodge I visited last week, and I think I might integrate better with a larger group.

How long do the degree rituals usually last? I was thinking/hoping it might be 30-60 minutes, but I'm getting the impression it may be 2-4 hours...

I'm also assuming there's some sort of celebration afterwards, so add 30-60 minutes to the end of the ceremony?

reply to post by Zhenyghi


Generally the first takes about an hour, the second takes about 50 minutes and the third can take up to 2 hours depending on how many candidates are going through. (this is in my area and ritual may differ slightly)

Our lodge eats before the degrees so at the end, we just go home. (no bars to speak of so no fellowship with beer after for me.)

Others may have different situations.

Originally posted by network dude

Generally the first takes about an hour, the second takes about 50 minutes and the third can take up to 2 hours depending on how many candidates are going through. (this is in my area and ritual may differ slightly)

Wow....in my jurisdiction, the lectures alone take about an hour!

reply to post by Masonic Light


You guys must be long winded. The first degree lecture takes about 20 minutes, the second degree lecture is incorporated into the second section, and the third degree lecture takes about 30 minutes. We still use slides even though I installed a projector and PC to use a power point presentation. (old school ways)

Auggie was telling me about meetings that lasted until close to midnight. If our meetings go past 10, people start to leave.

reply to post by network dude


We put on all three sections of the EA degree and that takes us about 2 hours give or take . The first section takes close to an hour , it is all according to who is in the East , and the second and third sections of the EA in my jurisdiction are extremely long and , as stated above , takes about an hour to deliver .

The FC degree can be done in about 1 1/2 hours.

The MM degree takes us about 2 to 2 1/2 hours if there is only one candidate . If more than one it could go on for hours if we have several .

I didn't include the opening and closing of the lodge, but that is only about 30 minutes. I am only aware of two sections of the EA degree. The lecture being the second section.

We split up the MM degree in case we have multiple candidates. We use a short form for the first one/s and then use the long form for the last. I can see that we would all benefit from a little exposure to the differences.

reply to post by network dude


The second and third sections of our EA degree are two different lectures . One goes into detail of the workings of the lodge , the duties of the EA himself , the duties of the officers , the furnishings , the rules etc; etc; and the other section delves deeper into the details of the symbolism , the why's and what for's of why we did things in the first section etc; etc; etc; .

If we have more than one candidate for the MM degree , we too short form the second section for all but the last man . He goes through long form and it is long and drawn out .

reply to post by whenandwhere


This is SOP for us too.

I regret agreeing to do a multiple MM for my third. Granted the third is long and complex and takes a lot of effort, but I think the meaning is lost when doing short-form.