[Jason]

Do you hold your business meetings in the first degree or third?

[Ashlar521]

Third degree . We tried to get it changed so we can could get the EA's more involved but it was shot down during Grand Lodge .

[BG_TRBL]

always in the third. The rights and privledges are not available until then.

[cemab4y]

In our military traveling lodge in Iraq, we hold our business meetings on the EA degree. This is a tradition in military traveling lodges, to permit maximum participation. We hold the degree meetings on whichever degree is being performed.

Some states permit some latitude, in holding stated meetings on the EA degree.

[Green-Moo]

Would someone please mind explaining to me the significance of this? It would seem logical to me to do as cemab4y's military lodge do & hold business meetings when the maximum number of members are able to participate.

[Ashlar521]

All matters of voting are done in the Third degree by Master Masons only . EA's and FC's can not and may not vote in KY lodges . Another thing is that my lodge is big on talking about Ritual work and if we have the lower degrees in the lodge our hands are tied in what we can discuss .I , personally don't see the harm in opening the lodge a couple of times a year to do regular buisness on the EA Degree to let the Masons in the lower degrees have a little taste , but I do not want it to get to the point of doing it every meeting . We have enough EA's in KY lodges dragging their feet to move through the degrees and if they can already attend regular meetings , like one of our EA's I'm coaching informed me when I broached this subject with him , he stated why worry about moving on up to the other degrees . So , in my opinion , it gives them something to shoot for .

[Green-Moo]

Originally Posted by Ashlar521

We have enough EA's in KY lodges dragging their feet to move through the degrees and if they can already attend regular meetings , like one of our EA's I'm coaching informed me when I broached this subject with him , he stated why worry about moving on up to the other degrees . So , in my opinion , it gives them something to shoot for .

Is this the reason the Grand Lodge gave for turning down the application to move it (your earlier post), or are there other reasons too?

Thanks for the explanation.

[Ashlar521]

I believe they turned it down more so out of tradition than anything else , or so I'm told by a Grand Lodge officer . Change comes slowly , though I don't like a lot of change myself . Take having EA's and FC's getting Masonic funeral rites . We tried for years to get that changed that not only Master Masons could have funeral rites , but all Masons should have them , and it was just passed last year that all Masons , not only Master Masons can have Funeral Rites performed for them now in Ky . A lot of that has to do with young EA's going of to fight in Iraq .
A couple of years ago a Master of a lodge in our district initiated his son into his lodge . It was a very special day for both of them . On his way home afterwards , the son was in a car crash and was killed . The very day he was initiated he died . It tore his father up that he could not give his son a Masonic Funeral . Now that is changed and he can now give him a belated Masonic service at the grave .

[Green-Moo]

What a sobering story Ashlar.

To me, an outsider, it staggers belief that something like funeral rights would be so hard a fight to win.

[BG_TRBL]

Masonic funerals are an amazing thing to witness. It is one of the few times that we (as freemasons) perform ritual work outside and open for the publics viewing. Masonic funeral services are only performed (in Pennsylvania) at the request of the family. The family must request the service. It is performed after every other service. All other fraternal organizations will complete their services and the masons are last. The final farewell and send off our brother is completed with participation of every mason in attendance. With heartfelt and tearjerking solemn rights our brother is given a fraternal send-off to the house not made by hands. A symbolic white apron, and sprig of acacia and a masonic history of the brother should accompany him to the grave. These are things that we, as freemasons, hold near and dear to our hearts. They may seem trival to others, but there is no higher honor than to have these performed by the fraternity.