Brothers - I will be traveling from NY to Athens, Greece this week and would like to visit a lodge. I'll be there several times in the upcoming months for two weeks at a clip. It is unclear if I will be in Athens proper or some outlying city. I have researched the Greek lodges and have located the English speaking ones. I have obtained a letter of introduction from my secretary with an endorsement from one of our native Greek brothers. I have a current dues card. My Questions are : What is henceforth the proper path to take? Is it acceptable to take pictures after/before the cerimonies? ( With permission from the WM of course) Would it be acceptable to present the lodge with a token from home? ie a bottle of local wine. Thanks in Advance. Dave Farrell Connetquot #0838 Sayville NY
When I went to Italy I made sure to contact the Grand Orient of Italy and Grand Commandery of Italy via my Grand Secretary. Italy's Grand bodies ensured the local bodies were awaiting my arrival and had my phone number. When I showed up I showed them my dues cards, they had the letter from the GS, and investigated me to ensure. They were okay with me giving Idaho work and I was able to answer some pertinent questions a Master Mason would know regardless of jurisdiction. I asked to take pictures, but they requested that I did not. I was okay with that as my memory will always have that etched in memory. I presented the Venerable Master with the Grand Master of Idaho pin.
You would need to contact your Grand Secretary for communication with the GL in Greece. I am not aware how strict Greece is with this, but the lodges under the United Grand Lodge of England will not communicate except via the Grand Secretaries. S&F
Just curious, what city was the lodge in? And was the ritual work in English or Italian? I will be studying abroad in Florence next spring and I hope to be able to visit while I am there.
I visited one of the Lodges in Florence/Firenze. The ritual work is done in Italian and only a handful speak English. If you want, I can refer you to their Lodge Secretary, but you would still need to get your Grand Lodge to talk to them.
As I recall from the Pantagraph Press book listing recognized lodges (usually found in the Tyler's room), the only lodges in Italy known to work in English are near the US military bases; the ones I know of are Vicenza, Naples, and Palermo. there may be more. S&F
Interesting. You learn something new every day. I sent an e mail to my Grand Secretary and the following is what was returned : "Letters of introduction are strictly reserved for Grand Line members, Grand Representatives or other Grand Lodge Officers. You may purchase a Masonic Passport from Lodge Services by calling ***-***-****." What is a Masonic Passport? Sorry if it is a dumb question but I have never heard of this! I am also fairly new to the Craft so I am still, and will always be learning! Dave
The passports that I have seen are used to record your travels to other Lodges, there is a page, like real passports, for your information and then pages for the details of your visit. I would call the # and see what their's consists of.
Interesting that they do not do letters of introduction. How then do you visit a lodge in a jurisdiction that requires such? Possibly get one from your lodge secretary?
Connecticut Grand Lodge started a Traveling Mason Passport system, after visiting a certain number of Lodges they give you an award
HMMM that is interesting. Ask you sec. about it maybe he can help. I've heard of travelling Brothers having these letters. Had a Brother from Reno Lodge #7 (I believe that's the number) visit us. He was examined, presented his dues and ID and te letter.
Over the past year I was presented with the opportunity to spend a period of time working in a foreign country and I had thought it would be great to visit a lodge while I was over there. I was required to obtain a letter of introduction from my Grand Lodge, complete with a heavy embossed seal, which I received without any hassle whatsoever. The Grand Secretary sent a copy of the letter over to the foreign jurisdiction as well. I was informed that I would need to bring my original letter with me, along with my dues card, in order to have any contact with that lodge at all. In fact, to be honest, I had sent a specific lodge a letter asking if they conducted work in English and I received a politely worded letter from the Grand Secretary of that jurisdiction gently reminding me that it was inappropriate for me to even have sent that simple question myself, and that I should have gone through my Grand Secretary.
Spoke with the Grand Secretary. He stated that they had done away with issuing individual letters due to the fact that they are a one shot deal. The "passport" is a broad based generic letter stating that one is in good standing and can be used multiple times in multiple locations. The only time the Grand Lodge of NYS gives notification to other Grand Lodges is when Grand Lodge Officers travel. I'll give it a shot and see if it works!
Updating. Recieved my Masonic passport yesterday. It is a printed letter/certificate on heavy paper folded and bound in a passport like cover. Basically it is a letter signed by the Grand Secretary stating that I am a member in good standing and should be extended "Friendship and hospitality". It also has the seal of the NYS Grand Lodge on it. No dates on it but it says that it must be accompanied with a valid dues card. No areas for visited lodge endorsements. Easiest way to put it, its a undated certificate in lieu of a letter from the Grand Lodge for visitation. Dave
I just got to remembering the back of the NC (AF&AM) dues card: CERTIFICATE OF GOOD STANDING I, T. Walton Clapp, III, Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge of AF & AM of North Carolina, do hereby certify that the lodge whose name is shown on the reverse side of this certificate is a regular lodge under The Grand Lodge of AF & AM of North Carolina and its members, when in good standing in said lodge, are entitled to all the privileges and courtesies of visitation given by lodges whose governing bodies are recognized by this Grand Lodge as regular grand lodges of Freemasonry. {GL seal} [facsimile of signature] Grand Secretary The Grand Lodge of North Carolina requires the pay- ment of dues in advance. --------------------------------------------------------- Wouldn't this count as a letter of good standing in foreign lodges? S&F
I don't know what to say about the verbiage on the dues cards. I understand that some of the foreign lodges don't have dues cards, so they don't look for others to have them either.
Bro. Bob, from my understanding, the GL of NC does not issue letters of good standing any longer. The back of the dues card is supposed to take the place of that. To be safe you might want to take a letter from your lodge secretary if you travel out of country.
