Visiting Foriegn Lodges

Cronus

New Member
Being that our lodge is chartered from Europe we are actually issued masonic passports rather than ID cards. It looks very much like a US passport with your photo etc. It states when and where you were made a mason, and obviously states the jurisdiction you fall under.
 

FamilyMan

Fidelis ad Mortem
Being that our lodge is chartered from Europe we are actually issued masonic passports rather than ID cards. It looks very much like a US passport with your photo etc. It states when and where you were made a mason, and obviously states the jurisdiction you fall under.
There are wonderful craftsmen who produce "Masonic Passports" that you describe... only they hold no weight (that I know of) and are used to collect stamps/seals of lodges visited as a memento.
 

cemab4y

Member
I have visited lodges in 14 states, WashDC, and five(5) foreign countries. Here is the basic rundown:

-Normally, all you need to visit a lodge is a paid up dues card. If your Grand Lodge is in communications with the Grand Lodge you are visiting, the secretary of the lodge will look up your lodge, and confirm that your lodge is a regular lodge. You may be required to stand an examination, where you will be asked to show the signs, grips,etc. You may be required to take the "Tyler's oath", where you will swear that you are a regular Mason, and that you are not currently suspended nor expelled. The depth of the investigation varies wildly. Once the WM is satisfied that you are a MM in good standing, and that your lodge/Grand Lodge are "regular", you are good to go.

-You should ask before taking any photos, take care not to photograph the VSL or the working tools, when the VSL is open.

-The lodge you visit will be delighted if you present them with a bottle of wine, or some small gift.

A Masonic "passport" is basically a small book with blank pages, where you can keep a record of the lodges you visit. I wish I had received one 30 years ago, when I was made a MM. I could have had it stamped, when I visited overseas lodges. I have one, that I obtained a few years ago. You might suggest to your lodge, that they consider getting passports to present to newly made Masons.
 

Bob Franks

Past District Deputy Grand Lecturer
[snip]
A Masonic "passport" is basically a small book with blank pages, where you can keep a record of the lodges you visit. I wish I had received one 30 years ago, when I was made a MM. I could have had it stamped, when I visited overseas lodges. I have one, that I obtained a few years ago. You might suggest to your lodge, that they consider getting passports to present to newly made Masons.

I, too, wish I'd carried one 35 years ago. I am on my third one, and have only been carrying them 5 years.
They are available from Macoy (Virginia) for about $10, or from Dean&Assoc [dub-dub-dub dot bluelodgeaprons dot com] (North Carolina: woo-woo!) for $5. Both prices are in addition to shipping, but if I order a dozen or more from Dean&Assoc, the shipping is about a dollar per.
Since most lodges have used a impressed seal, I like blue version, as the brown, leather-like cover one, puts entries on both sides of the pages, and the imprints overlap.
There is also a brother who make custom ones and has been mentioned in another thread here.

S&F
 

edwmax

Active Member
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.
Abt 2 years ago, a visiting Brother from another Country carried his GL issued 'travel papers'. This document was about 4" x 6" card stock, looked and was worded near identical to 'dues cards' as used in the US. The 'travel paper' had both the front and back of our 'dues card' printed on the front side with embossed seal of the GL.

So the US style 'dues card' should be recognizable to foreign Lodges and GLs. But, don't just show up at a foreign Lodge and expect to get in. The problem is the Lodge does not know the bearer of the 'dues card' is who he said he is; and many foreign Lodges are unable to verify their GL recognizes your GL & Lodge without first communicating with their own Grand Secretary. So, official communication from your secretary/GL Sec to the foreign GL Secretary, then the foreign Lodge will be expecting your arrival. ... If you are already in the foreign country, then decide to visit. Make a phone call to your GL Secretary, he can (should be able to) then make arraignments with the foreign GL Secretary by phone and/or fax. ... Thus with a few hours notice to you GL Secretary (???) you might be able to visit.

Visiting is not really difficult, but does require proper protocol. I wish now I had visited some foreign Lodges when I was oversea many, many years ago.
 
The requirement for a dues card is an interesting one. Here in New Zealand we aren't issued with dues cards at all. The only correspondence we get is a letter, when requested, from Grand Lodge attesting to our membership. I wonder if that alone would be sufficient when visiting overseas?
 

Windrider

Plus-sized tuxedo model
The requirement for a dues card is an interesting one. Here in New Zealand we aren't issued with dues cards at all. The only correspondence we get is a letter, when requested, from Grand Lodge attesting to our membership. I wonder if that alone would be sufficient when visiting overseas?
Having travelled in foreign countries. The processis actually quite complicated. I had to contact my lodge Secretary and send him the details of the lodge I planned to visit. He then contacted the Grand Secretary who contacted the Grand Secretary in the jurisdiction I was visiting and sent them a letter stating I am a member in good standing and planned to visit a lodge. That letter was then forwarded to the lodge secretary in the lodge I was planning to visit, my lodge secretary and me. I took a copy with me. After all that, every Masonic courtesy was given to me.
 
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