Always Do What You Do In Your Own Lodge

Short Papers Competition 2009 © 2010 Internet Lodge and the author Paper 19/2009 Title Always Do What You Do in Your Own Lodge Author Bro Simon Green – England Visiting other lodges, both at home and abroad, is one of the great pleasures of anyone’s Masonic career and I would advise any new Mason, who wants to understand more about Freemasonry, to visit as much as he can. However, we are all advised, perhaps when we question whether “their” ritual is the same as ours, that we should “always do what we do in our own lodge”. Whilst this is sound advice, it is curious to speculate why there are differences in ritual around the lodges. Clearly these differences stem from the need and desire of lodges to do things just slightly unique or from mistakes and errors originating in ceremonies past. However, I believe that the fundamental reason for the various differences stems from an event which happened in 1813. There was a great meeting of representatives of those lodges from the Ancients and the Moderns to regularise Freemasonry in this country under the United Grand Lodge. One can only speculate as to the diversity of opinion and discussion which went on as to how things should be done. Much of the Modern’s ritual was subsumed by the Ancients and much of what we practice today is based on those agreements. So during those discussions regarding the future of ritual and practice in lodge one can understand the reflections and concerns of those representatives, particularly as history indicates nothing was allowed to be written down. To understand how this process worked one need only refer to one’s own lodge to recognise that, doing something differently for 2 lodge meetings in a row often constituted this action as Lodge tradition. Many new initiates are told, when they ask the awkward question “why do we do it like this”; “Because we’ve always done it that way”. Let us be clear, however, that this slight diversity in our ritual in now way diminishes our participation or enjoyment of our secrets. Quite to the contrary, it enhances and delights at every turn and provides the basis for many enjoyable and interest ing discussions at festive board. Thus concluding a most enjoyable and enriching experience. So once again, I would urge any new brother to go and visit as much as is possible, always remembering his obligations to home, work and family. Whilst as I say, it is easy to understand how things got lost or misinterpreted, particularly in light of our own experiences in lodge committee and suchlike, one can perhaps picture things more easily, if a little more flippantly, by imagining 2 brothers; hum ble representatives of their lodge; returning by train to the north of England to report back on how “things will be done in the future”. Picture a smoky railway carriage with the English countryside at dusk flying by as they discuss the day’s events. “I’m sure ‘e said we drop the salute after the Tyler’s third knock…”