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  • The Freemason's Chronicle
  • Sept. 21, 1878
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  • VISITORS: THEIR RIGHTS AND PRIVILEGES.
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The Freemason's Chronicle, Sept. 21, 1878: Page 1

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Visitors: Their Rights And Privileges.

VISITORS : THEIR RIGHTS AND PRIVILEGES .

IT will be seen from a report ; ve publish elsewhere in our columns of the meeting , on the Gth August , of the Lodge of Goodwill , No . 711 , Port Elizabeth , Cape of Good Hope , that a question was raised respecting the presence of a visiting brother , who had given proof of his

worthiness to be admitted , during the ceremony of opening the Lodge and the reading and confirmation of the minutes of the previous meeting . The brother about whose right the question was raised was none other than our worthy friend Bro . Constable , whom we take this early

opportunity of congratulating on his return home . Why any objection should have been taken to his being present during what are , after all , merely formal preliminaries is an enigma we shall not attempt the solution of , nor will it be in our power to suggest a reason for the Master ' s

readiness to waive his objection to Bro . Constable ' s presence if the latter had . resolved on standing on his rights and insisting on his admission . It is one of those cases which can only be dealt with on general principles , and all we propose doing is briefly to stato the circumstances as explained to us

by Bro . Constable himself , and then to offer a few remarks as to what , in our humble judgment , is the course which a Lodge should pursue when a strange brother presents himself at the doors and requests to be admitted within its precincts . The facts are as follow : —Bro . Constable

presented himself at the hour appointed for the meeting of the Lodge . He Avas properly introduced , and having proved himself to the satisfaction of the W . Master , and assumed his clothing , he entered the Lodge , and then awaited its opening . HoAvever , the Master went and .

requested Bro . Constable would retire till he had opened the Lodge and the minutes awaiting confirmation had been confirmed , the reason he assigned for this unusual request being that it Avas not their custom to permit strange brethren to be present during these preliminaries . Bro .

Constable did as requested , took off his apron , and resolved not to claim admission . Bro . Brister , the Treasurer , then went out , and said that if Bro . Constable insisted upon being present as a right , the Master would allow his presence , but Bro . Constable does not seem to have been

pleased by this relaxation in his favour , and went home . The matter was discussed during the slight repast Avhich folloAved the Lodge business , and many brethren objected

to the action of the Master , and applauded Bro . Constable for having stood up for his constitutional rights , it appearing that this is the second instance in Avhich a visiting brother had retired or been called upon to retire from the

same cause . The laws laid down in the Constitutions on the subject of Visitors are clear enough , " No visitor shall be admitted into a lodge unless he be personally known , recommended , or Avell vouched for , after due examination by one

of the present brethren ; and dnring his continuance in the lodge he must be subject to the by-laws of the lodge . The master of the lodge is bound to enforce these regulations . " In this there is nothing which in any Avay Avarrants the exclusion of a visitor during any part of the time the Lodge

is met together , nor is there anything in the two sections which folloAV , and which regulate the exclusion of visitors , on which the Master of Goodwill could rely as a justification for requesting Bro . Constable to retire while the Lodge "was opened and the minutes confirmed . They enact that visitors of known bad character may be refused admission ,

Visitors: Their Rights And Privileges.

and that brethren who are not subscribing members to a Lodge may not visit a Lodge in the town or place where he resides " more than once " during the period of their " secession from the craft . " Beyond a few words at p 19 as to visitors to Grand Lodge , and a prohibition at p 79 against

the reception as visitors of brethren " concerned in making masons clandestinely , or at a lodge which is not a regular lodge , or for small and unworthy considerations , or Avho may assist in forming a neAv lodge without the grand master ' s authority . " There ia nothing in the Constitutions

beyond what we have already quoted or described , and it is certain that these contain no justification Avhatever for the conduct pursued in this particular instance . Going further ,

and consulting well-known authorities on Masonic law , we shall find , similarly , no exclusion of the kind practised in Lodge of Goodwill is mentioned , there being , hoAvever , one case in Avhich the enforced retirement of visitors is deemed

proper . Oliver , having first of all discussed the general regulations already referred to , the restrictions on visiting , and the examination of visitors , goes on to speak of the " Privileges of Visitors , " and he cites in evidence a report from the Board of General Purposes during the year 1819 ,

in which , as he considers , the true rights of a visitor are defined . A Lodge in London refused to admit some brethren , Avho were well known to them , on the ground that " as the Lodge Avas about to initiate a candidate , no visitors could be admitted till that ceremony was ended . "

Complaint was made , and the several parties attended the Board , Avhen it appeared that " the Officers of the Lodge against Avhich the complaint Avas laid had acted under an erroneous opinion of the general laws , and not from any intention to infringe them , or to offend against the

established customs of the Craft ; and they assured the Board of their anxiety , at all time 3 , to conform themselves to every regulation of the Grand Lodge , and that they should not again fall into a similar error . " Thereupon the Board passed a resolution to

the effect that " it is the undoubted right of every Mason , Avho is Avell known or properly vouched for , to visit any Lodge duriugthe timeit is open for Masonic general business , observing the proper forms to be attended to on such occasions , so that tho Master may not be interrupted in the

performance of his duty . " In spite of this , however , says Dr . Oliver , there are Lodges Avhich do " refuse admission to visitors Avhen practising the ceremonies of any of the degrees , although such exclusion is undoubtedly illegal . " The writer then goes on to describe how a late Grand

Master , when the subject Avas brought under his notice , declared " that a Mason ' s Lodge is a Mason ' s church ; and that no qualified brother could be legally refused admittance under any circumstances . " Later we come to a paragraph specially treating of " the Exclusion of Visitors , " and

from this we extract the following passage : — " When any business of a private nature , such as a discussion on the state of the funds , or any other topic which cannot be interesting to a stranger , occupies the attention of the brethren , due notice having been given to every member , it would be

indelicate to invite visitors to be present , as the financial affairs of the Lodge might be in such a state of disarrangement and confusion as it would be undesirable to communicate to any Avho were not

members , and who , consequently , could feel no interest in the proceedings . And , therefore , in some Lodges the bye-laws are imperative on this point , and direct that no subject of local importance to the Lodge ought to be discussed in the presence of visitors . When , therefore , such discussions are unavoidable , visitors may be courteously

“The Freemason's Chronicle: 1878-09-21, Page 1” Masonic Periodicals Online, Library and Museum of Freemasonry, 11 June 2025, django:8000/periodicals/fcn/issues/fcn_21091878/page/1/.
  • List
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Title Category Page
VISITORS: THEIR RIGHTS AND PRIVILEGES. Article 1
THE FOUR OLD LODGES. Article 2
CORRESPONDENCE. Article 4
SCRUTINEERS. Article 5
LODGE FUNDS. Article 5
APPROACHING ELECTION FOR THE BOYS' SCHOOL. Article 5
CONSECRATION OF THE ELEANOR CROSS LODGE, No. 1764. Article 6
LODGE OF ANCIENT CARTHAGE, No. 1717. TUNIS, NORTH AFRICA. Article 7
Untitled Ad 8
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Untitled Ad 8
Untitled Article 8
OUR WEEKLY BUDGET. Article 8
CAPE OF GOOD HOPE. Article 9
MEETING OF THE LODGE OF BENEVOLENCE. Article 9
THE FIFTEEN SECTIONS Article 9
DIARY FOR THE WEEK. Article 10
Untitled Article 10
THE KILMARNOCK BURNS MONUMENT. Article 13
RED CROSS OF CONSTANTINE. Article 14
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.

Visitors: Their Rights And Privileges.

VISITORS : THEIR RIGHTS AND PRIVILEGES .

IT will be seen from a report ; ve publish elsewhere in our columns of the meeting , on the Gth August , of the Lodge of Goodwill , No . 711 , Port Elizabeth , Cape of Good Hope , that a question was raised respecting the presence of a visiting brother , who had given proof of his

worthiness to be admitted , during the ceremony of opening the Lodge and the reading and confirmation of the minutes of the previous meeting . The brother about whose right the question was raised was none other than our worthy friend Bro . Constable , whom we take this early

opportunity of congratulating on his return home . Why any objection should have been taken to his being present during what are , after all , merely formal preliminaries is an enigma we shall not attempt the solution of , nor will it be in our power to suggest a reason for the Master ' s

readiness to waive his objection to Bro . Constable ' s presence if the latter had . resolved on standing on his rights and insisting on his admission . It is one of those cases which can only be dealt with on general principles , and all we propose doing is briefly to stato the circumstances as explained to us

by Bro . Constable himself , and then to offer a few remarks as to what , in our humble judgment , is the course which a Lodge should pursue when a strange brother presents himself at the doors and requests to be admitted within its precincts . The facts are as follow : —Bro . Constable

presented himself at the hour appointed for the meeting of the Lodge . He Avas properly introduced , and having proved himself to the satisfaction of the W . Master , and assumed his clothing , he entered the Lodge , and then awaited its opening . HoAvever , the Master went and .

requested Bro . Constable would retire till he had opened the Lodge and the minutes awaiting confirmation had been confirmed , the reason he assigned for this unusual request being that it Avas not their custom to permit strange brethren to be present during these preliminaries . Bro .

Constable did as requested , took off his apron , and resolved not to claim admission . Bro . Brister , the Treasurer , then went out , and said that if Bro . Constable insisted upon being present as a right , the Master would allow his presence , but Bro . Constable does not seem to have been

pleased by this relaxation in his favour , and went home . The matter was discussed during the slight repast Avhich folloAved the Lodge business , and many brethren objected

to the action of the Master , and applauded Bro . Constable for having stood up for his constitutional rights , it appearing that this is the second instance in Avhich a visiting brother had retired or been called upon to retire from the

same cause . The laws laid down in the Constitutions on the subject of Visitors are clear enough , " No visitor shall be admitted into a lodge unless he be personally known , recommended , or Avell vouched for , after due examination by one

of the present brethren ; and dnring his continuance in the lodge he must be subject to the by-laws of the lodge . The master of the lodge is bound to enforce these regulations . " In this there is nothing which in any Avay Avarrants the exclusion of a visitor during any part of the time the Lodge

is met together , nor is there anything in the two sections which folloAV , and which regulate the exclusion of visitors , on which the Master of Goodwill could rely as a justification for requesting Bro . Constable to retire while the Lodge "was opened and the minutes confirmed . They enact that visitors of known bad character may be refused admission ,

Visitors: Their Rights And Privileges.

and that brethren who are not subscribing members to a Lodge may not visit a Lodge in the town or place where he resides " more than once " during the period of their " secession from the craft . " Beyond a few words at p 19 as to visitors to Grand Lodge , and a prohibition at p 79 against

the reception as visitors of brethren " concerned in making masons clandestinely , or at a lodge which is not a regular lodge , or for small and unworthy considerations , or Avho may assist in forming a neAv lodge without the grand master ' s authority . " There ia nothing in the Constitutions

beyond what we have already quoted or described , and it is certain that these contain no justification Avhatever for the conduct pursued in this particular instance . Going further ,

and consulting well-known authorities on Masonic law , we shall find , similarly , no exclusion of the kind practised in Lodge of Goodwill is mentioned , there being , hoAvever , one case in Avhich the enforced retirement of visitors is deemed

proper . Oliver , having first of all discussed the general regulations already referred to , the restrictions on visiting , and the examination of visitors , goes on to speak of the " Privileges of Visitors , " and he cites in evidence a report from the Board of General Purposes during the year 1819 ,

in which , as he considers , the true rights of a visitor are defined . A Lodge in London refused to admit some brethren , Avho were well known to them , on the ground that " as the Lodge Avas about to initiate a candidate , no visitors could be admitted till that ceremony was ended . "

Complaint was made , and the several parties attended the Board , Avhen it appeared that " the Officers of the Lodge against Avhich the complaint Avas laid had acted under an erroneous opinion of the general laws , and not from any intention to infringe them , or to offend against the

established customs of the Craft ; and they assured the Board of their anxiety , at all time 3 , to conform themselves to every regulation of the Grand Lodge , and that they should not again fall into a similar error . " Thereupon the Board passed a resolution to

the effect that " it is the undoubted right of every Mason , Avho is Avell known or properly vouched for , to visit any Lodge duriugthe timeit is open for Masonic general business , observing the proper forms to be attended to on such occasions , so that tho Master may not be interrupted in the

performance of his duty . " In spite of this , however , says Dr . Oliver , there are Lodges Avhich do " refuse admission to visitors Avhen practising the ceremonies of any of the degrees , although such exclusion is undoubtedly illegal . " The writer then goes on to describe how a late Grand

Master , when the subject Avas brought under his notice , declared " that a Mason ' s Lodge is a Mason ' s church ; and that no qualified brother could be legally refused admittance under any circumstances . " Later we come to a paragraph specially treating of " the Exclusion of Visitors , " and

from this we extract the following passage : — " When any business of a private nature , such as a discussion on the state of the funds , or any other topic which cannot be interesting to a stranger , occupies the attention of the brethren , due notice having been given to every member , it would be

indelicate to invite visitors to be present , as the financial affairs of the Lodge might be in such a state of disarrangement and confusion as it would be undesirable to communicate to any Avho were not

members , and who , consequently , could feel no interest in the proceedings . And , therefore , in some Lodges the bye-laws are imperative on this point , and direct that no subject of local importance to the Lodge ought to be discussed in the presence of visitors . When , therefore , such discussions are unavoidable , visitors may be courteously

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