Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Ad01001
MidlandGrandHotel, LONDON , N . W . VenetianRoomsnowavailable forMasonicDinners,etc. Other Midland Railway Hotels at Liverpool , Leeds , Bradford , Derby , Morecombe , and Heysham . Chief Office : W . TOWLE , Midland Grand Hotel , Manager . London , N . W . M . R . Hotels , etc .
Ad01003
PERRIER=JOUET&Cos CHAMPAGNES. FINEST VINTAGE RESERVE-CUVEES . THE FAVOURITE MASONIC BRAND . Agent—A . BOURSOT , 9 , Hart Street , Hark Lane , London .
Ad01002
ROYALEXCHANGE ASSURANCE . INCORPORATED A . D . 1720 . Funds in Hand Exceed - - £ 4 , 900 , 000 Claims Paid Exceed - - £ 41 , 000 , 000 UNIMPEACHABLE SECURITY . FIRE , LIFE , MARINE , ANNUITIES , ACCIDENTS , BURGLARY , EMPLOYERS' LIABILITY . Apply for full Prospectus to W . N . WHYMPER , Secretary . Head Office : —ROYAL EXCHANGE , LONDON , E . C .
Ad01004
/ Ifoasonic Jllustrateb ,
The Lodge Summons.
The Lodge Summons .
THE summons has an importance in Freemasonry that is not possessed by the corresponding document in any other organization . Theoretically , no meeting can be held , nor can any business be legally transacted thereat , to which all persons having the right to be there , have not been summoned . When meetings are what is called statutory , such ,
for instance , as the terminal meetings of joint stock companies , the summons is very often sent out by registered letter . Freemasons , however , do not go so far as this—in fact , the receipt of his lodge summons in a registered letter would cause the average Freemason a considerable shock , as suggestive of
proceedings under Article 210 . The necessity of every member being summoned to attend his lodge , is inferred from the Book of Constitutions rather than enjoined . The first thing to be noted about it is that it is a private and therefore to some extent a
privileged document . In September , 1870 , Grand Lodge had to consider the practice , growing somewhat common , of issuing the lodge summons on a post card , and it emphatically condemned it , and said that any repetition of this offence against Masonic decency would
be visited with its severest displeasure . Brethren will probably agree with this view . Whether a summons is absolutely privileged , is a matter of doubt , and this question has also been before Grand Lodge , and was discussed at the March quarterly communication in 1881 . The point raised was an interesting one . The following
statement appeared in the agenda : — - "To consider the following motion by Brother A ., that Brothers B ., C , and D . be excluded for the following unworthy and un-Masonic conduct . " * The conduct complained of was then described , and the immediate result was an action in the civil court for libel .
The outcome was highly unsatisfactory to both parties , the plaintiff getting one farthing damages , and each party having to pay its own costs . The defendent then complained to Grand Lodge , and asked for a grant of the amount of his costs , which was naturally refused , and the Grand Registrar
said that the insertion of the name of a brother for exclusion was not libellous , but a description of his conduct might possibly be so . The original offence was the avowal in open lodge of an intention to black ball a candidate , and one highly suggestive
inference from the result of the proceedings was that such avowal was sufficient ground for exclusion , because it violated the secrecy of the ballot . This , however , by the way . There is no prescribed form of summons , they are printed , lithographed , written , and even illuminated . On no account should the name of the brother summoned
be omitted , and his Masonic style should be appended . A summons to a recent meeting has a value not always sufficiently recognized . It is evidence of good standing and of rank , and its production has often served to excuse the absence of a Grand Lodge Certificate , when a visiting brother has had to prove himself .
The order in which the proposed business is set forth on the summons should be that in which it is intended to proceed with it , but it is within the Master's discretion to depart from it should necessity arise . It should be remembered then , that , as a general principle ,
a candidate for initiation takes precedence . It may be proposed to confer other degrees than that of initiation at the same meeting , and although announcement of the intention is not strictly necessary , it is very advisable . Moreover , the fact of a degree being "due " is not sufficient
justification for inserting it in the summons , unless the brother concerned has actually stated that he wishes to come forward . Whenever notice of the proposed conferment of a superior degree is given , it should be in some such form as this " To pass , if approved . " The possibility of a candidate not displaying a knowledge of the degree he last took must not be lost sight of .
The Master must always be the judge of what business may be taken without due notice having been given , but he will be wise to limit the exercise of this discretion as much as possible . Questions involving the expenditure of lodge funds should as a rule not only be notified in the summons , but be given notice of at a preceding meeting .
The word summons , means much more than an invitation . It conveys the idea of something that may not lightly be disregarded . It is , in fact , an obligation , and it is referred to as such in the charges read to the Worshipful Master elect . In the Antient charges prefixed to the Book of
Constitutions we read— " From ancient times no Master or fellow could be absent from his lodge , especially when warned to appear at it , without incurring a severe censure , unless it appeared to the Master and Wardens that pure necessity hindered him . " How then does it come about that
sometimes more than half of the members are absent , and , of the absentees , only the same proportion send apologies ? The older members may say , not unreasonably , that they have already borne the heat and burden of the day , and that they prefer to leave the active conduct of the lodge affairs to
younger members , but even such right feeling as that does not absolve any member , in the face of the charges and obligations , from giving the Master his excuse for being absent . Apart from considerations of taste and of courtesy , there is the effect on the younger members to be taken into account .
And we venture to think , that if ever Masonry declines in usefulness , and in popular esteem , those older members who so consistently neglect their obligations will not be unaccountable .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Ad01001
MidlandGrandHotel, LONDON , N . W . VenetianRoomsnowavailable forMasonicDinners,etc. Other Midland Railway Hotels at Liverpool , Leeds , Bradford , Derby , Morecombe , and Heysham . Chief Office : W . TOWLE , Midland Grand Hotel , Manager . London , N . W . M . R . Hotels , etc .
Ad01003
PERRIER=JOUET&Cos CHAMPAGNES. FINEST VINTAGE RESERVE-CUVEES . THE FAVOURITE MASONIC BRAND . Agent—A . BOURSOT , 9 , Hart Street , Hark Lane , London .
Ad01002
ROYALEXCHANGE ASSURANCE . INCORPORATED A . D . 1720 . Funds in Hand Exceed - - £ 4 , 900 , 000 Claims Paid Exceed - - £ 41 , 000 , 000 UNIMPEACHABLE SECURITY . FIRE , LIFE , MARINE , ANNUITIES , ACCIDENTS , BURGLARY , EMPLOYERS' LIABILITY . Apply for full Prospectus to W . N . WHYMPER , Secretary . Head Office : —ROYAL EXCHANGE , LONDON , E . C .
Ad01004
/ Ifoasonic Jllustrateb ,
The Lodge Summons.
The Lodge Summons .
THE summons has an importance in Freemasonry that is not possessed by the corresponding document in any other organization . Theoretically , no meeting can be held , nor can any business be legally transacted thereat , to which all persons having the right to be there , have not been summoned . When meetings are what is called statutory , such ,
for instance , as the terminal meetings of joint stock companies , the summons is very often sent out by registered letter . Freemasons , however , do not go so far as this—in fact , the receipt of his lodge summons in a registered letter would cause the average Freemason a considerable shock , as suggestive of
proceedings under Article 210 . The necessity of every member being summoned to attend his lodge , is inferred from the Book of Constitutions rather than enjoined . The first thing to be noted about it is that it is a private and therefore to some extent a
privileged document . In September , 1870 , Grand Lodge had to consider the practice , growing somewhat common , of issuing the lodge summons on a post card , and it emphatically condemned it , and said that any repetition of this offence against Masonic decency would
be visited with its severest displeasure . Brethren will probably agree with this view . Whether a summons is absolutely privileged , is a matter of doubt , and this question has also been before Grand Lodge , and was discussed at the March quarterly communication in 1881 . The point raised was an interesting one . The following
statement appeared in the agenda : — - "To consider the following motion by Brother A ., that Brothers B ., C , and D . be excluded for the following unworthy and un-Masonic conduct . " * The conduct complained of was then described , and the immediate result was an action in the civil court for libel .
The outcome was highly unsatisfactory to both parties , the plaintiff getting one farthing damages , and each party having to pay its own costs . The defendent then complained to Grand Lodge , and asked for a grant of the amount of his costs , which was naturally refused , and the Grand Registrar
said that the insertion of the name of a brother for exclusion was not libellous , but a description of his conduct might possibly be so . The original offence was the avowal in open lodge of an intention to black ball a candidate , and one highly suggestive
inference from the result of the proceedings was that such avowal was sufficient ground for exclusion , because it violated the secrecy of the ballot . This , however , by the way . There is no prescribed form of summons , they are printed , lithographed , written , and even illuminated . On no account should the name of the brother summoned
be omitted , and his Masonic style should be appended . A summons to a recent meeting has a value not always sufficiently recognized . It is evidence of good standing and of rank , and its production has often served to excuse the absence of a Grand Lodge Certificate , when a visiting brother has had to prove himself .
The order in which the proposed business is set forth on the summons should be that in which it is intended to proceed with it , but it is within the Master's discretion to depart from it should necessity arise . It should be remembered then , that , as a general principle ,
a candidate for initiation takes precedence . It may be proposed to confer other degrees than that of initiation at the same meeting , and although announcement of the intention is not strictly necessary , it is very advisable . Moreover , the fact of a degree being "due " is not sufficient
justification for inserting it in the summons , unless the brother concerned has actually stated that he wishes to come forward . Whenever notice of the proposed conferment of a superior degree is given , it should be in some such form as this " To pass , if approved . " The possibility of a candidate not displaying a knowledge of the degree he last took must not be lost sight of .
The Master must always be the judge of what business may be taken without due notice having been given , but he will be wise to limit the exercise of this discretion as much as possible . Questions involving the expenditure of lodge funds should as a rule not only be notified in the summons , but be given notice of at a preceding meeting .
The word summons , means much more than an invitation . It conveys the idea of something that may not lightly be disregarded . It is , in fact , an obligation , and it is referred to as such in the charges read to the Worshipful Master elect . In the Antient charges prefixed to the Book of
Constitutions we read— " From ancient times no Master or fellow could be absent from his lodge , especially when warned to appear at it , without incurring a severe censure , unless it appeared to the Master and Wardens that pure necessity hindered him . " How then does it come about that
sometimes more than half of the members are absent , and , of the absentees , only the same proportion send apologies ? The older members may say , not unreasonably , that they have already borne the heat and burden of the day , and that they prefer to leave the active conduct of the lodge affairs to
younger members , but even such right feeling as that does not absolve any member , in the face of the charges and obligations , from giving the Master his excuse for being absent . Apart from considerations of taste and of courtesy , there is the effect on the younger members to be taken into account .
And we venture to think , that if ever Masonry declines in usefulness , and in popular esteem , those older members who so consistently neglect their obligations will not be unaccountable .