| Lectures of the Degrees on Different Days The information on this chart comes from various sources. If anyone has definite
information for additions or changes on this chart, please send email to Paul M. Bessel so I can update this chart.
State |
Does the Grand Lodge
allow Lodges to do Lectures on a different day or evening than the rest of
the Degree? |
| |
Yes |
No |
| Alabama |
From an email:
In Alabama the EA and MM lectures may be postponed. The "official" reason is
"due to the lateness of the hour," but often it is due to lack of someone
who can give the lecture.
The FC lecture cannot be postponed. Without it the candidate never arrives
at the Middle Chamber and the lessons given there are considered
indispensable. |
|
| Alaska |
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| Arizona |
|
From an email:
The Arizona Masonic Constitution addresses this in two sections. The
first deals with esoteric work.
Esoteric Work
Section 59.1 The esoteric work and the ritual heretofore and now
recognized and adopted by this Grand Lodge shall be communicated, taught
and practiced within this Grand Jurisdiction. The power to modify or to
make any change in said work or ritual rests solely in the Grand Lodge.
No other esoteric work or ritual shall be recognized, communicated,
practiced or taught within this jurisdiction except as provided for in
Section 59.4.
The second is found under the duties of the Master of a Lodge.
Duties of the Master
106.2 To confer all degrees or to insure their conferral in strict
accordance with the ritual which has been, or may hereafter be ordained
by the Grand Lodge.
106.3 To give, in full, the lectures appertaining to each degree at the
time it is conferred, in accordance with such ritual, or see that the
lectures are given by another Master Mason who satisfies the
requirements of Paragraph 106.7 of this Section.
That said I have been present at a 3rd degree which due to the Masonic
tradition of scheduling as many events at the same time as possible
resulted in the degree being to be halted at the end of the first section
due to the lack of enough people to confer the second section. The
candidate received the second section one week later in conjunction with
another candidate.
A strict interpretation of the AMC would indicate that we violated
section 106.3 but no action was taken and the candidate is now a Master
Mason.
So normally speaking, Arizona requires the lecture to be given at the
same time as the main part of the degree is conferred but sometimes
parts of the main part of the degree are not given at the same time.
This apparently is not covered by the Arizona Masonic Constitution. |
| Arkansas |
|
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| California |
|
From an email:
California requires the lecture to be given at the time of the degree.
Per the CA M.C. §25140 Duties of Master.
It shall be the duty of the Master to:
C. Give, or have given, in full, the lectures appertaining
to each degree, at the time it is conferred, in accordance with the ritual;
|
| Colorado |
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| Connecticut |
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| Delaware |
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| District of Columbia |
|
SEC. 81. No Lodge shall confer any degree of Masonry
without the lecture appertaining to said degree being given in open Lodge
during the same communication. |
| Florida |
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| Georgia |
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| Hawaii |
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| Idaho |
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| Illinois |
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| Indiana |
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| Iowa |
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| Kansas |
From an email:
In Kansas lectures are allowed to be done separately within 30 days. |
|
| Kentucky |
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| Louisiana |
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| Maine |
|
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| Maryland |
|
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| Massachusetts |
|
From an email:
In Massachusetts, degrees conferred must be completed at one meeting |
| Michigan |
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| Minnesota |
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| Mississippi |
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| Missouri |
From an email:
From the Missouri By-Laws:
"Section 16.025. LECTURE AND CHARGE. The lecture and charge of a degree
shall, whenever practicable, be given at the same communication in which
the degree is conferred. The lecture and charge should be given as soon
as possible. (1992-83)"
By implication, then, Missouri permits the lecture and charge to be
given at a different communication, but discourages it. |
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| Montana |
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| Nebraska |
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| Nevada |
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| New Hampshire |
From an email:
It is permitted in New Hampshire, but is not often done. |
|
| New Jersey |
|
From an email:
New Jersey C&BL 4-07
" In all cases of conferring degrees, and immediately thereafter the
appropriate lecture and charge, or portion thereof appertaining there to
must be delivered."
According to Section 29-12 of the C&BL of the GL of NJ: "A
degree must be completed at the same communication at
which it is started." |
| New Mexico |
|
|
| New York |
From an email:
It is definitely allowed in my jurisdiction. I took my
3rd Degree early this year. Due to the length of the
degree we were given only the first two parts (our
Passing and the Hiramic Demonstration.) We were given
some study materials over the summer and when the
lodge reopened we were given part 3. This was
perfectly satisfactory, but we are planning a Saturday
degree this year to begin early in the morning and
deliver the entire 3rd in one day. It is not so much
the length of the meeting that causes problems as it
is continuing late into the night when the Brothers
may have had a long day at work beforehand and must go
back to work the next day. From another email:
I checked the Constitutions of the Grand Lodge
of
New York and in 'Section 636-Should Be Completed at Single Communication'
it states:
"As a matter of policy and practice and in the absence of an emergency,
such as a blackout, fire or illness, a degree should be conferred
completely at a single communication."
I haven't found any other passages relating to the question. Yet I know as
a matter of practice, and with the apparent approval or at least blind eye
to the same, many Lodges that do the Hiramic Drama in full form will
sometimes postpone the 3rd Degree Historical lecture to the next meeting to
prevent the night's work from running too late. |
|
| North Carolina |
|
From an email:
It is NOT allowed in NC. |
| North Dakota |
|
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| Ohio |
From an email:
I knew that there had been occasions when we had deferred
the Degree Lecture to a future meeting. (in order to save time) But, I
actually thought we were taking liberties with GL Code to do this. So, I
dug out my Code book and looked it up. From what I read, it appears we were
perfectly legal. I have copied the relevant section of the Code below.
The code does not even address the giving of the lectures! (the lecture is
the second section of the EA or FC Degrees and is the third section of the
MM Degree in our ritual books)
Generally, we will confer the first section of the EA Degree on each
candidate individually, then give the lecture to all candidates at the same
time. Same for the FC Degree. In the MM Degree, we confer sections one and
two on each candidate individually, then give the lecture to all
candidates. It is VERY rare that we have more than one MM candidate at a
time, due to the length of the Degree.
"Ohio Code 27.03 Degrees to be Conferred in Entirety (a) Lodges shall
confer the first section of the Entered Apprentice Degree, the first section
of the Fellowcraft Degree, and the first and second sections of the Master
Mason Degree, in their entirety on each candidate, individually. Lodges
deviating therefrom will be subject to Masonic discipline." |
|
| Oklahoma |
From an email:
Per Grand Lodge of
Oklahoma, Article V (Degrees & Advancement) of
the Uniform Code, Section U502 "Full Degrees Must Be Given": Lodges
are forbidden to omit any part of the lectures and explanations when
conferring any of the degrees upon a candidate. It is the duty of
the Worshipful Master to give, or cause to be given, the full
lectures pertaining to the degree. Failure to do so shall render
the Master and the lodge subject to discipline. The explanatory
lectures may be deferred for not more than sixty (60) days.
A typical practice in our lodge is to do the lectures after a
series of candidates have gone through a particular degree (EA or
MM). We have the good experience of initiating/raising two or more
men within two weeks of balloting. Rather than giving the lectures
for every candidate, we will hold off until the last of the series
and require all the candidates to attend the final degree to receive
the explanatory lectures. (The categorical lecture is given at
every degree.)
In the case where we expect to initiate/raise only one candidate
and do not expect to do another for another month, we will confer
everything at that special meeting.
For conferring the FC degree, everything is done that night. |
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| Oregon |
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| Pennsylvania |
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| Rhode Island |
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| South Carolina |
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| South Dakota |
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| Tennessee |
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| Texas |
|
No |
| Utah |
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| Vermont |
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| Virginia |
|
Sec. 2.07. Lodge to Practice Ancient York Ritual. — Every
Lodge shall practice the Ancient York Ritual as taught by the Grand Lodge
Committee on Work, who are its custodians. The said Ancient York Ritual
consists of the Degrees of Entered Apprentice, Fellowcraft and Master Mason.
The ritual of these degrees includes both the floor work and the explanatory
lectures as indispensable parts thereof. It is not in the power of the
Worshipful Master or any other officer of the Lodge or any of its Brethren
to omit any part of such ritual in conferring the degrees. |
| Washington |
|
From an email:
The Washington Masonic Code states:
Sec. 20.01 B.L. Rules on Conferring. Paragraph 3 states "All Sections and
Portions thereof and Lecture of each Degree must be conferred at the same
Communication or Communications of the Lodge on the same calendar day, |
| West Virginia |
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| Wisconsin |
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| Wyoming |
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| SUMMARY |
It appears that Lectures are not
always given on the same day as the rest of the Degrees in 7
jurisdictions: Alabama, Kansas, Missouri, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma |
It appears that Lectures are always
given on the same as the rest of the Degrees in 9 jurisdictions:
Arizona, California, DC, Massachusetts, New Jersey, North Carolina, Texas,
Virginia, Washington |
| |
In the remaining 36 U.S.
jurisdictions, I do not yet know what their policies are on this subject. |
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