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District Deputy Grand Masters – do they exist in each jurisdiction? what are their duties? how appointed?

District Deputy Grand Masters (DDGMs)

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U.S. Grand Lodges

# Grand Lodge Details about DDGMs in this Jurisdiction None
1 Alabama Does not have DDGMsThe Committee on Work (Ritual) have assumed some of the duties that would be  handled by the DDGMs.
2 Alaska
3 Arizona does not have DDGMs
4 Arkansas has about 40 DDGMs
5 California has Inspectors, who appear to be similar to DDGMs
6 Colorado does not  have DDGMs
7 Connecticut While the GLCT has only 9 districts with each having a Grand Line officer, we have 20 District Deputies with 2 deputies in each district except the 4th district which has 3. This totals 19 and during the past few years the GM has appointed a DD at large to cover Masonic activities at the Masonic facility in Wallingford. We also have one brother who was appointed “Assistant to the Grand Master” but that is not a constitutional office.
We do have an appointed Grand Lecturer and 9 District Grand Lecturers whose appointment carries the lifetime title of Very Worshipful.
8 Delaware
9 District of Columbia does not have DDGMs
10 Florida The Grand Lodge of Florida has DDGM’s in all 36 Masonic Districts plus a District Instructor for each district.
11 Georgia
12 Hawaii §1120. INSPECTORS. The Grand Master shall divide the jurisdiction into districts, and shall appoint for each district an Inspector, who shall be a past master of this jurisdiction, and who shall, before entering upon his duties, produce a certificate from the Grand Lecturer or an Assistant Grand Lecturer that he is proficient in the work and lectures adopted by the Grand Lodge and is qualified to act as Inspector. Each Inspector shall serve for a term of one year commencing in January, following the Grand Masters installation and terminating when his successor is installed.

§1122. DUTIES OF INSPECTORS. It shall be the duty of
the Inspector:

1st. To hold Schools of Instruction and instruct the officers of the Lodges in the ritual.

2nd. To require any master of a Lodge in his district to convene his Lodge for inspection, and report to the Grand Master the failure of any Master to do so.

3rd. May cause to be organized within his district an Officers’ Association and to supervise meetings of such association for the purpose of instruction in those portions of the Constitution and Regulations of the Grand Lodge which relate to the government of the Lodge, for instruction in the proper administration of the affairs of the Lodges and such other matters as may be for the welfare of the Craft. [Res. 96-2]

13 Idaho
14 Illinois
15 Indiana  does not have DDGM’s
16 Iowa does not have DDGMs
17 Kansas
18 Kentucky Kentucky has 40 District Deputy Grand Masters. They are appointed by the Grand Master each year.
19 Louisiana In Louisiana each Masonic District in the state has a DDGM. The DDGM is determined several ways. In most cases the District Lodge elects their DDGM and sends his name to the Grand Master. In other districts the outgoing Master of the District Lodge has his name submitted to the Grand Master. But it comes down to the fact the Grand Master appoints his DDGM for each district. In most cases he follows the District’s choice.

Duties: 1) Always act as the representative of the Grand Master.
2) Hold workshops on Masonic Law
3) Make at least two official visits to each Lodge in his District.
4) Make Quarterly reports to the Grand Master

20 Maine
21 Maryland Maryland uses “Grand Inspectors”. The Grand Inspector is a Past Master appointed by the Grand Master for a one year term. He may be re-appointed for an additional one year term five times, for a total of six years.  At the end of the sixth year, he must come off the Board of Grand Inspectors for one year. After this one year, he is eligible for re-appointment for one year and five re-appointments.

He is the Grand Master’s representative in his assigned Lodge(s). Usually one large lodge, or two smaller ones. He is always clothed in a Tux, and wears a large purple collar, a jewel resembling the sun, gold, about three inches in diameter, and a special apron. The apron is white, has a one and a half inch purple border, two tabs on either side, but no decorations.

The GI attends meetings of the Lodge, all Special Communications and social events, and memorial services.

22 Massachusetts He is appointed by the Grand Master on the recommendation of the current DD and is appointed for a period of 2 years at the will and pleasure of the GM. He is the direct representative of the GM in his district and is responsible for any and all happenings in that district. After in installation at the Feast of St. John on Dec 27th, he may not visit officially as the DD until he is received in his home Lodge Then he will schedule a Fraternal in all the Lodges in his district in the spring of the year and an Official Visitation in the fall of the year to examine the books, Charter and by-laws of each Lodge in the district. Usually he and his Marshal and Secretary will meet with the Secretary before the date and examine the records, so the visit is more ceremonial than functional. On any scheduled visitations we are supposed to show him an exemplification of some portion of our workings.
23 Michigan
24 Minnesota Minnesota does not use the title DDGM, but we do have a structure of officers between the Lodges and the Grand Lodge.

The state is divided into (up to) 44 Districts with 4 to 10 Lodges in a District. Each District has a District Representative (DR) who is appointed by the Grand Master.

The Districts are grouped into 6 Areas. For each area the Grand Master appoints an Area Deputy (AD) who is responsible for leading the Custodian of the Ritual, The Area Education Officer, and the DRs in implementing GL programs. The ADs have a good bit of autonomy and the responsibility that goes with it – not quite a provincial Grand Lodge, but in that direction.

25 Mississippi
26 Missouri
27 Montana
28 Nebraska
29 Nevada
30 New Hampshire Has 8 districts. Each district has a DDGM, a District Deputy Grand Lecturer, and 1 or 2 District Education Officers. Each is appointed by the Grand Master and usually serves a 2 year term. There is a progressive line: DEO to DDGL to DDGM. The first districts were formed and the first DDGMs were appointed in 1803.
31 New Jersey
32 New Mexico
33 New York
34 North Carolina North Carolina has a DDGM & DDGL for each of its 41 Districts. These represent 383 Lodges all across the state.CHAPTER 26 District Deputy Grand Master, Qualifications, Powers and Duties

REG. 26-1 DISTRICTS.
The Grand Master shall each year, or as often as he may deem it to be for the good of the Craft, divide the state into districts, having regard to the Masonic population, the number of lodges, and the convenience of travel. [13-2.18].
1. The districts may be defined by territorial limits, or by designating the subordinate lodges that shall constitute a district.
2. The territorial jurisdiction of such lodges shall be contiguous, and the districts shall be numbered and not named.

REG. 26-2 QUALIFICATIONS.
There shall be only one District Deputy Grand Master in each district, and he shall be appointed and commissioned by the Grand Master annually.
1. Each District Deputy Grand Master shall be a Master or Past Master of a subordinate lodge.
2. Each District Deputy Grand Master shall be and remain a resident of his district and a member of a subordinate lodge therein.
3. Each District Deputy Grand Master shall be well skilled in the Authorized Work of the three degrees of Symbolic Masonry and well informed in the best business practices for Masonic lodges, the law, custom, and usage of the Craft in this Grand Jurisdiction. [3-1.5; 11-4; 11-4.3; Official Form 53].
4. Each District Deputy Grand Master, when duly appointed and commissioned as such, is then, and without the necessity for installation or any other act, fully entitled to the prerogatives of, and shall perform the duties of, a District Deputy Grand Master.
5. During his official term he is responsible only to the Grand Master or the Grand Lodge for his official acts or discipline. [11-4].

REG. 26-3 DUTIES.
It shall be the duty of each District Deputy Grand Master: [39-2.6.F].
1. To visit each subordinate lodge in his district as often as convenient but not less than once a year.
2. To bring the lodges in his district into closer relations with each other and with the Grand Lodge. [43-2.12].
3. To preside therein upon the occasion of his official visitations.
4. To examine thoroughly its records and accounts.
5. To inform himself fully as to the condition of the lodge, the number of its members, and the regularity of their attendance. [45-14].
6. To inquire into all the affairs of the lodge and the administration thereof.
7. To make such suggestions and recommendations to the officers as he deems necessary to insure a full and prompt compliance with the law of the Grand Lodge.
8. To instruct or counsel officers and members in any particular wherein he may find they need information and particularly to recommend attention to the moral and benevolent principles of Masonry.
9. To caution the brethren in the admission of petitioners for the degrees.
10. To confer with the officers and members concerning non-affiliated and unaffiliated Masons.
11. To endeavor, if he should discover in his district any Masonic error or any unmasonic conduct, to correct the same immediately by Masonic means; and if he judges it expedient, to report the same immediately to the Grand Master. [71-9].
12. To take possession of the funds and property of any dormant or extinct lodge in his district and transfer the same to the Grand Secretary or to comply with any instructions given by the Grand Secretary in regard to the same. [49-7.4].
13. To perform such other services and executive duties as may from time to time be assigned to him by the Grand Master.
14. On each official visitation, and as often as he may deem it necessary, he shall call for and personally examine the Vocabulary assigned to the several lodges in his district, and shall require a strict compliance with Regulation 24-3 in regard to each book. He shall examine the lodge’s copy of
THE CODE to see that all amendments thereto have been properly posted. He shall immediately report any irregularities found by his examination to the Grand Master. The duty herein described is mandatory and may not be omitted for any reason. [86-2.55; 59-12.9].

REG. 26-4 ANNUAL REPORT.
He shall make an annual report based on the calendar year and file it with the Grand Master not less than sixty days before the annual communication of the Grand Lodge, setting forth his official acts during the year, the condition of each lodge in his district, and the condition of Masonry in his district, and suggesting such measures as to him may appear conducive to the general good of the lodges and the fraternity. This report shall not be published in the Annual Proceedings of the Grand Lodge, but it shall be transmitted to the incoming Grand Master as information for his use.

REG. 26-5 EXPENSE.
He shall render to the Grand Master before December tenth of each year an itemized account of the actual travel expense incurred by him in the performance of his duties. The amount of reimbursement for mileage shall be determined by the Committee on Finance and approved by the Board of General Purposes. The Grand Master may order the same to be paid from the funds of the Grand Lodge, if such expense has been incurred in the performance of routine duty, but not for more than two official visits to each lodge in his district during a calendar year. If the expense has been incurred for a special duty, the Grand Master may order the lodge or the Grand Lodge to pay it. A District Deputy Grand Master shall not be compensated for his services.

REG. 26-6 TERM LIMIT.
A brother who has heretofore served, or shall serve, three consecutive years as District Deputy Grand Master, shall not succeed himself unless the Grand Master shall find that it is in the best interest of Masonry for said brother to continue with his duties.

35 North Dakota
36 Ohio Ohio has DDGM’s. They are appointed by the GM to a one year term and can be reappointed an additional two times. Most men appointed DDGM are reappointed. Past DDGM’s are members of Grand Lodge for life.
37 Oklahoma
38 Oregon
39 Pennsylvania PA has 60 (district) DDGMs and one at large. They usually serve 5 years, but many serve much longer. One of our PGMs, Richard A. Kern wrote a neat book The Office of DDGM in the GL of PA (pub. 1947), which listed them all up to that time, and our Cathy Giaimo has brought the list up to date.
40 Rhode Island In Rhode Island at the present time there are 5 Districts which each have a District Deputy, Grand Master of Ceremonies, an Associate Grand Chaplain, and An Assistant Grand Lecturer. They also have an Itinerant District Deputy and Grand Master of Ceremonies.
41 South Carolina South Carolina has 30 Districts with DDGM’s.
42 South Dakota
43 Tennessee
44 Texas The Grand Lodge of Texas is much like Virginia. There is one big difference. We have 146 districts in Texas.
45 Utah
46 Vermont
47 Virginia DDGMs for about 50 Districts. Each is appointed by the DGM and all meet at a conference about 2 months before Grand Lodge meeting. DDGM is the personal representative of the GM when attending a lodge in his district in his official capacity, and is the most senior GL official in the lodge room, unless the GM is personally present. Most DDGMs are nominated by their own lodge, with lodges in each district rotating each year as to which lodge will nominate a DDGM for the coming year.
48 Washington
49 West Virginia
50 Wisconsin There are 11 Districts, each headed by a DDGM. The DDGMs are the direct representative of the GM in the district. The districts range from 4 lodges in District #1 in the far NW of the state to over 30 in District #11 (the Milwaukee , Racine, and Kenosha area). The DDGMs are appointed by the Grand Master for the Masonic year, and are styled “Worshipful Brother”.
51 Wyoming

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