Masonic lodge

A Masonic lodge, often termed a private lodge or constituent lodge, is the basic organisational unit of Freemasonry. It is also
commonly, but erroneously, used as a term for a building in which such a unit meets. Every new lodge must be warranted or
chartered by a Grand Lodge, but is subject to its direction only in enforcing the published constitution of the jurisdiction. By
exception the three surviving lodges that formed the world's first known grand lodge in London (now merged into the United Grand
Lodge of England) have the unique privilege to operate as time immemorial, i.e., without such warrant; only one other lodge operates
without a warrant – the Grand Stewards' Lodge in London, although it is not also entitled to the "time immemorial" title.[note 1] A
Freemason is generally entitled to visit any Lodge in any jurisdiction (i.e., under any Grand Lodge) in amity with his own. In some
jurisdictions this privilege is restricted to Master Masons (that is, Freemasons who have attained the Order's third degree). He is first
usually required to check, and certify, the regularity of the relationship of the Lodge – and be able to satisfy that Lodge of his
regularity of membership. Freemasons gather together as a Lodge to work the three basic Degrees of Entered Apprentice, Fellowcraft
and Master Mason.

Contents
Masonic premises
Types
Organization
Membership
Officers
See also
Notes
References
External links

Masonic premises
Technically, Freemasons meet as a lodge not in a lodge. In this context, the word
"lodge" refers to a local chapter of Freemasons, meeting as a body. However, the
term is often misused to refer to the buildings or rooms that Masons meet in.
Masonic premises are also sometimes referred to as temples ("of Philosophy and the
Arts"). In many countries Masonic centre or Masonic hall has now replaced these
terms to avoid arousing prejudice and suspicion. Several different lodges, or other
Masonic organisations, often use the same premises at different times.

Types Villa Blye in Paola, Malta is a

Masonic Temple where Lodges of the
Blue lodges, craft lodges or ancient craft lodges refer to the lodges that work the
British and Irish freemasons meet
first three Masonic degrees, rather than the appendant Masonic orders such as York
Rite and Scottish Rite. The term "craft lodge" is used in Great Britain. The blue
lodge is said to refer to the traditional colour of regalia in lodges derived from English or Irish Freemasonry. Although the term was
[1]
originally frowned upon, it has gained widespread and mainstream usage in America in recent times.
Research lodges have the purpose of furthering Masonic scholarship. Quatuor
Coronati Lodge is an example of a research lodge; it has a strictly limited
membership and receives visitors and papers from all over the world. Many
jurisdictions have well-established research lodges, which usually meet less
frequently than blue lodges and do not confer degrees.

In Great Britain, a lodge of instruction may be associated with a Lodge, but is not
constituted separately. The lodge of instruction provides the officers and those who
wish to become officers an opportunity to rehearse ritual under the guidance of an
experienced brother; there may also be lectures around the ritual and the symbolism Lodge room in Schloss Rosenau
in the lodge within a Lodge of Instruction, in order to develop the knowledge and (Austria)
understanding of the membership.

In some jurisdictions in the United States, the lodge of instruction serves as a warranted lodge for candidate instruction in other
aspects of Freemasonry besides ritual rehearsal, as well as hosting a speaker on topics both Masonic and non-Masonic.

In Great Britain, the term mother lodge is used to identify the particular Lodge where the individual was first "made a Mason" (i.e.
received his Entered Apprentice degree). 'Mother lodge' may also refer to a lodge which sponsors the creation of a new lodge, the
daughter lodge, to be warranted under the jurisdiction of the same grand lodge; specific procedures pertaining to this vary throughout
history and in different jurisdictions. Lodge Mother KilwinningNo 0 in the Grand Lodge of Scotland is known as the Mother Lodge
of Scotland, having been referred to in the Schaw Statutes of 1598 and 1599, and having itself warranted other lodges at a time when
it did not subscribe to a grand lodge.

Organization
Lodges are governed by national, state or provincial authorities, usually called
Grand Lodges or Grand Orients, whose published constitutions define the structure
of freemasonry under their authority, and which appoint Grand Officers from their
senior masons. Provincial Grand Lodges (which in England generally correspond to
historic counties) exercise an intermediate authority, and also appoint Provincial
Grand Officers.

Different grand lodges and their regions show subtleties of tradition and variation in
the degrees and practice; for example under the Grand Lodge of Scotland, the Mark
Degree (which is unrecognised by the United Grand Lodge of England, but has a Plaque of Lodge St. George, the
separate Mark Grand Lodge) is integrated into "The Craft" as a completion of the 1797 Masonic Lodge which has been
housed in Bermuda's former State
second degree. In any case, Grand Lodges have limited jurisdiction over their
House since 1815
member Lodges, and where there is no prescribed ritual Lodges may thus have
considerable freedom of practice. Despite these minor differences, fraternal relations
exist between Lodges of corresponding degrees under dif
ferent Grand Lodges.

Membership
Generally, to be accepted for initiation as a regular Freemason (in a lodge following Anglo-American style), a candidate must:

[2]
Be a man who comes of his own free will by his own initiative or by invitation in some jurisdictions.
Believe in some kind of Supreme Being.[2]
.[2]
Be of good morals, reputation and financially supporting himself and family
[2]
Be 21 years old (but as young as 18 or as old as 25 depending on the jurisdiction).
[3]
Live in the jurisdiction (under some Grand Lodges in the United States.)
Be able to pass interviews and pass the Investigation Committee's inquiries about his past with people who have
known him, which can take up to 2 years.[2]
 Be of sound mind and body.[4] (this is not a universal requirement).[2]
Be a "Free Man". This may have arisen from the refusal of operative
masons to pass their secrets to slaves, who could be ordered to divulge
them to others.[5] It may also have arisen from a requirement of early
speculative lodges that a new Freemason should at least have a license
to trade and employ others, making him a Free Man of the city or
borough of the lodge.[6]
[2]
Pass the vote of the Lodge to allow his membership.
After a Lodge elects or approves a candidate in accordance with the requirements of
its Grand Lodge, it will decide whether to give the candidate each degree in order. Freemasons lodge
Generally speaking those who have only received the Entered Apprentice degree are
considered Freemasons, but hold limited privileges until they attain the Master
Mason degree; under UGLE only a Master Mason will receive a Grand Lodge certificate, which may be demanded by any other
Lodge he wishes to visit.

A Master Mason is considered a full lifetime member of the Lodge where he

received his degrees. He can demit (resign)[7] if he so desires but only if he is in
good standing and his dues paid. A Mason might demit for personal reasons or to
join another Lodge in those jurisdictions where multiple membership is not
permitted. After demitting, he continues to be regarded as a Mason in absentia and
may rejoin through a new application, but he and his family have no rights,
privileges or claims on Freemasonry.[8] Some sources (Mackey) claim that leaving
the lodge does not exempt him from his obligations nor the wholesome control of
Kimbolton, NZ: Masonic Lodge
No.123 the Order over his moral conduct.[9] A Mason may be expelled from his Lodge and
Freemasonry in general if convicted of particularly serious violations of Civil or
Masonic law. Expulsion from all of Freemasonry can only occur from a Grand
[9]
Lodge while lesser chapters can expel members from their specific lodges.

A Master Mason "in good standing" (i.e. whose dues are current and who is not subject to Masonic investigation or discipline) may
join another regular Lodge; he need not take his degrees again, but may be expected to serve the new Lodge infice.
of

If a Master Mason is dropped from the rolls for non-payment of dues, under most circumstances he may be immediately reinstated in
good standing simply by paying his current dues as well as any back dues owed, although in many jurisdictions there is a requirement
to ballot for re-admission.

Many Grand Lodges permit Master Masons to be "plural affiliates," or members of more than one Lodge simultaneously. In some
jurisdictions plural affiliates are prohibited from serving as an elected officer of more than one Lodge at any given time.

These rules are different for Freemasons of the Entered Apprentice and Fellowcraft Degrees. In some Grand Lodges an Entered
Apprentice or Fellowcraft may not receive a demit, but may join another Lodge with the intent of earning the Master Mason Degree
with the consent of his original Lodge.

Officers
The names, roles and numbers of Lodge officers vary widely from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. In most cases, there is an equivalent
office in the Grand Lodge of the given jurisdiction, with the addition of the prefix 'Grand' to the title in question.

There are certain 'progressive' offices through which members move by a process of effective promotion, but also other more
permanent offices, usually held by experienced members.

See also
Masonic music
Notes
A. ^ ...the premier Grand Lodge was established on 24 June 1717, St John’ s Day, when a feast was held at the Goose
and Gridiron Ale House in St Paul’s Churchyard. The four Lodges involved met at the Goose and Gridiron, the
Crown Ale House in Parkers Lane (near the present building in Great Queen Street), The Appleree T Tavern in
Charles Street, Covent Garden and the Runner and Grapes avern T in Channel Row, Westminster. Three still survive
and are now known as Lodge of Antiquity No 2, Fortitude and Old Cumberland Lodge No 12 (originally No 3) and
Royal Somerset House and Inverness Lodge No IV . These are known as "time immemorial lodges" the only lodges
within the English constitution with this distinction. They
, together with Grand Stewards’ Lodge, have the ability to
operate without a warrant. [10]

References
1. Mackey's Encyclopedia of Freemasonry(http://www.freemasons-freemasonry.com/encyclopedia_freemasonry.html)
2. "How To Become A Freemason"(http://www.masonic-lodge-of-education.com/become-a-free-mason.html). Masonic
Lodge of Education. Retrieved November 10, 2013.
3. "Become a Mason: Requirements"(https://web.archive.org/web/20070806171141/http://ilmason.org/requirements.ht
ml). Grand Lodge of Illinois, Ancient Free & Accepted Masons. Archived from
the original (http://www.ilmason.org/req
uirements.html) on 6 August 2007. Retrieved 2007-05-08.
4. "Would you like to become part of history"(http://www.freemasonnetwork.org/become-freemason/). Freemason
Network. Retrieved November 10, 2013.
5. Robert L. D. Cooper, Cracking the Freemason's Code, Rider, 2009, p. 197
6. Rev Neville Barker Cryer, What do you know about Ritual, Lewis Masonic 2008, pp 7-8
7. "Demit" (http://www.masonicdictionary.com/). Masonic Dictionary. Retrieved November 10, 2013.
8. "Demits" (http://ncmason.org/code2009a/076.html#s9)
. NC Secretary Corner. Retrieved November 10, 2013.
9. "Expulsion" (http://www.masonicdictionary.com/). Masonic Dictionary. Retrieved November 10, 2013.
10. Green, Michael. Parkins, Brian, ed."The Grand Stewards and Red Apron Lodges: Introduction"(https://web.archive.
org/web/20170303125248/https://grandstewards.org/About) . Archived from the original (https://grandstewards.org/A
bout) on March 3, 2017. Retrieved May 30, 2017.

External links
Media related to Freemasonry at Wikimedia Commons

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