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Article EXPENDITURE AT THE BOYS' ' SCHOOL. ← Page 2 of 2 Article MASONIC ETIQUETTE. Page 1 of 2 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Expenditure At The Boys' ' School.
innate report of last year that they had reduced the expenditure to 1 ' 89 5 s per boy per year . That was too good for us to believe at the time , so that we are not disappointed at its complete
failure of realisation at the present , as some will be . All tho same , we consider it to bo sufficiently demonstrative of incapacity as to warrant the retirement , in a body , of the Committee who allowed it to be circulated , and we now wonder
if they have the courage to test the voting power of the subscribers , and seek re-election as a Committee , with their last year ' s balance sheet to offer as a recommendation . Once more we express ourselves as content to await tho outcome of events .
Masonic Etiquette.
MASONIC ETIQUETTE .
BEFORE becoming a Mason myself it was my privilege to have many conversations upon the subject of Freemasonry with my father , who was a Mason of years standing , and from his experience I learned much that has since proved useful to me as a member of the Craft .
The text , if I may use the term , of my present ^ remarks , is based on a statement made during one of our discussions , viz ., " Freemasonry is the embodiment of ceremony in the abstract , and not even in the Queen ' s Court is etiquette more stringent than in a properly conducted Masonic Lodge .
It can be easily understood that not being a Mason I could not so fully appreciate the statement when made as I have been able to do since , although it was one of many things put before me by an old Mason as evidence of the
teaching power underlying onr principles ; and few of us would , I think , traverse the dictum , while every true Mason must admit its truth and force , as well as its applicability to tho present time as much as to a time some twent y years past .
Ceremony and etiquette are words which the generality of people regard as synonymous , but for our purpose we will best appreciate the shade of meaning in each if we consider ceremony as related to ritual , and defining the
visible forms which serve to make princi ples operative , and then consider etiquette as the behaviour or manner , either expressly or tacitly , required in giving ceremony effective operation .
For some years Masonic etiquette has been constantl y presenting itself to me , not because of any special reason to complain of its objective operation so far as 1 am individually concerned , but rather that in the course of visits
to various Lodges I have become sensible ot * the fact that it has , somehow or other , fallen away from the standard which my earlier , and perhaps imperfect conception set up for my guidance . The matter is not one commonly considered as coming under the head of Masonic jurisdiction
except under peculiar circumstances , and for that reason might not be regarded as sufficiently important to claim the attention of private Lodges or individual members of the Craft erenerallv : but if we look hack- to tho annmnf .
landmarks , or accept our declarations and obligations as embody ing the least of force or of value , we have warrant y for making it a prime consideration when in Lodge assembled .
Disregard of etiquette is not confined to any particular degree of Masons , so far as my observation goes , but appears to be general rather than exceptional , experienced brethren being equally & b fault with the more inexperienced .
Since the establishment of the United Grand Lodge of New South Wales it has been laid down as a rule , and properly so , too , that the steps and signs be given in the manner defined in the ritual ; yet , in how many cases do we see
brethren , with all degrees of experience , saluting the chair in the most slipshod and slovenly manner , and then taking offence because the W . M . insists upon due compliance with the ceremonies laid down for our observance . The cases
are not so very few where we may see brethren becoming petulant , expressing their intention to leave their Lod ge , because , in their opinion , the W . M . puts a slight upon
them m open Lodge , declaring their utter want of respect for tho occupant of the chair , and complaining of his inability to conduct the business of the Lodge . Brethren of such a sort are not likely , as a rule , to do credit to our
Order , and , if their form of recalcitrancy were dealt with on the spot and at the moment , by subjecting them to the discipline vested in tho Master , it would be for the general welfare , even though it were protected at the expense of secession in every case . Many , and it must
bo admitted very many , brethren do not seem able to understand the relative positions of a W . M . in tho chair and of themselves as Craftsmen on the floor of the Lodge , and a recognition of the fact leads to a consideration of the practice of knocking to attract the attention of tho
chair . The practice should be discountenanced as much as possible , and it could be entirely done away with by the exercise of a little tact and courtesy on the part of tho W . M ., who should at all times remember that his fellow Craftsmen have elected him to his position with tho
understanding that attention to the interests of his Lodge and the members of it is his very first duty . No W . M . should allow himself to be drawn into a conversation with the P . M . ' s or occupants of the dais chairs to an extent which will prevent him giving his full attention to
the floor of the Lodge . To do so is an infringement of Lodge etiquette , and brings into existence an objectionable form of Lodge procedure . If tho mere exercise of the
practice of calling the attention of the chair were the only objectionable phase presented , it might , perhaps , be excused , but from very careful observation I have deducted one fact in connection with it which should be of itself a
reason good enough for its certain suppression , and that fact is that the brethren assume that the chair for the moment is subservient to their wishes . This erroneous assumption has led up to curious results , and in tho exercise of the practice of calling the attention of tho W . M .
a certain flippancy , for my own part I call it insolence , of manner is much adopted , which I am suro our ritual cannot sanction . The chair demands respect , and the
expression should be enforced at all cost . Brethren should realise the fact that they should wait the attention and not act upon the assumption that the chair must instantly respond to their call .
It happened that I once visited a Lodge on the first meeting night after the yearly installation , the business being tho initiation of a candidate . Up to a certain point tho work was fairly well done by the new Master , but there was a pause , and then from nervousness a general
break down . Before the Master had time to collect himself a Past Master rushed forward , took possession of the candidate , and proceeded with the work in a manner neither creditable nor perfect . In this case the breach of etiquette was si something which went far beyond a breach
of manners . Leaving out of consideration altogether whatever may have been the impression made upon the mind of the candidate , wo have in the ease before as the following curious results : first , the . Master for the time deposed ( not by any act of his own ) ou the floor of his own Lodge ;
secondly , the IP . M . superseded—not by any act of his own—in the discharge of a doty which by right and in virtue of his position he should have performed . The circumstance so impressed me that I made a point of inquiring as to the why and the wherefore of it , and found that the
P . M ., whose action displayed so much ignorance of Masonic etiquette , was one of the local aldermen , a Mason who carried his municipal honours into his Lodge , and in virtue of them largely dominated it to his own glory and aldermanic edification .
In a city Lodge of good standing , where one would look for strict adherence to etiquette , a case very lately occurred , which , if officially brought under the notice of tbe Board of General Purposes , would be very severely dealt with . The business was the third degree , and during the course
of it a P . M . who was present persisted in prompting the W . M ., who , be it observed , was better up in his work than his would-be prompter . Finding his promptings were properly suppressed , he devoted all his energies to very audible
conversation with his immediate neighbours , and interfered with the business . Fortunately , the W . M . was equal to the occasion , and he at once stopped the work to request the offender to be silent during the rest of the proceedings .
If we take the two foregoing cases , and subject them to the analysis of Masonic etiquette , we can arrive at some rather strange conclusions . In the first case , we find the
W . M . who found himself deposed was giving a lesson on the floor of his own Lodge , a reflection was cast upon tho elective wisdom of the members of his own Lodge , and the lesson resolves itself into dual application . The case also
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Expenditure At The Boys' ' School.
innate report of last year that they had reduced the expenditure to 1 ' 89 5 s per boy per year . That was too good for us to believe at the time , so that we are not disappointed at its complete
failure of realisation at the present , as some will be . All tho same , we consider it to bo sufficiently demonstrative of incapacity as to warrant the retirement , in a body , of the Committee who allowed it to be circulated , and we now wonder
if they have the courage to test the voting power of the subscribers , and seek re-election as a Committee , with their last year ' s balance sheet to offer as a recommendation . Once more we express ourselves as content to await tho outcome of events .
Masonic Etiquette.
MASONIC ETIQUETTE .
BEFORE becoming a Mason myself it was my privilege to have many conversations upon the subject of Freemasonry with my father , who was a Mason of years standing , and from his experience I learned much that has since proved useful to me as a member of the Craft .
The text , if I may use the term , of my present ^ remarks , is based on a statement made during one of our discussions , viz ., " Freemasonry is the embodiment of ceremony in the abstract , and not even in the Queen ' s Court is etiquette more stringent than in a properly conducted Masonic Lodge .
It can be easily understood that not being a Mason I could not so fully appreciate the statement when made as I have been able to do since , although it was one of many things put before me by an old Mason as evidence of the
teaching power underlying onr principles ; and few of us would , I think , traverse the dictum , while every true Mason must admit its truth and force , as well as its applicability to tho present time as much as to a time some twent y years past .
Ceremony and etiquette are words which the generality of people regard as synonymous , but for our purpose we will best appreciate the shade of meaning in each if we consider ceremony as related to ritual , and defining the
visible forms which serve to make princi ples operative , and then consider etiquette as the behaviour or manner , either expressly or tacitly , required in giving ceremony effective operation .
For some years Masonic etiquette has been constantl y presenting itself to me , not because of any special reason to complain of its objective operation so far as 1 am individually concerned , but rather that in the course of visits
to various Lodges I have become sensible ot * the fact that it has , somehow or other , fallen away from the standard which my earlier , and perhaps imperfect conception set up for my guidance . The matter is not one commonly considered as coming under the head of Masonic jurisdiction
except under peculiar circumstances , and for that reason might not be regarded as sufficiently important to claim the attention of private Lodges or individual members of the Craft erenerallv : but if we look hack- to tho annmnf .
landmarks , or accept our declarations and obligations as embody ing the least of force or of value , we have warrant y for making it a prime consideration when in Lodge assembled .
Disregard of etiquette is not confined to any particular degree of Masons , so far as my observation goes , but appears to be general rather than exceptional , experienced brethren being equally & b fault with the more inexperienced .
Since the establishment of the United Grand Lodge of New South Wales it has been laid down as a rule , and properly so , too , that the steps and signs be given in the manner defined in the ritual ; yet , in how many cases do we see
brethren , with all degrees of experience , saluting the chair in the most slipshod and slovenly manner , and then taking offence because the W . M . insists upon due compliance with the ceremonies laid down for our observance . The cases
are not so very few where we may see brethren becoming petulant , expressing their intention to leave their Lod ge , because , in their opinion , the W . M . puts a slight upon
them m open Lodge , declaring their utter want of respect for tho occupant of the chair , and complaining of his inability to conduct the business of the Lodge . Brethren of such a sort are not likely , as a rule , to do credit to our
Order , and , if their form of recalcitrancy were dealt with on the spot and at the moment , by subjecting them to the discipline vested in tho Master , it would be for the general welfare , even though it were protected at the expense of secession in every case . Many , and it must
bo admitted very many , brethren do not seem able to understand the relative positions of a W . M . in tho chair and of themselves as Craftsmen on the floor of the Lodge , and a recognition of the fact leads to a consideration of the practice of knocking to attract the attention of tho
chair . The practice should be discountenanced as much as possible , and it could be entirely done away with by the exercise of a little tact and courtesy on the part of tho W . M ., who should at all times remember that his fellow Craftsmen have elected him to his position with tho
understanding that attention to the interests of his Lodge and the members of it is his very first duty . No W . M . should allow himself to be drawn into a conversation with the P . M . ' s or occupants of the dais chairs to an extent which will prevent him giving his full attention to
the floor of the Lodge . To do so is an infringement of Lodge etiquette , and brings into existence an objectionable form of Lodge procedure . If tho mere exercise of the
practice of calling the attention of the chair were the only objectionable phase presented , it might , perhaps , be excused , but from very careful observation I have deducted one fact in connection with it which should be of itself a
reason good enough for its certain suppression , and that fact is that the brethren assume that the chair for the moment is subservient to their wishes . This erroneous assumption has led up to curious results , and in tho exercise of the practice of calling the attention of tho W . M .
a certain flippancy , for my own part I call it insolence , of manner is much adopted , which I am suro our ritual cannot sanction . The chair demands respect , and the
expression should be enforced at all cost . Brethren should realise the fact that they should wait the attention and not act upon the assumption that the chair must instantly respond to their call .
It happened that I once visited a Lodge on the first meeting night after the yearly installation , the business being tho initiation of a candidate . Up to a certain point tho work was fairly well done by the new Master , but there was a pause , and then from nervousness a general
break down . Before the Master had time to collect himself a Past Master rushed forward , took possession of the candidate , and proceeded with the work in a manner neither creditable nor perfect . In this case the breach of etiquette was si something which went far beyond a breach
of manners . Leaving out of consideration altogether whatever may have been the impression made upon the mind of the candidate , wo have in the ease before as the following curious results : first , the . Master for the time deposed ( not by any act of his own ) ou the floor of his own Lodge ;
secondly , the IP . M . superseded—not by any act of his own—in the discharge of a doty which by right and in virtue of his position he should have performed . The circumstance so impressed me that I made a point of inquiring as to the why and the wherefore of it , and found that the
P . M ., whose action displayed so much ignorance of Masonic etiquette , was one of the local aldermen , a Mason who carried his municipal honours into his Lodge , and in virtue of them largely dominated it to his own glory and aldermanic edification .
In a city Lodge of good standing , where one would look for strict adherence to etiquette , a case very lately occurred , which , if officially brought under the notice of tbe Board of General Purposes , would be very severely dealt with . The business was the third degree , and during the course
of it a P . M . who was present persisted in prompting the W . M ., who , be it observed , was better up in his work than his would-be prompter . Finding his promptings were properly suppressed , he devoted all his energies to very audible
conversation with his immediate neighbours , and interfered with the business . Fortunately , the W . M . was equal to the occasion , and he at once stopped the work to request the offender to be silent during the rest of the proceedings .
If we take the two foregoing cases , and subject them to the analysis of Masonic etiquette , we can arrive at some rather strange conclusions . In the first case , we find the
W . M . who found himself deposed was giving a lesson on the floor of his own Lodge , a reflection was cast upon tho elective wisdom of the members of his own Lodge , and the lesson resolves itself into dual application . The case also