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Post by Blackadder on Jul 26, 2007 3:43:04 GMT
I sat in the East last night for my first EA degree,we had 5 candidates,my nerves are shot.I think I did a pretty good job,in fact Im pretty chuffed with myself. We had a visiting WM from Ireland ,I offered him a seat in the East with be ,which he took and I was over the moon when he told me I did a helluva job.Not bad concidering Im the Jnr.Steward and have only been a MM since December. Sorry for blowing my own trumpet ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D.Im off to have another Guinness before I get my tired bum to bed.
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Post by hollandr on Jul 26, 2007 3:53:15 GMT
5 candidates seems a lot. Are they all put through all of the ceremony or do they watch parts?
In my lodge if we have multiple candidates we put them through separately up to the end of the obligation then run them together
I don't quite understand how a MM sits in the East. In Aust that is largely restricted to PM
Did you act as Master of the Lodge without having been installed as a PM?
Cheers
Russell
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Post by Blackadder on Jul 26, 2007 4:02:05 GMT
I'm the Degree Master and I call all the shots regarding the degree,its a way of getting the newer brothers interested and plunging them in at the deep end. If I want someone in my degree team and the WM has a right to ask me the change the Brother or advise me but I have the final say. We were going to have 7 candidates by 2 are going to do there EA in a Cave in Tennessee next month. The most EAs we can have at once is 5,but we can open lodge,bring in 5 until the apron ceremony then send out the Stewards and SD to get the next how ever many. The Apron ceremony is not limited by the number of candidates. Its only the EA degree thats like this,in the FC or MM you can have any number .Our RW District Instructor told me they had 29 candidates one time!!!
Even the WM called me WM last night,its just a bit of fun I suppose.
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imakegarb
Member
One wee, sleeket, cowran, tim'rous beastie
Posts: 3,573
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Post by imakegarb on Jul 26, 2007 5:47:46 GMT
Sweet!! Oh, I would sooooo love to see that ;D
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Post by waynecowley on Jul 26, 2007 7:00:53 GMT
Well done my brother
Wayne
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Post by mike on Jul 26, 2007 10:04:58 GMT
I for one would love to read a fuller description of what went on. It seems so alien to what i'm used to here in England, what with degree masters, 5 candiates, etc
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Post by Blackadder on Jul 26, 2007 12:31:09 GMT
I will post a fuller description of last nights events when I get home tonight.
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Post by hopefulmason on Jul 26, 2007 14:30:54 GMT
I live in Ohio, I have never even heard of a degree master. Sounds great though....I cant wait to hear too!
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Tony Grimwood
Member
Asst. Steward, Lodge Howick No. 314
Posts: 190
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Post by Tony Grimwood on Jul 26, 2007 20:18:00 GMT
Excellent work, brother! Our District Grand Lodge are talking about forming a junior lodge, made up of "younger" Brethren, that will carry out much of the Degree work here. They have asked me to be the Tracing Board lecturer in that enterprise. I think it's a great idea. The younger Brn. will certainly inject a bit of energy into the proceedings.
Tony
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Post by Blackadder on Jul 26, 2007 21:41:15 GMT
This comes straight from GL of Florida General Duties of all Officers Senior Warden Degree Master for the MM Degree a. Appoint Brethren to fill all positions b.Preside in the East at least once c.Hold at least two practices Junior Warden Degree Master for the FC Degree a. Appoint Brethren to fill all positions b.Preside in the East at least once c.Hold at least two practices Senior Deacon Degree Master for the EA Degree a. Appoint Brethren to fill all positions b.Preside in the East at least once c.Hold at least two practices Those are just guidelines, I was asked to do the EA degree as I was the only officer who has not sat in the East for a degree. We had seven candidates which I wasn't too happy about as I would have had to do the obligation twice as the GL of Florida states that only five EA,s can be Initiated at once,but FC and MM they can initiate as many as they have. Two candidates dropped out to do there EA degree in a cave in Tennessee,dint ask me why ,they just are.So now I am left with five. I opened the lodge , Obligation, Apron presentation,Working Tools,The Demand,NE Corner,Lecture,Charge, writing ceremony,then close the lodge. If I had more than five candidates ,I would take the first group up to before the Apron presentation and tell them to sit in North of the Lodge ,where they can watch the next group.When the second group are at the same point ,the SD asks the first group to join the second where they would all be presented with there aprons.Then all the candidates do the Working Tools,The Demand,NE Corner,Lecture,Charge, writing ceremony,then close the lodge. All the time I was sitting in the East I had the ex-District Instructor helping me out if I got lost,he said I did a fine job.
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Post by windtimber on Jul 26, 2007 22:16:50 GMT
I for one would love to read a fuller description of what went on. It seems so alien to what i'm used to here in England, what with degree masters, 5 candiates, etc In our jurisdiction we don't have Degree Masters as a specific title or office, but generally there's an expectation that the JW will sit in the East and preside as WM for the EA; the SW does the same for the FC; and the WM presides for the MM. The idea being that with a progressive line you get plenty of practice in all the work before you sit in the East as the elected WM. We also have a few Degree Teams that specialize in a given degree. For example, the sitting officers of our Shrine Temple will handle the EA for Blue Lodges on invitation. There is another team from our Shrine Temple that does the 1st Section of the MM upon invitation from a Blue Lodge. There's a plan afoot to have either the current Grand Lodge officers, or perhaps it's a group of PGMs, form a team for the 2nd Section of the MM and travel by invitation to put on the work at constitutent lodges. Additionally, though we have a huge geographic area but a fairly small population, lodges help each other out all the time, swapping ritualists, bringing candidates over for "courtesy work," and generally being more than willing to fill a role in the work as needed. When there are multiple candidates [And we've handled up to 15 at a time, though that was a heck of a long Saturday.] we either take them through in small groups - 3 to 5 together - or take each one individually. Even with the smaller sub-groups - 3 to 5 - certain portions of the work are always done 1 to 1. There are "natural breaks" in our work allowing the uniquely individual aspects to be handled individually and the more mundane lectures can be done in larger groups.
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Post by windtimber on Jul 26, 2007 22:17:27 GMT
Hey, does anyone know where my picture went?
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Post by maat on Jul 26, 2007 22:33:09 GMT
Hey, does anyone know where my picture went? ;D Better pinch yourself, Windtimber, just to make sure you are still with us... ;D Hopefully one of our IT gurus may be able to trace what happened.. Maat
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imakegarb
Member
One wee, sleeket, cowran, tim'rous beastie
Posts: 3,573
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Post by imakegarb on Jul 26, 2007 22:33:50 GMT
Hmmmm. No, but I'll see if I can't get with an admin and find out.
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imakegarb
Member
One wee, sleeket, cowran, tim'rous beastie
Posts: 3,573
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Post by imakegarb on Jul 26, 2007 22:34:53 GMT
(wild peels of laughter)
Bro. Ma'at . . . psych!!! ;D
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Post by penfold on Jul 27, 2007 13:08:48 GMT
Windtimber - the url that points to your avatar is absent from your profile, you will need to add it back in again. I will try and take a look at the admin log to see why or how it went missing for you.
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Post by hopefulmason on Jul 27, 2007 13:31:12 GMT
In my lodge the only people that I have seen sit in the East are, the WM, Chaplin, and the third chair is reserved for visiting grand masters and such. However, it is an excellent idea to get practice in before becoming WM. I am actually going to start moving throught the chairs in Novemeber. Wish me luck!
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Post by Blackadder on Jul 27, 2007 15:54:44 GMT
I had every intention of going through the chairs,but next year I'm going to opt out. My reasons are that the two Brothers who will be in the East and West all they are concerned with is calling "work calls" and talking about what the Eastern Star are doing,I would say about 90% of the Brothers are members of the Eastern Star and thats all we seem to hear about day in day out.I was also told by two Past Masters that it best i join the Eastern Star if I want to sit in the east !!! as we have to keep the ladies happy as they do a lot for the Lodge,I have no idea what they do except help at BBQ & Breakfasts. Ive had a few discussions about the Lodge and the Eastern Star with a few brothers and we all came to the same conclusion,the Eastern Star are calling all the shots in the Lodge. The Eastern Star were kick out of a Lodge in Kissimmee because they tried to control everything. I also told a few of the older Brothers I joined Masonry not the Eastern Star.
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Post by windtimber on Jul 27, 2007 22:21:50 GMT
This is merely a test - I have an image on my profile now...albeit a littly "squattier" than I like. Suppose it will show up here?
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