Masonic Brotherhood: Why No Mason Stands Alone

Editorial, Masonic Education, Masonic Etiquette, Masonic Travel

MASONIC RITUAL

Masonic Brotherhood

Why No Mason Stands Alone

Modern life often celebrates the idea of the completely independent person— the man who needs no help, handles every difficulty himself, and owes his success to no one.

Freemasonry offers us a very different picture. Think about your own Masonic journey. None of us entered the Lodge already knowing the ritual, customs, traditions, or lessons of the Craft. Someone instructed us. Someone answered our questions. Someone corrected us when we stumbled and encouraged us when we were unsure.

We became Masons with the help of other Masons. Philosopher Alasdair MacIntyre, in his 1999 book Dependent Rational Animals, makes an observation that fits remarkably well with this experience. Human beings, he argues, are capable of becoming independent practical thinkers—but we develop that independence through relationships with others. From childhood through old age, vulnerability and dependence remain part of human life. Flourishing therefore requires not only independence, but virtues that allow us to give help, receive help, and recognize our obligations to one another.

There is a lesson for Masonry in that. We often speak about making good men better, but that process does not happen by simply placing a man in a Lodge room. It happens through relationships. A Brother patiently teaches ritual. A Past Master offers advice to a new officer. Someone notices a Brother struggling and quietly asks if everything is all right. An experienced Mason welcomes a new member to the dinner table instead of allowing him to sit alone.

Photo: (l to r) RW Addison Cruz being introduced by MWB Steven Adam Rubin, Past Grand Master of the GLNY at the Clinton-Essex District Apron Presentation.

These may seem like small things, but they are how Brotherhood becomes real.

And so there is a question worth asking ourselves: Who are you becoming for the next Brother? Newer Masons are learning from more than our ritual. They are watching how we treat one another. They notice how we welcome visitors, how we respond to disagreement, how we speak about a Brother who is not in the room, and whether we offer encouragement as readily as criticism.

Our example is part of their Masonic education. Brotherhood also requires humility from the person receiving help. There will be times when each of us needs another Brother — perhaps because of family responsibilities, age, illness, uncertainty, or simply because life has become difficult. Allowing a Brother to help us is not a failure of independence. It gives him the opportunity to practice the very Brotherhood we promise one another. The strength of a Lodge, then, cannot be measured only by beautiful ritual, successful events, or the number of men sitting in the room. It can also be found in the relationships between them. Do experienced Masons teach the next generation? Do Brothers notice when someone disappears? Do we make room for the new Mason? Can we disagree and still treat one another as Brothers? MacIntyre reminds us that independence and dependence are not opposites. We become stronger individuals because others have invested something of themselves in us.

Photo: (l to r) RW Edward Kirby, DDGM Clinton-Essex Masonic District with MWB Rubin.

Let us remember these important points, my Brothers:

Freemasonry gives us the opportunity to return that gift
Someone helped make you the Mason you are today

Now ask yourself: how are you helping to shape Freemasonry for tomorrow?

Written by: WB Ian M. McHugh
Past Master, Master's Lodge No 5, Albany, New York
Article was orginially published in the Albany (New York) Masonic Temple Newsletter (September 2026 edition)

Masonic Ritual – Changeover or Close to another Degree?

Masonic Etiquette, Masonic Ritual

MASONIC RITUAL

Changeover or Close to another Degree?

MASONIC RITUAL EXPLAINED BY THE CHAIRMAN OF THE CUSTODIANS OF THE WORK

Can we open on the First Degree and use the Changeover to move to the Second Degree?

In the Grand Lodge of New York,

No, the Changeover cannot be so used.

Although the ability to open a communication of a Lodge on any of the three Degrees of Masonry greatly reduces the need to work in more than one Degree on any given evening, some foreseeable cases remain in which this would be desired. For example, a Lodge might like to examine an Entered Apprentice’s proficiency in open Lodge and confer the Fellowcraft Degree upon him at the same communication. In the Grand Lodge of New York, we have two ways of moving from one Degree to another: the Changeover and the procedural Ritual to Close to a Lodge of a Different Degree.

The Changeover achieves this by dispensing with labor in the Third Degree in order to temporarily impose the symbolic rules of a lower Degree in a Master Mason Lodge without opening a Lodge of that Degree. Since the Master Mason Lodge is still open and its labor merely set aside for a time, that labor must be resumed and the Master Mason Lodge must be closed. This is why the Lodge must return to the Third Degree after work and labor in a lower Degree has concluded. The Masonic rationale for “waiving all signs and ceremonies”—which refers to a lengthier procedure no longer in use that incorporated signs and ceremonies drawn from the Rituals of Opening for the lower Degrees—is that the Third Degree inherently embraces the lower Degrees and the signs of those Degrees were displayed during the Master Mason opening.

With the possibility of opening the communication of a Lodge on any of the three Degrees of Masonry, however, the Changeover’s rationale is no longer always valid. If a Lodge opens on the First Degree and desires to move to the Second Degree, we must observe that none of the signs of Fellowcraft will have been displayed, nor are the ceremonies of a Fellowcraft Lodge embraced by the First Degree. Moreover, it’s inconvenient to have to resume labor in the original Degree at the end of the meeting. The solution was to revive the historical New York Masonic practice of closing from one Degree to another Degree.

The procedural Ritual to Close to a Lodge of a Different Degree, which is found in the 2019 printing of the Ritual Book, waives the closing ceremonies for the current Degree and most but not all of the opening ceremonies for the target Degree. The portion of the opening ceremonies that is not waved consists of the catechism dialogue and display of signs, after which the Great Lights are adjusted as necessary and the Tiler informed. This not only ensures that the signs and ceremonies of the target Degree have been performed, but eliminates the requirement to return to the original Degree. Closing to a Lodge of Another Degree takes about 70 seconds longer than the Changeover, and both the Master and Senior Warden should be conversant in the catechisms for the Rituals of Opening in all three Degrees.

Response provided by RW Samuel Lloyd Kinsey
Chairman, Custodians of the Work, Grand Lodge of New York

Note: This site is an excellent source of information about Freemasonry. While every effort has been made to provide accurate and up-to-date information about Masonic Ritual, please remember that a website is not a substitute for your jurisdiction's Standard Work or Approved Ritual.

Masonic Ritual – Examinations in Open Lodge

Masonic Etiquette, Masonic Ritual

MASONIC RITUAL

Examinations in Open Lodge

MASONIC RITUAL EXPLAINED BY THE CHAIRMAN OF THE CUSTODIANS OF THE WORK

Do Entered Apprentices and Fellowcrafts have to be examined in open Lodge before they progress to the next Degree?

In the Grand Lodge of New York,

Proficiency doesn’t have to be ascertained in open Lodge, but it does have to be ascertained. The Masonic Law of the Grand Lodge of New York says that a Brother seeking to advance must demonstrate suitable proficiency in the preceding Degree either by examination in open Lodge or by a committee, as directed by the Master. “Suitable” in this context means “adequate; satisfying propriety” which means that it is up to the Lodge to decide what constitutes suitable satisfaction of the Lodge’s proficiency criteria by any given candidate for advancement. Generally speaking “examination” means giving the answers in the Lecture of Forms and Ceremonies at whatever level of accuracy and thoroughness the Lodge may require, but proficiency also could include any number of other things such as delivering a short paper at a Lodge meeting, completing a reading course, observing a conferral of that Degree, attending certain classes, and so on. Much of this will come down to the traditions and expectations of each Lodge.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, a candidate should not be examined on the catechisms in open Lodge unless it is certain he will pass with sufficient proficiency. Needless to say, a Brother should never be brought before the Lodge for examination if it is known he is not proficient to the Lodge’s criteria. Even then, we all have known that Brother who nails the Qs & As in practice sessions then blows it in front of the Lodge due to anxiety. There is never, ever any good reason to embarrass a Brother in front of his Lodge. I would suggest that the examination which “counts” should be done by a committee in a setting that makes the candidate for advancement comfortable. This should be reported and recorded in the proceedings and, if the Lodge desires and the candidate is comfortable doing so, all or some of the catechisms can be exemplified in a Communication. Another possibility that has been done by Lodges with extended Degree cycles is to have candidates for advancement exemplify the Lecture of Forms and Ceremonies when the Lodge confers the Degree upon another candidate. A final consideration is time: It takes about a dozen minutes for a fully proficient Brother to go through the complete Qs & As for the Entered Apprentice Degree. Depending on the number of candidates for advancement and the contemplated work of the evening, open examinations could be lengthy and—it must be admitted—not terribly interesting for the other attendees. These are all things a Lodge should consider in deciding whether to conduct its examinations in open Lodge or not. There is no wrong answer, although there are inadvisable ways of doing it either way.

Response provided by RW Samuel Lloyd Kinsey
Chairman, Custodians of the Work, Grand Lodge of New York

Note: This site is an excellent source of information about Freemasonry. While every effort has been made to provide accurate and up-to-date information about Masonic Ritual, please remember that a website is not a substitute for your jurisdiction's Standard Work or Approved Ritual.

Masonic Ritual – Does “Brethren” Trigger the Sign of Fidelity?

Masonic Etiquette, Masonic Ritual

MASONIC RITUAL

Does “Brethren” Trigger the Sign of Fidelity?

MASONIC RITUAL EXPLAINED BY THE CHAIRMAN OF THE CUSTODIANS OF THE WORK

Is it correct that everyone should come to the Sign of Fidelity when the Master says “Brethren”?

In the Grand Lodge of New York the answer is “yes” for most cases, but not all cases.

Under the “General Principles” section of the Ritual Book It says that the Sign of Fidelity “is required during Work at the Altar, during prayer, whenever directly addressed, either collectively or individually, by an officer of higher rank, and whenever addressing the same. It is not required for general declarations or ordinary discourse while the Lodge is seated, and Candidates do not give this sign while receiving their Degrees. It is given only by Masons who are wearing an Apron." Let’s focus on the part that talks about interacting with an officer of higher rank. The Master in his Lodge outranks everyone except the Grand Master, Deputy Grand Master and the District Deputy Grand Master. As a result, any time the Master addresses or is addressed by a Brother in Lodge, that Brother should be at the Sign of Fidelity. As explained in a previous post, “Brethren” should be used whenever addressing all the Masons in the Lodge room, whereas “Brothers” is used when addressing multiple Masons but not all Masons in the room. Thus, when the Master says the word “Brethren,” every Mason in the room should come to the Sign of Fidelity because they are being addressed by an officer of higher rank. Why only in “most cases” and not all cases? Because the Sign of Fidelity is not required for "ordinary discourse while the Lodge is seated.” A representative example of this would be the reading and approval of minutes when the Master says, “Brethren, give your attention to the reading of the minutes.” The Lodge is seated at that moment and the Master’s is engaged in ordinary discourse. The Brethren are not required to jump to their feet and come to the Sign of Fidelity just because the Master said, “Brethren.” However, if the Master were to speak the same words while the Lodge was raised, all present should come to the Sign of Fidelity. The answers provided here reflect GLNY customs, rules, and ritual. We welcome discussion about how these may differ in your jurisdiction.

Response provided by RW Samuel Lloyd Kinsey
Chairman, Custodians of the Work, Grand Lodge of New York

Note: This site is an excellent source of information about Freemasonry. While every effort has been made to provide accurate and up-to-date information about Masonic Ritual, please remember that a website is not a substitute for your jurisdiction's Standard Work or Approved Ritual.

Masonic Ritual – Balloting or Examining on the Day of a Degree

Masonic Etiquette, Masonic Ritual

MASONIC RITUAL

Balloting or Examining on the Day of a Degree

MASONIC RITUAL EXPLAINED BY THE CHAIRMAN OF THE CUSTODIANS OF THE WORK

Is it okay to ballot on candidates or examine candidates on the day of the Degree?

In the Grand Lodge of New York,

This is not disallowed, so it’s difficult to say it’s “not okay.” But there are reasons it’s not a good idea in most circumstances. First, it can use up a lot of precious time on Degree nights. Efficiency is the single most important factor in avoiding lengthy Degree nights. If a Lodge desires to get its Brethren home at a reasonable hour, the Master should open the Communication on time, proceed promptly to the Degree with little or no transaction of business, and minimize the number and duration of refreshment periods. Balloting and/or examinations can add considerably to the runtime of a meeting. Second, a candidate should never come to a Lodge building expecting to have a Degree conferred upon him only to be turned away due to a cloudy ballot or insufficient proficiency. These occurrences are bad for the candidate and bad for the Lodge. More to the point, there is no reason balloting or examinations have to happen on the day of a Degree—both of these things can be done and should be done at a prior Communication.

The answers provided here reflect GLNY customs, rules, and ritual. We welcome discussion about how these may differ in your jurisdiction.

Response provided by RW Samuel Lloyd Kinsey
Chairman, Custodians of the Work, Grand Lodge of New York

Note: This site is an excellent source of information about Freemasonry. While every effort has been made to provide accurate and up-to-date information about Masonic Ritual, please remember that a website is not a substitute for your jurisdiction's Standard Work or Approved Ritual.