when does a mason come to the sign of fidelity?

The Sign of Fidelity is given during moments calling for an expression of respect. It is required to be given during Work at the Altar including administration of the obligation, 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 for ordinary discourse while the Lodge is seated. Candidates do not give this sign while receiving their Degrees.

It is not uncommon to see Brothers at the Sign of Fidelity when a prayer is offered at a dinner or gathering, but this is incorrect. The Sign of Fidelity is only given by Brothers when wearing an Apron.

How can you tell when you are being directly addressed and are therefore required to come to the sign of fidelity?

When you are either engaged individually with one of the officers, or you are part of a discrete group of Brothers that is engaged with one of the officers such as, for example, a group of late-arriving Brothers standing at the Altar. In addition, If you’re standing and an officer says “Brethren,” he is addressing every Brother in the room directly. In all these circumstances, you should come to the Sign of Fidelity. But that’s not all!  Sometimes you may address an officer of higher rank silently. For example, if you rise to be recognized, you should come to the Sign of Fidelity because you are communicating silently to the Master your desire to speak. Similarly, when the Deacons reach the steps of the East prior to communicating the word/password to the Master, they both stand at the Sign of Fidelity before ascending the Master’s station because they need his tacit approval to do so. Other times, the Master may say some things that do not address anyone directly. This includes things such as the ordinary business of Communication and when he declares the Lodge open or closed. In these instances, the Master is effectively “talking to the air” within your earshot, and the Sign of Fidelity is not required. There is one other special case that calls for the Sign of Fidelity to be given: When the Grand Master enters the Lodge room.

Why do some systems of Masonry place the Three Great Lights directly in front of the Master in the East, while others such as ours in New York situate the Three Great Lights on a centrally located Altar?

When Masonry transitioned out of taverns and other temporary accommodations into purpose-built Masonic facilities, each jurisdiction had to decide how it would translate existing practices into the new setting. Previously, the Master was typically seated with a table (or even just a stool) in front of him displaying the Three Great Lights. Some Masons decided that the Three Great Lights should be situated directly in front of the Master because they were placed directly in front of him in the tavern. Other Masons decided that the Three Great Lights should be situated in the center of the Lodge room because they had been placed on a central table in the tavern around which the Brethren were gathered. Same origin but different translations. As it turns out, there is even greater variability when it comes to the location of the candles.

If all three principal officers are absent from a Communication, can a Past Master or some other designated member open the Lodge?

Only the Master, Senior Warden, or Junior Warden can open and preside over the Lodge, with two extraordinary exceptions: First, the Grand Master can open and preside over the Communication of any Lodge in the jurisdiction, regardless of whether a principal officer is present or not, or he may appoint a delegate to do the same on his behalf; and second, if the Lodge no longer has any of the three principal officers due to death, suspension/expulsion or demit, the Grand Master can issue a dispensation to the District Deputy Grand Master to open the Lodge for the purpose of electing new principal officers. Both these exceptions are vanishingly rare. Past Masters have no special rights or abilities under our system of Masonry, including the ability to open and preside over a Lodge in the absence of the principal officers.

What should a Lodge do if one of the Altar lights goes out?

This is one of those instances when we should heed the famous advice of Most Worshipful Cal Bond when he was Grand Lecturer: “Use your common sense.” Certainly this does not represent an occurrence that should stop or interrupt the Work of the Lodge. When possible a Brother may be dispatched to retrieve a fresh lightbulb or candle with which he can discretely replace the extinguished light at an appropriate moment. If this is impracticable, the Work of the evening should continue unabated with only two Altar lights illuminated. The kind of “Ritual book fundamentalism” that would disrupt or suspend the business of the Lodge because an Altar light burned out is not helpful to the aims of Masonry.

Masonic Ritual – In the absence of the Chaplain, should the Master appoint a Chaplain pro tem or should he deliver the Chaplain’s lines himself?

Assuming that there is a sufficient number of Brothers present, the Master should appoint a Chaplain pro tem, which could be one of the officers present such as the Marshal or Secretary. Should no Brother be available to serve as Chaplain, as a last resort the Master may deliver the Chaplain’s lines himself. However, in such as case the Master should give serious consideration as to whether it makes good sense to open a Communication with such a small number present. Moreover, if a lack of critical mass is a frequent or regular occurrence that the Lodge has been unable to solve with outreach to the membership, the Brethren should do the responsible thing for the Craft and consider consolidation with another Lodge.