Saluting the West? Are we allowed to salute the West at the Master’s direction when entering or retiring from a Lodge?

In the Grand Lodge of New York,

Masters direct that entering and retiring Brothers to salute the Senior Warden during moments when saluting the East would unduly interrupt or disturb the business of a Communication such as a talk or presentation.

The Ritual is unambiguous in specifying that the salutation is given to the Worshipful Master, and this practice should prevail in all but the narrowest of circumstances. However, in the Grand Lodge of New York the Worshipful Master has virtually unlimited discretion in delegating portions of the Master’s Work—discretion that is routinely exercised with respect to the Working Tools, Apron Presentation, Lectures of Forms and Ceremonies, Historical Lectures, Charges and more. Moreover, because a Brother to whom a portion of the Master’s Work has been delegated is the Worshipful Master at the time of his delivery for purposes of the Ritual, it is a colorable argument that a Brother saluting the West pursuant to the Master’s directive would at that moment be saluting the Master. The Custodians of the Work have therefore concluded that there is no purely Masonic basis upon which to assert that the Master could not delegate this salutation to the Senior Warden. Such delegation must actually take place by declaration from the East, however, and necessarily must be time-limited to a portion of the Communication in which it is made, such as the duration of a talk or presentation. At all other times, the usual procedure must be observed. Attendees may not salute the West of their own accord or as a matter of custom, neither may the Master issue a directive that encompasses entire or multiple Communications of the Lodge. The most practical solution for times when salutations of the East would unduly interrupt or disturb the Lodge’s programming is simply to call the Craft from Labor to Refreshment, so long as the programming does not reveal the secret or esoteric material of Masonry.

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