Ronaynes Handbook Of Freemasonry 11

Ronaynes Handbook Of Freemasonry 11

"I of my own free will and accord

 

in the presence of Almighty God and these witnesses,

do hereby and hereon most solemnly swear that I

have been regularly initiated as an Entered Apprentice,

passed to the degree of Fellow Craft, and raised to the

sublime degree of Master Mason, in a regularly con-

stituted Lodge of Masons, and that I am 'not now

under the sentence of suspension or expulsion, and

know of no just reason why I should not hold Masonic

fellowship with by brethren, so help me God."

 

Having taken this "test oath/' the committee and

visitor resume their seats, and the examination is pro-

ceeded with, and is carried on as the senior member

of the committee sees fit to conduct it; but the usual

mode is, for the visiting brother to be examined in

the lecture of the First Section of each degree, as

given in Chapters IV., VI., IX. Being satisfied that

the brother is all right, they return into the Lodge-

room, approach the altar, make the due-guard and

sign of a Master Mason, and report:

 

Committee: "Worshipful Master, your commit-

tee have examined brother E. Ronayne, of Keystone

 

 

 

40 HAND BOOK OF FREEMASONRY.

 

 

 

Lodge, No. 639, Chicago, find him a Master Mason,

in good standing, and recommend his admission."

They then take their seats.

 

Worshipful Master: "Brother Senior Deacon,

yOu will retire and introduce brother E. Ronayne."

 

The Senior Deacon takes his rod, steps to the

altar, salutes the Master with the due-guard and sign

as usual, retires into the ante-room, and brother E.

Ronayne having put on a white apron, and having

signed his name in the register, — a book always used

in the ante-room for that purpose, — he is conducted

into the Lodge and before the Altar by the Senior

Deacon, who announces as follows:

 

Senior Deacon! "Worshipful Master, I have the

pleasure of introducing to you, brother E. Ronayne,

of Keystone Lodge, No. 639, Chicago."

 

The Worshipful Master rises to his feet, gives

three raps to call up the entire Lodge, and says :

 

Worshipful Master: "Brother E. Ronayne, I

have the pleasure of introducing to you the officers

and members of — Lodge, No. — , together with our

visiting brethren; hope you will make yourself at

home, while with us, and will visit us again whenever

convenient," or words to that effect.

 

The Lodge is again seated, and the visitor is then

conducted by the Senior Deacon to his seat. Should

the visitor be a Past Master, or Grand officer, he is

invited to take a seat in the East, either to the right

or left of the Worshipful Master.

 

ORDINARY BUSINESS.

 

Under this head it may perhaps be proper to

observe that, at all "regular communications," the

Lodge must invariably be opened on the first, second

 

 

 

ORDINARY BUSINESS.

 

 

 

41

 

 

 

and third degrees respectively, as explained in the

preceding ceremonies, and further that all the ordi-

nary business transactions of the Order, must be con-

ducted in a Lodge of Master Masons only. If it is! a

special communication, however, and the Lodge is

called to work the first degree, it fruist be opened on

that degree ; if the second is to be conferred, it-onust

be opened on the first and second ; and if the Master

Mason's degree is to be conferred, the Lodge must be

opened on the first, second and' third degrees.

 

In this exposition, I am supposing that a "reg-

ular communication" of the Lodge is held, and t that

work is to be done on each of the degrees besides;

and therefore I shall now explain, first of all, how the

ordinary business of a Lodge is usually conducted,

and then go on in the regular manner of conferring the

degrees. The Lodge being in session, as seen on

page 36, the Worshipful Master says: ' ? ]

 

"Brother Secretary, this being a regular communis

cation, the first business in order will be reading the

minutes of our last regular communication."

 

The Secretary, rising to his feet, then reads the

minutes as follows:

 

/ Regular communication of Keystone

 

Minutes. Lodge, No. 639, A. F. & A. M., held in

their hall, Nos. 62 & 64, N. Clark St,, Chi-

cago, July 2nd, 1873, A. L., 5873-

 

E}, Ronayne, Worshipful Master; Mor-

Officers ris Pflaum, Senior Warden, pro tern.; Os-

present. car Eck vail, Junior Warden ; Fred Becker,

Treasurer; Wm. Aiken, Secretary; S. M.

Samuelson, Senior Deacon ; H. S. Ander

son, Junior Deacon; James Anderson,

Tyler, pro tern. v ' *

 

 

 

42 HAND BOOK OP FRl^MASONRY.

 

Members Brothers Prince, Cronin, Loehr, Burk-

 

present. hard, Ross, Morebeck and W. Bro. Dixon.

 

Visitors See Lodge Register, (already alluded

 

present, to.)

 

The Lodge was opened in form on the

first, second and third degrees of Masonry.

 

The minutes of the last regular com-

munication of June 4th, and of the "spe-

cial" of June nth, were read, and declared

approved.

 

A petition in form was read from Rev.

 

Petitions. James Hunt, for initiation. He comes rec-

ommended by brothers Ronayne, Dixon

and Prince. The petition was received and

referred to a committee consisting of broth-

ers Anderson, Loehr and Ross.

 

Commit- The committee appointed on the peti-

 

tees. tion of Mr. Nicolaby for initiation, re-

ported favorable ; whereupon the committee

was discharged, and ballot ordered.

 

Also the committee on the application

of Mr. Wood, reported unfavorable; the

report was received, the committee dis-

charged, and ballot ordered.

 

Balloting. And the ballot being spread, on the

 

application of Mr. Nicolaby, and being

found clear, he was declared duly elected

to receive the Entered Apprentice degree,

as conferred in this Lodge. The ballot was

also spread on the application of brother

Schriber for advancement to the 2nd de-

gree; and being found clear, he was de-

clared duly elected to receive the Fellow

Craft degree, to be conferred in this Lodge.

The ballot was also spread on the

 

 

 

ORDINARY BUSINESS. 43

 

application of Mr. Wood for the degrees,

and being found not clear, he was declared

rejected.

 

Commu- Communications were read from vari-

 

nications. sister Lodges, announcing the receipt of

petitions for degrees and membership; all

of which were receive^ and placed on file.

 

New busi- A bill of thirty dollars for rent of hall

ness. during the month ending May 31st, was

received from Germania Lodge. Also a

bill of twenty dollars from Bro. D. Lally,

for services as Tyler from March 1st to

June 1st, inclusive; both of which were re-

» ferred to the Finance Committee.

 

Work. (Hie Lodge now dispensed with labor

 

on the third degree, and resumed on the

first for work; and Mr. Andrew Nicolaby

being in waiting, and having satisfactorily

answered the usual constitutional questions,

he was duly prepared, presented and regu-

larly initiated as an Entered Apprentice.

He also received^ the benefit of the lecture,

and paid the usual fee of $15. Bro. Schrib-

er, an Entered Apprentice of this Lodge,

was then examined in the ritual of that degree, and retired. (See Chapter IV.)