The Ballot
T.F.S.
Three, five, and seven
3 5 7
By Ed Halpaus, Grand Lodge Education Officer.
Number 108 – October 01, 2007
“It is quality rather than quantity that matters.” Lucius Annaeus Seneca
This publication, while it is printed with the permission of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of A.F. & A. M. of Minnesota, contains the writings and opinions of Ed Halpaus and is not in any way the opinion of the Grand Lodge of Minnesota.
“Quality, without quantity, is little thought of.” James Kelly
The Ballot
By Ed Halpaus, MPS (Life)
Do you have an after Lodge with the Brethren of your Lodge and your visiting Brethren? Some Lodges do and they are great get-together’s where Brethren enjoy each others company and discuss things Masonic in a convivial manner. In these get-together’s there are many things about Freemasonry discussed in a most friendly manner; knowledge and insight is shared among Brethren. These after lodge gatherings of some of the Brethren are a fine way to cap of Lodge Night.
One discussion that came up at an ‘after lodge’ I happened to be attending was about a Mason who once visited a Lodge where there were a number of Masons visiting; it was a fine time for everyone. It was a stated communication of the Lodge, so while it was not a social event it certainly was a sociable and enjoyable experience. Being a stated communication the visitors sat through the business of the Lodge as it was being conducted. The officers of the Lodge were proficient with the opening ceremonies; the Master was doing a good job in supervising the communication and the business of the Lodge. One part of the Lodge’s proficiency was that the Tyler actually remained outside the door during the communication; in many Lodges the Tyler, after the Lodge is opened, will open his door and either move inside and sit right next to the door or pull a folding chair into the doorway and sit there until it is time for to perform one of his duties, which many times is just prior to the closing of the Lodge, and then he will go out again and close the door. A Tyler staying the Lodge room to perform his duties is a key part of a Lodge’s proficiency.
There came a time in the communication where the Master asked for the second reading of a petition, which was done, after which the investigation reports were read, and then the Master asked for the ballot box to be prepared. The Senior Deacon prepared the ballot box as the Master made the announcement about the ballot. With that the balloting began; the Master inspecting the ballot box, and voting first, followed by the Wardens, and then the Brethren. This is when something unusual happened; a Mason who was not a member of the Lodge, but another visitor, as the Senior Deacon was getting the ballot from the Brethren on the south, got up from his seat walked past the Junior Deacon, without going the altar to salute the Master, opened the Tyler’s door and said to the Tyler something to the effect of “You go in and vote, I’ll sit out here and then after you’ve voted we’ll trade places again.” This was said loud enough for all to hear, and the Tyler did come in and vote, and then went back out.
This was unusual because in many jurisdictions there is a rule, custom, or law, that no one enters or leaves the Lodge room during balloting. There are some very good reasons for this rule: One is; every member present must vote.[i] No member of the Lodge who is present, (meaning in the Lodge room,) is allowed to shirk his duty when it comes to voting on a petitioner’s petition for the degrees of Freemasonry, or for membership if the petitioner is a Master Mason. Another is; once a petitioner’s name is read, no one can leave or enter the Lodge room until the ballot is completed.[ii] If someone was to enter the Lodge room during voting, and then vote, he most probably would not know who, or what, he is voting on, so his vote would not be based on all the information he should have to cast an intelligent vote on the petition.
A brother once asked me why some jurisdictions require that there be more than one black ball to reject a petition while others say only one is sufficient. The rule that requires more than one black ball or cube to reject a petitioner is not universal in all Grand Lodges. For instance in some jurisdictions it is very easy for a Lodge member to reject a petitioner: if a Black Ball or cube is cast on the first ballot on a petitioner the Master can ask for another ballot to make certain no mistake has occurred, if there is still one black ball or cube on the second ballot the Master would then declare the petitioner rejected. If more than one black ball or cube is cast on the first ballot then it is felt that no mistake has occurred. Also in some jurisdictions a Lodge member, whether present for the ballot or not may object to the petition of a man by contacting the Master in person, or by letter, saying he objects to the petition and his objection has the same effect as a black ball in the ballot; this can be done any time prior to the petitioner’s petition being voted on, or prior to his first degree if his petition survived the ballot. If this were to happen then the Master at the next stated communication, before the petition is voted on, or before the first degree, the Master will announce that the petition has been rejected by objection.
It is un-Masonic and un-Masonic conduct, to declare that there shall be no more petitioners accepted, or to blackball a petitioner for spite. I suspect some Grand Jurisdictions put in the rule of more than one black ball or cube to avoid a petitioner being rejected because of a Mason voting out of spite, which as Masons we should not do.
For those readers who are members in a jurisdiction where more than one black ball is required to reject a petitioner it might be interesting to find out why two or more are required: One way to begin to search out the reason is to look up the portion of the Masonic Code in your jurisdiction that spells it out, and then look in the past proceedings to see when the motion to make two negative votes necessary was made; your Grand Secretary might be able to help you in this search by directing you to a year fairly close to when the motion was made, so you can narrow down the proceedings you might need to look in. Lodge Secretaries and Grand Secretaries can be a big help to a Mason who is involved in Masonic research, doing Masonic research is an enjoyable pastime. In addition there is usually a lot of extremely good information in the proceedings of your Grand Lodge.
I am in agreement with the practice that one black ball is enough to reject a petitioner. My reasoning is because a Lodge of Masons is like a family. An individual Mason’s lodge building ought to be his home away from home just as his Lodge, meaning his brother Masons ought to be his shelter – his home – ‘where the wicked cease from troubling and the weary can find rest;’ given that - each Mason should have a say in who is admitted into his home or to become a part of his family. If admitting someone with whom he is not going to be comfortable sharing experiences and time, he should have the right to reject him. If admitting a petitioner will mean one of our brothers will be so uncomfortable that he will no longer attend our Lodge, or demit, or move to another Lodge, then is it right to require more than one black ball to reject a petitioner?
This brings to mind something from the proceedings of the Grand Lodge North Dakota where the then Deputy Grand Master,[iii] in his report to his Grand Lodge, said regarding membership; “There are primarily two reasons brothers stop coming to, or quit Lodge. The first, which accounts for 85%, is not feeling welcome. The second is not getting a sense of value for time invested.”
Why Masons don’t feel welcome in their own Lodge, and why they feel attending Lodge is not worth the time it takes is most likely a wide and varied number of reasons and also would be a good subject for another article, but not for now. However I am reminded about an old poem I remember from when I was much younger; it’s called ‘Friends Old and New.’
Friends Old and New
By an unknown poet
Make new friends, but keep the old,
Those are silver, these are gold,
New-made friendships, like new wine,
Age will mellow and refine.
Friendships that have stood the test –
Time and change – are surely best;
Brow may wrinkle, hair grow gray,
Friendship never knows decay.
For ‘mid old friends, tried and true,’
Once more we our youth renew;
But old friends, alas, may die,
New friends must their place supply.
Cherish friendships in your breast;
New is good, but old is best;
Make new friends, but keep the old,
Those are silver, these are gold.
“We should not judge of a man’s merits by his great qualities, but by the use he makes of them.”
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
How old is voting? For a glimpse of how long voting has been common you could read in the Great Light of Freemasonry: Acts 26: 9-11
From the Great Light of Masonry: “At the king’s command they removed from the quarry large blocks of quality stone to provide a foundation of dresses stone for the temple. The craftsmen of Solomon and Hiram and the men of Gebal cut and prepared the timber and stone for the building of the temple.” 1Kings 5:17-18
Naturam expellas furca, tamen usque recurret = [Latin] = You may drive out nature with a pitchfork, yet will she always return.
Please remember: if you would like to participate in the latest Masonic Monday Question, please go to http://www.lodgebuilder.org and click on the Lodge Education forum. Past Masonic Monday Questions and the current one may also be read on the Web Site for the G.L. of MN at www.mn-masons.org under Masonic Monday Q&A When you have an answer send it to masonicmonday@gmail.com This weeks question is: “Must all three chairs be occupied throughout the Craft ceremonies?”
More Light – Mehr Licht ©, Masonic Matters © and T.F.S. ©, are sent out by E-mail at no charge to anyone who would like to receive them. If you enjoy these publications please share them with others. To subscribe to any one or all of these publications just send an E-mail to ed@halpaus.net with Subscribe and the Title, or ‘all 3,’ in the subject line and you will be added to the list to receive the publication you want.
To view this paper in PDF: http://www.halpaus.net/TFS108.pdf
With “Brotherly Love”,
Ed Halpaus
Grand Lodge Education Officer
[i] Section G 14.06 of the Minnesota Masonic Code
[ii] Masonic Manual of Minnesota – Method of Balloting
[iii] R.W. Brother Ed Samuelson, Jr. as quoted by the Southern California Lodge of Research 15 May 2007
Three, five, and seven
3 5 7
By Ed Halpaus, Grand Lodge Education Officer.
Number 108 – October 01, 2007
“It is quality rather than quantity that matters.” Lucius Annaeus Seneca
This publication, while it is printed with the permission of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of A.F. & A. M. of Minnesota, contains the writings and opinions of Ed Halpaus and is not in any way the opinion of the Grand Lodge of Minnesota.
“Quality, without quantity, is little thought of.” James Kelly
The Ballot
By Ed Halpaus, MPS (Life)
Do you have an after Lodge with the Brethren of your Lodge and your visiting Brethren? Some Lodges do and they are great get-together’s where Brethren enjoy each others company and discuss things Masonic in a convivial manner. In these get-together’s there are many things about Freemasonry discussed in a most friendly manner; knowledge and insight is shared among Brethren. These after lodge gatherings of some of the Brethren are a fine way to cap of Lodge Night.
One discussion that came up at an ‘after lodge’ I happened to be attending was about a Mason who once visited a Lodge where there were a number of Masons visiting; it was a fine time for everyone. It was a stated communication of the Lodge, so while it was not a social event it certainly was a sociable and enjoyable experience. Being a stated communication the visitors sat through the business of the Lodge as it was being conducted. The officers of the Lodge were proficient with the opening ceremonies; the Master was doing a good job in supervising the communication and the business of the Lodge. One part of the Lodge’s proficiency was that the Tyler actually remained outside the door during the communication; in many Lodges the Tyler, after the Lodge is opened, will open his door and either move inside and sit right next to the door or pull a folding chair into the doorway and sit there until it is time for to perform one of his duties, which many times is just prior to the closing of the Lodge, and then he will go out again and close the door. A Tyler staying the Lodge room to perform his duties is a key part of a Lodge’s proficiency.
There came a time in the communication where the Master asked for the second reading of a petition, which was done, after which the investigation reports were read, and then the Master asked for the ballot box to be prepared. The Senior Deacon prepared the ballot box as the Master made the announcement about the ballot. With that the balloting began; the Master inspecting the ballot box, and voting first, followed by the Wardens, and then the Brethren. This is when something unusual happened; a Mason who was not a member of the Lodge, but another visitor, as the Senior Deacon was getting the ballot from the Brethren on the south, got up from his seat walked past the Junior Deacon, without going the altar to salute the Master, opened the Tyler’s door and said to the Tyler something to the effect of “You go in and vote, I’ll sit out here and then after you’ve voted we’ll trade places again.” This was said loud enough for all to hear, and the Tyler did come in and vote, and then went back out.
This was unusual because in many jurisdictions there is a rule, custom, or law, that no one enters or leaves the Lodge room during balloting. There are some very good reasons for this rule: One is; every member present must vote.[i] No member of the Lodge who is present, (meaning in the Lodge room,) is allowed to shirk his duty when it comes to voting on a petitioner’s petition for the degrees of Freemasonry, or for membership if the petitioner is a Master Mason. Another is; once a petitioner’s name is read, no one can leave or enter the Lodge room until the ballot is completed.[ii] If someone was to enter the Lodge room during voting, and then vote, he most probably would not know who, or what, he is voting on, so his vote would not be based on all the information he should have to cast an intelligent vote on the petition.
A brother once asked me why some jurisdictions require that there be more than one black ball to reject a petition while others say only one is sufficient. The rule that requires more than one black ball or cube to reject a petitioner is not universal in all Grand Lodges. For instance in some jurisdictions it is very easy for a Lodge member to reject a petitioner: if a Black Ball or cube is cast on the first ballot on a petitioner the Master can ask for another ballot to make certain no mistake has occurred, if there is still one black ball or cube on the second ballot the Master would then declare the petitioner rejected. If more than one black ball or cube is cast on the first ballot then it is felt that no mistake has occurred. Also in some jurisdictions a Lodge member, whether present for the ballot or not may object to the petition of a man by contacting the Master in person, or by letter, saying he objects to the petition and his objection has the same effect as a black ball in the ballot; this can be done any time prior to the petitioner’s petition being voted on, or prior to his first degree if his petition survived the ballot. If this were to happen then the Master at the next stated communication, before the petition is voted on, or before the first degree, the Master will announce that the petition has been rejected by objection.
It is un-Masonic and un-Masonic conduct, to declare that there shall be no more petitioners accepted, or to blackball a petitioner for spite. I suspect some Grand Jurisdictions put in the rule of more than one black ball or cube to avoid a petitioner being rejected because of a Mason voting out of spite, which as Masons we should not do.
For those readers who are members in a jurisdiction where more than one black ball is required to reject a petitioner it might be interesting to find out why two or more are required: One way to begin to search out the reason is to look up the portion of the Masonic Code in your jurisdiction that spells it out, and then look in the past proceedings to see when the motion to make two negative votes necessary was made; your Grand Secretary might be able to help you in this search by directing you to a year fairly close to when the motion was made, so you can narrow down the proceedings you might need to look in. Lodge Secretaries and Grand Secretaries can be a big help to a Mason who is involved in Masonic research, doing Masonic research is an enjoyable pastime. In addition there is usually a lot of extremely good information in the proceedings of your Grand Lodge.
I am in agreement with the practice that one black ball is enough to reject a petitioner. My reasoning is because a Lodge of Masons is like a family. An individual Mason’s lodge building ought to be his home away from home just as his Lodge, meaning his brother Masons ought to be his shelter – his home – ‘where the wicked cease from troubling and the weary can find rest;’ given that - each Mason should have a say in who is admitted into his home or to become a part of his family. If admitting someone with whom he is not going to be comfortable sharing experiences and time, he should have the right to reject him. If admitting a petitioner will mean one of our brothers will be so uncomfortable that he will no longer attend our Lodge, or demit, or move to another Lodge, then is it right to require more than one black ball to reject a petitioner?
This brings to mind something from the proceedings of the Grand Lodge North Dakota where the then Deputy Grand Master,[iii] in his report to his Grand Lodge, said regarding membership; “There are primarily two reasons brothers stop coming to, or quit Lodge. The first, which accounts for 85%, is not feeling welcome. The second is not getting a sense of value for time invested.”
Why Masons don’t feel welcome in their own Lodge, and why they feel attending Lodge is not worth the time it takes is most likely a wide and varied number of reasons and also would be a good subject for another article, but not for now. However I am reminded about an old poem I remember from when I was much younger; it’s called ‘Friends Old and New.’
Friends Old and New
By an unknown poet
Make new friends, but keep the old,
Those are silver, these are gold,
New-made friendships, like new wine,
Age will mellow and refine.
Friendships that have stood the test –
Time and change – are surely best;
Brow may wrinkle, hair grow gray,
Friendship never knows decay.
For ‘mid old friends, tried and true,’
Once more we our youth renew;
But old friends, alas, may die,
New friends must their place supply.
Cherish friendships in your breast;
New is good, but old is best;
Make new friends, but keep the old,
Those are silver, these are gold.
“We should not judge of a man’s merits by his great qualities, but by the use he makes of them.”
Francois de La Rochefoucauld
How old is voting? For a glimpse of how long voting has been common you could read in the Great Light of Freemasonry: Acts 26: 9-11
From the Great Light of Masonry: “At the king’s command they removed from the quarry large blocks of quality stone to provide a foundation of dresses stone for the temple. The craftsmen of Solomon and Hiram and the men of Gebal cut and prepared the timber and stone for the building of the temple.” 1Kings 5:17-18
Naturam expellas furca, tamen usque recurret = [Latin] = You may drive out nature with a pitchfork, yet will she always return.
Please remember: if you would like to participate in the latest Masonic Monday Question, please go to http://www.lodgebuilder.org and click on the Lodge Education forum. Past Masonic Monday Questions and the current one may also be read on the Web Site for the G.L. of MN at www.mn-masons.org under Masonic Monday Q&A When you have an answer send it to masonicmonday@gmail.com This weeks question is: “Must all three chairs be occupied throughout the Craft ceremonies?”
More Light – Mehr Licht ©, Masonic Matters © and T.F.S. ©, are sent out by E-mail at no charge to anyone who would like to receive them. If you enjoy these publications please share them with others. To subscribe to any one or all of these publications just send an E-mail to ed@halpaus.net with Subscribe and the Title, or ‘all 3,’ in the subject line and you will be added to the list to receive the publication you want.
To view this paper in PDF: http://www.halpaus.net/TFS108.pdf
With “Brotherly Love”,
Ed Halpaus
Grand Lodge Education Officer
[i] Section G 14.06 of the Minnesota Masonic Code
[ii] Masonic Manual of Minnesota – Method of Balloting
[iii] R.W. Brother Ed Samuelson, Jr. as quoted by the Southern California Lodge of Research 15 May 2007
Labels: Lodge Information