From the Office of the Right Worshipful Grand Lecturer
April 5, 2010
Past Master or Honorary/ Virtual Past Master
We typically think of a Past Master as the Master of a Lodge who has presided and passed the chair in the Oriental East. This is a Brother who has been elected to a Junior or Senior Warden position and served his Lodge as the presiding office for at least one year. Once he has been succeed by another brother that has been elected to become Master of the Lodge, he has the degree of Past Master coffered upon him as an honorarium or reward to recognize him for his efforts in guiding the lodge.
In ancient times there truly were no rights or privileges of a Past Master as research according to Mackey (1859) states membership in the Grand Lodge was not an automatic given. In all actuality membership in a grand lodge could only be secured to them as an act of courtesy by a special enactment of the body. In the past, the Grand Lodges were made of the entire craft to include Fellow Crafts. In 1717 the Past Masters were not even recognized as a distinct class of Masons. If this is the case then how did we get to our present day situation of the our Grand Lodges to include Past Masters?
Research by Mackey (1859) shows that in 1813 the two Grand Lodges of England stated in their Articles of Union the Grand Lodge shall consist of Grand and Past Grand Officers, of the actual Masters and Wardens of all the warranted Lodges, and of the “Past Masters of Lodges who have regularly served and passed the chair before the day of union, and who continued without succession, regular contributing members of a warranted Lodge.” With this agreement Past Masters now had the ability to voice their opinion through their right to vote. In the Colorado jurisdiction we were in the same situation at one time but in a different light as we did not always have Past Masters filling our seats in Grand lodge. From 1882 until 1892 it was a combination of past masters and Master Masons. Up until 1896 Past Senior and Junior Wardens were allowed to vote. All this goes to prove is that over time we have embraced the Past Master and their knowledge to be recognized as a voting member of the Grand Lodge.
Now what about the Virtual or Honorary Pat Master? Some Lodges have confirmed this honorary degree on Master Masons they feel are worthy of such honor but for whatever reason were or are unable to make it to the East. The debate over this honor is where is the regulation to show that all lodges are going by the same guidelines to pass on this honor. Historical research and Macys Masonic jurisprudence shows that this honor is actually only valid in the Lodge upon which the degree was conferred. Thus brings in the debate that if the Virtual or Honorary Past Master has been given the degree and received the word, grip and sign of a Past Master should he receive all of the other rights lights and benefits? When entering the Lodge Worshipful Masters will raise up the craft to recognize an actual Past Master as he works in on 3-5-7 . Most will do the same for the Virtual / Honorary Past Master as he has been given all the rights and privileges in his Lodge. So if he has these rights and privileges in his lodge why can he not have these rights in the Grand Lodge? The debate can be simply stated that it is an honor and privilege to be a member of the Grand Lodge and in ancient times the Past Master had to be invited to become a Member. Thus the Virtual / Honorary past Master has not passed the oriental east so he can not be a member as he does note meet the essential qualifications as set fort by the Grand Lodges of England back in 1813. Just as the Colorado jurisdiction has dropped the ability for past wardens to vote the Honorary Maters does not have the privilege to be a member or the Grand Lodge. Voting at Grand Lodge is an honor that is earned by being elected and serving in a position of authority.
Today many brothers try to mix Shrindom with Masonry and what to have these virtual or Honorary Past Masters vote at Grand Lodge. We have even seen resolutions to have these honorary brothers pay for the right to vote. Do we truly want to be an organization out for money or do we want to be an organization that is about tradition, history and honor for those who have served this body with honor? We have a rich tradition that took years of hard work to establish and must remember what our ancestors did to get us where we are toady.
P.M. Edward J.A. Moore
RW Grand Lecturer