Chapter 71

Degrees

REG. 71-1 SUBORDINATE LODGES.

Subordinate lodges and not the Grand Lodge shall confer the degrees. They shall do so under authority delegated to them in charters and dispensations granted by the Grand Lodge or the Grand Master, in accordance with law. [4-3; 68-9].

REG. 71-2 THREE DEGREES ONLY.

The subordinate lodges are authorized to confer the degrees of Entered Apprentice, Fellow Craft, and Master Mason in the order named and no other.

1. Should any subordinate lodge confer any of the degrees out of time, or out of the order mentioned herein, or confer or attempt to confer any other degree, it would be highly irregular and would constitute a serious Masonic offense.

2. The Grand Master should cite the lodge to show cause why its charter should not be arrested.

3. If his investigation justifies it, he may remove any officer of the lodge who may be involved in the irregular work and invoke Regulation 74-1.3 against any such officer or any member found responsible therefor.

4. He may direct the Judge Advocate to handle the case under the Trial Code, proceed summarily under Regulation 91-13, or such orders as he may deem necessary. [4-3; 13-3.5; 41-11; 41-10; 58-1; 59-2.15; 71-22; 74-1.3; 91-3].

REG. 71-3 MEMBERSHIP.

On being raised to the Sublime Degree of Master Mason, the brother, becomes a member of the lodge electing him to receive the degrees. [44-1].

REG. 71-4 PRESCRIBED QUESTIONS.

Before the candidate may enter the lodge for initiation, he shall plainly and unequivocally give his oral assent to these three questions:

1. "Do you seriously declare upon your honor that, unbiased by friends and uninfluenced by mercenary motives, you freely and voluntarily offer yourself a candidate for the mysteries of Masonry?"

2. "Do you seriously declare upon your honor that you are prompted to solicit the privileges of Masonry by a favorable opinion conceived of the institution, a desire for knowledge, and a sincere wish to be serviceable to your fellow creatures?"

3. "Do you seriously declare upon your honor that you will cheerfully conform to all the ancient established usages and customs of the Fraternity?"

4. And he shall answer the following question: "Have you ever petitioned any other lodge and been rejected by it?"

REG. 71-5 DISQUALIFICATION AFTER ELECTION.

If a petitioner elected to receive the degrees becomes mentally, physically, or otherwise disqualified before initiation he shall not be initiated. [67-4.7].

REG. 71-6 DISCOVERY OF DISABILITY.

If during the conferring of the Entered Apprentice degree the Master should discover that the candidate is not physically or mentally qualified for initiation, he shall refuse him further progress in that degree and report the matter to the Grand Master for his decision.

REG. 71-7 DISABILITY SUBSEQUENT TO INITIATION.

If an Entered Apprentice or a Fellow Craft shall suffer a physical impairment after receiving the degree, which could have disqualified him under Regulation 66-1.9 from receiving the first degree, he may be eligible for advancement if and when authorized by the Grand Master. He is not eligible for advancement if he becomes mentally incompetent. [73-7; 73-10; 75-18]. (This regulation amended, effective 1/1/2009)

REG. 71-8 EXAMINATION REQUIRED.

Before either the second or third degree is conferred, the brother shall pass a satisfactory examination on the preceding degree as provided by law. [Chapter 72].

REG. 71-9 LEVITY, JOKING, OR JESTING.

Levity, joking, or jesting with a candidate as to the degree work or any part of the ritual at any time, or any frivolity, levity, or roughness in conferring any degrees is strictly prohibited.

1. The Master of the lodge shall be diligent in enforcing this law and he may be removed from office for his failure to do so.

2. The first offence will subject the lodge to a severe reprimand.

3. On the first offense the District Deputy Grand Master shall make special inquiry and investigation into any such practices in his district and shall promptly act to correct the same.

4. If the District Deputy Grand Master fails to correct the practices he shall promptly report the second offense to the Grand Master.

5. On the third offense the lodge shall be cited by the Grand Master to show cause why its charter should not be arrested.

6. If the District Deputy Grand Master fails to perform the duty herein required of him, the Grand Master shall revoke his commission and take such further action as he deems proper under the circumstances.

7. Any brother at fault in such matters shall be subject to reprimand for the first offense.

8. If he continues to engage in such practice, he may be expelled after due trial.

REG. 71-10 COURTESY WORK.

On written request of a lodge having jurisdiction, or its Master and Secretary, any lodge in this state may confer the degrees, or either of them, on a candidate elected by the lodge making the request, identity of the candidate being first fully established. [42-10;42-13; 59-4.2; 73-10; 43-11; Official Form 37]. (This regulation amended, effective 1/1/2006)

1. Official Form No. 37 may be used only as an aid in the identification of a candidate for courtesy work, together with such other inquiry, examination, or evidence as may be necessary for the positive identification of the candidate as required, but that Official Form shall not be accepted as final without additional evidence upon which to make the positive identification. [42-10; 42-13; 43-11; 50-2; 50-2.2; 51-1.2; 51-1.2.B; 59-4.2; ].

2. If a lodge in North Carolina having jurisdiction, elects a petitioner to take the degrees and the candidate be temporarily in another state, the North Carolina lodge may through the Grand Secretary request a lodge in such other state to confer the degrees. The request should bear the seal of the lodge and be accompanied by a certificate under seal showing he had been elected to take the degrees—the identity of the candidate being fully established. [42-10; 66-7; Official Form 37].

3. When a lodge does work for and at the request of another lodge, the fee, if any, received from the candidate, shall belong to the lodge electing him, but it may otherwise be disposed of by agreement between the two lodges, but no fee shall be collected from a candidate unless a specific request is made by the lodge asking the courtesy. [64-5].

4. A lodge in this state doing courtesy work for a lodge in another grand jurisdiction shall comply in all respects with the ritual and law of this Grand Lodge except when the requesting jurisdiction shall advise such lodge that it requests a definite waiting period or a ballot between the degrees, in which event the special request shall be observed.

5. When a lodge does work for another lodge at its request, the candidate shall continue to belong to the lodge electing him. [73-10].

REG. 71-11 ONE DEGREE AT A TIME.

A lodge cannot confer two degrees at the same time, one in its lodge room and the other elsewhere. One of these communications would not be a lodge but simply a gathering of Masons without warrant or authority to do legal work since a lodge cannot be in two places at the same time.

REG. 71-12 NO SIMULTANEOUS COMMUNICATIONS.

Two or more lodges having similar work shall not hold simultaneous communications in the same lodge room, each one doing its work separately in part of the degree and jointly in the remainder.

REG. 71-13 WHEN CONFERRED.

A lodge may confer any of the three degrees at either a stated communication or an emergent communication called for that purpose.

REG. 71-14 WHERE CONFERRED.

A lodge cannot hold a communication for the purpose of conferring degrees or for any other purpose other than its usual meeting place except as provided by law. [13-3.8.G; 38-4.1; 38-4.2; 38-5; 42-3; 45-7]. (This regulation amended, effective 1/1/2006)

REG. 71-15 WHO MAY CONFER DEGREE.

The Master may permit a Master Mason who is proficient, but who may not be an officer or Past Master, to preside and confer a degree or any part thereof, subject to Regulations 45-12.2 and 59-2.16. [24-1.1].

REG. 71-16 DEGREE TEAMS FROM OTHER LODGES.

The Master of a lodge may invite the officers or members of a regular lodge in another state to confer the degrees in his lodge, but not without a dispensation of the Grand Master as provided in Regulation 24-1.6. No dispensation is required to invite the officers or members of a lodge within this state. This regulation shall not be used by a lodge that becomes incapable of doing its own degree work. [38-1; 43-11; 71-23; 87-14].

REG. 71-17 LABOR TO REFRESHMENT.

At an emergent communication called in the afternoon, a lodge may confer part of a degree, call off for refreshment, and complete the degree in the evening. If in the same evening a stated communication is to be held, the work commenced at the emergent communication in the afternoon must be completed before the close of the stated communication. [45-2.4].

REG. 71-18 EMERGENCY.

When the work of conferring a degree is interrupted by a sudden illness of the candidate or by other unavoidable cause, it is the prerogative of the Master, in the exercise of which he is accountable only to the Grand Master, to determine when such an emergency exists and to complete the work at a subsequent communication. [71-21; 74-3].

REG. 71-19 CANDIDATE REFUSES TO PROCEED.

If a candidate refuses to proceed further and on his demand is taken from the lodge room, and later asks to proceed, it is the prerogative of the Master to finish the work he has commenced, even against the objection of a member of the lodge, unless charges are preferred or the candidate is in default as set forth in Chapter 73.

REG. 71-20 CANDIDATE ADVANCED WHEN PROFICIENT.

An Entered Apprentice or a Fellow Craft not in default may be advanced when proficient, but no particular time must elapse between the degrees, except as provided in Regulation 71-22. [Chapter 73].

REG. 71-21 MAXIMUM OF FIVE CANDIDATES.

A lodge may confer a degree but once on the same day, but it may confer each of the three degrees once on the same day. A lodge may confer a degree on not more than five candidates at the same communication, but each candidate shall be admitted separately in the First Degree, and shall be raised separately. The lecture and charge of a degree may be given to any number of candidates collectively but only on the day the degree is conferred. [45-10; 71-18].

REG. 71-22 RECEIVE ONLY ONE DEGREE PER DAY.

No candidate shall receive the Degree of Entered Apprentice on the same day or at the same communication at which he is elected, nor within twelve hours after his election. No candidate shall receive more than one degree on the same day. [71-2; 71-20; 74-1.3].

REG. 71-23 AUTHORIZED WORK AND REGALIA.

No part of the Work shall be omitted, abridged, or shortened except as authorized by the Grand Lodge. No ritual or ceremonial may be used except that approved by the Grand Lodge, or as authorized in Regulation 24-1.6. No robes or regalia shall be used in conferring the Symbolic degrees unless approved by the Board of Custodians, and such approval may be revoked or changed by said board. [71-16].

REG. 71-24 ENGLISH LANGUAGE REQUIRED.

The Grand Lodge shall not, nor shall any subordinate lodge in this jurisdiction, confer degrees, conduct Masonic ceremonies, transact business, or record proceedings, in any other than the English language. [66-1.7].

REG. 71-25 WHEN DEGREE COMPLETED.

A degree shall not be complete until every section has been conferred, the lecture given in full, and the charge delivered.