Letter of the month: February 2000

From: ljs-ahs@webtv.net (Lorraine & Art)
Date: Fri, 4 Feb 2000 00:27:34 -0500 (EST)
To: masonry-ask@MIT.EDU
Subject: Temples - Lodges

Can you please define a Temple and a Lodge. Thank you,

Arthur Schwacke, Oakland, N.J.

To: ljs-ahs@webtv.net (Lorraine & Art)
Subject: Re: Temples - Lodges 
In-Reply-To: Your message of "Fri, 04 Feb 2000 00:27:34 EST."
             <21588-389A6346-7220@storefull-125.iap.bryant.webtv.net>
--------

A lodge is a certain number of Freemasons, assembled to work, having authority to do so from a charter or warrant (usually from a grand lodge).

A "lodge room" sometimes also simply called a "lodge" is the properly arranged and furnished room where the lodge meets.

A Masonic "temple" is sometimes also called "Masonic building." It is a building that contains a lodge room, or sometimes several of them, and usually other facilities for the lodges that meet there. Often the part of the building that contains the lodge rooms and other facilities would be called the "Masonic apartments".

For instance:

• I am a member of Mt. Scopus Lodge of Malden Massachusetts, which has a charter from the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts AF&AM ("Ancient Free and Accepted Masons).
• Once a month, we meet in the large lodge room on the third floor of the four-story Masonic building (Masonic temple) in downtown Malden.
• The first two storeys of our Masonic building are rented out to local businesses, while the upper two storeys contain our Masonic apartments.
• The apartments contain, besides our large lodge room, a second smaller lodge room, various sitting rooms for guests and visitors, and on the fourth floor we have a large kitchen and a dining area more-or-less suitable for our social functions.

This is a fairly typical arrangement in many towns and cities, where the Masons have bought (or rented space in) a commercial building.

Many suburban Masonic temples are built specially for a lodge or group of lodges and contain only Masonic facilities.

Does that clear it up? Let me know.

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