Moving to the East

Currently blue lodge Seniors Wardens in Pennsylvania must be certified by the School of Instruction in two of the three degrees to be eligible to move to the East.  What are the requirements in other states?

Warden for a year.

In Australia I belong to 2 craft lodges - both Scottish.

In one, all of the offices (other than IPM) come up for nominations, but I have never seen a second nomination for any position.  This is partly because it is an harmonious lodge and with a very good secretary who sorts out all these matters some months in advance.  Actually last time, I was SW and reluctant to go through again, since I was planning some trips, and managed to persuade the sitting Master to repeat.  The JW was unwilling to proceed to SW but we had a good SD who is now SW.

In the other lodge, there must be at least 2 nominations for Master and there is a secret ballot.  Then the incoming Master must sort out a ritual team.

In both lodges the nominees for Master must have served as Warden for a full term

When I started this topic I should have explained the reason for my question, so here goes.  The lodges in our district are all rural and therefore small.  The Senior Wardens have moved up through the chairs.  They know how to open and close their lodges and in general run a lodge meeting.  They have also performed their parts in ritualistic work during their time in the chairs but the one thing they all lack is the ability to perform two degrees as Worshipful Master which is a new requirement from the Grand Lodge this year.  This prevents them from being on the ballot in December for Worshipful Master and in all cases causes the lodge to recycle a Past Master to the East.  We do have a limited number of Past Masters that can give a degree if needed.  All degrees in Pennsylvania are given from memory.  My worry is that this requirement is preventing good men from entering the East.  We all have busy lives and learning two degrees is big time commitment and not everyone is blessed with an excellent memory.

Then hold ritual practices sessions for the SW (& JW) to learn the parts and to demonstrate  that he can do the rituals.    This shouldn't be a big deal.     ... I firmly believe a WM should be able to do all three degrees.

When i was in the East, I did ALL three degrees.    In my Lodge, we do not move the SW or JW to the East for the FC or EA degrees like many other GL/Lodges do.    So when I was in the East it was time to prove that I could do all three degrees.    ... Other Past Masters of my Lodge simple asked another PM to do the degrees for them.

js584 wrote: In Indiana, a pulse unfortunately.  Oh and must have been a Warden

I believe it is the same here in Kentucky. I'm a relatively new MM and am not positive.

In our lodge and district the Master gives the obligation, lecture, and charges in each degree.  The MM degree is over 8,000 words all learned by "mouth to ear".

Part of my personal prep to move through the chairs was to get my instructor's certification, currently have my "blue card" for the vast majority of the work, and am closing in on completing the collection with the "red card," which covers the second section of the Master's degree.  Sitting in either the West or the East is no time to be learning that stuff for the first time ;-)