Join us for our Stated Meeting at Carmel Lodge #421, located at 310 1st NE, Carmel, Indiana, on Thursday, April 11th, 2024. The evening will start with a dinner at 6:00 pm. We suggest a $7.00 donation to help with the costs of the meal. This dinner is not just for members; we’re opening our doors to non-members and those interested in Freemasonry, offering a great opportunity to learn more about us in a casual setting.
Following dinner, at 7:00 pm, we will hold our Stated Meeting, which is open to Masons at any level of their journey, including Entered Apprentice, Fellow Craft, and Master Masons. We do ask that EA and FC members visiting from other lodges come with a Master Mason from their lodge or be vouched for by a member of Carmel Lodge.
Dress code for the evening is business casual for both officers and members, ensuring everyone is comfortably yet appropriately dressed.
We warmly welcome any Master Mason in good standing or those visiting from lodges recognized by the Grand Lodge of Indiana, F. & A.M., to attend our Stated Meetings. It’s a wonderful occasion for fellowship, sharing, and deepening the ties that unite us as Masons. We look forward to seeing you there for a night of community and brotherhood.
What happens at a Stated Meeting?
A Stated Meeting in American Freemasonry refers to a regularly scheduled meeting of a Masonic lodge. These meetings are typically held monthly and serve as a time for lodge members to conduct business, discuss lodge matters, and plan upcoming events. Stated Meetings are governed by a set of rules and procedures known as the lodge's bylaws and are presided over by the lodge's officers, including the Worshipful Master, Senior Warden, and Junior Warden. During a Stated Meeting, the lodge may also conduct ceremonial or ritualistic work, confer degrees, and welcome visiting brethren from other lodges.
Who can attend a Stated Meeting?
Any Entered Apprentice (EA), Fellowcraft (FC), or Master Mason (MM) in good standing or visiting from a lodge recognized by the Grand Lodge of Indiana, F. & A.M., is welcome to attend our Stated Meeting. However, non-Masons (i.e., visitors) can attend the 6 pm dinner before the Stated Meeting. The dinner before a Stated Meeting is a great way for visitors to meet Carmel #421 Masons and learn about Masonry and our lodge.
If the lodge opens a Stated Meeting on the EA degree, then EAs, FCs, and MMs from any recognized lodge can attend (great for #421 or visiting and new EAs to see how our lodge is managed). If the Lodge opens on an FC degree, then only FCs and MMs can attend. If the Lodge opens on a Master Mason degree, then only Master Masons can attend. Often, if a new EA is present, the WM will open on an EA so that the new EA can attend. If you are a new EA at Carmel #421 and plan to attend, make sure you tell the WM or SW that you want to attend the dinner and the Stated Meeting so they can adjust accordingly.
