District 27 Master Mason Association
District 27 Master Mason Association Traveling Gavel
The beautiful handcrafted cedar Gavel is the work and gift of W\ B. John Ross of Venice Lodge No. 301.
The purpose of the Traveling Gavel is to promote visitation and fellowship within and throughout the Lodges of the 27th Masonic District and is sponsored solely by the Masters & Wardens Association of the District a/k/a District 27 Master Mason Association (herein referred as "the Association") with the following rules established:
A. Possession of the Gavel
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Location, progress and retention of the Gavel is under the authority of the Association.
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Possession of the Gavel must be in the entity of a Lodge and its presence shall be deemed an honor.
- No individual Mason shall hold the Gavel in his personal possession other than for transporting.
- The Gavel shall be displayed at the foot of the Master’s station (or close proximity) in the Lodge possessing it.
- The Gavel has no practical application and shall never be used as such or for any purpose other than display. Preservation or replacement of the Gavel is the responsibility of the Lodge in possession.
- The location of the Gavel must be reported to Association at each of its monthly meeting by the Lodge in possession. Any Lodge not reporting its possession must return it to the preceding Lodge upon request of the Association.
B. Obtaining the Gavel
- The Gavel may only be obtained from a Lodge by a contingency of five (5) or more regular members of a visiting Lodge (dual & plural members considered regular—no honorary members may be in the count).
- The visitation must be at a Stated Communication or Social Night of the Lodge in possession of the Gavel.
- The Gavel may not be obtained at an Annual Installation of Officers Communication (Stated or otherwise) or during Called Communications for the purpose of conferring degrees.
- If two or more visiting Lodges attend the same night, the Lodge having the most members present shall receive the gavel. If the numbers are equal, the most distant Lodge shall take possession of the gavel.
- Claiming the Gavel and its exchange shall take place during an appropriate time at the closing of the Lodge.
- Common courtesy and fulfillment of the Gavel’s purpose demands that all visiting Brethren be present at the opening of the Lodge and remain for fellowship and refreshment after the Stated Communication.
C. Restrictions on obtaining the Gavel
- The District shall be divided into 3 Areas known as the North, Central,
and South Areas.
- North (Braidentown Lodge 99, Manatee Lodge 31 and Palmetto Lodge 110)
- Central (Cary B Fish Lodge 346, Sarasota Lodge 147 & The Builders Lodge 376)
- South (Englewood Lodge 360 and Venice Lodge 301.
- Lodges are restricted to obtaining the gavel only once a calendar year from another Lodge in the same Area except as outlined below in *Article C.3.
- A Lodge is restricted from retrieving the gavel from the Lodge that took the Gavel away from it until said Lodge has been in continuous possession of the Gavel for at least two Masonic months. *After two months in possession of the same Lodge, the gavel may then be obtained by any Lodge of the Association.
- No Lodge membership may obtain the Gavel while its Lodge is in darkness for the summer months.
- Before going to darkness a Lodge in possession of the gavel must pass it to another Lodge in its own Area that will not be dark and Lodge in darkness has no inherent right to the gavel after coming out of darkness.