THE ARCANE SCHOOLS - Fort Myers Beach Masonic Lodge No. 362

history of the new lodge. At the next sitting of the Grand Lodge, after
the dispensation has been issued by the Grand Master, he states that
fact
to the Grand Lodge, when, either at his request, or on motion of some
Brother, the vote is taken on the question of constituting the new
lodge,
and, if a majority are in favor of it, the Grand Secretary is ordered
to
grant a warrant of constitution.
This instrument differs from a dispensation in many important
particulars.
It is signed by all the Grand Officers, and emanates from the Grand
Lodge,
while the dispensation emanates from the office of the Grand Master,
and
is signed by him alone. The authority of the dispensation is temporary,
that of the warrant permanent; the one can be revoked at pleasure by
the
Grand Master, who granted it; the other only for cause shown, and by
the
Grand Lodge; the one bestows only a name, the other both a name and a
number; the one confers only the power of holding a lodge and making
Masons, the other not only confers these powers, but also those of
installation and of succession in office. From these differences in the
characters of the two documents, arise important differences in the
powers
and privileges of a lodge under dispensation and of one that has been
regularly constituted. These differences shall hereafter be considered.
The warrant having been granted, there still remain certain forms and
ceremonies to be observed, before the lodge can take its place among
the
legal and registered lodges of the jurisdiction in which it is
situated.
These are its consecration, its dedication, its constitution, and the
installation of its officers. We shall not fully enter into a
description
of these various ceremonies, because they are laid down at length in
all
the Monitors, and are readily accessible to our readers. It will be
sufficient if we barely allude to their character.
The ceremony of constitution is so called, because by it the lodge
becomes
constituted or established. Orthoepists define the verb to constitute,
as
signifying "to give a formal existence to anything." Hence, to
constitute
a lodge is to give it existence, character, and standing as such; and
the
instrument that warrants the person so constituting or establishing it,
in
this act, is very properly called the "warrant of constitution."
The consecration, dedication, and constitution of a lodge must be
performed by the Grand Master in person; or, if he cannot conveniently