56th District Traveling Gavel

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Travel History

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The District Traveling Gavel Program was instituted as a means to promote visitation among the Lodges in the 56th District.

The new Traveling Gavel began its journey in Kempsville Lodge No. 196 on November 9, 2021, being delivered to the Worshipful Master during the “Homecoming Ceremony of the District Deputy Grand Master”. Ideally, the Traveling Gavel should change hands at least twelve (12) times during the year, if not more. The goal, therefore, is not to retain possession of the Gavel for more than one month.

The Program will be implemented within District 56, at the direction of the District Deputy Grand Master, in one of two ways: Either “Go Get It” or “Take It”.

  • Go Get It – Requires the Lodge desiring to obtain the Traveling Gavel to visit the Lodge which currently has possession in order to claim it. For either method, the passing of the Traveling Gavel may be at any Tiled communication (Stated or Called) and must be recorded in the Minutes. To pass or receive the Traveling Gavel, a party consisting of not less than the Worshipful Master and two (2) Brethren from that Lodge must be present. The lodge with the most visitors present takes it home. A tie-count will be broken and determined by the farthest distance traveled.
  • Take It - Requires the Lodge in possession of the Traveling Gavel to present it to another Lodge in the District. The Lodge in possession of the Traveling Gavel may take the Gavel to any Lodge in the District except the one from which it was received.

The goal is to keep the Traveling Gavel moving from Lodge-to-Lodge, constantly.