The idea of the Travelling Gavel is used in many Provinces around the world in various ways. We hope it will encourage visiting between Lodges in the Province of West Wales. The ground rules are as follows:-
1. To claim the Gavel, 4 or more members from one visiting Lodge must attend the meeting of the Lodge holding the Gavel and stay for the Festive Board. As a courtesy to the lodge holding the
gavel, it is expected that the Brethren attending from visiting lodges will have booked their places at the Festive Board prior to the meeting.
2. The Gavel can only be claimed by Lodges within the Province of West Wales.
3. The Gavel cannot be claimed at an Installation Meeting.
4. A Lodge meeting within the same Masonic Centre of a Lodge already holding the Gavel cannot claim the Gavel. (This is because it is a “travelling” Gavel and a claim within a centre does
not add any mileage to the to the total travelled).
5. If Lodges with with equal number of members are visiting the Holding Lodge on the same night then the Lodge that meets the furthest from the Holding Lodge takes precedence. If this is
still a tie in mileage then the Lodge that has held it most previously, i.e. Visited most gets the claim. (This is again to add the maximum possible miles to the total travelled by the
Gavel).
6. The Gavel should be presented during the toast to the visitors and after checking all 4 or more visitors have signed the attendance book and not gone home before the end of the Festive
Board.
7. Lodges are encouraged to use the Gavel with all due respect in a regular Lodge meeting and even publicise the whereabouts of it for visitors within the Province to come along and claim
it.
8. When you are presented with the Gavel, please add the date and your Lodge name and number to the travel document, which accompanies the Gavel. This then shows how far and wide the Gavel
has travelled.
Please email asec@wwmason.com your details, so that people can see where the Gavel is throughout the year.