CONDUCT

CONDUCT: “the act, manner, or process of carrying on (management)” OR “a mode or standard of personal behavior especially as based on moral principles”.

ETIQUETTE: “literally, ticket -- the conduct or procedure required by good breeding or prescribed by authority to be observed in social or official life”.

Although, by nature, these two concepts go hand-in-hand, there are some significant differences from a Masonic point of view.

Masonic Conduct
Masonic Conduct most often deals with those issues for which regulations have been established with the intent that they are to be followed universally.
Many of the rules of Masonic conduct (or misconduct) are, therefore, well defined in Grand Lodge Constitutions, even though they may be simply a matter of personal jurisprudence and common sense. Others, like the prohibition on use of Craft emblems in promoting business, are distinctly Masonic. Some rules of conduct can vary by Grand Lodge jurisdiction. In New York, for example, opening a Lodge on a degree other than the third has long been decreed a Masonic offense, while in Arizona it is deemed completely proper conduct at the discretion of the Worshipful Master in the execution of his duties.
At the individual level, proper Masonic Conduct is our guide to governing ourselves, both within and outside the Lodge room; from the right things to say (or to refrain from saying) to another Brother in the presence of strangers on the street to the observation of the general silence at the prescribed stroke of the Grand Master’s gavel. Masonic Conduct (or misconduct) covers a myriad of general issues such as habitual lying, use of profanity, misrepresentation, violation of civil laws, and immorality as well as purely Masonic concerns – improper recommendation of or discussion of the merits of a Petitioner, unlawful balloting or refusal to cast a ballot and refusing to admit a District Deputy Grand Master. Violations of proper Masonic conduct almost always include some penalty or discipline

MasonicEtiquette
Masonic Etiquette, on the other hand, provides a conscious “fine-tuning” of many elements of Masonry that may not be part of the “formal” laws of
conduct and generally have no disciplinary measures attached, but which we have learned to be those accepted points of courtesy all good Masons are encouraged to practice. Many of these lessons come from our ritual. While it is not usually an integral part of the Constitutions, ritual spells out many of the courtesies that should be extended, not only to other Masons, Officers, Masters and Grand Lodge Officers, but to friends, neighbors- even strangers.
The sign of fidelity, for example, is not defined in the Book of Constitutions and no written rules are provided for its appropriate use. Ritual, however, describes a variety of proper circumstances in which
the sign SHOULD be given as a matter of courtesy and respect.
While other lessons of Masonic Etiquette may be offered in some written form, typically as a booklet offering “suggestions” or “enlightenment”, certain of these rules of decorum are simply passed down to new Brothers (or SHOULD be so imparted) by their mentors or Lodge Officers. These are usually common sense issues for which the Grand Lodge has passed no laws or regulations, often intentionally.
Consider, for example, that there are no regulations that define acceptable attire at a stated Communication, nor is there an edict mandating that the Master should always be covered. However, it is generally accepted that the Brothers wear business attire to meetings (at least in non-tropical climates) and that, if he chooses to be covered, the Master, when clothed in his tuxedo, would not top it off with his well-worn baseball cap.
The importance of proper Masonic Conduct and Masonic Etiquette are two-fold. When in the Lodge, they aid in maintaining its harmony by guiding Brothers in exemplifying the principles of Masonry to new initiates. Outside the Lodge, they are equally important as they provide the framework for the standards by which the individual Mason and theLodge he represents may be evaluated.
Familiarity with these concepts and their fundamental principles is absolutely necessary for a successful Masonic journey! Remember, as a Mason, YOU are the representative of your Brothers, your Lodge and the Craft in general. Those high Masonic standards by which you conduct yourself, both in the Lodge and outside it, tell others that you are a man of good moral character; one who can be trusted to take the right actions, even in adversity, and a man who can be looked up to because he lives according to a higher principle.