duties of lodge officers
Grand Lodge Of California
The
following list all the appointed and elected offices within a lodge, their
installation oath, duties as well as some symbolical thoughts. some of
the duties may differ from Grand Lodge to Grand Lodge, but in general, they are
very similar.
The below was taken mostly from the
California Masonic Code.
Below are the Lodge Officers:
In a Masonic Lodge the thoughtful observer
discovers that nearly every object about him has a meaning. And here is the
point at which symbolism comes into the picture. In the course of the Work
attention is directed to various symbols about the room. Even the location of
each Officer has a meaning.
In this chapter I desire to direct the reader’s
attention to the Chaplain, to his place and duties, especially in the light of
the symbolical meanings of the office.
Upon entering a Lodge one is struck with the
significance of the Chaplain’s place – at the left of the Master in the East.
Symbolized here is leadership and spirituality, side by side. Here is symbolized
the fact that he who leads must, if he would build that which will endure, lean
on things spiritual. Considering, then, the Chaplain’s place in the Lodge, we
see why it is necessary that he be in his proper place – at the left of the
Master in the East.
Too often I see a Chaplain seated on the sidelines.
As a matter of humility perhaps this may be commended, but there are times when
humility is not a virtue, and when it is not to be paraded, and this is one of
them. I have often seen a Chaplain seated in the Marshal’s chair, and that is
also wrong. The Chaplain’s place is in the East, even as Solomon, we are told,
placed at his side the High Priest, in order that the mighty and wise King might
have the benefit of spiritual advice.
So much for the Chaplain’s place. No let us
consider his work – and by that I have in mind the part that he plays in the
course of the ritualistic work, and in the various forms and ceremonies.
The Chaplain’s chief task is to lead the devotions
of his Lodge. The prayers at the opening and at the closing of the Lodge, and
those repeated from time to time during the Work, have as much a place in the
scheme of things as any other detail of the Ritual.
I have known Masters so derelict in their
conception of duty as to permit their Lodges to be opened and closed without
prayers. So low a conception of the spiritual side of Masonry is bound to be
disruptive, sooner or later, of harmony in the Lodge. And it must be apparent
that no human institution can live up to its highest possible ideals and ignore
the things that are spiritual. Many have tried, and many are still trying –
sooner or later, however, the effort will be marked by failure. We must not, we
dare not, neglect the spiritual aspects of life. All of which emphasized the
significance of the Chaplain’s prominent place before the brethren, and the
importance of his duties.
And now for a glance at the ritualistic side of the
Chaplain’s work. In the opening and closing of the Lodge certain prayers are
used. The prayers are contained in the Standard Monitor, and are to be
used as they appear – unless the Chaplain is sufficiently gifted to improve on
them! I have heard of many attempts at improvement, but only once or twice has
the effort proved a success. In these prayers, as in all of our Work, the theme,
or motif (call it what you choose), is “Harmony.” Analyze these prayers –
as for example: “Grant that the sublime principles of Freemasonry may so subdue
every discordant passion within us, so harmonize and enrich our hearts with
Thine own love and goodness, that the Lodge at this time may humbly reflect that
order and beauty which reign forever before Thy Thrown.”
Again at the closing of Lodge observe this
beautiful petition to the Great Architect: “Subdue every discordant passion
within us, and enable us to love one another in the bonds of union and
friendship.”
And here I also say, observe how impressively the
theme of harmony is woven throughout the passage. Like any profound musical
selection, any book worth while, any master painting – in short, like any great
work of art, these prayers have a quality that makes them live. The prose of
them is worthy of a Cranmer; in its rhythm is a majesty that moves us mightily,
and withal a striking sincerity of appeal.
As is true everywhere in our Ritual, the English of
these prayers is characterized by a smoothness, together with a ruggedness, a
fixity of purpose, to be found in few of the masterpieces of composition, and
with it all the quality of incisiveness that only sincerity can lend. Brother
Chaplain, use them – unless you are so exceptionally gifted as to be able to
improve upon them!
In light of these considerations is it cause for
wonder that we are appalled as we listen to some of the prayers that are offered
to the Supreme Architect? Some time ago I chanced to be present at the opening
off a Lodge. The Chaplain stepped to the Alter for the opening prayer. As I
listened I was amazed at the poor man’s fearful and wonderful conception of
life. He prayed the good Lord to give each of us strength to withstand the
trials and tribulations of this “vale of tears,” and in particular the trials of
our daily occupation.
Perhaps he meant well. I don’t know. But heaven
help the man who looks with repugnance upon the fact that he is obliged to work,
and God bless the man who can put his feet out upon the floor in the morning and
rejoice that he, like Saint Paul, has a race to run. Moreover, it may be a
personal feeling of mine, but the thread bear allusion to life as a vale of
tears never fails to leave me cold. It implies a miserable philosophy of living.
The Master who drew our designs never intended us to take so abject an attitude
toward anything of His providing.
Many times, too, I have observed Chaplains render
the prayers from the sidelines. This practice lacks proper dignity and fails
utterly to achieve impressiveness. It encourages an idea that prayer is not
particularly important, whereas, if the Chaplain is in his proper place, his
appeal for divine guidance is elevated to the high standard to which it belongs.
These prayers, and the Scripture passages to which
I shall presently allude, should be memorized. The passages, however, are to
read, recited, or sung at the end of the perambulation. [Omitted: Floor work
unique to New York.]
Since the Holy Bible is in the center of the room,
the focal point of the attention of all, it is fitting that the Chaplain do his
work here as a matter of association if for no other reason. Around the
spiritual should our lives revolve. Symbolically the Lodge represents life,
“from the rising of the sun to the going down of the same,” wherefore it is
altogether appropriate that that which relates to the spiritual in our Work be
performed in the very center of the room. [Cf. California where all work is done
from the place of light – the East.]
In the light of these considerations is it to be
wondered at if we are appalled at the spectacle of a Master opening his Lodge
without prayer? By the same token can one conceive a Master so lacking in a
sense of the fitness of things as to permit his brethren to leave without
prayer?
-- (Our Stations and Places, Henry G.
Meacham, Grand Lecturer, 1953-1977 (Grand Lodge of New York, F. & A.M., 1979
ed. of 1938 original work), pp. 40-44.)
Worshipful Brother, that
Holy Book, which adorns our Sacred Alter, is the Great Light in Masonry, and
forever sheds its Benignant rays upon every lawful assemblage of Free and
Accepted Masons. Teach us from its life giving precepts; invoke upon our labors
the Blessing of that Divine Being whose infinite goodness it so fully reveals
and unfolds to us; and guide us by its lessons of wisdom and truth, and you will
have faithfully fulfilled your important trust. It is your duty to perform those
solemn services which we should constantly render to our Great Creator, and
Reverently to “allure to brighter worlds and lead the way,” and thus by
elevating our thoughts, strengthening our virtues, and purifying our minds,
prepare us for admission into the society of the Blessed in the realms of Life
and Light eternal. It is fitting that an emblem of the Sacred volume should be
the jewel of your office, and with it you will now be invested.
*** *** ***
Such is the nature of
our Constitution, that as some must of necessity rule and teach, so must others
of course, learn to submit and obey. Humility in both is an essential duty.
The officers who have
been chosen to govern your Lodge are sufficiently conversant with the rules of
propriety and the laws of the Institution to avoid exceeding the power with
which they have been entrusted; and you are of too generous a disposition to
envy their preferment. It is therefore trusted that you will have but one aim –
to please one another and unite in the grand design of promoting happiness.
As this association has
been formed and perfected in so much unanimity and concord, so may it long
continue. May you long enjoy every satisfaction and delight which disinterested
friendship can afford. May kindness and brotherly affection distinguish your
conduct as men and as Masons.
Within your peaceful
walls may your children’s children celebrate with joy and gratitude the annual
recurrence of the auspicious solemnity of installing the officers of My Name
Lodge No. 345. And may the tenants of our profession be transmitted through this
Lodge, pure and unimpaired, from generation to generation.
Duties – Required
To perform such duties consonant
with the usages of the Craft and appertaining of the station of the Chaplain,
as may be required by the by-laws or directed by the Master.
Duties – Suggested
1. To
offer devotions at all dinner meetings and other Lodge functions as requested by
the Master;
2. To
attend all Lodge functions (Stated and Special meetings, family night programs
and other Lodge functions);
3. To
serve as Chairman of the Widows committee;
4. To
serve on the Visitor’s Examination committee;
5. To
assist the Tiler in setting up and tearing down the Lodge room;
Ritual - Implied
To attend all degree practices when requested
by the Master;
Ritual – Required
1. To
attend the District Officer’s Association meetings
2. To
be qualified to give the work of the Chaplain in all Degrees (opening and
closing prayers, perambulations and charges).
Ritual – Suggested
1. To
know the Third Ruffian’s part in the second section of the Third Degree.
The Jewel of your office is the Open Book. This
represents the Volume of the Sacred Law, which is always open upon the Alter
when the Brethren are at labor in the Lodge. The Volume of the Sacred Law is he
greatest of the three lights great, though emblematical, lights in Freemasonry.
The Sacred Writings are given as the rule and guide of our Faith. The Sacred
Volume will guide us to all Truth, direct our steps in the paths of Happiness,
and point out to us the whole Duty of man. Without it the Lodge is not perfect;
and without an openly avowed belief in its Divine Author, no Candidate can be
lawfully initiated into our Order. Your place in the Lodge is on the immediate
left of the Worshipful Master, and as, both in the Opening and Closing of the
Lodge in each Degree, as well as in each of he three Ceremonies, the Blessing of
the Almighty is invoked on our proceedings, it will be your duty, as far as may
be possible, to attend the meetings of the Lodge, in order that you may exercise
your sacred office in the devotional portions of our Ceremonies.
Is associated with Grammar, the Art which sets out
strict rules for structuring ideas in order that they can be communicated and
recorded in the physical world. The Tiler represents that part of the psyche
which is in intimate contact with the physical body through the central nervous
system. It is a 'guard' in that it protects the psyche from being overwhelmed by
stimuli from the physical world.
--[W. Kirk MacNulty, Freemasonry: A Journey
Through Ritual and Symbol, p. 23-24 (Thames and Hudson, Ltd., London,
1991.)]
He stands outside the Lodge where he represents
that part of the psyche which is in direct contact with the body through the
sense organs. In everyday living, we have very little awareness of this body
consciousness. Unless the body itself malfunctions through disease, accident or
deprivation, or unless we direct out attention to it specifically, it operates
pretty much on its own. ... We can see that the physical body provides a
substantial input of energy to the psyche in the form of physical demands and
sensory information, and the Tiler represents that psychological function which
first receives this energy and directs it properly. ... A significant part of
the incoming energy is passed directly into the unconscious parts of the psyche
without the individual being aware of it. Some of this information is used by
the autonomic nervous system in its task of regulating the body's functioning.
The rest passes into the personal unconscious. Thus, the Tiler must be under
conscious control [since] many people misuse the Tiler's ability to bypass
information to the unconscious to enable them to ignore unpleasant things they
do not wish to acknowledge.
--W. Kirk MacNulty, The Way of the Craftsman:
A Search for the Spiritual Essence of Craft Freemasonry, p. 39, (Penguin
Arkana, 1988)
Bro. Doe, you have been appointed Tiler of this
Lodge, and you were invested with the jewel and implement of your office.
As the sword is placed in the hands of the Tiler to
enable him effectually to guard against the approach of cowans and
eavesdroppers, and suffer none to pass or repass except such as are duly
qualified, so should it admonish us to set a guard over our thoughts, a watch at
our lips, and post a sentinel over our actions; thereby preventing the approach
of every unworthy thought and deed, and preserving consciences void of offense
toward God and men.
*** *** ***
Such is the nature of our Constitution, that as
some must of necessity rule and teach, so must others of course, learn to submit
and obey. Humility in both is an essential duty.
The officers who have been chosen to govern your
Lodge are sufficiently conversant with the rules of propriety and the laws of
the Institution to avoid exceeding the power with which they have been
entrusted; and you are of too generous a disposition to envy their preferment.
It is therefore trusted that you will have but one aim – to please one another
and unite in the grand design of promoting happiness.
As this association has been formed and perfected
in so much unanimity and concord, so may it long continue. May you long enjoy
every satisfaction and delight which disinterested friendship can afford. May
kindness and brotherly affection distinguish your conduct as men and as Masons.
Within your peaceful walls may your children’s
children celebrate with joy and gratitude the annual recurrence of the
auspicious solemnity of installing the officers of My Name Lodge No. 345. And
may the tenants of our profession be transmitted through this Lodge, pure and
unimpaired, from generation to generation.
Duties – Required
To perform such duties consonant
with the usages of the Craft and appertaining of the station of the Tiler, as
may be required by the By-Laws or directed by the Master.
Duties – Implied
1.
To be responsible for setting up and tearing down the Lodge room for all
Stated and Special meetings (Before meeting: Arrive early, unlock door, turn on
Masonic sign, set up Lodge room early so that the meeting can start on time,
properly lay out paraphernalia for degree on hand including candidate
paraphernalia, set out jewels for Master in proper order; After meeting: Break
down Lodge, put away paraphernalia, turn off lights and lock door; If unable to
attend meeting: Notify Master and obtain substitute to fulfill duties);
2. To
receive all visitors and assist them in filling out visitor cards;
3. To
notify the Senior Deacon of all visitors and provide him with a card containing
their names suitable to be used for introductions (including their titles, and
the name and location of their Lodges);
4. To
notify the Marshal of all candidates for degrees;
5. To
attend all Lodge functions (Stated and Special meetings, family night programs
and other Lodge functions);
Ritual – Required
1. To
attend the District Officer’s Association meetings
2. To
be qualified to give the work of Tiler in all degrees;
Ritual – Suggested
To know how to properly prepare candidates for all degrees.
Eugene Covill, the candidate, and Ed Westbrook, the
Tyler, sat in the ante-room of Finger Lakes Lodge. Nearly half an hour ago the
Junior Deacon had informed Ed that the Lodge was open on the Third Degree of
Masonry. At times a low-voiced conversation passed between the two men, for the
most part Gene was busy with his thoughts. He had been notified to be present to
receive the First Degree. He was happy – soon he would realize his fondest hope
by being made a Mason.
He remembered his grandfather, a man of sturdy New
England stock, to whom his father had often pointed with pride “as an upright
man and Mason.” To Gene he had been the living embodiment of such a man. When a
little boy there was born in Gene’s breast a great desire to know more about
this Masonry of which he heard so much, but concerning which he knew so little.
And now tonight …
Before Lodge was called he had been greeted by
Frank Vogt, the Worshipful Master, Ed Pickard, the Senior Warden, and Floyd
Holmes, the Junior Warden, as well as the rest of the brethren. He was impressed
by their welcome, by the spirit of kind hospitality that pervaded the room. At
no time was the conversation directed into channels calculated to rouse fear in
him. Apparently all tried to give him a favorable impression of our ancient
institution. At no time had he heard the word “Mister.” All had addressed one
another as “Brother.”
While they were thus engaged with their thoughts
two Officers of the Lodge appeared. These Gene was later to know as the Senior
and Junior Stewards. He followed them into the preparation room, where he was
awaited by the Marshal, Edward Barnes. Here his mind was further prepared for
what was to follow. The quiet demeanor of the three men gave him confidence, as
the words of the Marshal assured him that “Freemasonry is far removed from all
that is trivial, selfish, and ungodly…” The usual questions were answered, and
the Marshal returned to the Lodge room.
The quire respectful demeanor of the three Officers
in the preparation room, together with the absence of the useless frivolity and
crude jokes, had made a lasting impression on the mind of this candidate for
Masonry. And this was as it should be. Nothing should be left undone to convey
to the mind of the candidate the seriousness of the step he is about to take.
The demeanor of the brethren he meets, the absence of a spirit of levity and
skylarking in the ante-room, as well as in the preparation room, will go far
toward laying a foundation on which will rest the structure into which his mind
perfectly fits as a “Living Store.”
To further this aim, the Monitor wisely
states that “when the candidate for initiation shall have entered the
preparation room, the Marshal of the Lodge or some other officer or member,
shall, by direction of the Worshipful Master, repair thither, and may address
him as follows.” And the address which does follow is too often greatly
neglected. To read it in a stumbling, halting fashion robs it of its beauty, and
must fail utterly to impress the candidate with the truths it contains. All
Lodges must entrust to the Marshal the duty of meeting the candidate here, but
too often the Marshal is unable to create an atmosphere of reverence because of
his inability to render this very important portion of the Work in an impressive
manner.
And what of the Inner Door that leads from the
Preparation Room to the mysteries that lie beyond? This Candidate for Masonry
must needs pass through it. Yet, no Tyler sits on the outside, no Junior Deacon
guards its portals from within. It is unique in this respect, as no other door
is like it. It is guarded by the entire Lodge, each member of which holds in his
hand that mystic key, the ballot.
I well remember a Lodge I once visited where no
preparation room existed. The brother who showed us through the Lodge quarters
said, in response to our query as to its location, “We are obliged to use the
ante-room as a preparation room because the arrangement of these rooms, which we
rent, leaves no space for one.” I hope no such condition exists today, but if it
does exist the Worshipful Master should require his brethren to remain outside
of the ante-room while the candidates are here prepared.
That night, as on other nights, no privacy was
afforded the candidates, and it seemed to us that the Lodge failed utterly to
impress them with the solemnity of the occasion. Instead of being made to
realize that they were to be as children groping their way in darkness for a
light to illumine their pathway, candidates must have gained the impression that
it was just another case of “joining.” No feeling of earnestness of purpose
permeated the atmosphere. Candidates were received into the Lodge with no
conception whatever of the importance of the step they were taking. Let me say,
in passing, that this condition has been remedied in that Lodge. The ante-room
has been remodeled at comparatively little expense, while a comfortable
preparation room has been provided that is both comfortable and commodious.
A similar situation existed in another Lodge, and
also has been cared for. Here portable screens had been used to provide a
semblance of seclusion in the preparation room – a half-hearted attempt at
privacy. Every effort of the Stewards and the Marshal to lend an air of dignity
to the occasion was lost. Noting could offset the confusion of talk and laughter
of the brethren during the period of refreshment. It is safe to say that
candidates prepared under these conditions were little better off than if no
screens at all had been provided.
These were extreme cases; they have since been
remedied, and we may be sure that it would be a difficult matter to find a
single Lodge in this Grand Jurisdiction where they exist now. But they are
examples of heedlessness and thoughtlessness against which every Lodge should
guard. The thought of preparing candidates under such conditions is intolerable
and should note be countenanced. No matter how well the Degree may be conferred,
an irremovable scar is left on the minds of the initiates which time seldom
removes.
If I were Marshal of a Lodge I would memorize
thoroughly the address to the candidates and the three questions asked. I would
study carefully the meaning of the words I uttered and the thought back of them,
that they might be delivered in an understanding manner. The address was written
for a purpose, and to ignore that purpose is simply to nullify its usefulness.
The doors leading to into the preparation room
should be locked while candidates are being prepared, to prevent useless running
to and fro by the brethren of the Lodge, unless other means are provided for
privacy. No matter how luxurious the preparation room may be (and luxury is not
a necessity here), the desired effect is lost unless the heedless are kept out.
This should be a room, quiet in appointments, devoted to a certain purpose only,
and privacy should be maintained. No one should be permitted here except those
whose duty requires their presence. Then, too, I would see that all ritualistic
garb was such as would not offend the finer sensibilities of any candidate. It
should be sweet, clean and wholesome. There is no excuse for musty, damp or
soiled garments. The little touch of kindly consideration, so much needed here,
will blossom forth in a harvest of earnestness and devotion in the hearts of
every candidate.
Proper mental preparation as well as correct
ritualistic preparation – that is the point! Eugene Covill had been properly
prepared. It is save to say he went “out from that evening’s ceremonies a loyal
Mason, a worthy brother, an apprentice entered upon a new field of labor, with a
new sense of duty, and bound by a solemn vow ever to walk and act uprightly, and
speak reverently His name before whom all Masons should humbly, reverently, and
devoutly bow.”
--(Our Stations and Places, Henry G.
Meacham, Grand Lecturer, 1953-1977 (Grand Lodge of New York, F. & A.M., 1979
ed. of 1938 original work), pp. 60-65, mod. to use California Officer’s
titles.)
Brother Payne, you have been appointed Steward of this Lodge. In olden
times, your province was to superintend and provide for the Festivals of the
Craft, to assist in the collection of dues and subscriptions, to keep an account
of the expenses for refreshments, and to see that the tables were properly
supplied and every Brother suitably provided for. In modern times, however, the
provision for actual refreshment has diminished and your principal functions
will now be to prepare Candidates for admission, and to perform those duties
which Masonic custom has assigned to you on days of procession. You have
received your jewel, together with the white rod.
*** *** ***
Such is the nature of our Constitution, that as
some must of necessity rule and teach, so must others of course, learn to submit
and obey. Humility in both is an essential duty.
The officers who have been chosen to govern your
Lodge are sufficiently conversant with the rules of propriety and the laws of
the Institution to avoid exceeding the power with which they have been
entrusted; and you are of too generous a disposition to envy their preferment.
It is therefore trusted that you will have but one aim – to please one another
and unite in the grand design of promoting happiness.
As this association has been formed and perfected
in so much unanimity and concord, so may it long continue. May you long enjoy
every satisfaction and delight which disinterested friendship can afford. May
kindness and brotherly affection distinguish your conduct as men and as Masons.
Within your peaceful walls may your children’s
children celebrate with joy and gratitude the annual recurrence of the
auspicious solemnity of installing the officers of My Name Lodge No. 345. And
may the tenants of our profession be transmitted through this Lodge, pure and
unimpaired, from generation to generation.
Duties – Required
To perform such duties consonant
with the usages of the Craft and appertaining of the station of the Senior
Steward, as may be required by the By-Laws or directed by the Master.
Duties – Implied
1. To
be responsible for the Steward’s committee for all dinners and all degrees. The
Steward’s committee should consist of the Junior Steward and, as a minimum, five
additional Masons (the five most recently raised Masons should be included as a
part of this Committee so they can become acquainted with the rest of the
members of the Lodge);
2. To
be responsible for providing refreshments after all degrees (setting up the
tables, acquiring, preparing and serving refreshments as necessary, i.e., making
coffee, etc.);
3. To
keep itemized receipts for all refreshment expenditures (coffee, cheese
platters, cold-cuts, pies, etc., paper goods, and other staples as required);
4. To
turn over all receipts to the Junior Warden monthly (to be submitted with the
Junior Warden’s receipts to the Secretary at least one week prior to the Stated
meeting);
Duties – Suggested
1. To
serve on the Budget committee as an ex-officio member;
2. To
serve on the Visitor’s Examination committee;
3. To
serve on the Entertainment committee;
4. To
serve as Chairman of the Lodge’s Public Information committee;
5. To
serve on the Telephone committee;
6. To
attend all Lodge functions (Stated and Special meetings, family night programs
and other Lodge functions);
Ritual – Required
1. To
attend the District Officer’s Association Meetings;
2. To
be qualified to give the work of the Senior Steward in all Degrees;
Ritual – Implied
1. To
learn the work of the Senior Steward in all Degrees;
2. To
learn the work of the Junior Deacon in the first section of the Second Degree;
3. To
learn the work of the Senior Deacon in the first section of the First Degree;
4. To
attend all degree practices designated by the Master;
Ritual – Suggested
1. To
give the Second Degree Charge at all Second Degrees.
2. To
learn the perambulations for all three degrees;
3. To
know the First Traveler’s part for the second section of the Third Degree.
Duties – Required
To perform such duties consonant
with the usages of the Craft and appertaining of the station of the Junior
Steward, as may be required by the By-Laws or directed by the Master.
Duties – Implied
1. To
serve on the Steward’s committee for all dinners and refreshments after all
degrees;
2. To
be responsible for the Steward’s committee in the absence of the Senior Steward;
3. To
attend all Lodge functions (Stated and Special meetings, family night programs
and other Lodge functions);
Duties – Suggested
1. To
serve on the Visitor’s Examination Committee;
2. To
serve on the Entertainment Committee;
3. To
serve on the Telephone Committee;
Ritual – Required
1. To
attend the District Officers’ Association meetings ;
2. To
be qualified to give the work of the Junior Steward in all Degrees;
Ritual – Implied
1. To
learn the work of the Senior Steward in all Degrees;
2. To
learn the work of the Senior Steward in the first section of the Second Degree;
3. To
learn the work of the Junior Deacon in the first section of the First Degree;
4. To
attend all degree practices designated by the Master;
Ritual – Suggested
1. To
give the First Degree Charge for all First Degrees.
2. To
learn the charges for all three degrees;
3. To
know the Second Traveler’s part in the second section of the Third Degree;
4. To
know how to properly prepare candidates in all degrees.
Of
what is the cornucopia emblematic?Cornucopia, or the Horn of Plenty. A source whence, according to the ancient
poets, every production of the earth was lavished. In the Masonic system it is
the symbol of joy, peace and plenty. It is the official jewel of the Stewards of
the Lodge. [Sec. 224]
What
are the duties of Stewards?
Stewards, Duties of. The Stewards are two in number, and are
appointed by the Junior Warden [Cf., California where the Worshipful Master
makes all appointments]. They sit on the right and left of that officer, each on
having a white rod, as the insignia of his office, and wearing the cornucopia as
a jewel.
Preston says that their duties are "to introduce visitors, and see
that they are properly accommodated; to collect subscriptions and other fees,
and to keep an exact account of the Lodge expenses." Webb adds to these the
further duties of seeing "that the tables are properly furnished at refreshment,
and that every brother is suitably provided for," and makes them the assistants
generally of the Deacons and other officers in performing their respective
duties.
There can be no doubt, from the nature of the office in other
institutions, that the duty of the Stewards was originally to arrange and direct
the refreshments of the Lodge, and to provide accommodations for the brethren on
such occasions. When the office was first established, refreshments constituted
an important and necessary part of the proceedings of every Lodge. Although not
yet abolished, the Lodge banquets are now fewer, and occur at greater intervals,
and the services of the Stewards are therefore now less necessary, so far as
respects their original duties as servitors at the table. Hence new duties are
beginning to be imposed upon them, and they are, in many jurisdictions,
considered as the proper officers to examine visitors and prepare candidates.
[E.g., California.]
The examination of visitors, and the preparation of candidates for
reception into the different degrees, requires an amount of skill and experience
which can be obtained only by careful study. It seems, therefore, highly
expedient that instead of intrusting these services to committees appointed as
occasion may require, they should be made the especial duty of officers
designated at their installation for that purpose, and who will therefore, it is
to be supposed, diligently prepare themselves for the correct discharge of the
functions of their office.
Preston says that at their installation the Master and the Wardens
are the representatives of the Master Masons who are absent, the Deacons of the
Fellow Crafts, and the Stewards of the Entered Apprentices.
The Stewards, like the Deacons, although not elected, but appointed,
cannot, after installation, be removed by the officer who appointed them.
I may remark, in conclusion, that the office is one of great
antiquity, since we find it alluded to and the duties enumerated in the Old York
Constitutions of 926, where the Steward is directed "to provide good cheer
against the hour of refreshment," and to render a true and correct account of
all expenses. [Sec. 890]
Masonry Defined: A Liberal Masonic Education Easily Obtained,
E.R. Johnson, at Sections 224 and 890 (National Masonic Press, Inc., Kingsport,
Tenn., 1930).
The work of the Lodge being ended, the Brethren
usually assemble for dinner and are placed in order at the tables. The
Worshipful Master is received in due form. Grace is given by the Chaplain or
Worshipful Master.
The Stewards should make as hearty a meal as they
can accomplish in the time at their disposal, for with the coming of soup they
must set about their task of attending to the wants of the Brethren. True, the
waiters would do all the work, and in some Lodges the Steward’s office in this
respect is a sinecure; but those who have the Lodge interests at heart will take
part in the work and ascertain the preference or wants of any Brother, and as
far as possible see they are provided for. The Stewards will also see that a
check and watch is kept on the supplies. Such attentions frequently have a
surprising and beneficial result on the ultimate bill. Such devotion to duty on
the Steward’s part will receive the approbation of the Lodge in general and the
Treasurer in particular!
Furthermore, a Steward should welcome the
opportunity to become more closely acquainted with his fellow members and the
visitors, for while the Stewards are expected to thoroughly perform their
ambulatory duties, they have, while doing so, unique opportunities for a
friendly chat, or a few words – of course at suitable times and occasions.
At the close of the dinner, they should be ready to
assist in Tyling, if need be, and if there be no organist or musical director,
should – after the loyal and Masonic toasts- see that the artists (if any) are
in attendance, and are hospitably entertained, keeping them informed of the
times they are required to appear.
In particular, the Stewards should give special
attention to the Visiting Brethren, see they have all they need, and generally
assist in making their visit pleasant.
About this time certain members and most of the
visitors will be just a little curious as to those on whom the Master will call
for a speech.
At great functions this will have been arranged
beforehand, but in the average Private Lodge, especially on ordinary nights, the
usual custom is to select the speakers on the night, and frequently at the
dinner table.
The considerate and prudent Master will decide this
as early in the evening as he can, and duly advise the selected Brethren of the
honor to be conferred upon them, thus giving time for the speakers to collect
their thoughts.
This is not the place to give a discourse on public
or after-dinner speeches. Many excellent articles have appeared recently in
Masonic Record on this subject. There is no doubt that it is a pleasure to
listen to a fluent, easy speaker.
The Mason should always be ready to speak. Try and
say something a little out of the ordinary; above all, do not say too much. A
good speech is not appraised by the number of words delivered, but by the
sincerity of the speaker, the appropriateness of his remarks and the manner of
its delivery.
The old adage for speakers to “stand up, speak up
and shut up” has a deal of truth in it, but the advice of that great
elocutionist, Canon Fleming, to “commence low, take fire, raise higher, when
most impressed, be self-possessed,” is worthy of all regard. Any effective
speech should be progressive. Commence by speaking quite quietly; the audience
will be bound to listen to hear what you have to say. Then take fire, warm to
the subject, rise higher in tone, sentiment and word, but be careful to avoid
bathos; do not get lost in a maze, but make the point clear, drive it home and
conclude by dropping to a normal tone. Take the audience out of themselves, but
don’t leave them in the skies, bring them back to earth again. In any case,
avoid such a conclusion as he remark that “I think that is all I have to say” –
this is obvious from the fact of your sitting down.
One rule in particular should be strictly observed,
and that is, that no political or religious matters shall be discussed, either
in Lodge or at the dinner table. Every member is entitled to his own religious
and political belief, but he must refrain from airing his opinions, or
expressing them in any way. There are so many subjects open for discussion that
it is a welcome relief to find religion and politics strictly barred.
-- Unwritten Laws in Freemasonry, “Hazlitt,”
P.M., Chapter V at 37-39 (The Masonic Record, Ltd., London England, 1925).
Is associated with Logic, the Art which teaches
rules for rational analysis; highly structured, but entirely psychological. It
represents what contemporary psychology refers to as the ego, the
habit-following executive of day-to-day psychological activity which is
distinguished by its capacity to form mental images. It is a 'guard' in the
sense that it provides the personae that enables the psyche to relate to the
world.
-- [W. Kirk MacNulty, Freemasonry: A Journey
Through Ritual and Symbol, p. 23-24 (Thames and Hudson, Ltd., London, 1991.)
His position within the door indicates that this
stage of consciousness is genuinely within the psyche, while his intimate
relationship with the Tiler/Outer Guard indicates that he is very much concerned
with the physical world. In the terminology of modern psychology, the [Marshall]
represents the ordinary consciousness; the ego. ... Now, most people give
primary attention to the physical world; and in a person so orientated, the ego
is directed outward toward the body and its physical activities. The Freudian
school of psychology, whose theories were formulated on the basis of observation
of people with this orientation, considers the ego to be the executive agency of
the individual. Here, we see one of he principal differences between the Craft's
concept of the human being and that of the Freudian psychologist. If we were to
attempt to express the Freudian model in Masonic symbolism, the [Marshall] --
the ego -- stands in the doorway of the Lodge peering over the Tiler's shoulder,
so to speak, and trying as best he can to direct the activity of the body; all
the while he is oblivious of the activities of the Lodge which occur behind him
in his unconscious. This is an unfortunate situation, because the ego, while a
good servant, and routine operator, does not have the capacity or scope of
understanding to be a good master. Indeed, it frequently leads the individual
into trouble. This is, of course, the situation in which most people find
themselves, and it accounts for much human grief -- but it falls far short of
human potential.
The open Lodge is a model of the psyche when it is
awake to its potential. In the Masonic model we see that the [Marshall] looks in
two directions - inward, to the Junior Warden, to receive instruction from deep
within the psyche, and outward to receive perceptions from the body. Here we see
the ego operating as it should, as a level of consciousness which mediates
between the psyche and the physical world. ... In the Open Lodge, which is
concerned with serious work at the psychological level, the ego is seen in his
proper perspective: as an excellent door-keeper.
-- W. Kirk MacNulty, The Way of the Craftsman: A
Search for the Spiritual Essence of Craft Freemasonry, pp. 40-41, (Penguin
Arkana, 1988)
Brother Cassée, you have been appointed Marshall of this Lodge and you
will now be invested with the jewel and symbol of your office.
The Baton is an emblem of command, and is significant of your duties.
You will under the direction of the Master take charge of all processions of the
Lodge, and you are enjoined that the proper performance of many of our
ceremonies will depend upon the manner in which your duties are discharged.
*** *** ***
Such is the nature of
our Constitution, that as some must of necessity rule and teach, so must others
of course, learn to submit and obey. Humility in both is an essential duty.
The officers who have
been chosen to govern your Lodge are sufficiently conversant with the rules of
propriety and the laws of the Institution to avoid exceeding the power with
which they have been entrusted; and you are of too generous a disposition to
envy their preferment. It is therefore trusted that you will have but one aim –
to please one another and unite in the grand design of promoting happiness.
As this association has
been formed and perfected in so much unanimity and concord, so may it long
continue. May you long enjoy every satisfaction and delight which disinterested
friendship can afford. May kindness and brotherly affection distinguish your
conduct as men and as Masons.
Within your peaceful walls may your children’s children celebrate with joy and
gratitude the annual recurrence of the auspicious solemnity of installing the
officers of My Name Lodge No. 345. And may the tenants of our profession be
transmitted through this Lodge, pure and unimpaired, from generation to
generation.
Duties – Required
To perform such duties consonant with the usages of the Craft and appertaining
of the station of the Marshal, as may be required by the By-Laws or directed by
the Master.
Duties – Suggested
1.
To greet and stay with the First Degree candidate(s) from the time they
enter the Temple until the Lodge is ready to open (if possible, request another
brother to remain with them until the Lodge is opened and the degree starts).
Instruct them to remain in the library or foyer until called for;
2.
To greet all Second and Third Degree candidates and review all signs,
tokens, and words of the preceding degree(s) with them before Lodge opens;
3.
To attend all Lodge functions (Stated and Special meetings, family night
programs and other Lodge functions);
4.
To serve as Chairman of the Masonic Homes Endowment Committee;
5.
To serve as Chairman of the Sojourner’s committee;
Ritual – Implied
1.
To attend the District Officer’s Association meetings;
2.
To be qualified to give the work of the Marshal in all Degrees
(interrogation of the First Degree candidates, reception of the flag and Grand
Lodge Officers);
Ritual – Suggested
1.
To give the Third Degree Charge at all Third Degrees.
2.
To learn the perambulations and charges for all three degrees;
3.
To know the First Ruffian’s part in the second section of the Third
Degree.
This chapter is not written with a thought in mind
merely for more than a thousand brethren who, in our Jurisdiction, today occupy
the important Office of Junior Deacon. It is written as well for the other
thousands who will come after them, and for that still greater body of brothers
who, though they will never enter the line, enjoy the ritualistic work of the
Lodge directly in proportion as they comprehend and understand the function of
each Officer taking part in the Work. Add to this those brethren who have
already seen service in this and other Stations of the Lodge, and just about
everybody is included in the audience which I envisage for these paragraphs.
First let us run over in our mind the duty of the
Junior Deacon as he relates and analyze it. It is four-fold:
To Carry Messages
To Attend to Alarms
To Report the Same
To See the Lodge is Duly Tiled
Now for the first duty – to carry messages. The
Senior Deacon, the “Top Sergeant of the Lodge,” carries, be it remembered,
orders. The Junior Deacon carries messages. He is an aide to the Senior Warden,
not only in this respect, but also in tiling the Lodge, as we shall consider
later. The two Deacons are proxies for the Master and Wardens – we read in the
installation ceremony found in the Standard Monitor that “it is your duty
to attend on the Master and Wardens, to act as their proxies in the active
duties of the Lodge, such as the reception of candidates, and the introduction
and accommodation of visitors.” A little contemplation will bring to mind a
number of places where the Deacons act as proxies.
Then again it is the Junior Deacon who attends to
all alarms at the outer door and reports them to the Worshipful Master. The
Worshipful Master must instruct the Tyler never to permit brethren to enter
through the Inner Door. Brethren are admitted only on order of the Master of the
Lodge. I suppose all doors look alike to some brethren, but actually they are
not used alike. We have but to recall a certain passage in the Ritual to realize
that for brethren to enter in any but the prescribed manner is a breach of Lodge
etiquette.
Here let me say that the Junior Deacon and the
Tyler should require brethren to leave light smokes outside the Lodge room.
[Omitted: Discussion re smokes and cuspidors.] A Masonic Lodge is not a social
club. It is a gathering place of a group of dignified men, assembled for a
constructive, solemn business – the building of character. [Omitted: Further on
smoking.]
In the tiling of the Lodge within, the Junior
Deacon plays an important part as proxy of the Senior Deacon. He first
ascertains and then reports to the West that all present are Master Masons. And
I would like to suggest to the Junior Deacon and to the Tyler that before the
Lodge opens, and during refreshment, they remain at the outer door, that those
who would enter, but for whom neither can vouch, be caused to remain outside
until properly vouched for or examined. This procedure will save much time later
on.
That this chapter may be of the greatest possible
value in a practical way, it may not be amiss to point out some of the most
frequent errors detected in the Work of the Junior Deacons. While it is true
that he has only a few lines as compared with all the other Officers, with the
exception of the Senior Master of Ceremony [i.e., Senior Steward], the average
Junior Deacon may be depended upon to commit one or more standard or hereditary
errors. Two reasons may be given for this almost universal condition at the
outer door. First is carelessness in the performance of the Work, a fault by no
means confined to this Officer; and second is a failure on the part of the
better informed brethren in the Lodge to show him the error of his way. It is
difficult to understand why we are so quick to detect the slightest mistake made
by the Senior Master of Ceremony [i.e., Senior Steward] in his small part of the
ritualistic work, and yet allow the responses and the instructions coming from
the Junior Deacon to pass unnoticed in the face of many errors.
Let us examine one of the most apparent of these
errors – the air of deep mystery that prevails when the Junior Deacon addresses
the Tyler, with conferences in low whispers. No one has ever been able to give a
satisfactory explanation of all this secrecy – certainly no Junior Deacon or
Tyler has ever given me a reason for it. Anyhow, when the affair is over both
appear entirely satisfied with whatever has passed between them, the door is
closed, and no person in the Lodge knows what has been said.
May I, then, point out to our Junior Deacons and
Tylers that no part of their Work is ever to be repeated at low breath. Only one
portion of our secret Work is communicated in that way, and that portion is not
given at the outer door. Each brother has a right to hear every word of every
dialogue passed between these two Officers, and certainly whispers are not
easily distinguishable in the more remote corners of the Lodge room.
Again, a common error in the Junior Deacon’s place
is the useless and frequent repetition of a little word of three letters –
“Now”! This of course is not a vital mistake when placed against the background
of the entire Ritual. And yet – it marks the difference between right and wrong,
and should be corrected, especially since, in spite of repeatedly being pointed
out in the Grand Lecturer’s Conventions, the habit persists and the old familiar
“now” is heard again and again.
Let us, then, put this down as an inflexible rule:
The word “now” never occurs in the Work of the Junior Deacon. If Junior Deacons
will remember this, they will not only do their bit toward bringing about a more
perfect rendering of the ritualistic work in their Lodge, but also will save a
vast amount of time and talking at the District Conventions.
Another frequent error is observed in the
announcing of visitors who enter late. The Junior Deacon always informs the
Worshipful Master of the presence of Grand Lodge Officers. I remember an evening
in a crowed Lodge room when the District Deputy Grand Master was to pay his
official visit. In announcing the presence of this official, the Junior Deacon
told the Master that the District Deputy was “without and craved admission.”
What was it , if we may paraphrase an old jest,
that the Deputy was “without”? Nor does he ever crave admission. The District
Deputy Grand Master must be announced as “about to enter,” for he may come in at
any time he chooses, take the gavel from the Master, and preside over the
meeting. It is visiting brethren that the Junior Deacon announces.
What we may speak of as a sort of negative error is
the Junior Deacon’s frequent failure to put expression into the delivery of his
part of the ritualistic work – a statement that applies as well to the other
officers. We are unable to give proper expression to any part of the Work unless
we understand the thought underlying it, and it is just as true that a careful
rendering of the Ritual, with each word given its proper coloring and emphasis
during the utterance, also helps to render clear the thought contained within
the Ritual. The wording of the Ritual readily lends itself to proper expression.
In it are found some of the finest examples of English construction. Its
sonorous phrases when skillfully uttered ring like the beautiful tones of an
organ. Thus it becomes a perfect tool for impressing on the minds of the
candidates those truths that make for an upright life, and for re-impressing the
members of the Lodge with the significance and beauty with which the Ritual of
the Craft is fraught.
-- (Our Stations and Places, Henry G. Meacham,
Grand Lecturer, 1953-1977 (Grand Lodge of New York, F. & A.M., 1979 ed. of 1938
original work), pp. 54-59.)
Brother Davis, you have been appointed Junior Deacon of this Lodge and
invested with the jewel of your office.
Your jewel indicates that it is your province to attend upon the Master and
Wardens, and act as their proxies in the active duties of this Lodge. It will be
your especial duty, Brother Junior Deacon, to carry messages from the Senior
Warden in the West to the Junior in the South, and elsewhere about the Lodge as
directed; attend to all alarms at the door, and see the Lodge duly tiled. A rod,
distinctive to your office, is entrusted to your care.
*** *** ***
Such is the nature of
our Constitution, that as some must of necessity rule and teach, so must others
of course, learn to submit and obey. Humility in both is an essential duty.
The officers who have
been chosen to govern your Lodge are sufficiently conversant with the rules of
propriety and the laws of the Institution to avoid exceeding the power with
which they have been entrusted; and you are of too generous a disposition to
envy their preferment. It is therefore trusted that you will have but one aim –
to please one another and unite in the grand design of promoting happiness.
As this association has
been formed and perfected in so much unanimity and concord, so may it long
continue. May you long enjoy every satisfaction and delight which disinterested
friendship can afford. May kindness and brotherly affection distinguish your
conduct as men and as Masons.
Within your peaceful walls may your children’s children celebrate with joy and
gratitude the annual recurrence of the auspicious solemnity of installing the
officers of My Name Lodge No. 345. And may the tenants of our profession be
transmitted through this Lodge, pure and unimpaired, from generation to
generation.
Duties – Required
To perform such duties consonant with the usages of the Craft and appertaining
of the station of the Junior Deacon, as may be required by the By-Laws or
directed by the Master.
Duties – Suggested
1. To serve as Chairman of the Sickness and Distress Committee (keep track
of any illness or hospitalization among the membership, arrange for flowers and
get-well cards, if appropriate, and to inform the Master, Secretary and the
Lodge of those who are ill);
2. To serve as Chairman of the Friend-to-Friend (Layman’s) Night Committee;
3. To serve as Chairman of the Telephone Committee;
4. To assist the Tiler in setting up and tearing down the Lodge room for all
Stated and Special meetings;
5. To attend the Annual Communication of Grand Lodge, if possible;
6. To attend all Lodge functions (Stated and Special meetings, family night
programs and other Lodge functions);
Ritual – Required
1. To
attend the District Officer’s Association meetings;
2. To be qualified to give the work of the Junior Deacon in all Degrees;
Ritual – Implied
1. To learn the work of the Senior Deacon in all Degrees;
2. To be qualified to give the work of the Senior Deacon in the first
section of the Second Degree;
3. To be qualified to give the work of the Junior Warden in the first
section of the First Degree;
4. To attend all degree practices designated by the Master;
Ritual – Suggested
1. To be responsible for the “workmen of the temple degree team” (i.e.,
travelers) in the second section of the Third Degree;
2. To notify the “workmen” in advance of all Third Degrees and see that
qualified members are present for that part of the work.
Is associated with Rhetoric, the Art which teaches
persuasive and impressive writing by invoking the feelings of the reader. The
Junior Deacon represents the psychological level of feelings and moods, a
careful examination of which gives a clue to events which are occurring in the
unconscious. In the Classical world Rhetoric also contains instruction in the
art of memory; and the Junior Deacon, representing a level of awareness near the
threshold of ordinary consciousness, relates to the capacity to recall events
from memory.
-- [W. Kirk MacNulty, Freemasonry: A Journey
Through Ritual and Symbol, p. 23-24 (Thames and Hudson, Ltd., London,
1991.)]
The Junior Deacon represents the stage of feeling,
intuition or sensitivity which almost everyone recognizes from time to time,
although some people are far more aware of their intuition than others.
Intuition is not directly connected with the physical world, although, of
course, it can be related to physical things. Intuition is sort of direct
knowledge which is presented to the Inner Guard (ego) from the Principal
Officers deep in the unconscious, together with the reciprocal (and automatic)
function of passing external information back to the Principal Officers. One of
the most common experiences of the Junior Deacon's message is the pang of
conscious. Often we hear a person say, "I know I have done the wrong thing,"
even in the absence of external evidence. This sort of message originates quite
deep in the psyche (with the Senior Warden, as we shall see) and it is brought
to the Inner Guard's (ego's) attention by the Junior Deacon as the intuitive
knowledge of the error (or rightness) of one's action. Another frequently
recognized example of the Junior Deacon's stage of awareness is the foreboding
which warns of a dangerous or unpleasant situation. ... The intuitions of the
Junior Deacon may be responses to external events, or indications of activities
in the unconscious; but they, themselves, are relatively superficial in the same
way that the message is usually unimportant compared to the event to which it
refers.
-- W. Kirk MacNulty, The Way of the Craftsman: A
Search for the Spiritual Essence of Craft Freemasonry, pp. 40-41, (Penguin
Arkana, 1988)
Is associated with the Science of Arithmetic, a
subject used for training in the manipulation and representation of abstract
ideas. The Senior Deacon represents the level of Awakening. To be 'awake' in
this sense is to be present in the moment, to be aware of events as they occur
both in the world and within one's own psyche, to understand their implication,
and to see the threats and opportunities they imply.
-- [W. Kirk MacNulty, Freemasonry: A Journey
Through Ritual and Symbol, p. 23-24 (Thames and Hudson, Ltd., London,
1991.)]
A relatively small proportion of people are 'awake'
most of the time although their attention is often directed principally outward,
toward the world, rather than inward toward their own natures. Such people are
alert to the circumstances around them, and because they are awake, they see and
seize opportunities of which others are entirely unaware. Thus, they rise to
prominence as the leaders in politics, business, trade unions and academe. The
are perceived (correctly) as being people of great ability and they manage the
affairs of the world, for good or for ill, according to the disposition of the
other components of their psyches. When a person commits himself to some sort of
program of self knowledge, such as the Work of the Craft, the experience of
being awake, of being in the place of the SD, becomes less uncommon; and in time
it becomes a more and more familiar state of mind as one tries to adopt it
regularly. The thing which sets the Craftsman apart is that as well as being
awake to his external circumstances, he also seeks to be awake to his motives,
to the long-term effects of his actions on himself and others, to the personal
interior growth he should be trying to achieve, and, not the least, to what he
can grasp of the intention of Divinity for him (his purpose in the world).
Providence frequently offers a moment of awakening by way of encouragement to a
person newly started in interior work, and it is usually an ecstatic experience
as one sees the symbolic structure of his chosen discipline come to life with
great clarity. The ecstasy usually fades, however; the honeymoon period ends,
and the hard work, symbolized by Masonic Labor, begins. Gradually one who
commits himself to that labor finds that he becomes awake more and more
frequently. In this state, the person working on himself is aware, not simply of
the situation in the world about him, but the situation within himself.
-- W. Kirk MacNulty, The Way of the Craftsman: A
Search for the Spiritual Essence of Craft Freemasonry, pp. 42-43, (Penguin
Arkana, 1988)
Brother Rossman, you have been appointed Senior
Deacon of this Lodge, certified proficient in your work, and invested with the
jewel of your office.
Your jewel indicates that it is your province to
attend upon the Master and Wardens, and act as their proxies in the active
duties of this Lodge. It will be your especial duty, Brother Senior Deacon, to
carry orders from the Worshipful Master in the East to the Senior Warden in the
West and elsewhere about the Lodge as required; attend to all alarms at the door
of the preparation room, receive and conduct Candidates; introduce and
accommodate visiting Brethren. A rod, distinctive to your office, is entrusted
to your care.
*** *** ***
Such is the nature of our Constitution, that as
some must of necessity rule and teach, so must others of course, learn to submit
and obey. Humility in both is an essential duty.
The officers who have been chosen to govern your
Lodge are sufficiently conversant with the rules of propriety and the laws of
the Institution to avoid exceeding the power with which they have been
entrusted; and you are of too generous a disposition to envy their preferment.
It is therefore trusted that you will have but one aim – to please one another
and unite in the grand design of promoting happiness.
As this association has been formed and perfected
in so much unanimity and concord, so may it long continue. May you long enjoy
every satisfaction and delight which disinterested friendship can afford. May
kindness and brotherly affection distinguish your conduct as men and as Masons.
Within your peaceful walls may your children’s
children celebrate with joy and gratitude the annual recurrence of the
auspicious solemnity of installing the officers of My Name Lodge No. 345. And
may the tenants of our profession be transmitted through this Lodge, pure and
unimpaired, from generation to generation.
Duties – Required
To perform such duties consonant with the usages of the Craft and appertaining
of the station of the Senior Deacon, as may be required by the By-Laws or
directed by the Master.
Duties – Suggested
1.
To personally greet and “host” visitors and properly introduce them in
the Lodge room;
2.
To serve as the Chairman of the Visitor Examination Committee;
3.
To serve as Chairman of the Entertainment Committee;
4.
To serve as Editor of the Lodge Trestleboard;
5.
To attend the Annual Communication of Grand Lodge, if possible;
6.
To serve on the Budget Committee;
7.
To attend all lodge functions (Stated and Special meetings, family night
programs and other lodge functions);
Ritual – Required
1.
To attend the District Officer’s Association meetings;
2.
To be qualified to give the work of the Senior Deacon in all degrees and
the lecture in the Second Degree;
3.
To be qualified to give the work of the Junior Warden in the first
section of the Second Degree;
4.
To be qualified to give the work of the Senior Warden in the first
section of the First Degree;
Ritual – Implied
1.
To learn the work and lecture of the First Degree and the ritual required
to be qualified as Junior Warden;
2.
To attend all degree practices designated by the Master.
Ritual – Suggested
1.
To be responsible for the Fellow-Craft degree team in the second section
of the Third Degree;
2.
To notify the Fellow-Craft degree team in advance of all Third Degrees
and see that qualified members are present for that part of the work;
3.
To know the visitor’s examination oath.
Of all the Offices of a Lodge none has a finer
opportunity to make his Lodge a place where the fine spirit of hospitality is
exemplified than does the Senior Deacon, whom I often refer to as the “Top
Sergeant of the Lodge.” Perhaps this is why the emblem upon his staff and upon
his apron is the blazing sun. To welcome and clothe visiting brethren! Through
him his Lodge displays the crowning glory of the home – the spirit of
hospitality! A place where brotherly love abides, and where a kindly courtesy
and consideration shine forth like the sun at meridian, the glory and beauty of
the day. Courtesy extended, not only to visitors, but to candidates as well!
In the ceremony of installation the Masters of
Ceremonies [i.e., Stewards] are told that they “as proxies for the Senior Deacon
are to see the candidates are duly and truly prepared.” [Cf. California
Installation Charge to Stewards.] Consideration and courtesy should be two
things sensed by every candidate, and in a measure the Senior Deacon is
responsible for this because the Masters of Ceremonies [i.e., Stewards] act for
him. His influence as the head of the committee for welcoming should, therefore,
be felt from the time a man first steps into the preparation room.
Again, most of us have been in Lodges where icicles
seemed to hang from the very chandeliers. One or two would come up and greet the
visitor. All seemed indifferent. They didn’t mean to make us feel ill at ease;
they simply had the bad habit of appearing inhospitable. And probably the Lodge
was entirely unconscious of having this attitude.
The Senior Deacon has the opportunity to make his
Lodge a shining place of welcome to the visitor, who, having come once, will
want to come again.
Just run over the Senior Deacon’s duty in your mind
and observe that this matter of welcoming visiting brethren comes before his
attending of candidates. How splendidly can he serve his Lodge by thus
exemplifying the true spirit of the Craft!
It would seem clear, then, that the Senior Deacon’s
first care is that of being hospitable. Now let us consider that part of his
work having to do with the receiving and conducting of candidates. You remember
how, having assured the Worshipful Master as to the proper performance of their
duty by the Master of Ceremony [i.e., Stewards], he receives the candidate. The
first words the candidate hears in the Lodge are from the Senior Deacon. A
quire, distinct manner of expression, an effort to bring out the great lessons
of the Ritual at this point, will not only create a tremendous impression on the
mind of the candidate, but also will bring home to his consciousness the great
truths therein contained.
Our attitude toward candidates should be one of
kindly consideration. Their treatment in the preparation room should bear out
this thought. Begun in that place and continued in the Lodge, we have every
opportunity of welding our new members to the Craft with bonds that are lasting.
The floor work of the Degrees is not difficult. The
Senior Deacon should be thoroughly familiar with it. It is done under his
direction. He has the assistance of a Marshal. The orderly conduct of the
procession is important.
Excepting the Worshipful Master, the Senior Deacon
has more of the Ritual to render than any other Officer. He has dialogues during
the conferring of a Degree with nearly every Officer of the Lodge. Of necessity,
therefore, he should be as familiar with the Work of his brother Officers as
with his own, in order that the Work may go smoothly. The Master and the Wardens
unconsciously lean on a good Senior Deacon.
Let him forget, let him make a miss-step, let him
attempt to carry on with but a faulty knowledge of his Work, and the entire
degree team falters.
Now let me say a word as to the manner of rendering
the Senior Deacon’s Work. If there is one thing that will help the Officers of
the Lodges to make the Work impressive, it is proper articulation. We mumble and
jumble, until it is extremely difficult to understand what is being said. Clear
speech is entirely a matter of habit. Get the habit, Brother Senior Deacon, so
that all you say may be intelligible to every brother present. Many times it is
extremely difficult to know whether an Officer has said “open” or “opened,” and
many times entire words appear to be omitted. A Senior Deacon who rattles
through his Work with no expression fails to drive home the impressive lessons
to be taught.
In the course of my Convention work I meet many
Senior Deacons. No two are precisely alike. Each has his individual
peculiarities. I remember a Lodge meeting I once attended where the Senior
Deacon was clad in felt boots and overalls. But what a man! He knew his Ritual
and the floor-work; he was dignified, calm, self-possessed. He bore out the
truth of the statement that it is the internal and not the external
qualifications that recommend a man to Masons. One forgot the manner of his
dress in admiration of the man and the Mason.
One of the best Senior Deacons I have ever met was
a brother of humble attainments, so far as educational advantages were
concerned. His Work had been taught to him by his brethren – and entirely by
word of mouth. His mind was like a strip of blotting paper – it fairly “soaked
up” the Ritual.
If he made an error one correction was all that was
necessary on that particular point. He did not make the same mistake twice.
Moreover, he required very little correcting. His Work was almost perfect. Never
shall I meet a man more anxious to be corrected, or more grateful for being told
what was right.
We have all kinds – the proud, the humble; the
careful, the careless; those who are heedless, some who are conceited. But – I
have yet to meet one who willfully makes errors. All are striving to do the
right thing, all are “Architects of faith working in these halls of Time!”
-- (Our Stations and Places, Henry G. Meacham,
Grand Lecturer, 1953-1977 (Grand Lodge of New York, F. & A.M., 1979 ed. of 1938
original work), pp. 50-53.)
So clearly does the Ritual define the duty of each
Officer of a Lodge that one has only to scan the spoken word for a correct
definition of the work of the men in their several Stations and Places. In the
Ritual the language is exact, the duties plainly stated, and with a simplicity
of expression that admits of no misunderstanding. There is no excuse for laxity
on the ground of misunderstanding, no excuse for an assumption of authority that
is not the right or the prerogative of the chair in question.
This chapter has to do with the Secretary of the
Lode. It is prompted by some experience with, and considerable observation of,
Secretaries whom I have met during past years. By far the great majority have
been splendid Officers. Their books have been models of neatness and legibility.
They are prompt in the performance of every duty. In some few cases I have
discovered evidence of literary ability to add to the “fair record” required.
The minutes of one man formed a record that was of tremendous help to a brother
who, later on, was busied in writing a history of the Lodge.
Nor is there any reason why this latter should not
be done. Some Lodges read, not only the minutes of the last communication for
information, but go back over the minutes of ten or twenty years and read them,
too. It is then that we appreciate that completeness which takes us back to
other times and gives us a complete and clear picture of the events occurring in
an early day.
But there is a very important thing that a good
Secretary must do to serve his brethren most completely. It is mentioned in the
recital of his duty in the opening of the Lodge. Lets look at it – and as it is
monitorial I may quote:
“To observe the proceedings of the Lodge, make a
fair record of all things proper to be written, receive all money due the Lodge,
pay the same to the Treasurer, and perform such other duties as may be
prescribed by the Constitutions of the Grand Lodge.”
For simplicity and directness this bit of Ritual
will compare favorably with any in the Lodge. No superfluous words – a
smoothness of diction – a statement of all that is to be done! But the second
word is, to my mind, the most important of the entire statement: “OBSERVE”! his
is not to dictate to the Master and the Wardens, but to “observe” what is going
on, and, having observed, to make a fair record of those things pertaining to
the business of the Lodge that are “proper to be written.”
And there is a large order. Words mean little
unless they are considered in the light of their interpretation, and no
interpretation of this word can, by any stretch of the imagination, be
considered as giving a Secretary the license to attempt to give orders to the
Worshipful Master. This is sheer presumption. Years of service, knowledge of
good Masonic practice – all these do not give any brother dictatorial powers.
Any secretary who so interprets his work as to include the right to tell the
Master how to run his Lodge is riding, sooner or later, to a fall. His business
is that of an observer, and a recorder of those things which he observes,
provided they are proper to be written.
I am fond of interpreting the work of an officer in
the light of his duty as recited in the Ritual pertaining to it. Therein is a
completeness, free from overstatement. The diction is incisive, calculated to
bite into the mind – to which respect the Ritual of Craft Masonry is unique, in
that it possesses those qualities of diction that impress the mind of the
hearer, both with beauty of the English and the lessons it teaches. But let us
continue:
“…and perform such other duties as may be
prescribed by the Constitutions of Grand Lodge.”
Let us take a look at the Book of Constitutions,
Section 313. Apropos of what has been said above please observe that the
Secretary is to record the proceedings of a Lodge, “under the direction of the
presiding officer.” Those Secretaries who, by an attitude of ultra-criticism,
indicate a delusion that it is their duty to supervise the work of the Master,
should familiarize themselves with the definition, as well as the limitations,
of their Office as prescribed in the volume from which I quote.
In the Constitutions of Grand Lodge [of New
York] twelve paragraphs enumerate the duty of the Secretary. I shall not take
the space to enumerate those paragraphs, but I do commend them to the earnest
attention of all Secretaries.
And may I comment on one word that represents a
desirable quality for all Secretaries: “Promptness”! Nothing is more aggravating
to one of business-like tendencies than to be held up by dilatory and unbusiness-like
practices on the part of one given to procrastination and tardiness. The desk of
the Secretary is one over which passes the business of the Lodge. The Secretary
may well be called the businessman of the Lodge, and promptness is one of the
qualities of a successful business man, and is one which the Secretary of a
Lodge particularly should exemplify. The Constitutions of Grand Lodge
emphasize this word “Immediately.” The phrase, “To make a full and accurate
return,” stresses the need of accuracy in the Secretary’s work. It has been my
observation that n those cases where the Lodge records disagree with those in
the Grand Secretary’s office in respect to such matters as the number of
members, nearly always the error has been made by the Lodge Secretary.
And so one could go on and on in analyzing the
duties of the Secretary, but space does not permit. I have attempted to do
little more than whet the reader’s curiosity, to the end that he may acquire the
habit of considering the functions of this important Office in the Lodge. I have
also endeavored to point out to Secretaries that their work is constructive, not
destructive. Theirs is a place for work, not for exhibiting an attitude toward
the man in the East that tends to discourage him; theirs is a place that comes
under the supervision of the presiding Officer – and the Master of the Lodge
alone is responsible for the work of the Lodge, not the Secretary.
“Make a fair record”! This many times is a large
order. And always it is enough of a task to give the conscientious brother
elected to the Office an opportunity to serve his Lodge in a manner that will
call for the best in him. And in a proper performance of his task he will grow
immeasurably in spiritual and intellectual stature.
-- (Our Stations and Places, Henry G. Meacham,
Grand Lecturer, 1953-1977 (Grand Lodge of New York, F. & A.M., 1979 ed. of 1938
original work), pp. 45-49.)
Brother Hanson, you have been elected Secretary of
this Lodge and invested with the jewel of your office.
In your hands the Pens will make an enduring
record, not only to your praise, but also to the welfare of this Lodge. It is
your duty to observe the will and pleasure of the Worshipful Master; keep a
faithful record of all things proper to be written, transmit a copy of the same
to the Grand Lodge when required; receive all monies from the Brethren, pay the
same to the Treasurer, and take his receipt therefore.
*** *** ***
Such is the nature of our Constitution, that as
some must of necessity rule and teach, so must others of course, learn to submit
and obey. Humility in both is an essential duty.
The officers who have been chosen to govern your
Lodge are sufficiently conversant with the rules of propriety and the laws of
the Institution to avoid exceeding the power with which they have been
entrusted; and you are of too generous a disposition to envy their preferment.
It is therefore trusted that you will have but one aim – to please one another
and unite in the grand design of promoting happiness.
As this association has been formed and perfected
in so much unanimity and concord, so may it long continue. May you long enjoy
every satisfaction and delight which disinterested friendship can afford. May
kindness and brotherly affection distinguish your conduct as men and as Masons.
Within your peaceful walls may your children’s
children celebrate with joy and gratitude the annual recurrence of the
auspicious solemnity of installing the officers of My Name Lodge No. 345. And
may the tenants of our profession be transmitted through this Lodge, pure and
unimpaired, from generation to generation.
Duties – Required
1. To record all proceedings at each meeting proper to be written, under the
direction of the Master, and to transcribe the same in a minute book to be kept
for that purpose, and it the next stated meeting to submit the minutes so
transcribed to the Lodge for approval or correction, and after the same are so
corrected and approved, to present the same to the Master for his signature;
2. To present to the Lodge at each August and February Stated Meeting, a
statement of income and expenditures, assets and liabilities, for the six months
periods ending on the preceding June 30th and December 31st
of each year respectively, and to submit a copy thereof to the Inspector of the
District to which the Lodge is assigned;
3. To prepare and transmit a copy of such record, or of any part thereof, to
the Grand Lodge when required;
4. To collect and receive all moneys due to the Lodge and pay them over to
the treasurer;
5. To keep the seal of the Lodge and to affix the same, with his
attestation, to all papers issued under its authority or in obedience to all the
requirements of the Constitution and Regulations of the Grand Lodge;
6. To transmit to the Grand Secretary, immediately after each election in
the Lodge, a certificate thereof;
7. To transmit to the Grand Secretary monthly and annual reports in such
form as shall be provided;
8. To transmit to the Grand Secretary with the annual report, the number of
life members borne on the roll, the amount of the fund thus created, and the
manner in which such fund is invested;
9. To transmit to the Grand Secretary with the annual returns the names,
dates of initiation, passing and raising, and the dates of death of all
permanent members of Grand Lodge as are enumerated in Section 8 of the
Constitution;
10. To report to the Grand Secretary, immediately after their occurrence, all
rejections for the degrees, expulsions, suspensions, and restorations, in the
forms provided therefor;
11. To furnish to the Masonic Homes Endowment Board such information
pertaining to matters affecting or relating to his Lodge as may be requested
from time to time.
12. To keep the following books of the
Lodge, in such forms as may be provided: Record Book, Book of By-Laws, Roll
Book, Register, Account Books as may be necessary; and shall preserve the Books
of Constitutions and Regulations of the Grand Lodge, together with all the
printed Proceedings thereof as promulgated by its order. (A revolving fund, of
not more than $150.00 may be established for the use of the Secretary for his
incidental expenses.
Duties – Suggested
1. To serve on the Budget Committee;
2. To attend all Lodge functions (Stated and Special Meetings, family night
programs and other Lodge functions);
Ritual – Required
1. To
attend the District Officer’s Association meetings;
2. To be qualified to give the work of the Secretary in the First Degree.
Brother Phillips, you
have been elected Treasurer of this Lodge and invested with the jewel of your
office.
The keys have a two-fold significance. They are instruments to bind as well as
make loose; to make fast as well as to open. They will never be used by you in
any other manner than that which the Constitution, Laws and Regulations of the
Lodge shall direct. You are to receive all money from the Secretary, keep a just
and accurate account thereof, and pay the same out, by order of the Worshipful
Master, with the consent of the Lodge.
*** *** ***
Such is the nature of
our Constitution, that as some must of necessity rule and teach, so must others
of course, learn to submit and obey. Humility in both is an essential duty.
The officers who have
been chosen to govern your Lodge are sufficiently conversant with the rules of
propriety and the laws of the Institution to avoid exceeding the power with
which they have been entrusted; and you are of too generous a disposition to
envy their preferment. It is therefore trusted that you will have but one aim –
to please one another and unite in the grand design of promoting happiness.
As this association has
been formed and perfected in so much unanimity and concord, so may it long
continue. May you long enjoy every satisfaction and delight which disinterested
friendship can afford. May kindness and brotherly affection distinguish your
conduct as men and as Masons.
Within your peaceful walls may your children’s children celebrate with joy and
gratitude the annual recurrence of the auspicious solemnity of installing the
officers of My Name Lodge No. 345. And may the tenants of our profession be
transmitted through this Lodge, pure and unimpaired, from generation to
generation.
Duties – Required
1. To receive and safely keep moneys or property of every kind which shall
be placed in his hands by order of the Lodge;
2. To distribute or transfer the same, or any part thereof, upon the order
of the Master, duly attested to by the Secretary;
3. To keep a book or books wherein a correct account of his receipts and
disbursements shall be exhibited;
4. To present a statement of the finances of the Lodge whenever required;
5. To perform such other duties, appertaining to his office, as the By-Laws
require or the Lodge may at any time direct.
Duties – Suggested
1. To serve on the Budget committee;
2. To attend all Lodge functions (Stated and Special Meetings, family night
programs and other Lodge functions);
Ritual – Required
1. To attend the District Officer’s Association meetings (CMC §1122-3rd);
2. To be qualified to give the work of the Treasurer in the First Degree.
Ritual – Suggested
1. Learn
the Third Ruffian’s part in the Second Section of the Third Degree.
Occasionally one hears expressed the opinion that
sociability and entertainment under Lodges auspices is a new thing under the
sun, a kind of innovation – something at least that is beneath the dignity of
Freemasonry. The truth of the matter is that “refreshment” is as old as the
Craft itself, a part of its original design, so that a Lodge in ignoring it
falls below the ideal. This is proved by the fact that the custody of social
activities is placed in the hands of one of the principal Officers of the Lodge,
the Junior Warden; and it is further presupposed that he will have so much to do
that he is given two Stewards to assist him.
This is the real “social committee” of a Lodge, and
if these three Officers were to do what it is the intent for them to do there
would be no need for any other committee. Furthermore, it is presupposed that
refreshment will bulk so large in the Masonic life that in the duties,
functions, and prerogatives of the Office that every possible safeguard is
thrown about sociability to keep it sweet, wholesome and satisfying, as befits
the high plane on which the whole of Freemasonry moves.
We are told in the Standard Monitor that “a
Lodge is supported by three great Pillars. These are denominated Wisdom,
Strength, and Beauty – for there should be wisdom to contrive, strength to
support and beauty to adorn all great and important undertakings. They are
represented by the three principal Officers of the Lodge – the Pillar of Wisdom
by the Worshipful Master in the East, who is presumed to have wisdom to open and
govern the Lodge; the Pillar of Strength by the Senior Warden in the West, whose
duty it is to assist the Worshipful Master in the discharge of his arduous
duties; the Pillar of Beauty by the Junior Warden in the South, whose duty it is
to call the Craft from labor to refreshment, superintend them during the hours
thereof, carefully to observe that the means of refreshment are not perverted to
intemperance or excess, see that they return to their labor in due season, that
the Worshipful Master may receive honor, and they pleasure and profit thereby.”
These three Pillars symbolize the essentials of
nobility of character. Wisdom and Strength are each incomplete without each
other, Wisdom being necessary to direct Strength, and Strength necessary in the
upholding of that which is wise and good. And the Pillar of Beauty is a
composite of the other two. Occasionally one meets a man possessed of that
clarity of vision which enables him with apparent infallibility to see the best
course to pursue in any given situation, able to differentiate between those
things that uplift and those that do not, and having a strength of character
that enables him to cling to the good. In this blending of Wisdom and Strength
is to be found Beauty of character.
No wonder, then, that the Pillar of Beauty is
placed in the South midway between the East and the West, and there exemplified
by the Junior Warden. “To observe sun at meridian, which is the glory and beauty
of the day” – the very thought of Beauty itself is suggested in the recital of
the Officer’s duty. The sun at meridian” – at that point of greatest heat and
light whence all living things receive strength to grow! Which teaches us that
we, by seeking those qualities of mind represented by the Pillar of Beauty, may
hope to grow in Wisdom and Strength, becoming increasingly helpful to those
about us.
This enduring quality of Beauty is emphasized by
the fact that the Master and Wardens of a Lodge cannot resign. Thus it is that
our Brother in the South should consider wisely before accepting this Station,
and, having been installed, should show strength of purpose in the proper
performance of his duties. In most Lodges the Junior Warden is one of the five
Lodge Officers chosen annually by ballot, the other four being the Master,
Senior Warden, Treasurer and Secretary. He must have served one year as Warden
before he can be Master – and experience has shown the importance of the
training to be received in the West and South as a preparation for the onerous
duties of the East.
Again, the Junior Warden has supervision of the
Craft while at refreshment. This does not mean that he must remain at his
Station during this period. Nor are we to suppose that brethren leaving or
entering the Lodge room during refreshment are to salute him. Neither are the
Alter or the Three Great Lights to be turned to face his Station at any time.
The Junior Warden during refreshment should mingle with those over whom he has
supervision; otherwise, how can he be informed as to the means of refreshment?
Lodge social activities come under his supervision.
He has before him two Stewards whose duty it is “to provide for the Craft while
at refreshment that the harmony and decorum thereof shall note be disturbed, and
that when labor shall be resumed, the Worshipful Master may have honor and the
Craft pleasure and profit therefrom.” So reads the installation of the Stewards
in the Standard Monitor; here may the Stewards contemplate the
significance of the Pillar of Beauty, and how appropriate it is that they be
placed with him in the South! The provision of proper refreshment and
supervision during the hours thereof is no idle task. In their functions the
Junior Warden and the Stewards are the Lodge’s social committee.
Consider, too, the duty of the Junior Warden in its
legal aspect. Section 310 of the Constitution [Referring to New York: Cf.
Cal. Masonic Code §§3320, 3322, 3330] reads, “In case of the absence or
disability of the Master, or a vacancy in his office, the Senior and Junior
Wardens shall, in succession, succeed to his prerogatives and duties for all
purposes, except such as pertain to the installation of officers. In the absence
of the Master and Wardens a Lodge cannot be opened except has herein provided.”
In this we see that, adding to his “wisdom,” and
increasing his “strength” as a support of the Lodge, the Junior Warden will be
as fully informed concerning the Ritual and the Grand Lodge Constitutions
as the Master or Senior Warden. He may, at any time, without previous notice, be
called upon to preside over the Lodge, and must never embarrass the Lodge by
ignorance concerning any duty that may confront him.
In closing, then, let us repeat that the work of
the Junior Warden is important and exacting – a task not to be taken lightly.
The Pillar of Beauty stands for those virtues with which he may adorn his mind.
Brother Junior Warden, look well to the South!
-- (Our Stations and Places, Henry G. Meacham,
Grand Lecturer, 1953-1977 (Grand Lodge of New York, F. & A.M., 1979 ed. of 1938
original work), pp. 35-39.)
Brother Schmalz, you have been elected Junior
Warden of this Lodge and invested with the jewel of your Station.
That plumb, my Brother, admonishes us to walk
uprightly in our several stations, to hold the scales of justice in equal poise,
to observe the just medium between intemperance and pleasure, and to make our
passions and prejudices coincide with the line of our duty.
To you is committed the superintendence of the
Craft during the hours of refreshment; it is necessary therefore, that you
should practice moderation and discretion in the indulgence of your own
inclinations, and that you carefully observe that the means of refreshment are
not converted to improper or excessive use.
Your regular and punctual attendance is
particularly requested; and there is no doubt that you will faithfully execute
the duty which you owe to your present appointment. Look well to the South!
*** *** ***
Brother Junior Warden, you are too well acquainted
with the principles of Masonry to warrant any distrust that you will be found
wanting in the discharge of your respective duties. Suffice it to say that what
you have seen praiseworthy in others, you should carefully imitate, and what in
them may have appeared defective, you should yourself avoid. You should be an
example of discretion and propriety; for it is only by a due regard for our laws
and regulations as shown in your conduct, that you can expect obedience to them
from others. You are assiduously to assist the Master in the discharge of his
trust; diffusing light and imparting knowledge to all whom he shall place under
your care.
In the absence of the Master you will succeed to
higher duties; your acquirements must therefore be such as will insure proper
instruction to the Craft. From the Spirit which you have hitherto evinced, I
entertain no doubt that your future conduct will be such as will merit the
applause of your Brethren, and the testimony of a good conscience.
Such is the nature of our Constitution, that as
some must of necessity rule and teach, so must others of course, learn to submit
and obey. Humility in both is an essential duty.
As this association has been formed and perfected
in so much unanimity and concord, so may it long continue. May you long enjoy
every satisfaction and delight which disinterested friendship can afford. May
kindness and brotherly affection distinguish your conduct as men and as Masons.
Within your peaceful walls may your children’s
children celebrate with joy and gratitude the annual recurrence of the
auspicious solemnity of installing the officers of My Name Lodge No. 345. And
may the tenants of our profession be transmitted through this Lodge, pure and
unimpaired, from generation to generation.
Duties – Required
1. To assist the Master in the performance of his duties;
2. To discharge all those duties which ancient usage has assigned to the
station of the Junior Warden
3. During the absence of the Master and the Senior Warden, the Junior Warden
shall succeed to and be charged with all the powers and duties of the Master.
4. To prefer charges against a Mason guilty of unmasonic conduct if, for a
period of thirty days following the bringing of facts concerning the unmasonic
conduct to the Junior Warden, no Master Mason in good standing shall have
preferred charges against such Mason;
5. Such charges shall be
presented to the Master of the Lodge
Duties – Suggested
1.
To be responsible for all dinners held at the Lodge;
2.
To keep itemized receipts for all dinner expenditures and records of all
income (a revolving fund of not more than $250 may be established for the use of
the Junior Warden or Stewards in providing refreshments for all regular Lodge
functions;
3.
To keep attendance records for all dinner functions;
4.
To work with the Stewards’ committee at all dinner functions;
5.
To prepare a summary of monthly bills and present them to the Secretary
at least one week prior to the Stated meeting;
6.
To serve as Chairman of Constitutional Observance committee;
7.
To prepare the Junior Warden’s Trestleboard articles;
8.
To serve as ex-officio member of the Budget committee;
9.
To attend all Lodge Functions (Stated and Special Meetings, family night
programs and other Lodge functions);
10.
To attend the Annual Communication of Grand Lodge and vote the Lodge’s
recommendations on the resolutions;
11.
To begin the planning of the calendar for your year as Master;
12.
To begin considering brethren to be appointed to the line during your
year as Master;
13.
To begin considering brethren to be appointed as committeemen during your
year as Master;
14.
To begin collecting articles and information for use in planning your
Trestleboard articles during your year as Master;
Ritual – Required
1.
To attend all the District Officer’s Association meetings;
2.
To be qualified to give the work and lectures of the First Degree; that
he has received a certificate of proficiency in the Candidate’s Lecture of the
Degree of Master Mason and to be thoroughly proficient in those portions of the
Constitution and Regulations of the Grand Lodge which relate to the government
of a Lodge;
Ritual – Implied
1.
To learn the work and lecture of the Second Degree and the ritual
required to be qualified as Senior Warden;
2.
To be qualified to give the work of the Senior Warden in the Second
Degree;
3.
To be qualified to give the work of the Junior Warden in the Third
Degree;
4.
To take charge of all First Degrees;
5.
To attend all degree practices designated by the Master.
The Plumb Rule, being an emblem of uprightness,
points out the integrity of the measures you are bound to pursue in conjunction
with the Master and your Brother Senior Warden, in he well ruling and governing
of the Lodge; but more particularly to that part of your duty which relates to
the admission of visitors, lest through your neglect any unqualified person
should gain admission to our assemblies, and the Brethren be thereby innocently
led to violate their Obligation. You are to be regular in your attendance at our
stated meetings, to assist in transacting the business of the evening; this is
necessary, as unless due attention be paid by the officers, you cannot expect
the Brethren to be punctual at the appointed time. Placed in your hand is the
Gavel, as an emblem of power, to enable you to preserve due order in the South.
The Column is the emblem of your office, and you will keep it in an erect
position whilst at refreshment, as the Brethren are then under your
superintendence; but place it horizontally whilst at labor. Likewise, entrusted
to your care is the pillar of the Corinthian Order, which is an emblem of
beauty, and points out that you are to adorn the work with all your powers of
genius and active industry, and promote regularity amongst the Brethren by your
good example, the persuasive eloquence of precept, and the administrative
encouragement of merit.
Is associated with the Science of Geometry, as the
Second Lecture puts it, 'a science whereby we find out the contents of bodies
unmeasured by comparing them with those already measured'. The Junior Warden is
similar to the Self, as the term is used by Jungian psychologists. The somewhat
obtuse Masonic definition of geometry quoted above begins to take on greater
meaning when one recognizes that it alludes to the old principle of 'as above,
so below'. In the process of Masonic labor the Self is expected to emerge into
consciousness and then to find out the contents of the unconscious by the
observation of day-to-day experience.
-- [W. Kirk MacNulty, Freemasonry: A Journey
Through Ritual and Symbol, p. 23-24 (Thames and Hudson, Ltd., London,
1991.)]
The Junior Warden is associated with the 1°,
the custodian of the Apprentices's tools, and the director of activity on the
Ground Floor of the Temple. When this symbolism is applied to the individual, we
see the Junior Warden as representing that stage of consciousness which directs
-- or should direct -- the activities of the individual in the physical world.
Here is one of the important differences between eastern and western traditions.
Many people who are working to develop their interior capacities tend to
minimize the importance of ordinary mundane activities; this is an essential
eastern view. The western mind, however, tends to be by nature relatively
inquiring and analytical and often requires a way of working which matches that
quality. The Craft is such a way; it acknowledges that there is a Divine Plan
and that each individual's life has some role in it. From that perspective the
circumstances of one's incarnation has some real importance, and the management
of one's life in the world is seen as an essential part of one's interior growth
in which the Junior Warden plays a central role.
The Junior Warden stands in an important position.
... The Junior Warden's situation is at the place where the three lower worlds
meet, and it is this unique location that gives the individual who operates from
that level of consciousness his particular quality. Being at the apex of the
Physical World, he is the directing agency of the Ground Floor, the epitome of
the physical nature of man, the master of his material situation. At the same
time he is at the center of his psychological being where he is the 'reflection
of the reflection' of the Creator at the center of Divinity; thus, he is
reminded that he is 'made in the image of God.' Being in the south he is
associated with the sun at noon, that is to say, with the bright unclouded
consciousness which sees with clarity, and is aware of his psychological state
and the effect it has on the people and things around him. His position also
touches the bottom of the world of the Spirit which gives him a glimpse of his
destiny. This is a stage of consciousness not universally recognized by
contemporary psychology. Freud did not incorporate the concept into his theory;
but something similar is found in Jung's model as the archetype he calls the
Self, the essence of the individual. The location at the junction of the three
lower worlds is what gives the Junior Warden/Self its scope and its capacity to
integrate the other elements of the psyche. When a person operates from this
stage of consciousness he sees his psychological processes and understands his
motives clearly. He negotiates with the physical world through his ego which
assumes its appropriate role as an intermediary. (This command relationship
between the Junior Warden and Inner Guard is touched on in the Ceremony of
Opening the Lodge and we will examine it in a little detail when we speak of
Labor in the First Degree.) At the same time, he can be open to the influence of
the Spirit which enlivens him from above.
-- W. Kirk MacNulty, The Way of the Craftsman: A
Search for the Spiritual Essence of Craft Freemasonry, pp. 45-46, (Penguin
Arkana, 1988)
The gentle art of mediation, when applied to the
Ritual of Craft Masonry, never fails to reveal new beauties and new meanings
that otherwise would escape us. Many a passage, otherwise obscure, is thereby
made instantly clear, to be seen as clothed with deepest significance. Hidden
truths stand revealed. The relationship of this passage or that to some other
passage becomes apparent and there enters into our Masonic experience a new and
richer comprehension of the Work. We are made to see how every detail of the
Work is imbedded in the history, symbolism, and the Law of the Craft.
With this in mind, let us meditate for a little
while upon the Senior Warden and his office, considering his part in the Lodge
work, especially as specified by the Ritual and the Law, as written into the
Grand Lodge Constitutions.
First comes the Senior Warden’s duty in the Lodge,
as specified in the opening ceremony. Here he recites the reason for being in
the West. But, like the ticking of the clock, of which we are seldom conscious,
the deeper meaning is apt to escape us because we hear it so often. Let us
analyze his statement, then, that we may the better understand his duty.
Take the very first question which the Worshipful
Master asks of the Senior Warden during the opening of the Lodge, and then
recall his duty as he states it.
Observe that the Grand Lodge Monitor is
precise upon the first point. It says, “Care is taken that none be present but
members and brethren who are properly vouched for, followed by the precaution
that the avenues be securely guarded, and the Tyler informed of his ….and also
the qualifications necessary for those who seek to pass.”
This means that here is the very place where
caution begins. A definite responsibility is laid upon the shoulders of the
Senior Warden. Having referred the matter to the proper Officer, the Senior
Warden reports and – he should know whereof he speaks! He is responsible for the
presence of cowans and eavesdroppers, should any be present, and this ceremony,
performed under his supervision, permits of no laxity whatever in the carrying
out of his duty.
In this regard alone the Senior Warden owes to his
Lodge his supreme effort for the utmost faithfulness in the performance of his
duty. The Worshipful Master, if he takes his work seriously, is a busy man, and
it is natural enough that the important task of purging the Lode be delegated to
the watchful care of the Senior Warden, who, informed upon the point committed
to his care, assures the Worshipful Master that all present are Master Masons.
This duty should never be regarded by the Senior
Warden as a perfunctory thing; never should it be assumed that all present are
Master Masons; rather should it be assumed that it is possible that cowans may
be present. He must perform his duty with rigorous attention to every detail. At
his installation, he hears the admonition, “Look well to the West” and here is
an opportunity to display a praiseworthy zeal for the welfare of his Lodge.
A Past Master once told me of a Senior Warden he
had known in known in days gone by. Never did the brother take anything for
granted. His Lodge was thoroughly purged, even to the extent of seeing that all
present were in good standing. At times the brethren thought him too severe, but
ultimately they came to see the wisdom of his exactitude. Needless to say, no
cowan ever sat in his Lodge. A the Lodge was a better Lodge because of the true
Masonic zeal of the Senior Warden.
We now come to the second point having to do with
his duty as the Senior Warden states it. First, he assists the Worshipful
Master; and second, he seeks the promotion of harmony, which is the support of
all institutions, “especially this of ours.”
Here lies one of the Senior Warden’s most important
tasks, for we can accomplish nothing without harmony. Too often have we seen the
devastating effect of lack of harmony in a Lodge. The very purpose for which
Masonry exists is good will among men. Banish harmony and nothing is left but
the dry, empty shell, the discarded husk from which nothing can grow. In our
useful Lodges, those that are a potent force for good in their communities, it
is always found. Lodges are weak, usually either because they fail to develop
their latent strength, or because Bro. This and Bro. That do not work well
together, with each having his following.
How utterly ridiculous a Masonic Lodge must appear
to the non-Mason who hears reports of turbulence and disagreements at our
meetings. And, Bro. Senior Warden, I believe the very keynote of your station in
the West is just at this point. Harmony is not to be had except as the brethren
of the Lodge, with the Senior Warden, practice forbearance, which includes the
God-given traits of “patience” and “tact.” I often wonder if the Almighty ever
gave mankind a more soothing influence than is summed up in those two words. The
Lodge that functions with the smoothness of a well-oiled machine, each part
lending itself to the complete and harmonious movement of the whole, is a happy
Lodge.
And the Senior Warden assists the Worshipful
Master. I think every Mason who considers at all the Senior Warden as such does
so in the light of his qualifications for the East. If the Worshipful Master is
absent from a communication, the Senior Warden presides over the Lodge. Through
what finer training-school for the East could one pass than service in the West?
Here he may learn to assist without taking the lead. Here he may develop those
qualities of mind which, in a broad sense, make him most useful. At any time he
may have to preside over the Lodge, wherefore he should be as well informed upon
the Ritual as the Master himself. And not the Ritual alone! He should be as well
as student of the Grand Lodge Constitutions. In this way he may save the
Worshipful Master and the Lodge much embarrassment. It is a duty which every
Master and Senior and Junior Warden owe to the Craft.
If there is one great truth which, more than any
other, I would like to drive home, it is this: No human institution, Freemasonry
included, is greater than the quality of its leadership. The higher the standard
of our leadership in the East the more useful, in terms of service to our
fellow-man, will be our Lodges.
Another duty of the Senior Warden is to represent
his Lodge in Grand Lodge, should the Master not attend. It is almost
inconceivable to imagine a Worshipful Master who fails to give his Lodge
representation in the Grand Body. If circumstances should prevent his
attendance, he should see that a Warden or proxy attends. In this connection
Section 3 of the Constitutions says: “This Grand Lodge shall be composed
of all its Grand Officers, the Past Grand Masters, Past Deputy Grand Masters,
Past Grand Wardens, Past Grand Treasurers, Past Grand Secretaries, and one
Representative from each Lodge (who shall be the Master, one of the Wardens in
the order of seniority, or a Proxy duly elected by the Lodge).” [Cf. In
California Wardens and one Past Master representing the Past Masters of the
Lodge are all members of Grand Lodge. Hence the Wardens must attend to vote
their individual ballots.]
When the Senior Warden represents his Lodge at
Grand Lodge he should give a report to the Lodge of the proceedings, just as the
Master would have done. This report should be supplemented by reading to the
brethren from the Proceedings when they are received, from which a
liberal education in matters Masonic may be obtained. Too seldom is seen a
bookcase containing bound volumes of the Grand Lodge Proceedings,
extending back for a number of years, where the brethren may have access to
them. This valuable book too frequently never finds its way into the Lodge room,
where by every right it belongs.
Thus does the Ritual, as we contemplate it,
emphasize the work of the Senior Warden, giving it a significance of which we
had not dreamed. For upon this Officer rests a task of the utmost importance.
And upon his conception of his duty to his brethren depends much of its
usefulness as a character-forming and character-building institution.
In considering those qualities of mind that fit a
man to be Master of a Masonic Lodge, one involuntarily things, not only of the
Worshipful Master, but of the two Wardens. One thinks, indeed, of the Wardens in
terms of the Master, and asks, What kind of Master will that Warden be? What
qualities has he that fit him for the responsibility ahead? What is he doing to
qualify? How is he developing himself?
We have every right to expect a man to develop as
he advances, and in this the man himself plays a tremendous part. What is the
measure of this future Master? Will he display an energetic interest in the
performance of his work? Has he judgment and tact?
All these questions suggest themselves in the
contemplation of these three Officers. We cannot think of one without
considering the other two, but let us focus our attention upon the middle man,
the Senior Warden – though of course we shall have to speak of the Master and
the Junior Warden, too. The three form a kind of triumvirate functioning
together in such a manner as to set the whole Lodge an example in harmony and
coordination of effort. At any time the Senior Warden may be called upon to
preside in the absence of the Master, while the Junior Warden may find himself
in the East if both his superior Officers are absent. The qualities of one,
therefore, may be said aptly to be the qualities of the other. Here I wish to
dwell upon the things a Senior Warden must do to equip himself for the East, as
well as upon the things that have already been done by him to fit himself for
the West.
It seems to me that the first fundamental is
Ritual. Of course, since I am Grand Lecturer, that is precisely what you would
expect me to say. But I say it because I know of no greater medium for a common
understanding of Freemasonry. It is the language of Freemasonry, and he who
would have an understanding of the Craft must first speak its language. All the
way through the chairs the Senior Warden has been speaking this language, and by
the time he reaches the station of Junior Warden, fresh from the experience of
Senior Deacon, he ought to be familiar with the ritualistic work of every
officer of the Lodge. It is to be taken for granted too, that he knows the
details of the floor-work. He is well acquainted with the Lodge membership; his
vision is broader, and he is now looking at the Craft, not with one little pair
of eyes, but through the eyes of the entire Lodge. No man can be skilled in the
work of the Senior Warden and be narrow in his judgment of the members of his
Lodge.
But there is another fundamental of tremendous
importance, one to which the Senior Warden must give his everlasting attention,
and of which the Master must be a constant student. I allude to The Book of
Constitutions. I mention this as the second of these great requisites,
because time and again I see exhibitions of inexcusable ignorance on the part of
those whose duty it is to be informed. Some kinds of ignorance may be excused;
other kinds are inexcusable. Never has there been a time in the history of
Freemasonry, I believe, when ignorance of the Craft Is so inexcusable as now,
because more facilities are at hand than ever before to inform and instruct.
The constant study of The Book of
Constitutions is as necessary for the two Wardens as for the Worshipful
Master. When called upon to preside (say to confer a Degree) the Senior Warden
must know how to handle an objection or a demand for a ballot, to name but one
of many problems that may arise at any time. The more diligently the Senior
Warden applies himself to the study of the Constitutions, the easier will
be his task when he becomes Master.
This preparation must not be left as a kind of
last-minute job. A man who worked in the same office with me once told me that
he never prepared himself for a task ahead until it came his way. Maybe that is
why he never advanced far!
One of the most delightful bits of reading for the
interested Mason is the Hand Book of Masonic Law of New York and another
is Collated Constitutions of the Grand Lodge of New York. It is not, of
course, to be recommended for restful vacation perusal, but is strongly urged
upon Officers, and especially the Masters and Wardens, as a handbook of great
value. I knew a man who, while he was Master, read to his Lodge, a little at
each communication, from the Book of Constitutions. He was thunder-struck
at the interest displayed. Brethren are keenly interested, universally so. And
they have confidence and respect for the officer presiding in the East who knows
what is proper from the legal standpoint. The foundation stone of sure knowledge
is mighty comforting to one’s feet, but one must place it there himself.
The third great fundamental requirement is an
aptitude for the furthering of harmony in the Lodge. A Grand Master in another
Grand Jurisdiction once said that the Lodge in which there is not harmony is
un-Masonic. A Warden or a Master is better able to attain harmony if he is
proficient in the first two requirements I have named.
I mentioned above the need of being acquainted with
the membership. This is positively necessary to an understanding of men’s minds,
and how they work. We might designate this fundamental as understanding the
individuality of his particular Lodge. Lodges differ, you see, one from one
another, in their individuality, just as do people – often have I remarked on
the wide difference in the individuality of Masonic Districts in the State of
New York. Here is an opportunity for study of an interesting subject – just one
of the many that come the way of the Senior Warden.
In his ritualistic work, both in the opening and in
the closing of the Lodge, the Senior Warden mentions the great importance of
harmony. He states that it is the support of all institutions, and then brings
in with special significance the part played by harmony in the affairs of the
Lodge. He must study, then, its exemplification, not only in the Lodge but
abroad in the world. It is his duty to do everything he can to promote harmony
in his life as an example of this virtue to others.
Rarely do we meet a bit of English diction so
utterly appropriate to the purpose for which it is designed as our Ritual of
Symbolic Masonry, and the delicacy with which this matter of harmony is brought
into the picture has a charm all its own, and as important as it is beautiful.
In it this theme of harmony is woven as a motif on which all rests. And –
the Senior Warden is the first Officer to mention it! This in itself should
teach our good friend in the West that he is the exemplar of this particular
virtue.
Now that we have reviewed certain fundamentals in
which the Senior Warden must be trained, we arrive at a consideration of those
broader affairs of which those things are merely the foundation. I allude to the
executive and administrative phases of the Warden’s work which are so important
in fitting himself for the Station of Worshipful Master. The Mastership is a
Station of tremendous responsibility to be approached with hat in hand,
metaphorically speaking. The Master is responsible to Grand Lodge for his acts
as Master, but if the Senior or the Junior Warden presides at any time the
Master is still responsible for their acts. So we may readily see how thoroughly
schooled the Wardens should be to preside in a way that will not embarrass the
Master.
The Senior Warden, the second in command, is to be
considered, therefore, as a future presiding Officer, not as one who merely
stands in the West to rattle off a bit of ritual. He is the future master, and
must possess those qualities of mind and spirit that will make him deeply
sensible of the seriousness of the task that some day may be his.
All I have said above is designed merely to pave
the way to a new point of view of the Senior Warden’s task. His is a task of
deep importance. The development of the man, his outlook on life, the way he
takes hold, whether or not his enthusiasm is tempered with good judgment – all
these and many more things will determine whether he will make good.
Brother Senior Warden, look well to the West! I
have tried to set forth some things that will be useful for you to know. Much
you must discover for yourself. And in the enlarging of your vision you will
find yourself a bigger man, spiritually and intellectually.
That is why you are in the West, why you have made
a pilgrimage through the chairs of the Lodge – that you might have the
opportunity of “growing into” the East as Worshipful Master.
Brother Senior Warden, look well to the West!
-- (Our Stations and Places, Henry G. Meacham,
Grand Lecturer, 1953-1977 (Grand Lodge of New York, F. & A.M., 1979 ed. of 1938
original work), pp. 24-34.)
Brother Wright, you have been elected Senior Warden
of this Lodge, and invested with the jewel of your station.
That Level, my Brother, demonstrates that we are
descended from the same stock, that we partake of the same nature, and share the
same hope; and that although distinctions among men are necessary to preserve
subordination, yet no eminence of station should make us forget that we are
Brethren; for he who is placed on the lowest spoke of fortunes wheel may be
entitled to our regard; because a time will come, and the wisest know not how
soon, when all distinction save that of goodness shall cease; and death, the
mighty leveler of human greatness, reduce us to the same state.
Your regular attendance on our Stated meetings is
essential. In the absence of the Master, you are to govern the Lodge; in his
presence, you are to assist him in the government of it. The brethren firmly
rely on your knowledge of Masonry and attachment to the Lodge, for the faithful
discharge of the duties of this important trust. Look well to the West!
*** *** ***
Brother Senior Warden, you are too well acquainted
with the principles of Masonry to warrant any distrust that you will be found
wanting in the discharge of your respective duties. Suffice it to say that what
you have seen praiseworthy in others, you should carefully imitate, and what in
them may have appeared defective, you should yourself avoid. You should be an
example of discretion and propriety; for it is only by a due regard for our laws
and regulations as shown in your conduct, that you can expect obedience to them
from others. You are assiduously to assist the Master in the discharge of his
trust; diffusing light and imparting knowledge to all whom he shall place under
your care.
In the absence of the Master you will succeed to
higher duties; your acquirements must therefore be such as will insure proper
instruction to the Craft. From the Spirit which you have hitherto evinced, I
entertain no doubt that your future conduct will be such as will merit the
applause of your Brethren, and the testimony of a good conscience.
Such is the nature of our Constitution, that as
some must of necessity rule and teach, so must others of course, learn to submit
and obey. Humility in both is an essential duty.
As this association has been formed and perfected
in so much unanimity and concord, so may it long continue. May you long enjoy
every satisfaction and delight which disinterested friendship can afford. May
kindness and brotherly affection distinguish your conduct as men and as Masons.
Within your peaceful walls may your children’s
children celebrate with joy and gratitude the annual recurrence of the
auspicious solemnity of installing the officers of My Name Lodge No. 345. And
may the tenants of our profession be transmitted through this Lodge, pure and
unimpaired, from generation to generation.
Duties – Required:
1.
To assist the Master in the performance of his duties;
2.
To discharge all those duties which ancient usage has assigned to the
station of the Senior Warden;
3.
During the absence of the Master, the Senior Warden shall succeed to and
be charged with all the powers and duties of the Master.
Duties – Suggested:
1.
To be responsible for the coaching of all candidates;
2.
To select qualified Brothers to coach candidates;
3.
To insure that Candidates Coaches Handbooks are available for all
Candidates Coaches;
4.
To insure that the candidates are progressing at a reasonable rate that
the Candidates Record Book is constantly updated;
5.
To serve as Chairman of the Public Schools program;
6.
To prepare the Senior Warden’s Trestleboard articles;
7.
To serve as an ex-officio member of the Budget committee;
8.
To prepare the calendar for your year as Master (set the family night
programs, arrange for facility reservations, define a theme for your year);
9.
To prepare an estimated budget for your year as Master (based upon the
calendar above);
10. To consider brethren to be appointed to the line during your year as
Master and to ask them if they will serve (whether or not you serve as Master
someone will have to make the appointments and the brethren will have to be
asked). Discuss possible choices with the present Master and Junior Warden;
11.
To consider brethren to be appointed as Chairmen of committees and
committeemen during your year as Master and ask them if they will serve (again
discuss the possible choices with the Master and Jr. Warden);
12.
To attend the Annual Communication of Grand Lodge and vote the Lodge’s
recommendations on the resolutions;
13.
To attend all Lodge functions (Stated and Special meetings, family night
programs and other Lodge functions);
14.
To make reservations for your Installation as Master with the Temple
Association as early as possible (by February);
Ritual – Required;
1. To
attend the District Officers’ Association meetings;
2. To be qualified to give the work and lectures of the First and Second
Degrees; that he has received a certificate of proficiency in the Candidate’s
Lecture of the Degree of Master Mason and is thoroughly proficient in those
portions of the Constitution and Regulations of the Grand Lodge which relate to
the government of a Lodge;
Ritual – Implied
1.
To learn the work and lecture of the Third Degree and the ritual required
to be qualified as Master;
2.
To be qualified to give the work of the Senior Warden in the Third
Degree;
3.
To take charge of all Second Degrees;
4.
To attend all degree practices designated by the Master;
Ritual – Suggested
1.
To examine all candidates to see if they are properly prepared;
2.
To review all signs, tokens, and words of the preceding degree(s) of all
Second and Third Degree candidates prior to the state of the degrees.
The Level being an emblem of equality, points out
to you the equal measures you are bound to pursue, in conjunction with the
Master, in the well ruling and governing of the Lodge. Your regular and punctual
attendance at our stated meetings is essential and [the brethren] rely upon your
knowledge of Masonry, and your attachment to the Lodge, for the faithful
discharge of the duties of your office. You will not fail to attend the [Annual]
Communication of Grand Lodge, in order that this Lodge may be properly
represented. Given into your hands is a gavel, as an emblem of power, which will
enable you to preserve due order in the West. This Column is the emblem of your
office, and you will keep it in an erect position whilst the Brethren are at
labor, as they are then under your superintendence; but place it in a horizontal
position whilst at refreshment. Also entrusted to your care is the pillar of the
Doric Order; it is an emblem of strength, and directs that you are to use all
your strength of mind and powers of intellect to preserve peace, order and
harmony among the Brethren of the Lodge, facilitate the designs of the Master,
and see that his commands are carried into full and permanent effect.
Is associated with the Science of Music, which had
a much broader and more mystical connotation to the Renaissance scholar than it
does to us today. As a Science, Music is based largely on the ratios between the
frequencies of each note, on the manner in which time is structured, and upon
the way these are combined to produce specific effects. The Senior Warden can be
seen to represent the level of the soul; and the association with Music suggests
the soul's task of maintaining a harmonious relationship among all the
components of the psyche.
-- [W. Kirk MacNulty, Freemasonry: A Journey
Through Ritual and Symbol, p. 23-24 (Thames and Hudson, Ltd., London,
1991.)]
The Senior Warden presides over the Middle Chamber,
which associates him with the Second Degree. He represents a stage of
consciousness yet more profound than that of his Junior colleague; the Senior
Warden symbolizes the consciousness of the Soul. Even a cursory review of the
Fellowcraft's Working Tools and the Perfect Ashlar of which the Senior Warden is
the custodian indicate that the activities which occur in the Soul or Middle
Chamber have to do with morality, and trying and testing and with proving
against absolute criteria. Consciousness at the stage of the Senior Warden (the
Soul) is consciousness of morality; and with this stage of awareness one
prescribes the rules by which the Junior Warden (the Self) conducts his
business. The Senior Warden (Soul) does not, usually, have much difficulty
communicating with the Junior Warden (Self); but in the common situation of an
individual working from his ego, his limited consciousness is unaware of the
general functioning of his psyche. In such a case the Senior Warden frequently
finds it hard to get his message through to consciousness. In this situation the
Senior Warden's messenger -- the Junior Deacon (intuition) -- makes his way to
the Inner Guard (ego) and the individual becomes aware of his Soul's activity as
a pang of consciousness. In the ... Four Worlds... the Senior Warden/Soul ...
occupies the small zone entirely with the psyche, and it is this position that
gives the Soul its particular quality. As we have seen, the Ground Floor is in
contact with the physical world and the Junior Warden is constrained not only by
the laws which operate in the psyche, but also by the physical laws as he
conducts his activities. The Worshipful Master is similarly constrained by the
laws operating in the spiritual world with which he is intimately associated.
But the Senior Warden, the Soul, exists entirely within the psyche and is
subject only to the laws of the psychological world. It is in this relative
freedom that free will is possible to the human being, and it is this reason
morality is the central issue of the Second Degree.
-- W. Kirk MacNulty, The Way of the Craftsman: A
Search for the Spiritual Essence of Craft Freemasonry, pp. 46-47, (Penguin
Arkana, 1988)
We hear a great deal about the duty and
prerogatives of the Worshipful Master, and of things that he can do “to activate
the particular group of brethren who compose his Lodge.” Men often sigh, “If I
were only young just for tonight,” and thereby express rather aptly the state of
mind of many who feel they have not taken advantage of all the opportunities
presented during their lifetime.
We are living in the present, however, not in the
past. What we do is for today and the future, and it is important that we turn
our minds to some of those problems that a Warden must consider if he would be a
“good Master,” problems that the Master must understand if he would possess
those qualities of knowledge and leadership so essential to a successful
Mastership.
Let us turn to the last pages of the “Standard
Monitor” – to the Chapter entitled, “Prerogatives and Duties of the Worshipful
Master.” Here is the introduction:
“By the prerogatives of the Worshipful Master are
meant the inherent right and authority he possesses by reason of the position he
occupies, giving him, as it does, extraordinary powers and privileges, which
belong to the presiding Officer of few other associations. In all instances his
decision on points of order is final in the Lodge, for it is a settled principle
of Masonic law that no appeal can be taken to the Lodge from the decision of the
Master. The Grand Lodge, or the Grand Master alone, can overrule his decision on
any point of order.
“The prerogatives of the Worshipful Master are so
numerous and varied that only some of the principal ones are here presented.”
I wonder how many Masters and Wardens in this Grand
Jurisdiction have read the above, how many have studied it. The statements there
made represent an important stone in the foundation of Masonic knowledge, and a
careful perusal of his duties and prerogatives as given in this part of the
Monitor is most essential to any man who is anxious to be a success in the
East. Let me quote the third duty as herein given:
“To open his Lodge at the time specified in the
by-laws, and close it at a suitable hour.”
I feel safe in asserting that a great deal of the
failure of brethren to attend Lodge may be ascribed to the lateness of the hour
at which the Master calls his Lodge to order – in spite of the fact that the
by-laws of the Lodge say when Lodge shall be opened. To cause brethren to stand
about for half- or three-quarters of an hour, waiting for Lodge to be opened,
when there seems to be no apparent reason for tardiness, does not encourage
attendance. Most people have a pretty fair sense of time and punctuality, and
they are irked by being forced to wait for him who, through slackness, fails to
observe the much needed factor of punctuality.
I like to consider the body of our Masters as a
vitally important part of the pedagogical department of Grand Lodge. This, of
course, consists of the Board of Custodians, which is comparable to the Board of
Regents in the State government; the Grand Lecturer who may be likened to the
Superintendent of Education; the Assistant Grand Lecturers, whose duty it is to
teach in their respective Districts, and who may be likened to District
Superintendents, and the Worshipful Masters, who, according to the eighth duty,
are required:
“To render the ritualistic work of the Lodge and
instruct the brethren therein.”
The Master should be in fact Master of the Work,
competent to render every part thereof and therefore may be compared to the
Principals of Schools.
The Master alone is responsible to Grand Lodge for
the Work of his Lodge, and he must be competent to instruct his brethren
therein. He must, of course, obtain his Work from those having authority to
teach it, and these are the Grand Lecturer and his Assistant Grand Lecturers.
Frequent complaints come to me to the effect that certain Lodges do not conform
to the practice as set forth in the Ritual. To one brother I was obliged to
write that when a Worshipful Master is advised as to what comprises the Standard
Work it is his responsibility to see that it is properly performed in his Lodge.
The annual District Convention in each District is provided for just this
purpose. Each Master, each Warden, every Officer in fact, and all brethren who
choose, should go to see exemplified the Standard Work and Lectures.
In the seventh prerogative is given an interesting
distinction between a “Notification” and a “Summons.” Let me quote:
“The distinction between ‘Notification’ and a
‘Summons’ is so great that it is strange how many overlook it. The former issues
from the Worshipful Master of the Lodge, and is practically an Invitation. It is
at the option of the brother receiving it to attend the meeting or not, as he
pleases. But a ‘Summons’ comes directly under the province of his Obligation,
and for its neglect he may be disciplined and punished. To disobey a summons is
a serious Masonic offense.”
Take your mind thus to the work of the Second and
Third Degrees, particularly to that of the Second Degree, that you may observe
how this matter of the summons is definitely emphasized. It is stressed
purposely in order that a strong impression may be made on the mind of the
candidate – and it should be equally emphatic to all of the brethren.
The fine distinction between a Notification and a
Summons is explained most clearly, and I believe that a Warden who fixes it in
his mind is taking an important step in the direction of a clear understanding
of his duties as Worshipful Master of his Lodge. Certain it is that the Master
who has fortified himself with a knowledge of this fine distinction, and who is
duly impressed upon the minds of his brethren their responsibility in connection
with a Summons.
Often in Conventions, during that portion of the
Second Degree where this matter is emphasized, I have stated that I wonder how
many Masons realize their duty in connection with a Summons. Perhaps if more
brethren realized this duty the annual meetings to which they are summoned would
be better attended.
Worshipful Master, this is something that well
deserves your attention, that you may explain to your brethren their duty.
I suggest, too, that the Master of the Lodge and
the Secretary read the ninth duty. Let me quote:
“To exercise supervision over the minutes, that
nothing improper be recorded, and nothing essential to a complete record be
omitted.”
If the Secretary of some Lodges would realize that
it is the duty of the Master to exercise supervision over the Secretary, rather
than that the Secretary dominate the Master, matters would run more smoothly.
-- (Our Stations and Places, Henry G. Meacham,
Grand Lecturer, 1953-1977 (Grand Lodge of New York, F. & A.M., 1979 ed. of 1938
original work), pp. 19-23.)
It is well known that you, Brother Bransgrove, are
well skilled in our ancient Craft. You are zealous in your regard for the
interests of our Order. And you are duly qualified to discharge the special
duties of the Master’s chair.
The Brethren of this Lodge, imposing confidence in
your integrity, in your zealous regard for the interests of Masonry, and in your
ability to discharge the duties of the Master’s chair, have chosen you to occupy
that honorable position during the ensuing year. You agreed to accept that
trust.
You have been most cheerfully installed in the
dignified and honorable position to which the suffrage of your Brethren have
called you; not doubting that the dignity of the Oriental chair will be well
preserved in your keeping, and that the interest and welfare of this Lodge may
be safely confided to your charge.
You have signified your assent to those ancient
charges and regulations which point out the duties of the Master of the Lodge,
and which on no account are ever to be neglected or departed from. They are as
follows:
You agreed to be a good
man and true, and strictly to obey the moral law.
You agreed to be a
peaceable citizen, and cheerfully to conform to the laws of the country in which
you reside.
You promised not to be
concerned in plots and conspiracies against government, but patiently to submit
to the decision of the supreme Legislature.
You agreed to pay a
proper respect to the civil magistrate, to work diligently, live creditably, and
act honorably by all men.
You agreed to hold in
veneration the original rulers and patrons of the Order of Masonry, and their
regular successors, supreme and subordinate, according to their stations; and to
submit to the awards and resolutions of your Brethren, when convened, in every
case consistent with the Constitutions of the Order.
You agreed to avoid
private piques and quarrels, and to guard against intemperance and excess.
You agreed to be cautions
in carriage and behavior, courteous to your Brethren, and faithful to your
Lodge.
You promised to respect
genuine Brethren and to discountenance imposters and all dissenters from the
original plan of Masonry.
You agreed to promote the
general good of society, to cultivate the social virtues, and to propagate the
knowledge of the Art.
You promised to pay
homage to the Grand Master for the time being, and to his officers when duly
installed; and strictly to conform to every edict of the Grand Lodge or General
Assembly of Masons, that is not subversive of the principles and groundwork of
Masonry.
You admitted that it is
not in the power of any man, or body of men, to make innovations in the body of
Masonry.
You promised a regular
attendance on the committees and communications of the Grand Lodge, on receiving
proper notice, and to pay attention to all the duties of Masonry on convenient
occasions.
You admitted that no new
Lodge should be formed without permission of the Grand Lodge; and that no
countenance should be given to any irregular Lodge, or to any person
clandestinely initiated therein, -- being contrary to the ancient charges of the
Order.
You admitted that no
person can regularly be made a Mason in, or admitted a member of, any regular
Lodge, without previous notice, and due inquiry into his character.
You agreed that no
visitors shall be received into your Lodge without due examination, and
producing proper vouchers of their having been initiated in a regular Lodge.
These are among the Ancient charges and regulations
of Free and Accepted Masons, and to these your assent was freely given. You
submitted to these charges and promised to support these regulations, as Masters
have done in all ages before you.
In consequence of that assurance, and with full
confidence in your capacity and zeal, your were installed as Master of My Name
Lodge No. 345, and invested with the jewel of your station.
That Square, my Brother, is an emblem of mortality;
and as it is the especial badge of the Master’s office, it should constantly
remind you that not only by precept, but by example, you should promote good
morals among the Brethren, and thus endeavor to avert the shadow of any scandal
or reproach against the Fraternity. Your former life has given evidence that
this jewel will not be an unmeaning symbol in your hands, and I solemnly charge
you to take good care that its luster be not dimmed through any act of yours.
You were presented the Book of Holy Writings. It is
the great Light in Masonry, and should ever be the great law of the Brotherhood.
It will guide you to all truth; it will direct you to eternal happiness; and an
attentive regard to the divine precepts it contains will insure you success in
the fulfillment of the duties you are now about to assume.
The working tools
of our Craft were next presented to you, that, as the Master Workman, you may
instruct the Craftsmen in the various duties and virtues which they have been
selected to illustrate.
The Square – teaches us well to regulate our every
action and to let our conduct be governed by the principles of Morality and
Virtue.
The Compass – teaches us to limit our desires in
every station, and never to suffer our passions or our prejudices to become the
masters of our judgment.
The Rule – directs the undeviating discharge of all
our duties; that we should press forward in the straight path of right and truth
without inclining to the one hand or the other; in all our doings having
Eternity in view.
The Plumb – is an emblem of moral rectitude. It
teaches us to avoid all dissimulation and to pursue that honest and upright
course in life which will tend to our elevation in the higher realms of
immortality.
There were still other important things which you
received in charge. The book of Constitutions you are expected diligently to
search, and from time to time to cause its contents to be read in your Lodge,
that none may remain ignorant of the precepts it enjoins, or of the ordinances
which it promulgates.
The By-Laws of your Lodge which it is your especial
duty to see carefully and punctually executed.
The Charter – under the authority of which you
Lodge is held, and which you are carefully to preserve, and duly transmit to
your successor in the Master’s chair.
Worshipful Master, you are congratulated on your
ascension to this time honored seat. The duties incumbent upon you in your
exalted station are fraught with grave responsibilities. Remember that the
honor, reputation, and usefulness of your Lodge will materially depend upon the
skill and assiduity with which you manage its concerns, and that the happiness
of its members will be generally promoted in proportion to the watchful care
with which you cherish the genuine principles of our Institution.
For a pattern of imitation, consider the great
luminary of nature, which rising in the East, regularly diffuses light and
luster to all within its circle. In like manner, it is your province to spread
and communicate light and instruction to the Brethren of your Lodge. Forcibly
impress upon them the dignity and high importance of Masonry; and seriously
admonish them never to disgrace it. Charge them to practice out of the Lodge
those duties which they have been taught in it; and by amiable, discreet and
virtuous conduct, to convince mankind of the goodness of this Institution; so
that when a person is said to be a member of it, the would may know that he is
one to whom the burdened heart may pour out its sorrows; one to whom distress
may prefer its suit; one whose hand is guided by justice, and whose heart is
expanded by benevolence. In short, by a diligent observation of the By-Laws of
your Lodge, the Constitutions of Masonry, and above all, the Holy Scriptures,
which are given as the rule and guide of your faith, you will be enabled to
acquit yourself with the highest honors here and lay up a crown of rejoicing
which shall continue when time shall be no more.
You were presented with the Gavel, the emblem of
power. In the hands of the Master, it may be made the instrument of great good,
or of greater evil. With it the Master governs his Lodge; and the welfare and
prosperity of your Lodge, in a great measure, depends upon its judicious use.
There is confidence that in your hands it will be wielded for the best interests
of your Brethren.
Powers
1st To congregate
his Lodge whenever he shall deem it proper;
2nd To issue, or cause to be issued, all summonses or
notices which may be required;
3rd To discharge all the
executive functions of his Lodge;
4th To perform all such acts,
by ancient usage proper to his office, as shall not be in contravention of any
provision of the Constitution or Regulations of the Grand Lodge.
Duties – Required
1. To preside at all meetings of his
Lodge.
2. To confer or have conferred all
degrees in strict accordance with the ritual which has been, or may hereafter
be, ordained by the Grand Lodge;
3. To give, or have given, in full,
the lectures appertaining to each degree, at the time it is conferred, in
accordance with such ritual;
4. To attest at each stated meeting
of his Lodge all minutes or records of proceedings as approved at such meetings
by the Lodge;
5. To superintend the official acts
of all the officers of his Lodge and to see that their respective duties are
properly discharged;
6. To carefully guard against any
infraction, by the members of his Lodge, of its own by-laws, of the Constitution
or Regulations of the Grand Lodge, or of the General Regulations of Masonry.
7.
To provide for the installation of his successor.
8.
To appoint such appointive officers as provided by the By-Laws of the Lodge.
Duties – Suggested
1.
To prepare the Lodge’s Annual
Plan;
2.
To prepare the Lodge’s Annual
Budget;
3.
To prepare the Master’s
Trestleboard articles;
4.
To ascertain the date for the
Inspectors Official Visit;
5.
To appoint the Investigating
Committee brethren as required;
6.
To be responsible for all Lodge
Committees;
7.
To attend Grand Lodge and vote
the Lodge’s recommendations on the resolutions;
8.
To prepare an agenda for each
stated meeting;
9.
To appoint the following
committees for the Lodge:
Committees – Required
1.
Audit
2.
Delinquent Dues
Committees – Desired
1. Budget
2. Funeral
3. Telephone
4. Personnel
5. Youth Activities (Job’s
Daughters, Rainbow, DeMolay)
6. Masonic Service Bureau
7. Constitution Observance
8. Public Schools
9. Entertainment
Committees – Suggested
1. Greeters
2. Trestleboard
3. Widows
4. Sickness and Distress
5. Masonic Education
6. Hiram
(or your Grand Lodge) Award
7. Sojourners
8. Investment
9. Public Information
10. Lodge History
11. Layman’s Night
12. Masonic Homes Endowment
Ritual – Required
1. To attend the district Officer’s
Association meetings
2. To be qualified to give the work
and lectures of the First, Second, and Third Degrees; and to be thoroughly
proficient in those portions of the Constitution and Regulations of the Grand
Lodge which relate to the government of a Lodge
Ritual – Implied
1.
To learn the ritual for
conducting stated meetings;
2.
To learn the ritual for receiving
Grand Lodge representatives (Inspector, Grand Master, etc.);
3.
To learn the ritual for receiving
and retiring the Flag of our country;
4.
To learn the ritual for receiving
the candidate after he has received the Third Degree;
5.
To learn the funeral ritual and
to conduct funerals;
6.
To conduct degree practices for
officers of the Lodge;
7.
To notify the Secretary of the
date of initiation for newly elected candidates at least three weeks prior to
his initiation;
8.
To take charge of all third
degrees.
Responsibilities of the Worshipful Master
There are many tasks for which the Master is responsible. These range
from the ritual performed in the Lodge to the tasks performed by each of the
committees. However, there are some tasks that only the Master can perform with
credibility. For example, although the Master is responsible for the Third
Degree Lecture, anyone that is qualified can give it. This is not true of the
ritual that follows, welcoming the newly raised Mason to the Lodge and inviting
him to sign the Lodge By-laws. In this case, only the Master should give this
part of the ritual. Similarly, although any Mason can, and should, visit a sick
or disabled brother, only the Master can effectively represent the Lodge. The
following is a list of some of the tasks that you should consider priority items
that only you should perform as Master of your Lodge. No one else can
substitute!
1.
Writing the Master’s message in
the Trestleboard.
2.
Visiting a sick or disabled
brother. It is not important that you know the man, or that he knows you, but
what is important is that you – as Worshipful Master – have taken the time to
visit him.
3.
Visiting a newly widowed wife or
a deceased member. Again, it’s not important that you know her, only that you
have taken the time – as Worshipful Master – to visit her.
4.
Welcoming all visitors to the
Lodge.
5.
Welcoming the newly raised
brother to the Lodge and inviting him to sign the Lodge’s By-laws.
6.
Following up on all committee
assignments to ensure that the committees are working on the assigned tasks and
are performing them in a manner that meets with your satisfaction. It’s
important to delegate, but it’s more important that you follow-up on all of the
assignments that you have made.
7.
Generating the Annual plan and
budget and seeing that they are updated periodically as the year progresses.
8.
Appoint the Investigating
Committee for an applicant.
9.
Lending an understanding ear to
the Brethren of the Lodge.
Don’t be caught short using your valuable time performing tasks that
could be better handled by another member, while letting those tasks that should
be performed by you, as Master of the Lodge, fall by the wayside.
Is associated with the Science of Astronomy (which
certainly meant Astrology to the framers of the symbolic structure). As the
observation of the heavens was thought to reveal the intentions of the Deity,
Astronomy suggests a level of consciousness which can see at a broad,
transpersonal scale and can perceive the intent of the Divine Plan. The level of
consciousness represented by the Worshipful Master is in intimate contact with
the Spirit in a manner analogous to the Tiler's relationship to the physical
body.
-- [W. Kirk MacNulty, Freemasonry: A Journey
Through Ritual and Symbol, p. 23-24 (Thames and Hudson, Ltd., London,
1991.)]
The Worshipful Master serves at the Porchway
entrance to the Holy of Holies. This area of the psyche ... is intimately
related to the spiritual world in the same way that the Ground Floor is related
to the physical world -- at the top it touches the very lowest party of
Divinity. As the Junior Warden is the Manager who integrates the psyche and
oversees the work and the Senior Warden is the Controller who sets the
standards, so the Worshipful Master is the Director who establishes the
objectives and defines policy. He is qualified to do so because, at this level
of consciousness one sees past one's personal considerations to perceive the
needs and aspirations of one's tribe, one's nation or perhaps of the race as a
whole. It is a difficult state of consciousness to comprehend, relating as it
does to the Third Degree, 'to a complete understanding (of which) few attain.'
We should recognize that from this position one can 'touch the hem of the Robe';
and one can come, if it be the Divine Will, into the presence of the Most High.
It is unnecessary to comment on the details of the
ceremony by which the candidate is introduced to the transition process of which
death is the allegory, but we can extract some of the principles from it. We
have already seen that it is the crossing of a barrier between worlds. We should
note that it is not the ego which is slain, that was subjugated long ago. It is
the Self, symbolized by the Junior Warden in the Lodge and the Junior Grand
Warden in the traditional history, that 'dies'. That Self is the individual, the
resident of the Psychological World, who must be true to his principles and
surrender his will (which he has worked so hard to attain) to the demands of a
greater purpose. Note that in this process the trusted functions of the psyche
which have been developed with such care are actually a liability in this
situation. This is because the individual, who had once thought of himself as a
body and now considers himself to be a psychological being, is about to cross
the threshold between Psychological and Spiritual Worlds. To do so he must die
to his concept of himself as a Self (the essence of the psychological organism)
in order to realize his identity as a Spiritual being who possesses a Self; just
his Self possesses a body. [Consider here the enduring quality of Charity:
Faith, Hope, and....] The allegorical death represents the entry into this
transition process.
The act of Raising represents the emergence from
the transition process into the World of Spirit. Notice that the two Wardens,
both representations of lower parts of the psyche, cannot accomplish this
process, but the Worshipful Master, representing that part of the psyche at the
level of the Spirit and in contact with Divinity, accomplishes the task with the
help of the Wardens. The Lecture on the Third Degree indicates that one is
enabled to be raised by 'the help of God (Divinity), the united aid of the
Square (Psyche) and Compasses (Spirit) and my own industry (Materiality)', a
clear indication in symbolic terms that the process involves activity in all
Four Worlds. The Lecture goes on to say that the candidate has been raised
'from a superficial flat to a lively perpendicular'. The reference is to the
geometric progression by which the Craft describes the Four Worlds, and shows
quite clearly that the candidate is considered to have crossed the barrier
between the 'superficies' of the psyche and the 'line' of the spirit.
The posture into which the candidate is raised is
of great importance. It is a symbol of the oneness which pervades the relative
universe. Heretofore, it has been one of the fundamental principles upon which
the Craftsman has based his work; now it is a conscious experience. At this
point in the ceremony the lights in the Lodge room are turned on, indicating to
the candidate that his transition is complete and that he is now able to see in
the ambient light of a Master Mason's Lodge. It is by this light that he will
perform his Labor in the Third Degree.
-- W. Kirk MacNulty, The Way of the Craftsman: A
Search for the Spiritual Essence of Craft Freemasonry, pp. 47, 137-138,
(Penguin Arkana, 1988)
The "Master" or Chief Officer, in man is the
spiritual principle in him, which is the apex and root of his being and to which
all his subsidiary faculties should be subordinate and responsive. When the
Master's gavel knocks, those of the Wardens at once repeat the knocks. When the
Divine Principle in man speaks in the depth of his being, the remaining portions
of his nature should reverberate in sympathy. Without the presence of this
Divine Principle in him man would be less than human. By cultivating this
consciousness of it he may become unified with it in proportion as he denies and
renounces everything in himself that is less than divine. It is the
inextinguishable light of a Master Mason which, being immortal and eternal,
continues to shine when everything temporal and mortal has disappeared.
-- Walter Leslie Wilmshurst, The Meaning of Masonry,
p. 101 (Bell, 1927/1980 ed.)
The seven Officers – three principal and three
subordinate ones, with an additional minor one serving as a connecting link with
the outside world – represent seven aspects or faculties of consciousness
psychologically interactive and coordinated into a unity so as to constitute a
“just and perfect Lodge.” As a man, any one of whose faculties is disordered or
uncoordinated, is accounted insane, so a Lodge would be imperfect and
incapacitated for effective work if its functional mechanism were incomplete.
Seven is universally the number of completeness.
The time-periods of creation were seven. The spectrum of light consists of seven
colors; the musical scale of seven notes; our division of time is into weeks of
seven days; or psychological changes run in cycles of seven years. Man himself
is a seven-fold organism in correspondence with all these and the normal years
of his life are seven multiplied by ten.
The "Master" or Chief Officer, in man is the
spiritual principle in him, which is the apex and root of his being and to which
all his subsidiary faculties should be subordinate and responsive. When the
Master's gavel knocks, those of the Wardens at once repeat the knocks. When the
Divine Principle in man speaks in the depth of his being, the remaining portions
of his nature should reverberate in sympathy. Without the presence of this
Divine Principle in him man would be less than human. Because of its presence in
him he can become more than human. By cultivating this consciousness of it he
may become unified with it in proportion as he denies and renounces everything
in himself that is less than divine. It is the inextinguishable light of a
Master Mason which, being immortal and eternal, continues to shine when
everything temporal and mortal has disappeared.
The Senior Warden, whilst the Master’s chief
executive officer, is his antithesis and opposite pole. He personifies the soul,
the psychic or animistic principle in man, which, if unassociated with and
unilluminated by the greater light of the Spirit or Master-principle, has no
inherent light of its own at all. At best he in the West can but reflect and
transmit that greater light from the East, as the moon receives and reflects
sunlight. Wherefore in Masonry his light is spoken of as the moon. In Nature
when the moon is not shone upon by the sun it is invisible and virtually
non-extent for us; when it is, it is one of the most resplendent of phenomena.
Similarly human intelligence is valuable or negligible according as it is
enlightened by the Master-light of the Divine Principle, or merely darkly
functioning from its own unilluminated energies. In the former case it is the
chief executive faculty or transmitting medium of the Supreme Wisdom; in the
latter it can display nothing better than brute-reason.
Midway between the Master-light from the East and
the “Moon” in the West is placed the Junior Warden in the South, symbolizing the
third greater light, the “Sun.” And, masonically, the “sun” stands for the
illuminated human intelligence and understanding, which results from the
material brain-mind being thoroughly permeated and enlightened by the Spiritual
Principle; it denotes these two in a state of balance and harmonious
interaction, the Junior Warden personifying the balance-point or meeting-place
of man’s natural reason and his spiritual intuition. Accordingly, it is he who,
as representing this enlightened mental condition, asserts in the Second Degree
(which is the degree of personal development where that condition is
theoretically achieved) that he ahs been enabled in that degree to discover a
sacred symbol placed in the center of the building and alluding the G.G.O.T.U.
What is meant is, of course, that the man who has in reality (and not merely
ceremonially) advanced to the second degree of self development has now
discerned that God is not outside him, but within him and overshadowing his own
“building” or organism; a discovery which he is thereupon urged to follow up
with fervency and zeal so that he may more and more closely unify himself with
this Divine Principle. This however, is a process requiring time, effort and
self-struggle. The unification is not achieved suddenly. There are found to be
obstacles, “enemies” in the way, obstructing it, due to the aspirant’s own
imperfections and limitations. These must first be gradually overcome, and it is
the eradication of these which is alluded to in the sign of the degree,
indicating that he desires to cleanse his heart and cast away all evil from it,
to purify himself for closer alliance with that pure Light. It is only by this
“sun-light,” this newly found illumination, that he as become able to see into
the depths of his own nature; and this is the “Sun” which, like Joshua, he prays
may “stand still” and its light be retained by him until he has achieved the
conquest of all these enemies. The problem of the much discredited biblical
miracle of the sun standing still in the heavens disappears when its true
meaning is perceived in the light of the interpretation given by the compilers
of the Masonic ritual, who well knew that it was not the solar orb that was
miraculously stayed in its course in violation of natural law, but that the
“sun” in question denotes an enlightened perspective state experienced by every
one who in this “valley of Ajalon” undertakes the task of self-conquest and
“fighting the battles of the Lord” against his own lower propensities.
We have now spoken of the Senior and Junior Wardens
in their respective psychological significances and as being described as the
“Moon” and “Sun.” In this connection it is well to point out here that the
lights of both Moon and Sun become extinguished in the darkness of the Third
Degree. In the great work of self-transformation they are lights and helps up to
point. When that point is reached they are of no further avail; the grip of each
of them proves a slip and the Master-Light, or Divine Principle, alone takes up
and completes the regenerative change; “The sun shall be on more thy light by
day, neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee; but the Lord
shall be unto thee an everlasting light and they God thy glory; and the days of
thy morning shall be ended. (Is. lx. 19-20.)
The three lesser Officers and Tyler, who, with the
three principal ones, complete the executive septenary, represent the three
greater Officer’s energies transmitted into the lower faculties of man’s
organism. The Senior Deacon, as the Master’s adjutant and emissary, forms the
link between East and West. The Junior Deacon, as the Senior Warden’s adjutant
and emissary, forms the link between West and South; whilst the Inner Guard
[similar in some respects to the Marshal] acts under the immediate control of
the Junior Warden and in mutually reflex action with the Outer Guard or
contact-point with the outer world of sense-impressions.
The whole seven thus typify the mechanism of human
consciousness; they represent a series of discrete by coordinated parts
connecting man’s outer nature with his inmost Divine Principle and providing the
necessary channels for reciprocal action between the spiritual and material
poles of his organism.
In other words, and to use an alternative symbol of
the same fact, man is potentially a seven-branched golden candlestick.
Potentially so, because as yet he has not transmuted the base metals of his
nature into gold, or lit up the seven candles or parts of his organism with the
Promethean fire of the Divine Principle. Meanwhile that symbol of what is
possible to him is offered for his reflection and contemplation, and he may
profitably study the description of regenerated, perfected man given in
Revelation I, 12-20.
To summarize, the seven officers typify the
following sevenfold parts of the human mechanism:
W.M. Spirit (Pneuma).
S.W. Soul (Psyche).
J.W. Mind (Nous, Intellect).
S.D. The link between Spirit and
Soul.
J.D. The link between Soul and
Mind.
I.G. The inner sense-nature
(astral).
O.G. The outer sense-nature
(physical).
-- Walter Leslie Wilmshurst, The Meaning of Masonry,
pp. 101-106 (Bell, 1927/1980 ed.)
Duties – Required
1.
To perform such duties consonant with the usages of the Craft as may be
directed by the Master;
2.
Attend each stated meeting, or make arrangements for another brother to
fulfill duty in the event of your absence and inform the Master;
3.
Read an oration (supplied) at each stated meeting.
Duties – Suggested
1.
Arrange for the Masonic education of the brethren and their families;
2.
Arrange for speakers from within and without the fraternity on subjects
of interest to Masons;
3.
Arrange for production of Masonic Plays at the Lodge.
Ritual – Required
1. None
Ritual – Suggested
1.
Learn the charges in each of the three degrees.
2.
Learn the Marshal’s
Interrogations in the First Degree.
3.
Learn the First Degree Monitorial
Lecture concerning the form, covering, supports, etc. of the Lodge.
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