THE ART OF PRESIDING
"Preside--to sit in authority over others." (Standard Dictionary.)
The first principle of successful presiding is to use authority without any
one being conscious, of it !
The presiding officer elected by a secular organization is amenable to its
dictates and may be removed by the electorate; an appeal may be taken from his
decision to the to the body over which he presides; generally he is supposed to
conduct its meetings according to the rules of order.
None of this is true of the Master of a Lodge. While elected, he is not
controlled by the dictates of his Lodge; he can only be removed by Grand Master
or Deputy under authority of the Grand Master; no appeal to the Lodge may be
taken from his awards: "rules of order," while followed in general, are actually
the Master's will and pleasure.
MOTIONS OUT OF ORDER
In any secular body a motion to adjourn, for the previous question, to lay on
the table, to refer to a committee of the whole, are always in order; in a
Masonic Lodge, never. Only the Master can decide these questions, and even a
Master should never permit the lodge to resolve itself into a committee of the
whole since a committee presupposes a Chairman and a Chairman is the servant,
not the ruler, of the Committee.
With the usual business of Lodge: confirming of minutes, accepting petitions,
ordering a ballot, putting motions to expend, etc.. have little trouble. It is
when difficult questions arise; hard fought battles to raise dues : revision of
by-laws; putting standing resolutions on the books: accepting and confirming a
report which reflects on some officer. etc.. that the Master must temper justice
with mercy, and authority with discretion.
Keep Cool
The rule is usually wise which avoids heated debates. When debaters become so
personal as to forget brotherly acts in the warmth of partisanship, a Master is
justified in closing debate for the time, act- on the question when cooler
moments arrive. A Master may always call from labor to"refreshment, to permit
"cooling off." If he does this with a smile, and some remark about his own need
for a little reflection, he will offend no one. GAVEL
The Masonic gavel in the hands of a Master is all powerful. Brethren must-and
with practically no exceptions always obey its mandate. Grand Lodge frowns upon
the brother who flouts the authority of a Master ; a
brother not willing to cease speaking when "rapped down," or who
insists on speaking when not recognized, is subject to Masonic trial and
punishment Because of the power of the gavel the good Master uses it sparingly;
he will never "rap down" a brother if it is possible to avoid it. If a brother
insists on doing something illegal, the Master must, of course. But there is a
vast difference in the way this is done by different Masters.
A certain Past Master was offended at the adverse report of a committee on
investigation of a petitioner. Securing recognition he began : "I think we
should disregard this committee report unless we know why the committee reported
unfavor-able, : I demand their reasons. . ."
The Master could have brought his gavel down with a bang and said: "Brother
Past Master, you are out of order; a Past Master ought to know better!"
What he did do was bring his gavel down with enough decision to be heard,
then said: "Brother Past Master, I regret exceedingly to rule out of order one
of my illustrious and learned predecessors. But my understanding of Masonic law
is that the reasons for reporting unfavorably by a committee are as sacred as
the ballot. I am sorry.
This seems almost too simple to chronicle, and yet it is just this difference
between the hard and fast exercise of undoubted power which men are apt to
resent, and the patient brotherly courtesy which Masons appreciate, which marks
the successful from the disliked presiding officer.
A "GOOD SPORT"
A finance committee brought in a report ",which severely criticized a
Master's administration, practically accusing him of running wild with the Lodge
finances. Shocked but game, without a word of defense, he put the question as to
the disposition of the report. Brother after brother arose to discuss the
report, to delete this and strike out that, to remove that offending phrase and
to soften this one. After some ten minutes debate one brother, a loyal partisan
of the Master, moved rejection of the whole report and appointment of a new
finance committee. "I am sorry, not to entertain that motion." the Master said
with a smile. "I think the committee has rendered a fine report. 1 do not refer
to their opinions, but to the hours of labor and the results in this excellent
financial statement. I would be ungrateful indeed if I discharged this
com-mitten, or failed to express our appreciation of its efforts."
The Lodge applauded vigorously, and the result was the acceptance of the
financial part of the report, with all criticism stricken out. Most important,
the members of the committee, sincere and honorable gentlemen, felt that the
Master had been just; thus any schism was avoided, the Master was pro-tented,
the Lodge satisfied and the commit-tee content.
One wrong word, and a first class Lodge quarrel might have started!
SNAP AND SPEED
Some men think like a lightning flash and others think slowly. Even the slow
thinker can speed up his business meetings by having previously written notes
before him. The Masters who depend on their Secretaries to tell them what to do
next are legion--what would some of us do without those hard worked and loyal
officials! But the Master who lets the Secretary do it all rarely has the
respect or veneration of his members.
LET THEM TALK!
A good Master remembers that he is Master of all the Lodge---not just those
members with whom he is in sympathy-. He knows that what is unimportant to him
may be vital to some other brother. The member who insists on a bowling match or
a golf game with a sister lodge may feel it just as important as the Master's
plans for a Masonic evening---let him talk about it! Of course. there is a limit
to all things, and a scheduled degree should not be delayed so as to keep the
few faithful up half the night, sending the rest home without seeing it. But,
within reason, the Master who encourages his members to speak, who calls on
Brothers Smith and Jones for a few remarks about some question, will have a more
unified and interested Lodge than he who is anxious to shut off debate.
WELCOMES
They are as different in different Lodges as chalk is from cheese. Some
Lodges extend no special welcomes; in others a word of greeting to all visitors
is customary, especially those vouched for by a committee after an examination.
In some Lodges, the Past Masters are known only by their jewels; in others the
Master calls on each by name, says a pleasant word and offers him the pretty
courtesy of a
seat in the East." Now and then a Master is so anxious to be courteous that
he offers the "seat in the East" to every visitor. which rather destroys its
value as a mark of special consideration for those who have borne the heat and
burden of the day.
One small error many a Master makes with only politeness in his mind; taking
off his hat whenever he speaks, especially when he extends a welcome.
The "hat snatcher," however %%,ell-well intentioned, displays a fundamental
ignorance of the meaning of the Master's hat. It is not, strictly speaking. a
hat at all, but a badge of office. There is no more reason to remove it when
speaking -than there is to take off apron or jewel. A Master need remove his hat
on but four occasions; when speaking of. or to, Deity; when speaking of a death;
when the Grand Master or his Deputy comes into the Lodge room wearing a hat, or
when tendering the gavel of authority to another to preside.
RESPECT
It is emphatically the Master's business to insist upon profound respect for
his office. Many a modest man refrains from correcting a wrong Lodge action in
the mistaken idea that brethren will think he is "high hat." A brother may be
plain John Smith, but when John Smith is Master, he should receive the respect
which that office demands. The brother who makes the wrong salute should be
smilingly corrected ---but he should not go unchallenged. The brother so
careless of his manners as to salute with a cigar in his mouth may be privately,
admonished, but he should hear from the East. The brother who Crosses between
Altar and East should learn that brethren do not use the space between Master
and Great Lights for a passageway. because, as the Great Lights are in the
Master's charge. he is entitled to keep them always in view. The brother who
speaks out of turn, the brother who tries to leave the room during a ballot, the
brother who forgets a proper salute when addressing the East---all should
receive some word of friendly counsel. Whether it be done before the Lodge, or
by sending a message by the Senior Deacon, is for the Master to decide. His
brethren in the end will think the, more of him if he passes his high station to
his successor with its dignity unimpaired.
SMILE
Nothing succeeds in the East like a smile. Two Masters reigned in sister
Lodges at the same time; one a brilliant lawyer, smart as a steel trap, wit like
a rapier . . . and cold and austere as a lump of ice. The other Master was a
railroad conductor; he had not one-tenth the education, wit or brilliance of the
lawyer, but he knew the gentle art of making friends. Whatever pleasant he had
to do, he did as if he liked to do it, with a smile. Whatever unpleasant was his
task, he did as if it pained him, but with a smile. The railroad brother's Lodge
was crowded and the brilliant, lawyer's all but empty most of the year.
Smiles, alas, cannot be made to order. Set smiles, machine smiles, mere
facial contortions won't work. 'Effective smiles come from a smiling heart. By
all of which it may be seen that the art of presiding successfully has its
foundation in sympathy and understanding. and its cornerstone in good nature and
tolerance. With these a Master can hardly fail to be a beloved presiding
officer.
NERVOUS!
It is only three steps from the Lodge, floor to the Master's platform but
what high steps! The brother presiding for the first time in a Masonic Lodge who
says he is not nervous is fooling himself, but no one else.
But there is no need to continue to be nervous. In a traffic jam the motorist
can always stop---the worst he will get is a lot of horns tooted at him and
perhaps a "bawling out" by the policeman. In a parliamentary jam the Master can
always stop to look up the law or precedent, or call to refreshment while he
consults some one; he will hear neither horns nor bawling out. Go slowly,
consult the agenda: depend on the Secretary to help; use the gavel sparingly;
smile . . . and presiding becomes a pleasure and a Master a joy to his brethren.
The Masonic Service Association is indebted to the courtesy of
The Temple Publishers, of Washington, D. C'.. for their kindly
permission to reprint these pages, which are Chapter Five, from "The
Master's Book." by Post Master Carl H. Claudy.
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