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PAPER

Your Lodge and Offices

Summary: The main features and Officers of a Lodge.

The Lodge
The word ‘Lodge’ can mean an organisation of
like-minded people or a meeting place for people
with a similar interest. The Temple refers purely to
the room we are in now, but in Freemasonry, the
words ‘Lodge’ and ‘Temple’ have become almost
interchangeable.
This Lodge is typical in appearance of most Masonic
Lodges. If or when, you visit other Masonic Lodges,
particularly in other Provinces, you will no doubt
come across some variations on this theme. But
all Masonic Lodges under the jurisdiction of the
United Grand Lodge of England have the same basic
features and these are what will be presented to
you this evening. The form or layout of the Lodge is Warrant of the Concord Lodge
derived from three sources:
First, mediaeval stonemasons
When they were working on a building project, such as a church or a castle, they would construct a small
building or a lean-to nearby where they could meet to rest, eat and hold private meetings; to discuss the
building plans and other aspects of the project. The French word ‘loge’ was used to describe such a building,
and the modern word ‘lodge’ is derived from it.
If you look around this Lodge, you will see many references to the tools used by mediaeval
stonemasons, for example:
• The Level (Senior Warden)
• The Plumb Rule (Junior Warden)
• The Square and Compasses (Worshipful Master)
We don’t have room in the Lodge for the mediaeval equivalent of a white van!

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Second, mediaeval trade Guilds
These were organisations very similar in many
respects to modern trade unions. Their purpose was to
establish the working conditions and standards of the
trade they represented and to look after the welfare
of their members. Here in the Lodge, the references to
the Guilds are:
• The banner, carried by the Guildsmen on
public processions.
• The alms box or bag, used to collect for
charity donations. ©UGLE

• The ballot box, used for secret votes on important decisions.

• The Bible, which would be on public display in every Guild’s Hall.
Also, the names of some of our Lodge Officers are borrowed from the Guilds, such as ‘Worshipful Master’,
‘Warden’ and ‘Deacon’.

Third, King Solomon’s Temple in Jerusalem

This is the source of ‘Temple’ as another name for the Lodge.
King Solomon’s Temple is described in the Old Testament of the Bible, in the Books of Kings and Chronicles.
If you look around you will see references to King Solomon’s Temple, for example:
The black and white squared carpet (or floor) is taken from early Bible illustrations of King Solomon’s Temple.
Another legend tells us that the floor of the Ark of the Covenant (or the tabernacle of Moses) was covered
with black and white squares.
The Wardens’ columns represent the two pillars in the entrance porch of King Solomon’s Temple. You will
remember that, at the opening of the Lodge, the Senior Warden raises his column upright, to show that the
Lodge is open for business, while the Junior Warden
lowers his to the horizontal.
Then, if the Lodge is called off or when it closes, the
positions of the two columns are reversed, to show that
the Lodge has been called from labour to refreshment.
There is no definitive explanation for this practice, but
the most widely accepted is that the presiding Warden
has his column upright to show that he is in prime
position after the Worshipful Master, that is, the Senior
Warden when the Lodge is open for business and the
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Junior Warden when the Lodge is at refreshment.

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The Three Candlesticks are columns representing the three
orders of Greek Architecture:
• In the East (Master’s pedestal) is the Ionic order,
representing Wisdom
• In the West (Senior Warden’s pedestal) is the Doric order,
representing Strength
• In the South (Junior Warden’s pedestal) is the Corinthian
order, representing Beauty
They can also be seen as representing the Three Grand Originals
of Freemasonry: Solomon, King of Israel, who built the Temple
(signifying Wisdom); Hiram, King of Tyre who supplied men
and materials for the Temple (signifying Strength), and Hiram
A’biff, whose masterly workmanship beautified and adorned
the Temple (signifying Beauty).
These three influences were brought together to form the
basic layout of a typical Masonic Lodge. There are also other
items of Lodge furniture which are worthy of mention:
The Tracing Boards have a dual origin. One is from the
mediaeval stonemasons, who drew the plans of buildings on
parchment in their Lodges. The other is from the 18th century,
when Lodges met in taverns, inns and other rented rooms.
The Tyler would draw the form of the Lodge with chalk on
First Degree Tracing Board by John Harris
the floor, as a guide for perambulations and for the positions ©Museum of Freemasonry
of the Lodge Officers, plus the symbols relating to the Degree
ceremony being worked. After each meeting, the chalk marks would be washed away with a mop and water.
Later the chalk lines were replaced by lines drawn on pieces of cloth that could be unrolled onto the floor
for each Lodge meeting and then by painted Tracing Boards, which still bear symbols relating to the Degree
in which the Lodge is working.
The Rough and Smooth Ashlars. Let’s look at the cubes of stone on the Wardens’ pedestals. They appear
similar, but if you look closely, you will see that they are different. The stone on the Junior Warden’s pedestal
is coarse and rough (the Rough Ashlar), whereas the one on the Senior Warden’s is pedestal is polished
and smooth (the Smooth Ashlar). In the philosophy of Freemasonry, the Ashlars represent progress as a
Freemason and individual development.
So, let us now consider your progress as a Freemason and the Offices which you might occupy.

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The Lodge Officers
Once you have achieved the status of Master Mason, you become eligible to progress through the various
Offices in the Lodge, leading ultimately to the Office of Worshipful Master. However, you should remember
that, even as an Entered Apprentice, you may be called upon to help out as a Steward or to deputise for an
absent Lodge Officer, but don’t let this worry you, as you would never be asked to fill any Office that you
didn’t feel ready for.
Steward
The first Office that you would normally be asked to occupy is that of Steward. Traditionally,
the Stewards were responsible for the preparation of the Festive Board. Nowadays, they
usually serve the food and wine at table, although in many Lodges, everyone brings their
own wine to the table. Having said that, some Lodges still maintain the tradition of the
Stewards assisting in the preparation of the Festive Board, ensuring that there are sufficient
place settings, as well as serving the meal and drinks. Typically, each Lodge has between two
and six Stewards.
Inner Guard
After a year as a Steward, you would usually be eligible to progress to the Office of Inner
Guard. His duty is to prevent any unwelcome intrusion into the Lodge by locking the door
from the inside. He also announces the names of, and admits, any members or visitors who
wish to enter after the Worshipful Master has formally opened the Lodge. This is the first
Office in which you will participate in the Ritual, albeit only to a small extent, as a gentle
introduction to what will follow in later Offices. The Ritual we use today was devised after
the formation of United Grand Lodge of England.
At that time, our ritual was passed on by word of mouth as it was forbidden to write it down or print it. A
special Lodge, called the Lodge of Reconciliation, gave demonstrations to members of Lodges from all over
the country of how the ritual was to be performed, and those attending the demonstrations would then go
back to their own Lodges and pass on what they had learned. As you can imagine, this led to many deviations
from the original ritual, and these have been passed down to us today in what we call the different workings
of Ritual. There are approximately 40 different workings, the most widely used of which are Emulation,
Taylors, Logic and Universal.
Junior and Senior Deacon
The word ‘Deacon’ comes from the Greek ‘diakonos’ which means servant or messenger and
traditionally, the Junior Deacon carried messages between the Senior and Junior Wardens.
Today, his main responsibility is to escort Entered Apprentice Candidates around the Lodge
during the Ceremony of Initiation.
After a year as a Junior Deacon, you would be eligible for appointment as Senior Deacon. Traditionally, the
Senior Deacon carried messages between the Worshipful Master and the Senior Warden, but today his main
duty is to escort Fellow Craft and Master Mason Candidates around the Lodge in the Second and Third
Degree ceremonies.

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Both Deacons carry wooden wands of office, topped with a dove with an olive branch in its mouth. The same
symbol is used in the Deacons’ collar jewels. This is a reference to the dove that Noah sent out from the
ark and which returned with an olive branch in its mouth to signify that it had found land. Before 1813, the
Deacons’ emblem was Hermes, the Ancient Greek messenger god, known to the Romans as Mercury.
Junior Warden
Next comes the first of what are known as the three Principal Officers. The Junior Warden
sits in the South, which symbolises the sun at its meridian (highest point) at 12 noon, when
mediaeval stonemasons stopped work for lunch, and this is reflected in his traditional duty
of supervising the Brethren at refreshment. Indeed, in some Lodges, the Junior Warden
supervises the Stewards.

Senior Warden
After serving as Junior Warden for a year, you become eligible for promotion to Senior
Warden, the second of the Principal Officers. The Senior Warden sits in the West, which
symbolises the setting sun at the end of the mediaeval stonemasons’ working day, and he is
therefore responsible for closing the Lodge. During his year of Office, he will prepare himself
for the Office of Worshipful Master.
All of the Officers that we have met so far are appointed each year by the newly elected Worshipful Master.
But we now come to the first Officer elected by the members of the Lodge, the Worshipful Master.

Worshipful Master
The Worshipful Master is the Lodge’s ‘boss’. He sits in the East, which represents the rising
sun at the start of each day and his first duty is to formally open the Lodge at each meeting.
He presides over the Lodge as a sort of Chairman, and plays the leading role in all of the
ceremonies. During his progress through the previous Offices, he will have accumulated
knowledge and experience of Freemasonry, but, more importantly, he will have grown as an individual. He
will have gained self-confidence; he will have improved his memory from learning Masonic ritual; he will
have learned how to communicate effectively and will not be afraid to speak in public; he will also have
learned management and organisational skills.
Overall, he will have become a better and more rounded person. Note that this doesn’t mean ‘better’ in
the sense of ‘better than anyone else’, but rather ‘better in himself’. And no doubt his waistline will ‘more
rounded’ from the Festive Boards that he has enjoyed over the years!
The Worshipful Master sits in the Chair of King Solomon and, when the Lodge has to make a difficult decision,
he may be required to exercise the wisdom associated with that Biblical King. This is the Office to which all
Freemasons should aspire, even if you choose not to embrace some of the more esoteric principles of the
Masonic journey, you should at least enjoy the camaraderie and support of your fellow Lodge members and
its positive impact on your outlook to life.
When installed, the Worshipful Master is presented with the Warrant of the Lodge, a document issued by the
United Grand Lodge of England. Although it is held by the Lodge, it remains the property of the Grand Master,
and he has the power to remove it. The Warrant authorises the Lodge to hold meetings and it should be on
the Worshipful Master’s pedestal each time the Lodge is open for business.

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The retiring Worshipful Master each year automatically becomes the Immediate Past Master
and has a designated seat in the Lodge to the left of his successor, from where he can offer
him help and guidance based on his experience. He can also be called upon to deputise for
the Worshipful Master in his absence.
These are the progressive Offices in the Lodge, in the sense that you would normally progress
from one to the next each year until you are a Past Master. A Lodge, like any other social organisation, needs
another group of Officers to manage its affairs, and so we come to the Offices usually (but not necessarily)
occupied by Past Masters of the Lodge. These Officers are also appointed each year by the Worshipful Master,
with two exceptions. It is common practice for an individual to serve in one of these Offices for a number of
years, to ensure a degree of continuity within the Lodge.
Chaplain
The Chaplain’s principal role is to lead prayers at the beginning and end of the Lodge meetings,
to say Grace before meals and to give thanks afterwards. Only a few Lodge Chaplains have
any religious training, and all prayers said in the Lodge are non-denominational. At this
point it is appropriate to stress the point that Freemasonry is not a religion, pseudo, quasi
or otherwise, although (in England at least) it does require its members to believe in a single
God. However, it leaves it to the individual as to how he interprets that belief. Freemasonry
is open to men of all religious faiths, although the discussion of religion (and politics) is
forbidden at Lodge meetings.
Treasurer
The Treasurer is the second Officer who is elected by the members of the Lodge. His role is
the same as in any other organisation: he is responsible for managing the financial affairs of
the Lodge. He collects annual subscriptions from the members, pays the Lodge’s bills and
generally balances the books. Each year he presents a statement of the Lodge’s accounts to
the members of the Lodge and decides whether or not to propose a rise in subscriptions to
cover current and anticipated expenditure.
Secretary
He sits next to the Treasurer, and, while the Worshipful Master might think that he is in
charge of the Lodge, the Secretary knows who really is in charge! He is responsible for Lodge
administration and correspondence, including composing and sending out the Summons
for each meeting, which includes the date, time and Agenda as well the Minutes of the last
meeting. He also maintains a list of all the members of the Lodge, with their Masonic ranks
and Offices. During Lodge meetings, he makes notes for the Minutes, then writes them up
and sends them to the Lodge members for approval at the next meeting. He advises the
Worshipful Master on points of procedure and will often make recommendations to him on appointments to
the Lodge Offices. He communicates with Grand Lodge and Provincial Grand Lodge on behalf of the Lodge and
reads out correspondence from them to the Lodge. A Lodge Secretary is usually a very dedicated Freemason
who gives up a lot of his own time to ensure the smooth running of the Lodge.
Assistant Secretary

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Many Lodges appoint an Assistant Secretary to assist the Secretary with administration and
to be responsible for organising the Festive Board by liaising with the caterers regarding
the menu and the number of people, arranging the seating plan and collecting payment
from the members for their meals. He also deputises for the Secretary in his absence.

Director of Ceremonies
He is the Lodge’s equivalent of a television studio’s floor manager or an army Sergeant-
Major. His duties are to ensure that the Ritual and Ceremonies are carried out correctly
and that everyone is in the right place at the right time. He is ready to prompt anyone
who forgets their lines or movements. He helps the Brethren to bring out the best of
themselves when performing the Ritual. He needs to be an expert in Masonic Ritual and
Ceremonies, as the best Directors of Ceremonies lead by example.

Assistant Director of Ceremonies

He assists the Director of Ceremonies in some of the Ritual and Ceremonies and deputises
for him in his absence.

Almoner
He is responsible for supervising the welfare of Lodge members and their families. He
maintains contact with members who are unwell and reports on their progress to the
Lodge. He also keeps a discreet eye on the widows of deceased members so that the Lodge
can offer assistance should they find themselves in any particular need. Indeed, many
Lodge Almoners are responsible for buying Christmas gifts for the widows each year.

Charity Steward
He is responsible for encouraging the Lodge members to give generously to charitable
causes, both Masonic and non-Masonic. He advises them of any particular good causes
that Provincial Grand Lodge is keen to support. He may organise charity fundraising social
functions. Like the Treasurer, he presents an annual statement of the charity account to
the Lodge, with details of the amount collected and the amount donated.

Organist
The prerequisite for this specialised Office is, obviously, the ability to play the organ.
Masonic ceremonies are substantially enhanced by musical accompaniment; indeed the
absence of music can sometimes make them appear a little incomplete. A Lodge with an
experienced Organist is very fortunate.

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Tyler
Last, but by no means least, we come to the Tyler. He is responsible for setting up the Lodge
before meetings start and he normally sits outside the door of the Lodge during meetings,
to ensure that no unauthorised persons enter the Lodge. He is armed with a sword to
help him do this.
He is also responsible for preparing Candidates for the ceremony of initiation and for clearing
up the Lodge after it has closed. For these services, he is sometimes paid a fee from Lodge
funds, and, because of this, he is the third Lodge Officer elected by the members. He is
sometimes not a member of the Lodge, indeed many Tylers work for several Lodges.
However, in some Lodges the Tyler is not paid and is a Past Master.
We hope that this brief introduction has sufficiently whetted your appetites to make you want to explore
further the joy and satisfaction that Freemasonry can bring.

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Recommended use of Papers
Please remember that there are several interpretations of many aspects of Freemasonry, this explanation
reflects the views of the author, not the United Grand Lodge of England. If you want further information,
there is lots of material on Solomon.
Papers offer a simple, direct means of advancement in a particular aspect of Masonic knowledge. They can
be used in a variety of ways:
• Read at home for private study
• Shared for pre-reading by members of a discussion group
• Read aloud in Lodge or Chapter, or in an LOI/COI/new member’s forum. Followed by ‘any questions’, or
as a precursor to a discussion (in which case much more time is needed, possibly more than double that
allocated to the paper itself), and be supported by audio-visual aids, if necessary.
They can be delivered by a single person or split into bite-sized pieces and read by multiple presenters (in
which case, the speaker(s) should have read and practiced the delivery of the paper beforehand). If the
paper is to be used to introduce a discussion, the presenter will need to have thought about the material,
done a little research, and prepared some open questions to engage with the audience. Kipling’s dictum
can be of help in preparing open questions, which should begin with one of his ‘serving men’, as follows:
‘I keep six honest serving men (they taught me all I knew). Their names are, What and Why and When and
How and Where and Who’. Rudyard Kipling
*Note: All biblical passages are taken from the Authorized King James version and any reference to ritual
will be from Emulation unless otherwise specified
For further papers and other learning materials visit Solomon at solomon.ugle.org.uk
Don’t forget to follow Solomon on Social Media @SolomonUGLE @SolomonUGLE

Acknowledgement:
UGLE gratefully acknowledges Charles Marchant and Alan Short, as the authors of this document and for
their permission to publish it in this form.
Disclaimer:
The views or interpretations contained in this document are those of the author. UGLE recognises there
are many different interpretations of ritual, symbolism and history. It does not endorse the contents of this
document or of any external websites linked to within the document.
Copyright:
All rights reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any
means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and
retrieval system, without permission from The United Grand Lodge of England in writing.

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