Master of the Lodge

“ The Worshipful Master shall preside at all times when present. He shall have charge of the Warrant of Constitution, Jewels, and Furniture. He shall be empowered to convene the Lodge on any emergency which in his judgment shall require the same. He shall see that the rules and regulations of the Grand Lodge of. . . . . . . . ., as well as the By-Laws of this Lodge, be strictly obeyed; that his Officers perform their duties faithfully; that the Annual Returns be made, and dues punctually paid to the Grand Lodge. ”

“ When the Master of a Lodge receives notice of a Master Mason's death, and of his request to be interred as a Mason, he must satisfy himself of its propriety; and then, being informed of the time appointed for the funeral, the Master may invite as many Lodges as he may think proper, and the members of those Lodges may accompany their officers inform ”

“ A piece of music is then performed, and the second procession is made round the Lodge. When the Grand Master arrives at the East, the music ceases, and the Senior Grand Warden presents him with the vessel of wine, which he sprinkles over the Lodge, saying:
In the name of the Supreme and Eternal God, the Grand Architect of heaven and earth, to whom be all honor and glory, I dedicate this hall to Virtue. ”

“ You will then present him at the pedestal for installation.
The Deputy taking the Master elect from among his fellows, presents him at the pedestal, saying:
Most Worshipful Grand Master, I present my worthy Brother, A. B., to be installed Worshipful Master of this new Lodge. I find him to be of good morals and of great skill, true and trusty; and as he is a lover of the fraternity, wheresoever dispersed over the face of the earth, I doubt not that he will discharge his duty with fidelity and with honor. ”

“ In ancient times, no Master or Fellow could be absent from it, especially when warned to appear at it, without incurring a severe censure, until it appeared to the Master and Wardens that pure necessity hindered him.
The persons admitted members of a Lodge must be good and true men, free-born, and of mature and discreet age, no bond men, no women, no immoral or scandalous men, but of good report. ”

“ Brethren. The will of God is accomplished. So mote it be. Amen.
Master. From dust we came, and unto dust we must return.
Brethren. May we all be recompensed at the resurrection of the just. Amen.
The procession then returns to the place whence it set out, where the necessary duties are complied with, and the business of Freemasonry is renewed. The insignia and ornaments of the deceased, if an officer of a Lodge, are returned to the Master, and the Lodge is closed in the third degree with the usual benediction. ”

“ Finally, my brethren, as this Lodge 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. [Pg 100] Within your peaceful walls may your children's children celebrate, with joy and gratitude, the annual recurrence of this auspicious solemnity; and may the tenets of our profession be transmitted through this Lodge, pure and unimpaired, from generation to generation. ”

“ Lastly, you receive in charge the by-laws of your Lodge, which you are to see carefully and punctually executed. I will also present you with the mallet; it is an emblem of power. One stroke of the mallet calls to order, and calls up the Junior and Senior Deacons; two strokes call up all the subordinate officers; and three, the whole Lodge." The following charge is then delivered to the newly-installed Master (alias candidate) by the former Master:
"Worshipful Master, being appointed Master of this Lodge, you cannot be insensible of the obligations which devolve on you as their head ”

“ Most holy and glorious Lord God, the great Architect of the universe, the giver of all good gifts and graces! In Thy name we have assembled and in Thy name we desire to proceed in all our doings. 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 throne! ”

“ The Master elect then faces the Grand Master, who continues
Brother, previous to your investiture, it is necessary that you should signify your assent to those ancient charges and regulations which point out the duty of the Master of a Lodge.
I. Do you promise to be a good man and true, and strictly to obey the moral law? ”

“ They should be well understood by every Master of a Lodge. They treat of the government of the society; the disposition of its rulers, and illustrate their proper functions and qualifications.
Any number of Master Masons, not less than seven, having determined to form a new Lodge, must apply by petition to the Grand Master, which petition should be in the following words:
To the Most Worshipful Grand Master of Ancient Freemasons of ........ ”

“ They proceed up to the East, when they open to the right and left, and the Grand Master passes through to the chair; they then close, and take their seats on the right of the Master. The Master receives the Grand Master according to ancient usage, with the private grand honors of Masonry, and resigns to him the chair and the hiram, when the officers of the Lodge resign their seats to the corresponding Grand officers. ”

“ Your early and punctual attendance will afford the best proof of your zeal for the institution.
The members of the new Lodge then, all standing, the Grand Master delivers the following
CHARGE TO THE BRETHREN OF THE LODGE.
Such is the nature of our constitution, that as some must of necessity rule and teach, so others must of course learn to submit and obey. ”

“ Its universal chain of friendship encircles every portion of the human [Pg 26] family and beams wherever civilization extends.
A Lodge is said to be thus extensive to denote the universality of Freemasonry, and teaches that a Mason's charity should be equally extensive.
The Supports of a Lodge.
A Lodge is supported by three great pillars, denominated Wisdom, Strength and Beauty; because there should be wisdom to contrive, strength to support, and beauty to adorn all great and important undertakings. ”

“ The little scaffold with its mystic burden is removed from the centre of the great medicine lodge, the hide ropes are passed through apertures in the roof to men who stand outside, and the master of the ceremonies, and his assistants, together with the chiefs and braves of the tribe, re-enter the lodge, and take up their positions. ”

“ A person who has received the two preceding degrees, and wishes to be raised to the sublime degree of a Master Mason, is (the Lodge being opened as in the preceding degrees) conducted from the preparation room to the door (the manner of preparing him is particularly explained in the Lecture) , where he gives three distinct knocks, when the Senior Warden rises and says, "Worshipful, while we are peaceably at work on the third degree of Masonry, under the influence of humanity, brotherly love, and affection, the door of our Lodge appears to be alarmed." ”

“ VII. Every new brother at his making is decently to clothe the Lodge, that is, all the brethren present, and to deposit something for the relief of indigent and decayed brethren, as the candidate shall think fit to bestow, over and above the small allowance stated by the by-laws of that particular Lodge; which charity shall be lodged with the Master or Wardens, or the Cashier, if the members think fit to choose one. ”

“ Charles E. Dayton, who retired from the master's seat at the annual election last December, has a phenomenal record as a master equaled by few if any and exceeded by none, it is safe to say. He has been a member of the lodge twenty-two years and has held office for nineteen years, thirteen of which he has served as master. February 20 last he was presented with a handsome gold watch by the members of the lodge as a testimonial of the high regard they had for him, both as a man and mason, and for his unselfish devotion to the interests of the lodge. ”

“ S. W.—"As the sun sets in the West to close the day, so stands the Senior Warden in the West, to assist the Most Excellent Master in the opening of his Lodge; take care of the jewels and implements; see that none be lost; pay the craft their wages, if any be due, and see that none go away dissatisfied." M. E. M.—"The Most Excellent Master's place in the Lodge?" S. W.—"In the East, Most Excellent." M. E. M.—"His duty in the East, Brother Senior?" S. W.—"As the sun rises in the East to open and adorn the day, so presides the Most Excellent Master in the East to open and adorn his Lodge ”

“ Apprentices fetching tools or mortar, and when necessary, tending the sick, and performing [138] all offices of a similar nature. Always the Lodge was the center of interest and activity, a place of labor, of study, of devotion, as well as the common room for the social life of the order. Every morning, as we learn from the Fabric Rolls of York Minster, began with devotion, followed by the directions of the Master for the work of the day, which no doubt included study of the laws of the art, plans of construction, and the mystical meaning of ornaments and emblems. ”

“ You are now bound by duty, honor, and gratitude to be faithful to your trust; to support the dignity of your character on every occasion; and to enforce, by precept and example, obedience to the tenets of the Order.
In the character of a Master Mason, you are authorized to correct the errors and irregularities of your uninformed brethren, and to guard them against a breach of fidelity. To preserve the reputation of the Fraternity unsullied, must be your constant care ”

“ The most expert of the Fellow Craftsmen shall be chosen or appointed the Master, or Overseer, of the lord's work; who is to be called Master by those that work under him. The Craftsmen are to avoid all ill language, and to call each other by no disobliging name, but brother or fellow; and to behave themselves courteously within and without the Lodge. ”

“ And for the better, and easier, and more honorable discharge of his office, the Grand Master has a power to choose his own Deputy Grand Master, who must be then, or must have been formerly, the Master of a particular Lodge, and has the privilege of acting whatever the Grand Master, his principal, should act, unless the said principal be present, or interpose his authority by a letter. ”

“ A Lodge.
A Lodge is an assemblage of Masons, duly congregated, having Holy Bible, Square and Compasses, and a dispensation or charter, authorizing them to work.
Ancient Lodges—Where Held.
Our ancient brethren held their Lodges on high hills or in low vales, the better to observe the approach of cowans and eavesdroppers, ascending or descending.
Lodge meetings at the present day are usually held in upper chambers—probably for [Pg 25] the security which such places afford. ”

“ No brother should be allowed to visit a lodge for the first time without an introduction. If the visitor is a Past Master, he should be invited to a seat in the East.
Election and Installation.
The Master, Senior Warden, Junior Warden, Treasurer and Secretary of a chartered Lodge must be chosen annually by ballot, and by a majority of votes, at the time fixed in the by-laws. The Senior and Junior Deacons and Tyler are appointed by the W. M. A Chaplain and Senior and Junior Masters of Ceremony may be appointed also. ”

“ We, the apostles of fraternity, aid the foundation-stone of the Republic.’” [34]
And another master of the Freemasons, one Peigné, said about the same time: “In our glorious Revolution of 1792 the Lodge of the Nine Sisters gave to the world such men as Garat, Brissot, Bailly, Camille Desmoulins, Condorcet, Champfort, Petion; the Lodge of the Iron Mouth gave to it Fauchet, Goupil de Prefeln, Sieyès; the Lodge of Candor, Custine, the two Lameths, and Lafayette.” ”