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Officers in the Swedish Rite

Elexir

Registered User
The offices themselves are not secret and are mentioned in the public bylaws, Ordens Allmäna Lagar (OAL). Their jewels however I have not found on a public site or in any public document and will therefore not be disclosed here, there are some differences from the officer jewels I have seen.





All offices can have more than one person holding them and therefore a line of officers within that office can be created, the first in the office is called Första (F), the second is called Andra (A) and the third is called Tredje (T), and if there are more than the rest are called Extra (extras, shortend as E). Most common among normal sized lodges is to have two or three persons on each office. The office of WM does not follow the general rule, and the extras are called First Deputy Master (FDM), Second Deputy Master (ADM), and so on.

This makes it possible to have meetings and initiations without to have the same officers present every single time. The officers on a single office typically share a schedule and take turns in working in that office. With 9 major offices that must be filled and three persons on each office, most mid- and large sized lodges have at least 27 officers.

Other differences vs other rites are that the office of Past Master does not exist and there is an age limit of 75 years for holding an office.

The office of Tyler as understood in most rites don’t exist. Some of the duties of the Tyler is taken care of by

VB = Watching Brother or Inner Guard. However, that role is not an office and can be performed by EA and FC as well.

Since the Rite have several degrees there are several types of lodges working in the different degrees.

St John lodges – in Swedish St Johannes Loge (SJL) – works in I, II and III.

St Andrews lodges – St Andreas Loge (SAL) – works in IV-V and VI

Provincial grand lodges – Provincialloger (PL) – works in VII, VIII, IX and X

The Grand Lodge – Stora Landslogen (SLL) – works only in the highest degree; the R&K (Riddare och kommendör av det röda korset)
 

Elexir

Registered User
Officers of The Lodge of St John and St Andrews.

OM (Ordförande Mästare) = Worshipfull Master, have to hold the VIII degree at least, are not allowed to be an officer of any other working lodge. Is appointed to his office for six years. All the other offices in an ordinary lodge are appointed one year at a time and there is a maximum of six years for holding the same office.

DM (Deputerande Mästare) = Deputy Master, have to hold the VIII degree and has the same restrictions as WM. On those lodges he sits in the east there are few restrictions on what he can do and decide upon.

FBB (Första Bevakande Broder) = First guarding brother or Senior Warden, has to hold the VII degree and should not be a Senior Warden at another lodge. Can temporarily take the WMs place if the WM or DM can’t fulfill his duties that evening. If he does there are several restrictions in place.

ABB (Andra Bevakande Broder) = Second guarding brother or Junior Warden, has to hold the VII degree and should not be a JW at another lodge. SimonM holds this office as FABB which translates to the first junior warden, Odur holds the office of AABB which makes him second junior warden.

CM (Cermoni Mästare) = Master of Ceremonies, has to hold at least the master degree of the lodge, i.e. III in a St Johns lodge and VI in a St Andrews lodge. This officer can easily be spotted as he spends most of his time running around making sure everything is in order for the lodge. ☺

T (Talman) = Chaplain, has to have at least the master degree of the lodge. For St Johns and St Andrews lodges it is preferred that he is clergyman, for the provincial lodges it is a requirement.

S (Sekreterare) = Secretary, has to hold at least the master degree of the lodge.

SkM (Skatt Mästare) = Treasurer, has to hold at least the master degree of the lodge. Cannot be treasurer in any other masonic lodge or anything else that is connected to masonic activities.

IB (Introduktions Broder) = Introduktioner or Deacon, has to hold at least the master degree of the lodge. This is my current office, I’m the TIB and that makes me Third Deacon.

A (Arkivarie) = Librarian, has to hold such a degree that he can access all of the material in the lodges library, so in some cases he can hold III degree and in other cases he has to be X.



There are a few additional offices in St Johns and St Andrews lodges that are not mandatory but can be used based upon the needs of the individual lodge:

MkF (musikföreståndare) = Director of music. Has to hold at least the master degree of the lodge.

MmF (museiföreståndare) = Historian. Has to hold the master degree of the lodge.


In the St Andrewss lodges there are two extra offices:

FstB (Förste Stewardsbroder) = Senior Steward.

AstB (Andre Stewardsbroder) = Junior Steward.

It can be worth mentioning that both the Stewards have a purely ritual role that is quite different from the rites that are used in the US, they do not have the social role that Stewards have elsewhere.
 

Elexir

Registered User
Provincial Grand Lodge:

There are rather convoluted rules about the officers of the Provincial Grand Lodge which is why I have decided not to include which degree you have to have to hold for all the offices.



PM (Provinsial Mästare) =The Provinsial Grand Master. Has to be Knight Commander of the Red Cross - Riddare och Kommendör av det röda korset in Swedish - or R&K for short.



DPM (Deputerande provinsial mästare) = Deputy provincial Grand Master.

K (Kansler) = Chancler.

StM (Stewardsmästare) = Master Steward.

FÖBB (Förste Överbevakande Broder) = Senior Warden of the Provincial Grand Lodge.

AÖBB (Andre Överbevakande Broder) = Junior Warden of the Pronvincial Grand Lodge

ÖCM (Över Cermoni Mästare) = Chief Master of Cermonies.

FCM (Förste Cermoni Mästare) = First Master of Cermonies.

ACM (Andre Cermoni Mästare) = Second Master of Cermonies.

ÖS (Översekreterare) = Secretary of the Provincial Grand Lodge.

ÖskM (Överskattmästare) = Tresurer of the Provincial Grand Lodge.

FBUst (Förste broder understeward) = First Junior Stewards brother.

ABUst (Andre broder understeward) = Second Junior Stewards brother.

RM (Räntmästare) = Master of coin.


There are a few other offices that are not as important in the ritual but nonetheless are needed.

PH (Historiograf) = Historian

Her (Heraldiker) = Herald. Has to hold at least the VIII degree. Designs the shields that are given to a brother once he reaches the VIII degree.

Mmf (Museiföreståndare) = Director of the Museeum (only of the Provincial Lodge have a museum or similar important collection).
 

Elexir

Registered User
The Grand Lodge

All members of the Grand Lodge are knight commander of the red cross (Riddare och kommendörer av det röda korset or R&K), but not all R&K are Grand Officers.

OSM (Ordens Stormästare) = Grand Master. Holds his office for several years. If he is not from the Royal Family, he has to retire from the office when he is 75 years old.

SMP (Stormästarens Procurator) = Pro Grand Master

SMS (Storsmästaren ståthållare) = Deputy Grand Master

OSK (Ordens Sigillbevarare och kansler) = Grand Chancellor and Keeper of the Seal

ST (Stortalman) = Grand Chaplain (has to be a clergyman)

OU (Ordens upplysningsmästare) = Grand Inspector

OI (Ordens introduktionsmstare) = Grand Instructor

OS (Ordens stormarskalk) = Grand Marshall

OA (Ordens Administratör) = Grand Administrator

OB (Ordens Banerförare) = Grand Banner Bearer

Ordens Överarkitekt (OÖ) = Grand Architect

OHP (Ordens högste prelat) = Grand Prelate. Must be a clergyman

OR (Ordens räntmästare) = Grand Treasurer

Sik (storinkvisitor) = Grand inkvisitor.

SH (storhospitalier) = Grand Hostpitaler

SStM (storstewardsmästare) = Grand Steward.

FSBB (förste storbevakande broder) = Grand Senior Warden

ASBB (andre storbevakande broder) = Grand Junior Warden.

SPv (storprovisor) = Grand Pursuivant

SI (storintroduktör) = Grand Introductor.

SIt (storintendent) = Grand intendent or Grand Superintendent of Works. This is only listed as an office in the Grand Lodge but intendents can be found in other lodges but this is not listed as and office.

SV (storväktare) = Grand Guard

SCM (storceremonimästare) = Grand Master of Ceremonies.

SS (storsekreterare) = Grand Secretary

OP (Ordens planerings mästare) = Board of Planning
 

Elexir

Registered User
closing notes:
As mentioned elsewhere, the Swedish Rite is a progression through degrees ten degree (I-X) with an additional degree for the grand lodge.

The degrees are found here http://frimurarorden.se/information-in-english/the-swedish-rite/


The lodge of St John and St Andrews are referred to as working lodges. And the Provicinal GL is refered to as chapter

In addition to lodges there are also Fraternal Societies that focus on masonic education regarding different degrees but they do not generally perform initiations.

Please also note that this is highly simplified version and there are even more to talk about but this is enough for a start.
 

BullDozer Harrell

Registered User
Interesting to say the least. Of course, you knw that our Craft degrees are only 3 under American Rite, if i might rightly call our version of the English Prestonian-Webb system.

Your Rite sounds complex but I'm almost certain it's not. I have this hunch that there's probably more fluidity between the 1st to the last degrees.

One of my observations about let's say our Craft degrees and Scottish Rite is gaps in continuity of knowledge. The Blue Lodge has Hiram Abiff as the central figure but he pretty much disappears in the Scottish Rite.

The York Rite continues the story but then GMHA sort of fades away too.

Just my opinions.

Android OS Nougat 7.0
 

SimonM

Registered User
One of my observations about let's say our Craft degrees and Scottish Rite is gaps in continuity of knowledge. The Blue Lodge has Hiram Abiff as the central figure but he pretty much disappears in the Scottish Rite.

The York Rite continues the story but then GMHA sort of fades away too.

Just my opinions.
Yes, the SweR is an integrated system without any gaps. The different degrees have both explicit and hidden references to other degrees, both from the higher to the lower and from the lower to the higher.
 
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