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Lodge Officer Duties - Junior Warden

Brother_Steve

Premium Member
Same here.

A bit of both here in Kentucky. This is done as a formality whenever a DDGM visits. However, the DDGM could take control of the lodge if he chose to do so.
Same here.

On an official visit, the DDGM would be escorted to the altar by the deacons. He would then be received in the East by the WM. We'd take time from the Marshal for grand honors and the WM would tend him the gavel to wield as he saw fit. After a short hello, he'd tender the gavel back to the WM and take a seat in the east. The meeting would continue on from there.

An Official Visit is timed to be done during a degree so the district staff can witness some work being done.

Edited: Also, if there is anyone that is a sitting rite worshipful, it is common courtesy to invite them up to the East before closing and offer them the gavel so they can proceed to close short form.
 

Warrior1256

Site Benefactor
On an official visit, the DDGM would be escorted to the altar by the deacons. He would then be received in the East by the WM. We'd take time from the Marshal for grand honors and the WM would tend him the gavel to wield as he saw fit. After a short hello, he'd tender the gavel back to the WM and take a seat in the east. The meeting would continue on from there.
Exactly the same here.
 

Bloke

Premium Member
The WM in my jurisdiction can make, second and pass any motion he wishes within the bounds of our GL constitution and lodge by-laws. His authority is final. However, if he runs his lodge that way, he will be sitting in an empty lodge room.
Are you sure about this ? If he did such a thing - it is not a motion but a decree.
 

Keith C

Registered User
Here whenever the DDGM is present the lodge is turned over to him. Typically he makes a few comments and turns the lodge back over the the WM then goes back to sit on the sideline in the SE most seat. At the end he is asked is he has anything to add "For the good of Freemasonry in General or this Lodge in Particular" before anyone else.

The only other involvement of the DDGM I have seen is presentation of awards and introductions of visiting Officers during official visitations in the District.
 

Brother_Steve

Premium Member
Interesting, here it is the Junior Warden. They go from Most important to least here I guess! DDGM. PMs, Visitors, members, SW, JW, close.

To be fair, the ddgm would offer kind words before sounding the gavel after the JD informed the tiler and reported back to the master.
 

Brother_Steve

Premium Member
Just curious, how many years does a American mason normally get to the Chair?

In the English constitution, normally around 5-7 years depends on the progression line, although some lodges are 10-15 years...
After you are raised, the very next installation you normally got appointed to Steward or Inner Guard depends on the progression line, then once you got on IG, then normally JD > SD > JW > SW > WM, so the average in England and Wales is around 5-7 years
This is my 3rd year in the line and was installed as JW in my 3rd year. I should have been installed in the chair in my 6th year.

New Jersey Progression:
Jr Steward -> Sr. Steward -> Jr. Master of Ceremonies -> Sr. Master of Ceremonies -> Junior Deacon -> Senior Deacon -> JW -> SW -> WM


2014: I was installed a Marshal.
  • It is a chair outside the line, however our line is always full. This is where we'd plug in somebody that wanted to get into the line, but asked after it was full. The Jr. Steward dropped half way through the year due to work commitments.
2015: I'm installed as Sr. Steward.
2016: Installed as Jr. Master of Ceremonies.
  • Our Junior Deacon drops due to work commitments. I finish out the year in Sr. Master of Ceremonies.
2017: Installed as Jr. Deacon.
  • Our Junior Warden drops due to family health issues. I finished out the year as Senior Deacon. I'm elected to the South for the 2018 masonic year.
2018: Installed as Junior Warden.

I was lucky that in that the chairs I slid into were Junior chairs outside of the Sr. Master of Ceremonies. I knew the work for that particular chair so it allowed me to always be two chairs ahead since the Junior chairs are more for observing.

We as a lodge were lucky in the fact that we have a solid line and we are deep. We did not have to plug in a PM to hold us up for 2018. We have a great master who is coming after a great master who in turn .... you get the idea.

So, while it may have taken the previous master(s) 6 ~ 7 years to get to the East, things happen in life. Especially in the lower chairs. People drop and the lower officers have to step up unless there is someone looking to get back in the line. You just hope that you never have to replace a Warden midway through the year. The senior deacon winds up getting kicked up two steps if he is a good ritualist. Then again, if he has been appointed as SD, he usually is.
 

Ripcord22A

Site Benefactor

I noticed this that first night I visited there....Stewart....in EVERY other jurisdiction I’ve been it’s a Steward....just googled it....Steward:”1)the position and duties of a steward, a person who acts as the surrogate of another or others, especially by managing property, financial affairs, an estate, etc.
2)the responsible overseeing and protection of something considered worth caring for and preserving”

Stewart “relating to the royal family ruling Scotland 1371–1714 and Britain 1603–49 and 1660–1714.”
 

Warrior1256

Site Benefactor
I noticed this that first night I visited there....Stewart....in EVERY other jurisdiction I’ve been it’s a Steward....just googled it....Steward:”1)the position and duties of a steward, a person who acts as the surrogate of another or others, especially by managing property, financial affairs, an estate, etc.
2)the responsible overseeing and protection of something considered worth caring for and preserving”

Stewart “relating to the royal family ruling Scotland 1371–1714 and Britain 1603–49 and 1660–1714.”
Lol....I simply spelled it wrong
 

Bro. Stewart P.M.

Lead Moderator Emeritus
Staff Member
Stewart “relating to the royal family ruling Scotland 1371–1714 and Britain 1603–49 and 1660–1714.”

As is my name. Stewart is my Paternal Grandmother’s maiden name. And yes, I am.

I’ve always chuckled at this misuse of terminology within the Lodge system. It’s almost as common as the multitude of spelling variations of Tiler.
 

dfreybur

Premium Member
I noticed this that first night I visited there....Stewart....in EVERY other jurisdiction I’ve been it’s a Steward...

Stewart is Scots, steward is English. The English language is diverse enough to have several dialects in addition to the US/UK ones most often discussed. Many of us know of the Scots dialect from Masonic poetry of Robert burns.

Maybe that one jurisdiction had more than the average roots from GL of Scotland compared to other North American GLs.
 

Glen Cook

G A Cook
Site Benefactor
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