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Lodge Officer Duties - Senior Steward

Blake Bowden

Administrator
Staff Member
His Jewel is the Cornucopia, which is an exact duplicate of the Junior Steward's Cornucopia. The Cornucopia signifies the "Horn of Plenty". It is a goat horn filled with the fresh fruits and vegetables to denote the "fruits of your labors" and represents a job well done.

The Senior Steward of a Masonic Lodge is an appointed officer of the Lodge.

The Senior Steward is tasked to understudy the Junior Deacon's position and fill in for the Junior Deacon when absent.

The Junior Deacon's principle role is to prepare the candidates during ritual and escort them to the lodge room and assist the Senior Deacon. In their entry Officer positions, both the Senior and Junior Stewards typically handle kitchen duties and wait staff for the members.

The Senior Steward's position is similar to that of a Supervisor.
 

Brother_Steve

Premium Member
ya the kitchen duties are not at the first of your list where it should be.
This is actually the duty of the Junior Warden. Remember, he provides refreshment for the craft.

Where do the Stewards sit? In the south under the charge of the JW so technically we do his 'cooking' and 'cleaning' for him but it is not officially our job.

His Jewel is the Cornucopia, which is an exact duplicate of the Junior Steward's Cornucopia. The Cornucopia signifies the "Horn of Plenty". It is a goat horn filled with the fresh fruits and vegetables to denote the "fruits of your labors" and represents a job well done.

The Senior Steward of a Masonic Lodge is an appointed officer of the Lodge.

The Senior Steward is tasked to understudy the Junior Deacon's position and fill in for the Junior Deacon when absent.

The Junior Deacon's principle role is to prepare the candidates during ritual and escort them to the lodge room and assist the Senior Deacon. In their entry Officer positions, both the Senior and Junior Stewards typically handle kitchen duties and wait staff for the members.

The Senior Steward's position is similar to that of a Supervisor.
NJ has Junior and Masters of Ceremonies so our steward would cover for the Jr if absent. Our Jr MoC only has one line in degree work anyhow so it can be covered by anyone who knows the floor work. The speaking parts ramp up at Sr. Master of Ceremonies.

Blake, if you post those positions up I will do my best to fill in the blanks.
 

jvarnell

Premium Member
This is actually the duty of the Junior Warden. Remember, he provides refreshment for the craft.

Where do the Stewards sit? In the south under the charge of the JW so technically we do his 'cooking' and 'cleaning' for him but it is not officially our job.

NJ has Junior and Masters of Ceremonies so our steward would cover for the Jr if absent. Our Jr MoC only has one line in degree work anyhow so it can be covered by anyone who knows the floor work. The speaking parts ramp up at Sr. Master of Ceremonies.

Blake, if you post those positions up I will do my best to fill in the blanks.
the way i was told is that the JW just makes sure that the SS does the kitchen duty.
 

LCWebb

Premium Member
I spent a year as SS and made or arranged essentially every meal for a lodge meeting twice a month. The lesson I learned is bring or make things the guys don't get to eat at home lol, ice cream and dessert is a must. Make enough to have leftovers and send it home with your older members.
 

blacksmith83

Registered User
Well luckily at my lodge in alberta, canada, we have catering which is quite handy for festive board along with a lounge in our hall. For us the junior and senior stewards assist with planning and scheduling our social functions. Keeps duties out of lodge minimal but i'll take it as i've been appointed junior steward this year lol
 

The Traveling Man

Registered User
I don't hold an office currently, but I did act as Steward at the our last Initiation. My mentor is the JW this year and says that his duty is to tend to the kitchen (He purchases the food for our FB as well as does all the clean up afterwards). I usually help take everyones plates after we eat. Never was told to, just something I started doing. We usually end up in a lengthy conversation after Lodge so I always help him clean the kitchen as we talk after Lodge. The day I acted as Steward I told him that the Steward chair seems appropriate for my first office since I already help during the FB and in the kitchen.
 

Adam Cockerham

Registered User
Very interesting responses to this post. I'm a newly installed Senior Steward and I know that most can agree that the Stewards assist the JW with Refreshment to the lodge, however, at my lodge I am charged with the responsibility of making sure that the lodge is clean and presentable before all stated communications. At our lodge we share the responsibility of meal preparation by volunteering to be the meal committee on a monthly basis. Since our lodge is rather small, and only hold two stated communications per month, we only have a meal on the last communication of the month. This makes it simple as there are only 11 meals per year, as we don't have a stated communication in late December for holidays sake. I report to the lodge on those days, about 30-45 minutes prior to the meal being served to help the committee, and I do help with the cleanup afterwards.

Not to say that one responsibility is more important than the other, but I think that the Steward's position in the lodge is one that everyone in the "line" must go through. In my opinion, it's at a perfect vantage point to really see and hear everything that is going on, which prepares you to advance in the line to the elected office of Junior Deacon.

In addition to helping with the meal committee, I like to pay close attention to the lodge room floors, furniture, restrooms, library, and the room adjoining the lodge. Hope this helps anyone looking for a little insight into the position. Thanks!
 

Spiro D'Estini

Registered User
I'm trying to get the Big Guy to sign off on a garden- our lodge has a nice plot of well lit land and I think that we should be growing and sharing some of our food as a general principle of the South.

Put some markers in it for alignment to aid in astronomy, that would be rad too. I am still in the brain-storming phase and really only drafted a proposal, because I think it's something that we should all sit down and get wild with.

Probably some insurance tedium and state overreach will strangle it in the cradle though.
 
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