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What was your first position?

What was your first post as an officer in your lodge?

  • Worshipful Master

    Votes: 1 1.1%
  • Senior Warden

    Votes: 2 2.1%
  • Junior Warden

    Votes: 6 6.3%
  • Senior Deacon

    Votes: 16 16.8%
  • Junior Deacon

    Votes: 19 20.0%
  • Steward(s)

    Votes: 34 35.8%
  • Tiler

    Votes: 4 4.2%
  • Master of Ceremonies

    Votes: 10 10.5%
  • Secretary

    Votes: 2 2.1%
  • Treasurer

    Votes: 1 1.1%

  • Total voters
    95

Beathard

Premium Member
3 years as steward then Junior deacon. WM did not put me through to SD. He was anti-shrine and I was the ceremonial potentate. Have not been back to my home lodge. At first due to that (during his year), but I joined several other lodges that I like much better due to their proximity to my house and activity level in the lodges. I hope to go through the chairs someday. Right now I am concentrating on District Instructor.
 
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gnarledrose

Registered User
Chaplain. The WM is the kind of guy who thought that was HILARIOUS, because I'm planning on becoming an actual chaplain as a career. He then made me the third ruffian, because he's got a sick sense of humor.
 

steve632111

Registered User
raised in November 10 my 1st position treasurer the vote for the new year was also my 1st meeting quite shocked to be voted to a position
 

tom268

Registered User
I started as Master of Ceremonies, with special dispensation from the GM, as I was appointed the day I was passed to FC. My lodge had problems back then, and I was the only one left with enough knowledge of the ritual, as my predecessor got a stroke. I did this for 9 years. I was also MoC of what you would call the Royal Ach for 3 years. Now I'm Assistant WM in my lodge.
 

tomasball

Premium Member
I'd like to interject a sideways subject here. I've heard of some lodges that have a policy (and I think it's smart) that nobody moves from Senior Deacon to Junior Warden. What do you guys think? There are some brethren who are happy to take subordinate offices, but are not interested in the line (or really not qualified.) By starting the line at JW, they remove the sense of obligation or entitlement. In a healthy lodge with enough members, there is no automatic right for someone to ever become Master.
 

tom268

Registered User
Is the Assistant WM the same as our Senior Warden?
No, we have two wardens, just like you, we just call them 1st and 2nd Warden. The Assistant WM is more like a Deputy GM is to the GM. I wear a square as a jewel, but a smaller one than the WM, and I am allowed to lead the lodge, if the WM cannot. This can be for a meeting, if the WM is ill or has other responsibilities, or even until the end of his turn, should he be unable for a longer time. The Wardens would lead the lodge, if the WM and all of his Assistants (up to 3) are unavailable.

We don't have a fix line of offices, and we don't have Deacons at all. As we have a 3-year term of office, it is very common, that not all brothers will become WM. And there is absolutely no right to become WM, regardless, what office you hold. When election is coming, all brothers of the suitable degree are electable. They don't need to hold any office before, but they usually do, because they usually have shown activity before becoming WM.
 
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Dave in Waco

Premium Member
It's always interesting hearing the differences between Grand Jurisdictions like the Assistant WM and no Deacons.

As for the progressive line, I agree that advancement should not be an automatic. I think a few lodges have gotten themselves in trouble by advancing someone who has not shown a commitment to their previous office(s) just because they were next in line.
 

tom268

Registered User
Freemasonry is very different in Europe, at least in continental Europe, as many jurisdictions have french influence, what means, the first greater difference from the english roots. It starts with no Deacons, both wardens sit in the west, we have the altar in the east (in my jurisdiction, the WM sits behind the altar and makes his knocks on it), we have the tracing board in form of a cloth or carpet, that lies in the center of the lodge. In some lodges, there is an empty blackboard, and the symbols are drawn with chalk during the opening and wiped out during closing. But that is not very common. We don't have due guards and we don't have pass grips.

Installations of WM are usually done in the EA degree, as all meetings are EA degree, except for the passings and raisings of course. There are only one or two business meetings per year, all other meetings are degree or social events. Every lodge has an officer, called Orator, as a lecture is an integral part of a degree meeting. The Orator speaks himself, or he organizes the speeches of the brothers.

These are the most common and most typical differences. But there are so many masonic traditions here, that it is difficult to explain them in general. We have 5 grand lodges in Germany, we had 12 grand lodges before WW2. And Germany is not that large. There are a lot differences among our jurisdictions. Just to give a brief sneakpeek.
 

Bro.BruceBenjamin

Premium Member
My first and second postion is Senior Deacon. My current SW and JW have not shown themselves worthy enough to go to the east so I'm sure when the time comes they will be removed from the line. Advancement is not a right it is a privilege the bible tells us we know a tree by the fruit that it bears. Frankly some people in some lines have rotten fruit so they dont advance.
 

tom268

Registered User
So, you cannot remove your officers from duty? "Not worthy" sounds severe. In such cases, a WM would change the officer. It is a whee bit more difficult with the wardens, as they are elected, but it can be done.
 

Dave in Waco

Premium Member
So, you cannot remove your officers from duty? "Not worthy" sounds severe. In such cases, a WM would change the officer. It is a whee bit more difficult with the wardens, as they are elected, but it can be done.

In Texas we can't remove them mid-year. If they don't show or move, the WM can appoint someone to pro-tempe the chair, but it's not an appointment for the remainder of the year. The WM can also not replace an officer at will. It is the duty and responsibilty of the lodge to remember the type of job the person did when it comes time for lodge elections for the elected officers, and the incoming WM to remember who's execution of their duties was not worthy of advancement.
 

tom268

Registered User
Interesting. Very different to our customs. Here, the WM can usually assamble the board of officers as he sees fit.
 

Dave in Waco

Premium Member
Depending on the lodge, most times the WM is still able to do that. In my lodge, the incoming WM makes his picks known and usually we try to respect his wishes. He does try to follow the progressive line, but there are times when someone who has not executed their office is passed over or replaced.
 

Beathard

Premium Member
I thought there was something that could be done by the Grand Lodge if an officer does mot show up for 2 or more stated meetings. Am I crazy?
 

Bill Lins

Moderating Staff
Staff Member
I thought there was something that could be done by the Grand Lodge if an officer does mot show up for 2 or more stated meetings. Am I crazy?

Dunno about your mental state :wink: but, yes- the Grand Master can remove a Lodge officer for cause but simple absenteeism would most likely not be a good enough reason. The WM could just "pro tem" the office for the rest of the year & let the Lodge deal with it @ election time.

---------- Post added at 10:26 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:19 PM ----------

I've heard of some lodges that have a policy (and I think it's smart) that nobody moves from Senior Deacon to Junior Warden. What do you guys think? There are some brethren who are happy to take subordinate offices, but are not interested in the line (or really not qualified.) By starting the line at JW, they remove the sense of obligation or entitlement. In a healthy lodge with enough members, there is no automatic right for someone to ever become Master.

There is no automatic right for someone to ever become Master in any Lodge. That said, our line begins at JD. I support it because I believe that the WM should have served in each position in turn so that he knows what duties each officer is supposed to perform and what difficulties each officer is likely to encounter. I think he can offer much better supervision and counsel to his subordinates if he's "been there & done that". As to junior officers thinking that advancement is or should be automatic, we make it plain to them, both verbally and in the Lodge Manual, that it isn't, shouldn't, and won't be. Ever.
 

tom268

Registered User
I thought there was something that could be done by the Grand Lodge if an officer does mot show up for 2 or more stated meetings.
Again interesting. Here, grand lodge has nothing to say about the officers in a lodge. The lodge has souvereignity over such decisions. In my jurisdiction, GL has to approve the election of the WM, but in other german jurisdictions, it is not even that.

That may be connected to the civil law code, that deals with civil organizations, clubs and associations. That civil law demands the souvereignity of a club in financial and personnel questions.
 

Bro. Bennett

Premium Member
I was raised on January 1 of this year, and last night on a trip to visit another lodge, our WM informed me that come election time, I will fill the secretary's position, like it or not.... lol
 
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