Masonic Lodge and its functions.
basic unit of Freemasonry is a Masonic Lodge. There were, of course, lodges
before Grand Lodges, the latter being a relatively modern invention. Most Grand
Lodges consist of a large number of constituent lodges. At the most recent
count, the United Grand Lodge of England had more than 8,200 lodges under
charter. Conversely, the smallest is the Grand Lodge of Luxembourg with just
four lodges ranging under its banner. In 1986 lodges in Victoria numbered 738,
New South Wales 688, Queensland 459, Western Australia 274, South Australia 197
and Tasmania 78.
in elemental terms, a lodge is the primary means for Freemasons to congregate,
to make new Masons and to assimilate the teachings and principles of the Order.
A lodge is presided over by a Master who is elected annually, and his two
Wardens, who in most states are appointed by him. Any member, usually on
progression through the junior offices of the lodge, can aspire to the
this progression takes seven years. On completion of his year in office, a
Master simply becomes a Past Master. Lodge meetings include ritualised
ceremonies known as Degrees, which are conferred on candidates at intervals. The
first degree is that of Entered Apprentice, and the ceremony is known as
Initiation. The second is the Fellow Craft Degree, known as Passing, while the
third is called the ‘Sublime Degree’ of a Master Mason, and is known as
Raising. Thus, a Mason who has experienced all three ceremonies is said to have
been Initiated, Passed and Raised. It is only when he becomes a Master Mason
that he is enabled, if he wishes, to take office in his lodge. When these
ceremonies are not being worked, the monthly lodge meeting is likely to be given
over to lectures or discussions on Masonic subjects.
Grand Lodge and Its Officers
to the first clause of the Victorian Grand Lodge Constitutions, the Government
of the Fraternity of Freemasons of Victoria is placed in the hands of the United
Grand Lodge of Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons of Victoria (hereafter referred
to as ‘the Grand Lodge’), which is a body composed of the Grand Master, the
Grand Officers for the time being, the Past Grand Officers, the Master and
Wardens of each Lodge on the register of the Grand Lodge, and all Past Masters.
All such Past Grand Officers and Past Masters must be subscribing members of a
lodge on the register of the Grand Lodge.
other Australian Grand Lodges are identically composed. With few exceptions,
Grand Lodge Officers are chosen from amongst Masters and Past Masters although,
in practice, it is unusual for a sitting Master to be appointed to an active
Grand Lodge office.
are two kinds of Grand Officers, active and past, although the ranks are
equivalent. Most Past Masters appointed (or elected) to an active Grand Lodge
Office serve only one year, although this varies from state to state and office
to office - often depending on the nature of the office held and the
responsibilities attached to it. No Grand Office is a sinecure. Generally, those
holding more senior offices tend to serve more than one year.
must be noted that the word ‘past’ in a Masonic sense does not refer to
members who have deceased, but simply to those who are Past Masters or who hold
Past Grand Rank. Past Grand Officers fall into two distinct groups:
Masons who served in active Office in the Grand Lodge, and who have completed
their terms, now retain their title with the additional word ‘Past’ attached
to it. For example, a Grand Standard Bearer becomes a Past Grand Standard
Bearer, and a Junior Grand Warden becomes a Past Junior Grand Warden.
As it is impossible to provide active Grand Lodge appointment to all Masons who
might qualify for it, it has long been the custom for the Grand Master to confer
Past Grand Rank on the vast majority of Grand Officers that have received
preferment. They hold Grand Rank in recognition of their general services to
Freemasonry, but they have not actually served in any office within Grand Lodge
under most Australian Grand Lodges an active Grand Officer, on completion of his
term is often promoted to a higher Past Grand rank. For example, a Grand Sword
Bearer, on completion of his term (and if not promoted to a higher active
office) will either become a Past Grand Sword Bearer, or more likely be promoted
to a higher rank, such as Past Junior Grand Deacon. It must also be noted that
the holder of any Grand Rank, whether active or conferred, will outrank and take
precedence over any lower rank, in all circumstances. For example, a Past Senior
Grand Deacon takes higher precedence than a Grand Sword Bearer, even though the
holder of the former office may never have served actively as a Grand Officer.
awarding of Past Grand Rank varies between Grand Lodges. In Victoria, for
example, each metropolitan Melbourne lodge can nominate one of its Past Masters
for conferred Grand Rank every five years, while a country lodge enjoys the same
privilege every four years.
each Grand Lodge there is also a system of promotion, but again methods vary
widely and can be mildly complicated. Some lean towards a system based on merit,
while others are based more on the effluxion of time. Overall, it can be said
that the higher the Grand Rank, the fewer holders there are to it. In most
Australian Grand Lodges, the rank of Past Deputy Grand Master is the highest to
which one can eventually be promoted, although few reach it. Generally, those
who have served actively as a Grand Officer tend to receive faster and, in the
long term, higher promotion than conferred Grand Officers. It is most unusual
for the rank of Past Grand Master to be conferred; this rank is almost
invariably restricted to those who have actually served as Grand Master.
some Grand Lodges, such as Victoria, most active Grand Offices are appointive,
with the only exceptions being the Grand Treasurer and, of course, the Grand
Master himself. In others, such as New South Wales and Queensland, most Grand
Offices are elective - although in most states it is uncommon for there to be
more than one nomination for each position. In any Grand Lodge, however, where
there is to be an appointment made, it is the prerogative of the Grand Master,
and this also applies to conferred Grand Rank. In practice, a Grand Master will
usually rely on the advice of various committees and recommendations.
order to set out Grand Lodge Officers and their precedence those of the United
Grand Lodge of Victoria are set out below. Their abbreviations follow in
The Grand Master (GM)
The Pro Grand Master (ProGM)
Past Grand Master (PGM)
Past Pro Grand Master (PProGM)
Deputy Grand Master (DGM)
Past Deputy Grand Master (PDGM)
Senior Grand Warden (SGW)
Past Senior Grand Warden (PSGW)
Junior Grand Warden (JGM)
Past Junior Grand Warden (PJGW)
Past Grand Chaplain (PGChap)
Past Grand Treasurer )PGTreas)
Past Grand Registrar (PGReg)
President of the Board of General Purposes (PBGP)
Past President of the Board of General Purposes (PPBGP)
President of the Board of Benevolence (PBB)
Past President of the Board of Benevolence (PPBB)
Superintendent of Works (GSWks)
Past Grand Superintendent of Works (PGSWks)
Past Grand Secretary (PGSec)
Inspector of Workings (GIWkgs)
Past Grand Inspector of Workings (PGIWkgs)
Past Grand Lecturer (PGLec)
Superintendent of Liaison (GSL)
Past Grand Superintendent of Liaison (PGSL)
Director of Ceremonies (GDC)
Past Grand Director of Ceremonies (PGDC)
Grand Secretary (AGSec)
Past Assistant Grand Secretary (PAGSec)
Grand Superintendent of Works (DGSWks)
Past Deputy Grand Superintendent of Works (PDGSWks)
Grand Superintendent of Liaison (DGSL)
Past Deputy Grand Superintendent of Liaison (PDGSL)
Grand Director of Ceremonies (DGDC)
Past Deputy Grand Director of Ceremonies (PDGDC)
Grand Director of Ceremonies (AGDC)
Past Assistant Grand Director of Ceremonies (PAGDC)
Senior Grand Deacon (SGD)
Past Senior Grand Deacon (PSGD)
Junior Grand Deacon (JGD)
Past Junior Grand Deacon (PJGD)
Sword Bearer (GSwdB)
Past Grand Sword Bearer (PGSwdB)
Standard Bearer (GStdB)
Past Grand Standard Bearer (PGStdB)
Director of Music (GDMus)
Past Grand Director of Music (PGDMus)
Past Grand Organist (PGOrg)
Past Grand Pursuivant (PGPurs)
Grand Pursuivant (AGPurs)
Past Assistant Grand Pursuivant (PAGPurs)
Past Grand Herald (PGHer)
Past Grand Steward (PGStwd)
Past Grand Tyler (PGTyr)
list is the full range of Grand Lodge officers in Victoria. Each will be filled
every year by an active participant. However, as a general rule, many of these
offices will never be conferred or held as a Past Grand Rank. For example, the
ranks of Past Grand Secretary and Past Grand Steward are never awarded.
Alternatively, others are commonly conferred.
titles of Grand Officers can vary between the Australian states, albeit only
marginally. In Tasmania and South Australia, for example, the Grand Inspector of
Workings is known as the Grand Inspector of Lodges (GIL). In New South Wales,
the Grand Superintendent of Works is known as the Grand Architect (GArch). In
some states the title of Grand Trumpeter (GTrump) is substituted for Grand
for some offices there are not equivalents in every state. Not every Grand Lodge
appoints a Grand lecturer (GLec), and in some the Grand Librarian is an official
office. Victoria is the only state with a Grand Superintendent of Liaison, while
in New South Wales and Western Australia District Grand Inspectors of Workings (DGIW)
are appointed. In some Grand Lodges, an Assistant Grand Master is Appointed.
This office ranks after the Deputy Grand Master and before the Senior Grand
rank of Pro Grand Master requires explanation. In modern times, an appointment
is made to this position only if a State Governor, or the Governor General, is
elected as Grand Master. In this event, the Pro Grand Master effectively runs
the Grand Lodge, with the Governor acting more in a figurehead or ceremonial
capacity. This is simply because the Governor’s vice-regal duties preclude him
from organising and overseeing the day-to-day running of a Grand Lodge - which
is one of the main tasks of Grand Master. Thus a Pro Grand Master is appointed
to assume these responsibilities in this instance.
the post-war era, it has been usual to confer the rank of Past Grand Master on
those Masons who have served actively as Pro Grand Master to a Governor as, in
effect, they have virtually acted as Grand Master in all but name. Historically,
most Pro Grand Masters have served as Grand Master in their own right either
before or after their term as a Pro Grand Master to a Governor. These are
naturally included in this book.
only five Pro Grand Masters to a Governor, since World War 11, have not served
as Grand Master in their own right. They all held appointment during the long
Grand Mastership of Governor Sir Dallas Brooks in Victoria. As is usual in
Victoria following their term as Pro Grand Master each was elevated to the rank
of Past Grand Master. Each, therefore is included in this book.
only historical variation to the usage of Pro Grand Master Rank has been in
Tasmania, where a Pro Grand Master was always appointed and, almost without
exception, was subsequently elected Grand Master in his own right. This practice
was discontinued in 1967 when Tasmania fell into line with the other states to
appoint a Pro Grand Master when a Governor was Grand Master.
conferral of the rank of Past Grand Master is very rare, and in some states it
is constitutionally impossible, except to promote a serving Pro Grand Master at
the end of his term. In 1987 only twoAustralian Masons held the rank of Past
Grand Master without having served in the office of Grand Master. These are
MWBro L.G. Catt of Queensland and MWBro F.L. Hodgson of New South Wales.
appellations used in Freemasonry require explanations. They are consistently
used and applied throughout all Australian Grand Lodges.
Worshipful Brother (MWBro)
title is borne by Grand Masters, Past Grand Masters, Pro Grand Masters, and Past
Pro Grand Masters only.
Worshipful Brother (RWBro)
title is held by Deputy Grand Masters, Past Deputy Grand Masters, Assistant
Grand Masters, Past Assistant Grand Masters, Senior Grand Wardens, Junior Grand
Wardens and Past Grand Wardens only.
rank is held by every Grand Lodge Officer present or past, between the Grand
Chaplain and Grand Director of Ceremonies, inclusive.
Grand Lodge Officers (if they are Past Masters, as most are) present and past,
ranking below Grand Director of Ceremonies, are simply known as Worshipful
Brother, as are Masters and Past Masters of anyMasonic Lodge.
title attaches to the surnames of all Freemasons who have not served in the
position of Master of a lodge.
Freemasonry - M. de Pace.
regular Officers of the Lodge are the Master, his two Wardens, a Treasurer, a
Secretary, two Deacons, an Inner Guard, and a Tyler. All other Officers are
additional, and Lodges may employ all or some of these according to their
present purposes a full complement of additional Officers is assumed, and the
offices of a Lodge are divided into two groups: those leading to the chair of
Worshipful Master, and those usually (though not always) held by Past Masters.
sequence of offices leading to that of Worshipful Master is usually as follows:
Worshipful Master is elected at the Lodge meeting preceding that of
Installation. The qualification for the office of Worshipful Master is one
year’s service as Senior or Junior Warden. While it is customary for the
Senior Warden to be elected to the chair of Master, the procedure of election
ensures that it is not automatic but at the discretion of the members of the
is usually bases upon seniority but ultimately it rests with the Master to
appoint his Officers, which he does at the Installation meeting having
previously received their agreement. In
commitments at work or other reasons may prevent someone from finding time to
prepare for the next office. In such cases the gap may be filled by a Past
Master, by moving the entire line up an extra position, or by inviting a capable
brother from a lower office to jump a few offices.
may vary in the expectation they place upon the Master as regards the work he
has to perform at meetings, but each prospective Master needs to determine at an
early date a schedule of the work to be learnt. The following gives an
indication of the work a Master might be expected to perform during his year in
and Investing his Officers
the Dinner (Festive Board)
to the Initiate
of the Second Degree Tracing Board
History, Third Degree Tracing Board and Working Tools
list represents Emulation work. Other workings or individual Lodge
traditions may dictate a different content. For example, the Explanation of the
Second Degree tracing Board will rarely be found in Stability working. It
is also worth bearing in mind that the sequence of work, other than that of the
three degrees, will be laid out as above.
the year following, as Immediate Past Master and seated to the immediate left of
his successor, he will be responsible for supporting the Worshipful Master
during the meeting and, if so
by Lodge tradition, at the dinner. Should the Master be unable to attend a
meeting, the Immediate past master will take his chair at the meeting and
the amount of work seems daunting, in practice it is not, for it has been
masters by hundreds of thousands, each of whom began with no prior experience of
committing large sections of
to memory, and most with no more than average abilities. Consider that in 1950
the number 7,000 was reached on the Register of the United Grand Lodge of
England and Wales, giving approximately 6,000 active Lodges. If these 6,000
Lodges were active during the thirty years up to 1980, they would have installed
180,000 Masters during that short period alone.
Officers of a Lodge, other than those leading to the Chair, and ranked in order
of seniority, are:
Director of Ceremonies
offices are usually filled by Past Masters. The office of Organist, since it
requires a special skill which may not be present among the Lodge membership,
may remain vacant with its duties being carried out by a member of another
Lodge. The Tyler often performs his office for a number of Lodges. In such
cases, a small fee (which could include free entry to the dinner) will usually
be paid for their services. Alternatively, either or both could be subscribing
members of the Lodge, appointed by the Master.
the above, only the Treasurer and Tyler (the latter if not appointed) are
elected by the members of the Lodge; the remainder are appointed by the Master
for the year. During his brief spell as Master Elect, he will have approached
his intended Officers and obtained their agreement to take or continue in
office. While the appointment of these Officers is at the sole discretion of the
Master, in practice he often makes no changes at all, allowing the incumbents to
remain in their offices should they so desire. An incumbent may remain in office
for many years because of his particular suitability to the job, or simply
because no one is inclined to ask him to stand down. Most changes occur through
the incumbents themselves offering to stand down in favour of those who have not
may, for example, be given to the prospect of Provincial honours for a younger
member of the Lodge. A majority consensus of opinion may, at times, persuade
Officers to ‘retire’ but there are many instances where sensitivity to the
feelings of the person in question ensures that he never becomes aware of such
an opinion. There are, too, occasions where a determined Master will ring in
changes without waiting for volunteers. However, unless he is supported by a
substantial body of opinion, and even then, it is a risky undertaking which
could divide a Lodge, or worse, have as a consequence a member who feels
rejected by and alienated from his Lodge.
office of Chaplain is, not surprisingly, a devotional one. He offers prayers of
the Lodge but need not be a man of the cloth.
Treasurer is responsible for the receipt and banking of funds, making payments,
and the maintenance of a set o accounts. He also prepares an annual statement of
account for auditing and
to the members of the Lodge, and provides the financial control over the Lodge
income and expenditure.
Secretary keeps the Lodge minutes and is responsible for the general paperwork
including the issue of summonses, the annual returns to Grand Lodge, Liaison
with Provincial Grand Lodge, dealings with other Lodges, and communications from
and to members. He is expected to have a sound knowledge of the regulations of
the Craft, and may well be consulted by the Master on points of procedure.
Director of Ceremonies is responsible for the smooth running of the meeting. He
should ensure that all articles necessary for the meeting are laid out
correctly, arrange processions into and from the Lodge, receive important
visitors and attend to matters of protocol such as salutes to Grand Officers.
Charity Steward is basically a fund-raiser. He collects donations, explains the
advantages of covenants, and disseminates information about the various
Charities and their work to ensure that all members appreciate the use to which
their donations are put, and to encourage them to be as generous as their
personal circumstances permit.
Almoner keeps in touch with members and their families at times of illness or in
old age. Lodge funds may be allocated for use by the Almoner for specific
purposes such as the distribution of Christmas cards and gifts to widows. Each
Almoner has his own methods, but typically an Almoner would arrange visits to
those in hospital, organise practical help for members when they or their
families are in difficulties, or simply visit members who find themselves unable
to attend meetings.
other offices, except for that of Tyler which is discussed elsewhere, need no