Masonic Vocabulary: Titles
Another subject people wonder about related to Masonry are the titles we use. There are lots of different names for officers and past officers, and sometimes people think they sound religious or theologically inappropriate.
First, lets look at the officer titles. There are many positions in a lodge, and many of the titles seem quite obscure.
Tyler-Stands outside the lodge room during meetings to make sure non-members do not come in, and that members coming late enter when it is appropriate.
The two Stewards (Senior and Junior) are primarily responsible for providing for refreshments at meetings or dinners at special events. In Ohio these positions are appointed by the Master of the lodge.
The Deacons are responsible for many things mostly related to communication (that sounds vague!). While the Junior Deacon stays at the inner door and communicates with the Tyler, the Senior Deacon conducts the candidates during the degrees and traditionally delivers the lecture for each degree.
Secretary and Treasurer are responsible for taking care of the administrative necessities of the lodge. The Secretary keeps the minutes of the meeting, handles correspondence , and the like. The Treasurer keeps the books and handles banking such as writing checks, making deposits, and investment decisions.
Now we come to the top three officers of the lodge: the two wardens and the Worshipful Master. The Wardens, who could also be called first and second vice presidents, assist the Master with conducting the meetings and with the overall leadership of the lodge. The Senior Warden specifically charged with conducting meetings in the absence of the Master. There are some other duties but these are the most important.
Finally, we come to the Worshipful Master. The master is the elected leader of his lodge, essentially the president. He is in charge of presiding over meetings (basically keeping order), setting the agenda for them, and generally planning the agenda for his term (which is usually one year).
But why Worshipful? Many people think this is a sacrilegious title, as if the Master is the object of worship. This is not the case. The earliest lodges were founded in the United Kingdom (probably Scotland) where the term worshipful is used the same way we use honorable. So the master is not being worshiped, he is simply being honored in the same way a judge, legislator, or head of state would be.
I hope this helps answer some questions about Masonry and the titles we use to identify our officers. If you have any questions please feel free to leave them in the comments or send me an email using my contact form.
