In the absence of the Master and Senior Warden upon you devolves the government of the Lodge; but to you is especially committed the superintendence of the Craft during the hours of refreshment; it is, therefore, not only necessary that you should be temperate and discreet in the indulgence of your own inclinations, but carefully observe that none of the Craft convert the purpose of refreshment into intemperance or excess. Look well to the South. Guard with vigilance the pillar committed to your charge, that nothing may disturb the harmony of the Lodge or mar its beauty.
He is conducted to his proper station.
Treasurer.
Inst. Off.: Brother ---- ----, you have been elected Treasurer of this Lodge and will now be invested with the jewel of your office.
It is your duty to receive all moneys belonging to the Lodge from the Secretary, keep a just and true account thereof, and pay them out by order of the Worshipful Master and consent of the Lodge. Your own honor and the confidence the brethren repose in you will arouse you to that faithfulness in the discharge of the duties of your office which its important nature demands.
He is conducted to his station.
Secretary.
Inst. Off.: Brother ---- ----, you have been elected Secretary of this Lodge, and will now be invested with the jewel of your office.
It is your duty to "keep a faithful record of all things pertaining to the Lodge, proper to be written, transmit a copy of the same to the Grand Lodge when required, receive all moneys due the Lodge and pay them to the Treasurer, taking his receipt for the same."
Your love for the Craft and attachment to the Lodge will induce you cheerfully to fulfill the very important duties of your office, and in so doing you will merit the esteem of your brethren.
He is conducted to his station.
Chaplain.
Inst. Off.: Brother ---- ----, you have been appointed Chaplain of this Lodge, and will now be invested with the jewel of your office.
It will be your duty to perform those solemn services which we should constantly render to our infinite Creator, and which, when offered by one whose holy profession is "to point to heaven and lead the way," may, by refining our souls, strengthening our virtues, and purifying our minds, prepare us for admission into the society of those above, whose happiness will be as endless as it is perfect.
He is conducted to his station, which is in the East in front and to the left of the W. M.
The Senior and Junior Deacons.
Inst. Off.: Brothers ---- and ----, you are appointed Deacons of this Lodge, and are now invested with the badge of your office. It is your province to attend on the Master and Wardens and to act as their proxies in the active duties of the Lodge; such as in the reception of candidates into the different degrees of Masonry, the introduction and accommodation of visitors, and in the immediate practice of our rites.
The Square and Compa.s.ses, as badges of your office, I entrust to your care, not doubting your vigilance and attention.
They are conducted to their stations.
Masters of Ceremonies.
Inst. Off.: Brothers ---- and ----, you have been appointed Masters of Ceremonies of this Lodge, and will now be invested with the jewels of your office. The positions to which you are a.s.signed in the Lodge are very important. You are to a.s.sist the Senior Deacon and other officers in performing their respective duties. Your conduct should be courteous and dignified. Remember that in your company the candidate will receive his first impressions of our inst.i.tution. Your regular and early attendance at our meetings will afford the best proof of your zeal and attachment to the Lodge.
They are conducted to their stations.
Tiler.
Inst. Off.: Brother ---- ----, you have been appointed Tiler of this Lodge, and will now be invested with the jewel and the implement of your office.
As the Sword is placed in the hands of the Tiler to enable him effectually to guard the Lodge against the approach of cowans and eavesdroppers, and suffer none to pa.s.s or re-pa.s.s except such as are duly qualified and have permission of the Worshipful Master, so it should morally serve as a constant admonition to us to set a guard over our thoughts, a watch at our lips, and a sentinel over our actions, thereby preventing the approach of every unworthy thought or deed, and preserving consciences void of offence toward G.o.d and toward man. Your early and punctual attendance will give us the best proof of your appreciation of and love for the inst.i.tution.
He is conducted to his station.
The Installing Officer, addressing the Master, when presenting the Gavel, explains its power and use.
One * of which calls * * *; two * calls * * *; three * calls * * *
Worshipful Master, behold your brethren!
Brethren, behold your Master!
The grand honors are then given the W. M. by the Lodge, the Marshal leading in the ceremony.
The brethren are now seated. Then the Grand Master or Installing Officer may deliver an address or read the following charges, in his discretion:
"Worshipful Master: The superintendence and government of the brethren who compose this Lodge having been committed to your care, you cannot be insensible of the obligations which devolve on you as their head, nor of your responsibility for the faithful discharge of the important duties annexed to your position.
The honor, reputation and usefulness of this Lodge will materially depend upon the skill and a.s.siduity with which you manage its concerns; while the happiness of its members will be generally promoted in proportion to the zeal and ability with which you propagate the genuine principles of our inst.i.tution.
As a pattern for imitation, consider the great luminary of nature, which, rising in the East, regularly diffuses light and l.u.s.ter to all within the circle. In like manner, it is your province to spread and communicate light and instruction to the brethren of your Lodge.
Forcibly impress upon them the dignity and high importance of Masonry, and seriously admonish them never to disgrace it. Charge them to practice out of the Lodge those duties which they have been taught in it; and by amiable, discreet and virtuous conduct, to convince mankind of the goodness of the inst.i.tution; so that when a person is said to be a member of it, the world may know that he is one to whom the burdened heart may pour out its sorrows, to whom distress may prefer its suit, whose hand is guided by justice, and whose heart is expanded by benevolence.
In short, by a diligent observance of the By-Laws of the Lodge, the Const.i.tutions of Freemasonry, and, above all, the Holy Scriptures, which are given as a rule and a guide to your faith, you will be enabled to acquit yourself with honor and reputation, and lay up a crown of rejoicing, which shall continue when time shall be no more.
Brother Senior and Junior Warden: You are too well acquainted with the principles of Masonry to warrant any distrust that you will be found wanting in the discharge of your respective duties. Suffice it to say, that what you have seen praiseworthy in others you should carefully imitate; and what in them may have appeared defective you should in yourselves amend. You should be examples of good order and regularity; for it is only by a due regard to the laws in your own conduct that you can expect obedience to them from others. You are a.s.siduously to a.s.sist the Master in the discharge of his trust, diffusing light and imparting knowledge to all whom he shall place under your care. In the absence of the Master, you will succeed to higher duties; your acquirements must therefore be such that the Craft may never suffer for want of proper instruction. From the spirit which you have hitherto evinced, I entertain no doubt that your future conduct will be such as to merit the applause of your brethren and the testimony of a good conscience.
The Lodge being called up, the Installing Officer continues as follows:
Brethren of ---- Lodge: Such is the nature of our const.i.tution, that as some must of necessity rule and teach, so others must, of course, learn to submit and obey. Humility in both is an essential duty. The officers who are chosen to govern your Lodge are sufficiently conversant with the rules of propriety and the laws of the inst.i.tution to avoid exceeding the powers with which they are entrusted, and you are of too generous dispositions to envy their preferment; I, therefore, trust that you will have but one aim--to please each other, and unite in the grand design of being happy and communicating happiness.
"Finally, my brethren, as this Lodge has been formed and perfected in so much unanimity and concord, so may it long continue. May you long enjoy every satisfaction and delight which disinterested friendship can afford. May kindness and brotherly affection distinguish your conduct as men and as Masons. Within your peaceful walls may your children"s children celebrate, with joy and grat.i.tude, the annual recurrence of this auspicious solemnity; and may the tenets of our profession be transmitted through this Lodge, pure and unimpaired, from generation to generation."
The Marshal then makes proclamation from the South, West and East in the following manner:
"I am directed to proclaim, and I do hereby proclaim, that the Worshipful Master, Wardens, and other officers, elected and appointed, of ---- Lodge, have been regularly installed into their respective stations."
INSt.i.tUTING AND CONSt.i.tUTING NEW LODGE
Ceremony for Inst.i.tuting a Lodge Under Dispensation.
The members of the new Lodge, whether they are to be inst.i.tuted by the Grand Master, or by a brother deputized by him, will, in either case, be notified by the Master to a.s.semble in their Lodge room at the time determined upon. After the brethren are a.s.sembled, the Grand Master, or Inst.i.tuting Officer, will a.s.sume the East and announce the object of the meeting. He then causes the Letter of Dispensation to be read, after which the names of the officers appointed by the Grand Master and by the Master of the new Lodge will be announced. As these names are called, the officers will form in line near and facing the East, when each officer will be invested with his jewel. The new Master will then be seated in the East, on the right of the Inst.i.tuting Officer. The Wardens and other officers will take their respective stations. The Inst.i.tuting Officer will then open the Lodge on the third degree of Masonry, and deliver to the officers and brethren the following