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Article SKILL AND ASSIDUITY IN A W.M. Page 1 of 1 Article SKILL AND ASSIDUITY IN A W.M. Page 1 of 1 Article THE ENGLISH RITE OF FREEMASONRY. Page 1 of 2 →
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Skill And Assiduity In A W.M.
SKILL AND ASSIDUITY IN A W . M .
YEB . Y much of the success , or otherwise , of a Lodge depends on the capability of its Master to properly manage its concerns . Perfection in the ritual , and ability to work the several ceremonies without a pause are not sufficient qualifications ; indeed , a Master may be letter
perfect in all that concerns the actual ceremonial of his Lodge , and yet lack that skill without which it is impossible to keep the members united and harmonious . We do not hesitate to say that a Master who cannot personally perform the ceremonies of the three degrees , and properly
open and close his Lodge , may act detrimentally to the snecess of his Lodge , —indeed , is sure to do so ; we would much prefer he should be deficient in these respects than that he shonld lack the ability which enables one man to keep all those around him on good terms with each other ,
and ensure the enjoyment of the party over whom he may be called upon to preside . Instances are to be met with on every side of utter failure on the part of brethren of whom the most was expected . Brethren have been appointed to office , and eventnallv have been elected to the
Master s chair , who were known far and wide for their ability to work any ceremony of the Order they might be called upon to perform , at a moment's notice ; and yet they proved themselves quite incapable of accomplishing the apparently easy task of actual management . It almost
seems , it must be admitted , that a thorough knowledge of the ritual , with some men , so far from being an advantage , is a state of affairs actually to be avoided , for it often happens that " letter-perfect" brethren pay more attention to the correct utterance of the actual words , both on their
own part and on the part of all around them , than they do to the spirit and hidden meaning those words are intended to convey . It is very difficult to lay down laws or offer any rules by which skill in the management of a Lodge may be acquired . Actual experience is the best tutor , and ,
as usual , this experience is often very dearly paid for . The ability to successfully preside , either in a Lodge , a business , or in any vocation of life , may be said to be a gift possessed by some people from their infancy , while others seem incapable of ever attaining an aptitude for so
doing . Still , there are certain rules which may be clearly defined so far as the ruling of a Lodge is concerned , and it behoves every candidate for the Master's chair to study to apply them to himself . We would first urge the necessity of every Worsbipfnl
Master being Master in bis own Lodge , for it is only by securing for himself the respect due to a ruler that he can hope to ensure obedience from others . He must not . however , govern with a rule of iron , bnt rather by firm kindness . The skill of a Master in this respect is nevei
more evident than during a discussion , when opinions are fully expressed for or against a proposal ; it is then that the president should know when to pnt an end to mere words , and proceed to take the actual voice of the assembly on the point at issue . Againat the banquet tablethe
, , Master ' s gavel should , and usually does , secure immediate recognition ; but if he once allows it to be thought he does not intend that it shall always imperatively demand
the respect due to it , it soon becomes all but unheeded . It is this great power , attached to the wielding of the emblem of supreme authority , that also calls for great caution in its use . It must never be improperly or
Skill And Assiduity In A W.M.
unfairly used , and for that reason should not put a stop to any discussion after one side only has been heard , or check a brother in the course of a speech likely to influence the assembly if continued . In cases where , in the opinion of
the Worshipful Master , enough has been said by any speaker in support of , or in opposition to , a proposal , the gavel should not be used to finally close the remarks , but should be sounded , and a warning given that the speaker must finish within a given time .
A Worshipful Master should next remember that he is a servant in his own Lodge ; that he has been elected to his position by the members , over whom he rules , for the express purpose of performing certain duties for their benefit , and for the well-being of the Lodge itself . In
such position he should be careful to maintain his dignity , and at the same time be respectful to those by whose suffrage his office exists . While at all times entitled to govern as he may think best , he must be careful not to let his private views assert themselves in
opposition to the wishes of his constitutents , for although his appointment may be impossible of revocation , the name of Past Master , shorn of reputation , is one of which no man can boast . His acceptance of the office has shown his willingness to adhere to the customs attached to it , and
among those customs must certainly be classed that of servitude . It would have been far better for many a Lodge if its Master had recognised that he was the servant of the members , willing to gratify their reasonable desires , than that he should have looked upon himself as
despotic ruler , and the members of his Lodge as mere puppets useful only for the purpose of carrying out his personal desires . There are very many other points where wo could show that skill in a Master is moat essential ;
in his relations with the Past Masters , with the Treasurer and Secretary , and with the Officers generally , may be mentioned among the number , but these , and a further consideration of the subject , we leave for later comment .
The English Rite Of Freemasonry.
THE ENGLISH RITE OF FREEMASONRY .
( Continued from page 210 . ) H AVING laid before our readers the various references which Bro . Hughan has been able to collate respecting the origin of the Schism , we shall make so bold as to suggest a theory on the subject , which , without any idea of self-laudation , appears to be worthy of some amount
of consideration . We have some diffidence in taking this step when we know that men like Hughan and other of his learned fellow workers have generally contented themselves with an enumeration of the differences which arose
in the English Craft between the years 1730 and 1750 , and led shortly after the latter mentioned year to the establishment of a second Grand Lodge of England , in rivalry to the 1717 Grand Lodge . There is no reason why such a
theory , if it is at all reasonable , should not be presented . It can do no harm by veiling the circumstances in an obscurity still more profound , ancl it may do some good in
helping to make them more comprehensible . At all events we present our suggestions , such as they are , for the careful perusal of our readers , with the knowledge that
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Skill And Assiduity In A W.M.
SKILL AND ASSIDUITY IN A W . M .
YEB . Y much of the success , or otherwise , of a Lodge depends on the capability of its Master to properly manage its concerns . Perfection in the ritual , and ability to work the several ceremonies without a pause are not sufficient qualifications ; indeed , a Master may be letter
perfect in all that concerns the actual ceremonial of his Lodge , and yet lack that skill without which it is impossible to keep the members united and harmonious . We do not hesitate to say that a Master who cannot personally perform the ceremonies of the three degrees , and properly
open and close his Lodge , may act detrimentally to the snecess of his Lodge , —indeed , is sure to do so ; we would much prefer he should be deficient in these respects than that he shonld lack the ability which enables one man to keep all those around him on good terms with each other ,
and ensure the enjoyment of the party over whom he may be called upon to preside . Instances are to be met with on every side of utter failure on the part of brethren of whom the most was expected . Brethren have been appointed to office , and eventnallv have been elected to the
Master s chair , who were known far and wide for their ability to work any ceremony of the Order they might be called upon to perform , at a moment's notice ; and yet they proved themselves quite incapable of accomplishing the apparently easy task of actual management . It almost
seems , it must be admitted , that a thorough knowledge of the ritual , with some men , so far from being an advantage , is a state of affairs actually to be avoided , for it often happens that " letter-perfect" brethren pay more attention to the correct utterance of the actual words , both on their
own part and on the part of all around them , than they do to the spirit and hidden meaning those words are intended to convey . It is very difficult to lay down laws or offer any rules by which skill in the management of a Lodge may be acquired . Actual experience is the best tutor , and ,
as usual , this experience is often very dearly paid for . The ability to successfully preside , either in a Lodge , a business , or in any vocation of life , may be said to be a gift possessed by some people from their infancy , while others seem incapable of ever attaining an aptitude for so
doing . Still , there are certain rules which may be clearly defined so far as the ruling of a Lodge is concerned , and it behoves every candidate for the Master's chair to study to apply them to himself . We would first urge the necessity of every Worsbipfnl
Master being Master in bis own Lodge , for it is only by securing for himself the respect due to a ruler that he can hope to ensure obedience from others . He must not . however , govern with a rule of iron , bnt rather by firm kindness . The skill of a Master in this respect is nevei
more evident than during a discussion , when opinions are fully expressed for or against a proposal ; it is then that the president should know when to pnt an end to mere words , and proceed to take the actual voice of the assembly on the point at issue . Againat the banquet tablethe
, , Master ' s gavel should , and usually does , secure immediate recognition ; but if he once allows it to be thought he does not intend that it shall always imperatively demand
the respect due to it , it soon becomes all but unheeded . It is this great power , attached to the wielding of the emblem of supreme authority , that also calls for great caution in its use . It must never be improperly or
Skill And Assiduity In A W.M.
unfairly used , and for that reason should not put a stop to any discussion after one side only has been heard , or check a brother in the course of a speech likely to influence the assembly if continued . In cases where , in the opinion of
the Worshipful Master , enough has been said by any speaker in support of , or in opposition to , a proposal , the gavel should not be used to finally close the remarks , but should be sounded , and a warning given that the speaker must finish within a given time .
A Worshipful Master should next remember that he is a servant in his own Lodge ; that he has been elected to his position by the members , over whom he rules , for the express purpose of performing certain duties for their benefit , and for the well-being of the Lodge itself . In
such position he should be careful to maintain his dignity , and at the same time be respectful to those by whose suffrage his office exists . While at all times entitled to govern as he may think best , he must be careful not to let his private views assert themselves in
opposition to the wishes of his constitutents , for although his appointment may be impossible of revocation , the name of Past Master , shorn of reputation , is one of which no man can boast . His acceptance of the office has shown his willingness to adhere to the customs attached to it , and
among those customs must certainly be classed that of servitude . It would have been far better for many a Lodge if its Master had recognised that he was the servant of the members , willing to gratify their reasonable desires , than that he should have looked upon himself as
despotic ruler , and the members of his Lodge as mere puppets useful only for the purpose of carrying out his personal desires . There are very many other points where wo could show that skill in a Master is moat essential ;
in his relations with the Past Masters , with the Treasurer and Secretary , and with the Officers generally , may be mentioned among the number , but these , and a further consideration of the subject , we leave for later comment .
The English Rite Of Freemasonry.
THE ENGLISH RITE OF FREEMASONRY .
( Continued from page 210 . ) H AVING laid before our readers the various references which Bro . Hughan has been able to collate respecting the origin of the Schism , we shall make so bold as to suggest a theory on the subject , which , without any idea of self-laudation , appears to be worthy of some amount
of consideration . We have some diffidence in taking this step when we know that men like Hughan and other of his learned fellow workers have generally contented themselves with an enumeration of the differences which arose
in the English Craft between the years 1730 and 1750 , and led shortly after the latter mentioned year to the establishment of a second Grand Lodge of England , in rivalry to the 1717 Grand Lodge . There is no reason why such a
theory , if it is at all reasonable , should not be presented . It can do no harm by veiling the circumstances in an obscurity still more profound , ancl it may do some good in
helping to make them more comprehensible . At all events we present our suggestions , such as they are , for the careful perusal of our readers , with the knowledge that