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Article THE IDIOSYNCRASIES OF TYLERS. Page 1 of 1 Article THE IDIOSYNCRASIES OF TYLERS. Page 1 of 1
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The Idiosyncrasies Of Tylers.
THE IDIOSYNCRASIES OF TYLERS .
THERE are few of us who are unfamiliar with the sympathetic expression respecting the " poor and distressed Masons , wherever they may be dispersed over land or sea . " It is not only a sentiment that tells the brethren
that for the present an end has come to their festivities , but it is one also that is wafted away over the habitable globe , a Masonic message of remembrance and hearty good wishes which possibly might strike an echo in the hearts of many
who are thus kindly thought of amidst the festivities of our after Lodge proceedings . The explorer in distant lands , the traveller either for pleasure or on service , the hardy seaman battling with the forces of some boisterous
wave , or lying listlessly in dead calm , all have instinctively certain periods when thoughts revert to home ; and no matter in what position a man may be placed , he knows full well , who is a Mason , that these kindly words of
remembrance and Godspeed are ever upon the lips of his brethren whenever a Lodge is held , and when is there a blank evening in the whole three hundred and sixty-five ? Thus the brother whose circumstances have necessitated
his absence either for a short or long period from the land of his birth may be assured , ere he retires from the business of the day , that he is held in remembrance by his kith and kin in the " dear old country , " to which he hopes to return f
" some day , " and that the Tyler ' s toast is like a peaceul message breathing to him the " hearty good wishes " he is sure to receive' profusely when he lands at home . It may not be uninteresting to consider for a moment the nature
of the duties that belong peculiarly and distinctively to the Tyler , and the class of men who are selected to perform those important functions at our Lodges . They are of divers sorts and conditions ; have acted in various positions
in life , and are possessed of different degrees of intelligence . Some we know are men who in their palmy days were fully equal in social status to any of the brethren upon whom they are now content and
pleased to wait , with all the suavity and courtesy which are inseparable from early training and respectable association . It is a pleasure to meet with such a class of man , who in many instances has passed the chair , and even obtained
Provincial distinction , for in him we find no menial fawning obsequiousness such as often spoils the familiarities of a " serving brother " who officiates in the outside portion of
our Lodge work . He does not tout for the sale of regalia , or Masonic literature , or handbooks , with an eye to commission ; he is above the practice , once common , of assisting the brethren with their hats and coats with a view to
anticipating the other waiters in their share of the largesse usually bestowed by brethren at the conclusion of their meetings . He moves about quietly , but firmly , in the "work of preparation for the reception of the brethren ; his
demeanour towards the Officers and members of his Lodge is respectful but dignified ; there is no f ussiuess or flurry about the business he has to do in the convenient room . To this conduct on the part of the Tyler much of the
comfort and orderly working of a Lodge may be attributed , for if the machinery of a ship or factory be kept constantl y bright and in perfect going order there need be little
apprehension ot the friction or displacement of the gear . In contrast to this good and faithful servant , who so manages the needful accessories of a Lodge that the Master , Wardens , Officers , and Brethren have never a hitch to mar their
The Idiosyncrasies Of Tylers.
labour or pleasure , is fche man who , by fche pomposity of his own importance , flits and flutters about the place , cutting all manner of absurd and unnecessary antics in order that the brethren may be impressed with his
smartness and activity . These brethren are invariably drafted from the upper ranks of hotel waiters , and are initiated into Lodges free , in the capacity of " serving brethren . " We are not about to argue the question as to the
desirableness or otherwise of this mode of proceeding , or whether a Tyler who is nothing more nor less than a flunkey ia preferable to an old seasoned brother who , in his altered
condition of life , is content and grateful to receive a nominal sum per annum at the hands of the brethren for such services as . an Outer Guard is called upon fco render . Bufc most of our readers who have studied the matter
at all will agree with us thafc the contrasts between the two classes of men indicated are of a very marked description . A Tyler is , to all intents and purposes , an Officer of the Lodge , who has to discharge functions of a very
responsible character . He is by no means to be considered as a " Jearaes " in a farce , or a " Johnnie " in a gentleman ' s hall . Yefc how often do we see them continuing to act as such ? We havo in our mind ' s eye certain Tylers whose
furtive glance at the candidates proclaim more loudly than their voices could articulate the greedy reaching after patronage for the supply of aprons , calendars , and other sources of commission , not even forgetting the
reminder that " repairs are neatly and promptly executed " by the best houses—through them . To the older members of the Lodge there is a display of deference which is perfectly wasted upon its objects ; whilst towards the
Worshipful Master , the Treasurer , and Secretary for the time being , and the other Officers , there is a positively slavish cringing which is almost intolerable . Some uf these serving brethren officiate as Tylers at a large
number of Lodges , and in fact make ifc their sole and normal profession . We know of many good and worthy men who do this , and trust that they find it sufficiently remunerative in tbe aggregate to maintain them in
comparative comfort . But whether such a system is consistent with the comfort and dignity of our Lodges is a question that is open to discussion , and has received a considerable amount of argument on both sides . The only
object of these fugitive thoughts is to sympathise with the brethren of such Lodges who are rather governed than " served " by over-bearing and officious Tylers , and to congratulate those who , on the contrary , possess the services of
well-seasoned , intelligent , and courteous brethren , who while performing their duties in and out of fche Lodge with all the regularity of clockwork , are cheerful , dignified and courteous , not descending to the paltry pettifoggings of
others who act merely as commission agents for certain firms of Masonic regalia manufactures and other accessories of the Craft . It is a delicate point , no doubt , to
make comparisons which may be odious to those concerned , bufc it is nevertheless a fact that amongst Tylers , as amongst other classes of people , there is as much difference as there is between chalk and cheese . To those
who speak the well-known words quoted at the commencement of this article with a sympathetic and genuine heart we must pay a due tribute of respect ; but
in too many cases the value of the sentiment is marred , if not altogether lost , by the parrot-rote style in which the Tyler ' s toasfc is gabbled forth in the closing moments of our Masonic assemblies .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Idiosyncrasies Of Tylers.
THE IDIOSYNCRASIES OF TYLERS .
THERE are few of us who are unfamiliar with the sympathetic expression respecting the " poor and distressed Masons , wherever they may be dispersed over land or sea . " It is not only a sentiment that tells the brethren
that for the present an end has come to their festivities , but it is one also that is wafted away over the habitable globe , a Masonic message of remembrance and hearty good wishes which possibly might strike an echo in the hearts of many
who are thus kindly thought of amidst the festivities of our after Lodge proceedings . The explorer in distant lands , the traveller either for pleasure or on service , the hardy seaman battling with the forces of some boisterous
wave , or lying listlessly in dead calm , all have instinctively certain periods when thoughts revert to home ; and no matter in what position a man may be placed , he knows full well , who is a Mason , that these kindly words of
remembrance and Godspeed are ever upon the lips of his brethren whenever a Lodge is held , and when is there a blank evening in the whole three hundred and sixty-five ? Thus the brother whose circumstances have necessitated
his absence either for a short or long period from the land of his birth may be assured , ere he retires from the business of the day , that he is held in remembrance by his kith and kin in the " dear old country , " to which he hopes to return f
" some day , " and that the Tyler ' s toast is like a peaceul message breathing to him the " hearty good wishes " he is sure to receive' profusely when he lands at home . It may not be uninteresting to consider for a moment the nature
of the duties that belong peculiarly and distinctively to the Tyler , and the class of men who are selected to perform those important functions at our Lodges . They are of divers sorts and conditions ; have acted in various positions
in life , and are possessed of different degrees of intelligence . Some we know are men who in their palmy days were fully equal in social status to any of the brethren upon whom they are now content and
pleased to wait , with all the suavity and courtesy which are inseparable from early training and respectable association . It is a pleasure to meet with such a class of man , who in many instances has passed the chair , and even obtained
Provincial distinction , for in him we find no menial fawning obsequiousness such as often spoils the familiarities of a " serving brother " who officiates in the outside portion of
our Lodge work . He does not tout for the sale of regalia , or Masonic literature , or handbooks , with an eye to commission ; he is above the practice , once common , of assisting the brethren with their hats and coats with a view to
anticipating the other waiters in their share of the largesse usually bestowed by brethren at the conclusion of their meetings . He moves about quietly , but firmly , in the "work of preparation for the reception of the brethren ; his
demeanour towards the Officers and members of his Lodge is respectful but dignified ; there is no f ussiuess or flurry about the business he has to do in the convenient room . To this conduct on the part of the Tyler much of the
comfort and orderly working of a Lodge may be attributed , for if the machinery of a ship or factory be kept constantl y bright and in perfect going order there need be little
apprehension ot the friction or displacement of the gear . In contrast to this good and faithful servant , who so manages the needful accessories of a Lodge that the Master , Wardens , Officers , and Brethren have never a hitch to mar their
The Idiosyncrasies Of Tylers.
labour or pleasure , is fche man who , by fche pomposity of his own importance , flits and flutters about the place , cutting all manner of absurd and unnecessary antics in order that the brethren may be impressed with his
smartness and activity . These brethren are invariably drafted from the upper ranks of hotel waiters , and are initiated into Lodges free , in the capacity of " serving brethren . " We are not about to argue the question as to the
desirableness or otherwise of this mode of proceeding , or whether a Tyler who is nothing more nor less than a flunkey ia preferable to an old seasoned brother who , in his altered
condition of life , is content and grateful to receive a nominal sum per annum at the hands of the brethren for such services as . an Outer Guard is called upon fco render . Bufc most of our readers who have studied the matter
at all will agree with us thafc the contrasts between the two classes of men indicated are of a very marked description . A Tyler is , to all intents and purposes , an Officer of the Lodge , who has to discharge functions of a very
responsible character . He is by no means to be considered as a " Jearaes " in a farce , or a " Johnnie " in a gentleman ' s hall . Yefc how often do we see them continuing to act as such ? We havo in our mind ' s eye certain Tylers whose
furtive glance at the candidates proclaim more loudly than their voices could articulate the greedy reaching after patronage for the supply of aprons , calendars , and other sources of commission , not even forgetting the
reminder that " repairs are neatly and promptly executed " by the best houses—through them . To the older members of the Lodge there is a display of deference which is perfectly wasted upon its objects ; whilst towards the
Worshipful Master , the Treasurer , and Secretary for the time being , and the other Officers , there is a positively slavish cringing which is almost intolerable . Some uf these serving brethren officiate as Tylers at a large
number of Lodges , and in fact make ifc their sole and normal profession . We know of many good and worthy men who do this , and trust that they find it sufficiently remunerative in tbe aggregate to maintain them in
comparative comfort . But whether such a system is consistent with the comfort and dignity of our Lodges is a question that is open to discussion , and has received a considerable amount of argument on both sides . The only
object of these fugitive thoughts is to sympathise with the brethren of such Lodges who are rather governed than " served " by over-bearing and officious Tylers , and to congratulate those who , on the contrary , possess the services of
well-seasoned , intelligent , and courteous brethren , who while performing their duties in and out of fche Lodge with all the regularity of clockwork , are cheerful , dignified and courteous , not descending to the paltry pettifoggings of
others who act merely as commission agents for certain firms of Masonic regalia manufactures and other accessories of the Craft . It is a delicate point , no doubt , to
make comparisons which may be odious to those concerned , bufc it is nevertheless a fact that amongst Tylers , as amongst other classes of people , there is as much difference as there is between chalk and cheese . To those
who speak the well-known words quoted at the commencement of this article with a sympathetic and genuine heart we must pay a due tribute of respect ; but
in too many cases the value of the sentiment is marred , if not altogether lost , by the parrot-rote style in which the Tyler ' s toasfc is gabbled forth in the closing moments of our Masonic assemblies .