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Article THE GRAND LODGE OF ENGLAND. ← Page 2 of 3 Article THE GRAND LODGE OF ENGLAND. Page 2 of 3 →
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The Grand Lodge Of England.
2 . Past Masters . These attend Grand Lodge in virtue of their rank as " Rulers in the Craft . " They represent themselves only , or rather we might say that they represent the ripened wisdom of experience . A Master during his year of office attends as a representative of his lodge ; for the rest of his life he attends as a Past Master , provided he continue a subscribing
member of an English lodge . Failure to subscribe to a lodge for one year forfeits his right to sit in Grand Lodge , but not his rank as a Past Master . Were all Past Masters to attend , Grand Lodge would , of course , become unmanageable in numbers . But this is far from being the case , and the constant attendance of many of them supplies a continuity of policy which might otherwise be wanting , and a very welcome experience .
3 . The Grand Stewards . There are iS lodges , each of which has the privilege of nominating one of its members to serve the office of Grand Steward for the year . Grand Stewards are permitted to edge their aprons with crimson , and wear collars of the same colour ; thereby differing from the sky-blue of the Craftsmen in general or the royal blue of the Grand Officers . The office is much sought after , although it entails a good deal of
expense , the Grand Stewards being the organisers practically of all Grand Lodge Festivals , and having to make good out of their pockets any deficiency in the receipts as compared with the expenses . As Grand Stewards of the year they are officers of Grand Lodge , but as Past Grand Stewards they are not Past Grand Officers , and even cease to possess the privilege of attending Grand Lodge , unless they are entitled to do so by virtue of some
other qualification . They continue , however , to wear the red apron , and the 18 privileged lodges are thence called red-apron lodges . The Stewards , Past and Present , also havea special lodge of their own , the Grand Stewards ' Lodge , which is placed at the head of all the lodges , without a number . It is of course purely a social lodge , the very nature of its constitution precluding the possibility of the ordinary work of Masonry .
4 . The Grand Officers . These may be sub-divided into the elective and the appointed . The elected are only two , the Grand Master and the Grand Treasurer .
The Grand Master is nominated at the Quarterly Communication in December and elected in March . He is installed at the Grand Festival in April . This nomination and election occur every year , although the Grand Master is usually re-elected from year to year until he sees fit to resign . There would appear-to be no prescribed qualification in our present constitution , and for all that is laid down he might bean Entered Apprentice ;
but in our first Book of Constitutions it was provided that he must be of the highest rank then acknowledged , i . e ., a Fellow Craft , or what we should now call a Master Mason . His prerogatives are practically confined to granting warrants for new lodges and appointing his officers ; he has no right to decide points of law , even provisionally ; neither can he make Masons at
sight , or dispense with any single form or ceremony . His powers of dispensation do not go beyond certain limits defined in our statutes ; such as govern the age of a candidate , the wearing of Masonic clothing , and matters of etiquette . His powers are as strictly limited by law and usage as those of the Monarch of the Realm , to which they are very analogous .
The Grand Treasurer is nominated , elected , and invested in the same way and on the same dates as the W . M . His duties are now purely nominal , but formerly , when the Grand Treasurer was a member of the banking firm with whom the Grand Lodge kept its accounts , he used to be similarly reelected for quite a series of years . A few years ago , howevcrs , when the practice last described came to an end , a party arose in Grand Lodg 2 which
maintained that as the collar of Grand Ireasurer was the only one practically in the gift of the Craft , the power of conferring it should be exercised every year . The consequence is that since 1883 we have had a succession of Grand Treasurers . The theory above enunciated is unassailable ; but the practice has led , as was foreseen , to lobbying , log-rolling , wire-pulling , canvassing , & c , and it may be doubted whether the selection has always
been justified by Masonic service ; so that the new departure is viewed with anything but delight by the large majority of the Brotherhood , who arc , however , powerless to revert to the old custom of getting a good man and keeping him . So we rejoice that the elective process can onl y be applied to one Grand Officer , and the experience we have gained will act as a strong deterrent should it ever be proposed to extend the system of election .
I he other Officers of Grand Lodge are all appointed at the Grand Festival by the Grand Master . They rank as follows , always remembering that the past officers of any denomination take precedence immediately after the actual holders of the office : the Pro Grand Master ( only appointed if the Grand Master be a Prince of the Blood ) , the Deputy Grand Master , two Grand Wardens , two Grand Chaplains , Grand Treasurer ( elected ) ,
Grand Registrar , President of the Board of General'Purposes , Grand Secretary , Grand Secretary for German Correspondence , President of the Board of Benevolence , four Grand Deacons , Grand Superintendent of Works , Grand Director of Ceremonies , Deputy ditto , Assistant ditto , Grand Sword Bearer , two Grand Standard Bearers , Grand Organist , Assistant Grand Secretary , Grand Pursuviant , Assistant ditto , and Grand Tyler .
The majority of these officers have no duties to perform outside the actual meetings of Grand Lodge , and hold office simply for the year . A slight exception may be instanced in the Assistant Grand Pursuivant , who usually succeeds the Grand Pursuivant in the following year . The Pro and Deputy Grand Masters are generally permanent officers , and the Grand Registrar also holds his post for a series of years . He is the legal adviser of Grand
Lodge , usually a distinguished Q . C . He explains to the brethren assembled the bearings of the case in all appeals , and moves that Grand Lodge take a certain course of action thereupon . In cases of doubt his opinion may be asked and given , but can only be held as a guide until the opinion of Grand Lodge is taken , when it may be approved or reversed . Of itself it has no binding force whatever , but to the credit of the holders of the office of
Grand Registrar it is very seldom that their decisions are seriously impugned . The Grand Secretary is , of course , a permanent officer , as is also the Grand Tyler . The Grand Secretary's salary has recently been raised to £ 1000 per annum . The Presidents of the Boards of General Purposes and Benevolence also holds their appointments for a succession of years , but it is only lately that they have been granted the rank and precedence of Grand Officers . The Grand Superintendent of Works is usually an
architect . The Grand Director of Ceremonies holds his position permanently , i . e ., is re-appointed every year ; his deputies change yearly , 'l'he Assistant Grand Secretary has always been the head clerk in the office of the Grand Secretary , though the appointment is not made as a matter of course , but only after long service rendered as the chief of the Secretarial staff . There does not seem to be the least limit to the discretion of the Grand Master in his choice of Grand Officers ; the initiate of yesterday is equally eligible with the veteran Past Master . That ^ undcr these circumstances
The Grand Lodge Of England.
some brethren attain to high rank early , whose merits and claims are no very obvious to the generality of the Craft , cannot be denied ; but on the whole we feel that there is not very much to complain of , and what little there is , is not to be compared to the evils which would inevitably attend the only alternative , viz ., popular election . *
5 . The Past Grand Officers . These are the last constituents of Grand Lodge . They sit in that assembly in virtue of their Past rank . As already explained , the Past Grand Stewards are not Past Grand Officers as such . The Book of Constitutions does not appear to provide any continuous qualification for the Past Grand Officer as it does for the Past Master . A Past Grand Officer might cease to subscribe to any lodge to-morrow , and
yet , so far as is provided for , he would remain a Past Grand Officer , and retain his seat and vote in Grand Lodge to the end of his life . American brothers have often expressed to me their surprise that four short sittings of about two hours each every year should enable Grand Lodge to get through the enormous amount of work which upwards of 2000 lodges in every part of the world must entail . This is in great measure due to the
various Boards which prepare all the work beforehand , and send it up in the shape of reports ; and in a lesser degree to the nature of Englishmen , who rather shun public speaking than otherwise , so that unless there be really something to object to in the reports , they are taken as read ( having been previously printed and distributed ) , formally moved , and adopted without an } ' unnecessary talking . The Boards of Grand Lodge will therefore claim our next attention . They are :
I . Ihe Board , of General Purposes , consisting of the Grand Master , his Deputies , the Grand Wardens of the year , a President , and 24 members . The President and 10 of these members are appointed annually in June by the Grand Master , and the remaining 14 are elected on the same day by Grand Lodge . They must be Masters or Past Masters ; the names of all nominated are printed on slips and distributed , ticked off during the sitting ,
collected by the scrutineers , and the result announced . The election gives rise to very little canvassing , and is easily carried out . The duties of the Board are very multifarious . It meets once a month , and oftener if necessary . It has power to inspect the books of both Grand Lodge and private lodges ; has the care of the buildings and property of Grand
Lodge ; directs all important correspondence ; oversees the finances of Grand Lodge ; and prepares the accounts for audit ; adjudicates on Masonic complaints of lodges or individuals , either of whom it may suspend , subject to appeal , but not erase or expel , which it can only advise Grand Lodge to do in a report on the matter ; and generally has to take cognisance of all matters relating to the Craft .
2 . The Colonial Board is a Board of General Purposes in miniature , entrusted with like duties in all matters concerning the lodges in the Colonies . It consists of 10 Masters or Past Masters , seven of whom are elected by Grand Lodge ( as before described ) , and three appointed by the Grand Master , who also appoints from the Board so constituted the Chairman and Vice-Chairman .
3 . The Board of Benevolence . This consists of a President , who is appointed by the Grand Master ; of two Vice-Presidents , who are elected by Grand Lodge ; of all the Present and Past Grand Officers ; all actual Masters of lodges ; and 12 Past Masters , who are elected by Grand Lodge in December . A Master unable to attend may be replaced by a Past Master of the same lodge . The Board meets once a month , and
does some very hard work , its sittings often lasting four or five hours . It grants relief to brothers of our own and every recognised jurisdiction , certain formalities having been fulfilled . This relief is understood to be only temporary , and for purposes of emergency , and every case is thoroughly gone into . There often are as many as 50 on the agenda paper . The sums granted vary from £ 5 to £ 200 . Any sum up to £ 20 ,
it granted , is paid at once or the next day : if £ 40 is granted , the grant must be submitted to the Grand Master and approved by him : anything over this must be laid before Grand Lodge . A grant of £ 50 thus approved by Grand Lodge is payable at once ; over this sum , it has to be confirmed at next Communication . The Board of Benevolence usually disburses some £ 12 , 000 in this way yearly .
4 . The General Committee . It consists of the President of the Board of Benevolence , the Present and Past Grand Officers , and the Master of every lodge , and it meets a fortnight before the Quarterly Communications . If a Master be unable to attend , a Past Master of the same lodge may take his place . This Committee draws up the agenda paper ; all reports from the different Boards are sent into it ; all notices of motion for the next Communication must be submitted to it ; it may decide that any
such notice is scandalous or irregular , but must report the same to Grand Lodge ; all nominations for the various Boards must be handed to this Committee . In one word it gathers up all the business of the past three months , and prepares it for Grand Lodge to take action upon . The agenda paper is then sent with a summons to attend Grand Lodge to every lodge in the jurisdiction , and thus every brother comes to the meeting knowing full well what there will be to do , and ready to cast his vote without wasting
time in useless talk . Occasionally , of course , there will be amendments moved in Grand Lodge , and then a little discussion may take place ; but it is usually confined to few speakers , and it is seldom that any brother rises to continue the debate unless he really have something to say which has not been said before . Loquacity is decidedly discouraged by
us , and oratory is at a discount ; we prefer to just have the question explained and vote and have done with it . I have often thought that our members of Parliament might take a very useful lesson from the procedure in our Grand Lodge . Thus it is that by means of our Committees , and thanks to the practical nature of us which dislikes talk for talk ' s sake , we get through such an amount of Masonic business in so short a time .
Grand Lodge meets four times a year , in its own premises in Great Queen-street , London . Freemasons' Hall is a large , handsome building , substantially built , practical , and comfortable in all its details , but not possessing any extraordinary architectural merit , or even very lavishly decorated ; the large hall used as a temple being the only apartment approaching magnificence . Entering from the street we find ourselves in
a roomy , square entrance-hall , occupied by a porter in livery , aud furnished with his chair , a table , and a large fireplace , in which , during cold weather , a regular English fire blazes cheerily . The porter ' s memory for faces must be phenomenal , as he seems to be able lo recognise instantly every brother who passes in and out . Beyond him are swing doors opening on a
long passage , to right of which are the Grand Secretary's offices , the Library , and the offices of the various Benevolent Institutions . At the end is a large Board room , where the several Committees of Grand Lodge meet and transact their business . All are solidly and comfortably furnished and decorated , but not lavishly . Returning to the entrance-hall , we
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Grand Lodge Of England.
2 . Past Masters . These attend Grand Lodge in virtue of their rank as " Rulers in the Craft . " They represent themselves only , or rather we might say that they represent the ripened wisdom of experience . A Master during his year of office attends as a representative of his lodge ; for the rest of his life he attends as a Past Master , provided he continue a subscribing
member of an English lodge . Failure to subscribe to a lodge for one year forfeits his right to sit in Grand Lodge , but not his rank as a Past Master . Were all Past Masters to attend , Grand Lodge would , of course , become unmanageable in numbers . But this is far from being the case , and the constant attendance of many of them supplies a continuity of policy which might otherwise be wanting , and a very welcome experience .
3 . The Grand Stewards . There are iS lodges , each of which has the privilege of nominating one of its members to serve the office of Grand Steward for the year . Grand Stewards are permitted to edge their aprons with crimson , and wear collars of the same colour ; thereby differing from the sky-blue of the Craftsmen in general or the royal blue of the Grand Officers . The office is much sought after , although it entails a good deal of
expense , the Grand Stewards being the organisers practically of all Grand Lodge Festivals , and having to make good out of their pockets any deficiency in the receipts as compared with the expenses . As Grand Stewards of the year they are officers of Grand Lodge , but as Past Grand Stewards they are not Past Grand Officers , and even cease to possess the privilege of attending Grand Lodge , unless they are entitled to do so by virtue of some
other qualification . They continue , however , to wear the red apron , and the 18 privileged lodges are thence called red-apron lodges . The Stewards , Past and Present , also havea special lodge of their own , the Grand Stewards ' Lodge , which is placed at the head of all the lodges , without a number . It is of course purely a social lodge , the very nature of its constitution precluding the possibility of the ordinary work of Masonry .
4 . The Grand Officers . These may be sub-divided into the elective and the appointed . The elected are only two , the Grand Master and the Grand Treasurer .
The Grand Master is nominated at the Quarterly Communication in December and elected in March . He is installed at the Grand Festival in April . This nomination and election occur every year , although the Grand Master is usually re-elected from year to year until he sees fit to resign . There would appear-to be no prescribed qualification in our present constitution , and for all that is laid down he might bean Entered Apprentice ;
but in our first Book of Constitutions it was provided that he must be of the highest rank then acknowledged , i . e ., a Fellow Craft , or what we should now call a Master Mason . His prerogatives are practically confined to granting warrants for new lodges and appointing his officers ; he has no right to decide points of law , even provisionally ; neither can he make Masons at
sight , or dispense with any single form or ceremony . His powers of dispensation do not go beyond certain limits defined in our statutes ; such as govern the age of a candidate , the wearing of Masonic clothing , and matters of etiquette . His powers are as strictly limited by law and usage as those of the Monarch of the Realm , to which they are very analogous .
The Grand Treasurer is nominated , elected , and invested in the same way and on the same dates as the W . M . His duties are now purely nominal , but formerly , when the Grand Treasurer was a member of the banking firm with whom the Grand Lodge kept its accounts , he used to be similarly reelected for quite a series of years . A few years ago , howevcrs , when the practice last described came to an end , a party arose in Grand Lodg 2 which
maintained that as the collar of Grand Ireasurer was the only one practically in the gift of the Craft , the power of conferring it should be exercised every year . The consequence is that since 1883 we have had a succession of Grand Treasurers . The theory above enunciated is unassailable ; but the practice has led , as was foreseen , to lobbying , log-rolling , wire-pulling , canvassing , & c , and it may be doubted whether the selection has always
been justified by Masonic service ; so that the new departure is viewed with anything but delight by the large majority of the Brotherhood , who arc , however , powerless to revert to the old custom of getting a good man and keeping him . So we rejoice that the elective process can onl y be applied to one Grand Officer , and the experience we have gained will act as a strong deterrent should it ever be proposed to extend the system of election .
I he other Officers of Grand Lodge are all appointed at the Grand Festival by the Grand Master . They rank as follows , always remembering that the past officers of any denomination take precedence immediately after the actual holders of the office : the Pro Grand Master ( only appointed if the Grand Master be a Prince of the Blood ) , the Deputy Grand Master , two Grand Wardens , two Grand Chaplains , Grand Treasurer ( elected ) ,
Grand Registrar , President of the Board of General'Purposes , Grand Secretary , Grand Secretary for German Correspondence , President of the Board of Benevolence , four Grand Deacons , Grand Superintendent of Works , Grand Director of Ceremonies , Deputy ditto , Assistant ditto , Grand Sword Bearer , two Grand Standard Bearers , Grand Organist , Assistant Grand Secretary , Grand Pursuviant , Assistant ditto , and Grand Tyler .
The majority of these officers have no duties to perform outside the actual meetings of Grand Lodge , and hold office simply for the year . A slight exception may be instanced in the Assistant Grand Pursuivant , who usually succeeds the Grand Pursuivant in the following year . The Pro and Deputy Grand Masters are generally permanent officers , and the Grand Registrar also holds his post for a series of years . He is the legal adviser of Grand
Lodge , usually a distinguished Q . C . He explains to the brethren assembled the bearings of the case in all appeals , and moves that Grand Lodge take a certain course of action thereupon . In cases of doubt his opinion may be asked and given , but can only be held as a guide until the opinion of Grand Lodge is taken , when it may be approved or reversed . Of itself it has no binding force whatever , but to the credit of the holders of the office of
Grand Registrar it is very seldom that their decisions are seriously impugned . The Grand Secretary is , of course , a permanent officer , as is also the Grand Tyler . The Grand Secretary's salary has recently been raised to £ 1000 per annum . The Presidents of the Boards of General Purposes and Benevolence also holds their appointments for a succession of years , but it is only lately that they have been granted the rank and precedence of Grand Officers . The Grand Superintendent of Works is usually an
architect . The Grand Director of Ceremonies holds his position permanently , i . e ., is re-appointed every year ; his deputies change yearly , 'l'he Assistant Grand Secretary has always been the head clerk in the office of the Grand Secretary , though the appointment is not made as a matter of course , but only after long service rendered as the chief of the Secretarial staff . There does not seem to be the least limit to the discretion of the Grand Master in his choice of Grand Officers ; the initiate of yesterday is equally eligible with the veteran Past Master . That ^ undcr these circumstances
The Grand Lodge Of England.
some brethren attain to high rank early , whose merits and claims are no very obvious to the generality of the Craft , cannot be denied ; but on the whole we feel that there is not very much to complain of , and what little there is , is not to be compared to the evils which would inevitably attend the only alternative , viz ., popular election . *
5 . The Past Grand Officers . These are the last constituents of Grand Lodge . They sit in that assembly in virtue of their Past rank . As already explained , the Past Grand Stewards are not Past Grand Officers as such . The Book of Constitutions does not appear to provide any continuous qualification for the Past Grand Officer as it does for the Past Master . A Past Grand Officer might cease to subscribe to any lodge to-morrow , and
yet , so far as is provided for , he would remain a Past Grand Officer , and retain his seat and vote in Grand Lodge to the end of his life . American brothers have often expressed to me their surprise that four short sittings of about two hours each every year should enable Grand Lodge to get through the enormous amount of work which upwards of 2000 lodges in every part of the world must entail . This is in great measure due to the
various Boards which prepare all the work beforehand , and send it up in the shape of reports ; and in a lesser degree to the nature of Englishmen , who rather shun public speaking than otherwise , so that unless there be really something to object to in the reports , they are taken as read ( having been previously printed and distributed ) , formally moved , and adopted without an } ' unnecessary talking . The Boards of Grand Lodge will therefore claim our next attention . They are :
I . Ihe Board , of General Purposes , consisting of the Grand Master , his Deputies , the Grand Wardens of the year , a President , and 24 members . The President and 10 of these members are appointed annually in June by the Grand Master , and the remaining 14 are elected on the same day by Grand Lodge . They must be Masters or Past Masters ; the names of all nominated are printed on slips and distributed , ticked off during the sitting ,
collected by the scrutineers , and the result announced . The election gives rise to very little canvassing , and is easily carried out . The duties of the Board are very multifarious . It meets once a month , and oftener if necessary . It has power to inspect the books of both Grand Lodge and private lodges ; has the care of the buildings and property of Grand
Lodge ; directs all important correspondence ; oversees the finances of Grand Lodge ; and prepares the accounts for audit ; adjudicates on Masonic complaints of lodges or individuals , either of whom it may suspend , subject to appeal , but not erase or expel , which it can only advise Grand Lodge to do in a report on the matter ; and generally has to take cognisance of all matters relating to the Craft .
2 . The Colonial Board is a Board of General Purposes in miniature , entrusted with like duties in all matters concerning the lodges in the Colonies . It consists of 10 Masters or Past Masters , seven of whom are elected by Grand Lodge ( as before described ) , and three appointed by the Grand Master , who also appoints from the Board so constituted the Chairman and Vice-Chairman .
3 . The Board of Benevolence . This consists of a President , who is appointed by the Grand Master ; of two Vice-Presidents , who are elected by Grand Lodge ; of all the Present and Past Grand Officers ; all actual Masters of lodges ; and 12 Past Masters , who are elected by Grand Lodge in December . A Master unable to attend may be replaced by a Past Master of the same lodge . The Board meets once a month , and
does some very hard work , its sittings often lasting four or five hours . It grants relief to brothers of our own and every recognised jurisdiction , certain formalities having been fulfilled . This relief is understood to be only temporary , and for purposes of emergency , and every case is thoroughly gone into . There often are as many as 50 on the agenda paper . The sums granted vary from £ 5 to £ 200 . Any sum up to £ 20 ,
it granted , is paid at once or the next day : if £ 40 is granted , the grant must be submitted to the Grand Master and approved by him : anything over this must be laid before Grand Lodge . A grant of £ 50 thus approved by Grand Lodge is payable at once ; over this sum , it has to be confirmed at next Communication . The Board of Benevolence usually disburses some £ 12 , 000 in this way yearly .
4 . The General Committee . It consists of the President of the Board of Benevolence , the Present and Past Grand Officers , and the Master of every lodge , and it meets a fortnight before the Quarterly Communications . If a Master be unable to attend , a Past Master of the same lodge may take his place . This Committee draws up the agenda paper ; all reports from the different Boards are sent into it ; all notices of motion for the next Communication must be submitted to it ; it may decide that any
such notice is scandalous or irregular , but must report the same to Grand Lodge ; all nominations for the various Boards must be handed to this Committee . In one word it gathers up all the business of the past three months , and prepares it for Grand Lodge to take action upon . The agenda paper is then sent with a summons to attend Grand Lodge to every lodge in the jurisdiction , and thus every brother comes to the meeting knowing full well what there will be to do , and ready to cast his vote without wasting
time in useless talk . Occasionally , of course , there will be amendments moved in Grand Lodge , and then a little discussion may take place ; but it is usually confined to few speakers , and it is seldom that any brother rises to continue the debate unless he really have something to say which has not been said before . Loquacity is decidedly discouraged by
us , and oratory is at a discount ; we prefer to just have the question explained and vote and have done with it . I have often thought that our members of Parliament might take a very useful lesson from the procedure in our Grand Lodge . Thus it is that by means of our Committees , and thanks to the practical nature of us which dislikes talk for talk ' s sake , we get through such an amount of Masonic business in so short a time .
Grand Lodge meets four times a year , in its own premises in Great Queen-street , London . Freemasons' Hall is a large , handsome building , substantially built , practical , and comfortable in all its details , but not possessing any extraordinary architectural merit , or even very lavishly decorated ; the large hall used as a temple being the only apartment approaching magnificence . Entering from the street we find ourselves in
a roomy , square entrance-hall , occupied by a porter in livery , aud furnished with his chair , a table , and a large fireplace , in which , during cold weather , a regular English fire blazes cheerily . The porter ' s memory for faces must be phenomenal , as he seems to be able lo recognise instantly every brother who passes in and out . Beyond him are swing doors opening on a
long passage , to right of which are the Grand Secretary's offices , the Library , and the offices of the various Benevolent Institutions . At the end is a large Board room , where the several Committees of Grand Lodge meet and transact their business . All are solidly and comfortably furnished and decorated , but not lavishly . Returning to the entrance-hall , we