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PERRIER-JOUET & Co ' s . CHAMPAGNES . FINEST VINTAGE RESERVE-CUVEES . THE FAVOURITE MASONIC BRAND . Agent—A . BOURSOT , 9 , Hart Street , Hark Lane , London .

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^ ff & Iic lllUSTEATEp fc ^ ipr > y -niy iiy \| gy fpr \| pa- spr \ jjy- \()||/ - \ y iijty itgy s ; yr WW W WW Miff W W

The New Officers.

The New Officers .

BY the time these lines are in the hands of our readers , many lodges will have held their annual installation meetings and investiture of officers , and many others Avill be on the point of celebrating their " St . John ' s . " During the few , weeks-that have elapsed between his election and his -installation , the new Worshipful Master has been

considering the claims and qualifications of those brethren whom-he proposes to appoint to office . In this connection it may be remarked that the custom prevails in nearly till the lodges in London and in many lodges in the provinces of making a Past Master the Secretary , and alloAving him to hold office for a number of

years . Such a course of procedure tends undoubtedly to the efficiency of the Secretarial department , but Ave doubt its wisdom , for three reasons . The Secretary in course of time wields an authority and an influence in the lodge which ought to belong to the Master alone . Then , . again , it is not the Secretary , but the

Worshipful Master , who is responsible to Grand Lodge for the accuracy and punctuality of returns . The Secretary has no official recognition outside his own lodge , and , therefore , the Worshipful Master ought to be capable of checking his Secretary . This consideration does not apply to the relations between the Master and the Treasurer , because the latter is

elected , directly , b y the same constituency that elected the former . And , last of all , the permanent possession of a very valuable and interesting office by the same brother for a number of years may possibly be an excellent thing for that brother , but it keeps a number of other brethren out , and depriAes every other earnest Mason in the lodge of the

opportunity of gaining that Masonic knowledge which is only to be gained at the Secretary ' s desk . It is , for instance , most desirable that the Worship ful Master should ha \ e had a Secretarial training . We have recently heard the result of an interesting appeal to Grand Lodge which involved the

assertion of that necessary qualification in every candidate for the chair of King Solomon , namely , service as Warden for a year . We venture to think that a good many lodges would be far more efficient if a year ' s tenure of office as Secretary were also made an indispensable qualification .

Under prevailing English usage ot promotion by seniority , the only free band the Worshipful Master has in the selection of officers is in the appointment of Inner Guard and Secrelary ancl such minor offices as the Stewards . The Director of Ceremonies is a most important office , and demands the best man available , and there can be no objection to a man

retaining this collar , because a member of the lodge can learn quite as much about Freemasonry from a contemplation of that officer , faithfully and zealously discharging his duties , as he could were he incumbent of the office .

The appointment of Organist is necessarily based upon the possession of technical qualifications which may very considerably limit the choice , and the same remark may be made about the appointment of Chaplain ; but neither Chaplain nor Organist should be forgotten when circumstances alloAV the Master to confer a collar which carries

Avith it the prospect of promotion . Now , with regard to the regular appointments , Ave may state at the outset that the incoming Worshipful Master has an indefeasible right to appoint any member of the lodge to any office in his gift . He is in nowise fettered . Courtesy

and precedent , and tact and common sense , may prescribe a certain course of procedure ; but circumstances may arise which require the Master elect to choose his own course . There is more to be considered than the bare claim of

seniority and place on the rota . Regard must be had to the manner in which a junior officer has performed minor duties before entrusting him with more important ones . Regularity and punctuality ought to count for something . Masonic enthusiasm should be regarded , and it

ought to be perfectly understood that every brother who accepts tin office does so with the implied agreement that His Masonic duties shall take precedence over all other engagements which are not of paramount importance . Absentee officers are a great nuisance . A bad example is set to unofficial brethren . Ceremonies which gain

immeasurably in beauty and impressiveness when Avell performed , halt in some essential part because the brother who should have tilled it is absent , and his place is taken b y one who may be quite incompetent . First impressions count for a good deal in a candidate for Freemasonry , and the effect of a badly-performed initiation may not wear off for a long

time . The new officers must also make up their minds to be loyal . It does not necessarily mean implicit agreement Avith all that the Worshipful Master says and does . But it does mean the avoidance of till open disagreement in lodge . At all costs the officers must present a united front , cover up each others' deficiencies as far as possible , and be loyal to their Master and each other .

Officers might with advantage recollect that their duty to the brethren does not begin and end with the opening and closing of lodge . There should be a personal looking up of all candidates , whether for initiation , joining , or affiliation . Brethren whose

attendance < at lodge is becoming irregular need to be seen and spoken to with tact . Superior officers , that is the Master and Wardens , should assist their colleagues Avho may lind a difficulty in getting up their work , by enabling them to comprehend it intelligently , and thus appreciate its proper

place in , and relation to , the rest of the ceremonial . B y due attention to these , and many other points which will readily suggest themselves , lodge meetings may be made pleasant and profitable , and much will be done towards removing the popular impression that Masonry is , first and foremost , a social function .

there is one duty attached to the offices oi Master and Wardens Ave have not yet alluded to . That is , attendance at ( band and Provincial Grand Lodge . To one of them , at all events , the Junior Warden , this will constitute a novel experience . Xot only is it his duty to the lodge , but it is a duty he owes to himself to be regular in such attendances

—not necessarily to speak or influence debates , but to learn , and so qualify himself for the chair when his turn for election comes .