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Grand Lodge And The Grand Master.

Grand Lodge and the Grand Master .

IHE M ASONIC

HOiSTRMEt ) ,

THERE is probably no more unwieldy body in existence than that which makes our laws and constitutions . It numbers some 33 , 000 members , upon whom the sun never sets . And its membership is increasing by about 2 , 560 every year , and at no time we should say have more than

one-third of its members ever assembled together . It is therefore a most remarkable thing that a body never represented for legislative purposes by more than onetwentieth of its numbers , and which never has to meet any constituents , being made up for the most part of life

members , should command the confidence it does . Not only are its decisions unhesitatingly- accepted by those whom they chiefly concern , but they are even accepted as good law by sister jurisdictions . The meaning of this is , of course , that Grand Loclge , like the private lodge , is a landmark of the Order , and the brother who questioned its decrees would , ipso facto , cease to be a recognized Freemason .

We doubt , in fact , whether there could be any appeal from Grand Loclge even to the Grand Master . In looking at the constitution and powers of Grand Lodge , we are , of course , compelled to go to the landmarks , because those Constitutions which go extensively into the question are the production of Grand Loclge , and , therefore , in relying upon

them for information we should not be standing on firm bottom . If it were not for the existence of a Grand Master the powers of Grand Lodge would be limitless , but every fresh assumption of power by Grand Loclge has to be considered in conjunction with the Grand Master ' s

prerogative , and this would appear to be almost as limitless as that of Grand Loclge . It is this existence of two concurrent jurisdictions , each of infinite extent and capable of conflict at a thousand points , but each working as the harmonious complement of the other that makes the government of the

Order so remarkable , combining as it does every advantage of a republic with every advantage of an absolute monarchy , and eliminating the bad features of both . For instance , the Grand Master is the fountain of honour , thus obviating the possibility of cabals and the unfair pressure of private

influence , the Grand Master being beyond the reach of such . But on the other hand Grand Loclge is the fountain of dishonour , or in other words , every brother's rights and privileges are safeguarded by the right of appeal to his peers .

Again , the Grand Loclge is the fountain of law , and makes and abrogates and suspends laws and regulations as may seem from time to time desirable . But the time immemorial connection of the Grand Master with the private loclge is preserved in the rule which provides that the laws and regulations of private lodges go for approval , not to Grand

Lodge , but to the Grand Master . Nor does Grand Lodge possess any voice in the erection or formation of private lodges . These are in every case warranted by the Grand Master or his deputy 7 . But once formed the jurisdiction of Grand Loclge comes in , and no lodge can be removed from

the register without the consent of that body . Herein comes in another curiosity of procedure . By virtue of the prerogative the Grand Master may recognize or refuse to recognize other Grand Lodges . But if the body seeking such recognition has come into existence through secessions

from the Grand Loclge of England , then that Grand Loclge is alone concerned with the erasure of the seceding lodges . What would happen in case of conflict is not known , for it is the invariable practice of the Grand Master lo take counsel with the Grand Loclge in such cases . But when it

is a case of the withdrawal of recognition of an already existing Grand Lodge , the Grand Master acts " on his own . " Whilst the Grand Master cannot create new offices he may create any number of officers . Article 7 gives him unlimited

power of conferring " Past rank , " and as the brethren concerned become members of the Grand Loclge it would seem as if the official or nominated element might under certain circumstances be indefinitely increased . But probably by the time such circumstances should have come into existence , it would be found that Article 7 had undergone

some modification . We estimated the membership of Grand Lodge as being about 33 , 000 . There are 2 , 500 lodges at present on the register , approximately , 2560 to be exact . Each of these is represented by its Worshipful Master and two Wardens , making 7 680 members . Then we may assign

, ten Past Masters to each loclge who are members in their own right for life , adding 25 , 600 , and there are about 729 Past and present Grand Officers , totalling 33 , 000 . Every year 2 , 5 60 Worshipful Masters become Past Masters and have seats in their own right , and the same number of new

brethren come into Grand Lodge . The possibility , therefore , of the representative element being swamped by the official is a very remote one . At the same time the proportion of the official to the non-official brethren at any ordinary meeting of Grand Loclge is by no means so low as the

figures quoted might suggest . The 540 lodges in foreign parts , and probably half of the lodges at home , are practically disfranchised by reason of distance from headquarters , and it does not seem possible to make any workable