Lodge Officers.

Lodge Officers .

THEIR QUALIFICATIONS , DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES .

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."HATL TO TI 7 K PEX ! and hail to yon , . Illustrious friend , whoso pen has taught How T . runT and TRUTH may bo inwrought . And History writ that to all time is true . " —Moiuus .

| I H N selecting the Secretary of the Lodge as the subject of our ¦ H H P rese : lit article , it may be remarked that we are apparently | H H disturbing the order of precedence as set forth in the lliyill Constitutions of the Fraternity in relation to Members of Grand Lodge . Possibly so , but we have a purpose in this , resulting from a consideration of the relative duties of the respective offices of Treasurer and Secretary in connection with Private Lodges ; and , believing that precedence should be given where laborious work is actual rather than virtual , we select the latter as the most

important executive officer of the two . According to the Old Constitutions in the eighteenth century , " The Master of each particular lodge , or one of the Wardens , or some other Brother bij appointment of the Master , shall keep a book , & c , " and as such appointment was an essential prelude to other business and decisions , whether of the Master himself or of his Lodge

collectively , it would seem but reasonable that the order of precedence should have placed the Secretary next the Wardens . However , it is not likely now , nor perhaps to be desired , that any change will take place in the present arrangement of the order of quality amongst the members of a Society who profess , if they do not at all times practice , the exalted lessons taught by that exquisite

symbol—the level . Our present business is to set forth , to the best of our ability , what manner of man the Secretary of a Freemasons ' Lodge should be ; what the nature of the work he has to perform ; and what it behoves him to do under the authority of the W . M . who appoints him . To our thinking , no brother should be appointed to the office of

Secretary who is not , at the time of appointment , a skilled Past Master , or , at the very least , an Installed Master . By those who know the particulars connected with the Chair degree , our reasons will be as obvious as they will be appreciated , and to those who have not reached that Masonic status , it would be alike useless and improper to state them . As the former must admit so cannot the

latter contradict the necessit y for that particular factor in the making of a good Secretary . He should be an expert penman , careful and concise in abstracting the gist or essence of discussions , proud of his caligraphy , and desirous of transmitting to posterity , in clear characters , records of proceedings which , for aught he may know to the contrary , might become of invaluable use to future

GOUGH ' S , LYONS' or HUGIIAN ' , in their researches into Masonic history . If our Secretaries of the present day , or at any rate the best amongst them , were to examine some of the original minute books of long-established Lodges they would be amazed to note the extreme ignorance of their predecessors , and wonder how the Order could have been raised to its present position from the

materials then at its disposal . As it is , we are now enabled to point to many Lodges in which the books are kept as perfectly as ever Tim Linkinwater kept those of Cheeryble Brothers , and of which our old friend Nicholas Nickleby took charge . Would that we could say as much of all ! Kindness of disposition and courtesy of manner are also as

indispensable m the wearer of the " crossed pens " as in the W . M . himself , and the welfare of the Lodge and the comfort of the brethren are promoted in proportion to the exercise of those qualifications . To the foregoing may be added qualities which have endeared many of our brethren to all members of the Craft with whom they have come in contact , of which may be reckoned

as not the least , self-abnegation . Some Secretaries , it is not too much to say , consider themselves as the " be all and the end all " of their respective Lodges , and rule where they should only serve . They delight in having the Lodge spoken of , not by its calendar number and name , but as Bro . So-and-So ' s Lodge ! When this is heard , brethren may bo sure that at some date , not far distant

personality will stand betwixt the Lodge and its prosperity . It is but fair to say that Secretaries of this descri ption are in a very small minority ; but here and there they are to bo found and should be discouraged . Zeal for the increase and further prosperity of his Lodge is a good quality in its Secretary : " not too much zeal but just zeal

enough ! It is a mistaken zeal which induces a canvass for Initiates , and as wo write we think of more than one of our Secretaries who have clone much damage to the Institution by inducing any class of men who would listen to their arguments , to join their respective Lodges , greatly to the detriment thereof . Better it would be , in our opinion , if the Secretary ' s name was

never seen in the summons as a proposer of a Candidate for Initiation than to find scarce one issued without such an announcement . Bather let him " stand by " whilst others propose , and he takes upon himself the duty of enquiry and report to the W . M ., as was enjoined upon him by former custom . The duties of the Secretary are multiplied beyond those of any

other Lodge Officer . They consist of transcribing the proceedings of the respective meetings into the proper books provided for that purpose ; and here we may remark , en passant , that minutes are not correctly recorded unless " the names of all members present at each meeting of the Lodge , together , " Ac . ( see Sec . 172 , "Book of Constitutions" ) , are entered therein . The words , of very recent introduction , " and others as per attendance book , " are not in

Lodge Officers.

compliance with the law , which requires , and most properly so in case of future necessity for reference , that the record of proceedings should of itself answer every question which might arise in connection with the meetings recorded . In some Lodges " rough " minutes are read over before closing , so that any omission or error on the part of the Secretary may be rectified before transcribing

into the minute book , and for this and many other reasons the practice is to be commended . He has also to keep an exact list of the first and surnames of all the members of the Lodge , with their residences , dates of admission and advancements ; and annually to send a copy thereof to the Grand Secretary , with a statement of deaths and withdrawals

during the previous year . To each of the members lie must send , within the time appointed by the Boole of Constitutions and the bye-laws of his Lodge , a copy of the summons for ensuing meeting . In most Lodges the Secretary keeps the record of payments made by members for subscriptions and dues , and receives the same with all fees for Initiation , which he at once passes into the hands of

the Treasurer for safe custody and to await the direction of the W . M . or the votes of the Lodge for distribution . For all these and several other incidental duties , the Grand Lodge has ruled that he may not be a contributing member to the Lodge funds , yet be entitled to all the privileges of a subscribing member and subject to the payment of the usual quarterage entitling to certain benefits

m case of need . We know of cases in which brethren holding office as secretaries , being socially and financially in a better position than the majority of their humbler brethren , altogether decline the privilege thus accorded . We think this a great mistake , as it creates a very invidious distinction between brethren whose position of all others should be , as officers , equalised

throughout the Craft . Be the Lodge large or small , the office is no whit less necessary and honourable . To decline the reasonable compliment offered to each and all is to say to others in as many words , " I am better off than you are and can afford what you cannot . I do as much as you do without reward or monetary consideration , and am therefore so much superior to you ! " This is certainly the feeling in many quarters and it ought not to be

permitted to increase . A remedy and a good and profitable one ought to be found in those individual cases where it is considered infra dig to accept the recompense for services which the Grand Lodge allows , by the Secretary directing the appropriation of the amount to one or other of the Charitable Institutions , endowing first his own chair and then those of others with Life Subscriber or Life Governorships .

We have exhausted the space at our disposal in this number , and have yet left untouched several matters relating to Secretarial duties alike interesting and instructive . If our paper succeeds in pleasing the Craft , and the encouragement we have already received in words is followed up by practical assistance and support ,

we shall have , and will avail ourselves of , future opportunities and larger space to treat further and generally on Official duties throughout the Lodge . Meanwhile wo shall continue our introductory observations , and , in time to come , make them the text for more lengthy and , we trust , far more useful observations . The subject of our Article for next week will be " THE TREASURER . "

Freemason Volunteers.

FREEMASON VOLUNTEERS .

Members of the London Rifle Brigade Lodge , No . 19 G 2 , the Macdonald Lodge , Xo . 1216 ( First Surrey Rifles ) , and the Queen ' s Westminster , Xo . 2021 , have arranged a shooting match to take place at Caterham on the 27 th inst . The distances decided upon are 200 , 500 and C 00 yards , and the competition between the respective teams of crack marksmen is expected to be very keen and exciting .

FREEMASON CRICKETERS . —On Monday , the 27 th ult ., a cricket match was played in Danny Park , Sussex , between members of the St . Ceciliaand Royal Brunswick ( Brighton ) Lodges of Freemasons , who proceeded by road to Danny . The fielding throughout the match was decidedly non-prof essional . The scores were : St . Cecilia , 55 and 83 ; Brunswick , 157 . After the match the teams and a number of

Masonic friends sat down to dinner at the Clayton Park Hotel , Bro . R . Willard , W . M ., Royal Brunswick , presiding . Bro . G . Rawlinson , W . M ., Southdown , 171 ) 7 , was present , and in replying to the toast of ' The Health of Mr . Campion , " said he could assure them that it was a great pleasure to Mr . Campion to be able to give them enjoyment . The park was generally considered to be a pretty spot ,

and Mr . Campion derived pleasure from knowing that others appreciated its beauty . As to his own connection with the toast , Bro . Rawlinson remarked that he was very pleased to comply with the request of Bro . Holland and act as umpire . Several other toasts followed . The excellent dinner provided by Host Oakes won high encomiums .

Ritualistic Nuts To Crack.

Ritualistic Nuts to Crack .

1 . Was H . A . B . the principal ARCHITECT or the principal ARTIST who presided at the Building of King Solomon ' s Temple ? 2 . Does the TIDE rryularly ebb and flow twice in every twentyfour hours . '

3 . Is it the voice of NATURE or the voice of REASON ' which bears witness to the existence of an immortal principle , " & c . 1 4 . Can FRAGRANCE bloom ? ( Note charge in Lecture 3 ) . Answers from our readers will receive attention .