Lodge Officers.

Lodge Officers .

THEIR QUALIFICATIONS , DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES .

® I | i > Qtoamup

^jugj aj ; HE importance of this officer in connection with Masonic III II Lodges is evidenced by the fact that it is the second IllJII elective office by ballot of the members generally , and is "TF ""™ not subject , as are all others , except that of the Tyler , to appointment by the Worshipful Master . The position is one of distinct honour , and is . more frequently than not . the reward of a long and creditable connection with the Order , and the particular

section thereof with which the honoured individual is associated . In our Private Lodges the new order of things which has made the corresponding office in Grand Lodge one of annual change of person , does not apply : and there are abundant reasons why it should not . In the capacity of Treasurer to a Private Lodge the holder of that office must take upon himself the onus of many

responsibilities , and , to some extent at least , be a working officer . The duties and responsibilities of a-Grand Lodge Treasurer are of an entirely different and perfunctory nature , and the qualifications for that exalted office are best judged of by general services to Masonry in the fulfilment of accepted duties during an extended Masonic career , and evidence that the grand principles of the Order

have , been thoroughly understood and acted upon by those who seek the distinguished position . But so much is not required from the Treasurer of a Private Lodge . To what should be characteristic of every good Freemason , as kindliness of disposition , courtesy , good fellowship and love of harmony , there need only to be added

reasonably good social position , a reputation for strict integrity , and a capacity for keeping correct and explicit accounts . It is a most satisfactory reflection that amongst the thousands of brethren now holding office as Treasurers of our Lodges , the whole of these qualifications can be found united in a very considerable majority of them .

The duties of a Treasurer are not set forth m the Book of Constitutions , but there can be no doubt that it is . in the first place , to receive all monies due to the Lodge , and to keep correct entries thereof . But from or through whom is he to receive the fees , dues , and other assets of the Lodge / The Book of Constitutions , rule 177 , says : "All money received or paid for on account

of a Lodge shall be from time to time regularly entered in proper books , which shall be the property of the Lodge . " It also provides ( rule 173 ) that ' a regular list , signed by the Master and tSrcrrtttnj ( italics are ours ) of its contributing members , _ ce ., shall be transmitted : and rule 173 provides for remittance of fees , & c . : but it is nowhere stated what particular officer shall discharge the duties

referred to other than the Master , who is expressly mentioned and made responsible . In our last number we wrote : ' In most Lodges the Secretary keeps the record of payments .... and receives the same .... which he at once passes into the hands of the Treasurer , " & c , & c . To this exception has been taken , and a worthy In-other and esteemed friend informs us that "Secretaries have

nothing whatever to do with the money The Treasurer sits in his proper place for the purpose of receiving and giving receipts . " We join issue with our good friend , for we do not find it so stated in our laws and regulations , and it is neither , in our opinion , politic nor convenient that it should be so . We maintain that the Treasurer has no more to do than act as custodian

of the funds applicable for Lodge purposes under the authority of the Lodge members . To obtain subscriptions as they become due , see that they , together with initiation and joining fees , are paid over immediately on receipt of same , and generally to keep the records , clearly form part of the Secretarial duties ; which duties , however , would be materially lightened were it invariably the case

that the Treasurer was in his place during Lodge work . But it has been our experience that that custom has not of late been as scrupulously observed as it should be . We go so far as to say that the Treasurer should require , if he be present at the termination of Lodge work , an account of financial business during that time ; or , ii absent , that the same should be forwarded to him at the earliest possible

convenience of the Secretary after the meeting ; but further than that we do not think his power to exercise control over " payments in" extends . He is the fiduciary agent of the Lodge , its place of safe deposit , its Treasurer and Banker , and in that capacity has more control over " payments out . " As to these , the Treasurer should be cautious not to make

payments without sufficient warrant ; to make none unless the funds are dr facto in his hands , and on no account permit overdrafts . Many a promising new Lodge has been placed in difficulties for years by the over-good nature of their Treasurers , who . anticipating payments which were never made , and progress which did not realise expectations , provided or guaranteed expenditures which

were not justified at starting . True , after some length of time , the return of advances may have been made , but the principle is wrong in any result . We said above that the Treasurer is " custodian of the funds applicable for Lodge purposes , " and meant to imply that he was not by virtue of his election the purse-bearer in connection with

those sums of money which are to be transmitted to the Grand Lodge as , familiarly speaking , Grand Lodge dues . It was , up to a very recent period , well understood that for these the Master himself was directly responsible , and that he was expected to retain in his own hands such sums until the regular period for

transmission direct to the Grand Secretary . If the Treasurer , at the Master ' s request , took charge of these amounts , it was always , ' on separate account . " We may be in error , but as we read the revised laws of 1884 , we conclude that this requirement of Grand Lodge no longer exists , and that all monies paid to the Lodge , on whatsoever account , is

Lodge Officers.

placed in charge of the Treasurer . As a matter of simplifying accounts , and as far as equal security is concerned , there could never have been any sufficient reason for such division of responsibility ; and , to our thinking , should there lie any clause which we have overlooked still requiring a divided pecuniary responsibility , although we would not counsel absolute breach of any of our laws

or regulations , an application of the telescope to the blind eye would not be altogether censurable . How much it is in the power of a Treasurer to promote the best interests of a Lodge as one of good work and progress , and the social enjoyment , happiness and comfort of its members when the hour of - high twelve" has sounded , we need hardly stay to

describe . His influence is universally acknowledged , and more particularly and effectually so when it is exercised in a firm and courteous manner , neither turning to the right or to the left from the strict line of his duty . We have never yet found in any Lodge other than a good word for the Treasurer who would not hesitate , when the exchequer was low . to assert that he had no Lodge

money to meet orders , and would not pledge the credit of the Lodge for the sake of present convenience ; nor , on the other hand , for him who , when his money bags became plethoric , would suggest that they should be bled in the cause of good fellowship and of Charity . It is only where Treasurers assume a right to direct exactly how the Master and his brethren should dispose , of that over which they

have no control whatever in a personal capacity , that unpleasant " ructions " will sometimes ensue . Although we cannot say that these do not sometimes arise through arrogance and assumption of individuals , still the exceptions to the general rule are so few in number in the large aggregate of faithful brethren as not to be of

any importance . As in the case of the Officers previously treated of , we have left many matters of minor importance relating to the responsibilities of Treasurers untouched . The present omissions , consequent on pressure on our pages , shall have our attention at a future opportunity .

The Grand Treasurership, 1889.

THE GRAND TREASURERSHIP , 1889 .

I he following record of the Masonic services of Bro . Geo . Everett P . M .. P . Z ., one of the candidates for the office of Grand Treasurer will doubtless interest our readers : —

BRO . GEORGE EVERETT . P . M . P . Z ..

was initiated i n the Westbourne Lodge , No . 733 , during the first year of its existence , on the 10 th August . 1858 . He joined the Domatic Lodge . No . 177 . the following year , and , after passingthrough the various offices , was ultimately elected W . M . In 1 . 879 the brethren elected him to the post of Treasurer , which he has held uninterruptedly ever since , to his own great credit and to the

very great advantage of the lodge . It was on his proposition that the lodge agreed to present annually 25 guineas to each of the charities in turn , while his management of the lodge funds was so successful , that towards the close of 1883 the members presented him with a silver tea and coffee service , and Mrs . Everett with a gold brooch and earrings , as a mark of their esteem and respect

and in token of the services he had rendered . He is a founder . P . M .. and present Treasurer of the Kennington Lodge , No . 1381 which was established in 1872 : a founder . P . M .. and for the first seven years of its existence Treasurer of the Kilburn Lodge , No . 1 ( 508 , which , like the Domatic , gives 25 guineas annually to each of our charitable institutions in turn , and which , during

the period of his Treasurership . raised for their purposes no less than . Cl , 040 . He also was a founder , the first W . M ., and is Treasurer of the Chiswick Lodge , No . 2012 . which , though it has been constituted only five years , has already distributed upwards of £ 700 among our institutions . He is also a P . Z . of the Domatic Chapter . No . 177 . and of the Rose of Denmark Chapter , No . 975 . and a founder , first

Z ., and present Treasurer of the Kennington Chapter , No . 1381 . Bro . Everett was also a Special Steward at the installation of the Prince of Wales as M . W . G . M ., in the Royal Albert Hall , in April 1875 , so that there is hardly a year during the greater part of his Masonic career in which he has not been doing good service to the

craft . Nor have his labours been confined to work in Lodge and Chapter , for he has served various stewardships on behalf of our institutions , the last occasion being the Centenary Festival of the Girls' School , and has qualified as a Vice-President of all three charities .

We are preparing for an early issue a record of the Masonic services of Present Prov . Grand Treasurers , and shall be glad to receive information from Secretaries of Lodges interested .

Ritualistic Nuts To Crack.

Ritualistic Nuts to Crack .

Aiixwrrx to Que rim , Ao . , 1 . It is nonsense to speak of H . A . B . as the principal artist , as if he really designed the building and superintended the execution of the work ; he was an architect . An architect may have such artistic taste that we may with truth speak of him as an artist , but what there could be of artistic work in the Temple outside the architect's province I cannot see , and I shall always use the

Avord architect when referring to H . A . B . —H . LOVKGJIOVB . 2 . The word " regularly " might well be omitted , as the tide varies every day .- —H . LOVEGROVE .

Addresses of the following Lodges wanted . Notices have been returned through post . Studholme No . 1591 Northern Bar ,, 1 ( 510 Eleanor „ 1707 Unity , Peace and Concord „ 31 ( 5 Argonaut „ 2243 Dagmar „ 2262