Ritual for Scholarship Presentation

Officers:

Worshipful Master

Senior Warden

Junior Warden

Chaplain

Marshall

Steward(s)

Those not familiar with the Fraternity may be confused about the different officers in a Lodge and how they all interrelate in the organization. This article is done in hopes of clearing these issues up a bit.

Line Officers

Line Officers are those who have a "rank" and authority to make decisions in the Lodge. There are seven Line Officers (in "rank" order): Worshipful Master, Senior Warden, Junior Warden, Senior Deacon, Junior Deacon, Senior Steward, and Junior Steward.

From time to time, we, as Masons, lose sight of what Masonry is and isn't. We can all recite the canned phrases from our lectures like "Masonry is a regular system of morality veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbols." But this is meaningless mumbling if we can't express to each other and to non-Masons what the Fraternity is and isn't.

On occasion, someone will cite Manley Palmer Hall, Albert Pike, Albert Mackey, Henry Wilson Coil, or John J. Robinson as a Masonic Authority or an Authority in Masonry. Depending on your point of view or your definition of "Authority," you may be inclined to agree with them. But here's the closest thing to the "correct" idea of Masonic Authority I've found so far:

This blog post from On the Level states that the purpose of a Lodge isn't to make more Masons but to educate Masons in morality, history, and philosophy. Indeed, the stated purpose of a Brother in attendance at a Lodge of Entered Apprentices is "To learn to subdue [his] passions and improve [him]self in Masonry."

(click to enlarge)