Ronaynes Handbook Of Freemasonry 7

Ronaynes Handbook Of Freemasonry 7

The Senior Deacon proceeds to the altar, situated

in the center of the room, opposite the Junior War-

den's station, as already explained, opens the Bible,- —

usually at Psalm 133, — and places upon it the Square

and Compass (the latter open), with both points of

the Compass belozv the Square, in the manner shown

 

• Cook's Standard Monitor, p. 6.

 

 

 

OPENING ON THE FIRST DEGREE- 19

 

by the annexed cut, and returns to his place. The

Junior Deacon, at the same time, gives three knocks

 

 

 

 

at the door, which are answered by three from the

Tyler outside. The Junior Deacon then gives* one,

which is answered by one from the Tyler. The door

is then opened, and the Junior Deacon whispers to the

Tyler that the Lodge is opened on the first degree;

after which he closes the door and reports to the Mas-

ter: "The Tyler is informed, Worshipful;" when the

Master gives one rap, and the Lodge is seated.

 

On the next page will be found a correct rep-

resentation of the positions occupied by the differ-

ent officers of a Lodge, whether it be opened on the

«first, second or third degree ; and nothing needs to be

added further on that head, except to describe the

jewels of office which each officer must wear, and to

which brief allusion has already been made.

 

Past Master wears a compass, opened on a quar-

ter circle, sun in the center.

 

Worshipful Master wears a square; Senior War-

den, a level.

 

Junior Warden, a plumb ; Treasurer, cross-keys.

 

Secretary, cross-pens ; Senior Deacon, Square and

Compass, sun in the center.

 

 

 

OPENING ON THE FIRST DEGREE).

 

 

 

' 2\

 

 

 

Junior Deacon, Square and Compass, quarter

moon in center; Stewards, a cornucopia.

 

Chaplain, an open Bible; Tyler, a sword, saber

shape*

 

If a collar is worn, these jewels must be sus-

pended from the point of the collar; but if not, they

are pinned to the right lappel of the coat.

 

The reader will also notice that a small pedestal

stands to the right of the three principal officers, and

that the Warden's columns rest upon those in the

South and West. When the Lodge is open, the Sen-

ior Warden's column is standing up, as in the figure ;

but when the Lodge is called off, or during recess, the

Junior Warden's column is standing.

 

i

 

LODGE OF FELLOW CRAFTS.

 

OPENING CEREMONIES.

 

There is no material difference between an En-

tered Apprentice and a Fellow Craft Lodge. The

officers in both cases are the same; the internal ar-

rangements are the same ; and a stranger, entering the

Lodge-room while either degree is open, could not

tell the difference, without carefully observing the

position of the Square and Compass on the altar. In

the first degree, as we have already seen, both points

of the Compass are below the Square; while in the

degree of Fellow Craft, one point is above, and an-

other below, as seen on page 28. A Lodge of Fellow

Crafts, however, cannot be opened without first open-

ing a Lodge of Apprentices ; and, as the design of

these pages is to give the exact manner in which Ma-

sonry is worked, whether in opening or closing its

Lodges, or in conferring its degrees; and as I have

 

 

 

22

 

 

 

HAND BOOK OF FREEMASONRY.

 

 

 

already given the correct method of opening a Lodge

on the first degree; so I shall now proceed to op

on the second.

 

 

 

PURGING THE LODGE.

 

Worshipful Master (one rap) : "Brother Senior

Warden, will you be off, or from?"

 

Senior Warden (rising) : "From."

 

Worshipful Master: "From what, to what?''

 

Senior Warden: "From the degree of Entered

Apprentice, to that of Fellow Craft."

 

Worshipful Master: "Are all present Fellow

Crafts?"

 

Senior Warden: "I will inquire by my proper

officer and report."

 

Senior Warden (one rap) : "Brother Junior

Deacon you will proceed to satisfy yourselves that all

present are Fellow Crafts."

 

The Junior Deacon then taking his rod, proceeds

around the Lodge-room, stopping in front of every

brother whom he does not personally know, and raps

on the floor with his rod ; and that brother thus chal-

lenged, if not vouched for by some one present, must

retire into the ante-room to await, if he sees fit, the

action of an examining committee sent out by the

W. M. The Junior Deacon, in this manner haviag

made the entire circuit of the Lodge-room, returns

in front of the Senior Warden's station, and reports to

that officer: "I am so satisfied Bro. S. W-," and

then resumes his former place in the Lodge.

 

Junior Deacon: "I am so satisfied Bro. Senior

Warden."

 

 

 

OPENING OF THE SECOND DEGREE.

 

 

 

23

 

 

 

Senior Warden (one rap) : "All present are Fel-

low Crafts, Worshipful."

 

Should there be one or more Entered Apprentices

present, the Senior Warden will report : "All present

are not Fellow Crafts, .Worshipful." Upon which,

the Master will request "all those below the degree of

a Fellow Craft to please retire." Entered Appren-

tices then step to the altar, give the due-guard and

sign, and retire to the ante- room.

 

Worshipful Master: "As a further evidence, you

will cause the Senior and Junior Deacons to approach

the West, receive from them the pass, direct them to

proceed on the right and left, collect the pass from the

brethren and convey it to the East."

 

Senior Warden (one rap) : "Brothers Senior and

Junior Deacons, report to the West and give me the

pass, of a Fellow Craft."

 

The Senior and Junior Deacons both step to the

altar, and frorn there approach the Senior Warden's

station, to whom they communicate in a whisper the

pass of a Fellow Craft — which is Shibboleth. They

then cross to opposite sides of the hall (the Senior

Deacon being on the right of the Senior Warden, and

the Junior Deacon on his left), and in this manner

they proceed to collect the pass from every member

in the room, except the ^Master and Junior Warden.

It ought to be observed that, in collecting this pass-

word, the Deacons are not to /stoop down, so that a

brother may whisper it while sitting; but they must

stand erect, and every member must rise to his feet,

whisper the pass-word, and again take his seat. Hav-

ing thus collected the pass, they meet in front of the

Master's chair, where they again cross to their respect-

ive sides of the Lodge-room; whereupon they face

each other, and the Junior Deacon, making the due--