ADDITIONAL OFFICERS
ERIC HIXSON, PM
Treasurer
His Jewel is a Pair of Crossed Keys, signifying he is the Collector and Distributor of all Lodge Monies as he holds the keys to the cashbox.
The Treasurer of a Masonic Lodge is the Chief Financial Officer of the Lodge. He sits to the right of the Master and behind the Senior Deacon.
The Treasurer is responsible for all financial transactions. He receives all money, pays all debts by order of the Worshipful Master with the consent of the lodge and renders a report when requested.
The treasurer does not need to be in possession of an accounting degree, however experience with bookkeeping and accounting is an asset. Financial bookkeeping transactions may be performed either by hand or by the use of accounting software.
The Treasurer's duties can be likened to a corporate C.F.O. (Chief Financial Officer).
JESSE SOLIS-JACQUES, PM
Secretary
His Jewel is the Crossed Quill Pens. The Secretary is the Lodge's Recorder.
The Secretary's Lodge Officer Duties require a high degree of lodge experience, Masonic knowledge, diplomacy and, above all, detailed paperwork skills. The Lodge Secretary is the backbone of any Masonic Lodge and he holds a position of great responsibility. He sits to the left of the Master.
His duties require him to handle all correspondence to the members, minutes of Lodge meetings, petitions of new candidates, continuous lodge member count, and many other administrative duties. He compiles an ongoing list of each new candidate and which degrees that candidate has undertaken. From his member list, he sends out the annual dues notices and receives dues payments.
He communicates with other Lodges and the Grand Lodge, types letters, retrieves the mail as well as handles many other details.
The Secretary's Lodge Officer duties are many, not the least of which is that he must be well versed in Grand Lodge By-Laws for his jurisdiction and his Lodge By-Laws. He keeps the list of Lodge members and helps the Master organize his meetings.
A very experienced member usually resides in this chair...many times he is a Past Master of the Lodge. While it is not a prerequisite, due to the number of hours that this position requires, most (not all) Lodge Secretaries are retired and therefore able to devote the many hours required which are necessary to this position.
The Secretary's position is similar to a corporate C.O.O., (Chief Operation Officer).
PREZELL HARRIS
Assistant Secretary
The role of the Assistant Secretary is to help and understudy the Secretary. He is the Secretary's deputy and general assistant. It is his duty to keep accurate Lodge Minutes. His jewel is a single Quill Pen and he sits to the right of the Secretary.
RICHARD WILSON, PM
Chaplain
The Chaplain of a Masonic Lodge is an appointed Officer. He sits to the left of the Worshipful Master in the East. Together with the Master and Secretary, his value to his Brethren extends far beyond the open Lodge.
The Chaplain is the bridge between the mundane and the divine, and a Brother faithful in his service is worthy of the esteem of his Brethren. His prayers unite all members in a mystical bond of fellowship, regularly reminding the Lodge that the basic tenets of Freemasonry are spiritual. It is here that the Chaplain most frequently speaks directly to the Creator on behalf of his Brethren when he offers the collect of their individual prayers.
A Chaplain is alert for personal, family, or social situations that may require special care. The supportive presence, the gift of active listening, and empathy of a Lodge Chaplain can be a tremendous help to Brethren, patients, and their families; doing so with dignity, concern for others, with a caring heart, an attentive ear, and confidentiality in relationships.
His Jewel of office is an Open Book, symbolizing the Holy Word (the Christian Bible, Hebrew Torah or Tanach, the Muslim Qur'an, the Hindu Vedas or other Holy Books).
It is the concern of the Office of Chaplain to see that the Holy Word is in its place on the Altar when the Lodge is opened -- for the Volume of Sacred Law, and the Square and Compass, represent the Three Great Lights, which a Mason must relentlessly study and obey.
The role of the Lodge Chaplain includes:
• The regular opening and closing Prayers.
• The perambulatory “Lessons from the Scriptures” in each Degree.
• Give spontaneous invocations and benedictions in special meetings, dinners, or other occasions, upon request.
• Memorial Services.
• Visit and comfort the sick, afflicted, and bereaved.
Since the Chaplain should not be solely responsible for such visits, there should be a group of volunteer assistants for this purpose. It will also serve to demonstrate that more than one individual cares about the homebound or hospitalized Brother and his family.
• Mediate distress.
It is most undignified for a man in distress to be asked to approach more than one Officer in the Lodge when he is in need. The Chaplain is the obvious choice, since he is trusted by both the Lodge and the individual Mason to preserve the utmost dignity and confidentiality in these matters.
CRESTON WHITING-CASEY
Marshal
His Jewel is the Crossed Batons.
The Marshal is the Lodge's Conductor or Master of Ceremonies.The Marshal of a Masonic Lodge is an appointed officer of the Lodge.
The Marshal is in some jurisdictions the "Director of Ceremonies".
The Marshal's duties and principle role is the organization of processions and ensuring the correct precedence and etiquette in formal proceedings. It is his duty to formally conduct visitors into the lodge and introduce them to the members when the lodge is in session.
The Marshal's position is similar to that of a Supervisor.
NICHOLAS JOHNSTON
Senior Deacon
His Jewel is the Square and Compass with the Sun in the middle. The sun signifies that his position is on the lower level, to the right of the Worshipful Master in the east.
His duty is as messenger of the Worshipful Master, hence he does a lot of walking.
The Senior Deacon of a Masonic Lodge is an assistant officer of the Lodge. The Senior Deacon's principle roles are to welcome and escort both visitors and candidates into the lodge and introduce distinguished visitors.
It is his duty to assist the Worshipful Master and carry orders between the Worshipful Master and the Senior Warden. During degree rituals, he guides the new candidate and conducts him around the lodge room.
During the opening and closing ceremonies, the Senior Deacon opens the Holy Scriptures to the correct passage of the degree being worked and closes it after the lodge is adjourned. He also lights and extinguishes the candles at the altar.
In some lodges, he carries the ballot box around the lodge when new members are being voted upon.
The Senior Deacon's position is similar to a Manager. The Senior Deacon (and the Junior Deacon) both carry long staffs (or rods), because as messengers of the Worshipful Master, the staffs are symbolic of the caduceus (or wand) that the Roman winged god and messenger Mercury carried during their duties. Atop the rods are the jewels of their offices.
MAURO LARA
Junior Deacon
Like his senior counterpart, the Senior Deacon, the Jewel of his office is the Square and Compass, however the Junior Deacon's Square and Compass has a moon in the center (rather than a sun), which signifies that he is in the West.
The Junior Deacon of a Masonic Lodge is an assistant officer of the Lodge. He sits to the lower right of the Senior Warden.
The Junior Deacon's principle roles are to assist the Senior Warden by carrying messages from the Senior Warden in the West to the Junior Warden in the South and to guard the inner door of the Lodge.
It is his duty to ascertain at all times whether the Tiler is guarding the door and only allowing visitors to enter after they have been properly vouched for. The Junior Deacon and the Tiler communicate with each other by knocking on the door (the Tiler from the outside...and the Junior Deacon from the inside).
Some jurisdictions split this position into 2 positions...that of the Junior Deacon and the Inner Guard.
The Junior Deacon's position is similar to a Manager.
MARTY BUFF
Senior Steward
His Jewel is the Cornucopia, which is an exact duplicate of the Junior Steward's Cornucopia. The Cornucopia signifies the "Horn of Plenty". It is a goat horn filled with the fresh fruits and vegetables to denote the "fruits of your labors" and represents a job well done.
The Senior Steward of a Masonic Lodge is an appointed officer of the Lodge.
The Senior Steward is tasked to understudy the Junior Deacon's position and fill in for the Junior Deacon when absent.
The Junior Deacon's principle role is to prepare the candidates during ritual and escort them to the lodge room and assist the Senior Deacon. In their entry Officer positions, both the Senior and Junior Stewards typically handle kitchen duties and wait staff for the members.
The Senior Steward's position is similar to that of a Supervisor.
MATT MASON
Junior Steward
His Jewel is the Cornucopia, which is an exact duplicate to the Senior Steward's Cornucopia. The Cornucopia signifies the "Horn of Plenty".
It is a goat horn filled with the "fruits of your labors" and represents a job well done. The Junior Steward of a Masonic Lodge is an appointed officer of the Lodge.
The Junior Steward is tasked to understudy the Senior Steward position and fill in for the Senior Steward in his absence.
The Junior Steward's principle role is to assist the Senior Steward and the Senior Deacon in the preparation of the Candidates. Both the Senior and Junior Stewards carry rods, atop which are the jewels of their offices.
The rods represent England's Lord High Steward's rod in the House of Lords. The Junior Steward position is similar to that of a Supervisor.
FLOYD TRITT
Tiler
His Jewel is the Sword, by which he symbolically refuses entrance to anyone who is uninitiated in the Craft. The sword has no scabbard, as it is his symbolic duty to always have his sword drawn, ready for the defense of his post.
The Tiler (or Tyler) of a Masonic Lodge is an appointed officer of the Lodge and is sometimes known as the "Outer Guard". He sits outside the closed door of the lodge room, armed with a sword.
The Tiler's duties and principle role is to ensure that only those who are duly qualified are allowed to enter the Lodge Room. He guards against cowans and eavesdroppers. During the Middle Ages, a cowan was a man who built stone walls of poor quality. He was an uninitiated or non-apprenticed stonemason...a "jackleg", if you will.
While the Tiler is sometimes called upon to assist in the preparation of candidates, his chief duty is to (symbolically) keep unskilled workmen from overhearing the conversation within the Lodge Room.
After the lodge members are inside the Lodge Room, the door closes and it is the Tiler's duty to decide whether late arrivals may enter. It is also his duty to make sure that each visitor is "properly clothed", which means they must be wearing their Masonic apron.
To be fully and properly dressed before entrance into the Lodge Room, the visitor must be wearing their apron over the top (or on the outside) of their suit coat (never under their coat) and the apron strings must be fully tied before the Tiler will allow the visitor entrance. Some jurisdictions call this position the Outer Guard.
The Tiler's position is similar to that of a Supervisor.
