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Article INSTALLING A SUCCESSOR. Page 1 of 1 Article INSTALLING A SUCCESSOR. Page 1 of 1 Article OLD ACQUAINTANCES. Page 1 of 2 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Installing A Successor.
INSTALLING A SUCCESSOR .
WHEN , in years gone by , certain well known brethren carried on a discussion in the pages of the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE in regard to Uniformity of working they confined themselves to actual divergencies in the ritual , without paving much
attention to such minor details as Masonic practice , and perhaps it is just as well they did so , as then they were enabled to limit the points of discussion within a comparatively narrow compass , whereas if they had attempted to advocate Uniformity in Masonic custom
they might have continued until this day without having nearly exhausted the subject , or arrived any nearer a settlement . We are fully prepared to maintain that many Lodges under the English Constitution work the ritual word for word the same as each other , but he
would be a very bold member indeed who guaranteed to find even fifty where every matter of detail was carried through on the same lines , or where even important matters of form were conducted on uniform principles . We may consider the installation of
Master as a case in point , and it must be admitted this is a question of first importance ; yet there are many wide divergencies of form in regard to it , and many different opinions as to what should or should not be done .
In London and many other parts it is regarded as imperative that the Master of the year should instal his successor , and although there is nothing actually wrong in deputing the work to another , it is regarded by many as bad form , and as casting a certain amount
of reflection on the retiring chief , whose aim it should be to personally conduct all the work of his term of office . In some of the Provinces , ou the other hand , the work of installation seems to be regarded as the especial duty of a particular individual , and it is not
infrequently the case that the same Brother instals the whole of the Masters of his district year after year , thus virtually monopolising the work under this head . Another misf . nm m-Avnils in snmn na . vt . s . wlifirfi VUJ 1 U £
„ ,. , , „„„ ..... „„„„„ ,...,. . „„ , .. _« -. „ the senior Past Master of the Lodge assumes the work by right , and no doubt numberless other " unwritten laws " on this point could be recorded , were it necessary to prove yet further want of uniformity of this particular item—but it is not needful to do
so ; there can be no question that variations of practice exist , and it is a fair subject for consideration whether such variation is of benefit or otherwise to the Craft at lame .
We have always maintained that a Worshipful Master should be allowed every opportunity of carrying out the duties of his office , without interference or hinderance from other members of the Fraternity ,
provided he is competent to do so , and at the same time able to preserve the reputation and dignity of his station . On that account we must express a liking for the system that regards it as desirable for a
Installing A Successor.
Master to personally instal his successor , rather than seek the aid of , so to speak , a permanent Installing Officer , in the person of a prominent member of Grand or Provincial Grand Lodge , or some particular
Past Master of the Lodge itself . The system we approve of has the advantage , too , of creating a pleasing variety in the style of delivery of the installation ritual , a feature we have always regarded as most desirable , in place of the monotony arising from the too frequent utterances of the same brother . It must not be supposed , however , that in now
advocating that each Master should in turn perform the ceremony of installation we are in any way departing from our former opinions , when we have advocated the division of the addresses between two or three different Past Masters , rather than the completion of the whole of the work by the outgoing ruler .
The system which recognises one Brother as the Installing Master of a district is bad , because it removes the necessity for each Master making himself proficient in the work of installation . If there is no necessity for a Brother qualifying for this duty it is probable many will not attempt it ; for it certainly involves a fair amount of preparation , and
consideration oi special points , ri a satisfactory delivery is desired . The spirit of emulation and friendly rivalry is good in this direction , just as it is in all other spheres of life ; and on that account we do not approve of the " one man " idea , even if no other objections to it could be brought forward .
The tendency of the age being to advance , and prove greater proficiency year by year , there is little fear of the system we object to under this head making way against the principle of each Master installing his own successor . We can well believe that as the now practically recognised " permanent " officials die otners win elected tneir steadanci
on no oe m , mus the reform we approve of will come about , virtually of its own accord and without upsetting any of those who consider they have a right to perform the work time after time , and in place after place .
Old Acquaintances.
OLD ACQUAINTANCES .
EREEMASONRY seems to specially lend itself to the removal and continuance of old acquaintanceships , more particularly because having been once admitted to participation in the benefits of the
Order one can always enjoy its privileges . In ordinary spheres of life changes occur which place one beyond the reach , or outside the cognisance of friends , who forget each other because they do not meet , and who sometimes fail to reciprociate when it is desired to re-open the companionship of years
before . But in Freemasonry this is not so . A Brother may enter a Lodge years after severing his connection with it , make himself known to the
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Installing A Successor.
INSTALLING A SUCCESSOR .
WHEN , in years gone by , certain well known brethren carried on a discussion in the pages of the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE in regard to Uniformity of working they confined themselves to actual divergencies in the ritual , without paving much
attention to such minor details as Masonic practice , and perhaps it is just as well they did so , as then they were enabled to limit the points of discussion within a comparatively narrow compass , whereas if they had attempted to advocate Uniformity in Masonic custom
they might have continued until this day without having nearly exhausted the subject , or arrived any nearer a settlement . We are fully prepared to maintain that many Lodges under the English Constitution work the ritual word for word the same as each other , but he
would be a very bold member indeed who guaranteed to find even fifty where every matter of detail was carried through on the same lines , or where even important matters of form were conducted on uniform principles . We may consider the installation of
Master as a case in point , and it must be admitted this is a question of first importance ; yet there are many wide divergencies of form in regard to it , and many different opinions as to what should or should not be done .
In London and many other parts it is regarded as imperative that the Master of the year should instal his successor , and although there is nothing actually wrong in deputing the work to another , it is regarded by many as bad form , and as casting a certain amount
of reflection on the retiring chief , whose aim it should be to personally conduct all the work of his term of office . In some of the Provinces , ou the other hand , the work of installation seems to be regarded as the especial duty of a particular individual , and it is not
infrequently the case that the same Brother instals the whole of the Masters of his district year after year , thus virtually monopolising the work under this head . Another misf . nm m-Avnils in snmn na . vt . s . wlifirfi VUJ 1 U £
„ ,. , , „„„ ..... „„„„„ ,...,. . „„ , .. _« -. „ the senior Past Master of the Lodge assumes the work by right , and no doubt numberless other " unwritten laws " on this point could be recorded , were it necessary to prove yet further want of uniformity of this particular item—but it is not needful to do
so ; there can be no question that variations of practice exist , and it is a fair subject for consideration whether such variation is of benefit or otherwise to the Craft at lame .
We have always maintained that a Worshipful Master should be allowed every opportunity of carrying out the duties of his office , without interference or hinderance from other members of the Fraternity ,
provided he is competent to do so , and at the same time able to preserve the reputation and dignity of his station . On that account we must express a liking for the system that regards it as desirable for a
Installing A Successor.
Master to personally instal his successor , rather than seek the aid of , so to speak , a permanent Installing Officer , in the person of a prominent member of Grand or Provincial Grand Lodge , or some particular
Past Master of the Lodge itself . The system we approve of has the advantage , too , of creating a pleasing variety in the style of delivery of the installation ritual , a feature we have always regarded as most desirable , in place of the monotony arising from the too frequent utterances of the same brother . It must not be supposed , however , that in now
advocating that each Master should in turn perform the ceremony of installation we are in any way departing from our former opinions , when we have advocated the division of the addresses between two or three different Past Masters , rather than the completion of the whole of the work by the outgoing ruler .
The system which recognises one Brother as the Installing Master of a district is bad , because it removes the necessity for each Master making himself proficient in the work of installation . If there is no necessity for a Brother qualifying for this duty it is probable many will not attempt it ; for it certainly involves a fair amount of preparation , and
consideration oi special points , ri a satisfactory delivery is desired . The spirit of emulation and friendly rivalry is good in this direction , just as it is in all other spheres of life ; and on that account we do not approve of the " one man " idea , even if no other objections to it could be brought forward .
The tendency of the age being to advance , and prove greater proficiency year by year , there is little fear of the system we object to under this head making way against the principle of each Master installing his own successor . We can well believe that as the now practically recognised " permanent " officials die otners win elected tneir steadanci
on no oe m , mus the reform we approve of will come about , virtually of its own accord and without upsetting any of those who consider they have a right to perform the work time after time , and in place after place .
Old Acquaintances.
OLD ACQUAINTANCES .
EREEMASONRY seems to specially lend itself to the removal and continuance of old acquaintanceships , more particularly because having been once admitted to participation in the benefits of the
Order one can always enjoy its privileges . In ordinary spheres of life changes occur which place one beyond the reach , or outside the cognisance of friends , who forget each other because they do not meet , and who sometimes fail to reciprociate when it is desired to re-open the companionship of years
before . But in Freemasonry this is not so . A Brother may enter a Lodge years after severing his connection with it , make himself known to the