Lodge Officers.

LODGE OFFICERS .

NO . IV . —THE WARDENS .

[ COMMUNICATED . ! The office of Warden is one of great antiquity . TheWor . Master and Wardens represent Solomon , King of Israel , Hiram , King of Tyre , and Hiram Abif , and to some extent their duties are

co-equal . The Wardens are not the assistants of the Master , even though subordinate to him . If the Master preserves order in the cast , it is the duty of the Senior Warden , impressed upon him when the gavel is handed to him , to preserve order in the west , and likewise the Junior Warden in the south .

Ceremonial business cannot legally be performed in a lodge unless the three principal chairs are occupied . There is no particular qualification necessary before attaining a Warden ' s chair other than that the brethren appointed must be Master Masons . Both the collars arc in the gift of the Wor . Master

but seeing that the appointments practically carry with them nominations to the eastern chair for the next two years , we may feel sure that in conferring them he exercises very considerable care . If the Junior Warden has carried out his duties in the south in a perfectly satisfactory manner , then the field of

selection is narrowed to some extent , and if the brother most concerned be able and willing to give the same care and attention to the duties of the higher office , then his preferment should necessarily follow . Inasmuch as these conditions apply almost

universally , many brethren have come to look on the promotion as a matter of ordinary routine . It is not , however , and the Worship ful Master elect , and those whom he may call in to assist , should approach the question of the appointment with perfectly open minds .

With regard to the appointment of Junior Warden , the way is not so clear . There are several officers whose claims have to be considered . There is the Chaplain , for instance . It is the custom to appoint a reverend brother to that office , and then to forget all about him . His re-appointment , year after year , is

regarded as a matter of course . The writer recollects a lodge Chaplain going on strike . He had adorned that dignified office for nine successive years , and seen brethren , at whose initiation he delivered the charge , finding their way to the eastern chair , and had come to the conclusion that it was not good enough .

We are glad to say that Ins just claims were recognised at a very early date . There is also the lodge Secretary . That useful officer has claims upon the lodge which cannot possibly be overlooked . There is also the Senior Deacon , who has qualifications which , perchance , the other brethren mentioned have not ,

in that he has borne a prominent part in ritual work . If a good Deacon always were qualified to be a good Secretary things would be simplified ; but , unfortunately , a good Secretary , nnsc ' ltur non fit , and the most capable Senior Deacon that ever carried a wand may not possess a single one of the requisites .

Let us now glance at the duties of the Senior Warden . Some of these are traditional , and arc part of his prerogative ; others arc delegated and are presumably revocable . The former he recites at every meeting . His jewel of office is the level , and the column under his charge is of the Doric

order , signifying strength . In the course of ceremonial work he examines candidates for the several Degrees as to their proficiency in those already conferred upon them , and it is on his presentation that the Worshipful Master proceeds to the conferment of a higher Degree . And when that is

done , it is again the Senior Warden who presents him for a mark of the Master ' s favour , and is delegated to invest him with the appropriate clothing . All this , however , is familiar to our readers , and needs no detailed reference . When the Worship ful Master is absent—and by absence we mean something

more than the inability lo attend a meeting on one or two occasions—then it is the Senior Warden ' s duty to govern the lodge . The interpretation of this phrase has on more than one occasion exercised tiie wisdom of Grand Lodge on appeal , and

we are , therefore , on fairly safe ground . The government of a lodge does not simply mean presiding at lodge meetings . It means that in matters affecting the welfare of the lodge the Senior Warden takes the place and responsibility which would properly belong to the Worshipful Master if present .

The summonses , instead of being issued "by command of the Worshipful Master " would be issued " by command of the Senior Warden , in charge for the time being , " correspondence would he carried on under his direction , and we presume that lie would sign the minutes when put for confirmation . In this

Lodge Officers.

last statement , however , we are open to correction . When assembled in the lodge room , however , the eastern chair must be occupied by a representative of K . S . in order to make any ceremonial business valid . Certainly the Senior Warden should

not sit in the Master ' s chair . His " constant" place is in the west . Courtesy would then dictate to the Senior Warden that the P . M ., who thus temporarily occupied the east , should direct the proceedings for the evening .

Ihe duties of the Junior Warden may be briefly referred to . Much of what has been said regarding the Senior-Warden applies to him . In the absence of both the W . M . and S . W . he is responsible for the government of the lodge , and under the same restrictions . His duties include that of calling the brethren

from labour to refreshment and from refreshment to labour . His jewel is the ' plumb and his column the Corinthian . Together with the Senior Warden he examines the candidates , but is not responsible for their presentation . It is his duty to examine strangers , but in practice this part of his duty is carried out

by a P . M . It must be , in fact , if the visitor claims to be a Past Master . Seeing it is the custom to complete the work of the lodge at one sitting , one of the principal occupations of the Junior Warden has disappeared , inasmuch as there is no return to the scene of labour after refreshment has been partaken of .

The distinction of Senior and Junior Warden only obtains during the year of office . That is as regards their order in the table of precedence . It has , however , been laid down that as regards Past Wardens , a Past Junior Warden of one year precedes a Past Senior Warden of the year following . Past

Senior Wardens , however , are not always ready to fall in with this ruling . It is always most cheerfully complied with by Junior Wardens , and possibly the fact that the collar jewels are different , makes it not easy to trace the reasoning . It is in Provincial Grand Lodges that the question generally occurs , as in private

lodges the lower rank is nearly always merged in the hi gher as time goes on . It is the rarest possible occurrence , however , in Grand or Provincial Grand Lodges for a Junior Warden to be promoted to Senior . The Past Officer carries the badge of the office he held on his apron as long as he retains any interest in

it , and , therefore , seeing that the square takes permanent precedence of the level , why , says the past P . P . S . G . W ., should not the level take permanent precedence of the plumb rule ? We are not concerned to say why , but merely to point out that the Constitutions do not recognise

either Past Seniors or Past Juniors . They only speak of Past Wardens . During the last few years there have been extraordinary appointments to Past Rank . Many distinguished brethren were made Past Provincial Grand Wardens , and where

Senior or Junior was not actually specified it is interesting to note that the brethren concerned all had their aprons adorned with the level . It is clear from this , that the Constitutions cannot alter human nature .

In conclusion , it may be said of the Wardens that , outside their ceremonial duties , their constant care should be to maintain the dignity of the Worshipful Master and , of course , of the lodge , which necessarily follows . They are to support the Master ; where he is they hope before long to be , and anything

which detracts from the dignity and lustre of the chair of K . S . should be to them a matter of personal concern . Should the Master unhappily fall short of all that is requisite in a good

Master , then the Wardens should , as it were , close up , so tint a united front may be presented . They should never b y any possible chance be implicated in any faction . And , last of all , remember they , the W . M ., S . W ., and J . W . are Iria jitncta in nno .

Provincial Grand Lodge Of Durham.

PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF DURHAM .

ANNUAL MEETING AT GATESHEAD .

The annual meeting of the above Provincial Grand Lodge was held on Tuesday , the 26 th ult ., at the Town Hall , Gateshead , under the banners of the Gateshead Lodges Nos . 48 , 424 , and 2674 . The Prov . G . M ., Bro . Sir Hedworth Williamson , Bart ., presided , and was supported by the following :

Bros , the Rev . Canon Tristram , D . D ., P . G . C , D . P . G . M . ; the Hon . Victor William , son , P . G . W . Eng . ; C . De Pledge , P . S . G . W . ; Wm . Waldy , P . J . G . W . ; Dr . C . D . Hill Dairy , P . P . G . W ., P . A . G . D . C . Eng . ; C . S . Lane , P . P . G . W . ; Babington Boulton , P . P . G . W . ; R . Hudson , P . G . S . B . Eng ., P . G . Sec ; F . H . Bennett , P . P . G . W . ; John Robinson , P . P . G . W . ; John C Moor , P . P . G . W . j John Joel , P . P . G . W . ; Thomas Coulson , P . P . G . W . j Andrew Farmer , P . P . G . W . N . and E . Yorks : W . I . Malcolm . P . G . R . ; Robert Stewart . P . G . Treas .: Charles T .

Johnson , P . G . D . C ; Edward Hudson , P . P . G . D . C : M . Corbitt , P . P . S . G . W . ; D . Cameron , P . P . G . D . ; A . S . Fowler , P . P . S . G . D . ; C . J . Seaman , P . P . G . D . ; W . E . Moffett , P . P . S . G . D . ; Seymour Bell , P . P . G . W . Northumberland ; ] . RPattison , P . P . G . W . ; B . S . Beckwith , P . P . G . W . ; H . J . Turnbull , P . P . G . W . ; J . Graham , P . P . G . R . ; W . M . Pybus , P . P . G . R . ; R . Whitfield , P . P . G . D . C . ; C . F . Sutclifle , P . P . G . T . j A . Jobling , P . J . G . D . ; W . J . Brown , P . G . P . ; John Taylor and J . Bell , P . G . Stewards ; E . Lautebach , P . P . G . Std . Br . ; J . R . Cutter ,