A Masonic lodge is run by a small set of elected and appointed officers, and the members choose them by vote, usually once a year. The man at the top is the Worshipful Master, and around him sit a Senior Warden, a Junior Warden, a Treasurer and a Secretary, with a few appointed roles such as the Deacons and the Tyler. A visitor at a meeting can expect a short business session, some ritual work, a reading of the trestleboard, and a meal or refreshments afterwards. The trestleboard itself is just the lodge's notice sheet: it lists the date, the degree being worked, the officers on duty and any upcoming events.
How are Masonic lodge officers chosen and what do they do?
Officers are chosen in two ways. The main ones are elected by the members, normally at a stated meeting near the end of the year. The Worshipful Master, the Senior Warden, the Junior Warden, the Treasurer and the Secretary are the usual elected posts. The rest are appointed by the incoming Worshipful Master, and he tends to pick men who have shown up, learned the work and can be relied on to turn in on a Tuesday night.
The progression is fairly steady. A man who is active often moves from Junior Warden to Senior Warden to Worshipful Master over three years, which gives him time to learn each chair before he takes the next. That line of progression is not a rule set in stone, but it is common enough that members talk about it as the ladder.
The Worshipful Master runs the lodge for his year. He opens and closes the meeting, sets the pace of the work, decides what goes on the trestleboard and represents the lodge to the Grand Lodge. The Senior Warden is next in line and takes the Master's place when he is absent. The Junior Warden looks after the members' comfort, which in practice means the meal, the drinks and the general order of the room. The Treasurer keeps the accounts and the Secretary keeps the minutes, the correspondence and the membership records. The Deacons carry messages and escort candidates. The Tyler sits outside the door and makes sure only the right people come in.
A useful plain description of these roles, written for people who have never set foot in a lodge, is set out in the notes on masonic lodge officers published for the islands around Friday Harbor and Roche Harbor. It covers the same ground from the visitor's side, which is the side most of us start on.
What should a visitor expect at a Masonic lodge meeting?
A visitor should expect to be received politely, asked to sign a register, and seated in a specific place. He will not be asked to take part in anything he has not agreed to. The meeting opens with a short ceremony, then moves into the business of the evening.
The order is usually something like this. The lodge is opened by the Worshipful Master, the minutes of the last meeting are read and approved, the Treasurer gives his report, and any correspondence is read out. Then comes the main work of the evening, which is either a degree ceremony for a new candidate or a piece of Masonic instruction for the members. After that the lodge is closed, and everyone goes downstairs or next door for food.
A few practical points are worth knowing before you go. Dress is usually smart, a jacket and tie in most lodges, though this varies. You should arrive early rather than late, because the Tyler controls the door and late entry disturbs the work. You should not expect to be asked for money beyond a small contribution to the meal. You should expect the meeting to last somewhere between one and two hours, depending on the degree being worked.
If you are visiting from another lodge, bring your dues card or a letter of good standing. If you are not a Mason and you are attending an open evening, you will see the same room and the same officers, but the ritual parts that are restricted to members will be left out. Nobody will press you to join. The usual path for a man who is interested is to ask a member he knows, or to write to the lodge secretary and ask for a chat.
How do you read a Masonic trestleboard?
A trestleboard is the lodge's notice sheet, and reading it is not difficult once you know the layout. It is normally one page, sometimes two, sent out by the Secretary before each meeting.
The top of the sheet gives the lodge name and number, the date and the place. Below that you will find the degree being worked, which tells you whether the evening is a first, second or third degree, or an instruction night. Then comes the list of officers on duty, which matters if you are filling a chair or standing in for someone. After that there is a short section for announcements: sick members, upcoming visits, the next breakfast or fundraiser, and any Grand Lodge business.
A few conventions are worth learning. If the trestleboard says the lodge will tyle at a certain time, that means the door is closed and the meeting has started, so arrive before it. If it lists a table lodge, that is a formal meal with a set order of toasts, and it is a longer evening than usual. If it names a degree team, those are the men who will perform the ceremony, and they will have rehearsed it beforehand.
The trestleboard is also the best single document for a new member to read. It tells him what is coming, who is doing what, and where he is expected to be. Members who read it carefully tend to be the ones who are ready when they are called on.
What happens after the meeting?
The meal is not an afterthought. In most lodges the social half hour after the meeting is where the actual lodge life happens: the news, the help with a move or a hospital visit, the arrangements for the next degree. A visitor who stays for the meal will learn more about how the lodge works than he will from any document.
Refreshments vary. Some lodges put on a full supper, others a sandwich and a cup of tea. The Junior Warden is usually the man to thank, or to help, depending on the lodge. If you are visiting, offer to help with the chairs at the end. It is noticed.
How do you move from visitor to member?
The path is straightforward but slow, and that is deliberate. A man who is interested speaks to a member, or writes to the Secretary, and asks for a petition. The petition is read at a meeting, a committee is appointed to look into it, and the committee reports back. The members then vote, and if the vote is clear the candidate is initiated at a later meeting.
There is no rush in any of this. The lodge would rather a man take his time and be sure than join on a whim and drift away. The same applies to a visitor: come to an open evening, ask questions, and see whether the room suits you. The officers will be glad to explain what they do, and the trestleboard will tell you when the next meeting is.