Other Officers

Senior Deacon

The Senior Deacon sits to the right of the Worshipful Master. He is the Master’s messenger and does lots of walking. He welcomes and escorts both visitors and new candidates into the lodge and usually introduces distinguished visitors. During degree rituals, he is the guide for the new candidate, conducting him around the lodge room. In the opening and closing ceremonies of the lodge, the Senior Deacon opens and closes the Bible, and lights or extinguishes the candles at the altar. In many lodges, he also carries the ballot box around the room when new members are voted on.

Both the Senior and Junior Deacon carry long staffs, or rods. Because they are messengers of the lodge, the rods they carry are symbolic of the caduceus, or wand, that the Roman winged god and messenger Mercury carried. The rods are topped by their jewels of office, to match the ones on their collars.

The Senior Deacon’s jewel is a square and compass, with a sun in the middle. The sun signifies that his position is in the east, with the Master. (In other parts of the world, the jewel worn on the collar of the Deacons may be a dove, while their rods are topped by a figure of Mercury or a dove with an olive branch.)

Junior Deacon

The Junior Deacon sits to the right of the Senior Warden, guarding the door to the lodge. He is the messenger of the Senior Warden, as well as the lodge “doorman.” It is his job to be certain the Tyler is guarding the door on the outside, and he allows visitors to enter, after they’ve been properly vouched for. He and the Tyler communicate with each other by knocking back and forth on either side of the closed door.

Some jurisdictions split up this position into the Junior Deacon and an Inner Guard.

The Junior Deacon’s jewel of office is the square and compass, like his senior counterpart. The difference is that the Junior Deacon’s jewel has a moon in the center, signifying that he is in the west.

Senior Steward and Junior Steward

Because the Stewards are the low guys on the totem pole of the officers’ line, they do much of the grunt work. They’re the Junior Warden’s assistants, and they help to set up the lodge room. They prepare all new candidates before entering the lodge for their degree rituals, and escort them to the lodge room, where the Senior Deacon takes over. They may also be the kitchen and wait staff of the lodge, which means they’re champing at the bit to move up to the Junior Warden’s job.

The Stewards, like the Deacons, also carry rods, in imitation of England’s Lord High Steward’s rod in the House of Lords. The rods are also topped with the jewels of their offices.

The Stewards’ officers jewels are the same: a cornucopia, or “horn of plenty,” symbolizing — what else? — lots of food. Masons love to eat and will find any excuse they can to have a breakfast, luncheon, or dinner to commemorate just about anything.

Tiler

The Tiler’s duty it is to guard the door against Cowans and eavesdroppers.  He ensures the Senior Deacon is aware of visitors so they may be accomodated and introduced. He notifies the Master of 1st time visitors so they may be examined. And he ensures that late arrivals know in which degree the lodge is working.

Marshal

The Marshal’s duty is to see that peace and harmony reigns among the craft. The Marshal will under direction of the Worshipful Master take charge of all processions of the Lodge and with the Deacons, escort visiting dignitaries into the lodge.  Additionally he will interrogate new candidates to ensure their qualifications for initiation.