Masonic Ritual – Where should the Deacons meet when approaching the West to communicate the word/password to the Senior Warden as part of purging the Lodge?

The Standard Work and Lectures does not detail this with any specificity, but rather allows each Lodge to decide how and where the Deacons meet. This is for a good reason: There is wide variability in size and configuration of Lodge rooms around the State of New York, and what works in one Lodge room may be not work very well in another Lodge room. That said, the primary purpose of the Ritual of Opening is to transition the Brethren from the quotidian concerns of the profane world into the serene, sacred space of Masonry, and the Deacons’ floorwork can make a meaningful contribution in this regard when it is done with rigor and organization. In this connection, our Lodges have adopted a variety of traditions in practices with respect to the Deacons’ approach to the West. The Junior Deacon may remain standing until the Senior Deacon reaches the west end of the Lodge room before both turn to come before the Senior Warden simultaneously. Or the Deacons may meet at the west side of the Altar before approaching the West together. These are the most common approaches, but there are a multitude of possible solutions. However it is done, the best visual presentation is obtained when the Deacons make their inward turns at the same time and arrive simultaneously at the steps of the West where both come to the Sign of Fidelity.

The Master asks if all present are Entered Apprentices or Fellowcrafts when the Lodge opens on the First or Second Degree respectively, so why does the Tiler have to be a Master Mason?

The short answer is because all elected and appointed Lodge officers must be Master Masons and that’s what it says in the Ritual. The longer answer is that we don’t stop being Entered Apprentices or Fellowcrafts just because we have had the Master Mason Degree conferred upon us. The Master Mason Degree embraces the Fellowcraft and Entered Apprentice Degrees, and the Fellowcraft Degree embraces the Entered Apprentice Degree. Thus, a Master Mason embodies all three Degrees. A different way of thinking it might be if the Master asked whether all present are in possession of the secrets of Entered Apprentice (or Fellowcraft as the case may be)—but the effect would be the same.

What should the Senior Deacon use to receive the Candidate in the First Degree? Could he use a sword?

The Standard Work and Lectures does not specify the nature of the sharp instrument. It is perhaps most common to use one of the extreme points of a pair of compasses, but this is by no means required and it would be perfectly fine to use a sword instead. Indeed, the first examples of a “reception” in the documentary record of Masonic Ritual describe “a sword or spear or some warlike instrument” being used for this purpose. Anything that enhances the experience for those present—for example, the Candidate who hears the Senior Deacon’s sword slide from its scabbard and the Brethren who witness its use — should be viewed in a positive light so long as it remains within the form, intent, and spirit of the Ritual.

Is the Tiler Among The Officers Required To Open A Lodge?

Yes.

From the standpoint to the Ritual, a Tiler is required to open a Lodge. Indeed, every officer to whom a portion of the Work has been allocated is required to perform the Rituals of Opening. In the most dire of emergencies there are a few possibilities for “doubling up” roles, but the Tiler is not among them. Understandably, a Lodge that is not able to retain a professional Tiler or appoint one from whiting the membership may have difficulty finding a Brother willing to sit outside the outer door for the entirety of a meeting, thus missing all the programming. In such a circumstance some Masters instruct the Tiler to “tile through the open door”—meaning that the Junior Deacon leaves the outer door partly open during moments when no Ritual is being performed so the Tiler can view the work of the evening, and if anyone approaches, the Tiler can quickly shut the door to perform his duties. This is not an ideal solution and should by no means become a permanent one, but as Past Grand Lecturer Cal Bond was fond of saying, sometimes you have to “use common sense.”

Is the Senior Deacon the only Brother allowed to touch the Square and Compasses?