What is the Master’s Work? How should a Brother be acknowledged when performing part of the Ritual?

In the Grand Lodge of New York,

The Master’s work consists of every part of the Ritual that is clearly designated for the Master as well as parts that are customarily delegated to another Brother, such as the Apron Presentation, the Working Tools, the questions in the Lecture of Forms and Ceremonies and the Lecture of Reasons, the Entered Apprentice and Master Mason Historical Lectures, and the Charges. A Brother to whom a portion of the Master’s Work has been delegated is the Worshipful Master at the time of his delivery for purposes of the Ritual. He should neither be announced by the East, nor salute nor acknowledge the East either before or after performing such Work.

What parts of the Ritual can be read from a printed text?

Only the Prayers and Scripture Lessons, the Opening and Closing Charges, the Masonic Doxology and Pleyel’s Hymn, the Narrator’s part and Roll Call in the Drama of the Hiramic Legend, the Ceremony of Installation, the Memorial Service and the Committal Service may be delivered with the aid of printed texts. All other parts of the Ritual are to be delivered from memory.

When closing the Great Light In Masonry, is there a particular way we should arrange the Square and Compasses on the cover of the Holy Bible?

No, there is not. In fact, it is not required that they be placed on the Holy Bible once it is closed, or even on the Altar. The Senior Deacon could pocket the Square and Compasses if that seems like a good idea.

How should the Square and Compasses be positioned on the Holy Bible when it is open?

The Square is properly positioned when its inner edges intersect the Compasses in about the middle of each pointed leg and the extreme points of the Compasses are clearly visible. They should be situated on an area of the Holy Bible where they can sit flat without any danger that they might slide out of their arrangement, which is almost never across the central gutter dividing the two pages from one another. Whenever possible, the Square and Compasses should not obscure the Scripture Lesson of the Degree.

How should a Brother change his Apron when he is in a tiled Lodge at labor?

A Brother may need to change his Apron during a Lodge Communication when, for example, officers exchange stations or places for Degree work, or a late-arriving officer takes his seat, or a Brother is presented with an Apron different from the one he is wearing, such as a Past Master’s Apron or 50-Year Apron. In such an occurrence, the Brother should simply remove the Apron he is wearing and clothe himself with the other Apron within a reasonably short interval. It is not necessary to double-up on Aprons or perform some gratuitous contortion in order to avoid even an instant during which he is unclothed. Our symbolic requirements are not meant to be burdensome, and can survive a Brother’s lack of an Apron for a brief moment. Moreover, such an ostentatious display of “Masonic Orthodoxy” does more to disturb the decorum of the Communication than a simple exchange of one Apron for another.