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?