MASONIC RITUAL

DEACONS AND TAKING THE PASSWORD

MASONIC RITUAL EXPLAINED BY THE CHAIRMAN OF THE CUSTODIANS OF THE WORK

Why don’t the Deacons take the word or password from the Wardens, Treasurer, Secretary and any Grand Lodge officers seated in the East when purging the Lodge?

All of these officers outrank the Deacons, who therefore have no authority under which to demand the word or password from them. The reason the Deacons do take the word or password from Grand Lodge officers seated on the sidelines is because they must be in the East to display the authority of their Masonic titles. Otherwise for Ritual purposes they are just regular Brothers. For similar reasons, the Grand Master, Deputy Grand Master and District Deputy Grand Master do not give the Sign of Fidelity to the Lodge officers when seated in the East, but do give this sign when seated elsewhere about the Lodge.

Response provided by RW Samuel Lloyd Kinsey
Chairman, Custodians of the Work, Grand Lodge of New York

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