What Is the Worshipful Master in a Lodge?

The title Worshipful Master startles a good many people when they first hear it. It sounds, to modern ears, as though Freemasons are worshipping the man in the chair. I served as Worshipful Master of my lodge some years ago, and I can assure you that nobody worshipped me. Several brethren reminded me, kindly, that I had put the wrong date on the summons.

The Worshipful Master is the presiding officer of a Masonic lodge, elected by its members to serve for a year. His role is part chairman, part teacher, part host and part custodian of tradition. Understanding the role, and the word that troubles people, is a useful window into how Freemasonry thinks about leadership.

§Why Worshipful?

The word worshipful is old English, and it means honourable or deserving of respect. It has nothing to do with religious worship. The same word survives in British civic life: mayors in some towns are still addressed as Your Worship, magistrates were historically styled Worshipful, and the ancient livery companies of the City of London, such as the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths, use it to this day. The Craft guilds from which Freemasonry descends used the same language.

So when Masons speak of the Worshipful Master, they mean the honourable Master of the lodge. If the religious associations of Masonic language concern you, Freemasonry and Religion addresses the subject directly.

§What the Master actually does

• Opens and closes every meeting of the lodge, using the prescribed ritual.
• Presides over business: minutes, correspondence, votes on petitions and finances.
• Confers the degrees, usually performing the principal parts of the ritual himself.
• Appoints certain officers and sets the programme of education and events for his year.
• Represents the lodge at Grand Lodge and at other lodges' functions.
• Looks after the welfare of the brethren and their families, often visiting the sick and the bereaved.

In practice, the Master is also the man who answers the phone at awkward hours, who chases a missing caterer, and who sits with a nervous candidate before his initiation. A good Master's year is busy. Most men describe it as the most demanding and the most rewarding year of their Masonic life.

§The East and the gavel

The Master sits in the East of the lodge room, symbolically the place where the sun rises and light comes into the world. He wears a jewel of office, the square, which reminds him to act fairly, and he holds a gavel with which he governs the meeting. One rap calls the brethren to order. The gavel is a working tool, not a weapon, and a wise Master rarely needs to use it firmly. For a sense of how meetings flow, read What Happens at a Lodge Meeting.

§How a man becomes Master

In most lodges, the Senior Warden is elected Master at the annual election, having served through the junior offices over several years. This progression is described in Masonic Ranks and Hierarchy. The election is a genuine vote by the members, and the lodge is free to choose someone else, though it rarely does without good reason.

Once elected, the Master is installed in a special ceremony, often attended by Grand Lodge officers and visitors from neighbouring lodges. In many jurisdictions this installation includes a private portion attended only by Past Masters. The new Master takes an obligation to govern the lodge well and to uphold the laws of the Grand Lodge.

Today's Worshipful Master was once a curious man reading articles like this one. Take the free Readiness Quiz to see whether you are ready to start.

§The limits of the Master's authority

The Master's authority within his lodge is considerable during his year, but it is not unlimited. He must govern according to the constitution and regulations of his Grand Lodge and the by laws of his own lodge. He cannot change the ritual on a whim, spend lodge funds without approval, or admit a candidate the lodge has not elected. Disputes can be appealed to the Grand Lodge. What Is a Grand Lodge? explains how that works.

And after twelve months his authority passes to his successor. A Past Master who tries to keep running things from the sidelines quickly becomes an unwelcome presence. The tradition of annual rotation keeps lodges fresh and prevents any one man from becoming indispensable.

§What makes a good Master

Over the years I have watched many Masters, and the best share a few qualities. They prepare thoroughly, especially for degree work. They listen more than they speak. They remember the names of wives and children. They make a point of greeting the quiet brother at the back. And they treat the newest Entered Apprentice with the same courtesy as a visiting Grand Officer.

Poor Masters, by contrast, treat the year as a stage for their own importance. The lodge tolerates them politely and breathes a sigh of relief at the next installation. If you visit a lodge and the Master seems more interested in himself than in his members, take note. How to Choose the Right Lodge gives more signals to watch for.

§Could you become Master one day?

Almost certainly, if you wish to. There is no requirement of wealth, education or social standing. Some of the finest Masters I have known were tradesmen with no experience of chairing anything. What is required is commitment, a willingness to learn ritual, and care for the brethren. Many candidates who arrive shy and uncertain find themselves in the East a decade later, and are surprised by how natural it feels. Can Introverts Become Freemasons? is reassuring on this point.

The other officer every candidate meets first, before he ever sees the Master, is the man at the door. Read What Is the Tyler in Freemasonry? to meet him.