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Article POWERS OF GRAND MASTERS. Page 1 of 1 Article POWERS OF GRAND MASTERS. Page 1 of 1 Article CHANGES IN THE RITUAL. Page 1 of 1
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Powers Of Grand Masters.
POWERS OF GRAND MASTERS .
MUCH diversity of opinion exists as to the powers and prerogatives of Grand Masters . On tho one side are the strict constructionists , who hold that a Grand Master of Masons is the Executive of the Grand Lodge that elects him , and that lie is clothed with certain defined
powers , to be exercised only within the limits indicated by the constitution of snob . Grand Body . It is his right and privilege to exercise authority as it is expressly delegated to him , and in conformity to the enactments of the Grand Lodge over which ho presides . He fulfils the
functions of his office by enforcing the laws and regulations of the Craft , but ho may not go one lino beyond tho authority of the Constitution , which prescribes tho duties and powers of Grand Masters , and to which he is subject as much as the humblest member of tho Fraternity in the jurisdiction over which he presides .
According to this view Grand Masters have no prerogatives worth speaking of . Their power is defined and limited . Their authority does not include the right to grant a dispensation allowing any thing to be done that is forbidden by law . It is not within their province to
set aside edicts and regulations of the Grand Lodge , except as such power is expressly given to them . On the other side may be found Brethren who earnestly contend against the limiting of the powers of Grand Masters . In the opinion of this latter class there are certain
prerogatives which are attached to the office of Grand Master , and it is not within the province of Grand Lodges to dispossess a Grand Master of the rights and privileges thus acquired . It follows , therefore , according to this
view , that in the exercise of a fundamental power a Grand Master may by dispensation set aside the rules and edicts of the Grand Lodge , whose highest , executive officer he is , and that he may do , or allow to bo done , some things which are forbidden b y the written law .
Our judgment inclines us to take this side of the case . We think that the system of Masonry is such , as to require tho investiture of Grand Masters with large powers . In most Grand Lodge constitutions something of this kind is declared , the statement being , as in one form , that
" Grand Masters are possessed of authority specially delegated to them by Grand Lodge , and are also entitled to all the powers and prerogatives conferred upon such officers by the Ancient Constitutions and the -usages and landmarks of the Craft . " Evidently there is a primary ,
ex-officio authority , besides the precise powers that are of Constitutional provision . The prerogatives , out of which such authority springs , may be of rather uncertain and indefinite character , bnt according to onr thought there
is no question as to their existence in some form , and of their rightful exercise within proper bounds . We cannot believe that all tho powers of Grand Masters depend upon the legislation of Grand Lodges , or that they are wholly derived from the bestowal of these organisations .
It is sometimes asked whether a Grand Master does
not violate his obligation in issuing dispensations that set aside constitutional provisions , and on what ground he is able to justify his action in permitting a law of the Grand Lodge to be disregarded ! Was it ever contemplated by the Body which elected him that he should do
anything of this sort ? We have no means of knowing the precise terms in which the Grand Masters of the various jurisdictions are obligated to the performance of their duties . We have before us , however , the formula used in one of the oldest jurisdictions , and among other
binding clauses it contains the following : " That I will maintain and preserve the prerogatives appertaining to the office of Grand Master of Masons , and transmit the same to my successor in office unimpaired . That I will maintain and enforce the constitution and edicts of t , his
M . W . Grand Lodge , and the general regulations of Free masonry ; nor will I suspend them , or any provision thereof , until after due examination I shall be satisfied that the best interests of the Craft will be promoted thereby . "
Several generations of Grand Masters , as we are assured , have taken this form of obligation in Grand Lodge They were never troubled as to their right to set aside
edicts and regulations when the good of the Craft seemed to demand such action . They had taken an obligation , at the time of their installation , by which they were as solemnly bound to maintain the prerogatives of Grand
Powers Of Grand Masters.
Masters , as to execute and enforce the laws of Grand Lodges . Just what these prerogatives are , is , as already hinted , a difficult matter to decide . Whether by virtue of authority thus derived , a Grand Master may " make a Mason at
sight , " tho candidate being a minor , as was done not long ago in ono of the larger jurisdictions , involves questions which must be determined in lai-ge degree by ancient usage . And oven if the prerogative is found to be
sufficient to warrant this course , there ought yet to be great hesitancy in regard to taking such a step . Technically , by the inherent prerogatives of his high
office , a Grand Master may claim the right to make Masons at sight ; but it does not accord with the proper administration of Masonry in these days that such a right should bo exercised . It had better remain in entire abeyance . —Fremasons' Repository .
Changes In The Ritual.
CHANGES IN THE RITUAL .
WHILE the world is constantly pursuing its eternal ronnd in obedience to tho laws of Nature , and apparently arrives at * l 19 same point this year as it did tho last , we know that such 18 not the fact , —because then there would be no procession of the e 1 uinoxes , and by a parity of reasoning we see that , morally , the inbabi . ti nts of our gradually but almost imperceptibly changing globe change their ideas and methods of life . So in onr institution , a gradual
change is taking place , and generation by generation we are getting into new ideas withont altogether losing sight of the old . Take , fox instance , the ritual as administered in the last century , when the whole three degrees of Symbolic Masonry could be conferred in an hour . Wo have so far improved on that process that now it requires at least an hour for each . Whether this lengthening ont is an
improvement is a question upon which , personally , we entertain an opinion of the most adverse character , feeling quite certain that we conld eliminate from the present ritual enough to reduce it almost , if not quite , to its earlier proportions , and that too , for the benefit of the Craft , thus giving the Lodges more time for other matters than the mere rehearsal of the words accepted as needful to the
presentation of the several degrees . We shall not , of course , undertake any such task , because dnring the little while we have to stay we cannot afford to incur any nnnecessay enmities ; but we rejoice to know that , by common consent , there is a tendency to quit the nonsense of the monument representing Time standing still and clipping the flowing locks of a beautiful virgin , and we abide in hope
that by some Masonic procession it may como abont that many things added to the original ritual by monitor makers may be dropped into space and left to shift for themselves . Any brother familiar with the ritual and with English literatnre , can find for himself many quotations from authors not born when the first ritual was in force , and hence of no relation to Freemasonry except as illustrating the
idea contained in the original text . Now , while we know that the tendency is to enlarge rather than to retrench , and while we are perfectly aware that the great majority believe the present form to bo the only true , genuine , original Jacobs j while we cannot prevent the continuous motion of the earth , still it seems to us that wo might cai ! a halt on the ritual , and as
comets are supposed to drop their constituent parts in the air , to fall hero and there npon the planets whose course may meet theirs , so it would be well for ns if we conld shake off our superfluous words and let them find their place in some other part of the Universe . While wo approve of the close attention to the ritual while it remains as at present , we are none the less of opinion that it is
working harm to the Craft and shutting off opportunity for moro healthful occupation , and we most earnestly believe that if the ritual were shortened by one-half and the residue of time given to social converse , the decadence of attendance and membership would be arrested and a new era of prosperity be inaugurated . Think it over , brethren . —Nev ) York Dispatch .
The usual meeting of the Board of Benevolence took p lace ab Freemasons' Hall , on Wednesday , Bro . J . Brett Senior Vice-President occupying the President ' s chair , Bro . 0 . A . Cottebrune the Senior Vice-President ' s , and Bro . F . Davison Grand Deacon that of Junior Vice-President . The
attendance was large . The General Committee of Management , which was first held , passed the programme of business for the next Grand Lodge on the 4 bh of June . At the Board of Benevolence the brethren confirmed the
recommendations made at the April meeting to the amount of £ 235 . On the new list there were 38 petitioners , and after a sitting of four hours , 33 of these were relieved , with a total sum of £ 1075 .
Tho Revised Book of Constitutions ; Critically Considered xnd Compared with the Old Edition . London : Simpkin > Marshall & Co ., 4 Stationers' Hall Court , E . G . Sent on receipt of stamps , One Shilling , by W . W . Morgan , Ereemason s Chronicle Office , Belvidere Works , Hermes Hill , Pentonvill "'
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Powers Of Grand Masters.
POWERS OF GRAND MASTERS .
MUCH diversity of opinion exists as to the powers and prerogatives of Grand Masters . On tho one side are the strict constructionists , who hold that a Grand Master of Masons is the Executive of the Grand Lodge that elects him , and that lie is clothed with certain defined
powers , to be exercised only within the limits indicated by the constitution of snob . Grand Body . It is his right and privilege to exercise authority as it is expressly delegated to him , and in conformity to the enactments of the Grand Lodge over which ho presides . He fulfils the
functions of his office by enforcing the laws and regulations of the Craft , but ho may not go one lino beyond tho authority of the Constitution , which prescribes tho duties and powers of Grand Masters , and to which he is subject as much as the humblest member of tho Fraternity in the jurisdiction over which he presides .
According to this view Grand Masters have no prerogatives worth speaking of . Their power is defined and limited . Their authority does not include the right to grant a dispensation allowing any thing to be done that is forbidden by law . It is not within their province to
set aside edicts and regulations of the Grand Lodge , except as such power is expressly given to them . On the other side may be found Brethren who earnestly contend against the limiting of the powers of Grand Masters . In the opinion of this latter class there are certain
prerogatives which are attached to the office of Grand Master , and it is not within the province of Grand Lodges to dispossess a Grand Master of the rights and privileges thus acquired . It follows , therefore , according to this
view , that in the exercise of a fundamental power a Grand Master may by dispensation set aside the rules and edicts of the Grand Lodge , whose highest , executive officer he is , and that he may do , or allow to bo done , some things which are forbidden b y the written law .
Our judgment inclines us to take this side of the case . We think that the system of Masonry is such , as to require tho investiture of Grand Masters with large powers . In most Grand Lodge constitutions something of this kind is declared , the statement being , as in one form , that
" Grand Masters are possessed of authority specially delegated to them by Grand Lodge , and are also entitled to all the powers and prerogatives conferred upon such officers by the Ancient Constitutions and the -usages and landmarks of the Craft . " Evidently there is a primary ,
ex-officio authority , besides the precise powers that are of Constitutional provision . The prerogatives , out of which such authority springs , may be of rather uncertain and indefinite character , bnt according to onr thought there
is no question as to their existence in some form , and of their rightful exercise within proper bounds . We cannot believe that all tho powers of Grand Masters depend upon the legislation of Grand Lodges , or that they are wholly derived from the bestowal of these organisations .
It is sometimes asked whether a Grand Master does
not violate his obligation in issuing dispensations that set aside constitutional provisions , and on what ground he is able to justify his action in permitting a law of the Grand Lodge to be disregarded ! Was it ever contemplated by the Body which elected him that he should do
anything of this sort ? We have no means of knowing the precise terms in which the Grand Masters of the various jurisdictions are obligated to the performance of their duties . We have before us , however , the formula used in one of the oldest jurisdictions , and among other
binding clauses it contains the following : " That I will maintain and preserve the prerogatives appertaining to the office of Grand Master of Masons , and transmit the same to my successor in office unimpaired . That I will maintain and enforce the constitution and edicts of t , his
M . W . Grand Lodge , and the general regulations of Free masonry ; nor will I suspend them , or any provision thereof , until after due examination I shall be satisfied that the best interests of the Craft will be promoted thereby . "
Several generations of Grand Masters , as we are assured , have taken this form of obligation in Grand Lodge They were never troubled as to their right to set aside
edicts and regulations when the good of the Craft seemed to demand such action . They had taken an obligation , at the time of their installation , by which they were as solemnly bound to maintain the prerogatives of Grand
Powers Of Grand Masters.
Masters , as to execute and enforce the laws of Grand Lodges . Just what these prerogatives are , is , as already hinted , a difficult matter to decide . Whether by virtue of authority thus derived , a Grand Master may " make a Mason at
sight , " tho candidate being a minor , as was done not long ago in ono of the larger jurisdictions , involves questions which must be determined in lai-ge degree by ancient usage . And oven if the prerogative is found to be
sufficient to warrant this course , there ought yet to be great hesitancy in regard to taking such a step . Technically , by the inherent prerogatives of his high
office , a Grand Master may claim the right to make Masons at sight ; but it does not accord with the proper administration of Masonry in these days that such a right should bo exercised . It had better remain in entire abeyance . —Fremasons' Repository .
Changes In The Ritual.
CHANGES IN THE RITUAL .
WHILE the world is constantly pursuing its eternal ronnd in obedience to tho laws of Nature , and apparently arrives at * l 19 same point this year as it did tho last , we know that such 18 not the fact , —because then there would be no procession of the e 1 uinoxes , and by a parity of reasoning we see that , morally , the inbabi . ti nts of our gradually but almost imperceptibly changing globe change their ideas and methods of life . So in onr institution , a gradual
change is taking place , and generation by generation we are getting into new ideas withont altogether losing sight of the old . Take , fox instance , the ritual as administered in the last century , when the whole three degrees of Symbolic Masonry could be conferred in an hour . Wo have so far improved on that process that now it requires at least an hour for each . Whether this lengthening ont is an
improvement is a question upon which , personally , we entertain an opinion of the most adverse character , feeling quite certain that we conld eliminate from the present ritual enough to reduce it almost , if not quite , to its earlier proportions , and that too , for the benefit of the Craft , thus giving the Lodges more time for other matters than the mere rehearsal of the words accepted as needful to the
presentation of the several degrees . We shall not , of course , undertake any such task , because dnring the little while we have to stay we cannot afford to incur any nnnecessay enmities ; but we rejoice to know that , by common consent , there is a tendency to quit the nonsense of the monument representing Time standing still and clipping the flowing locks of a beautiful virgin , and we abide in hope
that by some Masonic procession it may como abont that many things added to the original ritual by monitor makers may be dropped into space and left to shift for themselves . Any brother familiar with the ritual and with English literatnre , can find for himself many quotations from authors not born when the first ritual was in force , and hence of no relation to Freemasonry except as illustrating the
idea contained in the original text . Now , while we know that the tendency is to enlarge rather than to retrench , and while we are perfectly aware that the great majority believe the present form to bo the only true , genuine , original Jacobs j while we cannot prevent the continuous motion of the earth , still it seems to us that wo might cai ! a halt on the ritual , and as
comets are supposed to drop their constituent parts in the air , to fall hero and there npon the planets whose course may meet theirs , so it would be well for ns if we conld shake off our superfluous words and let them find their place in some other part of the Universe . While wo approve of the close attention to the ritual while it remains as at present , we are none the less of opinion that it is
working harm to the Craft and shutting off opportunity for moro healthful occupation , and we most earnestly believe that if the ritual were shortened by one-half and the residue of time given to social converse , the decadence of attendance and membership would be arrested and a new era of prosperity be inaugurated . Think it over , brethren . —Nev ) York Dispatch .
The usual meeting of the Board of Benevolence took p lace ab Freemasons' Hall , on Wednesday , Bro . J . Brett Senior Vice-President occupying the President ' s chair , Bro . 0 . A . Cottebrune the Senior Vice-President ' s , and Bro . F . Davison Grand Deacon that of Junior Vice-President . The
attendance was large . The General Committee of Management , which was first held , passed the programme of business for the next Grand Lodge on the 4 bh of June . At the Board of Benevolence the brethren confirmed the
recommendations made at the April meeting to the amount of £ 235 . On the new list there were 38 petitioners , and after a sitting of four hours , 33 of these were relieved , with a total sum of £ 1075 .
Tho Revised Book of Constitutions ; Critically Considered xnd Compared with the Old Edition . London : Simpkin > Marshall & Co ., 4 Stationers' Hall Court , E . G . Sent on receipt of stamps , One Shilling , by W . W . Morgan , Ereemason s Chronicle Office , Belvidere Works , Hermes Hill , Pentonvill "'