2014 15-GLO-Manual.Pdf
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2 Grand rank is an honor bestowed on Masons who have distinguished themselves by faithfully serving the Craft. However, appointment as a Grand Lodge officer is not merely a reward for past service – rather it carries with it increased duties to continue service to the Craft as an officer of the Grand Lodge of Kansas. The Grand Lodge of Kansas recognizes two types of Grand Lodge officers; elected and appointed. Elected Grand Lodge officers are the Grand Master, Deputy Grand Master, Grand Wardens, Grand Treasurer, and the Grand Secretary. All other Grand Lodge officers are appointed. This manual provides an overview of the responsibilities of appointed Grand Lodge officers. Kansas Masonic law does not list the qualifications of appointed Grand Lodge officers, although in most cases, an appointed grand officer is a past master who is well regarded in his lodge, district, and area. However, Grand Masters may ask any Master Mason who has not yet attained the rank of past master to serve as an appointed officer of the Grand Lodge. All appointed Grand Lodge officers serve at the pleasure of the Grand Master, just as appointed officers in a regular lodge serve at the pleasure of the Worshipful Master. Appointments to grand rank occur during the Grand Master’s term of office and terminate when his successor is installed. In Kansas, elected Grand Lodge officers, as well as Grand Lecturers, and Grand Representatives, are entitled to be addressed thereafter as “Right Worshipful.” Upon his installation, and for life thereafter, the Grand Master is entitled to be addressed as “Most Worshipful.” Appointment to grand rank automatically confers the title of “Worshipful.” But remember, brethren who serve as an appointed Grand Lodge officer may have already earned the title of “Right Worshipful,” (i.e. by having been appointed a Grand Representative). In those cases, the higher title takes precedence. By longstanding tradition, the titles of Kansas Grand Lodge officers insert the word “Grand” before the name of the office: thus it is Grand Senior Deacon, not Senior Grand Deacon. 3 The Constitution (Art. VI § 1) sets out the various Grand Lodge officers. Article VI, § 5(f) allows the Grand Master to “create additional offices in the Grand Lodge,” and subsection 10 outlines their responsibilities: Subordinate Officers shall perform such duties as by usage appertain to their respective offices. They shall attend the Grand Master when commanded and be obedient on all occasions to lawful authority. Every officer shall perform such other and additional duties as may be required by law or regulation; but no service shall ever be required from anyone, which can in any manner conflict with the duties he owes his GOD, his country, his neighbor or himself. These instructions, combined with those duties for elected Grand Lodge officers contained in the bylaws (Ch. 2) form the minimum standard. The Grand Master remains free to define the specific duties of appointed Grand Lodge officers as he sees fit. The following section explains the duties of each officer in detail for the ensuing year, and serves as the Grand Master’s instructions as to the duties of his appointed Grand Lodge officers. Officers of your local lodge have a duty to make their lodge a success. And although Grand Lodge officers function very similarly to local lodge officers, their primary purpose is not to make the Grand Lodge successful. Rather, their function is to assist in carrying out the mission of the Grand Lodge of Kansas, shown below. Your service as a Grand Lodge officer is your opportunity, not only to repay the Craft for the benefits you have received in Masonry, but to lead the fraternity forward. In the past, Grand Lodge officers had relatively few duties and little input in the direction of Kansas Freemasonry. Starting in 2013, the Council of Administration asked more from Grand Lodge officers and in exchange, gave them a voice in the way forward. In 2014, the Grand Master will ask you to make a similar commitment, to share your time and talents in helping Kansas Masonry and our lodges statewide achieve success. 4 You have been chosen as a Grand Lodge officer because the Grand Master believes you can contribute to the betterment of the Craft. The days of Grand Lodge officers having only ceremonial duties must come to an end. We need every man to pitch in, help drive our programs forward, and generate new initiatives to help our lodges. To that end, in addition to the official duties of your office, you will be asked to choose a specific Grand Lodge project with which to assist. Please review the current Grand Lodge strategic plan and determine where you can assist us. For example, you might assist by leading presentations at Area meetings, writing or editing Grand Lodge projects, helping with web and online design of Grand Lodge sites, or committee work to refine further ways to help lodges succeed. We will revisit the plan in greater detail at the Grand Lodge Officer Orientation; please be prepared to accept some additional duties. Each Grand Lodge officer has several duties corresponding to his respective station and these fall into two categories; ceremonial and administrative. This section sets out the ceremonial and administrative duties applicable to each appointed officer by rank, in order of precedence. The Assistant Grand Secretary is appointed by the Grand Secretary pursuant to By-Law § 2-129 with the consent of the Grand Master. He serves at the pleasure of the Grand Secretary. Ceremonial Duties The Assistant Grand Secretary assists the Grand Secretary: At the Annual Communication Whenever the Grand Lodge of Kansas is opened Administrative Duties The Assistant Grand Secretary performs such duties as assigned by the Grand Secretary including: Communication with foreign jurisdictions Records maintenance and database input and retrieval Technical and electronic setup and maintenance Other duties as assigned 5 The Grand Chaplain assists the Grand Lodge in offering devotion to Deity. His prayers may be those derived from his own particular religion, but the name of Deity should always be universalist in character (i.e. “The Grand Architect of the Universe,” or “Great and Glorious Creator of the Universe”) according to the tenets of Freemasonry. All prayers should be committed to memory. Ceremonial Duties The Grand Chaplain: plans and conducts the Necrology Service during the Annual Communication pronounces benediction at the Annual Communication, and whenever the Grand Lodge of Kansas is opened in form before meals, and as directed by the Grand Master or his designee represents the Grand Master at events in the absence of all officers senior in precedence. Administrative Duties The Grand Chaplain should be prepared to act as a liaison to local lodge chaplains, and to suggest proper adorations to Deity in accordance with accepted Masonic practice. In addition, the Grand Chaplain should advise the Grand Master and the Council of Administration on matters spiritual. The Grand Chaplain is authorized to act as the Grand Master’s inspector on matters of religious devotion, reporting his findings to the Grand Master. The office of Grand Orator is authorized by By-law §2-128. Traditionally, the Grand Orator is the Past Grand Master who appointed the current Grand Master to the progressive line, although this is not always the case. A purely ceremonial role, the Grand Orator’s principal employment occurs at the installation of officers at the annual communication. At other times, if present, he may be called upon to make appropriate remarks at lodge dedications, awards ceremonies, and other similar occasions. If he is a Past Grand Master, he may elect to wear his PGM apron and jewel in place of the Grand Orator regalia. The Grand Senior Deacon is the entry position to the Grand Lodge progressive line. If elected, the Grand Senior Deacon will serve as Grand Master of Masons five years hence. Accordingly, his duties are numerous to fit him for his eventual role as head of the Craft in Kansas. 6 Ceremonial Duties The Grand Senior Deacon: performs ritual duties in the opening and closing of Grand Lodge introduces all visitors at communications and meetings (i.e. seminars, social events) where the Grand Master or his designee presides coordinates the Grand Master’s calendar for all events acts as messenger of the Grand Master or his designee supervises the Grand Junior Deacon and Grand Stewards in setting up and breaking down the Grand Lodge paraphernalia on the altar represents the Grand Master at events in the absence of all officers senior in precedence. In the carrying out of his official duties, the following suggestions are strongly recommended: Attend to and become familiar with the Grand Master’s checklist of visitors Receive the Volume(s) of Sacred Law (VSL) and working tools from the Grand Pursuivant Load the Grand Master’s calendar on your pocket device Notify the Grand Master, well in advance, if unable to attend a Grand Lodge function Administrative Duties The Grand Senior Deacon performs such duties as assigned by the Grand Master including: Assistant editor of the Kansas Mason newsletter Joint system admin on Grand Lodge website and social media with the Grand Secretary and Grand Wardens Secretary of the Council on Planning Lead Project Coordinator as assigned coordinating and/or arranging any gifts made to the Grand Master or the Grand Master’s wife. In order that he may have the assistance of able brethren to accomplish his many duties, the Grand Senior Deacon shall be entitled to the assistance of any officer subordinate to him in precedence. The Grand Junior Deacon serves as the assistant to the Deputy Grand Master. He should undertake those projects assigned to him by the Deputy Grand Master when called upon.