The role of the Speaker of the Lodge

In the French and Scottish rites as well as many Grand Orients, the Speaker of the Lodge (Orator) is the fourth official of the Lodge. He sits in the East, to the left of the W∴M∴. His functions are twofold: he is the custodian of the Law and, on the other hand, he makes speeches on the occasion of the ceremonies and draws the conclusions of the work at the end of each meeting.

His role as custodian of the Law gives him great responsibilities. He can oppose any deliberation that is contrary to the Constitution or the general regulations. He is the only officer who can make observations to the W∴M∴ during a Regular Lodge Meeting.

In the course of a discussion, he may intervene without asking to speak, if the intervention is “in the interest of the Law”. After each discussion, and before going to the vote, the W∴M∴ asks the Speaker for his conclusions and he gives them without having to motivate them. The Lodge can only vote on the Speaker’s conclusions.

In his capacity as custodian of the Law, the Speaker must know perfectly the Constitution and the Regulations of the Grand Lodge or Orient.

This poses a problem when viewed from the perspective of the initiatory Teaching. The Lodge is the only structure according to this Teaching, a Grand Lodge or Orient is not.

A Grand Lodge or Orient is a federation of Lodges and its vocation should be administrative in nature: administering the premises, facilitating the circulation of the necessary information for the Lodges, making the services they need available to them. Lodges, whether federated or not, should always be sovereign

When they decide to constitute a Grand Lodge or Orient, they constitute assemblies formed by Masters designated by them and entrust said assemblies with the administration of what is necessary to attend to the problems common to all Lodges.

These assemblies draw up Regulations that are submitted to the approval of the Lodges and that, after a favourable vote on the part of the delegates of the Lodges, acquire the force of law. It is useful to have regulations that ensure the proper functioning of the Lodges and that avoid the disorder that could ensue if there were no solid references regarding the norms of the Office.

We cannot avoid the existence of written rules and we must codify the uses that have shown their goodness. However, it sometimes happens that there are regulations emanating from the Grand Lodge or Orient that contradict the norms of the Office, when they restrict the freedom of the Lodge regarding the nature of the work, the selection of initiable applicants, in any of the three grades, the duration of the officers’ terms and other activities of that nature.

As mentioned before, a Masonic Lodge is free and sovereign. It has a patent for the practice of a Rite; but, outside of that, it does not require any authorization to meet and to work as it sees fit.

Unfortunately, from the 18th century onwards, Grand Lodges and Orients, which at first were simple emanations of the Lodges, became “powers”, in the profane sense of the term, that confiscate authority and power in fields related to the spiritual, with the ideas and the teaching itself.

As the Grand Lodge or Orient begin to pontificate in matters of teaching, the Lodges are reduced to the function of “base cells”, which is not at all in accordance with the uses of the Office. In Masonry, decay is measured through the power of the Grand Lodge or Orient, which is inversely proportional to the quality of work in the Lodge.

What can be thought of the quality of the Teaching in a Lodge whose W∴M∴ must be requesting all kinds of authorizations from the “higher instances” of Obedience and that slavishly hands his gavel to the “Dignitaries” who honour him with a visit; whose Orator is nothing more than the eye of the Obedience and guarantor of the conformity of the practices of the Workshop with imposed regulations; and whose visitors, instead of being re-roofed according to the regulations of the Office, are admitted by simply presenting a card that bears the mandatory seal?

How can a Lodge work if it does not have confidence in the tools at its disposal? Having the Plumbrule, do you need a “higher” authority to draw the vertical? Having the Level, are you not able to establish the horizontal? Having the Square and the Compass, do you need outside help to draw the Triangle and the Star? Having the Volume of the Sacred Law, are you unable to read and interpret it yourself? He has everything he needs to progress in the Art, to build, to teach, to judge, and is not all that enough for him?

Fortunately, the trend in our day is reversing and more Lodges are learning to use their tools. Freemasons are increasingly demanding towards the ancients and towards themselves. Little by little Grand Lodges and Orients are returning to be what it should never have ceased to be: an administrative body at the service of the Lodges, no more, no less.

Therefore, if the Speaker is up to his duties, he perceives himself as Custodian of the Law and does not allow himself to be reduced to the role of unconditional servant of a regulation. The Law is, above all, the spirit and not the letter. A Master places the compass on the square, and therefore “knows” the primacy of the spirit and lives this knowledge in all its depth.

The Orator is a seasoned Master who knows the Art, the history of the Craft, the History of Freemasonry, the nature and scope of initiation. He knows how to judge a text, place it in a context, knows the rules and customs, in short, it is, as symbolism shows, wisdom and the sun.

Why do we meet in the Lodge if not to implement a pedagogy that favours the emergence of a higher level of consciousness? He participates in that work. He has, therefore, to be, like all the other Officers and Brothers, a creator, an inciter. The sun shines. Heat and light emanating from it.

No one can claim that they are fully qualified to fill this position, but each Master must accept this Office if his Brothers entrust it to him and the mere fact of exercising it helps him to progress and acquire the necessary qualities … if he truly wishes to do so.