Junior Deacon

This officer is the especial attendant of the Senior Warden; and being seated at his right hand, is prepared to carry messages from him to the Junior Warden, and elsewhere about the Lodge as he may direct. He takes very little part in the ceremonies of conferring the degrees, but as he is placed near the outer door, he attends to all alarms of the Tyler, reports them to the Master, and at his command, inquires into the cause. The outer door being thus under his charge, he should never permit it to be opened by the Tyler, except in the usual form, and when preceded by the usual notice. He should allow no one to enter or depart without having first obtained the consent of the presiding officer. An important duty of the Junior Deacon is to see that the Lodge is duly tiled. Upon his security and secrecy of the institution depends; and therefore the Junior Deacon has been delegated as an especial officer to place the Tyler at his post, and to give him the necessary instructions. In the inspection of the brethren, which takes place at the opening of the Lodge, the south side of the room is entrusted to the Junior Deacon. In absence of the Senior Deacon, the Junior Deacon does not succeed to his place; but a temporary appointment of a Senior Deacon is made by the Master. If the Junior Deacon is absent, it is the usage for the Master, and not the Senior Warden, to make a temporary appointment. The right of nominating the Junior Deacon is vested in the Senior Warden only on the night of his installation. After that, on the occurrence of a temporary vacancy, his right is lost, and the Master makes the appointment by the constitutional right of appointment which vests in him.


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