An officer of a symbolic lodge, whose duty is to guard the door of the Lodge, and to permit no one to pass or repass, except such as are duly qualified, and have permission of the Worshipful Master. A necessary qualification of a Tyler is, therefore, that he should be a Master Mason. Although the Lodge may be opened in an inferior degree, no one who has not advanced to the third degree can legally discharge the functions of Tyler. The Tyler need not be a member of the Lodge which he tiles; and in fact, in large cities, one brother very often performs the duties of Tyler of several Lodges. This is a very important office, and, like that of the Masters and Wardens, owes it existence, not to any conventional regulations, but to the very landmarks of the Order; for, from the peculiar nature of our Institution, it is evident that there never could have been a meeting of Masons for Masonic purposes, unless a Tyler had been present to guard the lodge from intrusion.
~~ooOoo~~
This page is adapted from the Glossary at Phoenixmasonry — Used with permission.
