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OF MASONIC TITLES AND DESIGNATIONS

Do you know that the title of our Craft’s Grand Master during the early years after the first Grand Lodge was established 1917 was not “Most Worshipful” but “Right Worshipful” or “Right Honorable”, these two titles of which were used alternately depending on who was seated on the chair? How and when the title was changed to “Most Worshipful” this writer does not know and does not mind since that is not part nor topic of this article.

And do you know that all elected Grand Lodge officers in the Philippine jurisdiction are automatically called Right Worshipful except the elected Grand Master who is called “Most Worshipful” upon installation and carries this title to his grave?!

And do you know that it sometimes happen that the titles “Most Worshipful” and “Right Worshipful” stray beyond the elective line when the person already entitled to these titles are appointed to a position below the elective posts, like when MW Macario M. Ofilada (GM-59) was appointed Grand Tyler in 1962 and when the Deputy Grand Master and later the Junior Grand Warden were appointed District Deputy Grand Master of Masonic District No. 1 as was the practice during the early fifties and up to the mid-eighties apparently as warm-up for his ultimate elevation to the Grand Oriental Chair?!

And do you know that all appointed Grand Lodge officers except as noted in the above paragraph were simply called “Worshipful” until in 1958 when a resolution was passed to create the title “Very Worshipful” initially to elevate the positions of District Deputy Grand Master, Grand Orator and Grand Lecturer, respectively, so that their sterling roles in the Craft may be duly recognized; and when the resolution was finally drafted and approved, it led to the wholesale stamping of the title “Very Worshipful” to all Grand Lodge Officers, except the Grand Chaplain who was called "Very Reverend”.?!

And do you know that the evolution of the position of “Grand Lecturer” has led to an avalanche of so many :”Very Worshipfuls” that in effect overshadowed the traditional respect and reverence for the “Worshipfuls”, the genuine rulers of the blue lodges that is the bulwark and foundation of this ancient and august Fraternity?!

Let me now trace and narrate to you the phenomenal growth of the title Grand Lecturer in the Philippine jurisdiction as traced from the Annual Proceedings of the Grand Communication of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of the Philippines..

The decade of the fifties saw only two Grand Lecturers; one Senior and the other called Junior, which until 1958, also sports the title “Worshipful”. Although the titles of the two were, like the others, subsequently changed to “Very Worshipful”, their numerical number, until in 1967, did not change.

By 1968, this number was increased to five, with one Senior at the helm and four juniors as his subaltern.

The decade of the seventies saw another curious change when the position of “Junior Grand Lecturer” was made parallel to the number of districts in the jurisdiction which in 1974 already numbered thirty. To make the number even, the Grand Lodge appointed 29 Junior Grand Lecturers and with the Senior Grand Lecturer complementing it, the number, much like the number of DDGMs, totaled thirty. This would soon be followed by the creation of another title in 1980, that of Assistant Senior Grand Lecturer. Which reminds this writer of his stint in the country’s most prestigious accounting firm where designations started from junior, semi-senior and senior. But that refers to the position of auditor!!

In 1983 another novel arrangement was made, and that is, the creation of the “District Grand Lecturer” to complement the District Deputy Grand Master and thus established the district realm with its own set of officers. In the meantime the title of “Junior Grand Lecturer” was restored above the district level but with the Asst. Senior Grand Lecturer fading from the scene.

Somehow, the desire for change was as itchy as a problematic allergy. Additions were subsequently made, first by increasing the JGL’s to three to represent the three basic group of islands in the country, then adding another JGL to represent the Overseas brethren, then by gerrymandering Luzon, etc. etc to accommodate more Junior Grand Lecturers.

The District Grand Lecturers or DGLs initially have a very modest increase from the time the designation was coined in the decade of the eighties. During that time, additions were made only when a district and consequently, a DDGM, is added.


But the decade of the nineties showed an unprecedented growth. Some districts were able to have as much as eight DGLs that practically entitled them to one DGL for every two lodges.

. MW Roberto Q. Pagotan’s Circular Nos. 1 and 12, Series 2004, that were issued currently show that we now have one SGL, 17 JGLs and 138 DGLs in our masonic jurisdiction. That totals to a hefty 156; which mean we have a good 52% of the 302 active lodges that we have today.


But pray, tell me, how many of them are qualified to deliver at least the lectures of our Craft’s three degrees?!

Just asking, eh?!!

Comments

Kherwal said…
FROM RW Jimmy Gonzales
Junior Grand Warden

VW Jun,

Nice article. Dapat talaga bawasan yung appointments. Napakarami na and nagagamit sa masonic politics. But in fairness to MW Pagotan, the appointment of a large number of brethren to VW positions did not occur in his watch only . Its been there for some time now. And I think his appointments is less than the other GMs.

Also, dapat talaga mag pass ng resolution that the title is retained while one is incumbent. But when the term ends, lahat dapat balik sa brother. Maybe you would want to pass a resolution there in your adopted lodge regarding this matter. I know that VW Cris Fernandez will also have a resolution passed in his lodge, St. Johns Corregidor. I understand VW July Cabali also wants to propose this in his lodge.

Jimmy

RW Jimmy:

The article apparently stirred a hornet’s nest. This early, it has already elicited six reactions, including yours. Allow me however, to make this clear; the mention of GM Roberto Q. Pagotan was not, in the least manner, written to cast aspersions on his integrity, but only because he is the incumbent Grand Master, and therefore, his Circulars being the most current, had to be made as basis.

From where I sit, it would not help much if my adopted lodge will sponsor the resolution, although this is not an impossibility. Bear in mind that I am now caged in a secluded Bohol town that is 85 kilometers away from Tagbilaran City surviving on a meager retirement’s pension. How then can I personally plead for this case? I am doubly certain VW’s Cris Fernandez and July Cabali, whose stature the revered elders are already familiar with, can do the job better than what this humble representation can possibly do. And besides, dismantling the entire gamut of the title’s prestige will surely agitate not only the hornet’s nest but will likely cause a stampede of a hundred or so slumbering elephants in our jurisdiction.

My hindsight, if I may call it that, is to make those who will be invested with whatever title, fully deserving, not the way it is done now when reciting the Masonic ABC’s is hardly within grasp.

On this score, it is not out of place to mention that sometime in Year 2001, MW Rosendo C. Herrera, PGM, broached the idea of creating some sort of a “Lecturer’s College” at the Grand Lodge to the undersigned whereby periodic seminars or lodges of instructions will be held that can serve as requirement for the appointment of District Grand Lecturers. This he intimated to me while I was helping him on the various administrative, writing and clerical needs both in his capacity as Grand Master of DeMolay, the building of which was then frenziedly under construction and pinch-hitting for him on miscellaneous chores at the Scottish Rite Temple where he is also the Sovereign Grand Commander. Now, what happened to that idea, I could no longer guess because I left for this place the next year.

But if you may well imagine, the envisioned college will make the office of the District Lecturer responsive to its needs, not just a hollow title, for what good is a general without soldiers?!


Thinking out aloud, the confusion in the temple is traceable to the fact that while we pride ourselves to claim that our Fraternity claims its organization was founded from antiquity, some of our present workers do not hesitate to change plans to suit their ends, without due regard to history.

To my mind, the avalanche of Grand Lecturers in our midst would not have occurred had we considered the recommendations of VW Hermogenes P. Oliveros, (Senior Grand Lecturer from 1955 to 1972) who eloquently recommended in his 1969 Grand Lecturer’s Report to which I quote:

“In order to accomplish a more comprehensive coverage of all lodges, we recommend the appointment of a District Grand Lecturer in every Masonic district in lieu of the Junior Grand Lecturers now being appointed. We feel that more concentrated attention, thus achieved would be of greater benefit to our lodges and brethren.

But no brother should be appointed District Grand Lecturer unless he had undergone extensive training under the tutorship of the Grand Lecturer and certified by him that he is qualified as such.”

As you can well observe, this quagmire would not have resulted had the second paragraph (which is reprinted in bold letters) of the above-mentioned recommendation been complied with.

This definitely cannot be resolved in MW R. Q. Pagotan’s watch, but it can at least prepare you until the time you formally sit on the Grand Oriental Chair in year 2007.

With my kindest fraternal regards!

Bro. Jun
Kherwal said…
From VW Jojo Javier, PDDGM
MD No. 1

so true.... so very true...... so sadly true
Kherwal said…
From: WB Jose Ferlu Sudariao, PM
Dear Kuya Jun,

'Kuya' and tawag ko sa iyo, di pa ako malilito. Di ko na iisipin kung 'Very Kuya', 'Right Kuya' or 'Most Kuya' ka.

To the usual very educational tome you've written on the above subject, may I just add that among the Grand Lodge officers, there's another group not called 'VW' (besides the 'Very Reverend' Grand Chaplain), and these are the Grand Lodge Inspectors in every blue lodge who are addressed 'Worshipful Inspector'. By tradition, being a Past Master, I presently belong to this group.

On another subject matter, Juan Sumulong Memorial Lodge No. 169, will celebrate its 41st anniversary on Sept.25th Saturday. May I invite the Aging Lion and the Lion Tamer (who I'm sure is not yet 'aging') to this year's unique affair. We'll hold this activity in Sitio Palanas, Bgy. San Juan, Antipolo City which our Lodge has 'adopted' to be the beneficiary of all our outreach programs. We look forward to seeing you among the brethren who'll grace the celebration.

Best regards,

Bro. Ferlu

Ka Ferlu:

Yong tawag na Kuya, hindi mo dapat makalimutan, ako ang nag-akay sa iyo, di ba?? May hamburger pa nga!!

Yong GLI ang next topic ko. Yon nga lang naubusan ako ng ingles!
Sayang nakulong ako dito sa lungga ko, hindi ako makakarating diyan sa Sept 25. Ganoon pa man, asahan mong andiyan ang panalangin ko sa kasayahan ninyo.
Kuya Jun
Kherwal said…
FROM Bro. Manuel Garcia

Dear Bro,

Your article is good and timely. I totally agree with what you wrote na pag sinabi mo that you are "most" worshipful, dapat ikaw lang ang may titolong ganyan sa jurisdiction. How come there is more than ten in this jurisdiction? Why can't we adopt the same thing like in other masonic jurisdictions that when you descend the grand oriental chair you are called right worshipful. There can only be 1 "most". Regarding GLP officers, why can't the grand lodge issue an edict that the title "very worshipful" should only be used by incumbent GLP officers and when these brothers finish their term they should return to being "worshipful brothers"? This way there will never come a time na mas marami pang "VW" kaysa "bro".

Problema dito ang daming "title hungry" sa fraternity, wala namang maibuga. I know a DGL dito na wala ngang proficiency card, pinagmamayabang pa! Hirap sa mga brethren pinapagbigyan maski sino, little do they know that they are doing a great disservice sa lodge and fraternity. The worst example is the bending of the rules in regards to the qualifications to become master of the lodge. Yung provision na lang na you have to memorize the opening and closing of the 3 degrees, the conferring and lecture of the 3 degrees, if we stick to the rules I'm sure a large number of lodges will cease working.

We need to set high standards NOW to regain the standards we once had in this jurisdiction.

Fraternally,

Bro Manuel Garcia

Bro. Manuel Garcia:

Many thanks for your kind comments. I’m taking the liberty of reproducing below my reply to RW Jimmy Gonzales on the same subject for your information.

Bro. Jun
Kherwal said…
FROM Bro. Manuel Garcia

Dear Bro,

Your article is good and timely. I totally agree with what you wrote na pag sinabi mo that you are "most" worshipful, dapat ikaw lang ang may titolong ganyan sa jurisdiction. How come there is more than ten in this jurisdiction? Why can't we adopt the same thing like in other masonic jurisdictions that when you descend the grand oriental chair you are called right worshipful. There can only be 1 "most". Regarding GLP officers, why can't the grand lodge issue an edict that the title "very worshipful" should only be used by incumbent GLP officers and when these brothers finish their term they should return to being "worshipful brothers"? This way there will never come a time na mas marami pang "VW" kaysa "bro".

Problema dito ang daming "title hungry" sa fraternity, wala namang maibuga. I know a DGL dito na wala ngang proficiency card, pinagmamayabang pa! Hirap sa mga brethren pinapagbigyan maski sino, little do they know that they are doing a great disservice sa lodge and fraternity. The worst example is the bending of the rules in regards to the qualifications to become master of the lodge. Yung provision na lang na you have to memorize the opening and closing of the 3 degrees, the conferring and lecture of the 3 degrees, if we stick to the rules I'm sure a large number of lodges will cease working.

We need to set high standards NOW to regain the standards we once had in this jurisdiction.

Fraternally,

Bro Manuel Garcia

Bro. Manuel Garcia:

Many thanks for your kind comments. I’m taking the liberty of reproducing below my reply to RW Jimmy Gonzales on the same subject for your information.

Bro. Jun

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