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Every Tyler must be a Master Mason
and registered as such in the books of the Grand Lodge.
He should be elected by the Members on the regular day
of election of the Master. A Brother who is not a subscribing
member of the Lodge may not hold any office therein
except that of Tyler. It is open to a Lodge to provide
in its by-laws that the services of its Tyler be equivalent
to the appropriate subscription to the Lodge, but in
that case it is bound to remit to the Grand Lodge and
to Regional Grand Lodge, the requisite payments due
in respect of the membership of the Lodge.
In several Lodges the Tyler is only
a serving Brother who is paid a fixed remuneration for
service at every meeting. The only time the Tyler enters
a Lodge room is on the day of installation of the Master,
when he is invested with the collar and badge of his
office. In some Lodges, Past masters are good enough
to volunteer to serve as Tyler.
Before the Tyler's investiture, the
Director of Ceremonies salutes the W. Master and says
"W. M. Bro... having been elected as Tyler, is
it your pleasure to invest him." To this the W.
M.'s acquiescence is signified by two Ks.
The Master should not omit the address
to the Tyler on his investiture. Apart from his being
an Officer of the Lodge, the Tyler has certain important
duties which are stressed in the address. The Tyler's
place is outside the door of the Lodge. His duty is
to see that the candidates are properly prepared and
to give the proper reports on the door of the Lodge
when candidates, members or visitors seek admission.
The sword is placed in his hands to enable him to keep
off all intruders and cowans to Masonry and suffer none
to pass but such as are duly qualified. Invariably the
same Tyler continues in the Officer for a number of
years as a result of the confidence reposed in him by
the Brethren of the Lodge.
In an overseas Lodge, when an old and
experienced Tyler who had served for many years was
conducted to the Master's chair, for being reinvested
as Tyler at an Installation meeting, the Brethren of
the Lodge received him standing as a mark of affection
and regard for him. I happened to mention about this
in a local Lodge which I was precepting on the eve of
its installation as an instance of the kindness which
the Brethren showed to the Tyler. On the installation
night, when the Tyler came into the Lodge for investiture
by the Master, I found to my dismay that the D of C
ordered all the Brethren to be upstanding to receive
the Tyler forgetting that besides the members of the
Lodge, the Rt. Wor. D. G. M. and other distinguished
Grand Lodge and District Grand Lodge Officers where
also present. it might be that the intention of the
D of C was that only members of the Lodge should stand
up, but nevertheless considerable embarassment was caused
on the occasion.
Though the Tyler is last of the regular
officers of the Lodge he is by no means to be looked
upon as the least. He has to prepare the candidate and
he must use tact and discrietion in doing so. The candidate
often receives his first impression from the Tyler regarding
the solemnity of the ceremonies taking place inside
the lodge. To the extent to which the Tyler produces
a good impression on the candidate, he is rendering
a good service not only to his own Lodge but also to
the Craft in general.
The Tyler must make it a point to be
present before the meeting commences and see that the
meeting commences and see that the Lodge is fully prepared
for the opening, that all furniture are in their proper
places, that the officers' collars are placed ready
in their respective chairs that the WT's are kept near
at hand and the V.S.L.&T.B. are in position and
the Secretary's table is kept ready. He must also see
that required apron is kept ready for the candidate.
He should under no pretext leave his
post outside the door of the Lodge. He should not give
indiscriminate knocks as and when visitors arrive, but
should wait for making an announcement having regard
to the actual movements in side like Lodge. It is not
difficult for a Tyler to recognize the intervals in
the proceedings of a Lodge.
If a visitor is not know to him the
Tyler should on no account take the responsibility of
testing him. On announcement by the Tyler, it is the
duty of the J. W. to test the visitor and report on
the visitor's credentials and whether the could be admitted
or refused admission.
If the Tyler knows the Brethen seeking
admission or is acquainted with them, he has merely
to report to the I. G. stating "Well known Brethren
seek admission". The Tyler must know the knocks
of each degree and respond correctly.
The Brethren should not forget that
even though the Tyler is a serving Brother, they meet
him on the square and part from him on the level. A
fraternal word of greeting or a handshake will be greatly
valued by him. Very often the Tyler is to some extent
a poor and distressed Brother, who has fallen on hard
times, who is glad to retain his association with the
Craft and at the same time receive the emoluments of
this office.
The Office of the Tyler is one of great
antiquity. He has the distinction of being elected to
that Office. There is also the Tyler's Toast. in some
Lodges it is customary for the Worshipful Master to
depute the Director of Ceremonies or some Senior Brother
of ability to assist in the preparation of the candidate.
But this is hardly necessary in the
case of an experienced Tyler.
The Tyler is generally responsible
or seeing that signatures are entered in the Attendance
Book by Members or Visitors. On the Ledge being closed,
the Tyler must collect the Regalia and keep them locked
safely. His services are also sometimes required in
the Dinning Room. He may be said to be one of the hardest
worked officers of the Lodge he being the first to arrive
and the last to leave.
There is a story that a person came
to a public house for a glass of beer and on hearing
knocks, proceeding from the floor above him he wanted
to know what was going on. When the Publican told him
that Freemasons were having their meeting on the first
floor he said he wanted to join Freemasonary for a long
time and that he would like to meet them. The reply
was "I do not know if you will be admitted. There
is one Mr. Taylor who has been knocking at the door
for the last three years and so far he has not been
able to get in. Any way you may try your luck."
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