Inner Guard (English practice)
The officer in English and English-derived Lodges who keeps the door from the inside, working with the Tyler outside, and sees that candidates are properly prepared before they enter.
Also searched as: masonic inner guard
- Station
- Just inside the door of the Lodge.
- Jewel
- Two swords crossed.
- How chosen
- Appointed by the Master. In England it is commonly one of the first progressive offices, ahead of the Deacons.
The office
The Grand Lodge of England lists the Inner Guard among a Lodge's regular officers, with the job of making sure candidates are prepared before they come in. He keeps the inside of the door, as the Tyler keeps the outside.
American Lodges following Preston–Webb practice generally have no Inner Guard; the Junior Deacon does that work. An American visiting a Lodge in England, Ireland, Scotland, Canada or Australia will meet one.
In context: Visiting a Lodge Outside the United States
Frequently asked questions
What does the Inner Guard do in a Masonic Lodge?
The officer in English and English-derived Lodges who keeps the door from the inside, working with the Tyler outside, and sees that candidates are properly prepared before they enter.
How is the Inner Guard chosen?
Appointed by the Master. In England it is commonly one of the first progressive offices, ahead of the Deacons.
What is the Inner Guard's jewel?
Two swords crossed.
What does I.G. stand for in Freemasonry?
I.G. is the abbreviation for Inner Guard. The officer in English and English-derived Lodges who keeps the door from the inside, working with the Tyler outside, and sees that candidates are properly prepared before they enter.
Sources
Drawn from what Grand Lodges publish about their own officers, the published monitors and Mackey. Duties are described in plain words; nothing here comes from, or goes beyond, any obligated material. Offices, titles and duties vary by jurisdiction, and your Lodge Secretary is the authority for yours.
- United Grand Lodge of England, What is a Lodge and its officers?
- Wikipedia, Masonic lodge officer
- Albert G. Mackey, An Encyclopædia of Freemasonry (1873)