Junior Deacon
An appointed officer who carries messages from the Senior Warden, attends the door of the Lodge from the inside, and answers when someone seeks entry.
Also searched as: junior deacon duties · what does a junior deacon do
- Station
- In the West, at the Senior Warden's right, in the common American arrangement.
- Jewel
- In most American Lodges, the square and compasses with a moon in the center. In England, a dove bearing an olive branch.
- How chosen
- Usually appointed, in some Lodges by the Senior Warden rather than the Master. A few American Lodges elect him.
The office
The Junior Deacon carries messages from the Senior Warden in the West to the Junior Warden in the South and elsewhere as directed. In most American Lodges he also keeps the inner door: he attends to anyone seeking admission and works with the Tyler outside to see that only those entitled to be present come in.
In England that door is kept by a separate officer, the Inner Guard, and the Deacons concentrate on candidates. In Pennsylvania the Pursuivant has a part in it. Which officer does what is one of the clearest places where jurisdictions differ.
The emblems: Lodge Officers' Jewels.
In context: Visiting Another Lodge: Etiquette, Dues Card, Avouchment
Frequently asked questions
What does the Junior Deacon do in a Masonic Lodge?
An appointed officer who carries messages from the Senior Warden, attends the door of the Lodge from the inside, and answers when someone seeks entry.
How is the Junior Deacon chosen?
Usually appointed, in some Lodges by the Senior Warden rather than the Master. A few American Lodges elect him.
What is the Junior Deacon's jewel?
In most American Lodges, the square and compasses with a moon in the center. In England, a dove bearing an olive branch.
What does J.D. stand for in Freemasonry?
J.D. is the abbreviation for Junior Deacon. An appointed officer who carries messages from the Senior Warden, attends the door of the Lodge from the inside, and answers when someone seeks entry.
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.
- Grand Lodge of Maine, Membership card background information
- United Grand Lodge of England, What is a Lodge and its officers?
- Thomas Smith Webb, The Freemason's Monitor; or, Illustrations of Masonry (1797)
- Albert G. Mackey, An Encyclopædia of Freemasonry (1873)