Junior Warden
The third principal officer, who sits in the South and oversees the brethren while the Lodge is at refreshment, which in practice often means the meal and the hospitality.
Also searched as: second warden · junior warden duties
- Station
- The South.
- Jewel
- The plumb.
- How chosen
- Elected in most American jurisdictions; appointed by the Master in England. Usually the first of the three principal chairs a brother holds.
The office
The Junior Warden takes a fixed part in opening and closing the Lodge and has charge of the brethren when the Lodge is called from labor to refreshment. Many Lodges hand him the practical side of that: the dinner before or after the meeting.
In some jurisdictions the Junior Warden also carries a responsibility for the conduct of members, but the extent of it varies and is set out in each Grand Lodge's code.
His jewel is the plumb, the working tool that teaches upright conduct.
The emblems: the Plumb, Lodge Officers' Jewels.
In context: The Three Degrees of Blue Lodge Masonry
Frequently asked questions
What does the Junior Warden do in a Masonic Lodge?
The third principal officer, who sits in the South and oversees the brethren while the Lodge is at refreshment, which in practice often means the meal and the hospitality.
How is the Junior Warden chosen?
Elected in most American jurisdictions; appointed by the Master in England. Usually the first of the three principal chairs a brother holds.
What is the Junior Warden's jewel?
The plumb.
What does J.W. stand for in Freemasonry?
J.W. is the abbreviation for Junior Warden. The third principal officer, who sits in the South and oversees the brethren while the Lodge is at refreshment, which in practice often means the meal and the hospitality.
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)