Past Master
A Mason who has been installed and served a term as Worshipful Master of a Lodge. It is a recognition of service, not a degree, and not a rank above the Master Mason.
Also searched as: immediate past master · what is a past master in freemasonry
- Jewel
- In most American jurisdictions, the compasses opened on a quadrant with a sun between the legs. In England, the square with the forty-seventh problem of Euclid.
- How chosen
- Earned by serving the full term as Master. The Immediate Past Master is the brother who held the chair last; England gives him a fixed role in the Lodge, while many American Lodges do not.
The office
When a Master's year ends he becomes a Past Master, and he remains one for life. Past Masters often fill the offices that need experience (Treasurer, Secretary, Tyler, ritual coach), and in many jurisdictions they keep the title "Worshipful" or are members of the Grand Lodge by right of having served. The details are set by each Grand Lodge.
The Immediate Past Master is the brother who most recently held the chair. In England and the Lodges that follow its practice he sits beside the Master, takes part in opening and closing, and steps in if the Master is absent. American Lodges vary widely on how much the title means.
Royal Arch Chapters in many American jurisdictions confer a degree called "Past Master" (sometimes "Virtual Past Master"). Receiving it in a Chapter does not make anyone a Past Master of a Lodge, and does not entitle him to Past Master regalia.
The emblems: the Past Master's Jewel, the Forty-Seventh Problem of Euclid.
Buying for him
A Past Master apron, ring or jewel is one of the most common gifts a Lodge or family gives at the end of a Master's year. Check the jurisdiction's apron pattern with the Secretary before ordering one.
Read next: Gifts for a Visiting Grand Lodge Officer and the "Purple" Visit
Frequently asked questions
What does a Past Master do in a Masonic Lodge?
A Mason who has been installed and served a term as Worshipful Master of a Lodge. It is a recognition of service, not a degree, and not a rank above the Master Mason.
How does a Mason become a Past Master?
Earned by serving the full term as Master. The Immediate Past Master is the brother who held the chair last; England gives him a fixed role in the Lodge, while many American Lodges do not.
What is a Past Master's jewel?
In most American jurisdictions, the compasses opened on a quadrant with a sun between the legs. In England, the square with the forty-seventh problem of Euclid.
What does P.M. stand for in Freemasonry?
P.M. is the abbreviation for Past Master. A Mason who has been installed and served a term as Worshipful Master of a Lodge. It is a recognition of service, not a degree, and not a rank above the Master Mason.
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?
- Thomas Smith Webb, The Freemason's Monitor; or, Illustrations of Masonry (1797)
- Albert G. Mackey, An Encyclopædia of Freemasonry (1873)
- Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania