Senior and Junior Stewards
The two appointed officers who assist in the degree work, help prepare candidates, and look after the tables when the Lodge eats together.
Also searched as: masonic steward · lodge stewards
- Station
- Near the Junior Deacon, on either side of the altar or by the door, depending on the Lodge.
- Jewel
- The cornucopia, the horn of plenty.
- How chosen
- Appointed, often as a brother's first office. In many Lodges the Stewards are where the line to the East begins.
The office
Maine's Grand Lodge describes the Stewards plainly: they "assist in the ritual and prepare the dining room tables." Their cornucopia jewel is a reminder of the second half of that job.
Stewards usually carry white rods. Because the office asks for willingness more than memorized ritual, it is where many newly raised Master Masons first take a chair.
In England the title covers a wider group: a Lodge may have several Stewards, plus a separate Charity Steward who encourages giving.
The emblems: Lodge Officers' Jewels, Corn, Wine and Oil.
In context: The Three Degrees of Blue Lodge Masonry
Frequently asked questions
What does the Senior and Junior Stewards do in a Masonic Lodge?
The two appointed officers who assist in the degree work, help prepare candidates, and look after the tables when the Lodge eats together.
How is the Senior and Junior Stewards chosen?
Appointed, often as a brother's first office. In many Lodges the Stewards are where the line to the East begins.
What is the Senior and Junior Stewards's jewel?
The cornucopia, the horn of plenty.
What does S.S. stand for in Freemasonry?
S.S. is the abbreviation for Senior and Junior Stewards. The two appointed officers who assist in the degree work, help prepare candidates, and look after the tables when the Lodge eats together.
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)