Freemasonry Jewels

The Worshipful Master sits in the east, symbolic of the rising sun, and presides over the lodge, like a president or chairman. Even if the building faces the wrong direction, the Master is said to be “in the east.” While serving his term as Master, his word is final over the actions of the lodge. He is also responsible, as the ritual instructs, for “setting the Craft to work and giving them good and wholesome instruction for their labour.” He presides over business meetings and the conferral of degrees.

The Master’s jewel of office is the right angle of a square, a stonemason’s tool used for checking the angles of cut and smoothed stones. It is not a measuring square, like carpenters use. It’s used to make certain an angle is “true.” It symbolizes wisdom.

His Jewel is the squire from which is hung the 47^th problem of Euclid underneath.

Although not actually an officer of the Lodge (since he takes this office but for one year after completing the previous year as Worshipful Master, the Immediate Past Master nevertheless has an important role to play. He is the Worshipful Master’s amanuensis and is expected to stand in for the Worshipful Master should he for any reason not be present at a meeting.