THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE GAVEL IN MASONRY
W Bro Petros N. Zenieris
PM of the Lodge of St George No. 1152 EC
In general terms, the gavel represents the form of authority as it has been used as such to rule and control numerous types of councils or assemblies.
From town councils to official assemblies such as courts, Parliament etc. the gavel plays a very vital role.
Accordingly, we may safely say that the gavel demands order as well as respect and obedience to the person holding it.
Passing the gavel to another person also means that the authority is also passed on to that person.
Different types of gavels can be identified and as such we can mention a few under general and masonic terms:
· The Judge gavel,
· The Auctioneer gavel,
· The Operative and Speculative gavel,
· The True Masonic gavel,
· The Traveling gavel.
Some of the above-stated types of gavels have got more importance for this article, therefore we shall try to analyse them further.
In Masonry the True Masonic gavel consists of two distinct types.
a. The Worshipful Master’s gavel,
b. The gavel as a working tool of an Entered Apprentice.
DESCRIPTION OF THE MASONIC GAVEL VS. OTHER GAVELS
The Masonic gavel is typically made of hardwood (i.e. acacia, mahogany, oak, teak etc.) with a rectangular striking head and a flat end on the other side. It may also feature engravings such as the square and the compasses.
On the other hand, a Judge or an Auctioneer’s gavel tends to have rounded-ends and be of lightweight as compared to the Masonic gavel.
Owing to such differences it would not be appropriate such gavel to be used in a Masonic Lodge.
The below-stated pictures represent a typical example of the two types of gavels.
A. THE WORSHIPFUL MASTER’S GAVEL:
The one which is used by the Worshipful Master of a Lodge represents a symbol of his authority being the leading figure in his Lodge; something like the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of a corporation in the business world.
The gavel also assist the Worshipful Master in maintaining the harmony and the proper decorum within the Lodge as it represents the authority given by the brethren of the Lodge to that chosen member among all Brethren as their leading figure.
The Worshipful Master is the absolute ruler in the Lodge, who along with the Senior and Junior Wardens rule the Lodge.
When the Worshipful Master hands over the gavel to another person (… and that occurs in two occasions only) he also passes the authority derives from such act.
In the first occasion, the Worshipful Master hands over his gavel to the District Grand Master (DGM) or his representative during the Lodge’s Installation ceremony.
In the second occasion the Worshipful Master hands over his gavel to the newly obligated and installed Master of the Lodge for acknowledging his authority within the Lodge.
In a rather different occasion, some Lodges have been practicing the Past Masters’ ceremony whereby during the Regular Meeting a Past Master temporarily take over the Worshipful Master’s chair to conduct the ceremony.
In this case the Worshipful Master does not hand over the gavel to the Past Master as the Lodge’s authority still remains with the Worshipful Master.
B. THE GAVEL AS A WORKING TOOL OF AN ENTERED APPRENTICE:
The gavel being used by an Entered Apprentice (EA) represents one of the three working tools in the First Degree and it has a separate meaning and signification.
The gavel as part of the First Degree working tools (24-inch gage, common gavel and chisel) represents labour and can be used as one of the main instruments for Brethren in a Lodge to teach them some of the principal tenets of the Order.
In Operative terms the common gavel is used to break off rough parts of stones and to shape them in a more finished or more refined form, which after that can be used in the building process of a particular structure.
When the gavel is placed in the hands of an Entered Apprentice (EA) it symbolises the sense of responsibility and the utmost opportunity for the brother to become a better person and a better Mason.
With this tool the Entered Apprentice is figuratively instructed to knock off all superfluous and undesirable elements of immortality and life’s unpleasant destructions being part of his daily activities, which otherwise may force him to diverge from the right path and lead him to his moral devastation.
THE TRAVELLING GAVEL:
It represents a specific idea which is usually organised by a group of Lodges or Districts / Provinces near or far from each other.
The gavel used for such plan represents a special gavel which is called “The Travelling Gavel”, and it is different from the Worshipful Master’s gavel.
This innovative programme has been created to encourage frequent visitations of Lodges within the same District / Province or visits to other Districts / Provinces. Different Districts / Provinces may however apply dissimilar rules and regulations on how the travelling gavel can be obtained, but they all converge to the same principle that the main objective for such programme remains the promotion of Friendship, the application of Brotherly Love and the delight of visiting sister Lodges of the same Constitution or Lodges from sister Constitutions.
Below I state an excerpt, as an example, taken from the Provincial Grand Lodge of Derbyshire – UK providing some light of the travelling gavel programme.
“The Travelling Gavel is to be used by the brethren of the Province of Derbyshire and the purpose of the Travelling Gavel is to promote Friendship, Brotherly love, and the enjoyment of visiting amongst the Brethren within the Province.
The rules are simple, the main one is that to attempt to Claim the Gavel a Lodge must visit with a Deputation of at least 4 members from the same Lodge, and all stay for the Festive Board. All meals booked must be paid for.
At least one of the Deputation must be a Principal Officer (i.e., the Master or Warden of the Lodge).
The Gavel after a successful claim will be presented to the Principal Officer of the visiting Lodge at the Festive Board”.
(https://www.derbyshiremason.org/the-travelling-gavel-new-to-the-province/)
Some other rules applicable to the Travelling Gavel programme include:
The Worshipful Master must be informed of the intention of the visiting Lodge’s members to obtain the Travelling Gavel prior to the visit,
If four or more members from two different Lodges attend the same meeting and be able to fulfil all other requirements then the Lodge with the highest number of visiting brethren will win the Travelling Gavel.
The visiting brethren of the winning Lodge will take the Travelling Gavel with them back to their Lodge where they will expect in due time a visit by another Lodge to claim the Travelling Gavel.
I trust with all above information I have been able to shed some light on the various types of gavels in general as well as on the importance and significance of the Masonic gavel in particular.
A SUGGESTION:
As a closing point, I would like to propose an idea I obtained by searching the internet and I dedicate such to all Worshipful Masters.
A Worshipful Master to celebrate his ascension to the East may buy or receive as a token a custom-made gavel and use it during his year as Master. After his year as Master is over, the Masonic gavel can be framed under a glass and be displayed in a visible place in his home.
What do you think of the idea? Your comments would be highly appreciated.
