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aedifico42| The “Right-Hand Man”

Posted at: 12:19 pm

   As the SD is to the WM…as the JD is to the SW…as the SS is to the JW…each pillar officer in our Lodge has his “Right-Hand Man”.

   I never thought of this till I was setting-up my appointments for the officers in my Lodge.  I guess I never paid that much attention.  But if you look at the structure of each Blue Lodge, a line of progression, coupled with the physical placement of the officers in the Lodge, makes for a very tidy and thorough way to cultivate leadership and make a Lodge thrive.

   Taken to its functional end…it is the incoming SD that ought to have a heavy voice in appointing the JS.  Why?  Well, when elected to the South, the JS will move to the SS position.  As that man progresses, the other one does also.  Let me use an example with names to illustrate my point.

   Aaron is the WM elect of the Lodge.  At his side in the West is Adam…the JD.  In a perfect world, Aaron and Adam would have had a similar relationship last year when Aaron was the JW and Adam was the SS.  Get it?  So now that Aaron is going to advance to the East, Adam is going to become the SD.  So Adam, expecting to be in the South next year, should help Aaron select the man who will be sitting at Adam’s right when Adam ascends to the South.

   In the meantime, Bob, the JW who is going to move to the West, had a part in selecting Ben, the SS who will be the JD next year.   This pair will then move to the WM and SD positions the following year.  And, of course, Chip, the outgoing WM gave Cameron, the SD, a chance to help appoint Carlos, the JS.  Now, when Cameron moves this year to the South, he will have his right-hand-man Carlos with him for the next three years!

   I don’t know why it took me so long to figure this out.  But the formula (A+a)*(B+b)*(C+c+(c))= OGL comes to mind.  OGL in this equation, of course, means One Great Lodge.

   The point is this…if the WM works hard to ensure that the SD and JS can work very well together, then the pattern will be established every year.  The SW and the JD will be getting ready for their shot in the East, and the JW and SS will be making certain that they are ready to advance by working together on ritual and administrative aspects of the craft.

   This team approach could be very easily expanded on, and would make for one great officer core where the buddy system can promote teamwork at the most basic level…two men standing as friends.  It’s not just about “carrying messages from the WM to……”, the SD also carries-on the traditions, attitudes and motivation of the man who helped put him in the progressive line.  The SD, presumably the next in line to ascend to the South, will take a little of the Immediate Past Master with him when he gets there.  And the new SS will have worked with both of them as well.

   Continuity in Lodges depends on personal commitment.  If every incoming WM was to take his appointed SD by the arm and let him know that he is glad to have him, and wants his input about whom to appoint as JS…after three years of this the lessons would be an incurable virus of commitment on a personal level.

   I’d really like to know what everyone thinks about this.  Please don’t be shy…comment!

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