24th September 2023:
Going through the Lodge minutes for the History pages, I came across this nugget, delivered to the Lodge by the representative of the RWPGM, W Bro Steven Andrew Bargate in 2008 and thought it worthy of inclusion on the website.
A HISTORY OF WANDS
We come to our Lodge and its room so often that it is easy for us to take for granted the things that we see and which take place there. There are times, however, when those who are new to Masonry or who are getting more interested in our Order want to know why certain things happen as they do.
One of these is why the Deacons and the Director of Ceremonies have wands. Let us today think about the Deacons. It is not enough to say that the Deacons have always had wands, because in fact the first Deacons did not. The fact is that originally their wands belonged to the Wardens who had them because having wands of office was something that was a custom in the Trade Guilds from which Accepted Lodges derived The Guild Wardens, of course, took their practice from the churchwardens in parish churches, who have wands to this day. The wands were to mark their status as the principal officers when people met. Early orchestra conductors also had wands.
The wands in Masonic Lodges might then carry a moon, representing the end of the day, for the SW and a sun, which represents high noon, for the JW. After the 1813 Union, a new form of ceremonial came in that required the Wardens to stay in their places, and so they needed other officers, Deacons, to assist them in their tasks, To 
give the Deacons a sign that they acted for the Wardens and with their authority, they were handed the wands and that is why, in the Lodge rooms at Queen Street, Sunderland or Old Elvet, Durham you will still see wands used by the Deacons that bear a moon and sun. Nothing could more clearly show that the Deacons are the servants of the Wardens. That is also why, when we hear their duties explained, they are described as those who carry messages between the two Wardens. Let the Deacons remember whose wands they hold.
If you wonder we the wands we have do not show the sun or moon, it is because it was felt that something more suitable to suggest carrying messages was required. A first alternative was the figure of Mercury, the classical messenger of the gods and some such wands still occur. But after the Union it was felt that new Lodges should have something to connect with Noah, and ancient figure in old English Masonry, and so a dove, as a bearer of peace and good news, was adopted.
S A B
20th May 2023:
Brother Rich Driver makes a timely observation:
I have a pocket watch and I had the opportunity to take the back off to the replace the battery. Whilst doing this, it occurred to me how similar the watch innards were to the working of a Masonic Lodge.
The mechanism of the watch contains:
- The screws which denote the Apprentice / Fellowship / Freemasons
- The cog wheels which donate the Deacons / Stewards
- The pivots denote the Treasurer / Secretary / Director of Ceremonies / Lecture Master
- The hands denote the Wardens / Tyler / Past Masters, holding the time in a precise manner.
- The framework denotes the Chaplain /Organist / Inner Guard / Almoner, all working together, which brings us to the final part of the watch; the one thing that we all admire,
The watch face, which denotes the Worshipful Master, a shining example of the importance of leadership in governing and well ruling the smooth operation of the Masonic Lodge, and like the watch glass, the importance of his Duty within the Brotherhood is crystal clear.
It’s an honour and privilege to be a member of the Brotherhood.
Rich Driver
