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Gihon Sancta Maria No.49
Q: What is meant by'exchanging the Sceptre for the Trowel' ?
A: Whilst the trowel is now the Collar Jewel of the Charity Steward, it hasn’t always been so; it was once the insignia of the doorkeeper or Inner Tyler of the Lodge (the Office of Inner Guard didn’t appear officially until 1814). Traditionally, the Office of doorkeeper was given to the most junior entered apprentice. He was armed with a pointed trowel, not with a sword as we have to-day as the sword was considered to be the emblematic weapon of the Outer Guard or Tyler.
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When a new initiate entered the Lodge in those days ‘on the point of a sharp instrument’, it was not the point of a poniard but on the point of the trowel held by the doorkeeper. The words in the Charge after Initiation “exchange the sceptre for the trowel” are telling us that, whilst the Monarch holds a sceptre as the highest ruler of the land, he had to, for a time, be ready to become the lowliest member of the Lodge when he entered into Freemasonry – A lesson that all Freemasons must learn as no matter what branch of Freemasonry they may join, we all have to start from the bottom of the ladder on each occasion.
Below are a series of questions and answers from an old catechism, the method used before printed rituals to learn about Freemasonry:
Q –Where stands the Senior Entered Apprentice? A –In the South. Q –What is his Business? A –To hear and receive instructions and welcome strange Brothers. Q –Where stands the Junior Entre’d ‘Prentice? A –In the North. Q –What is his Business? A –To keep off all Cowan’s and Eaves-droppers.
From this text we can clearly see that the Senior Apprentice acted as an early form of Deacon (or messenger) and the Junior Apprentice as the doorkeeper (or Inner Guard). With the introduction of Deacons after the Union and their duties defined as we now know them, it’ s surely no coincidence that the address to the Stewards (who at one time also acted as Deacons)now begins –“Your duty is to introduce visitors……..etc a duty which was once the remit of the Senior Apprentice!
Thanks to the PGL Warwickshire.
