Council of Knight Masons
Ritual of Installation of Officers
Prior to the Excellent Chief: elect being installed in a public or private
ceremony, it is necessary that a Council of Installed Excellent Chiefs be
convened and he receive instruction as to the "Secrets restricted to the
Office of Excellent Chief of a Council of Knight Masons". Upon conclusion
of the work of the Council of Installed Excellent Chiefs, the Past Excellent
Chief, who will be acting as the Installing Officer (I. O.), will proclaim the
Council of Installed Excellent Chiefs closed and labor resumed in a Council of
Knight Masons.
2001
Note: Extra chairs should be placed at the D. of C. and Priest stations for
the Installing Conductor and Installing Priest.
I. O.: The installing suite will take their stations. Done.
I. O.: Sir Knight Conductor you will invite the officers, members,
and their guests to return to the Council Room.
Note: The Officers should take their current stations. After all are seated,
the I. O. should make some welcoming remarks especially to the guests seated on
the sidelines.
I. O.: Sir Knight Conductor, you will retire the current officers
of
Council No.
and conduct the newly elected and appointed Officers into
the Council.
Cond.: Officers will rise. I will make one circuit of the Council
Room and the retiring Officers and the new Officers to be installed will fall
in, single file, behind me with the retiring Excellent Chief at the end.
Note: Conductor makes one circuit of the Council Room and halts the
procession, before the door, in the Southwest corner of the room. He gives a
command of Right Face, proceeds to end of procession and conducts the retiring
Excellent Chief out of the Lodge. The I. O. should initiate the applause as the
retiring Excellent Chief is escorted from the Council Room. The remainder of the
Officers will exit in single file, starting from the end of the line.
Note: Outside of the Council Room, the Conductor will assemble the Officers
to be installed; according to their Rank and Station into a single file with the
Excellent Chief at the head and with the Tyler at the end. When the line is
assembled, the Conductor conducts the elected and appointed Officers to be
installed into the Council Room; forming a single line, West of and three steps
from the Altar with the Excellent Chief: elect at his immediate right.
I. O.: Sir Knight Conductor, you will present the Excellent
Chief-elect at the altar.
The Conductor escorts Excellent Chief-elect to the Altar, causes him to kneel
and returns to head of line.
Cond.: E. C., I now present to you our Brother, Sir Knight
, to
be installed as Excellent Chief of this Council for the ensuing year. We know
him to be a true and valiant Sir Knight, skilled in our mysteries, and we pray
that he be now installed.
I. O.: Sir Knight Priest, Lead our devotions. Knocks
with Trowel.
Priest proceeds to East of Altar, kneels or stands, facing the Excellent
Chief-elect.
Priest (the Priest may use any prayer of his choosing but should end his
prayer with the following): Almighty and most merciful God, direct
us, we pray Thee, in all our doings by thy gracious favor, and further us with
Thy continual help, that in all our works begun, continued and ended in Thee, we
may glorify Thy Holy Name. Amen. So Mote It Be.
At the completion of his prayer, Priest returns to his station and is seated.
I. O.: Please be seated. Knocks with
Trowel.
I. O.: Sir Knight
, before I can proceed to install you in the
Chair of Excellent Chief, it is necessary to obtain your assent to the following
binding institutes:
I. O.: Do you promise strictly to conform to and observe the Laws,
Constitutions and Orders of the Most Excellent Grand Council of Knight Masons of
the United States of America?
E. C.-elect.: I do.
I. O.: Do you promise to devote your self to forwarding the
welfare of this Council and adhere to such By-laws as may be sanctioned by the
Most Excellent Grand Council for its government?
E. C.-elect.: I do.
I. O.: Do you promise to govern this Council, or any other Council
of Knight Masons over which you may be called upon to preside, in a just,
equitable, and impartial manner?
E. C.-elect: I do.
I. O.: Sir Knights, you have heard the undertakings by which your
Excellent Chief is bound.
I. O.: Sir Knight Conductor, you will conduct the Excellent Chief
to the Chair.
Excellent Chief-elect is seated in the Chair.
Conductor returns to position next to the Senior General-elect.
I. O.: Sir Knights, I proclaim to you that Sir Knight
has been
lawfully installed in the Chair of Excellent Chief.
Installing Officer descends to the floor, stands near to the Southwest corner
of the Altar facing the East, and gestures toward the Holy Writ.
I. O.: Excellent Chief, I figuratively hand over to you the Roll
of the Law which we believe to contain those Divine Precepts by which all Masons
should be guided in their journey through life.
Installing Officer proceeds to Scribes desk and picks up the Bylaws.
I. O.: The Bylaws of this Council on which you will base all your
decisions for the good government of this Council and the general welfare of the
Order. Returns the Bylaws to desk.
Installing Officer points to the Charter at the base of the Pedestal in the
East.
I. O.: The Warrant, the authority without which meetings of this
Council cannot be held. You will guard it carefully for it is the Instrument by
which you rule and is the Symbol of your obedience to constituted authority.
Installing Officer returns to the Altar, stands near to the Southwest corner
of the Altar facing the East, and picks up the Sword.
I. O.: The Sword, the symbol of Justice. You will use it only to
maintain the right, to uphold the weak, to shield the innocent, to protect the
poor and defend the widow and the orphan.
Installing Officer returns Sword to Altar and picks up the Trowel.
I. O.: The Trowel, the symbol of that affection and kindness which
cements all the members of the Masonic family into one great companionship of
brotherly love.
I. O. returns to East.
I. O.: Sir Knights, assist me to salute your newly installed
Excellent Chief with 7 and 2, taking your cue from me. Done.
Note: If non-members are seated as guests on the sidelines, applause or the
Public Honors of Freemasonry (3 X 3, right over left etc.) may be substituted
for the above.
Note: At the discretion of the E. C. and if time is of concern, the remaining
Officers, both elected and appointed may be in stalled using the optional short
form ritual which follows at the end of this procedure. Should any Officer be
continuing in his respective station, such as Scribe, it is not necessary that
he be reinstalled. Should an Officer not be present for installation, it is
permissible to use a proxy in his stead.
I. O.: Sir Knight Conductor, present the remaining Officers to be
installed, at the altar.
Note: The remaining Officers will be presented and installed in one group. As
they are introduced by the Conductor, each of the Officers will take one step
forward. Each Officer, following his being installed, is to be conducted to his
station by the Conductor and is seated. The Conductor returns to the West of the
Altar.
Cond.: E. C., I present to you Sir Knight
who has been dully
elected Senior Knight of this Council for the ensuing year.
We know him to be a worthy and honorable Sir Knight, well qualified to fill
the office to which he has been elected and I pray that he be now installed.
I. O.: Sir Knight
, you have been elected Senior Knight of this
Council for the usual time and as the members deem you worthy and competent to
discharge the duties of your high office, I now proclaim you Senior Knight.
Cond.: E. C., I now present to you Sir Knight
, who has been
duly elected Junior Knight of this Council for the ensuing year. We know him to
be a worthy and honorable Sir Knight, well qualified to fill the office to which
he has been elected and I pray that he be now installed.
I. O.: Sir Knight
, you have been elected Junior Knight of this
Council for the usual time and as the members deem you worthy and competent to
discharge the duties of your high office, I now proclaim you Junior Knight.
Cond.: E. C., I now present to you Sir Knight
, who has been
elected Scribe of this Council for the ensuing year and Sir Knight
, who has
been elected Treasurer of this Council for the ensuing year.
We know them to be worthy and honorable Sir Knights, well qualified to fill
the offices to which they have been elected, and I pray that they be now
installed.
I. O.: Sir Knight
, you have been elected Scribe of this
Council for the usual time and as the members deem you worthy and competent, to
discharge the duties of your high office, I now proclaim you Scribe.
I. O.: Sir Knight
, you have been elected Treasurer of this
Council for the usual time and as the members deem you worthy and competent to
discharge the duties of your high office, I now proclaim you Treasurer.
Cond.: E. C., I now present to you Sir Knight
, who has been
appointed Director of Ceremonies of this Council and Sir Knight
, who has
been appointed Priest of this Council for the ensuing year.
We know them to be worthy and honorable Sir Knights, well qualified to fill
the offices to which they have been appointed, and I pray that they be now
installed.
I. O.: Sir Knight
, you have been appointed Director of
Ceremonies of this Council for the usual time and as the members deem you worthy
and competent to discharge the duties of your high office, I now proclaim you
Director of Ceremonies.
I. O.: Sir Knight
, you have been appointed Priest of this
Council for the usual time and as the members deem you worthy and competent to
discharge the duties of your high office, I now proclaim you Priest.
Cond.: E. C., I now present to you Sir Knight
, who has been
appointed Senior Warden of this Council and Sir Knight
, who has been
appointed Junior Warden of this Council for the ensuing year.
We know them to be worthy and honorable Sir Knights, well qualified to fill]
the offices to which they have been appointed, and I pray that they be now
installed.
I. O.: Sir Knight
, you have been appointed Senior Warden of
this Council for the usual time and as the members deem you worthy and competent
to discharge the duties of your high office, I now proclaim you Senior Warden.
I. O.: Sir Knight
, you have been appointed Junior Warden of
this Council for the usual time and as the members deem you worthy and competent
to discharge the duties of your high office, I now proclaim you Junior Warden.
Cond.: E. C., I now present to you Sir Knight
, who has been
appointed Steward of this Council, Sir Knight
, who has been appointed
Sentinel of this Council and Sir Knight
, who has been appointed Tyler of
this Council for the ensuing year.
We know them to be worthy and honorable Sir Knights, well qualified to fill
the offices to which they have been appointed, and I pray that they be now
installed.
I. O.: Sir Knight
, you have been appointed Steward, Sir Knight
, you have been appointed Sentinel, and Sir Knight
, you have been
appointed Tyler of this Council for the usual time and as the members deem you
worthy and competent to discharge the duties of your high office, I now proclaim
you installed into your respective 7 stations and would remind you that the
safety of the Council depends on your vigilance. Draw your swords and you will
be conducted to your stations. Done.
Conductor returns to his station and remains standing.
I. O.: Sir Knights, arise and assist me to salute our newly
installed Officers with 5 and 2 taking your cue from me.
Note:: If non-members are seated as guests on the sidelines, applause or the
Public Honors of Freemasonry (3 X 3, right over left etc.) may be substituted
for the above.
I. O.: Let the newly installed and proclaimed Officers arise.
I. O.: Sir Knights, the members of this Council have deemed you
worthy and deserving of the offices in which you have been installed, and I
trust that the work appertaining to these offices may be done in the spirit of
the builders of olden days, who, whilst they wielded the sword bravely against
the enemy, neglected not the humbler toil of the trowel. Let your zeal for the
Order, which is indicated by the Sword, be ever tempered by the constructive
work which is symbolized by the Trowel, and may the Great Master Builder prosper
and direct you in all your labors. Be seated, Sir Knights.
I. O.: Sir Knight Conductor, you will make the necessary
Proclamation. Conductor goes to West of Altar.
Cond.: I am directed to proclaim and I do hereby proclaim that the
Excellent Chief and other Officers, elected and appointed, of
Council No.
have been regularly installed into their respective stations and
Council
is now prepared to act upon any business that may legally come before it. This
Proclamation is made from the East, West and South, all interested take due
notice thereof and govern yourself accordingly.
Conductor returns to his station and is seated.
Note: Presentation of Past Excellent Chief jewel to the retired Excellent
Chief should be made by the Past Excellent Chiefs of the Council with the
Installing Officer in the East and prior to the turn over of the Council to the
newly installed Excellent Chief. The Past Excellent Chiefs Jewel should be
worn to the right of the members Jewel and on the left breast.
I. O.: And now Excellent Chief having completed the Installation
Ceremony, I turn the governance of the Council over to you and beg that you
permit the Installing Suite to retire.