Guardian of the law
He watches over the constitution of the Order and the by-laws of the lodge. If something is proposed that conflicts with them, he points it out, calmly and in time.
Office of the lodge · Dutch Freemasonry
Redenaar
Orator
The conscience of the lodge: guardian of its law and voice of its principles.
- Place in the lodge
- In the East, near the Master
- Jewel of the office
- An open book or scroll (varies by lodge)
- In particular care of
- The principles and the law
The Redenaar is an office typical of continental European Freemasonry, and one of the most valued in Dutch lodges. He watches over the constitution and the principles of the Order, and he speaks at the moments that matter: at an initiation, at the end of a paper, at the death of a brother.
Where the Master leads and the Wardens oversee, the Orator reflects. He names what is happening, connects it with the tradition and reminds the lodge why it does what it does. A good Orator says little, but what he says stays with the brothers for a long time.
Origins
History of the office
The office has its roots in eighteenth-century French Freemasonry, where the Orateur was the keeper of the law and gave the conclusions after a debate. French influence was strong in the Netherlands: many Dutch lodges carried French names and worked partly in French well into the nineteenth century. Through that influence the office became part of Dutch practice.
English-speaking lodges do not have an Orator. Their guardian of the rules is in practice the Master himself, advised by the Past Masters. That the Dutch lodge gives this task to a separate officer says something about its character: the meaning of the work is considered too important to leave to chance.
Over time the role shifted from that of a lawyer to that of a teacher and speaker. Today the Orator is above all the brother who connects the ritual with life: who translates the symbol into words that touch the brothers here and now.
Redenaar
What the office involves
Addresses at initiation
At an initiation he often speaks to the new brother: a word of welcome, and an explanation of what he has just experienced and the road that now lies before him.
Closing words after a paper
When a brother has given a paper (a bouwstuk, literally a building block), the Orator often closes the discussion: he gathers what has been said and connects it with the principles of the Craft.
Words of remembrance
At the death of a brother, and in a memorial lodge (rouwloge), he speaks the words in which the lodge says farewell and honours what the brother built.
Keeper of the tradition
He knows the history and customs of his lodge and of the Order, and helps the lodge to keep what is valuable without becoming rigid.
In practice
How it works in a Dutch lodge
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Election
He is elected with the other officers. Lodges usually choose a brother with a wide knowledge of the tradition and a sure hand with words.
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In the East
In most Dutch lodges he sits in the East near the Master, so that he can advise him during the work.
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Preparation
He prepares his addresses carefully. Many Orators write them out, so that they can be kept in the archive of the lodge.
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Independence
His task asks independence. He serves the Master, but his loyalty is first to the principles of the Order.
What the office asks
- Knowledge of the tradition
- Saying much in few words
- Independence of mind
- Tact
- Warmth
The lesson for every brotherWords build or break down. The Orator reminds every brother that speech is also a working tool: chosen with care, it can square a heart, level a dispute and set a new brother upright on his road.
To reflect on
- Which principles do you guard in your own life, even when it is inconvenient?
- Do your words build, or do they mostly fill the silence?
- Can you put into words what a symbol means to you personally?
Whether or not you hold this office, each office mirrors a task that every Freemason carries within himself.