Collecting the dues
He collects the annual contributions of the members and the fees for initiation and promotion, and follows up on arrears with tact.
Office of the lodge · Dutch Freemasonry
Thesaurier
Treasurer
The keeper of the treasure: money in the service of the work.
- Place in the lodge
- In the East or among the officers
- Jewel of the office
- Two crossed keys
- In particular care of
- The finances of the lodge
The Thesaurier manages the finances of the lodge. He collects the dues, pays the bills, draws up the budget and gives an account of the year to the brothers. Without him there is no temple to meet in, no candles on the altar and no meal after the work.
His office is one of trust. The brothers place their contributions in his hands and rely on him to use them carefully, transparently and only for the purposes of the lodge. Every euro he manages is a small expression of the shared commitment of all.
Origins
History of the office
From their beginnings lodges have needed money: for the rent of a room, for the regalia, for the meal, for the support of brothers in need. Eighteenth-century lodges kept careful account books, and many of them are still preserved, a source that shows how lodges actually lived.
In the Netherlands, where careful bookkeeping is almost a national virtue, the Treasurer has always been an important officer. Lodges own or rent their buildings, pay contributions to the Grand East and maintain funds for charity; all of that passes through his books.
The principle has remained the same throughout: the money of the lodge belongs to the brothers together. That is why the Treasurer gives account every year, and why his books are checked by brothers who do not hold that office themselves.
Thesaurier
What the office involves
Payments
He pays the costs of the lodge: rent or maintenance of the building, regalia, meals, printing and postage.
Contributions to the Order
He pays the lodge's contributions to the Grand East and, where applicable, to regional bodies.
Budget and annual accounts
He draws up the budget for the coming year and the accounts of the past year, and presents both to the brothers for approval.
Audit
He has his books checked each year by an audit committee (kascommissie) of brothers, who report to the lodge.
In practice
How it works in a Dutch lodge
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Election
He is elected with the other officers and is a member of the board. Lodges often choose a brother with financial experience.
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Separation of funds
The charity funds are usually managed by the Almoner and kept separate from the general accounts, so that money given for relief is used only for relief.
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Annual meeting
Once a year he presents the accounts and the budget; the brothers then discharge him for the past year.
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Advice
He advises the board on the financial consequences of plans, so that the lodge never builds beyond its means.
What the office asks
- Integrity
- Care
- Transparency
- Sobriety
- A sense of proportion
The lesson for every brotherMoney is a good servant and a bad master. The Treasurer teaches every brother to see what he owns as something entrusted to him: to be used wisely, accounted for honestly and placed in the service of something greater than himself.
To reflect on
- Could you account for how you use what has been entrusted to you?
- Where do you build beyond your means, in money, time or energy?
- Which shared cause do you support with your own resources?
Whether or not you hold this office, each office mirrors a task that every Freemason carries within himself.