What are the duties of a Worshipful Master in Freemasonry?

The primary duty of a Worshipful Master is the government and leadership of the lodge 1. Upon installation, the Master assumes direct responsibility for the lodge's rule, good order, and the preservation of its warrant, constitutions, minute book, and symbolic instruments 12.

Governance includes appointing and investing lodge officers, such as the Senior and Junior Wardens, and directing them in their duties to maintain regularity and enforce obedience to masonic law 12.

The Master is bound by a series of ancient charges and regulations that define the administrative, fraternal, and moral obligations of the office 1. Administratively, the Master must ensure that no candidate is initiated or admitted to membership without prior notice and due inquiry into their character 1. The Master is likewise responsible for enforcing regulations regarding visitors, permitting entry only after proper examination and verification of credentials 1.

Constitutionally, the Master promises to preserve the groundwork of Masonry against innovation, yield obedience to the Grand Master and the Grand Lodge, attend its communications, and prevent any countenance of irregular or clandestine lodges 1.

On a moral level, the Master is charged with strictly obeying the moral law, acting honourably, cultivating the social virtues, and propagating knowledge of the Art among the brethren 1.