In one of the ‘optional’ parts of our ritual there is the statement that ‘distinctions among men are necessary to preserve subordination’. Now we have all heard of ‘insubordination’. From the fellow who is cheeky to the school prefect all the way up to the member of Parliament who refuses to vote as his Party tells him to, but we don’t often use the word ‘subordination’ on its own and may well wonder why it is necessary to preserve it.
    Breaking the word down to its original parts we have ‘ordination’ from the Latin meaning ‘placing in order’, ‘setting apart’, ‘appointing to office’. This is more often used of holy orders conferred on clergy though it can equally signify the appointment to any office, either sacred or secular. And of course all offices are not of equal importance so some will be below or ‘sub’ others. This we recognise in the selection of Officers for the Lodge: the Master does not say ‘I appoint a dozen of you to be officers’; no, he appoints his Senior Warden first and invests the Tyler last because that is the order in which those officers will rank during the ensuing year.
    This is what we mean by ‘distinctions among men’. It is not that we think more highly of a man because he happens to be a Past Master rather than a Junior Deacon but we do recognise that the offices they hold are different and not to be confused. Subordination is the sensible way of ensuring that every member recognises his own position and respects the positions of others.
    So far, you may think this makes a lot of sense but then we come to the appointments to Provincial, London and Grand Rank. Sometimes it may seem to us that honours are given to the wrong people (especially when we had rather expected an honour ourselves!). Is there really a case for these high ranks? Would it perhaps be better if we were all equal and all wore the same simple aprons? This has, of course, been tried, particularly in America but even there it has been found necessary to create ranks and offices to prevent the whole institution turning into a communist society.
    Or would you prefer to see the opposite, i.e. making it possible for every Brother to be a Grand Officer? This reminds me of the song in Gilbert and Sullivan’s Gondoliers about the king who ‘wished all men as rich as he’ and ‘so to the top of every tree promoted everybody.’ Thus his cook became a ‘Lord High Cook’ and his boot-boy a ‘Lord High Boot-boy’ and so on. No, it certainly didn’t work and as Gilbert so cleverly put it: ‘In short, whoever you may be, to this conclusion you’ll agree: when everyone is somebody, then no one’s anybody!’
    It really is necessary therefore to ‘preserve subordination’. However, let us not stop there but continue that extract from the optional ritual, for it says, ‘Although distinctions among men are necessary to preserve subordination, yet ought no eminence of situation make us forget that we are Brothers, and he who is placed on the lowest spoke of fortune’s wheel is equally entitled to our regard.’ This is an echo of the more familiar words of the Installation ceremony: ‘Such is the nature of our constitution that as some must, of necessity, rule and teach, so others must of course learn, submit and obey,’ and then it adds: ‘Humility in each is an essential qualification.’
    That, surely, is the really important part of our system of subordination. The humility to accept low office without complaint and to accept high office without arrogance. When I was a very young Freemason I wrote a letter to a Provincial Grand Officer beginning, ‘Dear Brother X…’ . He showed the letter to my father and said, ‘You will have to talk to your son about this.’ ‘Why?,’ said Father, ‘What’s the matter with it?’ ‘Well. Look at it: “Dear Brother X…”. It should be “Dear Worshipful Brother X…”.’ Of course, he was probably right, but wasn’t humility slightly lacking here?
    Finally, let us remember that high ranks, like higher degrees, are not issued indiscriminately but are conferred according to merit and abilities. Merit has been earned by work already done; the Brother who has shown punctuality and zeal in the performance of his duties is obviously a candidate for reward in the shape of higher office. Abilities, on the other hand, show what the man is capable of doing in the future and that he is not likely to fail if promoted. We have often heard the Grand Master and Heads of other Orders reminding newly appointed Grand Officers that their new rank is given not just in recognition of good work done in the past but is also in expectation of good work to be done in the future.
    Yes, distinctions among men are necessary for only in this way can we ensure that the highest standards are maintained. Our whole system is based on the proper use of true subordination; may it thus be preserved for evermore.