Study
The Duties of a Presiding Officer
A presiding officer in a Masonic body guides the meeting, keeps order and applies the rules, and his authority exists to serve the members rather than to set him above them.
A presiding officer guides the meeting, keeps order and applies the rules of the body. His authority is real for the length of his duty, but it exists to serve the members and the work, not to place him above them.
Good presiding combines firmness with fairness. The officer must hear each speaker, apply the rules evenly, and make clear decisions when a question is put. He must also set aside personal preferences, since a chair who favours his own views undermines the trust the body has placed in him.
Example: a debate in a meeting grows heated and two members speak over one another. The presiding officer pauses the discussion, reminds each speaker of the order of business, and invites them to finish one at a time. The rule is applied calmly, and the debate resumes with its dignity intact.