Officers of the York Rite College

In the York Rite Sovereign College of North America, the basic unit of
organization is the College. The officers of a York Rite College are
Governor, Deputy Governor, Chancellor, Primate, Preceptor, Seneschal,
Marshal, and Sentinel. The Governor, Deputy Governor, and Chancellor
are elected officers while the rest are appointed by the Governor. These
officers represent officials present at the assembly called by King
Athelstan in 926 AD, this legend which comprises the central myth of the
order.

The Governor is the presiding officer of a York Rite College. The origin of
this word is found with the Latin word "gubernatorem" meaning "director
or ruler", but the word originally translated as "steersman or pilot". Both
meanings are applicable to a Governor as the governor is someone
elected or appointed to rule or direct a particular institution or
society. Historically, governors were representatives of monarchs often in
colonial areas or over an institution such as a bank or a prison. Today, a
governor is often a public official in the executive branch of a sub-national
level of government. The power and authority may vary between
individual governors, but in all cases, they act as the chief executive
officer.

The second-in-command of a College is the Deputy Governor who presides

in the absence of the Governor. Deputy comes from the word the Late
Latin word "deputare" meaning "to esteem or consider as." In this way,
the Deputy Governor is to be considered as the Governor, particularly in
the absence of that officer. Deputy Governors are sometimes referred to
as Lieutenant Governors and their duties can often vary. In the United
States, these Lieutenant Governors are in the line of succession in the
state government, serve as the presiding officer of the upper house of the
state legislature, and, in some states that do not have a Secretary of State,
the Lieutenant Governor fills those duties. In monarchies, deputy
governors and lieutenant governors serve as the representative of the
monarch and serve as the executive officer of the kingdom in that region.

The Chancellor is the third-in-command and, in essence, is the chief

operations officer of the York Rite College. Chancellor stems from the Late
Latin word "cancellarius" translating as "keeper of the barrier, secretary,
usher of a law court." The duties coincide with this etymological root as
they traditionally served as secretary to a monarch or noble. In the French
monarchies, the Chancellor was the keeper of the seals or presided over
the Parliament. Today you see this title used to describe the president of
some universities or the person in charge of financial or economic issues.

The Primate is the senior appointed officer and who is comparable to the
Chaplain in the Blue Lodge. Primate comes from the Latin word "primas"
meaning "of the first rank, chief, or principal" and is a title used to
designate high ranking bishops in some Christian churches. It is used in
several ways, but the most common use of this title is to refer to a Bishop
who has authority over many other Bishops in a region, although today,
the title of Primate is merely honorific. This authority is often
administratively as Bishops are considered first among equals.

The next officer in the College is the Preceptor who can be seen to
resemble the Master of Ceremonies, an officer that is used in some Blue
Lodges. The word preceptor originates from the Latin word "praeceptor"
meaning "teacher or instructor." Whether in its historical use or in the
modern sense of the word, a Preceptor is an expert or specialist. Today, it
is used to denote a medical or legal specialist. Historically, a Preceptor was
in charge or in the chain of command of Christian military orders such as
the Knights Templar, Knights Hospitaller, and Teutonic Knights.

Next in line is the Seneschal who has duties that are seen with the Sr.
Deacon, Jr. Deacon, and Marshal of the Blue Lodge. The etymology of
"Seneschal" comes from the Proto-Germanic words sini, meaning senior,
and skalk, meaning servant. Seneschal literally means 'senior
servant'. Historically in France, the seneschal would be sometime the
personal representative of the King charged with dispensing justice and
administrative duties. In other kingdoms, seneschals oversaw feasts and
domestic ceremonies. They would seem to be close to stewards in this
regard. Other duties would include managing the property and finances of
the Lord under who they served. Within the Knights Templar, this officer
served as the "right-hand man" of the Grand Master and his chief duties
surrounded the oversight of much of the administrative operation, acting
as an adviser to the Grand Master, and acted as head of the Order in his
absence.

The fourth appointed officer is known as the Marshal and it would be

obvious to say that there is a connection with the duties of this officer
with that of the officer within the Blue Lodge. The title Marshal has been
used by the military, courts, and other parts of society as someone who is
charged arranging and directs "ceremonial aspects of a gathering."
Marshall comes from Old French word "mareschal" meaning
"commanding officer of an army; officer in charge of a household" which
is derived from Frankish-Germanic word "marhskalk" meaning "horse-
servant." The medieval Knights Templar denominated their third-in-
command as Marshal was in charge of the troops and advised the Grand
Master on all things relative to the war effort.

The final appointed officer of the York Rite College is called

the Sentinel and whose duties correspond with that of the Tyler in the
Blue Lodge. The word Sentinel stems from the Latin word "sentire"
meaning "to watch or perceive by the senses." The Sentinel is one who
stands guard over some kind of structure, whether it be an installation, a
gate, or a passage. It is there job to prevent intrusion by enemy or those
unauthorized.

References

1. Boudinhon, A. (1911). Primate. In The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York:

Robert Appleton Company. Retrieved January 2, 2017 from New Advent:
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12423b.htm

2. Chancellor. (n.d.). Retrieved from The Free Dictionary:

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/chancellor

3. Chancellor. (n.d.). Retrieved from Wikipedia:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chancellor

4. Chancellor. (n.d.). Retrieved from Online Etymology Dictionary:

http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=chancellor&allowed_in_fra
me=0

5. Deputy. (n.d.). Retrieved from Online Etymology Dictionary:

http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=deputy&allowed_in_frame
=0

6. Governor. (n.d.). Retrieved from Online Etymology Dictionary:

http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=governor
7. Governor. (n.d.). Retrieved from Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Governor

8. Governor. (n.d.). Retrieved from Dictionary.com:

http://www.dictionary.com/browse/governor

9. Marshal. (n.d.). Retrieved from Online Etymology Dictionary:

http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=marshal&allowed_in_fram
e=0

10. Marshal. (n.d.). Retrieved from Wikipedia:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marshal

11. Marshal. (n.d.). Retrieved from Merriam-Webster Dictionary:

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/marshal

12. Preceptor. (n.d.). Retrieved from Online Etymology Dictionary:

http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=preceptor&allowed_in_fra
me=0

13. Preceptor. (n.d.). Retrieved from Wikipedia:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preceptor

14. Preceptor. (n.d.). Retrieved from Merriam-Webster Dictionary:

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/preceptor

15. Primate. (n.d.). Retrieved from Online Etymology Dictionary:

http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=primate&allowed_in_fram
e=0

16. Primate. (n.d.). Retrieved from Merriam-Webster Dictionary:

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/primate

17. Primate. (n.d.). Retrieved from Orthodox Wiki:

https://orthodoxwiki.org/Primate

18. Primate (bishop). (n.d.). Retrieved from Wikipedia:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primate_(bishop)
19. Purpose of the York Rite College. (n.d.). Retrieved from York Rite
Sovereign College of North America: http://www.yrscna.org/

20. Seneschal. (n.d.). Retrieved from Online Etymology Dictionary:

http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=seneschal&allowed_in_fra
me=0

21. Sentinel. (n.d.). Retrieved from Online Etymology Dictionary:

http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=sentinel&allowed_in_fram
e=0

22. Sentinel. (n.d.). Retrieved from Dictionary.com:

http://www.dictionary.com/browse/sentinel