The Guild is governed from the bench upward. Its members elect its officers, its officers serve without pay, and its one legislature is the gathering of the members themselves.
The member
The unit of the Guild is the single practitioner at his or her own bench. Every member belongs either to a Chapterhouse or, as a member at large, to the Hearth Course. Every member has a mentor, at least one grade senior, who reads the member's monthly summary of the Record and answers it.
The Workroom
Three or more members may form a Workroom for study and practice together. A Workroom needs no charter, only registration with the Warden of the Hall and one member of Journeyman grade or above to take responsibility for it. Workrooms may meet in a private house, in hired rooms or online. They may practice any rite proper to the grades of those present, but they do not admit candidates or advance members.
The Chapterhouse
Seven or more members, of whom at least one is a Master, may petition the Council for a charter as a Chapterhouse. A Chapterhouse keeps a consecrated Hall, holds regular meetings, admits and advances members through the first five grades, and sends its reports and a share of its dues to the Mother Hall. There are at present fourteen Chapterhouses.
Each Chapterhouse elects five officers every year at the autumn equinox:
| Office | Duty |
|---|---|
| Master of the House | Presides in the Hall, appoints mentors, and answers to the Council for the work of the Chapterhouse. Must hold the grade of Master. |
| Keeper of the Gate | Receives visitors and candidates, guards the Hall while it is open, and is responsible for the safety of all present. |
| Bearer of the Lamp | Tends the lamp and the instruments of the Hall and prepares it for each working. |
| Scribe of the House | Keeps the roll, the minutes and the Record of the Chapterhouse. |
| Purser | Receives dues, keeps the accounts, and quietly sees that no member is kept from the work by want of money. |
The Mother Hall
Lantern House in Frederick County, Maryland, is the Mother Hall of the Guild. It houses the library, the archive of deposited Records, and the Hall in which Masters and Elders are admitted. It is also an ordinary Chapterhouse, with its own members and officers, and has no authority over other Chapterhouses beyond what the Articles give to the Council.
The Council of Wardens
The executive of the Guild is a Council of seven Wardens, each elected by the General Convocation for a term of seven years and each responsible for one office. A Warden must hold the grade of Master. One seat falls vacant every year, so that the Council is never wholly new.
| Office | Charge | Present holder |
|---|---|---|
| Warden of the Lamp | Instruction, the Papers and the course of study | Callum Whitlock |
| Warden of the Seal | The roll, charters, records and correspondence | Priya Nambiar |
| Warden of the Purse | Dues, accounts and property | Soren Halvard |
| Warden of the Gate | Petitions, sponsors and admissions | Desmond Okoro |
| Warden of the Book | The library, the archive and publications | Ines Carvalho |
| Warden of the Hall | Chapterhouses, Workrooms and the Hearth Course | Marguerite Leclair |
| Warden of the Scales | Conduct, grievances and the Five Charges | Tomas Ferreira |
The Guildmaster
The Guildmaster presides over the Council and the General Convocation, signs charters, and speaks for the Guild. The office is elective, for a term of seven years, and may be held twice. The Guildmaster has one vote in Council and no veto. The present Guildmaster is Rosalind Achterberg, elected in 2022. A list of her predecessors is given in the History.
The General Convocation
Once a year, at the autumn equinox, the members meet in General Convocation at Lantern House. Every member who has been admitted Apprentice has one vote, in person or by written proxy. The Convocation elects the Wardens and the Guildmaster, receives the accounts, charters new Chapterhouses on the Council's recommendation, and alone may amend the Articles. An amendment must be carried by two-thirds of the votes cast at two successive Convocations.
Money and property
The Guild is supported by the annual dues of its members and by gifts. It has no paid officers and no employees. Lantern House and the library are held by a nonprofit corporation whose directors are the seven Wardens. Audited accounts are presented to the members each September.
Conduct and grievances
Any member, petitioner or guest who believes that a member or officer has acted against the Five Charges may write in confidence to the Warden of the Scales. The Warden is bound to answer within thirty days, to hear both parties, and to report the outcome to the complainant. The Warden of the Scales holds no other office and takes no part in admissions or advancement.