Preceptor

A preceptor (Turkic-Persian Ataaleeq) is a teacher responsible to uphold a certain law or tradition, a precept. A preceptor (Turkic-Persian Ataaleeq) is a teacher responsible to uphold a certain law or tradition, a precept. A preceptor was historically in charge of a preceptory, the headquarters of certain orders of monastic knights, such as the Knights Hospitaller and Knights Templar, within a given geographical area. The preceptor had supreme control of his brethren and was only answerable to the grand master of his particular order. A preceptory's main focus would be its church and accommodation for the brethren. Examples include the Hospitaller Torphichen Preceptory in West Lothian, Scotland; West Peckham Preceptory in West Peckham, England and the Templar Aslackby Preceptory in Lincolnshire, Keele Preceptory in Staffordshire and Temple, Midlothian. Within modern-day Freemasonry the preceptor is the head of a lodge of instruction. Such lodges operate within a geographical area and provide training in the performance of the order's ritual for members of the order. The preceptor is an elected position and is usually a Freemason who has spent several years as a director of ceremonies in his local lodge and is considered an expert in the ritual of the order.