There are several lodges I have known were to become a WM, you have to go through a line of offices to eventually become a WM. I think it is a very stupid concept for one reason: it defeats the purpose of an election.
The masonic election of officers is a process by which members of a lodge typically pick and choose the members they think are competent for certain positions within the lodge. Each elected officer has a separate duty and the WM is rather than a culmination of all the duties, is simply one who delegates. You do not need to have been in a position to be able to delegate that decision especially if the duties and responsibilities are plainly spelled out in the by-laws and constitution.
Added responsibility is one thing, and preparing people for leadership is another thing, but with both, you don't need to have someone occupy different roles within a lodge to make them competent at the job of being a WM.
I have seen many brothers who were better in their warden seats than they were in the WM seat. I have seen a few who were better suited for one Warden seat vs the other (in a lot of jurisdictions I am familar with, the only requirement to be a WM is to have sat at any Warden position for one full masonic year)
But here's the point I am getting to...the WM seat is the hottest seat in the house, right under the rising scorching sun. One has to have certain qualities that don't have to be experienced or learned by sitting in EVERY seat on the so-called line. The election is an opportunity for brothers of that lodge to pick their best members for the position that best fits them and the lodge. There should be no hurry to get to the East. It should not be a factory line.
