Gavel or Common Gavel  

A Gavel is basically a decorative wooden setting maul, or hammer.

The Gavel is considered to be the Tongue of the Lodge.  When it 'speaks' the members should listen of do something.

One Rap of the Gavel commands order and silence.

Two Raps of the Gavel calls the Officers of the Lodge to their feet.

Three Raps of the Gavel calls everyone to their feet.

If members are standing then One Rap of the Gavel instructs them to sit down.

The Gavel, when used in a Lodge, is sometimes called Hiram.

It is made use of by the Operative Mason to break off the corners of Rough Ashlar, and thus fit it better for the builders use, and is therefore adopted as a symbol of Speculative Masonry, to admonish us of the duties of divesting our minds and consciences of all the vices and impurities of life, thereby fitting our bodies as living stones for that spiritual building not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

I have seen where some of the Anti-Masonic weirdoes  state that the Gavel is used a a symbol for the Penis, but then those strange people seem to think that everything is related to Sexual Intercourse. I have no idea where they cam up with this idea but then they seem to have a lot of free time to dream up weird ideas.  Most of those who hate Freemasonry are more than a little bit strange.  Ignore them.  At least they have an active imagination and I suppose that that is perhaps worth something.  They give us something to laugh about.