I find it interesting that, at least here, how the rules say offices are to be filled and how they are actually filled are two different things. In lodges under the GL of Scotland all offices, except those of Immediate Past Master Depute Master and Substitute Master,, are filled by election at the Annual Meeting. In practice, at a meeting of the lodge General Committee the 'Master-designate' (usually the present Senior Warden) with the agreement of the Committee , prepares a list of candidates to recommend at the Annual Meeting. At the Annual Meeting further nominations are called for and, if there is more than one candidate for an office, an election is held. In practice, I know of no case in any of our lodges where there has been a nomination from the floor! With only one nomination for each office the Secretary is called on to cast a 'symbolic ballot' and the nominated brethren are declared elected.
In my mother lodge there is an unofficial line of progression which is usually, but not always, followed. The usual order is to start as a Steward, then progress through Inner Guard to Junior Deacon, to Senior Deacon, to Junior Warden, to Senior Warden, to Master, to Immediate Past Master, to Director of Ceremonies and finally to Tyler. Note that we get full value from a brother becoming Master - two further years of service inside the lodge before kicking him out of the lodge completely to be the Tyler!