Benedict has proven time and again throughout the rule that his main concern is for an orderly flow of life in the monastery, that helps the brothers souls to grow ever closer to the will of Christ. He settles one of the major problems that afflict every organization on earth, and probably throughout history -- that of seniority. With Benedict, "I was here first" really does mean something. In a world of high aristocracy and low peasantry, it leveled the playing field when the peasant came at the second hour, and the aristocrat at the fourths hour, thereby making the peasant the senior of the aristocrat!
Also,
And in no place whatever should age decide the orderEven though mere sentences later he says that boys are to be disciplined by everyone.
or be prejudicial to it;
for Samuel and Daniel as mere boys judged priests.
The bottom line here is respect. Both for those who are older in years and for those with higher seniority. And the teaching for Lay Cistercians is made clear, we are to admit that we as individuals do not know everything, that just because a person has been LCG a long time doesn't mean anything more than they are due respect, and outrank the newcomer. On the other hand it also means that the newcomer must be listened to closely, for "for Samuel and Daniel as mere boys judged priests."
The LCG is so big I don't know if anyone really keeps track of rank, and if it even matters. After all, this is a rule for monastics that we adapt to life in the secular world. It certainly would not hurt us to pay greater respect to our founders, to listen closely to their words, teaching and experience, and to always keep one ear close to the newcomer for that new word when God most assuredly says "I will do a new thing."
May God bring us altogether to everlasting life.
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