Rough Ashlar: Masonic Blog

Order of Eastern Star

2011-09-19T09:00:00.001-07:00

Masonic Youth Groups

2011-09-12T09:00:00.000-07:00

The York Rite

2011-09-05T09:00:00.000-07:00

A Curious Turn of Events

2011-08-15T14:01:00.000-07:00

Greetings, intrepid readers!

Since recently announcing my return, I was going to blog on some of my Masonic exploits in England before turning my attention to the USA. However, there have been a few events recently that I feel I really should be talking about NOW, rather than in a few posts' time.

Since moving to Atlanta, I've visited a few Lodges. To be honest, the first lodge I visited, I absolutely HATED. Admittedly, I turned up on a bad night. Something had gone down at the prior meeting, and their Secretary had resigned. Thus, the Lodge had to elect a new Secretary. This led to a rather awkward atmosphere as myself and another Brother (who happened to be a Grand Officer from New Jersey) sat there watching this rather tense scenario play out.

But that wasn't the only reason I disliked this one visit. At the time, I had been in the USA for only a couple of months. To be honest, I was suffering from culture shock pretty badly (this was back in March). I thought that going to a Lodge meeting would help me feel better. But, I got there and the ritual was incredibly different. I expected the Lodge to open and carry out its business in the third degree, rather than the first, but I didn't expect the opening and closing to be so utterly different.

Nor did I expect the Lodge to be more casual than I was used to. Back home, the dress requirements are a dark suit, white shirt and "appropriate Masonic tie" (i.e. Craft/Royal Arch/black/Provincial etc.). Over here, dress standards are a lot less stringent. While the Lodge's officers are often expected to wear a jacket and tie, there is no such requirement on members who aren't officers, or on visitors. There were brethren in chinos and polo shirts. Heck, there was even one brother in jeans.

At the time, this was just too much for me. I was bitterly missing England. I was missing my friends, my family and the familiarity of London. And the one thing that I thought would be familiar, wasn't. Understandably, this somewhat upset me. And I didn't go back to a Craft/Blue Lodge until July.

But in July, I attended a Lodge that a friend of my wife belongs to. And something clicked. I saw a First Degree ceremony done non-UGLE different ritual for the first time. The brethren were other younger brethren there. The standards of dress were mostly higher (well, there were no jeans, at least!) and I was given such a welcome that I immediately felt at home.

So, prior to their August meeting last week, I filled out and submitted a petition for affiliation. Thankfully, the Grand Lodge of Georgia allows for multiple memberships these days (which it didn't always), so I will be permitted to retain my membership back home. Provided that I haven't upset anyone, or that no-one has taken an irrational dislike to me, I will soon be a Georgia Mason, as well as a UGLE Mason. Hurrah!

Next up, I will be going back in time, to England and a few of my escapades that took place in the two-year break of me writing this blog.

Time to Catch-Up!

2011-07-21T07:39:00.000-07:00

After a two year absence, I doubt many people even remember this blog. However, in the event that someone is wondering "what on Earth has Anthony been up to over the past two years?", here is the blog post that fills in some of the gaps.

Two years ago, I was in a very different position in life than I am now. I had just finished my Bachelor's Degree. I had moved back to London. I was still a member of Tetragon Lodge. They say that nothing lasts forever but the certainty of change. And change was certainly coming...

The most logical place to start is the latter half of 2009. Soon after my last post on here, I received news that I had passed my finals, and would be graduation with a Bachelor of Arts degree with upper second class honours in History. Likewise, I was admitted as a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Framework Knitters in London (more on the City of London's Livery Companies at another time...). In the September, I started a Masters course at University College London, again in History. Finally, at the end of the year, I got engaged to a lovely American girl. However, the good was balanced with the bad. For family reasons, I was forced to resign from Tetragon Lodge, of which I was Junior Warden. This was not a choice that was made easily, and in retrospect of things that happened later in my personal life, I wish I'd just stuck with the lodge.

2010 was a busy year, too. While doing my MA, I cut down on the amount of Freemasonry that I was doing - to maybe only one or two meetings a month. However, I soon found myself joining another order - that of Royal and Select Masters, or as it's often known, "Cryptic", which was great fun (more on that later!), and I found myself given the office of Junior Deacon in my mother Lodge. In addition, having resigned from my mother Mark Lodge, I joined another one - Old Kent Lodge of MMM (Time Immemorial). Yet, times were changing. After much deliberation, my fiancee and I eventually decided that we'd be living in Atlanta, the State Capital of Georgia (the US state of Georgia, that is - not the country. Their capital is Tbilisi). Obviously, with all my commitments back in the UK, this was not an easy decision.

Beyond that, my fiancee and I continued to hop across the Atlantic to see each other, and we put in the application for my Visa, while I finished off my MA. In the October, I was greeted with the news that I had successfully completed the MA course - hurrah! In the November, despite the knowledge of my impending departure for the USA, my second Lodge, Grey Friars, invested me as Junior Warden - an office that I still technically hold right now.

At the end of the year, I was issued with a K-1 fiancee visa for the USA, and finally made the move on January 20th 2011. Obviously, everything has been completely mad since then - I suffered from the inevitable culture shock and home sickness, we got married at the beginning of April, and we're in the process of buying a house. In the last few weeks, I've finally been given authorization to work, and so the job hunt has begun. Clearly, with all of this going on, I haven't had a huge amount of time for Masonic activity since I arrived in the USA. However, I have had the time to dip my toes into the vastly different Masonic world over here, and have attended three Craft meetings, plus one Royal Arch and one Royal & Select Masters meeting.

Of course, some of this I will expand upon over a few future blog posts, and I hope you'll keep an eye on this blog and stay with me while I update you on my Masonic travels. Everything that has happened has all been part of further preparing that stone - the slow process of smoothing the rough ashlar and making me into a better man.

The Return!

2011-07-20T13:34:00.000-07:00

After nearly two years of radio silence, I will be posting with hopefully some regularity to this blog again. Changes are being made, and soon I will post an update with what's been going on (although, if anyone is still looking at this, I'd first like to pose the question of "Why!? Nothing's happened here in two years!" and then say that the eagle-eyed amongst you may have a hint of things to come...)

The Universities Scheme Conference

2009-05-31T03:33:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, the Universities Scheme Conference was held at Freemason's Hall in Manchester. I went. It was rubbish.

Okay, that was a complete lie (and a bit of an in-joke)! I've blogged previously about the Universities Scheme and what it's all about, so I won't re-iterate that here.

The previous Conference and General Meeting was held in Sheffield eighteen months ago, when there were nine lodges operating in the scheme. Fast-forward eighteen months, and there were twenty-nine scheme lodges represented, as well as a number of representatives from a number of other lodges considering joining the scheme. I was officially there representing Grey Friars, but I was also there as a member of Tetragon.

The conference gave a fantastic opportunity for all the brethren who were representing the various lodges - it not only re-affirmed the aims and objectives of the scheme, it also allowed the committee to report on the progress of the scheme. However, where I personally felt I got the most value out of it was the opportunity to meet both the members of the committee guiding the scheme, and also representatives from other lodges. To me, this is one of the most fascinating things about Freemasonry - seeing how lodges do different things.

The main advantage to this was to discuss how all the various lodges in the scheme are doing things, and the taking different approaches being taken. In one of the talks, one committee member made the point that the committee are not there to "spoon feed" the lodges participating, but merely to offer guidance. Indeed, it was pointed out that what may work for one lodge may not necessarily work for another.

I personally felt that the day was well organised and provided a focus for ensuring that the various lodges in the scheme would work together in the sharing of ideas and building up bonds. Certainly, I think that this will result in some inter-visitation amongst lodges where there was little or no connection at all.

In all, the day was extremely worthwhile and very well organised. It was my first time up at Freemasons' Hall in Manchester, which is the administrative HQ of the Province of East Lancashire, and what a fantastic building it is! Built around the same time as Freemasons' Hall in London, whilst not quite as grand, has a lot of the same art deco influences, and it was a marvellous surrounding for the conference to take place in.

A fast promotion...

2009-03-07T15:32:00.000-08:00

Back in December, I blogged about my somewhat fast-tracked promotion within the Royal Arch.

After a few months, the evening has come, and now gone - I was invested as Principal Sojourner of my Royal Arch Chapter this evening.

In English Royal Arch Chapters, there are several positions leading up to the 3rd Principal's chair, and most Companions start off as a Steward, before progressing to 2nd Assistant Sojourner, 1st Assistant Sojourner, and then finally Principal Sojourner.

So, why, after a mere nine months in the Royal Arch, have I gained such a fast promotion? Well, my Chapter has been, unfortunately, suffering. At the moment, we only have twelve members, and all but two of us are either Past Principals, or current Principals of the Chapter. The other Companion who hasn't been in a Principal's chair rarely shows up, as he is so busy within his career. Last December, I was approached and asked if I would take on the office - I was not pressured into the role, and I agreed to do it, of my own volition.

It is my opinion that the work of the Principal Sojourner is one of the nicest pieces of ritual within Freemasonry, and with a potential five candidates in the works for the Chapter, I look forward to the challenges and the rewards of the coming year, as well as to contributing to the recovery of the Chapter.

Bro Rowan on "The 21st Century Mason"

2009-02-04T15:28:00.000-08:00

Editor's note: the sixth article in the series on the theme of "the 21st Century Mason" comes from Bro. Rowan. Rowan is a young Entered Apprentice of Ashley Hill Lodge, no. 7861, in the Province of Berkshire, under the United Grand Lodge of England. It's always good to see such an enthusiastic fresh face in Masonry, and Bro. Rowan in no exception to that. He has recently been involved in setting up a website for his lodge, which he is still working on. I hope that you enjoy what he has to say...

The 21st Century Mason
by Bro. Rowan

Nobody can accuse Freemasonry of being old-fashioned. Although based on ancient events, our principles of Brotherly love, relief and truth, have stood the test of time. Holding true over centuries, the Craft continues to evolve with the moment. The very fact you are reading this article on a blog is proof of that.

As a 21st Century Mason, I see it as our responsibility to ensure that this continues to be the case. People who accuse Freemasonry of being a secret-society clearly aren't as "down with the kids" as the Craft, and are yet to discover Google. Not only does UGLE, and many Provinces have their own websites, but an increasing number of Lodges have taken the step on to the world wide web.

I am relatively new to the Craft, but was comfortable joining because I knew enough. A few clicks on Google, and I came across the website for the Berkshire Province, home to the Lodge I hoped to join and am now a member of. The website removed the gauze of misconception, and sharpened the image of what Freemasonry is about. Being immediately welcomed by an address from the Provincial Grand Master, I experienced for the first time something that enveloped me on my entry to Freemasonry. A warm, hearty welcome.

A few more clicks and I could see a list of all Lodges in the Province and where they meet, dates of their forthcoming meetings and social events, and in some cases, links to their very own websites.

Immediately Freemasonry is not so furtive as it is often accused!

Since my initiation into Ashley Hill Lodge No. 7861, I have been privileged with the task of developing and maintaining our Lodge website. For me, this is exciting, but I appreciate that many people will not see the point of a Lodge having a website. My reasons for a step into the blue-yonder are simple.

- Openness and accessibility. Although our meetings, like other organisations, are private, we should be proud of what do and achieve, for ourselves and others. Brethren should feel comfortable sharing the accomplishments of the Lodge, in an easily accessible manner that has the potential to meet a wide audience.

- Convenience - With more and more people entering the Broadband era, communicating has never been easier. For example, placing summonses online to be downloaded by members will save time, money and help the environment.

- Linking and Networking - A website can keep other Lodges, local or distant, up-to-date with our progress, and vice versa. The potential to further network and reach out to Brethren in all quarters of the world is vast. In essence, you're putting your Lodge "on the map".

I have other ideas for the website as it grows. A YouTube address from the Worshipful Master welcoming Brothers and the curious to our website, maybe? The impact of new mediums are plentiful, but should be applied for a purpose, and not to simply look flash. It's important not to fall into the meringue trap, where a site looks delectable but once you bite in to it you are greeted with only a hollow disappointment.

I am the youngest member of my Lodge, but feel united with all members by our beliefs and aspirations. I do not see any harm in embracing new technologies to reach out and inform members, and non-members, about what we do and what we are all about. As long as we hold true to our principles, Freemasonry can step into the 21st Century, and centuries yet to come,
unblemished, well-founded and better understood.

As I am sure you have guessed, I am an internet enthusiast. My most recent advance in cyberspace has been to sign up to Twitter. For those of you who are familiar with a Facebook status, Twitter is more like a mini blog, where you can post your thoughts, musings, activities, follow others, and get followed yourself in-turn if you so wish. For example I am following Stephen Fry, and unlike the numerous fake Facebook profiles, it really is him!

One of my plans for Ashley Hill, with the permission of members, is to place us on Twitter so people can easily follow our progress and our news. And at the same time, if other Lodges follow suit, we can all easily follow each other.

Once again, Freemasonry moves with the times and embraces modern tools.

Bro. Nick Johnson on "The 21st Century Mason"

2009-01-31T04:04:00.000-08:00

Editor's note: the fifth article in the series on "the 21st Century Mason" comes from Bro. Nick Johnson, editor of The Millennial Freemason blog. Bro. Johnson has recently been elected as Senior Warden of Corinthian Lodge, in Minnesota. His blog is so named, as he is a millennial, having been born in 1982, and thus became an adult in 2000. So, please enjoy his entry into this series...

The 21st Century Mason
by Bro. Nick Johnson

I would first like to thank Brother Ant Williams for allowing me this opportunity to present my thoughts on what the 21st Century Mason will be.

We sit on the precipice of a new era. This new era has been and will continue to be shaped by the previous century. However, it will also continue to change and evolve as the human experience casts out those things that are deemed unnecessary or offensive. Freemasonry is no different in its need to evolve and change even while maintaining its basic structure. I write to describe what this future Mason will look like in the very near future.

To begin, what kind of men will continue to enter Freemasonry? It is apparent to me that the demographics of our Fraternity will continue to shift as we reach out to new groups. So what will the future Freemason look like? For one, it will not be a given that he is a WASP (White Anglo-Saxon Protestant). In Minnesota (where I live), non-white ethnic groups, such as Blacks, Asians and Latinos, have accounted for more than 62% of the population growth between 2000 and 2007 while white populations accounted for a little less than 36%. Much of this growth can be attributed to the immigration of different populations to Minnesota from other countries, including Somalia, Laos, Central and South America, Ethiopia, India, etc. This is changing the attitudes of many in this state on the role that race and ethnicity play in the public sphere.

Men born after the 1970's have less experience with racial and ethnic intolerance. While I attended school, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day had already been established for at least two years (it was first observed in 1986). The Cosby Show presented an affluent black family that lived their life like everyone else I knew and remained on the air for more than a decade. I went to a suburban high school with kids who were different ethnicities. Although it has been stated that we are entering a “post-racial” era, I see our world as recognizing the differences but accepting each other regardless of those differences.

Freemasonry will be no less affected by this change in attitudes. With the election of President Obama and Governor Bobby Jindal of Louisiana, race is becoming less of a hindrance in politics and I would suspect, in the job market, social clubs, and Freemasonry as well. Freemasonry will become the social distinction that is shared by men, without regard to his skin color or place of origin. Thankfully, Freemasonry has, at its core, the desire to place all brothers on equal footing and does not regard a man’s worth by his title or occupation. Freemasonry is an organization of tolerance.

Additionally, the 21st Century Mason will also be connected to his brothers like never before through the use of technology. Virtually everyone on the planet can connect to each other by way of the Internet. The Internet can be accessed from almost anywhere, through computer, TV or even through one's cell phone. Human society will be ultimately connected through these many digital links. The 21st Century Mason will be adept at using these technologies to inform his Lodge brothers, collaborate on research projects or just communicate informally about anything. Lodge schedules are now published on the Web and some Lodges even use SMS to connect to their brothers. Brothers learn about Lodges and fill out petitions on Lodge websites. But it is not just the use of technology that is important to the 21st Mason but also its absence within the confines of the Lodge.

What technology will not replace is the human connection that brothers experience when they attend Lodge. Brothers will continue to meet as a physical Lodge to break these digital links or to at least shield themselves from the constant contact of life for a few short hours. Lodge can and will act as a sanctuary from distraction and will give brothers a time to look within themselves. As the Tyler guards the door from without, he also acts as symbolic barrier from distractions within our minds for those few short hours. It is this use and disuse of technology that will define the 21st Century Mason.

Finally, although I have discussed how different the 21st Century Mason will be, he will essentially be the same. He will wear the same apron, he will pledge himself to the same oaths, and will participate in the same centuries-old ritual as all his brothers have participated. He will be a Mason first and foremost.

I know that the observations that I have made sound Pollyannaish and are filled with the optimism of youth but our Fraternity needs hope to continue to thrive. Although society will continue to change and evolve, we mustn't worry ourselves that Masonry will change any of its essential structure. We will still have three degrees, we will still have Grand Lodges, and we will still meet as brothers, even if though brothers look, communicate, and act differently. Masonry will remain the same fraternity that has existed for centuries. Welcome to the new century, time to greet your new brothers.

Silence Dogood on "Masonry in the 21st Century"

2009-01-29T04:14:00.000-08:00

Editor's note: the fourth article in the series on the broad theme of "the 21st Century Mason" comes from Silence Dogood, who runs The Middle Chamber blog. I always enjoy Silence's thoughts, so it is an honour to have him write an article for me. As always, my thanks to those who are participating in this project.

Masonry in the 21st Century
by Silence Dogood

When the author of the Rough Ashlar, Anthony, asked me to write an article on Masonry in the 21st Century, I wasn't quite certain what to write. Obviously, his blog is one strongly flavored with Masonry in Britain so how can I write an article relevant to his blog from way across the pond? The answer is that I will have to stick with what I know: American Masonry.

When people think of Masonry in the 21st Century, they doubtlessly think of the information age and what effect that the internet will have on the fraternity of Freemasonry. Doubtlessly, as more and more people become dependent on the web for their daily activities, Masonry will become more affected by what happens online. For the most part, this is a good thing. The internet features a nearly inexhaustible supply of Masonic information. Whether it is in the form of research papers, the events taking place at various lodges, or forum discussions on Masonic business, this information is available to every Mason and allows him to find an answer to virtually every question.

Nevertheless, the internet could be the enemy of American Freemasonry. For the man who becomes interested in Masonry, his largest and first source of Masonic knowledge is the internet. Prior to petitioning a lodge, he will explore the many corners of the Masonic world on the web. He will find information ranging from the deeply philosophical and intricately detailed papers on Masonic symbolism, the hard nosed research of Masonic historians, various papers on the prestigious member of society who belonged to our order, and the heady and nearly incomprehensible meanderings of the comparisons between Masonry and the ancient initiatic orders. This will intrigue him and develop a keen sense of affection for the fraternity of which he is not a member. Then he becomes a Mason, expecting to witness the beautiful ritual that he has heard so much about and partake in the intellectually stimulating conversations on Masonic philosophy and history, but those expectations never materialize. He will more than likely be exposed to very unimpressive ritual work and no education. He will realize that the actual Masonic organization is one where men gather to stumble through opening the lodge, discuss mundane business, and eventually close the lodge in the same incompetent manner in which they opened, and go home. The feasts that he read of Masons enjoying during their fellowship will be reduced to stews, baloney sandwiches, and store brand cookies. The order that once fascinated and excited him will quickly become a mediocre civic organization that he no longer cares to be involved with. If the lodge is lucky, he will continue to pay his dues after he no longer attends the meetings.

Still, the internet presents other problems. The issues of recognition and Masonic corruption were once only familiar in the locales in which they occurred. However, on the internet, Masons throughout the world can discover the unjust expulsion of a West Virginian Grand Master, the complexing relationship between Masons of different color in the south, and the variety of disenchanted Masons which take much care to dismantle the prestige of the order through forum and blog posts. Worse yet, Masons can now see how members of their own organization, which promotes self improvement, violently attack non-Masons, unrecognized Masons, and those who are unhappy with the order. There is a massive amount of seemingly unMasonic behavior being conducted by men who are supposed to be Masons. Can a generation of men who have been raised to believe in the principles of equality tolerate racism, religious prejudice, sexism, and questionable activities in their organization?

In the end, Masonry must understand that in the 21st Century, the internet will cease to be only perception and not reality. This age has provided an information expressway that is reality to the societies that use it. Masonry must understand that the Masonry that men plead for and practice online is in fact the Masonry that our lodges must practice. However, this doesn't mean that true Masonry is dead, only to be replaced by some weird organization created by a bunch of clandestine individuals who spend all of their time surfing the net. Masonry on the internet may quite possibly be the ideal form of Masonry. On the internet, everyone can express their opinion, the problems which plague our fraternity may be openly discussed and no one is afraid of offending another. There is an incredible array of Masonic knowledge at our finger tips. No longer to Brethren have to have access to a traditional Masonic library or a large sum of funds to acquire Masonic literature. The resources online are largely free of any charge. Brethren can connect with each other all over the globe and trade ideas to improve the organization. Masonry on the internet can be a truly universal Brotherhood and can satisfy the wants and needs of all its members.

Masonry in the 21st Century will live or die by its acceptance of its internet surfing petitioners. If we understand the expectations which our young members have developed and meet them, Masonry will flourish and become a stronger organization than we could ever imagine. However, if their expectations are neglected in favor of conforming to our lock step traditions and pandering to the crowd that favors humdrum meetings and views frugality as a virtue, then Masonry will continue its decline in the states and a new organization will take its place.

Celebrating 20 years of recognition

2009-01-28T05:50:00.000-08:00

Today, I divert from the series of articles on the theme of "the 21st Century Mason" to look at something else more important.

Twenty years ago, events were put in motion that would change the shape of American Freemasonry in particular, as well as having a profound effecton regular Freemasonry across the world.

On the 29th March 1989, the Grand Lodge of Connecticut started a process that drew as much praise as it did criticism - it started to make moves towards recognising its Prince Hall counterpart. For those who are unaware, American Freemasonry in general used to be segregated, and most states have two Grand Lodges - the Grand Lodge of X, and the Prince Hall Grand Lodge of X. The latter being almost exclusively for black men. Of course, this has changed now in most places, thanks to the events that began almost 20 years ago.

When the Grand Lodge of Connecticut first proposed this concept of mutual recognition, there were several concerns that needed addressing. The first of these was that of a merger - something that neither party wanted, as both Grand Lodges had their own, distinct character. The next concern was that of members leaving one Grand Lodge and going to the other. The result was to allow dual membership between them, but not to allow demitting.

Indeed, the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Connecticut (MWPHGLC, for short) had issues of its own, mostly relating from its counterparts in other states, and it came under fire from some Prince Hall Grand Lodges, for "having sold out to the white man". The MWPHGLC responded to these accusations by reminding other Grand Lodges that they were sovereign, and had the right to recognise any Grand Lodge that they saw fit to do so.

The MWPHGLC accepted the GLoC's hand of recognition on 14th October 1989, and so CT became the first state to have mutual recognition between its two Grand Lodges. Fast-forward twenty years, and forty-one American Grand Lodges have voted to extend recognition to their Prince Hall counterparts. It is believed that thirty-seven of these have full recognition between the two Grand Lodges, and the remaining four have recognition without visitation. There are still ten US Grand Lodges that have not moved in the direction of recognition, but I am of the firm belief that time will change this.

My own Grand Lodge, the United Grand Lodge of England, made its first moves towards Prince Hall recognition almost fifteen years ago, when it recognised the Most Worshipful Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Massachusetts on 14th December 1994. As of this date (28th January 2009), the UGLE recognises twenty-seven Prince Hall Grand Lodges, and I am of the firm belief that this number will also increase with time.

So, my congratulations to the two Grand Lodges concerned in Connecticut as they approach this landmark of twenty years, particularly as it was they who set the ball rolling.

The Palmetto Bug on "Freemasonry in the 21st Century"

2009-01-27T04:20:00.000-08:00

Editor's note: the third in the series of articles and guest editorials written around the theme of "the 21st Century Mason" comes from veteran blogger The Palmetto Bug, of The Masonic Line blog. My thanks go out to him for agreeing to take part in this project. Anyway, without further ado, here are his thoughts:

Freemasonry in the 21st Century
by The Palmetto Bug

At the kind invitation of Anthony Williams of the Rough Ashlar, I hereby offer some thoughts on the topic of 21st Century Freemasonry. I will approach this by asking and providing answers to my own questions.

Is Freemasonry relevant in the 21st century?

It is just as relevant today as it was in the 18th century and – possibly – more relevant than it has been at any time since the 18th century. Like the church, but in a completely different way, Freemasonry has served as a comfortable refuge during times of societal turmoil. It has been a beacon of light to those that seek to make sense of what otherwise appears to be a human experience with no purpose or direction. The first decade of the 21st century definitely qualifies as a time of societal turmoil, as was much of the 18th century.

During times of turmoil and upheavals in society, Freemasonry has served as a foundation for many. It has promoted religious beliefs – while not replacing religion – and has been instrumental in producing thought processes that have actually helped to shape nations. It has been a behind-the-scenes driving force for freedom and personal responsibility – both very relevant subjects in this 21st century.

Is Freemasonry still considered as prestigious in the 21st century?

Based upon the number of folks that falsely claim the title of Freemason, apparently the Masonic Fraternity maintains the trappings of prestige and respect. It is unlikely that anyone would want to fool others into believing that they belong to an organization that was not prestigious and well respected. In a way, it is somewhat flattering to Freemasons when they see others trying to copy the Fraternity and falsely claiming the name of Freemasonry.

Is Freemasonry in the 21st century perfect and without fault?

Freemasonry is a human institution and is, therefore, subject to human failings. Freemasons sometimes lose sight of the direction in which they need to be moving. The entire Fraternity can sometimes drift off course. It is not perfect and may never be. This is not unlike what happens to nations sometimes. Unlike nations, however, the Fraternity is well suited to being able to correct its path when needed. Remember – Freemasons are “citizens” of their fraternity because they asked to be. This results in an overall commonness of purpose. Most citizens of a country do not have that luxury.

Unlike as is the nature of many nations, the Society of Freemasons tends to think a bit longer about possible drastic changes and their long term consequences. It is slow and deliberate. This results in a process that limits the possible negative affects of proposed changes. In others words – the Fraternity is not prone to knee jerk reactions. However, this slow and deliberate nature of Freemasonry can have some negative consequences when drastic changes are made on rare occasions since it takes longer to realize the consequences of those actions and to take corrective action.

Is Freemasonry in the 21st century suffering from some poor actions – or failure to take action – from many years ago?

Yes it is. One of the most glaring ones is the failure of many Grand Lodges and Lodges to anticipate and plan for inflation and bad economic times. Many Freemasons did not recognize the anomaly of the bubble in membership that took place following World War II. Most Freemasons did not anticipate that bubble going through a corrective phase, relied upon the fat coffers that the inflated membership offered, and did not adjust dues to account for what eventually happened – a fall off in membership.

What does the future hold for Freemasonry in the 21st century?

The Masonic Fraternity will be alright despite some naysayers that say different. The question that must be answered by all Freemasons is this: Will Freemasonry attempt to mimic an increasingly tumultuous society or will Freemasonry take a part in providing some order and commonsense to society – as it has done in the past? I choose the latter. Freemasonry has survived much worse times than the one it currently faces. The Fraternity will be fine and general society will need her again very soon – if it doesn’t already.

Of course, I could be wrong about all of this. I voted for McCain, after all.

James Kitney on "Freemasonry into the 21st Century"

2009-01-24T16:29:00.000-08:00

Editor's note: The second in the series of articles based around the broad theme of the "21st Century Mason" comes from Bro. James Kitney, a Mason from the Province of East Kent, under the United Grand Lodge of England. My personal thanks go to James who has allowed me to re-print this article, which he originally posted at The Middle Chamber forum.

Freemasonry in the 21st Century
by Bro. James Kitney

“…ancient though it is, having subsisted from time immemorial”

To every Mason these are words that are familiar and that fill us with pride, thinking back to all the great men of the past who found it agreeable to be part of such a fraternity.

But the aim of this article is not to look back, but to look forward. However to get any direction it is always necessary to find where one has come from before being able to effectively move ahead.

In the past, Freemasonry was an organisation, a fraternity that was dedicated to the progression of the sciences, the betterment of its members and charitable giving to its local communities. Freemasons were seen in parades, at public ceremonies and memorials. We had inventors, poets, councilmen, musicians, entertainers and your best friend next door attending Lodge. In short Freemasonry was a large part of what was good in the community.

If that is who made up Freemasonry, then what was Freemasonry and what did it do?
Well in the ritual we get the answer as to what it is, a peculiar system of morality veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbols. Ok so what did it do?
Well in and of itself, Freemasonry provides the tools for a Mason to better himself for the benefit of his fellow creatures and community if he applies himself to the lessons of the fraternity. It also allows a Mason to look into the allegory of the degrees, to give him something to ponder and to individualise to his own life.

As noble as these paths offered are, there aren’t many through history who would actively pursue such a course that involved nothing but personal reflection and self change. So what else attracted so many people of different walks of life into the same room to work together?

Well the ritual specifically tells us to explore the hidden mysteries of Nature and Science. As human beings we are all imbued with a sense of curiosity to one extent or the other. What we do not know, we seek, what we do not understand, we strive to define. It is this determination to gain knowledge that has progressed us as a species, across the world, to the depths of the seas and towards the stars above. In this common desire, men of all walks of life have studied the Liberal Arts and discussed it with other like minded individuals under the canopy of Freemasonry, and inspired by the Lodge and Brethren therein, great and wonderful ideas, inventions, compositions and constructions have been planned and executed with perseverance and dedication.

From this, it is easy to see that in the past Masons gathered for stimulation of the mind as well as social and individual improvement.
Now we move forward to the present, or at least the past 50 to 80 years where Freemasonry seemed to change.

Recently, Freemasonry has become more sociable and charitable, rather than the studious or philosophical society it was before now. So why did this happen?
After the horrors of the wars men sought solace within their communities, and Masonic lodges the world over gained many new initiates. However these were men who had struggled and faced terrible times, maybe not everyone wanted to apply their minds to complex sciences or lengthy philosophical questions, perhaps all they wanted was to relax and feel at ease within their community. And so a new evolution of Mason was created, one who strove for fraternity and charitable service rather than intellectual advancement. This itself is a worthy cause for any man, but the times seemed to have created the majority of Masons in this mould, and thus the habit of intellectual discourse or “Labour” or “Work” within the Lodge became more sociable or fraternal and charitable.

As these Masons grew older their sons were initiated and the cycle continued until we have reached the situation we have today. The greatest difference now however is that the younger Masons are branching off and the younger generation today is not only interested in charitable deeds, but is looking for something greater than themselves.

In short, where Freemasonry has always evolved to cater for the times and wishes of Masons, it had now stalled. Whether from the “old guard” of the time or from habit, there was a resistance to the change that the “youth” seemed to be looking for, and anyone who suggested something new was usually met with opposition from the senior member of the Lodge, and this I believe is the greatest reason for the decrease in the number of Brethren attending and the reduction in initiates.

Now we reach the immediate present, and the course is slowly changing. More and more Masons are looking towards the parts of the Ritual that have been ignored for the past decades and wondering what they mean, and so Freemasonry is once more becoming Speculative. The Grand Lodges themselves have become aware that they are going to have to change with the times. Under UGLE, Mentoring Schemes have been introduced as well as partnerships with universities that have introduced Masonic studies in their curriculum. In the US Traditional Observance lodges have been created to try and return to the more intellectual lodge days. Almost every Grand Lodge has come up with some scheme to allow those brethren that wish, to gain more Masonic education than was previously available to them.

And this I believe is the turning point for Freemasonry. As we move forward into the 21st Century, Masons are discovering that they want to regain that inquisitive nature, that they want to discuss ideas and thoughts. And in this we find the possible salvation of Freemasonry. While the number of Freemasons may reduce, if the Lodges can change to accommodate the future Brethren, instead of remaining as they are “because that’s the way its always been while I’ve been here”, then Freemasonry can move forward, as it always has done. In time I am sure that those Masons of the future will want to return to Fraternity and Charity over knowledge and study, and in those times it would once more be wrong to deny them their wish. But until that time, we who would want to gain knowledge or seek new discoveries need to record our discussions and our traditions, so that again in the future should the Brethren require it, they could return to what we are requesting now.

After all, everything is said to moves in cycles or more simply put, circles, and we of the Square should maybe ask ourselves…What is a Square?

Justa Mason on "The Aim of the 21st Century Mason"

2009-01-23T02:49:00.000-08:00

A note from the editor: welcome to the first of Rough Ashlar's series of articles and essays, based on the loose theme of "The 21st Century Mason". This article is from Justa Mason, of the Just A Mason blog. My thanks go to Bro. Justa, and to all the others participating in this project. So without further ado, here's Justa's guest article:

The Aim of the 21st Century Mason
by Justa Mason

Have you ever done improv? The kind where someone in the audience shouts out something and you instantly do the first thing that comes to your mind based on whatever is shouted out.

Sometimes, it’s pretty easy. Someone will shout “siphoning gas from a police car” or “explaining to your girl-friend why you’re drunk and with a stripper” (whether I have experience in either situation I will leave for the reader to ponder).

Bro. Ant has shouted “The 21st Century Mason.” And the first thing that comes to my mind is ... the What?

What is The 21st Century Mason? Who is The 21st Century Mason? Is it me? Surely, the answer must be no.

Somehow, through no fault of my own, I have reached the stage in life where I am twice as old as Bro. Ant. When I was new in Masonry, some of the old guys used to say things “You’re the future of the Lodge.” And, naturally, because the old guys said it then, the old guys (aka me) say it today.

If I’m no longer the future of the Lodge, certainly I can’t be The 21st Century Mason.

Or can I?

Surely, the answer must be yes.

Admittedly, the odds are pretty good I won’t last as long into the 21st century as Bro. Ant and those of our fraternity who still have a use for hair gel. But something tells me I still have something to offer our fraternity into the 21st century. My phone and my inbox do. The officers of the Lodge will fire off notes asking for advice or to run something by me. Some of the older chaps (and there are plenty of those) from other Lodges will call and ask for help. So it appears I have a little something left to give Freemasonry into the 21st Century. My help and my time.

All Masons have the same thing to give. I suppose that means all Masons are The 21st Century Mason.

Oh, I’m sure there will be things about Masonry itself that will change. It’s hard to predict what; it was once predicted everyone would be like The Jetsons and it hasn’t happened. But there are things that will stay the same, just as they did 100 or so years ago when someone pondered who The 20th Century Mason was. But it’s important that through it all, we all—young and old—work harmoniously and set aside any differences to help our Lodge and our fraternity, and to help each other be better people.

That should be the aim of The 21st Century Mason. The aim of us all.

Justa Mason

P.S. My Mother Lodge folded the year I was Master. So much for being “the future of the Lodge.” Then again, I’ve never done improv.

A different visit

2009-01-22T08:58:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago, I was privileged to visit the Navy Lodge, no. 2612, where they were performing an initiation.

What's different about that? Well, the Navy Lodge is a fairly different lodge. It only admits serving or past members of the Royal Navy or the Royal Marines as its members. Although one would often expect that to mean that the ritual would be very strict and militaristic, that was not the case. The workings were good, but there were no "tut-tutings" when someone made an error, and they knew how to have fun.

However, it is the Navy Lodge's history is one of the most interesting things about the lodge. It has had some extremely distinguished brethren as members, including Sir Ernest Shackleton, who was initiated into the lodge on 9th July 1901. Shackleton was not passed to the second degree until 2nd November 1911, in a different lodge entirely - the Guild of Freemen Lodge, no. 3525, and then raised in that same lodge on 30th May 1913.

Another famous member was Rear Admiral Eric Gascoigne Robinson, who received the Victoria Cross for military manoevers during the Gallipoli campaign of World War One. Indeed, Rear Admiral Robinson was initiated into the Navy Lodge on the same day (in 1907) as another VC holder, Captain Lumsden, who received his VC in 1917, and was killed in action in 1918. It is interesting that these two (later) holders of the VC would be initiated together - what a co-incidence!

There was, however, a third VC holder to be initiated into the Lodge, that of Rear Admiral C C Dobson (a Commander at the time), in October 1925. He received his Victoria Cross in 1919, for a daring attack on the Kronstadt Harbour.

However, the lodge can claim even more distinguished members than these three.

It is also a lodge that members of the Royal Family have joined. On 2nd December 1919, Prince Albert Frederick Arthur George (later King George VI and father of our present monarch, Elizabeth II) was initiated into the lodge, by the Pro Grand Master, Lord Ampthill. He became Master of the lodge two years later, and held that position permanently until he came to the throne in 1936, following his brother's abdication. He was Provincial Grand Master for Middlesex from 1924 until 1936. On 30th November 1936, he became Grand Master Mason of the Grand Lodge of Scotland - a position he held for all of 11 days, as he became King on 11th December, following the abdication of Edward VII. On his accession to the throne, he was appointed a Past Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of England, and he was still a very active Freemason until his death in 1952, installing several Grand Masters.

Somewhat more recently, His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh, husband of the Queen, was initiated into the lodge on 5th December 1952. Although he is no longer active, I am told that he is still a member of the lodge.

It was an honour and a privelege to visit a lodge that was not only very fun and very friendly, but also one that has such a fantastic history.

Media exposure!

2009-01-19T14:49:00.000-08:00

Obligations seem to be a hot topic at the moment, as mentioned by Bro. Ben Rowe of The Chequered Carpet.

I don't think I've mentioned in the past that I subscribe to a Masonic e-mail list, entitled the UK Mason List. However, in the last couple of weeks, somewhat of a storm has blown up over a report about Freemasonry in Berkshire being broadcast on the local news over here. For those that are interested, here are the two links:

Part 1
Part 2

The reactions to these two reports have been everything from awe to anger, via tantrums and praise. Those who praise it, do so on the openness of the report. Those who are angry, state that it breaks the obligation that every Mason takes.

However, I look at it a slightly different way. There have been many, many exposes over the years, some of which have been extremely accurate, and others not so accurate. One only needs to pick up a copy of Turning the Hiram Key by Robert Lomas to find out every little detail of our ceremonies. The advent of the internet has made this even easier to find out, with various sites claiming to reveal the secrets and mysteries of the Freemasons. Indeed, the internet has even allowed those to have a voice who have no idea at all, and all sorts of myths and falsehoods are permeating the internet for all to see.

Freemasonry in England and Wales has only maintained such a high level of secrecy since the 1930s/1940s, mainly due to the persecution of Freemasons by the likes of Hitler and Franco. Before this, Masons were quite happily getting involved in public parades, in full regalia. It has only been in the last 60-or-so years that everything about the society has got so secretive, and this is something that, in my opinion, can only damage our honourable fraternity.

The aspect that most brethren have taken issue over is that one of the grips is displayed. Whilst many feel that this is wrong, I would like to pose the question - does the grip matter without knowing what it means? I, personally, feel that it doesn't. Any person can shake the hand of a Mason, and ascertain a handshake. Likewise, anyone can read a book or look on the internet, and see a lot more than just a grip. In my humble opinion, the grip itself doesn't mean much without the word that goes with it.

There have been those who proclaim that this was an error in judgement by the Provincial Grand Master, R.W.Bro. Michael Hooton. However, I beg to disagree - everything in those reports would have been cleared by Grand Lodge, and thus approved for broadcast by them. If they hadn't agreed, I believe that the plug would have been pulled on the reports.

Indeed, I believe that the main reason behind the reports were to dispel a lot of the preconceptions about Freemasonry. For one, the second report thoroughly dispels any idea that Freemasonry is only for white, Anglo Saxon Protestants. Indeed, the Worshipful Master and Immediate Past Master of Grey Friars were present at Khalsa Lodge, and have both commented on how vibrant a lodge it is. Our Tyler is even a member of the lodge, and can be seen in the report, wearing a black turban on the procession in. In addition, I really feel that R.W.Bro. Hooton comes across very well, and really explains what Masonry is all about. Having seen him preside over Provincial Grand Lodge, I can honestly say that he is every bit as charismatic, if not more so, in real life.

If I have one bug-bear about either report, it isn't over the grip, but over the way in which the Lady Masons were included. Don't get me wrong - I have absolutely no objections to them being included in the report, but I am slightly disappointed that it was not emphasised that they belong to a different Grand Lodge than those male brethren in the report. Otherwise, I feel that their inclusion in the report is a very positive thing, dispelling more myths, in this case, that women can't be Masons.

Despite what many have said, I found the reports to be extremely positive, and very interesting indeed.

Guest editorial - Mike Martin on the Grand Charity

2009-01-19T06:23:00.000-08:00

A note from the editor: in a previous post to this blog, I stated that I would be starting a series of articles and guest editorials on the broad theme of "The 21st Century Mason". This is not part of that series. This article is written by Bro. Mike Martin of Mersey Lodge, no. 5434, and is adapted from a paper presented in lodge about the Grand Charity.

If I can beg your attention for a few minutes, I feel the need to share something with you that I’ve recently learned about Masonic charity. The learning curve started in July of 2008 when I applied for and was successful in securing a job with the Freemasons’ Grand Charity. This brief paper has been in part prompted by comments made recently, that in the present economic climate we should be looking after our own and partly because I don’t believe enough of us know that we already do.

In common with the other members of the UGLE, I have known about the Freemasons’ Grand Charity (GC) ever since I first became a Mason (in my case 1994). I also thought that I knew a good deal about what it does and where the money goes, based, mainly, on the press releases etc that are sent to us members and which I had been re-publishing on the Freemason discussion Forum. However, it wasn’t until taking up the post, as a Masonic Relief Grants (MRG) Officer that I really found out about what the GC really does.

I prided myself on knowing that each year the GC regularly made grants totalling in the millions of pounds to other non-Masonic Charities involved in certain specific types of work. The fields can generally be described as helping people, the old, the young or the “vulnerable”. Since the GC’s inception in 1981 it has granted, over £30 million to non-Masonic charities of all sizes This includes more than £7 million to hospice services as part of a programme that began in 1984, nearly £400,000 for air ambulances and £1.5 million for emergency relief work needed as a result of natural disasters. This is a laudable pursuit and it illustrates our philanthropic attitude towards the popular world that is not Masons.

I knew about the Relief Chest Scheme which enables Lodges to get a far better return (interest) on the money they have collected for charitable purposes. Although I admit that I did not know that Lodges do not have to use this money solely to donate to registered Charities. I only found out in October that this money can be used to render direct assistance to anyone (not just the members) that the Lodge may wish to help who is in need.

However and far less well known to me was the work of the Masonic Relief Grant Section and the Masonic Relief Grant Committee.

You’ll remember that I mentioned that the GC, since its inception, has distributed over £30 million to non-Masonic Charities However, I was surprised to learn that in that same time frame it has also expended more than £41 million to assist individual members (current and ex) of the UGLE and/or their widows or dependents. This huge sum of money has been spent purely through Masonic Relief to support our own members and their dependents in times of real crisis.

The MRG Section, is a small team within the Charity who, day in day out, deal with applications for assistance from Brethren, their widows or dependants who, most commonly due to ill-health, neglect, family bereavement or other extra-ordinary circumstances find themselves unable to pay their bills or who need help acquiring mobility equipment (such as stair-lifts, electric wheel chairs or mobility scooters) and just do not have the income or savings to keep going unaided. These are the applications for Masonic Relief that are considered by the MRG Committee. During 2008, through MRGs, the GC has distributed nearly £4 million in the form of financial assistance (managed by Lodge Almoners and PGAs) to assist with daily living expenses, grants to assist with a specific need (such as replacing a broken boiler or cooker) and also in the form of mobility equipment ranging from the most basic of electric self-propelled wheelchairs up to fully installed and maintained stairlifts.

The first requirement to apply is that the applicant is or was a member of a Lodge under the UGLE (this includes our District Grand Lodges) or the widow / dependant of same. It is not a requirement to still be an active member.

As part of our role we will also asses whether any of the other Masonic Charities (namely the Royal Masonic Trust for Girls & Boys, the Masonic Samaritan Fund or the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution) are able to assist in any of the applications that we receive for Relief.

We are also happy to act as liaison on behalf of Lodges that are not able to arrange Almoner visits to their widows and older members who may have moved away. Lodge Almoners can contact us and we can liaise with the relevant Provincial Grand Almoner to arrange visits so that these members of our Masonic family don’t feel neglected. This can even extend to ex-pats! We are in the special position of being allowed to directly contact Grand Lodges (recognised by the UGLE) when the above mentioned people no longer live in England and Wales. For example we have recently arranged visits from Almoners under the Grand Lodges of Ireland, Scotland and even British Columbia and Yukon to UGLE Lodge widows. If the circumstances require we can even try to enlist the services of ex-pat Freemasons who sometimes will volunteer to act as Visiting Brethren on behalf of these Lodges, most recently this has happened in France and Spain.

Although not officially part of our role, we will also advise Almoners of the State Benefits that their applicants should or could be claiming in order to improve their circumstances. Recently we have had several applicants who have actually asked for their applications to be stopped as they were so much better off after applying for the Benefits to which they were fully entitled, having worked and made their National Insurance payments for years. We will also advise of any other Charities that can assist, if we know of them. We had a recent success with a widow who got a new boiler and insulation for her loft through Warmfront.

Having now shared with you all, I would ask that you all remember that the second tenet of the Craft is that of RELIEF and due to this we should all remember our responsibility to our Brethren. Each of us is an Almoner not just the “Lodge” Almoner. Please make a promise to yourself that if you know of a Brother or widow having difficulties that you will ensure the Lodge Almoner is informed and also that you share this information with any members that you know and for the Visitors, most especially your Lodge Almoners.

More from the editor: firstly, thank you to Bro. Mike for allowing me to reproduce this here. I feel that it's very important to understand what the Grand Charity does and how it works. I would also recommend looking at the Grand Charity's Website for more information, and contact details.

Coming soon...

2009-01-17T03:43:00.000-08:00

...I will be posting a series of articles and guest editorials on a vague theme of "The 21st Century Mason".

I have already asked a few friends and other bloggers to contribute pieces, but if anyone else would like to do so, please do contact me using the contact details to the right :)

Welcome to 2009!

2009-01-10T12:19:00.000-08:00

A very happy new year to all my readers!

2009 in Masonry finally feels like it has begun - I had my first lodge meeting of the year last night (more on that another time), and a lodge of instruction this morning.

However, 2009 looks to be a year of change to English Freemasonry. As I've stated in previous posts, the hierarchy of the United Grand Lodge of England is changing. There will be a new Pro Grand Master and a new Deputy Grand Master.

Whether or not this will change the way in which the Craft in England is moving, is something that only time will tell. In my own mind, I doubt it. The incoming Pro Grand Master, RWBro Peter Lowndes, has spent the last few years working closely with the outgoing Pro Grand Master - the Marquess of Northampton. I suspect that Lord Northampton will continue to have some influence behind the scenes, and that his advice will still be valued by Grand Lodge. I'm sure that the UGLE will continue to make the same strides that it has been making over the last few years.

Anyway, I hope that 2009 is prosperous to all my readers, their respective lodges, and their respective constitutions!

I just wanted to say...

2008-12-24T15:21:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas to all my readers!

I won't be around between Christmas and New Year, so a very happy New Year too - I hope that I'll see you all in 2009! :)

Women and Freemasonry

2008-12-22T15:57:00.000-08:00

Following on from my last post, I thought that I would blog a bit about the status of women with regards to Freemasonry.

In 1999, the United Grand Lodge of England issued the following statement:

"There exist in England and Wales at least two Grand Lodges solely for women. Except that these bodies admit women, they are, so far as can be ascertained, otherwise regular in their practice. There is also one which admits both men and women to membership. They are not recognised by this Grand Lodge and intervisitation may not take place. There are, however, discussions from time to time with the women's Grand Lodges on matters of mutual concern. Brethren are therefore free to explain to non-Masons, if asked, that Freemasonry is not confined to men(even though this Grand Lodge does not itself admit women). Further information about these bodies may be obtained by writing to the Grand Secretary."

Indeed, there are now two bodies that admit both men and women, following a schism in the original.

The status of women within English Freemasonry is basically "regular, but not recognised" - there can never be intervisitation between the two, and all parties are happy with that.

Step across to the other side of the pond, and the situation is somewhat different. In the US, the idea of women's Freemasonry is somewhat frowned apon (in my experience). The more popular system is to have female-orientated appendant bodies, such as the Order of the Eastern Star. These bodies require at least one Master Mason to be present in order to open, although they are mostly made up of women.

However, these bodies are considered irregular by the United Grand Lodge of England, and members under the English Constitution are proscribed from having any involvement in such orders.

At the end of the day, the relationship between women and Freemasonry works very differently in various parts of the recognised Masonic world, and I doubt that there'll ever be any form of consolidation. It certainly provokes some strong feelings in some, with some violently opposed, whilst others strongly believing that all Masonic orders should admit women. I think that the current system in England works quite well, to be honest...

Rudeness, immaturity and bad behaviour

2008-12-21T16:20:00.000-08:00

As some of the people who read this blog will know, I am one of the administrators of a Masonic group on the social networking site Facebook. Through this, I've built up some friendships - both online, and "real world".

One such friend I've made is an American girl (of my age). She's very friendly, and very sweet-natured. She was in the International Order of the Rainbow for Girls (an American Masonic youth organisation) for a number of years, and still is to some extent.

Back when the group started, she expressed some curiosity in female Masonry (although not a desire to join). In England, there are two Grand Lodges exclusively for women, and two that are classed as "co-Masonry", admitting both men and women. So, she was directed towards some information on the subject, and she was very happy with having made a small advancement in knowledge.

Fast-forward almost two years, and she gets a message out of the blue from an English Mason older than myself or my two other admins. Although I don't have it word for word, it said something along the lines of "I see you were asking about female Masonry, and I think you've been asking the wrong crowd. The chaps involved in this group are very young, and don't know much about Freemasonry in general. I know some Lady Masons, and would be pleased to put you in touch with them, if you're interested in joining."

And so my friend was, understandably, a little upset by this. She'd had this e-mail out of the blue, from someone (who I'd previously met in person, and sat in lodge with) who was essentially insulting friends that she'd developed friendships with in the last two years. She got in contact with me, and told me what he said - suffice to say that I was absolutely horrified!

My friend sent him a message back, saying something along the lines of "thank you for your offer, but I'm not really interested, as I don't believe that women can be Freemasons [her opinion, not mine, I must add!]. Further, I think that you've been VERY rude, and I don't think that insulting your brothers behind their backs is rather un-Masonic".

When she told me what she had said, I thought that that would be the end of that. However, she got a message back, saying that he thought that she was the one being rude, and that he'd be contacting one of the other admins about what she'd said. Indeed, he did - and the admin he contacted enquired into the situation, and said something along the lines of "look, you're being completely unreasonable - you insulted me behind my back to a friend, and now you're expecting me to stick up for you. Apologise to her, and let it drop".

Yet, this chap refused to let it drop, sent a message back to my colleague and told him that he was through with the group, and that we could expect a "mass exodus" of people from it when he spread the word of how "badly" that we'd treated him (something that never came to pass).

I know that a lot of people can behave badly and immaturely, but this is the only incident which has truly made me ashamed to call someone "brother". I think that at the end of the day, I was just disappointed with someone who I could have considered a friend.

A valiant effort....

2008-12-20T14:08:00.000-08:00

There are two viruses that are affecting the UK at the moment - a strain of influenza, and the norovirus (often known as the "vomiting bug" - charming). Up until last night, I didn't know anyone who had really been affected by either.

Which brings me neatly onto the point that I'm going to make. Last night, I had the honour of once again visiting Kingswood School Lodge. I arrived, and twenty minutes before hand, it was revealed that almost all the line officers had come down with one or the other of these two viruses, with the exception of the Senior Warden.

So, the majority of the offices had to be filled with around twenty minutes notice. The lodge was doing a second degree, so brethren had to be found to explain the working tools of the degree, and the tracing board.

This was all topped off by a candidate who hadn't read the summons for several months, and had no clue that he was being passed that evening.

Yet, despite all of this bad luck, the ceremony actually went very well - the candidate had to be prompted for most of the questions and answers, but I've seen candidates who've known for months that they'll have to give such answers do exactly the same. The officers did admirably - a valiant effort for a difficult meeting. In my opinion, they gave a top-class passing to a candidate, with very little notice or preparation.

The explanation of the tracing board went very well, with a few factual additions being made. For example, in the English constitution, we are told that the two pillars described were made from brass. However, brass had not been invented at the time, and thus, the two pillars cannot have been made from that particular alloy, and would probably have been made from bronze instead. There were a few more such instances in the explanation.

What really made it a delight was that this was a lodge, pulling together at very short notice to do their best for a candidate. This, coupled with some extremely fine company made for a thoroughly enjoyable evening. My thanks to all concerned in the lodge!

Celebrating one year of Masonic blogging...

2008-12-19T03:02:00.000-08:00

One year ago today saw the birth of my first purely Masonic blog, Middle Chamber. Around seven months later, Middle Chamber changed its name to Rough Ashlar, as there was already another Masonic blog around called The Middle Chamber (which is very well written by Bro. Silence Dogood).

Anyway, as a brief celebration, I thought that I would mention what I consider to be some of the "best" postings that I've made in the last year or so. So here goes, in no particular order:

1) Gavel and Staff Consecration (from December 2007) - my account of the one and only lodge consecration ceremony that I've attended, and how very exciting it all was.

2) Secrecy or Openness? (from January 2008) - my views on whether English Freemasonry should be more open, and whether it is taking a step in the right direction - the answer to both was an overwhelming yes!

3) Freemasonry: An FAQ (from January 2008) - as it says on the tin, really.

4) At last, some good press... (from March 2008) - I muse over the presentation of Freemasonry in the newspapers and other forms of the press, with the realisation that it's not always bad press!

5) Leopold Mark and my Mark (from April 2008) - I enthuse about my entry into the Mark degree, why it was so enjoyable, and show off my Mark!

6) Lodge Rescue! (from April 2008) - the beginning of a very exciting process for me personally: the rescue of Tetragon Lodge.

7) Conspiracy Theorists (from June 2008) - musings on the inaccuracies of the false accusations made agains Freemasonry by conspiracy theorists.

8) Phille-Brook Chapter and the Royal Arch (from June 2008) - like my previous posting about the Mark, this one is me enthusing about my entry into the Royal Arch.

9) Middle Chamber becomes Rough Ashlar (from July 2008) - the blog's name-change and the reasons for the change. One of the landmarks of this blog.

10) A lost virtue...? (from July 2008) - I mourn the loss of one of the most important virtues in society - patience, and look at how Freemasonry can restore that in some young men.

11) The Distinguishing Characteristic (from July 2008) - musings on the importance of charity, and giving within one's own means.

12) The Craft, the Mark and the Arch (from July 2008) - I take a look at how all three degrees fit together, and why I believe that every brother should go into both the Mark and the Royal Arch.

13) Religion and Freemasonry (from July 2008) - examining the relationship between the two, and ridiculing the suggestion that Freemasonry is a religion.

14) Is Freemasonry relevant in the 21st Century? (from August 2008) - as it says on the tin, really!

15) What is too fast? (from October 2008) - an examination of whether some brothers are being pushed towards the East faster than they are ready for, and the motivations behind lodges that do so.

16) What a week! (from November 2008) - my account of the Installation ceremonies of Tetragon Lodge and Grey Friars Lodge, in which I was invested as Junior Warden and Junior Deacon respectively.

17) Breaking News: Recognition in North Carolina (from December 2008) - I (somewhat belatedly) announce the news of the recognition of the Prince Hall Grand Lodge in NC, and make my first major gaffe, claiming that MS was the first US Grand Lodge to afford Prince Hall recognition (whoops!)

18) The End of an Era (from December 2008) - a very brief retrospective of Lord Northampton's time as Pro Grand Master, following his final time presiding over the Quarterly Communications of the United Grand Lodge of England

19) The Start of Something Beautiful (from December 2008) - I talk, for the first time, about the events leading up to my initiation into Freemasonry, and about that event in particular.

Those nineteen posts are the ones that I consider to be the best that I've posted. Thank you to all my readers for reading this blog over the last year - please do stay tuned!

The Start of Something Beautiful

2008-12-18T08:27:00.000-08:00

I was recently looking through some of my old postings to this blog, and I came to realise that I've never actually talked about my own initiation, or how I came into Freemasonry.

In England, the "official" rules are that one has to be 21 in order to be initiated into Freemasonry. However, as I've alluded to in the past, Provincial/District/Metropolitan Grand Masters can grant special dispensation to initiate between the ages of 18 and 21.

Anyway, I first contemplated Freemasonry at the age of 16. Up until that point, I held no interest. However, one day, my Dad and I were up in London together, and had an hour or so to kill, so we went on the tour of the Library and Museum of Freemasonry and Freemasons' Hall (the HQ of the United Grand Lodge of England). From that moment, my interested had been grabbed - I knew I wanted to become a Freemason.

Skip forward two years, and my father had joined my school's old boys Lodge. I was just turning 18, and he invited a Past Master of the lodge to lunch with us one Sunday. This particular PM served as secretary of the lodge for many years, and by this point had become an Assistant Provincial Grand Master. After talking to me for a while over lunch, he agreed to be my seconder into Freemasonry, and wrote a letter to the Provincial Grand Master to ask for special dispensation for me to be initiated at the age of 18.

By the following June, still aged 18, the day of my initiation had come - the 9th June. I had been interviewed by the lodge committee, who thought that I would be a suitable candidate for initiation. I had no idea what was about to happen before I entered that room. Unlike some candidates, I hadn't been wound up - my Dad had reassured me that everyone in that room had been through what I was about to go through. The ceremony itself was painless and very enjoyable. There was a tremendous atmosphere of support from everyone in that room - some of whom I'd only met once (at the lodge's previous ladies' night - more on that later), or even never before.

Following the meeting, there was the traditional festive board, and I was sat between the Worshipful Master, and the Official Visitor of the lodge, appointed by the Province. It was going so well - until my father told me that I'd have to reply to a toast, 10 minutes beforehand! So, after 10 minutes of panic, I stood up and made my speech. In retrospect, making a speech to 40 or 50 people, most of whom were slightly tipsy, was hardly the hardest thing I'd ever done!

I had a fantastic evening, and it really was the start of something beautiful - my journey through Freemasonry, which I've thoroughly enjoyed ever since.

The Mentoring Scheme

2008-12-17T12:34:00.000-08:00

There has been a lot of buzz in English Freemasonry of late about a new scheme - that of the mentoring scheme.

In recent times, Lodges in England have been encouraged to appoint a lodge mentor. His job is to provide every new candidate in a lodge with a mentor, who will be there to answer questions and encourage the new member to visit other lodges, and to attain his daily advancement in Masonic knowledge.

Generally, mentors are Past Masters of the lodge - but they do not have to be. Whilst Past Masters are generally considered to have enough knowledge and time in Freemasonry to guide new members well, there are other brethren who have not been through King Solomon's Chair, who are also qualified. I'm very pleased that Grey Friars Lodge has the confidence in me to give me a mentee, who I took along to Tetragon Lodge, and have been quite happy to field questions from.

In my opinion, this, coupled with the Orator Scheme, can only be a good thing. It encourages Masonic education, and a deeper understanding of our institution - both the day-to-day workings, as well as an understanding of the meanings of our ceremonies.

I've heard that in the past, many members took a "holier-than-thou" approach to Freemasonry, and that new brethren were often told "you'll find out when you need to know", when asking a question. That is not how it should be - brethren should be able to get answers when a question is fielded, and that is what these two schemes are geared at.

However, even such a good idea has its downsides. For example, some lodges may appoint a brother who doesn't know the candidate at all. As a way to combat this, in my opinion, lodges should attempt to appoint the candidate's proposer as his mentor, if possible. Granted, sometimes his proposer may be a relatively new Freemason himself, and not have the required knowledge. In cases where a lodge has appointed a mentor not suited to the candidate, the candidate will often gravitate towards another brother with whom he has developed a natural bond. This is by no means a bad thing - in my opinion, one of the great things about Freemasonry is making bonds and building friendships.

This is part of English Freemasonry's attempt to make its new members more knowledgeable, and to make them feel a part of our institution from their first steps into it. The scheme's results are yet to be fully seen - but I can only imagine that the scheme will be beneficial to the Craft.

Pyramid Hugging (or: Esoteric Freemasonry)

2008-12-15T12:49:00.000-08:00

A while back, I was sitting in a car with two other brothers, on our way to a Lodge meeting outside of London. As we were driving along, the other two brethren started joking and laughing about "Pyramid huggers". At first, I had absolutely no clue what they were talking about. Obviously, I soon asked, and was told: "a Pyramid hugger is an esoterically inclined Freemason"

Whilst the two other brothers continued their jokes, I was left pondering two questions: "could I be considered a Pyramid hugger? If so, is this really a bad thing?". The first thing to consider is what esotericism is. The definition of esoteric as given in the Oxford English Dictionary is: "intended for or understood by only a small number of people with a specialised knowledge". Thinking slightly deeper, the conclusion that I quickly came to was that I do consider myself esoterically inclined, and that it is not necessarily a bad thing.

I have little doubt that when Freemasonry first started to boom, during the Enlightenment, it was an envirnoment where men swapped ideas about life, the universe and everything - particularly the deeper meanings of such. Indeed, a society that could boast such men as Voltaire, Elias Ashmole and Sir Robert Moray must have undoubtedly had some discussions of science and nature. Indeed, many early prominent members of Freemasonry were also prominent members of the Royal Society. Indeed, these men would have had such a specialised knowledge that comes about in the definition of "esotericism".

So, how does this translate to modern Freemasonry? Unfortunately, most Craft lodges seem to have lost their esoteric Enlightenment roots - ceremonies are performed, with many members not knowing the deeper meanings behind them. Indeed, I believe that esotericism in Freemasonry now is not necessarily to do with new and innovative thoughts in science, but the process of inner thought - deeper understanding of our ceremonies. This is what I strive for, and this is what I consider esoteric Freemasonry.

However, there is a limit for what can be done in the Craft Lodge, and those interested in esotericism must spread their wings further, and go into other orders, such as the Royal Arch, the Ancient and Accepted Rite, or into the Rosicrucian Societies. These orders, amongst others, all have a very strong spiritual inclination (from what I've heard), and the SRIA (Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia - a Rosicrucian society open only to Master Masons), are all heavily esoterically inclined, particularly the SRIA, which (I'm told), has a focus on research and spiritualism.

There are only a very small number of us who are esoterically inclined, but that's no problem. As I've said before, Freemasonry is many different things, to many different people. Those of us who are "Pyramid huggers" seem to have a tendancy to band together, and have informal discussions about the esoteric side of Freemasonry - long may it continue!

The end of an era

2008-12-13T18:07:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday afternoon, the M.W. Pro Grand Master, the Marquis of Northampton, presided over the Quarterly Communications of the United Grand Lodge of England, for the last time. It was announced that he would be stepping down, back in September. The contents of his speech can be read here.

Since becoming Pro Grand Master over seven years ago, Lord Northampton has changed the face of English Freemasonry. It has been through his actions that we have become more open, that the Freemasonry in the Community project has been implemented, and he oversaw the re-organisation of London, and thus the consecration of the Metropolitan Grand Lodge of London.

His tenure has seen the introduction of new offices within Grand Lodge, such as Grand Chancellor, Grand Orator and soon, Grand Mentor. His aims have been those of recruitment and retention - something which every Freemason should endeavour to do.

He has overseen many, many changes - most of which have been for the better, in my opinion. It would seem to me that the last seven years have been something of a turning point in English Freemasonry. Whilst lodges still continue to surrender their warrants or amalgamate, more men are coming into Freemasonry now, than there were seven years ago. I have little doubt that this is due to many of the innovations introduced by Lord Northampton.

I have a feeling that we are in very safe hands with his successor, R.W.Bro. Lowndes, and that he will continue the absolutely stirling work that Lord Northampton has put in over the last seven years.

Success!

2008-12-12T03:57:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday evening, the first meeting of Grey Friars since Installation was held - the new team of officers were performing a ceremony for the first time.

Yet, this was an exceptionally important meeting. Why? Well, we were initiating a candidate. Whilst all initiations are important, we were initiating the son of one of our Past Masters. Our candidate was around 40 years of age, having held no interest in Freemasonry for many years - until about six months ago. So naturally, we wanted to get it right, and have a good start to the year!

Suffice to say, it all went very well. As Junior Deacon, I was guiding our candidate around the room, and he was a brilliant candidate - very responsive and totally relaxed.

The Master did an admirable job, especially since it was his first time performing a ceremony, and has had problems with nerves in the past, although he now seems to have beaten them for good! The Senior Deacon gave the Charge to the Initiate, which went very well indeed, and the candidate's father presented him with the working tools of the degree, which was a nice, and very touching, moment.

As readers of Ben's blog, The Chequered Carpet, will already know, English Freemasonry is very big on dining after the meeting. Being our last meeting before Christmas, we had Christmas dinner - turkey, with all the trimmings, mince pies and christmas pudding! Wonderful! I had the pleasure of proposing the toast to the visitors, which was very well received, and very well responded to by a Past Master of another lodge.

All in all, a lovely evening, with a wonderful atmosphere.

A promotion in the Royal Arch!

2008-12-09T02:59:00.000-08:00

On Saturday evening, my Royal Arch Chapter held its final convocation of 2008. We had no candidate, and the only items on the agenda were to present me with my certificate from Supreme Grand Chapter, and the ordinary business of the Chapter.

Only eight of us showed up, two of whom were visitors. I quickly found myself acting as Principal Sojourner. Without a candidate to exalt, I hardly had much work to do!

At the end of the meeting, the senior PZ and the Secretary of the Chapter came up to me and asked me if I would be willing to take on the role of Principal Sojourner for the ensuing year. Although I know that there is a fair amount of work involved with the role, I had absolutely no hesitation in agreeing to take it on. For the benefit of those not in the Royal Arch (or for those who are in constitutions where it works differently), Principal Sojourner is an office that is a combination of Senior Deacon and Senior Warden. He guides the candidate around the Chapter in the same way that the Deacons do in the Craft. Like the Senior Warden does in a Craft lodge, he closes the Chapter. As a rough guide, the work of the PS is roughly the same length as the Charge to the Initiate in the Craft.

So if I know that the office is a lot of work, why did I agree to take on the role? Well, in my opinion, it is an absolutely lovely office. The dialogue between the PS and the three Principals of the Chapter is just beautiful in places. It will be a challenge, yet one that I will relish!

An apology!

2008-12-04T03:33:00.000-08:00

A error has been pointed out to me from my previous posting.

The MW Grand Lodge of Massachusetts was not the first jurisdiction to extend recognition to it's Prince Hall counterpart, but it was in fact, the MW Grand Lodge of Connecticut five years previously, in 1989. Evidently, the website where I sourced my information on PH recognition was wrong! Indeed, it would seem that between 1989 and 1994, nine other "mainstream" US Grand Lodges had recognised their Prince Hall counterparts.

My sincere apologies for this honest mistake.

My thanks to V.W.Bro. Charles Tirrell and to Revenant Builder for pointing out this error.

Breaking News: Recognition in North Carolina

2008-12-03T07:38:00.000-08:00

I was extremely pleased this morning when I opened up my e-mail inbox to see that someone had sent me a link to an article that was published over a week and a half ago in the Charlotte Observer, with regards to recognition between the two main Grand Lodges in Carolina.

I posted many months ago about the issues of recognition within regular Freemasonry. The issues are even more complex in the US, where most states have two Grand Lodges - the "standard" Grand Lodge, and the Prince Hall Grand Lodge. "What's the difference!?" I hear some of my English readers cry! Well, the Prince Hall Grand Lodges are made up of predominantly black men, whilst the "standard" ones are not. Why haven't they recognised each other before? Well, some states have been doing so for quite a while, but many have not. It all dates back to days where racism was prevalent, with segregation in place through much of the US.

However, that's all changing now - Grand Lodges started recognising Prince Hall GLs in the mid 1990s (1994, to be precise), when the United Grand Lodge of England restored recognition to the MW Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Massachusetts. Within a week, the "mainstream" Grand Lodge of Massachusetts had extended similar recognition. This has had a wonderful domino effect, and now 80% (41 states) of Grand Lodges in the US recognise their Prince Hall counterparts.

Which brings me quite nicely back to where I started this post. It would turn out that the Grand Lodge of North Carolina has recognised the MW Prince Hall Grand Lodge of North Carolina, which is of course, wonderful news! The MWPHGLoNC extended the same recognition to the GLoNC back in 2004. Reading the article, it seems that there are a few practical issues to work out (dress code etc.), but it's good news all round.

It is nice to see North Carolina becoming the 41st state to afford recognition to their Prince Hall counterpart, and I eagerly await to see what effect this will have on the remaining 10 states.

Masonic Tomes

2008-11-25T03:27:00.000-08:00

I woke up this morning to find that I had been invited to become a contributor to the Masonic Tomes blog, which, as far as I can tell, is an online Masonic book club, where brethren post reviews of books that they have read recently, and people can comment and discuss them. Anyway, on realising this, I set about writing my first review for the site - Masonically Speaking, by Yasha Beresiner. For the benefit of my regular readers, I have copied the review below:

I recently received this excellent book for my birthday, a week or so ago. Before I go into the book itself, I will first talk a bit about the author.

W.Bro. Yasha Beresiner is an extremely accomplished Freemason. He was initiated into the Craft in 1975. He is a Past Master of four Craft lodges, and is a Past Grand Standard Bearer of the UGLE, a Past Senior Grand Warden of the Regular Grand Lodge of Italy and a Past Senior Grand Warden of the Grand Lodge of the State of Israel. His accomplishments don't end there - he is a member of the Holy Royal Arch, the Mark, the Royal Ark Mariners, Royal and Select Masters, the Order of the Secret Monitor, the Operatives, the August Order of Light, and the Ancient and Accepted Rite (the latter being in Belgium).

So, one would imagine that when it comes to Masonic speaking, W.Bro. Beresiner knows a thing or two! The book itself is full of great tips about how to give a good speach, lecture or a reply to a toast, with an obvious focus on the setting. Beresiner's wit makes it a thoroughly easy read, and at 125 pages, the book is not a slog, by any means. Beresiner also provides a large number of witty anecdotes and jokes that one can add into his speech or response, some of which are well known, whilst others are not.

An added bonus (albeit a very useful one) are the appendices. These list the modes of addressing people (and not just Masons - people like the Queen and the Duchess of York) are included, as well as a comprehensive list of what Masonic titles are afforded, and to whom (basically, when a Brother goes from being Bro. to W.Bro. or even to V.W.Bro, R.W.Bro and M.W.Bro!). Finally, there is a UGLE toast list. Whilst this is available in numerous other publications, and on the internet, it's always useful to have another copy.

All in all, this is a superb book, and well worth the £9.99 RRP.

What a week!

2008-11-12T15:18:00.000-08:00

You may be looking at the title of this post, and thinking "week!?!? But it's only Wednesday!".

Well, you'd be right in that sense. However, the last few days have been some of the most important in the Masonic year for me. Indeed, I have no more Masonic business this week. Yet, two of my lodges have held installations this week.

The first of these was Tetragon Lodge, of which I became Junior Warden of on Monday night. Those of you who read this blog on a regular, or even a semi-regular basis will be aware that ten of us joined Tetragon Lodge back in April to prevent them from handing back their warrant. What a turn-around it has been for the lodge since then! Monday night saw a Past Master of Apollo University Lodge installed into the Master's Chair in the presence of the RW Assistant Grand Master, David Williamson. There were over fifty brethren in attendance, which I'm told is the largest number to have attended Tetragon in over twenty years. They came from far and wide - from Berkshire to Essex, from Hampshire to Cambridgeshire. The atmosphere was positively electric.

The second was tonight - the installation of Grey Friars. Grey Friars has recently been officially accepted into the Universities Scheme, and holds responsibility for Reading. I consider it a great privilege that I was invested with the office of Junior Deacon for the coming year - a job that I hold to be a very important one, guiding candidates round the lodge on their initiation. It will be an exciting year, particularly as the next meeting is an initation. Like Monday, tonight's meeting had an absolutely brilliant atmosphere.

Suffice to say that I think that both lodges have very promising years up ahead - plenty of new members coming into both, and both lodges entering new eras. I'm very proud to be a part of both of them.

What is too fast?

2008-10-30T05:23:00.000-07:00

Are our brethren being rushed through the offices in some lodges because said lodges are having numbers problems?

It would seem that this is indeed the case in some lodges. A good friend of mine was initiated just over a year and a half ago, and raised earlier this year. It was his lodge's installation meeting a couple of weeks ago, and he was invested as Junior Deacon and Assistant Secretary.

Whilst this is fair enough in itself (although he never did a year as a Steward or as Inner Guard), what nearly made my eyes pop out of my head is that the Secretary of the lodge wants to retire, and is keen to push this young brother through as soon as possible, and suggested that he could be Junior Warden next year, and then Worshipful Master the year after. This really is progression at light-speed!

However, this brother does not want to do this - he has a young family to look after, as well as some problems with work, and he just does not have the time to learn all the work for the chair in such a short period of time. He said that he had trouble learning just two paragraphs from the Second Degree tracing board recently, just because of the pressures at home and at work. He has told me, and has said that he'll be telling his lodge, that he'd much rather go on the conventional route (Junior Deacon, Senior Deacon, Junior Warden, Senior Warden and THEN Worshipful Master), so that he'll be able to do the best job he can when he finally goes in the big chair. Good on him, is what I say to that! I'm sure that in this case, another Past Master can be found to fill in the Secretary's position for a couple of years, whilst this brother goes through all the chairs.

I'm absolutely sure that this isn't the only case in which this happens - I'm sure that it happens in lodges all over the country. Whilst some brethren may be both willing and able to do it, others may not be. The danger of this is that with the latter category, the brethren in question may feel pressured into it, be unable to cope, and then be lost to their lodge in particular and the craft in general.

However, as I said - some brethren may feel able, and indeed be able, to do this, and this should not put lodges off offering "fast-tracking", in my opinion. It is, however, their responsibility to make it clear to such brethren that this is not the only option available, and that they'd be quite happy for them to go through the chairs at the normal pace, too.

What I'm saying is let's think of what would be best for our brethren, rather than what's necessarily best for the lodge. Indeed, they may often be the same thing - better to let a brother go through at his own pace and to have to recycle Past Masters for a few years, than to lose a brother who's been pushed into something that he doesn't particularly want to do.

Missing, presumed in... erm, academia!?!?

2008-10-28T09:53:00.000-07:00

I know that I have time and time again taken leaves of absence from writing this blog, for one reason or another.

It seems slightly ironic to me that one of my most prolific periods of posting in recent times was during the summer recess! However, as the Masonic season has begun again, I find myself rather busy.

Yet, not really with Masonic things (meetings, LOIs, committee meetings) etc., but with the other part of my life - my degree. Whilst I've been to a few meetings this year, I'm going to be cutting down quite severely. I'm now in my forth week back at university, and in my third and final year of my BA.

Over the next year, I have essays, I have a long dissertation to write, and I have finals to prepare for. In addition, I'm applying for postgrad (indeed, the first application went in last week).

So whilst I will post the occasional blog, and still go the meetings of my own Masonic lodges/chapter, my visiting will be severely cut-down - only the odd visit here and there, to keep in touch with good friends. I'll still read all the other blogs that I do (see the list to the right!), and I am contactable via e-mail, should anyone wish to do so.

The next blog-post from me will undoubtably be after the next Tetragon meeting (10th Nov).

Another retirement announced!

2008-10-05T15:12:00.000-07:00

This one seems to have slipped mostly under the radar, so I believe I may have a blog-sphere first on this one...

It has been announced that on 26th February 2009, R.W.Bro. The Rt Hon Lord Millett will be stepping down as both Metropolitan Grand Master and Metropolitan Grand Superintendant. Somewhat unsurprisingly, the Grand Master has chosen to succeed him R.W.Bro. Russell Race PJGW, who has been Deputy Metropolitan Grand Master and Deputy Metropolitan Grand Superintendant for the last six years, since the inauguration of Metropolitan Grand Lodge and Metropolitan Grand Chapter.

R.W.Bro. Lord Millett has done a fantastic job at getting both the Metropolitan Grand Lodge of London and the Metropolitan Grand Chapter up and running over the last six years, and he has been very ably aided by R.W.Bro. Race.

I asked the question a few days ago about Lord Northampton's successor - will much change? And I give the same answer with regards to the change of leadership in London: probably not. R.W.Bro. Race has been involved in the running of London from day one, and has doubtlessly been a source of advice to Lord Millett during his tenure as Metropolitan Grand Master. There is a reason why the Grand Master has chosen him as Lord Millet's replacement. Further, there is little doubt that R.W.Bro. Race will be a dynamic and foreward thinking MetGM and MetGSupt, and that MetGL and MetGChap will continue to evolve under his leadership.

Qutie frankly, it's an exciting time to be a London Mason, and I wish Lord Millett all the best for the future, and I wish the best of luck to R.W.Bro. Race.

The wonders of the internet

2008-10-04T14:57:00.000-07:00

The internet is a strange and wonderful thing.

A few weeks ago, I was visiting South Africa Lodge, meeting at Freemasons' Hall, London. I had been invited by a brother whom I had originally met over the internet.

Anyway, prior to the meeting, myself and a couple of friends were sitting in the pub across the road. It was the day of Quarterly Communications, and there were a LOT of Masons in the pub with us. The three of us were sitting at the table, and a man comes up and asks if he can join us, explaining that we're the group closest to his own age! Anyway, we get talking and it turns out that he's a member of a lodge in North Wales, who was down to London on business. He'd hoped to go on the tour of the Grand Temple, but the tour wasn't operating, due to the meeting of Grand Lodge.

However, we invited him to join us at the meeting - one of us lent him a pair of gloves, another a black tie, and one of us even had a spare apron! He came along, and thoroughly enjoyed himself, I hope. Of course, he didn't stay for the festive board - but neither did I.

We had another drink afterwards, and it turns out that he is a reader of this blog! How small the world is. Anyway, the main point of this entire post is to say - if you're reading this, get in touch! :)

Lord Northampton to retire!

2008-10-02T13:22:00.000-07:00

Okay, yes I know, the news of this broke weeks ago!

However, there are still things left to be said, in my opinion. At the last Quarterly Communications of the United Grand Lodge of England, the Marquess of Northampton announced his intention to retire as Pro Grand Master of the UGLE, with effect from next year's annual investiture. He will be replaced by the Deputy Grand Master, R.W.Bro. Peter Lowndes, who will be replaced in turn by the current Grand Director of Ceremonies, R.W.Bro. Jonathan Spence.

Looking around the internet (in particular on some forums), one would think that this was heralding the end of the world! Some brethren have even asked "is there anything that we can do to persuade him to stay on for a bit?". Personally, I believe that Lord Northampton has been a very capable leader of the UGLE for the past seven years (eight by the time he retires), and has made huge strides in changing the way that Freemasonry is thought of by the general public. His leadership has been a good thing for Freemasonry in general, and of course it's something to be celebrated.

However, to ask if there's anything that we can do "to persuade him to stay on" is to somewhat denigrate his successor-designate. R.W.Bro Lowndes has been chosen by the Grand Master to be his Pro, because he is the person most suitable for the job. I sincerely doubt that he will take the UGLE back to where it was fourty years ago. Although he has some big shoes to fill, he will be backed up by a very strong team of rulers (including the new DepGM, the AGM and all the ProvGMs) who will give him an incredible level of support.

There are exciting times ahead!

I'm Back!

2008-10-02T13:07:00.000-07:00

After a prolonged absence that involved my old laptop breaking (in more ways than one), and a heavy workload with my job, I am back for now! I will be posting a few things over the next couple of days that I've completely missed the boat on, but that I still feel are of interest.

Stay Tuned! :)

Is Freemasonry relevant in the 21st Century?

2008-08-25T04:09:00.000-07:00

As some of my readers may or may not already know, I am a huge Doctor Who fan, and I frequent many online Doctor Who forums. Like many internet forums dedicated to certain things (be they TV programmes, music or whatever), most of them have areas to discuss other issues.

I noticed on one such forum in their "General Debate and Discussion" area, there was a thread entitled "Is there any place for Masons in 2008?". Bad grammar of the question aside, I was most interested to read what people were saying about it. The originator of the thread seemed to be one of the types who readily subscribed to conspiracy theories, so I quickly ignored whatever he had to say about the matter, and moved on to what others said.

It was particularly interesting to see many people saying "oh, they're a social club much like the Lions or the Rotary, with specific interests in charity". As anyone who reads this blog regularly will know, I believe that Freemasonry is far more than just another social club. It was quite nice to see one chap from Louisiana say: "my father was a Mason and I can honestly say that the stories that circulate about them are just smoke from those who are either jealous of them for some reason or just don't understand them." Although this poster seemed to have hit the nail on the head, in my opinion, the discussion never really stuck to the point.

So, back to the main question - is Freemasonry relevant in the twenty-first century? My answer, is of course, a resounding YES! "But why!?" I hear you cry.

I cannot talk for America, but in Britain, look at the social atmosphere - an increase in violent conduct, a general lack of respect for anyone or anything. It seems to me that society is, to an extent, breaking down. Freemasonry not only provides a moral code to those who join, but also has an order - one that can be applied to everyday life, if one so desires. In addition to this, research has shown that the advent of websites such as Facebook and MySpace, one can pick up friends in an instant, and lose them just as quickly. Apparently, friendship doesn't mean as much as it used to! Membership of Freemasonry allows one to be part of a fraternity - something that transcends friendship and goes further.

Is it thus any surprise, that membership seems to be picking up in the later half of the first decade of the twenty-first century (certainly in comparison with the 1990s)? It certainly seems more and more attractive to younger men (I cannot talk for the female Grand Lodges, as I have no clue on their intake of younger women). In my humble opinion, Freemasonry has more of a place in the early part of the 21st Century than it had for the last few decades of the 20th.

Religion and Freemasonry

2008-07-28T16:23:00.001-07:00

I was having a discussion with a non-Masonic friend of mine who, having been inspired by some film or another, had been reading about Freemasonry, including the Royal Arch.

What she hadn't realised was that the stories behind both the Craft and the Royal Arch are, in fact, a Biblical stories. The story behind the Royal Arch can be found in the books of Ezra, Haggai and Nehemiah in the Old Testament. When I freely told her that this is so, I got the classic "so Freemasonry's a religion?". Obviously, the answer was a resounding "no", and I went on to explain that it has its basis in religion, and that the stories have their moral lessons based around certain Biblical stories.

The notion that "Freemasonry is a religion" is an argument used by anti-Masons time and time again - one that I found when a complete stranger noticed my ring whilst I was drinking in a pub and started laying into me over it. The "religion" suggestion is often coupled the claim that "the name of the Masonic god" is revealed in the Royal Arch ceremony, or one of the other side degrees. Suffice to say that there is no Masonic god, and it is due to this that its name cannot be revealed in the Royal Arch, or in any other ceremony!

The statement posted by the United Grand Lodge of England is fairly self-explanatory:

"Freemasonry is not a religion, nor is it a substitute for religion. It demands of its members a belief in a Supreme Being but provides no system of faith of its own.

Freemasonry is open to men of all religious faiths. The discussion of religion at its meetings is forbidden."

Indeed, there is even a part of the first degree where it is emphasised that Freemasonry should not ever interfere with one's religious or civil duties - one is free to carry on practising whatever religion he believes in, whether it be Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism or even the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster. In addition to this, I would like to add that in my opinion, Freemasonry merely supplements religion by re-emphasising many of the ideals and moral lessons that are common to almost all religions, such as supporting your fellow man, no matter whether he be a prince or a pauper.

Whilst it is true that Craft Freemasonry, the Royal Arch, and many of the other side degrees are open to men of all faiths, there are some orders that are open only to Christians - the Ancient & Accepted Rite (commonly known as "Rose Croix"), for example. Yet again, if Freemasonry were a religion, why would there be a Christian requirement on these orders? It makes little sense!

So, whatever one may hear from the anti-Masons (on the internet, or even down the pub!), Freemasonry is not a religion, nor could it ever be considered as such.

The Craft, the Mark and the Arch

2008-07-20T11:46:00.000-07:00

Just over a week ago, I wrote a guest editorial for Ben Rowe's blog, Chequered Carpet, on the importance of the Royal Arch.

What I didn't mention was the fact that I consider the Mark also vitally important to any Mason's advancement in Masonic knowledge. Over on Chequered Carpet, I put the situation quite simply that the Mark can be considered as the continuation of the second degree, and that the Royal Arch is widely considered to be the continuation of the third degree and more.

However, I cannot help but feel that this does both somewhat of a disservice. The Mark is so much more than just "the continuation of the second degree". The degree itself has many different messages, but the most important message that it imparts is that no man is beyond redemption, and that the possibility of distinction is open to all.

The Mark itself is somewhat lost in the English system. In the majority of other constitutions, it is normal, if not compulsory, to take the Mark before the Royal Arch. This is the case in Scotland, Ireland and the USA. The reasons for this are grounded within Masonic politics, and are far too long to be included in this posting. However, it seems daft to me that there isn't more interest in the Mark, given its status in other constitutions.

Although there is nothing in the Royal Arch (as worked in England & Wales) that requires knowledge of the Mark, there is one small thing that makes slightly more sense if one has joined the Mark first (I won't go into it, for fear of spoiling it).

However, this isn't the real reason that I feel that one should go into both the Mark and the Royal Arch. Like the Royal Arch, the Mark is one of the "Solomonic" degrees. Combined with the three Craft degrees (sometimes referred as "Blue Lodge degrees"), these two additional degrees tell a story, one which culminates in the Royal Arch. Whilst the Royal Arch is the culmination of the Solomonic degrees, it takes place much later than the third Craft degree (whilst the Mark comes between the second and the third, in terms of narrative). Quite frankly, without both the Mark and the Royal Arch, one is not a complete Mason, in my opinion.

The Origins of Freemasonry...?

2008-07-15T13:40:00.000-07:00

It is always interesting to read different theories on the Origins of Freemasonry - something that I've found myself doing a lot, as I do research for my dissertation, hoping to come across some more thought on 18th Century Freemasonry.

What most of these theories seem to have in common is that they are exactly that - theories. There is very little that can actually be proven prior to 1717. Some of them are quite practical and believable - such as the idea that Freemasonry was simply an evolution from the operative Stonemasonry guilds.

However, there are some theories that are incredibly outlandish, such as the one put forward by Robert Lomas and Christopher Knight in The Hiram Key. This theory suggests that Freemasonry came to the modern era essentially starting in Ancient Egypt as a king-making ceremony, and was passed down via Jewish mystery cults, onto Jesus, onto the Knights Templar and finally to the modern era. Whilst this may seem like the sort of idea that Dan Brown may come up with, there their suggestion is vaguely plausible. However, the lack of any sort of real evidence means that, of course, what they suggest can never be proven, and their thesis would certainly be laughed at in academic circles.

That is exactly the problem with these theories, no matter how sensible or outlandish they may seem. For all we know, Freemasonry may have began on the planet Zog in the 231st century B.C. Certainly the theory that I just made up is a lot less likely than any serious suggestions put forward than any theory already put forward , there is just as much hard evidence to prove this as to prove that Freemasonry has its origins in, say, an Ancient Egyptian king-making ceremony.

Whilst there is a lot of fun in theorising as to the origins of Freemasonry, it is my opinion that Freemasonry cannot be studied in a truely academic light before 1650 at the very earliest, with the establishment in the first Grand Lodge in 1717 being the first real landmark in its established history. It is also my opinion that this early period in the history of Freemasonry is one of the most interesting - how it developed from a series of disparate lodges into the huge fraternity that it is today.

I've written a guest editorial!

2008-07-11T02:50:00.001-07:00

I'm happy to announce that I've written a fairly short guest editorial on the Royal Arch for Bro. Ben Rowe's blog, the Chequered Carpet. Check it out here.

Chari-dee Festivals!

2008-07-09T11:31:00.000-07:00

Following my last blog, in which I talked about Masonic Charity, fellow Masonic blogger Justa Mason asked what exactly the Charity Festivals are and what they're for.

Quite a while back, I blogged about the four Masonic Charities that we have in the UK - namely the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institute, the Masonic Samaritan Fund, the Royal Masonic Trust for Boys and Girls and the Grand Charity. Each of these charities need supporting in some way, and two of them (the RMBI and the RMTBG) are supported through annual festivals.

Every Province that comes under the UGLE holds a festival roughly once every ten years. With each festival, there is a target of how much the Province should raise. Each Lodge is given a minimum target, for which they will get some sort of trinket. If they fail to reach this target, the Provincial Grand Master will be very unhappy with the lodge. There are two further steps in most Provinces - the silver and gold awards, for which the lodge gets some sort of further trinket in recognition, such as a commerorative alms bag or alms plate.

Individual members who contribute sums of money towards each festival will often be entitled to wear a Festival Jewel, such as the one pictured, which is the jewel for the Surrey 2008 Festival, which was in support of the Royal Masonic Trust for Boys and Girls. Some brethren delight in wearing their Festival Jewels on their right breast, whilst others see it as showing off how much they've donated and refuse to wear theirs. Although I am in possession of a Surrey 2008 Jewel, I only occasionally wear it, when I feel that it is warranted. However, some Provinces don't have Festival Jewels for every festival. For example, Berkshire doesn't have one for it's 2011 Festival (in aid of the RMBI). Why? Well, I've been told that our Provincial Grand Master believes exactly as I've already suggested - Festival Jewels often become a way of brethren to "show off" how much money they've donated.

The Provinces generally announce the festivals around six years before the festival is due to end, giving lodges around four years to raise money on behalf of whatever charities that they desire before focusing on the next festival.

Both the RMBI and the RMTBG are fantastic charities that deserve our full support. However, I feel that although the festivals are great in principle, they unfortunately create an atmosphere of severe competition and rivalry between some lodges, whilst making other lodges ashamed and embarassed, even resorting to desperate measures, when it looks like they may not reach their target (as alluded to in my previous post). However, this is the one downside to such a scheme, and the principle behind it is one that I personally feel that nobody can fault.

Yet, despite the downsides, the festivals encourage brethren to do some pretty incredible things in the name of charity that constitute huge personal achievements. From one brother asking people to sponsor him to lose weight, to the DC of my mother lodge running the London Marathon for charity. Our Provincial Grand Master in Surrey jumped out of a plane (attached to a parachute, obviously!) in order to raise funds.

Whilst I may have my misgivings about the overriding focus occasionally placed on charity, and the way in which some lodges may go about raising monies for charity, I am actually a huge supporter of the festivals and continue to support them.

The Distinguishing Characteristic

2008-07-08T12:16:00.000-07:00

In the first degree of Freemasonry, we are told that the distinguishing characteristic of a Freemason's heart is Charity. Indeed, Freemasonry is one of the most charitable institutions in the world.

The letters page of the latest edition of Freemasonry Today contains an interesting letter, entitled What is the Central Purpose, as a response to the article of the same title in the previous issue of the journal. Whilst some may suggest that Bro. Wyatt is going against the spirit of Freemasonry, I can't help but wonder if, to a certain extent, he is correct.

I recently heard a good friend of mine give his inaugural speech when he went into the chair of one of his lodges. He said that what really marks Freemasonry out from Rotary or the Lions is not our charitable contributions, nor the fellowship within the Craft, but the ritual. This is, in my opinion, THE most important thing about Freemasonry.

Yet, I can't help but feel that the emphasis in this day and age within Freemasonry is being placed more and more on charity, with increased pressure being placed on lodges to meet targets for fundraising. I am fortunate enough to be in three lodges that are relatively rich. However, some lodges are feeling the pinch. Indeed, one lodge I visited back in January was so far behind its target (with a few years remaining before it has to reach its target) that the Charity Steward placed a £5 "tax" on cutlery at the festive board, which even extended to guests. Surely such desperate acts go against what we are told in our ritual, which suggests that we should all give to charity, within our means? As a student, I had a budget for that evening - having already paid for my dinner, the fact that that lodge charged me £5 for cutlery meant that I was unable to afford to purchase raffle tickets that evening. The end result? The lodge got no more money out of me than it would have anyway.

Certainly, the targets placed on lodges aren't necessarily unreasonable. Certainly not when lodges are going strong - my mother lodge, King's College School Lodge, ended up with the Silver award for the Surrey 2008 festival, whilst Grey Friars is well on the way to its Gold award for the Berkshire 2011 festival. Yet, some lodges do struggle to reach these targets, for whatever reason, and as already described, some even resort to desperate measures!

Yes, the distinguishing characteristic of a Freemason's heart is charity, but there are more ways to show this than simply monetary donations. Whilst I do believe that Freemasonry should continue to give large amounts of money to charity, I feel that it should not be the main focus of our brotherhood.

Non-Masonic: My Other Blog

2008-07-08T03:58:00.001-07:00

As some readers of this blog will know, I am an avid fan of the long-running television series Doctor Who. I have recently started re-watching the series from the very first episode (originally aired in November 1963) and I'm blogging on it as I go along on a dedicated blog, entitled There Are Worlds Out There...

Normal (Masonic) service will be resumed on this blog shortly!

A lost virtue...?

2008-07-08T01:45:00.001-07:00

Back in antiquity, the Ancient Greeks were able to recite huge passages of Homer without error. Yet, you ask the average man in the street to recite anything and he is unable to. Like the Ancient Greeks did with Homer, Freemasonry requires men to learn (sometimes) huge passages of ritual for recitation in lodge - one almost lost art that only the Thespian world and Freemasonry seem to have retained.

However, this got me thinking. Freemasonry retains many traditions that have been lost over the last few centuries. Masons dress in dark suits or morning dress for meetings. There are formal toasts at every meal. Some of the language of the ritual (particularly the older rituals, such as Emulation and Stability) can be pretty archaic.

Yet, Freemasonry reminds us of one of the most important virtues than man can possess. This virtue seems to have been lost in the twenty-first century, where (particularly in the western world) virtually everything is available on demand. One can view almost any film at a touch of a button, or download whatever bit of music he wishes from the internet. Indeed, one of the biggest frustrations seems to be when something is yet to be produced! To quote the great Freddie Mercury: "I want it all, and I want it now!" Of course, the virtue that I'm referring to is patience.

When my father was initiated, it was around fifteen years for him to get to the Chair of King Soloman and become Master of his lodge. Indeed, it took him three years between initiation and raising (being in London, his mother lodge only meets four times a year). Certainly, the wait is a lot shorter for most now (on average, it'll be around seven years before reaching the chair). However, when one thinks about it, this is still a long time! Patience is undoubtedly something that one can gain from Freemasonry. Indeed, even the process between first approaching someone to join and being initiated can take its time - I first started discussions about it a year before I was initiated. It took eight months before I went in front of the Lodge Committee, and then a further four months until my initiation.

Freemasonry teaches us many things, both within the ritual and outside of it. Patience is hardly mentioned within the ritual of the Craft (if at all), and yet I believe that it is one of the most important lessons that the twenty-first century man can learn from Freemasonry.

The Orator Scheme

2008-07-06T21:45:00.000-07:00

When reading through the latest edition of Freemasonry Today, I came across this article, which discusses the Orator Scheme that Grand Lodge have recently put into practise.

Although Grand Lodge passed the resolution on the 12th March of this year, Berkshire has had an informal Provincial Orator for the last year ("piloting" the scheme in the Province), and he will be formally invested by the Provincial Grand Master as Provincial Grand Orator in September. Likewise, I recently found out that my seconder into Freemasonry is to be appointed as Provincial Grand Orator of Surrey, also in September. I was lucky enough to hear one of the orations on the second degree back in January of this year.

However, I do feel that perhaps this has hallmarked an end of an era in Freemasonry. The introduction of this scheme suggests to me that the dissemination of knowledge and the process of learning through Lodges of Instruction has come to an end. LOIs have undoubtedly been in decline over the last ten years (or perhaps even longer), and many have been reduced to occasional classes of rehearsal. Consequently, this has resulted in the symbolism of Freemasonry no longer necessarily being explained to the "younger" brethren (a category in which I include myself), unless they ask (which, in my opinion, should not be necessary). This can by no means be blamed on Grand Lodge or Provincial Grand Lodge, but on the society in which we live - where people don't have time to go to a weekly Lodge of Instruction, with the modern demands of work and family.

In such a climate, I think that the introduction of the Grand Orator and Provinicial Grand Orators is a fantastic idea. Further knowledge and retrospective on each of the ceremonies is, in my opinion, a necessity to all. When brethren cannot attend LOIs (or indeed, where it is becoming increasingly difficult to hold LOIs), it makes perfect sense to be able to have someone come along to explain the symbolism of each degree when possible. I personally look forward to hearing orations on the first and third degrees.

Centenary: The Order of Women Freemasons

2008-07-04T13:04:00.000-07:00

On Saturday 14th June, we held an emergency meeting of Tetragon Lodge (which I had previously blogged about). We were due to dine at the Prince of Wales, but they had unfortunately double-booked us, so we were forced to dine elsewhere. So, we went across the road from Freemasons' Hall, to Wolfe's, a restaurant that has strong links with Grand Lodge, for an informal lunch instead of a full Festive Board.

Although this was very unfortunate (as I particularly enjoy the Festive Board), it leads me onto an interesting point. Taking up the function room at Wolfe's were a group of Lady Masons, who had been to visit the Library and Museum of Freemasonry, as the UGLE had put on a display to commemorate the Centenary of the Order of Women Freemasons.

The Order of Women Freemasons was founded in 1908 as an offshoot of one of the Co-Masonry movements, as they wanted to return to the principles and precepts practised by the UGLE. Although initially comprised of both male and female Masons, the male members were gradually phased-out, and the OWF became exclusively female in 1935. Over time, the Order has brought in many of the various side orders that are practised in male-Freemasonry, such as the Royal Arch and the Mark (a complete list is available here).

One hundred years on, there are over 300 lodges belonging to the OWF, comprising of over 7500 members. The OWF currently has cordial relations with the UGLE, whom (I'm told) consider the OWF regular, but not recognised (so although the OWF is regular in practise, no inter-visitation can take place). Indeed, I'm told that their Centenary celebration was an open meeting at the Royal Albert Hall, and there were representatives from the UGLE present.

The ladies we met in Wolfe's were absolutely charming. It really is good to see this order gaining some kudos, and I sincerely hope that it will continue to grow.

Middle Chamber becomes Rough Ashlar

2008-07-04T10:37:00.000-07:00

I recently blogged about Ben Rowe changing the title and location of his blog. Now, I have followed suit?

Why? Well, the main reason is that there was already another blog entitled "The Middle Chamber", the author of which is a great deal more succinct than I am in his postings. To avoid confusion, it seemed sensible for a change of name.

So, why "Rough Ashlar"?

When considering names for this blog, two names sprung to mind immediately. The first one, and the one that I liked the sound of the most was "Sanctum Sanctorum". However, that had already been taken. The second, "Rough Ashlar" already existed, although the author had only posted a test post back in 2005. Seemed like a good name to take, in that case. The name has Masonic symbolism behind it - the rough ashlar being representative of a young man, who will eventually become a "perfect ashlar" through learning and education. To me, no man will ever entirely become that perfect ashlar, as there is always more to learn and to gain understanding of. Since my blog is based on my thoughts and musings on Freemasonry as I learn more and more about it, "Rough Ashlar" seemed appropriate for the new title of my blog.

What's to come?

In the near future, there will be a design-change (as I'm rather bored of the current one), and hopefully a few guest editorials.

I'm looking forward to posting more over the next few days.

The Summer Recess

2008-07-01T09:12:00.000-07:00

Under the United Grand Lodge of England, a great deal of lodges don't operate in the Summer, and "go dark" for a few months. I'm told that this happens in most other constitutions, too.

However, there are some lodges that operate 12 months a year (I'm told that they're mostly in the North of England), and some lodges that are exclusively Summer lodges. Indeed, a lodge that my father used to belong to in Buckinghamshire had a daughter lodge that was exclusively a Summer lodge.

Anyway, the result of this is that my Masonic activity is somewhat cut-down over the Summer period. So, what'll I be doing with my time?

Well, I'm going to continue contributing to this blog. I've also got myself a job, I've got my dissertation research to do (which will undoubtedly bring up some interesting information, which I will blog about.

Finally, I've started going to the gym. Well, I've got to loose some of the weight that I've put on through festive boards and the post-festive board drinking!

Middlesex Fire is gone!

2008-07-01T09:01:00.000-07:00

As I've mentioned in a great deal of my other posts, a good friend of mine, Bro. Ben Rowe, writes a blog, which was entitled Middlesex Fire.

However, I came online today to see that it was gone, with a message to say that it is no more! Yet, this does not mean that Ben has stopped blogging. He has moved his blogging activities (and all the old posts) to the swish-looking "The Chequered Carpet".

Why, I asked? Well, on reading it, it seems that Ben felt that the name "Middlesex Fire" was no longer appropriate. Having been a member of a Middlesex Lodge when he started writing it, it made perfect sense. Now, he is no longer "just" a Middlesex Mason. Although he has retained membership of his mother lodge in Middlesex, he has also joined a lodge in Berkshire and in London. Good on him!

I look forward to reading his ramblings and thoughts, and we should both be writing guest editorials for each other at some point in the near future.

Provincial Grand Mark

2008-06-20T00:49:00.001-07:00

Shortly after I was Advanced into the Mark, a letter arrived in the post. Quite surprisingly, it was from the (Mark) Provincial Grand Secretary, on behalf of the (Mark) Provincial Grand Master, welcoming me into the Mark, and inviting me to the annual Provincial Grand Mark meeting. I didn't get this in the Craft, I mumbled!

What started out as a thoroughly nice gesture ended up as a thoroughly enjoyable evening. The full exec of the Berks Craft were there, some of whom were receiving active rank within the Mark. As with any Provincial/Metropolitan/Grand meeting in every Masonic order, the officers for the forthcoming year were invested.

Then, was the part I wasn't expecting. The fourteen of us present who had been advanced in the past year (there were twenty nine in the province in total) were called out into the middle of the lodge, where we were introduced to the Provincial Grand Master, who gave us a collectable Mark token and a voucher for a free drink at the bar! Again, another very nice gesture.

As with almost every meeting I've been to, the festive board was thoroughly enjoyable, and I was sat with the brethren of Leopold who attended (a sadly small number). However, the atmosphere was positively electric - very very friendly indeed, very welcoming.

In short, the Mark has turned out to be very, very fun and very friendly. I can tell already that this is an order that I am going to enjoy, and I just think that it's a shame that it's not part of the system in England and Wales in the way that it is in other parts of the world (more on that another time!)

Hampton Court Palace Flower Show

2008-06-10T07:22:00.000-07:00

From the UGLE website:

Hampton Court Palace Flower Show

8th - 13th July 2008

The Middlesex Province is proud to announce that it has been accepted by the Royal Horticultural Society as an exhibitor at this years show in the small gardens section.

The garden is called “On the Square” and is under the direction of W Bro’s George Souter and Terry Baker whose main objective is to promote Freemasonry in the community. The appointed designers are Hazeldean Beard & Hazeldean who have previously entered this prestigious flower show and were awarded silver gilt status. We are certain that all Freemason’s will find this garden of special interest and will want to discover all the symbolic features that are included in the design.

Middlesex Province is fortunate that our surrounding Provinces have offered both financial and manning support and we are very grateful to them.

The Royal Horticultural Society who stages the flower show at Hampton Court Palace is the largest flower show in the World attracting more than 200k visitors each year. We recommend that each Lodge encourages all their green fingered members to make up a party and spend a great day out at Hampton Court. Pre-booking of admission tickets can be obtained by logging on to the website of the RHS at www.rhs.org.uk Tickets can be obtained on the day of your visit at the entrance gate.

The exposure of Freemasonry to so many members of the public who attend this annual event will hopefully go some way in dispelling some of the misconceptions levelled at Freemasonry.

At the end of the show week the “On the Square” garden will be uplifted and replanted at the Prince Michael of Kent Court RMBI home at Watford.

Wonderful news! I think that it's really fantastic that Freemasonry is being promoted in this way. If I can make it along, I may well go and take a look.

E-mail scam

2008-06-10T07:16:00.000-07:00

The usual E-mail scam appears to be doing the rounds again. Details on it can be found here. I found out about it via this e-mail that's being sent round the Masonic mailing lists warning us of it:

I have been told of a scam which seems to be aimed at US brn.
There is a message purporting to come from the Freemason Society of Bournemouth offering grants for masonic purposes.
This `society' doesn't exist; the telephone numbers are not local Bournemouth numbers.

It appears to be a phishing ploy.

Please delete such an `offer' if you receive it.

It's basically the "classic" 419 scam that tries to trick the receiver into paying some money up front with the promise that they will receive lots more in return.

It's a shame that people are once again trying to use the charitable side of Freemasonry to scam people.

Tetragon Lodge: Emergency Meeting

2008-06-10T07:00:00.000-07:00

Back at the end of April, I blogged about our rescue of Tetragon Lodge, and the excitement and challenges that come with it.

On Saturday, we will be holding an emergency meeting to raise a candidate on behalf of another lodge. Those of us who were in the rescue team are acting in various offices. I'm going to be acting as Junior Warden of the lodge - something that I'm greatly looking forward to! The acting WM will be our Master Elect (although he won't be installed as Master of Tetragon until November, he is a Past Master of another lodge)

So, why are we holding an emergency meeting for this other lodge? Well, the reason is twofold. Firstly, Tetragon Lodge only meets three times a year at the moment (we'll be looking to increase this next year), and thus we're holding this meeting to prepare ourselves for the forthcoming year - to get used to working together as a team. The second reason is purely because the other lodge refuses to do a double third, and it works for us to do it on their behalf.

Why don't we have our own candidate? Well, we have several in the pipeline, but none of them will actually be initiated until after we've taken office within the lodge. So, sometime in 2009.

Anyway, this is something that I'm quite excited about, and am posting this for no other reason than that! I will continue to blog on the progress of Tetragon in the future.

Scottish Minister resigns from Freemasonry

2008-06-08T13:36:00.000-07:00

After reading this article, I was actually quite annoyed.

It wasn't because someone had resigned from Freemasonry. That's a very personal decision, and if one doesn't feel that they can carry on for personal reasons, then fair enough.

It was more the reason that he gives, and the sort of impact that it has on the Craft as a whole. I feel the fact that he has publicly states that he resigned from Freemasonry because he didn't want to be involved in anything that creates suspicion almost suggests that the Minister in question is admitting that there is something suspicious or seedy about Freemasonry, which really isn't the case.

Still, at least he was honest about it, and at least the journalism was fairly impartial...

Phille-Brook Chapter and the Royal Arch

2008-06-08T12:27:00.000-07:00

In a previous post, I announced that I was to be exalted into the Phille-Brook Chapter of Royal Arch Masons last night.

Wow! What a spectacular ceremony it was! I approached the Royal Arch with a certain degree of hesitation. I've heard from various sources, including my father that it was boring, and from others that it's disjointed. Certainly, as a candidate, I didn't think either was the case. The ceremony is, admittedly, a fairly long one, and is extremely poignant.

The Royal Arch was, once apon a time, considered the completion of the third degree. I believe that it is now considered the completion of the third degree AND MORE! I can certainly see why.

Anyway, I won't say much more for fear of giving anything away (I certainly know that one or two of my readers will be a little cheesed off if I reveal anything about the actual ceremony at all. All I will say is that there's one very striking occasion fairly early on in the ceremony.)

However, onto Phille-Brook. Phille-Brook comes under the Metropolitan Supreme Grand Chapter of London, and is quite a small chapter, no longer having a lodge attached to it. Yet, the atmosphere from the members was so incredibly friendly, and the ritual was clearly being said from the heart. I was lucky enough to have seven friends in total coming along to visit and support me, which was thoroughly nice. One enjoyed the Chapter so much, that he's even considering joining it himself!

Certainly, I look forward to taking a more active part in Royal Arch Masonry in the future.

Conspiracy Theorists

2008-06-05T07:32:00.000-07:00

For many years, almost as long as it's existed, Freemasonry has attracted conspiracy theorists and those who sling false accusations at the society.

I have most recently been amused by the "Inner Guard" page of Freemasonry Watch, which posts news relating to people who they believe are Freemasons, and the activities of these supposed Freemasons. I was somewhat amused to see both Barack Obama and John McCain listed as Freemasons. A quick search on the internet (using Google) comes up with no evidence whatsoever. A few discussion forums where someone's asked "Is John McCain/Barack Obama/other politican a Freemason?" seems to be the majority of results. The answers to these questions seem to be either "I have no idea, does it matter?" or "yes, I know for sure that [insert politican's name] is a Freemason, and a thirty-second degree one at that", without producing a shred of evidence about it.

The question that I have is - does it matter? Evidently, for these conspiracy theorists, who believe that Freemasons are behind everything bad that happens in the world, it does.

As further source of amusement, this video (which I found through Freemasonry Watch) claims that Tony Blair is a Freemason, and that they have evidence for it. The supposed "evidence" is that "Tony Blair is a Mason, so are many other barristers/politicans, and he's a member of the 1591 Studholme Lodge [sic]".

The fact that the produces of this video produce absolutely no evidence for this is highly suspect. Further, they fail to even get their facts correct. Having looked up the Lodge for which the number is 1591, it appears to be the United Studholme Alliance Lodge. Ok, so not far off. They go on to claim that this lodge meets at the Cafe du Paris - a falsehood. Like many lodges, the United Studholme Alliance Lodge meets at 10 Duke Street St. James', a dedicated Masonic building. The video also claims that Tony Blair is a "high ranking Freemason". By this, one would imagine that he would be a Grand Officer. A quick look in the Grand Lodge yearbook shows no Grand Officer with the surname of Blair at all. In short, there is absolutely no evidence for the membership of our former Prime Minister.

These claims and conspiracy theories would make me angry, if they weren't so laughable through their dreadful inaccuracies. In order for any such theory to be given any credability, one would expect their purveyors to have done some research.

Still, as I said at the beginning of this posting, there have always been people against Freemasonry who've made accusations about it, and there always will be.

In anticipation of the Royal Arch...

2008-06-05T06:40:00.000-07:00

In around 50 hours' time, I will be exalted into the Phille-Brook Chapter of Royal Arch Masons, in London. It's been almost a year since I was raised to the third degree, and so I'm looking forward to completing my journey in what, according to Grand Lodge, counts as "pure and antient Freemasonry".

Just as I was before I took my Mark, I am very excited! Some friends of mine who are already in the Royal Arch are coming along to watch (and possibly wind me up a little). I will probably blog about it (obviously, without giving too much away) sometime after Saturday.

Masonic Research

2008-06-05T06:33:00.000-07:00

As most of my readers will know, I am doing a BA degree in History at the University of Reading, and am about to go into my third year.

Like most universities, one has to do a long disseration in their third year as part of the course. I submitted my dissertation proposal back at the end of March with the somewhat vague subject area of "the growth and development of Freemasonry during the Enlightnement". For some reason, I wasn't expecting this to get approved.

However, a couple of weeks back, I had been allocated a supervisor, and upon meeting with her, she seemed quite excited by the idea, and has given me approval to proceed with this subject area. So I'm going to spend my spare time over the Summer Vac doing plenty of reading on both Masonic history and the ideas of the Enlightenment - and try to narrow the subject area down until I have a question that I can do it on.

Suffice to say, that I'm very excited about this subject, and have already spent some time digging around in the library at Grand Lodge, looking at Facsimilie copies of some early Masonic documents, such as the Anderson Constitutions and the Ahiman Rezon. I've also started reading the tome that is Jonathan Israel's Radical Enlightenment, to try and get to grips with the philosophical ideas and thoughts that were around during the establishment of the two rival grand lodges in the eighteenth century.

I will undoubtedly post more on this area as my reading progresses...

RIP Theron Dunn

2008-05-13T13:42:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I posted about the illness of Bro. Theron Dunn.

Unfortunately, I was informed this evening that he has sadly passed away to the Grand Lodge Above.

I genuinely hope that he has gone to a better place, and I offer my condolences to his family and close friends. He will be missed.

RIP Theron Dunn.

A case of sickness and distress: Theron Dunn

2008-05-12T03:49:00.000-07:00

It has been brought to my attention that Bro. Theron Dunn is extremely ill at the moment, and is in an induced coma in hospital.

For those who do not know who Bro. Theron is, he is a very active and vocal brother who runs the Beacon of Masonic Light blog. He is a very active Mason in both of his lodges, both of which come under the Grand Lodge of California F&AM. He is also very active within the Ancient & Accepted Scottish Rite, and holds the thirty second degree.

Although I may not always agree with everything Bro. Theron says in his blog, I always read it with interest, and I thoroughly respect what he says.

In addition to his blog and his Masonic activities, he also publishes a Masonic e-Zine, called The Lodgeroom International Magazine, and is an administrator of the Lodgeroom US masonic forum.

My thoughts and prayers are with him and his family, and I hope that he recovers soon.

Lodge Rescue!

2008-04-24T03:44:00.000-07:00

It has been said, for many years, that Freemasonry in England and Wales, as a whole, is shrinking, and that lodges must close in order to survive.

However, I believe that this isn't because of a lack of interest in Freemasonry (you only need to look at my two lodges - KCS has initiated 3 candidates since October, and Grey Friars has done exactly the same), but because, for some reason, certain lodges simply fail to attract new members.

So what happens when this happens? Well, the lodges eventually have to amalgamate with another lodge or close completely, handing back their warrant. Unless a group of brethren come together to mount a rescue operation.

Where am I going with this, I hear you ask!? Well, on Monday evening, myself and nine other brethren joined Tetragon Lodge, no. 6302 (which meets in London). When we first went to Tetragon, back in February, they were down to twelve active members, nine of whom were Past Masters. If we hadn't agreed to join, they were going to vote on handing back their warrant that very meeting. Consequently, we all put forms in to join there and then, allowing us to join at the next meeting.

We'll all be taking office at Installation in November, and I think that all involved are very excited - the future, for Tetragon, is bright! Particularly since it looks like we may already have two candidates in the works for the lodge.

A return to Derajat!

2008-04-09T03:59:00.001-07:00

On my old blog (which is now closed), I mentioned visiting the Derajat Lodge for their Centenary back at the beginning of October, which was a thoroughly fun and interesting event.

However, last Saturday, I returned to Derajat with my father for their annual installation, and it's so nice to see such a lodge thriving.

A few years ago, it looked like Derajat wasn't going to reach its Centenary, and that they would hand back their warrant. However, they now have an Entered Apprentice, and I seem to recall someone suggesting that they possibly have another potential initiate.

Likewise, their installation saw the first time that a non-Past Master went into the Chair of the lodge in nine years! Not bad going, I think.

It's nice to see that in a climate where around nine lodges are handing in their warrants every quarter, that some lodges (particularly in London, which seems to be suffering the worst) are able to bounce back.

Let's hope that this is the beginning of a recovery and resurgence for Freemasonry in this country, and that Derajat is a shining example of such a recovery!

Leopold Mark and my Mark!

2008-04-01T03:52:00.000-07:00

I stated in my previous post that I would be Advanced into a Mark Lodge last night.

Well, I was! And what fun it was, too. I won't go too much into the history of the degree, as Ben has already done so on his blog.

However, what I will say is that the degree is highly entertaining as well as highly amusing at times. Unlike the first two Craft degrees, it's highly dramatic, and unlike the third Craft degree, it's not overly serious. As Ben said in his blog, it's not funny because no-one takes it seriously, but funny because of the situation that the candidate finds himself in.

I spent the evening surrounded by friends - Bro. Ben was Inner Guard and presented the working tools (which was nice), Bro. Aaron was Junior Deacon, Ben's step-Dad was W.M. and a friend of mine (who came as my guest) filled in as Junior Overseer. Another friend, who's in Ben's step-Dad's lodge is also a member of the lodge, and I was part of a double advancement, where I'd met the other chap a few times at various Craft lodges.

All in all, a fantastic evening, and a highly enjoyable ceremony - I'd recommend it to all who haven't taken it so far.

Anyway, as Ben's blog explains, everyone gets to choose a Mark. Both myself and the other candidate were presented with a choice of a couple each, and this is the one that I chose:

If anyone thinks that this shouldn't be here, then please let me know, but as far as I know, our Marks are not secret! Mine is my initials in a certain cypher.

In anticipation of the Mark Degree...

2008-03-29T04:21:00.000-07:00

On Monday, I will be advanced into the Leopold Lodge of Mark Master Masons, the same Mark lodge as Bro. Aaron and Bro. Ben, who are proposing and seconding me respectively.

Suffice to say that I'm very excited, and will be posting a little more about it after Monday (probably on Tuesday), and possibly even my Mark (as Ben has done over on his blog!)

Freemasonry and Politics

2008-03-29T03:46:00.000-07:00

On Monday 14th January, I posted an FAQ on Freemasonry, part of which re-states what the UGLE website states, particularly when it comes to politics.

In particular, this snippet is the most important thing when it comes to Freemasonry and Politics:
"Regular Freemasonry is not a political organisation, and is not actively involved in politics. Like religion, the discussion of politics is not allowed at lodge meetings."

This is exactly why articles such as this annoy me. I've been a little slow on picking this up, but it appears that the Grand Master of the Grand Orient of France met with the President of Albania back in January, when they discussed matters of politics.

What riles me in particular is that irregular Masonic bodies, such as the Grand Orient of France, see it fit to meddle in international politics and internal political affairs, and thus give regular Masonic bodies a bad name. I believe that it is actions such as this, by irregular bodies such as the GOdF, that give rise to the myths perpetrated by anti-Masons - such as the old one: "Freemasons secretly rule the world" (as I've heard one or two people say).

In my personal opinion, it is only by making a stand against such actions by irregular bodies that regular Freemasonry can distance itself from such actions, and thus declaring such bodies irregular and unrecognised is the best thing that our Grand Lodge can do.

There is a reason that certain Masonic governing bodies are considered irregular, and it is occurrances such as this that go to show exactly why.

Czech Masonic governing bodies unite!

2008-03-29T03:30:00.000-07:00

It was with great pleasure that I read this article, which states how the two governing bodies of the Czech Republic have united.

It appears that the irregular Czech Grand Orient agreed to be incorporated within the Grand Lodge of the Czech Republic, and thus take on the the principles of regular Freemasonry.

In my humble opinion, this can only be a good move for the Freemasons of the Czech Republic, given that they number only 500 brethren. Surely, the natural thing was that the orders would merge, or that one would be incorporated with another. It's good to know that the two governing bodies have settled their differences amicably for the good of Freemasonry in general.

I hope that, in time, more Grand Lodges and Orients will follow the example given by the newly united Grand Lodge of the Czech Republic.

The Thorny Issue of Regularity

2008-03-18T07:13:00.000-07:00

Those readers of my blog who are Masons will, for the most part, already know what is meant by regularity. However, as regularity will be an important part of my next few posts to this blog, I feel that I must elaborate on the issue, for those who are not aware of the meaning of regularity.

As I have stated in the past, there are hundreds of Grand Lodges in the world. Some of these are considered regular by the United Grand Lodge of England, others are not. So, what defines regularity? The UGLE Website defines regularity with these points:

To be recognised as regular by the United Grand Lodge of England, a Grand Lodge must meet the following standards:

It must have been lawfully established by a regular Grand Lodge or by three or more private Lodges, each warranted by a regular Grand Lodge.
It must be truly independent and self-governing, with undisputed authority over Craft - or basic - Freemasonry (i.e. the symbolic degrees of Entered Apprentice, Fellow Craft and Master Mason) within its jurisdiction and not subject in any other way to or sharing power with any other Masonic body.
Freemasons under its jurisdiction must be men, and it and its Lodges must have no Masonic contact with Lodges which admit women to membership.
Freemasons under its jurisdiction must believe in a Supreme Being.
All Freemasons under its jurisdiction must take their Obligations on or in full view of the Volume of the Sacred Law (i.e. the Bible) or the book held sacred by the man concerned.
The three 'Great Lights' of Freemasonry, (i.e. the Volume of the Sacred Law, the square and the Compasses) must be on display when the Grand Lodge or its subordinate Lodges are open.
The discussion of religion and politics within its Lodges must be prohibited.
It must adhere to the established principles and tenets (the 'Ancient Landmarks') and customs of the Craft, and insist on their being observed within its Lodges.

For the most part, those Grand Lodges that are considered regular (or are very near to be considered regular) will adhere to these principles, whilst those that are not considered regular, tend to shy away from one or more (sometimes even all) of these principles.

For example, those Grand Lodges that are styled as "Grand Orients" follow the pattern set out by the Grand Orient of France, which admits those who do not believe in any form of supreme being, and thus cannot be considered regular.

Whether a Grand Lodge is considered regular or not is, of course, subjected to change. It has come to my attention, that at the last Quarterly Communications of the UGLE, four new jurisdictions were proclaimed regular, and these are:

The Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Texas
The National Grand Lodge of Romania
The Grand Lodge of Congo
The Grand Lodge of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Good news all round, I think!

Anyway, I hope that I've explained this to a compentant level... that's all on the issue for now, although my next couple of posts will be in relation to the issue.

At last, some good press....

2008-03-18T04:15:00.000-07:00

I was recently "surfing" the 'net, as one does, when I came across this article, from the Liverpool Daily Post.

After reading such nonsense in the national press, it's really great to see the local press giving us some credit. It's equally good to think that eventually, people such as Laura Davis, may move up to Fleet Street and begin to have an influence on the national press.

In fact, I was recently talking to one of the PR bods at Grand Lodge, and he said that the local press have actually been quite favourable over recent times in informing the public of the charity work that our institution does, much to my surprise, as I had always believed that the press in general was fairly negative to Freemasonry. In this case, it's very nice to be proven wrong!

The article itself mentions the Universities Scheme, which is always nice to see, and tackles the suggestion that younger people may not be interested in Masonry, with the question of: "what attraction could a three- centuries-old organisation hold for a 21-year-old who has grown up with the internet and mobile phones?" The answer given, by Bro. Christopher Phillips is one that I totally agree with. Indeed, most of the Masons that I've met, who've been under the age of 30, are some of the most dedicated Freemasons, who are really enjoying their Masonry.

In addition, the article addresses ritual, with one of the Assistant Provincial Grand Masters of West Lancashire going on to state: "For us, it’s the cornerstone of what Masonry is all about. Without the ritual element it would be like any other organisation, like the Rotary Club or Round Table" - a sentiment that I'm beginning to hear repeated time and time again by many masons of different ranks, right through from some of the highest levels of the institution, right down to Entered Apprentices and Fellow Crafts talking about what makes Masonry so special to them.

Likewise, the article gives the two Masons interviewed an opportunity to dispel that all-too-common myth: that Freemasonry will help one with his career. It's absolutely fantastic to see this myth dispelled, with one sentence from the APGM: "I have been in it 35 years and never seen anything like that".

It's so heartening to see such a positive article in the local press about the institution of Freemasonry, and I do hope that other newspapers and forms of media begin to follow suite!

RIP - Grand Master of Venezuela

2008-03-17T13:48:00.000-07:00

It is with great sadness that I read of the death of the Grand Master of Masons of Venezuela.

As the article states, he was murdered in an attempted kidnapping on 6th March 2008.

I have not yet seen any suggestion that the attempted kidnapping or his murder were related in any way to his being a Freemason. I think that it's entirely likely that as a public figure, he was at risk from kidnapping.

My thoughts and condolences are with his family and friends.

RIP to the Very Respectable Brother Francisco Pereiro Liz.

Masonic Charities

2008-02-19T06:44:00.001-08:00

Charity is one of the main aspects of Freemasonry, and one that certainly isn't recognised by the majority of people who are not Masons. Lodges will give to many charitable causes, some charities will be Masonic charities, some will not.

There are four charities run by the United Grand Lodge of England:

The Grand Charity - The aim of which is to provide grants to other charities, both Masonic and non-Masonic.
The Royal Masonic Trust for Boys and Girls - The primary aim of which is to provide support for children of deceased Masons. The secondary aim is to provide support for children not connected to Freemasons, and to give grants to other childrens' charities.
The Royal Masonic Benevolent Institute (otherwise known as the RMBI) - Provides for older Freemasons by the means of sheltered accommodation in the form of the 20-odd nursing homes it runs in England and Wales. It has also started providing support for some elderly people not connected to Freemasonry.
The New Masonic Samaritan Fund - Provides support for sick and infirm Freemasons, their families and dependants who are in need. The Fund gives relief to those applicants who cannot afford the full cost of private healthcare and who are unable to obtain their treatment on the UK's National Health Service without undue delay or hardship

Further, there are many non-Masonic charities which individual lodges support, and that charity is generally the choice of the reigning master of the lodge. My lodge in Surrey has been supported Hearing Dogs for the Deaf in 2006-7, whilst in 2007-8, all funds in my Berkshire lodge seem to have been going to the RMBI.

So, how do we contribute to these charities? Well, in our annual subs to whatever lodges we are in includes a donation to the Grand Charity.

The other Masonic charities are supported by regular "festivals" held by each province roughly once every eight years. I am a member of a lodge in Surrey, and one in Berkshire, and both have festivals coming up - Surrey in 2008 to support the Royal Masonic Trust for Boys and Girls, and Berkshire in 2011 to support the RMBI. The Province will set a target to raise, normally in the realms of £3million (as far as I know), and will aim to reach these by donations, as well as fundraising events (for example, in Surrey, our Provincial Grand Master recently did a sponsored parachute jump for the 2008 festival!)

Finally, with regards to the Master's choice of charity, there is normally an alms collection at every meeting, where it is normal to donate somewhere between £1 and £10, depending on your financial situation. At dinner afterwards, there tends to be a raffle, with prizes donated by the members of the lodge, and all the proceeds going to charity.

It really is a shame that the charitable aspect of Freemasonry isn't emphasised more often, particularly in defence of the argument that is so often put out by anti-Masons, that "Freemasons only help each other", which is just simply not true.

Provincial/Metropolitan/District Grand Lodges

2008-02-04T02:01:00.000-08:00

After hearing from a couple of my American brethren, I have been asked to explain the system of Grand and Provincial Grand Lodges in the UK.

In order to explain this, I will start from the bottom up. Every Mason is a member of a Private Lodge. It will appoint its officers, and may do so without outside interference.

These Private Lodges will (for the most part) will come under the jurisdiction of a Provincial, Metropolitan or District Grand Lodge. Each of these will appoint its own officers from Private Lodges. Some may get acting office, whilst some may get past office (indeed, my father became a Past Provincial Grand Standard Bearer back in the early 1990s). Every Province will have a Provincial Grand Master, his Deputy, his Assistants and their officers.

Every Provincial, Metropolitan or District Grand Lodge will, in turn, come under the United Grand Lodge of England. This means that every Province, District or Metropolitan area comes under the overall control of the UGLE hierarchy - the Grand Master, the Pro Grand Master, the Deputy Grand Master and the Assistant Grand Master.

If one were to make as close an analogy with the US as possible, if every Province were to equate to a single State, there would be an overall Grand Lodge for America. Clearly, this analogy is fundamentally flawed, as every Grand Lodge in America is sovereign on its turf, and thus there is no Grand Lodge of the USA.

So, where did the system of Provinces come from in England? The short answer is that I just don't know. Perhaps a brother more enlightened than myself will tell me at some point. However, the need for such a system is obvious - the latest lodge to be consecrated in England and Wales, the Gavel and Staff Lodge, no. 9835 is the latest in a number that at my best estimate must be at around 8000 lodges (as some have closed/amalgamated). Such a huge number of lodges would surely mean a huge administrative task for Grand Lodge. The easiest solution? To delegate!

Of course, this is all conjecture! But to me, this single reason for Provincial, District and Metropolitan Grand Lodges, is the most obvious one.

Masonic terminology in everyday life

2008-01-23T02:19:00.000-08:00

Have you ever been described as a "past master" at something? Or perhaps you've been subjected to the third degree on a topic? Have you ever "taken the chair" of something? Maybe you've even been described as a "willfully perjured individual, void of all worth"?

Well, maybe not the last one of those.

But it is quite incredible how certain Masonic terms have slipped into everyday use. I'm sure that most people have been described as a "past master" of something - for example, I've been described as a "past master" at playing Medieval: Total War (a rather silly computer game). Likewise, I'm sure many people have been given the "third degree" (which the dictionary describes as "intensive questioning or rough treatment, esp. by the police, in order to get information or a confession". I was certainly given the "third degree" by one of my teachers when I was 6 years old, after accidentally hitting another child!

Both the current Worshipful Master, and the Immediate Past Master of my lodge out here in Berkshire, Grey Friars Lodge, have commented on how, as they learn the ritual, certain phrases slip into everyday conversation. I've certainly let slip a "right glad am I to..."(insert additional comment here - in my case, it was in reference to Ben, where I said "to see you looking so ridiculous") into general conversation.

One does not really need to question how such terms have slipped into everyday use, as many men over the last three or so centuries have been Masons, including some fairly eminent men (George Washington and Winston Churchill to name but two!)

Perhaps I just enjoy playing the "spot the Masonic phrase". I need to get a life.

Standing In

2008-01-23T02:09:00.000-08:00

Occasionally, a Lodge may have difficulty fielding a full number of officers at a meeting, for one reason or another, such as sickness or tardiness. In these cases, it may be that the lodge asks for one (or more) of the visitors to step in.

On Monday night, Downshire Lodge, was such a lodge. Their Worshipful Master was ill, their Senior Deacon running late, and their Junior Deacon and Inner Guard were absent for reasons beyond my knowledge.

As a friend of ours was being Passed to the second degree, myself and Ben stepped in as Inner Guard and Junior Deacon, respectively, whilst another visitor took the role of Senior Deacon, and a Past Master of the lodge took on the role of Worshipful Master.

All in all, the ceremony went remarkably smoothly, given that a number of the key officers of the lodge were missing, and that each lodge has its own customs (and indeed, the acting-Deacons were using different ritual to the lodge... more on that another time!) Given the circumstances, I think that our friend actually got a reasonably good Passing.

The passing of a very distinguished Brother

2008-01-17T03:10:00.000-08:00

Whilst attending Lodge of Harmony (No. 255) on Tuesday evening, we were informed of the sad passing of V.W.Bro. Leslie Wilson PGSwdB PDepProvGM(Middx).

V.W.Bro. Leslie held a seriously distinguished career within Freemasonry, having been Initiated into the Lodge of Harmony on 20th October 1953, aged 35. He was Worshipful Master in 1959 and again in 1985, the lodge's Bi-Centenary year. He was exalted into the Chapter of Iris, the chapter attached to Lodge of Harmony, two years after being initiated. He became First Principle of the Chapter in 1965.

From there, he led an extremely distinguished Masonic career, both within Grand Lodge and within the Province of Middlesex. In the Craft, he was appointed Past Assistant Grand Director of Ceremonies in 1977, Provincial Junior Grand Warden in 1981, Assistant Provincial Grand Master from 1982-89, Past Senior Grand Deacon in 1984, became Deputy Provincial Grand Master in 1989, holding that position for three years. He was appointed Past Grand Superintendent of Works in 1990, and finally Past Grand Sword Bearer in 2003. When one thinks about it, that's an absolutely huge amount of regalia!

His career within the Royal Arch was no less distinguished, having been appointed Provincial Grand Scribe N in 1974, Assistant Grand Sojourner for 1978, and finally Second Provincial Grand Principal in 1987.

Personally, I barely knew V.W.Bro Leslie, having only met him once. However, it is extremely evident that he was thought of very highly within both the Province of Middlesex and within the Lodge of Harmony in particular. During the eulogy given for V.W.Bro. Leslie, it was stated (and re-iterated at the Festive Board later) that it will be virtually impossible for any one man to replace Leslie's place within the Lodge, given the service to the lodge, and the wisdom that he had provided in general over the years.

It was mentioned that he had both proposed and overseen the move of the Lodge of Harmony from London to Middlesex, having convinced the lodge that it would be best for the lodge and all it's members to move out into the Provinces. Likewise, it was mentioned that his offices, when he worked in London, were at the same address where our current Grand Master (who has been in office for 40 years), the Duke of Kent, was born - supposedly a fact of which both parties were aware of.

The passing of V.W.Bro. Leslie to the Grand Lodge Above was a sad loss for everyone who knew him, for Freemasonry in general, and for the Lodge of Harmony and the Chapter of Iris in particular.

The UK Shrine

2008-01-16T03:49:00.000-08:00

To most English Masons, the Shriners are a strange bunch of American Masons who drive around in small cars, wearing fezes.

To me, it seems that a great number of people have misunderstood the purpose of the Shrine. Although as a Masonic organisation, it stresses fun and fellowship over pomp and ceremony, it is also an organisation that does fantastic things for sick children, running twenty two world-class burns and orthopedic units across North America, giving them a budget of $721million a year, with a further $37million for research. The order has a greater stress on charity than a lot of other Masonic orders, and collects from the general public, which most other Masonic orders do not do.

So, what am I getting at? Well, the Shrine is hoping to make its first large-scale debut in the UK. Although it has been here since the 1960s, mostly based on American military bases, the UK Shrine Club has been accepting English Masons into their number for a few years now, and it is their desire to start up a Shrine Temple over in the UK, with the working name of Albion.

"Is the Shrine regular!?!?" I hear people cry. The answer is now "yes". Previously, one needed to have attained the thirty second degree of the Ancient and Accepted [Scottish] Rite, or be a member of the Knights Templar, in order to join. These qualifications were changed around the turn of the millennium, and one now has to be a Master Mason in good standing, and thus there have been discussions with the UGLE ever since then to ascertain the regularity of the Shrine, culminating in the announcement that membership of the Shrine is compatible with UGLE Freemasonry.

So, how do we help get the a new Shrine temple established over here? Well, a petition needs to be sent to the Imperial Council, consisting of signatures of at least 300 Master Masons. Given the nature of the Shrine, I think it is important that we support this endeavour if possible. The relevant forms for the petition are available here, along with a little more information on the order.

The Universities Scheme: An Update

2008-01-15T02:47:00.000-08:00

Not so long ago, I blogged on the Universities Scheme, that has been one of the latest initiatives by the UGLE to get younger men into Freemasonry.

Last Wednesday, my lodge out here in Berkshire, Grey Friars Lodge, hosted the Assistant Grand Master, R.W.Bro. David Williamson, and the chairman of the Universities Scheme, W.Bro. Oliver Lodge. Following the passing of a candidate to the second degree, a speech was given on the Scheme, during which, we were informed of new developments.

There are now ten lodges participating in the Scheme (although I do not yet know what the tenth lodge is!), with interest from over ten more, including Grey Friars. Although Grey Friars' involvement within the Scheme has not yet been formalised, I sincerely hope that it will be by the end of the year!

In his speech at the Festive Board, the Assistant Grand Master revealed some statistics that were, to me, rather startling. It appears that out of 275,000 Freemasons, only 800 of that number are under the age of 25. Out of that 800, I would estimate that around 200 of them are in Apollo University Lodge or Isaac Newton University Lodge. Two of them were present that evening (myself, and Ben)

On another note, Grey Friars will be bringing in it's first undergraduate initiate in March (although I am an undergraduate, I was a joining member of Grey Friars, and was not initiated into the lodge). This is a fantastic development, and I hope that he will be the first of many. If any qualified brother wishes to attend, please e-mail me at ant@planetblaze.com and I will provide more details.

More updates on the Scheme as I receive them!

Dining Arrangements

2008-01-15T02:34:00.000-08:00

Talking to Masons from other jurisdictions is rather interesting. One finds out how things are done differently elsewhere. Whilst chatting to an Australian brother (who is currently residing over here in Ol' Blighty), I found out that they call their function after a lodge meeting the "South".

Those who are English Masons will know that we call our function the Festive Board. Quite why, I have not yet been informed. However, if any brother does know, please feel free to inform me.

In Scotland, they call their function the "Harmony", which I can completely understand - brothers getting together to drink, dine and have a good time in perfect Harmony with each other, regardless of colour, creed or even political affiliation.

As for calling the function a "South", took me a while longer to figure out. Eventually, it dawned on me! In a Freemasons' lodge, the Junior Warden is the "ostensible steward of the lodge", and therefore (in theory) runs the function. Likewise, in a Freemasons' lodge, the Junior Warden sits in the South!

I do not know the terminology of other jurisdictions, but since I am more than happy to extend my Masonic knowledge with inane and insignificant information, I would be delighted to find out!

Freemasonry: An FAQ

2008-01-14T01:20:00.000-08:00

Below is a copy of an FAQ about Freemasonry that I originally posted on my first blog, which was only partly Masonic (before I split off the Masonic elements onto this blog). As I am slowly going through and removing the Masonic posts from it, I thought that I would reproduce the better posts on this blog. Anyway, here is my (slightly edited) FAQ of Freemasonry, parts of which were taken from the United Grand Lodge of England website:

What is Freemasonry?

Freemasonry is one of the oldest secular fraternities in the world. It aims to teach moral and spiritual lessons, through different ceremonies, which use stonemasons' customs and tools as allegorical guides. Essentially, Freemasonry offers an approach to life.

What's the point in joining?

Those who join and become active members often do so because they enjoy it. However, enjoyment is not the only reason for joining. As previously implied, Freemasonry allows one to learn more about oneself, through various moral and philosophical concepts. The ritual of a lodge, accompanied by social gatherings offer members a framework for companionship, teamwork, character development and enjoyment of shared experiences. Some enjoy the esoteric side, some enjoy the ceremonies, whilst some just enjoy the social side of it all. Personally, I love everything that Freemasonry has to offer.

Who can join?

Membership is open to men over the age of 21 (although exceptions can be made for those between the ages of 18 and 21 to join - I, myself, was initiated at 18), of good character, and a belief in a supreme being.

What promises do Freemasons make?

At his initiation, a new Freemason makes promises regarding their conduct both in the lodge, and in society, including to obey all laws of any country that they may be in.

Further, a new Mason must also make promises not to use their membership for their personal gain or advancement.

Failure to adhear to either of these promises can result in one being expelled from the fraternity.

Freemasonry and Religion

Contrary to what some may say, Freemasonry is NOT a religion. It has no theology, and does not teach any route to salvation. A belief in a supreme being is required for membership. No discussion of religion is permitted in lodge meetings.

A "secret society"?

Freemasonry has often been accused as being a "secret society". This most certainly not the case, but lodge meetings, like meetings of many other social and professional organisations, are private affairs.

Members do not have to keep their membership secret. In fact, brethren are encouraged to talk about their membership, whilst not using it to their advantage.

Indeed, Freemasonry does have it's "secrets", but in this day and age, they are readily available, having been widely "uncovered" in a number of books and other exposes.

Freemasonry and politics

Regular Freemasonry is not a political organisation, and is not actively involved in politics. Like religion, the discussion of politics is not allowed at lodge meetings.

However, there is no prohibition against those who are involved in politics from becoming members, and indeed there are many members who are involved in politics at the local, national and international levels, although as an organisation, Freemasonry does not pledge its support to any political figure, party or aim.

Freemasonry and the community

Since it's very beginnings, Freemasonry has been heavily involved in charity, giving its support to many different peoples from many different walks of life. In the past five years, Freemasonry has donated £75 MILLION to various charitable causes, both Masonic (such as the Royal Masonic Trust for Girls and Boys) and non-Masonic (indeed, the very first donation to the Asian Tsunami relief fund in 2005 came from the United Grand Lodge of England)

Further Reading

There are several other sources that make for good further reading.

Firstly, the UGLE website is excellent, talking slightly more extensively on some of the issues that I've already raised.

The Wikipedia page on Freemasonry is surprisingly accurate, and gives a good overview of the organisation as a whole.

The Grand Lodge of British Colombia and Yukon has an excellent information page, which talks about many different aspects of Freemasonry, which is well worth digging around on.

Progress, or Change simply for Change's sake?

2008-01-10T01:57:00.000-08:00

I was recently told a Masonic joke, which has two punchlines, one of which is relevant to this topic, and one of which that is not.

Q: How many Masons does it take to change a lightbulb?
A: CHANGE?!?!?

The issue of changes within our Craft is one that has come up time and time again over the last couple of years: how should the Craft adapt to the modern age? There have been many many responses, from many different corners of English Freemasonry. Perhaps the most useful and notable of which has come from one Bro. Craig Adkins, writing in MQ Magazine.

Naturally, the debate has focused around making Freemasonry more accessible for younger men, who in this day and age, have many restrictions on their time. Last night, I heard an absolutely staggering statistic - out of some 275,000 odd Freemasons in England & Wales, only 800 are under the age of 25 (and at the age of 20, I am proud to be a part of that small number!).

Bro. Adkins suggests that what is attracting more and more younger men to Freemasonry is the idea of tradition. This is a theory which I entirely agree with - in this modern day and age, where life is become more and more hectic, it is natural for humans to look for some sort of order in their lives. For some this will be a career in our Armed Forces, for others (such as my self), this will be Freemasonry.

It is plain that the future of the Craft lies in the hands of our younger initiates. Naturally, the question that follows is what is the best way to engage and retain Freemasonry's younger members? In the past, I have heard such theories as to change the structure of the Festive Board or even to change the ritual. However, as Bro. Adkins states in his article, I do not believe that any of that is necessary (nor desirable).

So, how best to change Freemasonry for the younger generation? Well, the Metropolitan Grand Lodge of London has already started on this route, and has formed an organisation called The Connaught Club, dedicated to arranging social events for Masons under the age of 35, giving them a chance to meet Masons in similar circumstances to themselves. Further, the regular presence of much of the London hierarchy leaves those who attend with a feeling that they are being listened to.

This enterprise is undoubtedly a fantastic way of engaging younger Masons and encourages a fantastic enthusiasm within them for the Craft, and it would be fantastic to see such a scheme out in the provinces. Likewise, the Universities Scheme (which I am told now has 10 Lodges involved in the scheme) encourages younger men to join, and the very nature of such schemes means that those who join University Lodges will be around like-minded individuals.

However, these are (in my humble opinion) not the only ways. Although I firmly believe that the traditions of Freemasonry should be continued as they are, there are minor changes which some lodges could make to ensure that they are more friendly towards younger men.

The first of these is to look at when they hold their meetings. Some lodges that I've had the fortune to visit will start their meetings are 4pm (or even earlier) on a weekday! Now, as a student who only has eight-odd hours of lectures a week, this is not a problem. However, for those in full-time employment, this may constitute a serious problem, and taking regular half-days off to go to lodge meetings will soon change from a novelty into a chore as younger brethren find their annual holiday time being eaten up by Freemasonry! There are two ways of getting around this problem - the foremost of these is to meet later on in the evening. My mother lodge in Surrey meets at 5:30pm on a Friday, whilst my lodge out here in Berkshire meets at 6pm on a Wednesday, both of which are meetings times which are much better suited to the modern lifestyle. The second option is to look into moving the day that the lodge meets to a Saturday morning. This will undoubtedly be more attractive to those with a very hectic lifestyle.

The second change that needs to be looked into is the prospect of multiple ceremonies. Although not a necessity (indeed, some lodges prize their exclusivity), those lodges that wish to expand, certainly need to look into doing double ceremonies. I have found within my 18 months as a Freemason that there is a lot of resistance to doing this. However, if a lodge suddenly becomes extremely popular due to a sudden influx of members (whether "younger" or not), if it wishes to accommodate all the extra work, it is faced with two options - to either farm out some of the work to other lodges, or to do multiple ceremonies. This is something that more lodges need to consider if they are to keep up with the pace of modern life, as younger brethren may get bored if they are forced to wait 3 years between being initiated and raised.

Some of the discussion that was floating around before Bro. Adkins' article (which seems to have been very well received by English Freemasonry in general, and indeed, listened to) seemed like some brethren were suggesting change for the sake of change. However, now that discussion amongst the "chattering brethren" (classes just doesn't sound right in this context!) seems to have moved away from such ideas as changing the ritual or the festive board, I feel that progress is being made.

And for those that were wondering, the other punchline is "3, 5, 7 or more".

The Best Office in Masonry?

2008-01-08T09:48:00.000-08:00

On some of the Masonic internet forums, there has been a bit of a debate raging over what is the "best office in Masonry". Some suggestions that I've seen include Senior Deacon in the Mark Degree, Raphael in the Rose Croix degree and Principle Sojourner in the Royal Arch.

However, I am not in any of these side degrees yet, so am not in any position to comment on any of those offices aforementioned. Instead, I shall ramble incessantly for a while on what I believe to be the best office within Craft Masonry.

Before one can decide what is the "best" office in Masonry, one must first define what they mean by "best". From a personal aspect, I would look at this to mean the most enjoyable.

In my time as a Steward of my mother lodge, I have, on one occasion, acted as Senior Deacon. Whilst acting in that duty, I found the floor work aspect of the position thoroughly enjoyable. Consequently, I am led to believe that the work of both of the Deacons would be extremely enjoyable.

However, enjoyable though the position of the Deacons may be, I do not believe that either of them hold the title of the "best" office in Craft Freemasonry. In my humble opinion, that honour goes to the Director of Ceremonies, who essentially runs all the floor work in the lodge, and is generally in his position for a much longer period than a year. Indeed, this an office that I hope to, one day, hold in one of my lodges.

As for other masonic orders? Well, perhaps I shall revisit this topic when I've joined a few of them!

Side Degrees in England & Wales

2008-01-05T06:27:00.000-08:00

One American Brother recently e-mailed me to ask how the side degrees work in England, in comparison to how they do in America. Consequently, I will try to explain our system to the best of my ability!

In America, the two main side orders are the York Rite and the Scottish Rite. The York Rite comprises the Mark Degree, the Holy Royal Arch, the Cryptic Degrees, and the degrees of the Knights Templar. The Ancient & Accepted Scottish Rite is nearly identical to our own Ancient & Accepted Rite. There are other side degrees and orders in the US, the most notable ones being the Shriners and the Grotto.

However, the system works somewhat differently over here in England & Wales. The Royal Arch degree is administered by much of the same body, and from the same building, as the Craft (or “blue Lodge”). Every Royal Arch Chapter is attached to a Craft Lodge, and will bear the same number (but not necessarily name!). Whilst in some jurisdictions, membership of the Mark degree is a necessity to join the Royal Arch, in England & Wales, it is not.

Many of the side degrees are administered from Mark Masons’ Hall, albeit by separate administrative bodies. Obviously, the Mark degree is administered from here, and is one of the largest side degrees after the Royal Arch. Administered by the same body as the Mark, Royal Ark Mariners Lodges are “moored” to a Mark Lodge, in the same way that a Royal Arch Chapter is attached to a Craft Lodge. I believe that in the US, RAM is part of the Allied Masonic Degrees.

Also administered from Mark Masons’ Hall are the degrees of the Royal & Select Masters (known in the US as the Cryptic Degrees), which are generally considered to be the final step in the Solomonic degrees. In order to join Royal & Select, one must be a member of both the Royal Arch and the Mark.

Likewise, the degrees of the Order of the Temple (Knights Templar, Knights of Malta etc.) are administered from Mark Masons’ Hall, and require membership of a Royal Arch Chapter, but not of a Mark Lodge.

The Grand Council of the Order of the Allied Masonic Degrees was formed in England in the late 19th century to give cohesion to a number of Masonic Degrees that were not part of any other body. The Council in England currently administers five degrees, in comparison to the twelve that are administered by the US Council.

Finally, the last main body (and one of the most popular) is the Ancient and Accepted Rite (colloquially known as “Rose Croix”). Unlike in the US, where one gets perfected to the 14th degree, and can then go all the way up to 32nd without a huge amount of work (or so it seems), a candidate in the UK is perfected to the 18th degree, and will not get to the 30th until he has gone through the position of Most Worshipful Sovereign. Further promotion to the 31st, 32nd and 33rd degrees are on merit alone, and very few men will reach the 33rd. The Rite has its own headquarters, based at 10 Duke Street, in London.

There are many other degrees practised in England & Wales, some of the more popular ones being the Order of the Secret Monitor (part of the AMD in the US), the Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia, the Royal Order of Scotland, the Knights Templar Priests, The Operatives, and more recently, even smaller bodies, such as the Order of Athelstan, the CBCS, the Order of St Thomas of Acon, and recently a small presence in England by the Shriners.

The most popular orders of all of these are probably the Royal Arch, the Mark, Rose Croix and the Knights Templar.

Secrecy or Openness?

2008-01-04T08:16:00.000-08:00

One of the questions that has been bothering Masons in England and Wales over the last twenty or so years is “should we be more open about Freemasonry?”

Certainly, since the turn of the millennium, the United Grand Lodge of England has striven to promote openness within English Freemasonry, and personally, I think that this is no bad thing.

If one looks at Freemasonry from before World War Two, it was significantly more open. When researching pre-WW2 Freemasonry, there are obvious examples of this: parades, Cornerstone laying ceremonies, and a huge amount of community work. So what put an end to all of this? Well, this can be put down to one name: Hitler.

It may come as a surprise to many non-Freemasons that Hitler and the Nazi party persecuted Freemasons extremely zealously, believing them to be a political threat (indeed, under the coloured triangle identification system in concentration camps, Freemasons were given the same colour as political prisoners – red). Indeed, it is estimated that somewhere between 80,000 and 200,000 Freemasons were killed in the holocaust under the Nazi regime.

It was only natural that Freemasonry was driven underground. However, many (including myself) believe that it is now time for Freemasonry to emerge back into the open. Indeed, back in 2002, the UGLE had a “Freemasonry in the Community” week, with over one thousand events organised across the country, culminating in a procession of Freemasons in full regalia, led by the Pro Grand Master, Lord Northampton, down Warwick High Street.

Naturally, there are still those opposed to Freemasonry, accusing it of being a “secret society” or having sinister aims. Whilst some may see this an excuse to keep Freemasonry underground, I see it as exactly the opposite. It is now necessary to go out there and show people what Freemasonry is, with particular emphasis on its charitable aims (most people in this country are totally unaware that the UGLE is the second largest non-governmental donator to charity, coming only after the National Lottery!).

On a personal level, I am not ashamed of my Freemasonry. If someone asks me if I’m a Freemason, I give an honest answer, and am more than happy to talk about it. I know many others who are the same as me in that aspect, and many who are not (and I respect that!)

But in short, I think that English Freemasonry is taking a step in the right direction, and long may it continue!

A case of sickness and distress: Michael Baigent

2008-01-04T05:19:00.000-08:00

Word has trickled down to me (via W.Bro. Chris Hoddap's Freemasons For Dummies blog) that Freemasonry Today's editor, and co-author of The Holy Blood and The Holy Grail, Michael Baigent is in hospital, and is not doing brilliantly.

Back in November, one of the other co-authors of the aforementioned book, Richard Leigh, sadly passed away.

Bro. Michael's work on the magazine has been exemplary, and his writings always exceedingly thought-provoking, and I wish him a speedy recovery.

2007: A retrospective

2008-01-01T06:19:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year to all readers of Middle Chamber! I hope that everyone had a thoroughly enjoyable time.

Anyway, now that we are in 2008, I feel that the time is right and to look back on 2007 and what it held for me, Masonically.

The first event of 2007, way back in January, was me being passed to the second degree. Naturally, it was all very exciting, making the next step in Freemasonry. However, no matter how enjoyable I found it at the time, the ceremony of Passing has fallen flat for me on repeated viewings. Certainly, it doesn't hold any of the nervous-excitement of the first degree, or any of the seriousness of the third. Yet, the Fellow Craft degree is a necessary step up in Freemasonry, and once one scratches beneath the surface to the deeper meanings of the degree, it actually begins to mean a lot more.

The next big event of 2007 for me was being raised to the third degree in June. The third degree is perhaps the most thought-provoking degree in Craft Freemasonry. To me, my raising was perhaps the most life-changing experience that I've had in quite a while. It left me with the realisation that at the end of the day, one should embrace whatever life may throw at us, as we will all eventually succumb to death.

So, what else did 2007 herald? Yet again, on a personal note, it saw me joining a second lodge - Grey Friars Lodge, No. 1101, which will hopefully become part of the Universities Scheme, representing my University, the University of Reading. Since then, I have become Inner Guard of the Lodge. I likewise took office in my Mother Lodge - the lowly office of a Steward!

Further, I saw some pretty interesting things - the 2007 Prestonian Lecture, given by R.W.Bro. Dr R Khambatta, a lecture on Orders Beyond the Craft, as well as a few demonstrations of "Harmony workings" - worked at Lodge of Harmony, which are fuller workings of the ceremony than standard emulation.

As for the Craft in general, there have been some pretty exciting developments in England. Primarily, the Universities Scheme, which I have already talked extensively on. However, perhaps the most exciting development was at the Annual Craft Investiture on 25th April, when the Grand Master declared that the majority of Masonic Side Degrees were regular and sovereign.

Yet, despite all of this, perhaps the best thing about 2007 for me was the friendships that I've struck, through visiting and meeting visitors to my two lodges.

All in all, a very exciting year for myself, and for English Freemasonry in general.

2008 promises to be an equally exciting year, when I will be joining Mark, possibly the Royal Arch, and hopefully stepping up in offices in the Craft!

Gavel and Staff Consecration

2007-12-29T08:06:00.001-08:00

Back at the end of November, I had the pleasure of attending the consecration of Gavel and Staff Lodge, no. 9835 - an event that I haven't yet blogged about. Until now, obviously.

A consecration is a very different ceremony. Many will ask why consecrate a new lodge, particularly in London, when so many are having to hand in their warrants? Well, Gavel and Staff is a different lodge - it's focus is on Toastmasters and Beadles of Livery Companies. It is obvious that London Metropolitan Grand Lodge has no objection to new lodges being founded for specific purposes.

So, what made this day so special? Well, firstly an unusual event outside of meetings of Metropolitan Grand Lodge - the procession in of the Metropolitan exec - Lord Millett, the Metropolitan Grand Master, and Russell Race, the Deputy MetGM, accompanied by a huge number of acting Metropolitan officers.

As for the consecration itself - a very impressive ceremony, and very different to anything I'd seen before, for the first half. Yet, the second half of the ceremony was barely different to a normal installation. Carried out in the Grand Temple at Freemason's Hall in London, this really was quite a sight to behold.

The Festive Board was quite frankly, staggering, with around 700 brethren dining, and despite all I've heard of the food at the New Connaught Rooms, I thought that it wasn't too bad at all. Certainly, the presence of so many brethren made dinner an interesting experience, although who'd have thought that I'd be sitting at the same table as someone who I'd bump into at another lodge meeting merely two evenings later?! Incredible!

The sponsoring lodge for Gavel and Staff is the well reknowned Chelsea Lodge, no. 3098, a lodge of actors and other artistes. This, naturally, ensured that once all the brass had retired from the Festive Board, that entertainment ensued, with the centrepiece being a cabaret act.

If anyone who hasn't seen a consecration ever gets the chance to go, I highly recommend it - particularly as it is a thoroughly different experience.

The Universities Scheme

2007-12-20T05:43:00.000-08:00

As many Masons in England and Wales will already know, the United Grand Lodge of England is currently running a Universities Scheme.

What is the Universities Scheme? some people will ask! Well, it is part of the UGLE's current drive to encourage younger men to become Masons. After seeing how successful Apollo University Lodge, Oxford and Isaac Newton University Lodge, Cambridge had been (to give an example, I visited Apollo back in May, when they Initiated 7 candidates and Passed 6 in one afternoon!), our Grand Lodge decided that it would be good to attempt to get similar things going at other universities. At the time of writing, there are nine lodges participating in the scheme, which are:

St Alphege Lodge No. 4095 (Bath);
University of Birmingham Lodge No. 5628;
Saint Vincent Lodge No. 1404 (Bristol);
Isaac Newton University Lodge No. 859 (Cambridge);
Universities Lodge No. 2352 (Durham);
Lodge of St Peter in Exeter No. 5806 (Exeter);
Old Mancunians' Lodge No. 3140 (Manchester);
Apollo University Lodge No. 357 (Oxford); and
University Lodge, Sheffield No. 3911.

Next year, the scheme is set to expand further. It was recently announced that my Berkshire Lodge was to be proposed be included in the scheme, by our RW. Provincial Grand Master, Michael Hooton, in order to be the lodge attached to the University of Reading. Essentially, this was why I joined the lodge over any other lodge in Berkshire.

On Wednesday 9th January, we will be hosting the Assistant Grand Master in our lodge, who will be there to give a talk on the Universities Scheme, and we will also be performing a passing. If any qualified brother wishes to attend, please do get in touch with me at ant@planetblaze.com and I would be happy to provide more details.

The joys of visiting

2007-12-19T09:05:00.000-08:00

Experienced Masons will already know that one of the great joys of Freemasonry is visiting other lodges.

You are eligible to do this as soon as you have been initiated, and it can be a thoroughly enlightening experience.

Since I was initiated almost 18 months ago, I have done 25 visits, to 15 different lodges. In that time, I have seen many different versions of the ritual, including the oh-so-familiar Emulation ritual, but also Taylor's, West End, Logic, Universal and Oxford. On those visits, I have seen 15 brethren Initiated into Freemasonry, 16 Passed to the Second Degree, 4 Raised to the Third, 4 Installed into the chair of King Soloman, 3 lectures presented, 1 Centenary meeting and 1 Consecration meeting.

However, although seeing things done differently is not the only joy of visiting. Perhaps the best thing about visiting is meeting new people, and building new friendships. I first visited Bro. Ben Rowe's lodge, Gooch Lodge, on 17th February 2007. We had met once before that meeting. However, since then, what was a casual acquaintance has blossomed into a fantastic friendship (although I'm sure that Ben would jokingly testify that he hates me!).

At the end of last week, I attended Kingswood School Lodge, no. 4197, where I was one of four visitors, including the lodge's Visiting Officer. One visiting brother had been initiated into a different lodge the evening before. The fact that someone getting out there and visiting so early into their masonic career is truly commendable, and I said so when giving my response to the visitor's toast that evening.

In all, I recommend regular visiting to any brother if he has the time to do so. I've learnt a lot from it, as I know others have too.

Welcome to Middle Chamber!

2007-12-19T07:39:00.000-08:00

Hello all, and welcome to Middle Chamber!

Those of you who have found this through my other blog, The Dividing Line, will already know that this is my new Masonic Blog. To those who haven't read my bloggings in the past, welcome to my Masonic journey!

Blogging will begin proper shortly, although my next post will be a guide on the best Masonic posts from The Dividing Line, before I decided to remove Masonic matters from it.

Anyway, about myself...

My name is Anthony Williams, and I am a Master Mason under the United Grand Lodge of England. I am a member of two lodges - my mother lodge is King's College School Lodge, no. 4257, of which I am currently a Steward, and I am also a member of Grey Friars Lodge, no. 1101, where I am Inner Guard. I am not currently a member of any side degrees, though I will be joining both the Royal Arch and the Mark next year.