The Cross Keys May 2020
Cross Keys May 2020
The Monthly Newsletter of Lodge Houstoun St. Johnstone No.242
Number 228
From the Editor Due to the lockdown, this month is a slightly longer edition The opening article this month will no doubt be recognisable to most brethren with elements of what is said relevant to every lodges. I’m sure most brethren of a certain generation remember the gunfights at the OK Coral and have seen various films about the cowboys and lawmen. Well was there a masonic connection? See Page 6 to find out. Page 16 sees the start of a short series of articles about William Schaw, Master of Works to King James and vitally important to the history of the Scottish Craft. Continuing with the Royal Arch theme from last month, I have included a couple of articles on Zerubbabel and the Zodiac which hopefully companions find slightly different from the norm. I have included a blend of historical articles concluding with the second part of Bro. Whitehead’s Freemasonry in Scotland. Have a restful recess!???????????? Grant The Cross Keys is a free magazine distributed across the many countries in order to spread the good (and sometimes not so good) qualities of the Craft. All views are of individual brothers and not any organised body. Editor: Bro. N. Grant Macleod PM of Lodge Houstoun St. Johnstone No. 242 PM of The Anchor Lodge of Research No.1814 Past Provincial Grand Secretary of the Province of Renfrewshire East. Proof Reader: Bro. Allan Stobo PM of Lodge Houstoun St. Johnstone No. 242 Treasurer 242
All Scottish Constitution.
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In this issue: 3 6 8 9 11 12 13 16 18 20 23 24 27 28 29 30 31
Masonic Burn Out Tombstone The Mysterious Disappearance of Zerubbabel Livingstone 599 Building Are we doing it right? Pilgrim’s Path Review Earl of Carnarvon Part 1 William Schaw Freemasonry in Scotland 2 Columbia Lodge No.28 RA, Zodiac & Opening GMM’s Visit Mason’s Toast Book Review Grand Lodge News Grand Chaplain’s Letter Grand Chaplain’s Letter (UGLE)
May Meetings
ALL MEETINGS CANCELLED THIS MONTH
Masonic Burn Out—An Unspoken Problem I do feel there is an underlying reason that doesn’t get talked about, Masonic burn-out. In many cases, this is a bi-product of the decline in membership, and overall state of some Lodges, but its still something we need to combat none the less. Sure, recycling a Past Master through the Progressive Line gives a Lodge experience and stability, its less than ideal however. Unfortunately, in many Lodges this recycling is a way of life; in fact, it is a scenario my Lodge is finally on the tail end of getting out of. None the less, I feel this is an important issue that Lodges need to focus on, avoid, and/or recover from if they are looking for sustained success as a Masonic Lodge. I believe I’ve mentioned in a previous article, but I was Raised to the Sublime Degree of Master Mason in August 2007, and I immediately was thrust into a leadership position in my Lodge. Additionally, I quickly joined my first two Appendant Bodies, Royal Arch and the Knights Templar. This is an extremely common situation among Masonic Brethren in the United States, the biggest reason being that many Lodges simply don’t have the interest, or number of actively participating Brethren, so who better than a barely wet behind the ears Master Mason, excited and motivated to do something for their Lodge. I want to make it clear; I was not in any way pressured to accept the position of Junior Deacon of the Lodge, or join the Royal Arch and Knights Templar. I was your typical just Raised Master Mason, excited, and ready to do something. Looking back on it though, I definitely would have done things differently; don’t get me wrong, I have thoroughly enjoyed my journey as a Mason both as an Officer of my Lodge and within the various Appendant Bodies of which I am a member. However, had I to do it all over again, I would wait a year or two before joining an Appendant Body, and its advice I try to give all those Petitioning my Lodge as well as newer members asking about them. The main reason is you’ve just gone through so much to become a Master Mason, that it can take some time to wrap your head around what all you’ve just gone through, the meaning, the symbolism and the importance of it all. After twelve years as a Mason,
there’s STILL new things I see in our Ritual and Degrees, imagine yourself as a newly made Master Mason and how all that is swimming through your brain! If anything, I consider it the Masonic equivalent of “stopping to smell the roses”. When it comes to being Officer of my Lodge, I’m confident in saying I would accept the invitation to serve as Junior Deacon so shortly after being Raised; which led to me serving in the East of my Lodge several years thereafter. There are other things I would have done differently though, you see, I served in the East two consecutive years, while attending grad school and my first year in the East commenced shortly after the birth of my son. This was the Masonic equivalent of that scene in the Great Outdoors, where John Candy eats that monster steak. I put WAY too much on my plate, and it affected every aspect of my life. After two years of leading a Lodge, and attending grad school I was physically, mentally and emotionally drained, and I probably should have taken some time away. But then I became Secretary of my Lodge; but that’s a different story, for a different day. Running a Masonic Lodge is not a trivial matter, and agree or not with the idea of the “progressive line”, when you’re asked to be a Junior Deacon, there is an expectation that comes with it. I knew this, I was young, full of energy and thought I could do it all and it bit me in the ass. Please don’t repeat my mistake of taking on too much, it will end in a similar fashion. If anything, I should have not pursued my masters degree at the time and deferred until after I served in the East, as it was a completely elective thing for me and I already had committed to the Lodge. But I get another chance at it next year, with less going on in my life, a stable line of Officers, and a healthy and active Lodge so I expect this to be a wildly different experience for this go around.
. . . . he wasn’t interested in fixing a broken lodge….
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Now, I’m not trying to say this is the only factor in why Brethren leave the Lodge and never come back shortly after being Raised, its just one that doesn’t get a lot of talk. A good Masonic Lodge is quite like an automatic watch, all the parts have to function in unison, or its not going to tell time properly. Effective and well performed ritual, an educational pro-
Masonic Burn Out—An Unspoken Problem (ctd) gram that satiates all its members, and an active and engaged membership are just a few of the hallmarks of a well functioning Lodge. If just one of those isn’t functioning, then the Lodge isn’t going to function at its peak. When a Lodge isn’t functioning at its peak, it generally has problems, and it generally has to throw its newest members into some position of leadership or responsibility, and it generally has to do this because when one of the parts isn’t working effectively, then soon after the others stop working properly, and eventually we burn our Brethren out. This was something I saw first hand my second year as Worshipful Master of my Lodge. Much of my Officers line were members who had been Raised since I joined, so fresh Master Masons basically. My Junior Deacon came in just like me, excited, motivated and ready to participate in the Lodge, and like me he was Raised very shortly before being asked to serve as Junior Deacon. To say this year was chaotic is an understatement, and it’s the year that we as a Lodge first noticed issues that brought the Lodge to the brink, and that we’re only on the tail end of getting out of now. But that’s another story, for another blog post. Suffice it to say, it was a very difficult year, and it was very difficult on the entire Officer line. As I said, my Junior Deacon came into the year gungho, and he killed it, until the gravity of the situation caught up with him. Slowly he stopped responding to emails and performing his duties, eventually he wasn’t coming out to Lodge. Finally, I got the email that he wasn’t interested in continuing on as an Officer at the Lodge, he wasn’t interested in “fixing a broken Lodge” were his words. At the time I was extremely upset at this particular Brother, but time, and the benefit of hindsight have softened that. The Lodge failed this Brother, it failed all of our Brothers. It’s not something that started with me, but I sincerely believe had I had more time its possibly something I would have seen earlier. But I didn’t see it, so its something that I am responsible for and I take ownership for that. We didn’t give this Brother, or the entire Lodge the Masonic experience they deserved. In our case the issues started with the Secretary’s desk, but as I noted earlier once one part of the clock is broken, very shortly thereafter the rest will stop functioning. This is exactly what happened to us. Thankfully, an extremely dedicated combination of Past Masters and newer members of the Lodge have worked tirelessly over the past five or so years to get us where we are now. This to me though is an excellent example of a Brother who suffered from Masonic burn-out, and I’m confident he’s not the only one. Looking back on it, I’m truly sorry for being a part of putting this Brother in that situation, it wasn’t fair to him, it’s not fair to any Brother, but alas it’s a fact of Masonic life these days. So how do we ensure we’re not burning out the
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members of our Lodge? The true answer is there is no one answer and its all going to depend on your Lodge’s situation, which will likely be unique from another Lodge’s situation. In my particular case, our Lodge was in a very advantageous position to recover. Although we had a significant nonpayment of dues situation to handle, we still had a healthy role of membership to pull from in terms of having the bodies to put in seats. Additionally, and most importantly was the help received from our Past Masters. What started as a call for help to one of our Past Masters resulted in four more coming in to help. We never would have been able to recover in the manner we did without their help, and the Lodge is forever indebted to their response to the bat signal. The other key point in our recovery is our membership, we’re lucky enough as a Lodge to be bucking the trend of average member age; because we are located in a County in Virginia that is growing by leaps and bounds, we are lucky enough that the petitions coming in are on average, submitted by younger men who were able to step in almost immediately upon being Raised in key positions to spur on our recovery. This certainly goes against my recommendations from above, but in our case, we had no other choice, if we wanted to keep our Charter, we needed to seek their assistance almost immediately. As I get ready to head into my third year as a Worshipful Master in the next few months, I’m proud of the fact that our Officers line is stable enough that we likely won’t have to ask the new guys to help immediately, we have an engaged and motivated “backlog” (for lack of better terms) of Brethren able and willing to serve the Lodge. Unfortunately, not all Lodges are as lucky, and positioned as we were to recover. So, what are they to do? Let’s deal with the hardest situation to cope with out of the gate, Lodge merger or surrendering of Charter. As Masons we love to look back on the glory days of membership after World War II and talk all sorts of nonsense on how we’re going to reach those membership numbers again. I’m going to be completely honest here, it’s not…going…to happen. Freemasonry in the United States will NEVER attain those membership numbers again, instead we must adapt to the reality of having to
Masonic Burn Out—An Unspoken Problem (ctd) deal with being realistic and working within our membership means. This means asking difficult questions about Lodges that are struggling to stay afloat. I was extremely surprised to hear our very own Grand Master this past year at a Division Leadership Conference make the dreaded “Lodge merger” statement. It can certainly be upsetting for Brethren, especially those Brethren in Lodges that would be in danger of having to merge with another or surrender their Charter. But the reality is, our Grand Lodge is finally setting a realistic expectation of Freemasonry with its Brethren, and I commend that honesty; because too many Grand Lodges still cling to the unrealistic membership drives of attaining those past membership numbers. Again, and I can’t repeat this enough, its just not going to happen. We need to stop offering our Lodges and Brethren these false promises of “how great the olden days were” and instead focus on helping them build and develop the key skills they need on being a successful Lodge in the 21st century. It’s not an easy thing to hear, but it’s the truth, and we’re doing ourselves a massive disservice by stringing Brethren and Lodges along that if they just hold strong, and stick to the Grand Lodge membership plan that the Titanic is going to correct its list. It’s NOT…GOING… TO HAPPEN. From a Grand Lodge perspective, they need to be much more in tune with how their constituent Lodges are doing, and healthy they are. I know a lot of us say we want more freedom and independence from our Grand Lodges, but in this case our pride in our Lodge’s is more often than not going to cloud our decision making when it comes to surrendering a Charter, or merging with another Lodge; so we need some independent body to be able to facilitate that process. Frankly, a Grand Lodge is a perfect avenue for just that, but as it stands I doubt Grand Lodges have any idea on how healthy, or unhealthy their constituent Lodges are. One of the lasting legacies of the membership heights of the post-war period is an unsustainable number of Lodges, I hate to term it like this but its long since past time that we need to start trimming the fat. The other option is seeking help from the other Lodges in your District, in fact I’d recommend every
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Lodge in this particular situation before proceeding to the recommendations in the above paragraph. When I first joined, my District was going through this very issue, helping one of our sister Lodge’s out in their time of need. That Lodge is now arguably the strongest in our District, and provided a great deal of assistance to our Lodge over the years as we’ve worked through our recovery. Never forget as a Lodge you’re not in this alone, and our sister Lodge’s within our Districts are a great resource to lean on when we need it. Asking for help can be a difficult thing, don’t be afraid to ask. In closing, I fully realize that asking our Lodges to not use our Candidate pipelines as a pipeline into the Officers line isn’t fully possible. Like my Lodge, there are many Lodge’s out there that its an unfortunate way of Masonic life. But it should give us pause, it should make us ask hard questions of why we’re in such a situation, and motivate us on a journey to fix it, or possibly make more difficult choices as a Lodge. Masonic burnout is a real thing, and as Lodge’s we should do all we can to avoid burning out our members. We as Masons cannot do our job of making good men better if they only stick around for a couple of months. A healthy Lodge, a healthy Officers line will lead to healthier members and a lower chance of burning them out. If we expect to stem the outflow of members, and the constant drop in membership numbers and at the least maintain numbers, we need to focus on our health. We do it for ourselves, we need to do it for our Lodges. By Bro. Kevin Horman, Olive Branch Lodge No.114 (Grand Lodge of Virginia). This article in no way represents any official Grand Lodge position or opinion. The writings here are mine, and mine only.
Tombstone, Arizona Most brethren of a certain generation will have come across the gunfight at the O.K. Corall in Tombstone with the Earp brothers and Doc Holliday. Made famous by Hollywood and numerous books, it is one of the most famous of the Old West stories as ‘the town too tough to die.’ But there was a lodge in existence at the time: King Solomon Lodge No.5. The earliest recorded history of King Solomon Lodge begins with a meeting of fifteen Master Masons, all having been tried by strict examination and known to each other as Master Masons, that was held on March 14, 1881 in Tombstone with the idea of requesting a dispensation to work from the Grand Lodge of California. Brother Wells Spicer was appointed chairman and Brother Thomas R. Sorin, Secretary. After a discussion of the many problems facing them in establishing a new lodge, a request for dispensation was prepared and sent to the Grand Master of California bearing the name of those fifteen Master Masons; in addition, twelve others who desired to assist in establishing the new lodge in Tombstone. The petitioners asked for the name Solomon Lodge, which was approved by the Grand Lodge of California. The petition was granted, and on June 4, 1881 the dispensation took effect. In it the Grand Master MWB Samuel C. Denson appointed Bro. Wells Spicer (right) as Master and Bro. Thomas R. Sorin, Senior Warden. A dispensation was issued by the Grand Master during recess of the Grand Lodge and was in effect only until the next meeting of the Grand Lodge. The next meeting of the Grand Lodge was in October 1881 at which time the dispensation of Solomon Lodge UD had to be returned with all necessary documentation in order to obtain a charter. The application for the charter was denied; however the dispensation was extended by endorsement of the Cross Keys May 2020
Grand Lodge of California until October 1, 1882. There is no explanation as to why the request for a charter was refused, however in a letter from the Grand Secretary of California, it said that the Grand Lodge of California required that a lodge be "free and clear of encumbrances" before a charter could be issued. Quite what these were is unknown. However, later that same month the 30 second gunfight to make Tombstone immortal took place. The records of the lodge also show that a Royal Arch Masons Chapter & Commandery (Cochise Chapter No. 4) met in the lodge room from 1881 to 1888. The original lease for the "hall" with Ed Schieffelin shows that we leased the second floor and a store on the southwest ground floor "for such purposes as may be deemed appropriate". The building was described as "Schieffelin Hall or Masonic Hall.” Solomon Lodge first met in Tombstone
in a building situated on Allen Street, the exact location is lost to antiquity. In 1882 Bro. Ed Schieffelin had his brother construct such a building, made of adobe that would provide adequate space for several activities of the camp. The building became a showplace, the centre of social activities for the people of Tombstone. King Solomon Lodge No. 5 was the first occupant of the building leaving the bottom floor for a danc-
Tombstone, Arizona (ctd) ing area, dining and a small theatre. The Lodge met on the third Saturday of each month to conduct its usual business, and continued this practice until 1941. To this day, Schieffelin Hall (below) is the largest freestanding Adobe structure in the United States. One can note the construction of the building by observing the stress cables that stretch the length of the lodge room due east and west. 1881 records show it must have been a pretty good year as far as growth of the Lodge was concerned. There were twenty-nine petitions for degrees and seventeen for affiliation on file. During this period of time Mr. Virgil Earp, brother of Wyatt Earp, US Marshal in Tombstone, O.K. Corral shows above but actual gunfight at the red spot just behind the corral. The lodge is also shown upper right. petitioned the Lodge for membership. His petition was duly received and referred to the required committee, which responded favourably; however, upon presentation to the membership of the Lodge, his petition was rejected. His application shows that he was employed as chief of police, resided in Tombstone and was 37 years old. His petition was signed by Bro. Spicer, master. No doubt it was refused due to what had just happened in the O.K. Corral. He did not re-apply as he had moved away to recover from injuries after an assassination attempt on his life while his brother Morgan was murdered the following year. The Earps killed brothers Tom and Frank McLaury and Billy Clanton (shown below in funeral parlour of Bro. Andrew Ritter). All three Earp brothers had been the target of repeated death threats made by the Cowboys who were upset by the Earps' interference in their illegal activities. All four lawmen were charged with murder by Ike Clanton, who had run from the gunfight. During a month-long preliminary hearing, Bro. Judge Wells Spicer exonerated the men, concluding they had been performing their duty.
The Tombstone Epitaph was founded in January 1880 by Bro. John Clum and is the oldest continually published newspaper in Arizona. Bro. Clum became the first major in 1881, the year the County Courthouse was built by architect Bro. Frank Waller. Another mason, Bro. Endicott Peabody completed St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, the oldest Protestant church building in Arizona, and still conducting weekly services since 1882. More recently, the lodge has assisted with its maintenance.
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The Mysterious Disappearance of Zerubbabel Zerubbabel was an influential political and religious leader in Israel during the time when Jewish exiles returned from captivity in Babylon. He’s best known for spearheading the rebuilding of God’s Temple in Jerusalem in the 6th Century B.C. in the Royal Arch Degree. Zerubbabel disappears mysteriously from the pages of history. His fate is never articulated in any ancient text (biblical or extrabiblical).” If he was a minor figure, his absence could go unnoticed. However, his stature (at least for the authors of Haggai, Zechariah, Ezra, and Nehemiah) was too prominent to let this mystery go unexplored. Three options are viable and all texts are silent. One speculates:
Did Zerubbabel die a natural death? Was he removed from office (and/or killed) by the Persians, who felt the need to stem a growing nationalism? Was he removed from office (and/or killed) by a priestly party (the Zadokites?) in some type of struggle for power?
Ultimately, this is a mystery we cannot solve. Arguments from silence by definition are speculative. Yet perhaps the silence of one theory may be louder than the silence of another. If Zerubbabel simply died, then why did not the author of the book of Zechariah simply say so? Royal figures commonly fall ill, are wounded in battle, and die. Some commentators go so far as to accuse Zerubbabel of rebellion. Olmstead, for example, speaks of “zealots” who “were grooming Zerubbabel for independent rule.” Accordingly, writes Olmstead, “hints of the projected revolt came to royal attention.” The third option is the most attractive if we, to borrow a detective phrase, “follow the money.” In other words: Who most benefited from Zerubbabel’s disappearance? Or, more appropriately, who thought they would benefit from Zerubbabel’s disappearance? From the books of Haggai and Zechariah it is clear that power (and all the economic and social advantages that power implies) was to be shared between Zerubbabel and the (Zadokite) priesthood with Joshua at its head. The disappearance of Zerubbabel must remain a mystery. As the above comments indicate, if we prefer option 3 (the popular choice), we are implying a murderous plot by a powerhungry priesthood, followed by a cover-up. Whether this scenario is at all attractive will be conditioned by how one views Joshua’s priesthood (positively or negatively) and the nature of the postexilic leadership.
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Livingstone Stonefield No.599 Building In 1904, Livingstone Masonic Lodge 599 abandoned their small hall at the north east corner of Forrest Street and Glasgow Road junction after 27 years and looked to the future in building a new hall fitting for the 20th Century. Their old hall later became a pub called “The Livingstonian.�
Saturday 21st May 1904, the foundation stone of the new Masonic Hall was ceremonially placed in position. The hall was of impressive design. Whilst some of the building consisted of more traditional 2 storey tenements with shops on the lower floor, the hall was located on the upper floor and had a pitched, impressive frontage, similar to classic Greek designs. Constructed of stone with slate roof the building had 4 windows above the shops on the east and 3 large, tall stained glass windows above 2 further shops to the east. A flagpole was erected above the pitched roof. A year after trams opened, the placing of the first foundation in 1904 was by far the largest ever Masonic occasion in Blantyre. Amid great pomp and ceremony Bro Colonel R. King Stewart, Provincial Grand Master of the Middle Ward laid the stone in the traditional manner. The public and visitors assembled at Low Blantyre Public School, Glasgow Road, almost every town in the area was represented, Coatbridge, Holytown, Carluke Larkhall, 3 Lodges from Hamilton, the Major Ness Lodge from Burnbank, there were Lodges from Glasgow, Bathgate, Strathaven and others. There were between 300 and 400 assembled in marching formation, and encouraged along by the Cameronian Pipe Band, the Blantyre Silver Band, and the Palace Colliery Band, they made their way to the old Masonic Hall at Forrest Street where a meeting had been going on, the office bearers from this meeting then joined the procession and they went their way up Herbertson Street, right into Auchinraith Road, up to High Blantyre Main Street and down Broompark Road into Stonefield, where they halted at the bottom, at a point known as Priory Place not far from their new hall.
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Livingstone Stonefield No.599 Building (ctd) What followed was a very intricate Masonic ritual, but before the stone was finally lowered into place, a sort of time capsule was put in place. A jar or “bottle” as it was called containing newspapers of the day and other documents was meant to be sealed in the cavity behind the stone bar but by some strange omission the usual coins of the realm had been neglected. Major Ness, a prominent Blantyre figure, teacher and member of the Lodge came to the rescue and immediately offered a commemorative set of coins presented to him during the Jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1897, a great sacrifice as the coins were of value and could not be replaced. It is not known if the jar containing them was ever recovered when the old hall was demolished. Costing about £2,400, the P.G.M. Colonel King Stewart consecrated the new hall on Friday 3rd February 1905. He was assisted that day by Brothers W. T. Hay, Master-Depute and Colonel Peter Spence, Substitute-Master, as well as other office-bearers of the Provincial Grand Lodge. One of the prominent features of this new chamber was a window portrait of Dr. David Livingstone, who’s virtuous life was extolled by Colonel King Stewart at the laying of the foundation stone. That day the Colonel had said, “I don’t know if Dr Livingstone was a Mason, but this I do know, he followed out in his life what every Mason ought to do. His life was a noble example for us to follow, and we ought all to endeavour act up to his principal of doing good to our fellow men.” In late 1978 is the demolition of the Masonic Halls commencing with the Priory Bar at the far eastern end, directly across from the former Post Office. It was a final, brutal end to these iconic buildings. Demolition had been scheduled earlier than this, but was delayed by final planning objections, ironed out in Autumn 1978. Today, on this ground between Church Street and Logan Street is a small patch of woodland, which has been rather fast growing in the last couple of decades. The land is currently vacant and meets in the Masonic Hall in the Main Street.
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Are we doing it right? As we approach the recess, here’s something to think about. You might like to think you’re worthy of this Masonic institution and that you’re doing things correctly. Yet is this really the case? You could have "Grand" in front of every title you’ve earned in the Craft, and yet your day-to-day fraternal interactions could be poisoning your lodge and brothers. Here are some signs that you might be contributing to a downward trajectory in your lodge.
YOU’RE SITTING ALONE I myself am an introvert, so I understand the appeal of sitting on a distant couch or in a darkened corner and scrolling the iPhone while the lodge brothers are whooping it up some distance away. Introverts often like to remain quiet and or enjoy the company of one or two close friends, as they might be simply overwhelmed and exhausted by interaction. While understandable, this is nonetheless a disservice to you and your brethren. Daniel Coyle, the author of Culture Code: The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups, cites studies which claim that strong groups sit together. This is an animal instinct. When the pack is together, there is safety, and safety lowers anxiety, thus opening the emotional pores. When a lone wolf is sitting off alone, not only is he in more danger, raising his own anxiety, but the pack, too, will be concerned for his safety, raising the anxiety level of the pack as a whole. Even if you’d rather scroll through your phone and not talk, signal some effort, such as scooching your chair to within at least five feet of the group. YOU’RE SITTING WITH THE SAME FEW GUYS Avoid the appearances of cliques and cabals. There will always be some who are more than brothers; they’re personal friends whose company you enjoy. Yet don’t ignore the other guys, conversing with your own set too deeply or too long. Cross Keys May 2020
Always remember the other Masons in the room are your brothers with whom you stand in a close relationship. Unless you talk with others and get to know them, you’ll never know when there is a mutual interest you may discover. Remember this by-word: "Your brothers are your business, because we’re in the business of brotherhood." YOU COME AND GO WITHOUT A HANDSHAKE Life is busy, and we don’t like interruptions going from A to B. Yet Freemasonry is supposed to be an interruption to let you pause, breathe, and take stock of who you are. Human touch is important to this process. It’s not just the classic greeting, or an exchange of niceties, though it certainly is all that. A handshake is like an anchor. Like someone reaching out and grabbing you, and pulling you out of the rapids of life’s river, and onto the shore of a safe harbour. YOU GO FROM MEETING TO CAR TO HOME If your meetings are so great that it’s all you need, then congratulations, and send me your minutes! Yet I really cannot relate to this. Don’t you want to do something else, such as talk? Perhaps go outside for a smoke, have a drink somewhere up the street, or vent about work? Discuss movies? Discuss ghosts? Discuss movies about ghost hunting? For a lot of us, lodge night is our one night out of the house. Let’s live it up a bit and enjoy Craft fellowship. YOU’RE SITTING WHILE A BROTHER IS WORKING Almost every lodge has the three or four guys who do all the work. They do the cooking and the dishes. They’re the ones who show up with a truck when someone puts out the signal for help. If you’re not that guy, and you can’t name the three or four guys in your lodge who are, you’ve probably already tired them out. They’re done and have moved on. And that’s when a lodge starts dying.
Are we doing it right? (ctd) I’m not saying you have to be one of those guys. But if you’re sitting there and you’re hearing the clattering of pots and pans, get up and ask how you can help. YOU’RE TALKING UNKINDLY ABOUT A BROTHER WHO IS OUT OF EARSHOT Gossip is human nature but can be very destructive. Even if you do not start with bad intentions and rationalize that you’re being constructive, I caution you to tread lightly. Idle gossip holds the door open, letting in his pals: cliquishness, plotting, and disharmony. From the Scottish Rite Journal, November-December 2019
Pilgrim’s Path Want something to read on holiday over the recess? This year marks the twenty-seventh anniversary of the publication of A Pilgrim’s Path, one of the most valuable books on Freemasonry in recent memory. Written before Robinson joined the Craft, this slender book represents one man’s crusade to defend Freemasonry from its modern-day critics, in particular challenges from fundamentalist religious leaders that had become popular at the time. Yet, the author does not limit himself to millennial anti-Masonry, addressing the vitriol of Leo Taxil and the concerns of Pope Leo XIII’s Humanum genus as well. In Part I, Robinson aptly lays out the most common complaints against Freemasonry and deftly responds to each rationally and responsibly. However, Pilgrim’s Path does not just set forth a case for the defense; that is, statements of what Freemasonry is not. Beginning in Part I and throughout Part II, the author argues adroitly for what the Fraternity is: a fountainhead of freedom bringing a message of the value of individual character to a world deeply in need of its lessons. Most importantly, that message is demonstrated daily in practices of benevolence great and small. Freemasonry is a boon to the societies that it serves. There is also much here that explains how Masonry works, internally and externally. As such, Robinson’s work has value for the new Mason as well as the non-Mason. Unlike many books on Masonry, Pilgrim’s Path is an easy read. Its manner is simple and factual; its tone almost conversational. Indeed, the book seems to represent Robinson’s personal path toward initiation. And so it was. The opening line in his last chapter suggests just such a journey: “This will be the last book I write as a non-Mason.” As such, this book is more the story of a man on the path to enlightenment than a mere rationalist’s plea for justice. A Pilgrim’s Path should be recommended reading for new Masons and experienced Masons who wish to renew the wonder that brought them to the Fraternity. Available from Amazon UK by clicking on the image above from £6.95. Cross Keys May 2020
4th Earl of Carnarvon Part 1 Henry Howard Molyneux Herbert, 4th Earl of Carnarvon, (1831 –1890), from 1833 to 1849, was a British politician and a leading member of the Conservative Party as well as being one of the wealthiest people in Britain at the time. He was twice Secretary of State for the Colonies and also served as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. He was initiated in the Westminster and Keystone Lodge No.10 which meets in Freemasons’ Hall in London. He served as Pro Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of England from 1874 to 1890, PGM of Somerset and Pro First Grand Principal (Royal Arch). With his permission a number of subsequently founded lodges bore his name in their titles such as Carnarvon Mark Lodge No. 7. In his last reply (which he hated doing) was noted in a Folkstone newspaper: first alluded to the unexampled benefits of masonry ... The manner in which masonry had grown and developed in this country and other countries besides England showed that it was for the benefit of the community, more especially when they looked at the vast amount of public respect which they had acquired, and which was no doubt due to their motto 'Acts rather than Words.' In 1890 Carnarvon felt the
Craft was being distilled and its reputation was being tainted by egos of men who preferred the dining aspect and no action which is clear in the following: Those who do not belong to the Order are accustomed to think of. .. English Masons as members only of a great friendly society or as mainly interested in convivial meetings. Such a notion is very far from the fact. .. The principle on which it ignores the varieties and opposition of nationalities, and invites men of different races to a community of action for excellent and practical objects, has a direct and beneficent application.
For Carnarvon, therefore, one of the advantages of freemasonry was that it provided a 'common Cross Keys May 2020
ground' where its members could meet and 'forget many of the divisions which public affairs have sometimes tended to exacerbate.' The Freemason, Feb. 2, 1878 The old newspaper contained the news of the resignation as follows: “All England must have heard with profound regret the announcement that our respected Pro Grand Master had resigned into the hands of the Sovereign his office of Secretary of State for the Colonies. Needless to say that we regret it too ; not more for that our fellowcountrymen, many of them ton brethren in a double sense, in the colonies will have lost the services of an administrator no less conscientious than farsighted, one too , whose guiding hand was especially needful in the case of one colony just passing through the trial of a great crisis in her history, than that we ourselves have lost a firm hand, a clear head and a warm heart, just in that critical moment whereon hangs either peace or war. Remembering how one great conflict was prevented, how lives were spared, how money took the place of precious blood, in the Transatlantic dispute that was so happily settled by a brother, now active amongst us no more, we deplore that in this hour of difficulty, doubt, and danger, another of our brethren has resigned his command in the ship of the State . With the political aspect of the question we have nothing whatever to do, but as an at-
4th Earl of Carnarvon (ctd) tack has been made upon our distinguished brother in certain of the public prints, it is our bounden duty, as his brethren, to say to his brethren and ours a word in his defence. One such paper, retailing a sorry anecdote, represents Lord Carnarvon as the one dissentient and persistent juror who looks upon the other eleven as the most obstinate men he ever met; now this is exactly the reverse of the present case for his lordship—we do not say being a Mason—but we do say being possessed of a feeling heart which every Mason should possess— whilst jealous of the honour of his Sovereign and his country, is still jealous of his brothers' lifeblood; he therefore has not been able to agree with his colleagues in taking as immediate action as they have done. In this he felt that he stood alone. Once more — not because he is a Mason but because he is imbued with that Masonic instinct that tells him that Unity is Strength — he perceives that one halting voice would weaken the hands of his colleagues, whose action in such a crisis as this should be unanimous, and he has withdrawn—a noble action, from which his fine spirit will doubtless reap satisfaction, although a sorrowful one, a noble action that fills us as Masons with admiration, whilst as Englishmen it overwhelms us with regret.” As a result of Prime Minister Glastone’s policy about Home Rule in Ireland and Disraeli’s Reform Bills, Carnarvon disagreed stating it was financially unsound and healed none of the old sores. Unfortunately, he would be dead within months.
Australian Apron
Australia's first lodge with an indigenous focus is called Lodge Ginan No. 541 under the UGL of Queensland. It works a Scottish Ritual and uses an apron which features Aboriginal dot art. The diversity of the Craft is truly amazing!
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Grand Lodge of the Month Interested in other Grand Lodges see the “Grand Lodge of the Month” section of the George Washington Masonic National Memorial. VISIT: GW National Masonic Memorial Website
Time to Divorce Your Lodge? As part of a podcast by The Masonic Roundtable, Episode 267 talks about finding a new lodge if you’re not happy with your own lodge. Why? Some reasons:
Lack of contact with brethren Not getting value for money Clash of personalities So called senior brethren do not listen Fallen away and lost interest Become friendly with brethren in another lodge
Brethren in lodges should be aware of this and not judge their reasons for not being active, but perhaps try to help. It’s easy to argue against each reason given, but a brother who feels this way will not argue his case—he will stop attending. It’s worth listening to this podcast on YouTube or Facebook.
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William Schaw, King’s Master of Works This is the first of a few articles about William Schaw who, in many people’s eyes formatted freemasonry as it is today. Before we look at the statutes he wrote to govern the Craft, who was he? William Schaw and freemasonry will be forever linked. He was born in 1550 and was probably the younger son of of John Schaw of Broich. Brioch is now called Arngomery, a place in Stirlingshire near Kippon; he was definitely a cadet, i.e. younger son or the younger branch of the family of the House of Schawpark, Sauchie. He was a Roman Catholic and must have served the Royal family from an early age, for in the Treasurer’s Accounts of Scotland, dated 1st June 1560 it states, “The Lord High Treasurer pays xjLi xs for black velvet for to be clokis to William Schaw and Hectour Gailouch, pages to the Queen of Scotland, (Mary of Guise or Lorraine)”, but apart from this fact, it would appear that very little information regarding his family or his private life has ever been recorded. The surname may have been derived from Shiach, the second son of Duncan, Earl of Fife who owned Fernie Castle near Cupar and were originally known as the Shaws of Sauchie. The Schaw crest carries Azure three covered golden cups and commemorates the hereditary post of Master of the Royal cellar and was granted to Alexander Schaw in 1529 which was reconfirmed on his grandson by King James IV. The cups are covered because of an order given, after an attempt to poison the wine in the cups being carried to the King’s table was detected by James Schaw, who was Master of the Wine cellar.
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On the 28th of January 1580 his signature was one of those appended to the deed of the National Covenant when it was signed by King James the VI of Scotland and his household at the Palace of Holyrood House (Advocates Library in Edinburgh). An appointment in this high office to the King was made on the 21st December 1583 by King James VI. He appointed Schaw as “grit maister (King’s maister of wark) of all and sindrie, his hines palaceis, biggingis and reparationis, and grit overseer, directour and commandar’ of Scotland’s royal works, thus succeeding Sir James Drummond of Carnock.” He was awarded an annual salary of five hundred merks (Scottish silver coin worth - 13/4d (Scots), 1/1½d (Sterling)) a year from the King, but he only received his full salary on five occasions during his eighteen years of service, unfortunately the Privy Seal Writ of appointment has not been preserved. Like the other Royal Master of Works before him, such as John Scrymgeour, Sir James Hamilton of Finnart and James Drummond of Carnock he was not a master craftsman, but was a “Designer and Clerk of Works” and just like them Schaw also came from a land owning family. He undertook works such as the repair of Stirling Castle (1585), complete restoration of Dunfermline Abbey (1588, 1594-99) as requested by the General Assembly of the Kirk of Scotland, Holyroodhouse and Queen Anne’s house at Dunfermline (1590). In the memoirs of Sir James Melville who was appointed to receive Danish Ambassadors in
William Schaw, King’s Master of Works (ctd) 1585, he states that he requested that James Meldrum of Seggie and William Schaw are to accompany him on the visit. It is clear he was highly thought of as he is invited by James VI to accompany him on a trip to Denmark four years later relating to his marriage with Anne of Denmark. Schaw returned earlier than the King and Queen to Scotland in order to make the necessary arrangements for the Royal return at the Palace of Holyroodhouse. This must have included extensive building alterations as a warrant was delivered by the Council in Edinburgh to Schaw for £1000. Further payments were made for scarlet cloth and other covering for windows, etc.
the north aisle of the nave of the Abbey Church of Dunfermline where the Queen erected a monument.
Schaw’s mark is in the centre of the memorial in a one foot square white marble. The letters of his name are inscribed within the tablet with each letter passing over another. This has not been forgotten about and in 1995 on the 250th Anniversary of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Fife and Kinross, the Grand Master Mason Bro. Lord Burton accompanied by The Right Honourable, The Earl of Elgin and Kincardine then Provincial Grand Master (and Past Grand Master) Bro. Lord Elgin unveiled the refurbished memorial At this time, Schaw received the title of Cham- and a commemorative plaque to William berlain to the Queen. Today the Lord Cham- Schaw. berlain’s Office is responsible for organising those elements of The Queen's programme that involve ceremonial activity – was this intended for Schaw? It is difficult to say as the actual title was Quaestor which is more of a magistrate with legal powers. Perhaps both remits are intended – legal powers to rule the Considering that Schaw was in charge of all Craft and in charge of masonic ceremonies. It the lodges in Scotland there is virtually no would certainly make sense particularly since evidence of him being in a lodge. In 1600, the his statutes were to follow soon after. Lodge of Edinburgh No.1 records that they met in Holyroodhouse and he was in attendHe assumed the title of General-Warden of ance. It is also speculated he presided over the Masons, and served the King in this ca- the meeting as the master was on trial. pacity until his sudden death in 1602 after a short illness. This high appointment placed Did Schaw have a self-interest in promoting under his supervision himself? Possibly, but writing two statutes all the Royal residences would indicate that as the senior Warden of throughout Scotland; the Scottish lodges, the first had to be amendthe treasurer’s aced and therefore was not prepared to sit back counts of the period on his laurels. The craft must have meant a show various sums great deal to him and it may be that he felt were paid to him in rethis position would give him greater acgards to the renovation, ceptance as a Roman Catholic working with refurbishment, and churches. Unfortunately, his untimely death erection of these buildleft many unanswered questions including ings. He was buried in what really was his ultimate aim for lodges. Cross Keys May 2020
Freemasonry in Scotland Part 2 ln the time of James II, of Scotland, Freemasonry began to assume some of the forms it has today. That monarch took a particular interest in it, and appointed William St. Clair, Earl of Orkney and Caithness and Baron of Roslin, and his heirs and successors to be the hereditary Grand Masters of Scotland. The King reserved for himself, however, the privilege of nominating ofiice bearers for the Craft. Everything prospered well under the protection of the Barons of Roslin till the time of James VI., that somewhat eccentric monarch. After ascending the English throne his mind was so taken up with the affairs of state in his new position that he forgot all about Scottish Freemasons. William St. Clair, who was then Grand Master, not having heard from the King in some time on matters pertaining to Freemasonry, went off and took up his abode in Ireland, leaving the Craft to take care of itself. Things soon got into confusion for the want of a head. A convention was accordingly called and Sir William St. Clair, son of the Grand Master, who went to Ireland, was appointed by it as Grand Master. The office thereafter, continued in the family till the time of the formation of the Grand Lodge of Scotland in 1736. At that time William St. Clair, Esq., of Roslin, got into embarCross Keys May 2020
rassed circumstances and was under the necessity of disposing of his estates. Being also childless, he was anxious that the oflice of Grand Master should not become vacant at his death, he therefore resigned for himself and his heirs forever, the office of Grand Master of Scotland, requesting the Craft to come together and appoint a successor. They accordingly met, and after having received his resignation as hereditary Grand Master, chose him, by acclamation, as their first elective Grand Master. The operative Freemasons were gradually disappearing. Those famous workmen, who for so many centuries had travelled from place to place with their tracing board and working tools, and whose cunning chisels had carved so many quaint conceits upon column, groin, and capitol, embodying as it were, their sentiments of religion and philosophy in the plastic freestone. Architecture bears a strict analogy to language. Both are expression of thought, and in both the richness, variety, and precision of the expression will be in proportion to the quantity and quality of the thought to be expressed, and in nothing is the ruling national ideas and form of thought of any particular people better expressed than in their architecture. By none was this principle better understood than
Freemasonry in Scotland Part 2 (ctd) by our ancient brethren. Their minds seemed to comprehend at once the leading ideas of the people amongst whom they sojourned and were therefore never guilty of mixing different kinds of architecture in the same building as is unfortunately so much the case at present. Nevertheless, the pious old stone carvers were vanishing after having written their history on so many imperishable monuments all over Europe and becoming absorbed in some other occupation. Fewer apprentices were taken in, and even upon them the choicest secrets of the craft were not bestowed, because the ancient stimulus to exertion was removed, and because it would have been accounted almost a sacrilege to throw them away upon men who could for the future build only plain walls for strength and shelter. Their guilds dwindled away, became small by degrees and beautifully less, many flickered for a little while and became extinct, and about the beginning of the last century the organization became to all intents and purposes a thing of the past. Then some of the old members wishing, if they could do no more, to preserve the shadow even if the substance had departed, began to relax their ancient rigor and took in men of good repute, and initiated them into all their ceremonies whether they were actual masons or not. If they were not masons they would “accept” them as such, and thus arose the term “Free and Accepted Masons.”
thing learned from the oldest Masonic document, and dated 1390 A. D., in which is mentioned the Virgin and the seven sins. Laurie, the Grand Historian of the Grand Lodge of Scotland, observes, that there was no kingdom in Europe where the zeal of the inhabitants for Popery was more ardent, and where kings and nobles were more liberal to the clergy and where in consequence the Church was more richly endowed than in Scotland, the Church at that time possessing more than half of all the property of the kingdom. After the Reformation, Masons continued Christian, but Protestant, a tact made clear by the Constitutions remaining from that period. But when in 1723, the first Grand Lodge adopted its new Constitutions, that document, now the organic law of all AngloSaxon Masonry, contained a famous “Paragraph Concerning God and Religion” in which it was stated that whereas in the old time a Mason had been obliged by his tenure to be of the religion of that country in which he might reside, it had become expedient to oblige them only to be ot that religion in which all good men agree. This is the Masonic fundamental in religion. A Mason in his private opinion may adhere to any creed to which his convictions bind him, but in the Lodge he looks with equal reverence on all religions and stands ready to receive light and guidance from any of them.
In the early period of Operative Masonry, the Craft was in close contact with the Roman Second and final part in the series by Brother Catholic Church so that it is probable that Craighead from Aberdeen who joined Thistle nearly all Masons were of that religion, a Lodge No.900 in NY.
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Columbia Lodge No.28 (CA) The largest mining camp in California was Columbia, in Tuolumne County, known as the 'Gem of the Southern Mines'. Gold was discovered there in the spring of 1850, and within one month, the stampede from nearby camps resulted in a population of 6000 miners. Every week brought more treasure-hunters, and flush times counted 30,000 men madly digging in the hills thereabouts, 15,000 being in the city limits. By 1865, Columbia was dead. By the time of the Civil War, much of the region’s population had diminished along with the majority of its gold supply depleted. It contained forty saloons, a long street devoted to fandangos and hurdy-gurdies, four theatres, one Chinese theatre with a stock company of 40 native actors, three jewellery stores, a bull ring, 143 faro banks with a combined capital of $2,000,000, four hotels, two military companies, two hose companies, three express offices, four banks, four newspapers, two churches, a Sunday school, a division of the Sons of Temperance, and Columbia Lodge No. 28, of Masons. The principal bank was that of D. O. Mills, the steps leading to the building being of white Columbia marble, and the counters of mahogany. It contained huge gold scales with a capacity of $40,000 in dust and nuggets. The camp produced within a radius of three miles and shipped $125,000,000 in gold. The Masonic Lodge was a power in the work of maintaining order and decent government, but after the gold-fever and the mines had subsided, the membership fell to a low ebb, and in 1891 the old Lodge, established July, 1852, consolidated with Tuolumne Lodge No. 8, at the historic town of Sonora, where it still carries on. Columbia’s large Masonic presence was well respected and molded into nearly every facet of its once booming industries. Masonic leaders ran (or were heavily involved in) the Tuolumne County Water Company, local law enforcement and military, the volunteer fire department, and the local government. They provided for the many injured in common mining accidents. In the early 1850's there were several wooden structures built on the lot where the Masonic Temple now stands. In 1853 Charles Cardinell purchased a three story frame building that was on the property. Cardinell ran the Saint Charles Restaurant on the first floor and the Saint Charles Hotel on the other two floors. After the building was destroyed in the great fire of 1854, a three story brick structure was built on the lot. The Masons used the upper floor of this building. In 1863 the Masons bought the lower floor. In 1890 the brick building was torn down and the land was mined. The bricks were then used in the Rawhide mine. In 1947 the Columbia Historic Park Association bought the lot from the estate of Tom Conlin and then sold it to the State for $1.00. Cross Keys May 2020
Columbia Lodge No.28 (CA) (ctd) With much of its historic downtown intact, Columbia became a beautifully preserved State Park in 1945. In 1950 the present building was constructed by the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons and given to the State in exchange for a fifty-year lease. The building is an authentic reproduction of the original lodge in 1854 for Columbia Lodge No.28.
Where? An unusual view of the United Grand Lode of England in London showing the floor from the ceiling. The Grand Lodge in Holburn is most definitely worth a visit if your in the area.
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Royal Arch, the Zodiac and the Opening In the introduction to the book of Ritual of the degree it says: “One of the most popular degrees in Freemasonry at the present time is the Royal Arch. Its teachings and ceremonies are symbolical, and lead to the most refined ideas and thoughts of God as the Creator in Whom we live and have our being.” “The real Royal Arch Mason should be on a stage higher on the Masonic ladder than his brother in the Craft. By that I mean that his Masonic knowledge is deemed to be greater. In the Craft we learn of square stones only, that is the rough and smooth ashlars, which can only be built in masses, or in walls, stone upon stone, but in the Royal Arch we learn of the arch which spans from wall to wall and so completes the edifice, to build which requires greater skill than is used in squaring stones. This is analogous with the distinctions among Operative Masons of stone squarers and arch masons. The Arch masons were more skilled than the stone squarers and received larger pay.” (Bro. W. R. Bridger, Leicester Transactions 1937 – 38). An interesting comparison with the 12 signs of the Zodiac are mentioned by Bro. W. H. Riley (Leicester Transactions 1939 – 40): The ceremony of initiation, when these points constituted a portion of the ritual, was divided into twelve parts, in allusion to the twelve tribes of Israel, to each of which one of the points was referred, in the following manner: 1.The opening of the Lodge was symbolized by the tribe of Reuben, because Reuben was the first-born of his father Jacob, who called him ‘the beginning of his strength.’ He was, therefore, appropriately adopted as the emblem of that ceremony which is essentially the beginning of every initiation. 2. The preparation of the candidate was symbolized by the tribe of Simeon, because Simeon prepared the instruments for the slaughter of the Shechemites ; and that part of the ceremony which relates to offensive weapons, was used as a token of our abhorrence for the cruelty exercised on that occasion. 3. The report of the S.D. referred to the tribe of Levi, because, in the slaughter of the Shechemites, Levi was supposed to have made a signal or report to Simeon, his brother, with whom he was engaged in attacking these unhappy people while unprepared for defence. 4. The entrance of the Candidate into the Lodge was symbolized by the tribe of Judah, because they were the first to cross the Jordan and enter the Promised Land, coming from the darkness and servitude, as it were, of the wilderness into the light and liberty of Canaan.
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Royal Arch, the Zodiac and the Opening (ctd) 5. The prayer was symbolized by the tribe of Zebulun, because the blessing and prayer of Jacob was given to Zebulun, in preference to his brother Issachar. 6. The circumambulation referred to the tribe of Issachar, because as a thriftless and indolent tribe, they required a leader to advance them to an equal elevation with other tribes. 7. The advancing to the altar was symbolized by the tribe of Dan, to teach us, by contrast, that we should advance to truth and holiness as rapidly as that tribe advanced to idolatry, among whom the golden serpent was first set up to receive adoration. 8. The Obligation referred to the tribe of Gad, in allusion to the solemn vow which was made by Jephthah, Judge of Israel, who was of that tribe. 9. The entrusting of the Candidate with the mysteries was symbolized by the tribe of Asher, because he was then presented with the rich fruits of Masonic knowledge, as Asher was said to be the inheritor of fatness and royal dainties. 10. The investiture of the lambskin by which the Candidate is declared free, referred to the tribe of Naphtali, which was invested by Moses with a peculiar freedom, when he said, ‘ O Naphtali, satisfied with favour, and full with the blessing of the Lord, possess thou the west and the south.’ 11. The ceremony of the North East Corner of the Lodge referred to Joseph because, as this ceremony reminds us of the most superficial part of Masonry, so the two half tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, of which the tribe of Joseph was composed, were accounted to be more superficial than the rest, as they were descendants of the grandsons only of Jacob. 12. The closing of the Lodge was symbolized by the tribe of Benjamin, who was the youngest of the sons of Jacob, and thus closed his father’s strength. Such were the celebrated twelve original points of Freemasonry of the Ancient English Lectures. They were never introduced into the U.S. and they are now disused in England. But it will be seen that, while some of the allusions are perhaps abstruse, many of them are ingenious and appropriate. It will not, perhaps, be regretted that they have become obsolete; yet it cannot be denied that they added something to the symbolism and to the religious reference of Freemasonry. At all events, they are matters of masonic antiquity, and, as such, are not unworthy of attention.
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Grand Master Mason’s Visit to The Philippines Following the consecration of a new Lodge in Hong Kong and visits to the two Scottish Constitution Lodges in Japan our Grand Master, Grand Secretary and their wives spent two and a half days in the Philippines with the Brethren of Lodge Perla del Oriente No. 1034 on 3rd—6th July, 2019. As is traditional for masonic visitors to Manila the first item on the agenda for Bro. Ramsay on his first full day was to lay a wreath at the monument to the Philippine National Hero Bro. Doctor Jose Rizal. Formal Lodge Perla barong tagalogs were made for Bros Ramsay and Euan as these are much cooler than a suit, especially on a warm sunny Manila morning. The Rizal monument has a small permanent military guard however we were able gain permission for a full Philippine Marine Corps Guard of Honour and the Philippine Navy band to be present to add to the occasion. Joining the large number of Brethren of Lodge Perla at the wreath laying were Brethren of Jose Rizal Memorial Lodge No. 22 GLP who had heard of the occasion and wanted to take the opportunity to meet Bro. Ramsay. Included in their members joining us were several members of the Widow's Sons, Philippines Chapter. Next on the agenda was a courtesy call to the Grand Lodge of the Philippines where RW Rolen Paulino, Deputy Grand Master, stood in for the Grand Master, MW Agapito Suan, who was attending to masonic duties in the USA. RW Paulino was slightly delayed by traffic however we were able to introduce our visitors to MW Rudy Bunda, Past GM, who is also a Past Provincial Grand Master of the Royal Order of Scotland, and happened to be also visiting the GLP Office that afternoon. Following discussions with RW Paulino, and the exchange of gifts, the party returned to their hotel to prepare for a formal dinner with the Brethren of the Lodge and their ladies. RW Paulino also attended the dinner as did Past Grand Master's MW Juanito Abergas and MW Santiago Gabionza, Jr. For those of you who have visited the Grand Lodge museum, MW Gabionza was the Centennial Grand Master and his signature is on the set of commemorative 100 peso notes, with the GLP logo, hanging in the Grand Lodge Museum. As a memento of his visit the Lodge presented Bro. Ramsay with a specially prepared model of a Philippine jeepney decorated in Lodge Perla's Royal Stewart tartan and the route designation of Manila to Edinburgh (see right). Cross Keys May 2020
In view of their short time in the Philippines it was not possible to organise a trip for Bros Ramsay and Euan to visit the clinic in Ormoc funded by Grand Lodge as this would have involved an 18 hour round trip. Instead a visit was organised to the Eye Centre in Manila operated by our partners in the Ormoc clinic, the Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation. The Eye Centre provides free treatment to those who can not otherwise afford it. It is primarily staffed by some of the top ophthalmologists in the Philippines who give a day each week to carry out the treatment and operations in the state of the art Eye Centre. The patients start arriving at the Clinic as early as 4am so Tzu Chi volunteers are on hand by then to prepare a free breakfast for them. In addition to treatment at the Eye Centre teams travel regularly to some of the more remote areas of the Philippines to offer treatment to the villagers there. During a simple Buddhist vegetarian lunch at the Centre we were shown videos of some of the medical missions and also of the development plans for the Great Love village in Ormoc where the GLoS funded clinic is situated (see over). It was stressed several times by Tzu Chi members how grateful they were of the assistance provided by Scottish Freemasons in funding the construction of the clinic. In the afternoon the party toured the National Museum of Anthropology to give them some background of the history of the Philippines. The day was rounded off with an early dinner for the visiting party to allow them to get an early rest prior to a 4am departure the following morning for Kuala Lumpur.
Grand Master Mason’s Visit to The Philippines (ctd)
Above: GMM, G.Sec, Deputy GM (GLP) Lodge Perla No.1034 Brethren and Brethren from Kasilawan Lodge including one of our con-
Above right: in the multi faith prayer room. Although they are a Buddhist charity they also respect other religions hence Buddhist statue and Cross. Edwin Pineda, Master of Perla, GMM, senior surgeon and VW Alfred Li, Deputy Chairman of Tzu Chi Philippines. Below: Wreath laying at Rizal Monument. The Lt Col of Marines escorting Bro. Ramsay was in DeMolay with one of our PMs but had never taken next step. Following on from this he has now applied to Lodge Perla.
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Need Something to Read? Following on from the first book reviewed last November, here is the follow up. Modern Speculative Freemasonry was born at a Lodge meeting at the Rummer and Grapes Tavern, later moving to the Horn Tavern. The first three Grand Masters had changed the existing Operative Mason’s rituals in some way, and the only way to find out what those changes were, was to compare the current ritual to the bits of ritual that exist prior to the establishment of the Premier Grand Lodge in 1717, the event Masonic scholar Albert Pike calls the “Revival.” The allure of researching the early days of Freemasonry is that we can learn about the objectives of the first three Grand Masters, and thus answer some or all of the following questions: •Why the Lodge at the Horn Tavern was so different from the other three Lodges whose “Constitution is Immemorial.” •What was the secret scroll owned by a librarian at the University of Oxford that might hold the formula for alchemy’s ultimate prize, the Philosophers’ Stone? •Why valuable documents were destroyed during the early days of the Grand Lodge of England.
•How did the son of the only “black” queen of England become Freemasonry’s first royal Grand Master? •Why the Bishop of London treated Pocahontas as “visiting royalty,” and what became of her? •Who was the Chinese mandarin, who may hold the secret to one of the degrees? •Why a rival “Chinese” secret society tried to bring down Freemasonry. This book answers these questions, and many more!
Click here to go to the Amazon page to order.
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Visitations by the Grand Master Mason I have kept these dates in just in case we are cleared!!! MAY 2nd 3rd 7th 9th 10th 16th 22nd 23rd 29th 30th 31st
Lodge Rosehaugh No. 1216, Avoch (Ross & Cromarty) – Centenary Provincial Grand Lodge of Ross & Cromarty – Lodge of Sorrow Lodge Thistle & Crown No. 1167 Neilston (RE) – presentation Lodge St Martin No. 1217, Ullapool (Ross & Cromarty) – Centenary Abseil event at Forth Road Bridge Lodge Gleniffer No. 1219, Pasiley (RE) – Centenary (DGM) Auld degree at PGL of Kilwinning Lodge Wallace St Hugh No. 1212, Crosshill (Ayrshire) – Centenary Education Dinner – PGL Renfrewshire East Visit to Lodge Caledonian No. 238, Annan (Dumfriesshire) 1000 mile walk – PGL Glasgow Renfrewshire East Dates
1218/1219 Centenary Meeting will be conducted by Grand Lodge. The date tbc. The Annual PGLRE visit to Lodge The Royal Stuart No 1414 in March proved a very special evening for Bro. Eddie Chamberlain. Bro. Eddie who served as PGSW in 2011 and is a PM of 1414 was granted the rank of Honorary Grand Junior Deacon and was presented with the honour by the PGM Bro. Neil Fraser. Thoroughly well deserved—congratulations from all at 242. Don’t forget the PGL Digital Library where you can download various books—a fantastic resource.
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Cross Keys May 2020
Cross Keys May 2020
Message from Grand Chaplain of UGLE My Brethren, when asked what makes Freemasonry so important to me, I respond: it is a fellowship that brings out the best in people regardless of their religious or political convictions. In 1939, King George VI said in his address when installing his younger brother as Grand Master: One of the fundamental principles of Freemasonry is service, not only to members of the Order, but to the nation. While the opinions of brethren may differ in politics and religion, Freemasonry provides the means whereby brethren of all parties and sects are bound together by those virtues which are common to all who desire to serve their fellow men. (The Times 20/7/1939)
diminished. So, find time in your day to pray for your family and friends, for those who are sick, anxious or depressed, for those who are lonely or grieving, and for those working in our hospitals and care homes. Managing our time in labour and refreshment is a special challenge at present. Some people have been made redundant or furloughed; some are adapting to working from home; some are unwell or self-isolating. And there are many who are working longer shifts, and in more demanding circumstances as key workers, to keep the rest of us safe and well. However we are occupied, we must remember to look after ourselves by exercising, resting and eating healthily.
Our country – indeed, the whole world – is experiencing a crisis which threatens the health, lives and livelihoods of all. The current lock-down and isolation precautions affect our daily lives and put us all under great stress, physically, mentally and spiritually. How are we to deal with this? As Freemasons, the first working tool we are presented with is the 24-inch gauge. It is worth taking time to reflect on its symbolism: the 24 hours of the day, part to be spent in prayer to Almighty God, part in labour and refreshment, and part in helping a friend or brother in time of need. We are thus reminded of our relationships with and responsibilities toward God, ourselves and our neighbour.Prayer to Almighty God is not an opportunity to nag, but rather to give Him space to speak to us, and for us to listen to Him. You would be surprised how many clergy and religious professionals admit that as their lives have become filled with countless meetings, emails and bureaucracy, it is their prayer life that has
Finally, we are charged to help our neighbour in time of need without detriment to ourselves or connections. We often call this ‘charity’. The Greek word used in the Bible is agape, meaning love. It is the unselfish sort of love that does not expect anything in return which – our ritual reminds us, drawing on Shakespeare – blesses him who gives as well as him who receives. As Proverbs 22:9 says: He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed; for he giveth of his bread to the poor. If we look outward from ourselves and show God’s love towards other people, we are doing His will. Each of us can participate, not just through individual acts of kindness, but together through our charity, companionship and generosity.
VW Bro. The Reverend Dr Simon Thorn Grand Chaplain UGLE
Are You Bored? Came across this on Facebook made by a brother looking to amuse himself. Certainly different. Has anyone else made ubiquitous things during lockdown?
Cross Keys May 2020