Dreams, Visions and Thoughts

Brethren, I recently had the opportunity to make a short presentation, for inclusion in a digital time capsule, on the topic of my views, as an individual mason on how Freemasonry would look in a hundred years time. I found the exercise very beneficial and you can read my thoughts below. I would invite you as a member to respond to this posting and record your individual thoughts on how you see freemasonry evolving in the next hundred years. Take your time, and when you are ready, post your thoughts, and see what novel and new ideas may surface.

Dreams, Visions and Thoughts about the Future of Freemasonry around the World.

Evening friends, my name is Robert Bashford, and I am the current Secretary of The Irish Lodge of Masonic Research, No 200 I.C. the only Research Lodge Warranted by The Grand Lodge of Ireland, under the Irish Constitution. As a Masonic Historian, my primary duty is to research, prepare and present aspects of Irish Masonic history to our Masonic Brethren of today, to better prepare them, with the proper information to assist them, in the years ahead, to take the correct decisions, based on our collective fund of experience and knowledge gained from our Masonic history and to assist them to continue the expansion and growth of the Irish Constitution for the next one hundred years of our Masonic existence.

My researches, into our Craft history, indicate that the workings of our Order in Ireland over the past three hundred years, clearly reflect the existing social structures and constraints imposed on society at large. Probably, the easiest way to set out these thoughts is with the very simple phrase, that we as Freemasons of Ireland are a part of Society, not apart from Society. Unlike many other Constitutions, we in Ireland have a membership from all tiers of society, and the breadth of our membership gives us great strength and resilience, to meet many of the challenges that life will invariably present. There is no doubt, after our last difficult eighteen month period, with no physical Masonic meetings here in Ireland, a situation that will continue until the end of October 2021, at the earliest, and similar problems current in other jurisdictions around the globe, it is clear that we are right on the pulse, in respect of a changing Masonic infastructure in the years ahead. Groups Lodge Hope of Kurrachi No 337 S.C. have led the way in demonstrating the benefits of technology, in this instance Zoom to bring Masonic Research and presentations, safely and securely to interested parties around the globe. We should not forget our good friend Albert McClelland and The Grand Lodge of Indiana, who first hosted a series of video presentations in the year 2011, which first brought international Masonic Researches together in a series of 48 weekly presentations, which I understand, still survive to this day, somewhere in the ether.

It is my belief that at an individual level, we, as Freemasons will continue our journey of personal discovery and development, but using a greater percentage of digital material in the years ahead. Our overall membership may well reduce for a while, but as history shows, the Masonic Order has enjoyed many peaks and troughs in Ireland over the past three hundred years. Covid, bad and all as it may be, will ultimately fall into that pattern of medical emergencies such as Cholera, The Irish Famine and The Spanish Flue, which all, in their time affected membership. And I’ m quite sure further unknown viruses will be released upon us in the years ahead.

Freemasonry, has become a universal organisation, comprising many separate Constitutions, working in countries around the globe. This being the case, we all, in our individual Constitutions still have to remain vigilant that, our well respected corporate identity will not be damaged by a bad apple in the box. This has been done very successfully over the past 200 years thanks to the strong guidance given by The Three Home Constitutions, and I hope that this develops and con-

tinues, in line with modern technology in the years ahead. I am clearly of the opinion that world Freemasonry still requires that firm hand and oversite exerted by means of regularity and recognition, as the final arbiter of control on those many younger and less experienced Grand Lodges around the globe.

Brethren, as we sit here this evening, we are, in so many ways on the cusp of a new approach to Freemasonry, coming, initially in response to Covid. In my experience, our membership reflects many differing strands of interest from ritual to administration to history and symbolism. Then we have another large number of members in every Lodge, who come along to meetings, with no particular desire for Office, but who do attend regularly to enjoy the fellowship and convivial with their Brethren. As the Treasurers in this group will be only too aware, we need to maintain current membership levels to ensure that our individual Lodges will continue to exist. So despite the obvious advantages of the Internet age, I remain confident that our Lodges will continue to exist and indeed provide a safe and secure venue to help our elderly Brethren enjoy both company and craic, in the midst of their Brethren.

As a past Provincial Museum Curator, I would also urge that we continue to collect, collate and present, in their proper setting items from our illustrious past for the education and indeed entertainment of our Brethren and the public at large. Sadly, in many Provinces and Constitutions, the ruling administrations give more account to costs and fail to recognise the importance of preserving and presenting our history for the benefit of others. After all Brethren, if we cannot be bothered to present our own story to the world, why should we expect others to do it for us. Brethren, our future is there in front of us, and I hope that in one hundred years time, our records, artefacts, books, jewels and certificates will be preserved and centre stage in all our Constitutions as a shining beacon, of the many worthy works completed by Freemasons over the last 400 years, or so, at least.

Brethren, I hope you found some inspiration in these few short notes, and I shall wait patiently, to read your individual thoughts in due course.

This was posted by Bro. Robert Bashford of the Grand Lodge of Ireland posted this—it is hoped to have a further post on responses. Brethren, please feel free to email me and I can include them in a later edition or post onto the Facebook page.

One reply: Initially I think we will be much smaller in number of brethren and lodges but stronger. I also believe we will have a much closer connection to ladies freemasonry etc. I don’t think degrees will change much but their method of delivery will be very different.

Since 1905 the Masonic Home of Georgia has served over 2100 children in need from the State of Georgia,

In Memoriam

It is with deep sadness and much regret that we have to inform you of a loss sustained to the lodge in the passing to the Grand Lodge above of the following Brothers:

Bro. Start Buchanan

Bro. William Grimsley

Also to Lodge St. Barchan in the death of Bro. Alex Connacher PM and long time secretary.

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