Grand Lodge IN QUARTERLY COMMUNICATION
on restoring masonic halls to places worthy of admiration
Pride in place
B
rethren, if you look up, you will see one of the finest mosaics in London. It took Italian craftsmen 10 years to create and, like so much of our Craft, it is laden with symbols, allegory and meaning. But look more closely, especially in the south-west, and you will see that all is not quite as it should be. Cracks have been appearing over the last few years. Tesserae have fallen, and the Grand Superintendent of Works’s brow has furrowed, but he informs me that you are not in immediate danger. After extensive research, chemical analysis, ultrasounds, X-rays, thermal studies, endoscopies, not to mention all manner of expert opinion, we are now able to confidently conclude that we have no idea why. We do know the many things that are not responsible for these cracks, and contrary to scurrilous rumour, hot air from this chair has nothing whatsoever to do with it. But pinning down the exact cause has proved elusive. Take a good look, brethren, because in a few weeks’ time, it will be shrouded in scaffolding, and for the first time in nearly a hundred years, men, and probably women, will begin work on restoring it to its former splendour.
What does your hall say about you?
We recently heard from the Grand Superintendent of Works about his role within the organisation and some of the work being done by his team to ensure that not only this building, but all of our masonic halls up and down the country, are up to scratch. A huge amount of work has been put into producing the Masonic Halls Guide, available in the members’ section of the UGLE website, to provide a ‘best practice’ guide to help lodges and Provinces improve their halls and meeting places, and how they are managed. I was recently told of a lodge in Cambridgeshire [Stone Cross Lodge, No. 6704] which has transformed its own hall from a rather dingy affair to something the whole community can be proud of. Members, under the guidance of more expert craftsmen – also members of that lodge – have spent weekends and time over consecutive summers to transform it into a venue that they can all look forward to using – and it has made a huge difference to the first impressions and attendance of new members. As we actively seek out new members to join us, we should ensure that we are examining what it is that we would expect
PHOTOGRAPHY: LAURIE FLETCHER
Pro Grand Master Peter Lowndes
