Freemasonry Today - Spring 2011 - Issue 14

Number 14 ~ Spring 2011

e Official Journal of the United Grand Lodge of England

£3.50

TODAY

FREEMASONRY HONOURING OUR ROOTS Matthew Scanlan reports on Grand Lodge’s sponsorship of students studying traditional craft skills p22

INTERVIEW: MEANING AND RITUAL e Grand Orator, p30

JUNGLE MARATHON FOR CHARITY Extreme fundraising, p38

THE KING’S SPEECH AND FREEMASONRY e untold story, p53

UNITED GRAND LODGE of ENGLAND

EDITORÕS LETTER

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

F

or the last couple of months our television news has been dominated by young North African and Middle Eastern men and women chanting – and demanding – freedom!

In the short term the objective is clear: to get rid of a self-satisfied and corrupt leader along with his well-oiled acolytes; but in the longer term? Already we have seen people die in clashes between Muslims and the native Coptic Christians in Egypt; women’s groups too have been attacked in the street. Does this freedom mean you can kill or maim those you disagree with? Certainly many seem to hold this attitude in, they would claim, the name of truth.

All this gives me pause for thought: with freedom, with the right to be free, comes a responsibility.

Freedom, in other words, is not licence. Pythagoras, a noted figure in the annals of Freemasonry, made it clear 2,500 years ago that no man should be permitted to do whatever he likes. He taught restraint and an avoidance of the seductive powers of luxury and greed – those twinned mad snakes which infect humanity like some kind of bilharzia.

All Freemasons are taught restraint through the meaning expressed in our symbol of the square and compasses: the square teaches us to be honest and moral in our dealings with others; the compasses teach us the impartiality of true justice and mark the central moral point in our lives. This is as true today as it ever was and I personally feel that we might have had far less economic pain had more labourers in the financial fields become Freemasons and actively tried to live by its principles.

The first time we enter a lodge we are asked, ‘Are you free and of good report?’ We learn quickly that freedom sits at the heart of Freemasonry and that the masonic journey we are beginning concerns meaning. Each Freemason’s journey is unique yet he is guided onwards by the symbolism. The journey needs to be travelled without attachment in order to seek experience and insight. This journey is at the

very heart of freedom and I wonder whether those chanting the words in city squares realise the full implications of what they demand?

Freedom and truth are closely linked: in time a Freemason might approach, perhaps reach, the centre of the circle, the point from which a Master Mason cannot err – that is, the point where, perhaps only for a moment, there is an active participation in the eternal harmony which never changes and which gives us the standard by which we can always guide our actions.

Unfortunately, too many masons are rather nervous about ‘truth’. It’s all a bit too nebulous for them. Some even try to ‘redefine’ truth for the modern age as if the colour of the sky can be changed to fit in with some contemporary fashion.

They unconsciously focus upon the first two of the Grand Principles, Brotherhood and Charity, but we cannot leave any of the Grand Principles in the lodge as we depart, to pick them up at the next meeting.

It doesn’t work that way.

Like it or not, Freemasonry is a way of life and an approach to living for the benefit, not only of ourselves, but of others. Truth is something which we must always hold as dear to our hearts as we hold the conviviality of our meetings and the satisfaction of being able to ease another’s load through charitable aid.

Michael Baigent Editor Later this year the Rugby World Cup is taking place in New Zealand. We have been gathering information about Freemasonry and rugby players, managers and teams for a major article. It would be of great help to us if any masons who have information about the connections of rugby to Freemasonry, both contemporary and historical, could contact us.

ÔWITH FREEDOM, WITH THE RIGHT TO BE FREE, COMES A RESPONSIBILITYÕ freemasonrytoday.com

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CONTENTS

Editor Michael Baigent

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Deputy editor Matthew Scanlan News editor John Jackson Published by August Media Ltd for The United Grand Lodge of England, FreemasonsÕ Hall, Great Queen Street, London WC2B 5AZ Directors Geoffrey Baber, Bill Hanbury Bateman, Robin Furber, Ray Reed, Graham Rudd

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Editorial & administration Freemasonry Today, FreemasonsÕ Hall, Great Queen Street, London WC2B 5AZ

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Advertising contact Wesley Tatton, Freemasonry Today, Managing Director, Madison Bell Ltd, 20 Orange Street, London WC2 7EF, tel: 020 7839 6719, email: wesley. tatton@madisonbell.com Circulation 0844 879 4961 fmt@ugle.org.uk Masonic enquiries fmt@ugle.org.uk www.ugle.org.uk 020 7831 9811 Printed by Artisan Press

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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

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MEGALITHIC MYSTERIES OF MALTA

GRAND SECRETARYÕS COLUMN

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Paul Devereux on the unique temple structures of the Maltese islands

NEWS AND VIEWS

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GEORGE VI THE FREEMASON

MASONIC EDUCATION

19

Paul Hooley on the story left out of the Oscar-winning film, The King’s Speech

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

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FREEMASONRY CARES

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Matthew Scanlan reports on a scheme to raise awareness of the work of the masonic charities

PEFC/16-33-444 http://www.pefc.org

This magazine is printed on paper produced from sustainable managed forests accredited by the PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification schemes, pefc.org)

GRAND LODGE SPONSORSHIP Matthew Scanlan reports on supporting students training in traditional crafts

INTERVIEW

CHARITIES UPDATE 30

Grand Orator Kai Hughes explains to Julian Rees what the degrees are telling us

LONDON FASHION WEEK

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Lucinda Weston visits Freemasons’ Hall as it plays host to up-and-coming fashion designers

JUNGLE MARATHON

Michael Baigent explores the teachings of one of Freemasonry’s important figures freemasonrytoday.com

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The work of masonic charities

TAKING THE TOUR

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Meet the guides ready to show you around the library and museum at Freemasons’ Hall

SUSSEX MASONIC CENTRE

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Yasha Beresiner on the treasure trove of artefacts to be found at the Brighton masonic museum

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Capt. Matthew Burrows pushes himself to the limit to raise money in memory of a fallen comrade

PYTHAGORAS THE INITIATE

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

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GRAND LODGE QUARTERLY COMMUNICATION

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REFLECTION

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The Revd Neville Barker Cryer on bringing into the open the part played by Freemasonry in history 5

at

GRAND SECRETARY

GRAND SECRETARYÕS COLUMN

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In early March we ran the third Mentoring Conference for Provincial Grand Mentors here in London. It was a fantastic turnout. I thought I would share with you some brief thoughts on mentoring. I believe that we should have a mentor at all stages of our masonic involvement. Clearly, in the early days, guidance to the candidate on logistics is vital, but mentoring is far more than this.

The mentor needs to be able to explain the meaning of everything we do as well as explain that ‘felt’ experience to family and friends.

We will be giving you the tools to do this, so that in an ideal world we should all be ambassadors for Freemasonry. What do I mean by ambassador? A member who lives as honest a life as possible, understands and enjoys his Freemasonry and is happy, as appropriate, to talk in a relaxed way about his Freemasonry to the non-mason – particularly to his family. I am crystal clear that support of the family is crucial to both recruitment and retention.

To further support this, and as I have touched on before, we are undertaking a lot of positive work from a communication point of view – talking openly about the Organisation and how we contribute to society. There is much work to be done but we are having many successes in our endeavours.

Our members’ website is nearly ready for launching. I am hugely impressed with what I have seen – and when it is launched you will be able to see regularly updated national masonic news, as well as looking at the latest issue of the magazine and important past articles. Enjoy your read!

Grand Secretary Nigel Brown (centre) with Madras District Grand Secretary Sundararajan Sampath and Grand Chancellor Alan Englefield

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Photo: David Woolfall

am absolutely delighted to be writing my column for this first issue of the newly designed magazine. Our publishing and design house has done an excellent job and I am sure you will like what you see. Importantly, we wanted a magazine you would enjoy reading and be proud to show to your family and friends; something that showcases the huge range of activities we are involved in and our openness.

ÔTHE MENTOR NEEDS TO BE ABLE TO EXPLAIN THE MEANING OF EVERYTHING WE DO AS WELL AS EXPLAIN THAT ÒFELTÓ EXPERIENCE TO FAMILY AND FRIENDSÕ MADRAS PLAYS HOST TO UGLE VISITORS As part of the international relationship between Grand Lodges worldwide recognised by the United Grand Lodge of England, Grand Secretary Nigel Brown and Grand Chancellor Alan Englefield recently visited Madras, India.

The District Grand Lodge of Madras, with 18 lodges, is the administrative and controlling body functioning in the states of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala.

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NEWS AND VIEWS

AID FOR RED CROSS IN JAPAN DISASTER

Since the earthquake struck, there have been repeated earthquakes, with magnitudes of 6.6, every 30 to 60 minutes. The tsunami alert is still active.

Landslides have been reported in 37 areas. Roads, bridges, railroads, dykes and buildings are damaged in about 460 places and many roads are impassable.

The scale of the disaster is still unfolding, with search and rescue teams frantically working whilst dealing with ongoing earthquakes. The threat of a second major tsunami is high, and there are also fears about the stability of the Fukushima nuclear plant.

For further information about the Red Cross Appeal visit: www.redcross.org.uk

The new official photograph of HM The Queen

FREEMASONRY TODAY FIRST TO PUBLISH NEW IMAGE OF THE QUEEN

Red Cross, KeystoneUSA-ZUMA/Rex Features

Freemasonry Today is honoured to be the first publication to publish the new official image of HM The Queen, although it is already on display at the Masonic Hall in Biggleswade, Bedfordshire.

A Japanese Red Cross worker at a scene of devastation

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Permission has been authorised

by Mike O’Keefe, Custodian of the Official Royal Image Library, a member of Ivel Lodge, No. 6846, which meets at Biggleswade. A framed copy of the photo was presented to Ivel Lodge Master Robert Lovesey – who is also Bedfordshire’s Grand Superintendent.

At the time of that presentation,

the only person who had received a print was Pope Benedict XVI, who had received his signed copy from the Queen during his Papal visit.

Mike O’Keefe, who has been Custodian for 29 years, says the photograph – taken by Julian Calder – took place at Buckingham Palace in mid-March 2010.

• Any lodge or Masonic Hall requiring a copy can contact the Custodian on 0845 634 5577 or email: mike@ royalimages.co.uk or go to the website, www.royalimages.co.uk for further information

Julian Calder

A massive earthquake struck Japan in March, triggering a tsunami that swept across the east coast, leaving a trail of destruction. Thousands of people have already died and thousands more are missing or injured. The President of the Grand Charity approved an emergency grant of £50,000 to the British Red Cross to assist with its Japan Tsunami Appeal.

NEWS AND VIEWS

FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY EVENT FOR IAIN ROSS BRYCE Burlington Lodge, No. 3975, hosted a momentous event at Bridlington in the Province of Yorkshire North and East Ridings in November, when Past Deputy Grand Master Iain Ross Bryce celebrated his 50 years as a mason.

Joining him for the event were Pro Grand Master Peter Lowndes, Deputy Grand Master Jonathan Spence, Assistant Grand Master David Williamson and Past Pro Grand Master Lord Northampton.

From left: PGM Richard Anderson, Jonathan Spence, Iain Ross Bryce, Lodge Master Ian Garbett, Peter Lowndes, Lord Northampton and David Williamson

EAST KENT SIGNS UP ANOTHER UNIVERSITY LODGE Pentangle Lodge, No. 1174, has become the 36th member of the Grand Lodge Universities Scheme and the second such lodge in the Province of East Kent, responsible for the recruitment of masons from the several universities in Medway.

Among the distinguished visitors were Assistant Grand Master David Williamson, Dr. Richard Lewin, President and Founder of the Universities Scheme and regional co-ordinator in south-east England, and Michael Bailey, East Kent Provincial Grand Master.

The Rochester meeting was supported by St. Augustine Lodge, No. 972 (Canterbury), the first Universities Scheme lodge in the Province.

To cement the relationship between the two lodges, James Joyce and Milan Antonijevic of St. Augustine Lodge, were jointly passed by Peter Daniels, Master of Pentangle Lodge.

From left: David Williamson, James Joyce, Peter Daniels, Milan Antonijevic and Michael Bailey, following the ceremony

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GRAND LODGE ADDRESS

PRO GRAND MASTERÕS ADDRESS TO GRAND LODGE

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n February, accompanied by a Grand Lodge team, I consecrated the Grand Lodge of Monaco. It was an enormously successful occasion with representation from many Grand Lodges from around the world Ð all meeting in harmony. e lodges that make up the new Grand Lodge are from the English, French and German constitutions and we were delighted to be asked, as the mother Grand Lodge, to run the Consecration assisted by the Grand Master of Germany and a past Grand Master of France. On behalf of the Grand Master, I presented them with a fine sword. For the rest of the day we found ourselves on the receiving end of countless handshakes and heartfelt congratulations on the ceremony, which had been superbly organised by the Grand Director of Ceremonies and his team.

I am delighted to tell you that Freemasonry Today, due in early April, will be the first of the newly designed issues to reflect the magazine as the official journal of the United Grand Lodge of England. e editorial side will evolve to align the content more closely with our communications strategy, as the magazine is an ideal way for us to communicate our key messages to our members, their families and potential members.

To that end the Strategic Communications Committee, which I told you about in my September Quarterly Communication speech, has asked the Board of General Purposes to agree a clear policy on editorial content for the future. Our aim is that you enjoy the magazine, are proud to show it to your family and that it becomes an award-winning journal.

It was very timely to have the head of Disaster Management at the British Red Cross talk to us today. Most particularly, we are mindful of the plight of our Brethren in Christchurch, New Zealand.

Although there has been terrible damage to many of their homes, none of them are amongst those who have been killed. e District Grand Master’s home is in ruins but they are doing the best they can to maintain morale. It is suggested that at least one-third of the buildings will have to be destroyed.

When I attended the 150th celebration of their District in Christchurch at the end of 2009, we changed in the Cathedral before our street march to the civic centre where the celebrations were held. e following day the Dean invited us to attend their Holy Communion service in regalia and I read the lesson. It is particularly distressing to see on the news that the Cathedral spire has collapsed and I am informed that the civic centre, where we held the main celebration, has been completely destroyed. e Grand Charity immediately sent £30,000 via the Red Cross to Christchurch.

But Brethren, there have also been, for example, the floods in Brazil where another emergency grant of £20,000 has been made to the District Grand Lodge of South America, North Division, to

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ÔOUR AIM IS THAT YOU ENJOY THE MAGAZINE, ARE PROUD TO SHOW IT TO YOUR FAMILY AND THAT IT BECOMES AN AWARD-WINNING JOURNALÕ PRO GRAND MASTER PETER LOWNDES

assist with the devastation after the mudslides and flooding north of Rio de Janeiro. e key is that the Grand Charity sends the money through the Red Cross and we know that they will use the money properly at the beginning of these disasters.

On the subject of charity, many of you may be aware that the Attorney General has referred to the court questions directed to clarify the law relating to some charities for the relief of poverty among those who fall within a particular class or category, and the public benefit requirement following the coming into effect of the Charities Act 2006. e Reference has potential implications for masonic charities at various levels although it would seem that it will not affect our four main masonic charities. A leading firm of solicitors specialising in charity law has been retained and we are in the process of instructing leading counsel to advise and represent us. e initial advice that we have received is that any of our lodge benevolent funds which have been established using the Objects Clauses in the Model Trust Deed we have been promulgating for over 60 years are unlikely to be affected.

We intend to apply to be joined as a party to the Reference Proceedings and hope that our vast experience of charitable activities for the public benefit will be of assistance to the court, the Charity Commission and all who will be participating in the Reference.

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NEWS AND VIEWS

ON YOUR BIKES FOR PARIS RIDE London masons have organised a bicycle run to Paris to raise funds for charity CyberKnife The CyberKnife is not a knife at all, but state-of-the-art equipment that allows specialist oncologists to treat tumours and other medical conditions painlessly and without an operation.

Participants will meet in London on the evening of 21 July and depart early the next morning, due to arrive in Paris on the afternoon of the 23 July. Most charities and cyclists complete the distance in four days, but this is a challenge to complete the task in two!

For further details go to Porchway via the Metropolitan Masonic Charity at www.porchway.org/charity/ metropolitan-masonic-charity/

Kolvenbach/Alamy

ÔCYCLING AS A TEAM INTO PARIS ON THE EVE OF THE FINALE OF THE TOUR DE FRANCE WILL BE A MEMORABLE ACHIEVEMENTÕ

SAVING THE DAY AFTER WARD THEFT Teddy Loving Care (TLC) charity came to the rescue when a Wii machine was stolen from a ward at QueenÕs Medical Centre, having been unscrewed from the games room and removed.

TLC trustee Barry Woodhead, ward manager Jane Brooks and Keegan Bullous, 7, from Top Valley, Nottingham

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TLC, run by members of Radcliffe Lodge, No. 5313, and financed across the Province, usually provides teddy bears for children in hospital, but it was decided to contact ward manager Jane Brooks. A large fish tank was also donated to the A & E department as well as the usual distribution of teddy bears.

NEWS AND VIEWS

The hospice used donations to purchase a special mattress

ISLE OF MAN HOSPICE AID In January the Grand Charity donated £3,400 to Hospice Isle of Man. This was in addition to sums donated by local Freemasons. The money has been used to purchase a pressure-relieving mattress to complement the specialist bed which was presented by masons 12 months ago.

Keith Dalrymple, Provincial Grand Master for the Isle of Man, said, ÔWe wish to pay tribute to the dedicated care that the Hospice Isle of Man provides in the community, and we are delighted to demonstrate our support for these services.Õ

A LIFT FOR BOWLS CLUB Lodge of Enterprise, No. 6494, which meets at the Mansfield Bowling Club in Highgate, North London, found they had a problem – they met on the first floor and elderly members needed help to mount the stairs. So – as befits their name – they showed enterprise and donated a stairlift to the club, which now helps bowls club members as well as those of the lodge.

TEDDIES TAKE TO THE ROAD TLC Ð Teddy Loving Care Ð in Buckinghamshire has set the bears on the road to recovery now that they are being carried on local ambulances.

Having seen the teddies at Wexham Park Hospital, Diane Free of South Central Ambulance Service contacted Bucks mason Alan Lines about their possible use to her ambulance service.

Diane said, ‘!e results are amazing. Entering a modern ambulance, with all its high-tech equipment, is very frightening for a child, even when mum or dad is present. Having teddy on board certainly calms things down, and reassures.’

Provincial Grand Master of Warwickshire David Macey (centre), the Lady Mayoress of Birmingham and the local police chief, with members of the cast

Vice Chancellor Professor Les Ebdon (left) with Michael Sawyer, Kayleigh Martin and Tim Pope

A CINDERELLA DAY OUT

MARTIN FOSS AWARD

Local children were again entertained to a pantomime – Cinderella this time – by Warwickshire masons in conjunction with TOA Taxis, in a performance at the Provincial head office at Stirling Road, Edgbaston.

Michael Sawyer, Provincial Grand Master for Bedfordshire, accompanied by Provincial Grand Secretary Tim Pope, recently attended the graduation ceremony at the University of Bedfordshire to present the Martin Foss Award to Kayleigh Martin.

There were two performances by professional theatre company Chaplins Ð one mainly for children with learning and physical disabilities, the other for children who might not have seen a live theatre show before. Around 600 children attended the two performances assisted by 140 carers.

Warwickshire Provincial Grand Master David Macey introduced the morning show and welcomed the Lady Mayoress of Birmingham, Councillor Mrs Gillian Gregory, who received a £500 cheque towards her charity.

Thanks went to TOA Taxis for arranging transport, West Midlands Police for liaising with local schools and ensuring the traffic flow went smoothly, Office Christmas for providing the magnificent room decorations, staff and helpers from the Clarendon Suites and the schools attending, Father Christmas and his helpers and the Birmingham South-West Group Residents Association.

Magician Peter Pocelli provided extra entertainment.

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The annual award named after the late Martin Foss, Past Provincial Grand Master for Bedfordshire and a former surgeon, is made to a final year student in nursing and midwifery who has made the greatest contribution to the life of the Faculty of Health and Social Science.

Kayleigh was described by her tutors as one of the most motivated and conscientious students they had ever had.

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NEWS AND VIEWS

MAKE HEADWAY

Smiles all round with a helicopter and one of the vehicles on display

Headway, a registered charity and the UK’s leading brain injury specialists with over 120 separate facilities nationwide, has received £1,000 from Herefordshire masons in their latest backing for the organisation.

HELPING TO KEEP LOCAL EMERGENCIES MOBILE IN DURHAM

A

project launched in 2008 culminated last December when Durham Provincial Grand Master Eric Heaviside presented The Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS) with the third of three Ground Response Vehicles to complement the services fleet of three helicopters.

In summer 2008, Durham Province was selected by the Freemasons’ Grand Charity to trial a match-funding scheme of up to £5,000 for a local charity.

In only a few months, lodges and individual masons throughout the province raised £10,000 in excess of the £5 million target, which was made up to £20,000 by the Grand Charity.

During the 2008 Provincial meeting,

GNAAS members attended and expressed their wish to purchase a road vehicle, to be equipped similar to the GNAAS aircraft for use by the medical air crew when technical or weather conditions prevented the helicopter taking off.

A new vehicle was out of reach, but when a six-month old Skoda VRS Octavia Cleveland police traffic car became available, it was purchased and rebranded with the GNAAS logo – as well as a square and compass logo ‘Donated by Freemasons’ on the rear windows.

A further appeal by Durham Mark Provincial Grand Master Peter Croft to the Mark Masons Fund of Benevolence resulted in them purchasing outright a second vehicle.

SOMERSET VEHICLE WILL HELP LOCAL COMMUNITY

The minibus will assist local groups

Somerset masons have funded a 2005 diesel Renault Master with 12 seats, air conditioning and a wheelchair lift poweroperated via the back doors and will be available to local lodges to be used for the benefit of their local community.

Under-privileged groups will be offered day trips free of charge. The vehicle will be driven by a lodge member who will be responsible for collection and delivery. It will be displayed at the Royal Bath & West Show in June.

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For the past 22 years, the charity has supported over 1,000 local people, and is currently treating 102 participating members.

Richard Thompson, the Charity Director, said that 40 percent of those attending the centre have suffered a stroke, while the next highest category attending was as a consequence of road accidents.

The latest masonic donation will enable Headway to continue providing art therapies to a number of members who have responded well to such treatment.

Pictured above: Herefordshire Deputy Provincial Grand Master Reverend David Bowen with Headway Director Richard Thompson

BACK ON TOP In 1882, the Master of Loyal Berkshire Lodge of Hope, No. 574, was Walter Wilson, who died in office aged 32 and was buried with full masonic honours, including a public procession, at Newbury.

Walter Wilson’s grave was originally adorned with a gigantic broken column which, over the years, had fallen to the ground and become partly buried.

A lodge team unearthed the broken column and hoisted it to its original position atop the grave. The cemetery has now been designated as a monument of historic importance and is undergoing restoration.

NEWS AND VIEWS

The Grand OfficersÕ team and Norrie Millen (centre)

COMMITMENT REWARDED WITH INITIATION FOR DAVID A meeting about business management led to David Carter being initiated into Meridian Lodge, No. 5060, Province of Cheshire, aged 18.

David approached David Heathcote, manager of Stockport Masonic Guildhall, to interview him on business management for his college work, and the subject soon turned to Freemasonry. David asked if he could become a mason, and was told that if he still felt the same in six months it might be considered. He showed his commitment by volunteering to help at open days, Guildhall events and even in the office, leading to his initiation

by Meridian Lodge Master Barry Cooper Stevenson in January.

David Heathcote made enquiries at the Provincial Office and, after a meeting with Provincial Grand Master Steven Adcott, dispensation was given for the ceremony.

BENEVOLENT LODGE, NO. 303, TEIGNMOUTH DEVON

IS THIS A RECORD?

Fellow Craft Norrie Millen had a rare raising in Benevolent Lodge, No. 303, which meets at Teignmouth in Devon, when the entire ceremony was conducted by Grand Officers in the absence of the Master, Don Harrison, who was on holiday.

David Carter (second left), Master Barry Cooper Stevenson and other initiates after the ceremony

Don received a big surprise from his wife Edna, which left the lodge with a raising to perform while he was away on holiday.

It seemed a good idea to hold a Past Masters night and invite the Grand Officers of the Lodge to undertake the work.

Benevolent Lodge was blessed

with enough members of that rank to fill all offices on the night.

The out-turn was a truly remarkable event with a ‘sell-out’ of visitors to witness a ‘top draw’ ceremony the like of which the candidate, Norrie Millen, is unlikely to witness again.

Searching the Lodge archives since 1794, no record can be found of the Lodge having ever undertaken a ceremony entirely conducted by Grand Officer members.

The Provincial Grand Master for Devonshire, Michael Penny, didn’t believe it had happened before in the Province of Devonshire.

KEEPING THEM MOBILE ON ISLE OF WIGHT Local Freemasons have presented the new charity – Isle of Wight Shopmobility – with a high-specification, four-wheel electric scooter for use by disabled people visiting Newport.

Handing over the scooter to Shopmobility

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Funding was provided by a £750 grant from The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Masonic Grand Charity (Tom Langton Fund) following an application by Freshwater-based Needles Lodge, who provided a further donation of £100 from the members of Needles Lodge.

Isle of Wight Shopmobility loans manual and powered wheelchairs and electric scooters to members of the public who have mobility issues.

Coastal Mobility has donated electric scooters and will look after repairs and servicing for the fleet of vehicles.

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MASONIC EDUCATION

FREEMASONRY AND THE EMPIRE The Canonbury Masonic Research Centre (CMRC) has unveiled its programme for its thirteenth annual conference, which this year will be on the subject of Freemasonry and Empire

A portrait of Empire Ð Grand Master the Duke of Connaught in Rhodesia

T

he event will take place on 22-23 October and will include plenary lectures by Dr. Jessica Harland-Jacobs, Associate Professor at the University of Florida, Professor Andrew Prescott, University of Glasgow, and Professor Cécile Revauger, University of Bordeaux III. A fourth plenary speaker will be announced soon.

Several leading advocates of Empire such as Lord Kitchener, Sir Stamford Raffles and Rudyard Kipling were enthusiastic masonic devotees, and many members of indigenous communities also sought membership of English lodges.

Conference proposals should consist of about 300 to 400 words and should be sent, along with a potted CV, to Matthew Scanlan at the Canonbury Masonic Research Centre, Canonbury Tower, Canonbury Place, London N1 2NQ. The Call for Papers will close on 20 May. Tickets for the conference are now available priced £99 (this includes conference entrance and two buffet lunches) and reservations for the Saturday evening dinner are an additional £40 (please provide details of any special dietary requirements).

Cheques should be made payable to ÔCMRCÕ and sent to the conference organiser at the above address. Further information can be obtained from the CMRC website: www.canonbury.ac.uk

FORMER GRAND SECRETARY JIM DANIEL OBTAINS DOCTORATE Former Grand Secretary Jim Daniel was recently made a Doctor of Philosophy by the University of Sheffield for his thesis, The 4th Earl of Carnarvon (1831-90) and Freemasonry in the British Empire

W

hen in 1989 Jim Daniel was abruptly switched into a second career in masonic administration as Grand Secretary General of the Supreme Council and then Grand Secretary of the UGLE, he became interested in the Ancient and Accepted Rite’s history and its relationship with the Craft.

One of the names in the lists of Sovereign Grand Commanders of the Rite and Rulers of the Craft was that of Lord Carnarvon – not the Carnarvon involved with discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb – but his father, the 4th Earl, whose main residence was Highclere Castle, where Downton Abbey was recently filmed.

Lord Carnarvon was Grand Master of the Mark and the Sovereign Grand Commander of the Supreme Council. While he was Secretary of State for the

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Jim Daniel receiving his doctorate at the University of Sheffield

Colonies for the second time, he was appointed Pro Grand Master of the Craft, in which capacity he installed the Prince of Wales as Grand Master in 1875 and presided over the UGLE’s decision in 1877, in effect, to break off relations with the Grand Orient of France.

Those few historians who have commented on Freemasonry in the British Empire have tended to argue that it played a crucial role. Daniel, however, concludes that the fact that Victorian politicians like Carnarvon were Freemasons as well as important figures on the imperial stage, does not mean that Freemasonry as an institution had an imperialist agenda or even played a significant part in building and maintaining the British Empire: correlation does not mean causation.

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Rockhampton Morning Bulletin editorial staff

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

GRAND CHARITYÕS £20,000 GRANT FOR QUEENSLAND FLOODS

A heartbreaking scene following the clean-up of a flooded home in Emerald

Q

ueensland has been severely affected by flooding with an estimated 200,000 people suffering as a direct result of the floods.

Hundreds of homes and businesses have been evacuated and the State Treasurer has said that the cost of rebuilding is estimated at billions of dollars.

Central Queensland News, Emerald

In response to this disaster, Grahame Elliott, President of the Grand Charity, approved an emergency grant of £20,000 to the flood appeal organised by the United Grand Lodge of Queensland.

Adrian Burton, Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Queensland, launched a flood appeal, the proceeds of which will go towards assistance for its members and all Queenslanders. The appeal was launched with a combined contribution of

Cec West, Balonne Lodge

A$250,000 from the Board of General Purposes and the Board of Benevolence.

The Board of Benevolence attended to the needs of the members in immediate distress and during the coming months the funds received would be administered and distributed by Queensland Freemasons within the affected communities in consultation with lodges, civil leaders and regional councils. To organise efforts, a Co-ordination Group was formed.

Queensland mason George ThomasÕs house about a kilometre out of St. George, accessible only by boat, taken before the flood peaked. George, a market gardener, lost most of his watermelon and pumpkin crops

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Donations should be sent to: Board of Benevolence, 60 Wakefield Street, Sandgate, QLD 4017, Australia.

Direct credit to account: ‘Disaster Relief Fund’ BSB: 064124 Account: 10360544. Cheques should be drawn in favour of the Board of Benevolence

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

PALESTINIAN BECOMES ISRAELI GRAND MASTER

DANES AT LONDON BANNER DEDICATION CEREMONY It was an international affair at the banner dedication ceremony for the Gavel and Staff Lodge, No. 9835, whose members are toastmasters, with 17 Danish brethren being present. Their visit included visiting a lodge at Mark MasonÕs Hall, a tour of the Grand Lodge Museum, the Middle Temple and Temple Church and lunch in the Great Hall.

The Master, Peter Tautz, welcomed the Danish brethren from Cubic Stone Lodge, No. 811, Eternal Flame Lodge, No. 829 and Cimbria Orient Lodge, No. 504 from Aalborg, Denmark.

The banner dedication was performed by Metropolitan Grand Inspector Brian Saidman in the presence of Assistant Metropolitan Grand Masters Peter Reynolds and Derrick Silver.

The Danes with Gavel and Staff Lodge members and Metropolitan Grand officers

ROBERT LEVITT IS PORTUGALÕS NEW GRAND INSPECTOR

I

n January, Assistant Grand Master David Williamson and Grand Secretary Nigel Brown visited Britannia Masters Lodge, No. 9575, in the afternoon to confirm the appointment of Robert Scott Levitt as the new Grand Inspector of the Group of Lodges in Portugal.

This was followed by the Installation meeting of Lancaster Lodge, No. 9413, in the evening and a festive board enjoyed by about 70 brethren. The lodges in Portugal had all been consecrated within the District of Gibraltar 20 years ago, and a strong contingent, led

by District Grand Master Alfred Ryan, was in attendance, as was the Grand Inspector of the Grande Loja Regular de Portugal (Legal).

The following evening, at a meeting of Lancaster Chapter, Robert Levitt was confirmed as Grand Inspector of the Group of Chapters in Portugal.

English masons in Portugal have three lodges: Prince Henry the Navigator Lodge, No. 9360, Lodge of Discoveries, No. 9409, in the Algarve and Lancaster Grand Inspector Robert Levitt (right) with Assistant Grand Master David Williamson Lodge, No. 9413, in

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A Greek Orthodox Palestinian Arab, Nadim Mansour (pictured left), has been installed in Tel Aviv as Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of the State of Israel, a position he will hold until 2013.

Israel has had two previous Palestinian Arab Grand Masters – Yakob Nazee (1933-1940) and Jamil Shalhoub (1981-1982).

Nadim Mansour, who was born in Haifa but moved to Acre aged five, was initiated – as a Lewis – into Lodge Akko in 1971, of which his father Elias was a founder, and in 1980 became its Master.

He also has the rank of 33rd Degree in the Ancient and Accepted Rite.

Currently, the Grand Lodge has about 1,200 members in 56 lodges, working in ten languages – Hebrew, Arabic, English, French, Hungarian, Rumanian, Turkish, Russian, German and Spanish – and five different religions.

Estoril, as well as a roving lodge, Britannia Masters Lodge, No. 9575, which has one meeting a year in each of the homes of the three other lodges.

The first three lodges each have a Royal Arch Chapter attached to them. Estoril Lodge is nearly 350km away from the Algarve, so visiting is no easy matter. However, all lodges and chapters extend a very warm welcome to any brethren visiting from England or any other constitutions recognised by UGLE. Lancaster Lodge recently passed and raised a brother from the Grand Lodge of Texas, on instruction from UGLE, via the usual channels, and he is to join the lodge. Scottish and German masons have also been recent visitors. Anyone interested in visiting any of the lodges or chapters in Portugal should check details on the Group website: www.freemasonryinportugal.com

MASONIC CAREER ¥ 1972 Initiated, Barnard Lodge, No. 5100 ¥ 1980 Master, Barnard Lodge, No. 5100 ¥ 1987 PProvDGDC (Warks) ¥ 1990 Founding Secretary, Prince Henry the Navigator Lodge, No. 9360 ¥ 1992 PDistGSuptWks (Gib) ¥ 1993 Joined Lancaster Lodge, No. 9413 ¥ 1993 First Exaltee, Prince Henry the Navigator Chapter, No. 9360 ¥ 1995 Founder, Britannia Master Lodge, No. 9575 ¥ 1996 Master, Lancaster Lodge, No. 9413, and 2008 & 2009 ¥ 1996 Overseas Grand Rank ¥ 2000 First Principal, Prince Henry the Navigator Chapter, No. 9360 ¥ 2002 Founder, Lancaster Chapter, No. 9413 ¥ 2003 Past Assistant Grand Director of Ceremonies ¥ 2004 & 2005 First Principal, Lancaster Chapter ¥ 2005 Master, Britannia Masters Lodge, No. 9575 ¥ 2007 Perfected, Bayard Chapter, No. 70, Rose Croix

21

GRAND LODGE SPONSORSHIP

HONOURING OUR ROOTS Matthew Scanlan reports on Grand Lodgeﾃ不 sponsorship of students studying traditional craft skills 22

GRAND LODGE SPONSORSHIP

I

n 2008 Grand Lodge decided to sponsor three students studying at the City and Guilds of London Art School, where time-honoured craft skills such as stone carving are taught and thereby preserved.

And as two of the recipient students are now in their third year and approaching the climax of their courses, Freemasonry Today decided to go and see how they are progressing and to discover more about the work of the school.

The City and Guilds of London Art School is certainly not lacking in pedigree and from its earliest days in mid-nineteenth-century Lambeth, it can boast an illustrious past. Sir Henry Doulton, a founder of the Royal Doulton pottery firm, was associated with the school in its previous incarnation (the Lambeth School of Art) and the manufacture of his ‘Art Pottery’ was begun there by its students.

Walter William Ouless studied at the school before going on to become a celebrated portrait painter under the guidance of Sir John Everett Millais (one of the founders of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood) and the gifted French sculptor Aimé-Jules Dalou also taught there. In fact, several of the establishment’s students subsequently went to work for Auguste

Trainee carver masons in a workshop at the City and Guilds of London Art School

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Drawing from the portfolio of student carver mason Florence Glasspool

23

GRAND LODGE SPONSORSHIP

Conservation Studies student Suzanne Grasso restoring an enigmatic tabernacle of unknown origin

ÔIÕM SO GLAD I DID IT, ITÕS JUST FANTASTIC!Õ SUZANNE GRASSO

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GRAND LODGE SPONSORSHIP Conservation Studies student Steve Needlestone analysing the composition of a stone

Rodin in Paris as a result of Dalou’s friendship with the great man, and it is even believed that Vincent Van Gogh attended drawing classes at the school during a visit to Lambeth in the early 1870s.

At first glance the complex of buildings that make up today’s modern school look deceptively small.

But as you enter through a side entrance located just off London’s busy Kennington Park Road, one is immediately confronted by a warren of passages and corridors that seem to cocoon an interior courtyard flanked on either side by two large workshops, each echoing to the sounds of pneumatic drills and hammer-chiming chisels.

CRAFT TRADITIONS AND CONSERVATION As the establishment’s Principal Tony Carter explained, the school teaches its students everything from art history to the hands-on practical skills required to find work in a number of craft traditions, including the modern discipline of conservation.

And it is in this latter area that two of the three sponsored students are currently training. Now both in their third and final years, Suzanne Grasso and

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ÔIÕVE ALWAYS BEEN CREATIVE AND IÕVE ALWAYS MADE THINGS WITH MY HANDS, AND SO I FOUND MYSELF IN COMPLETELY THE WRONG PLACE WORKING IN AN OFFICEÕ STEVE NEEDLESTONE

Steve Needlestone are both hoping to graduate this summer with a BA Hons degree in Conservation Studies, which involves a wide range of disciplines, from the study of gilding to understanding the compositional make-up of stones commonly used in architecture.

Having worked in the field of graphic design for some years, Suzanne Grasso realised that her heart was no longer in her work and she decided to make a change to the world of conservation. ‘I’m so glad I did it,’ she exclaimed, ‘it’s just fantastic!’

Similarly, Steve Needlestone completed an art

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GRAND LODGE SPONSORSHIP

Practice carvings executed by students in the schoolÕs garden

ÔI WAS TERRIFIED AT FIRST BECAUSE MOST OF THE OTHER PEOPLE ON THE COURSE ARE EX-MASONS AND REALLY KNOW WHAT THEY ARE DOINGÕ FLORENCE GLASSPOOL

Student carver mason Florence Glasspool hard at work

foundation course and a degree in economics and economic history at the University of Manchester, before working in an office. ‘But,’ as he recalled, ‘I’ve always been creative and I’ve always made things with my hands, and so I found myself in completely the wrong place.’ After some soul searching, he too came to realise that conservation was the career for him; it was evident that both students were extremely grateful to the Grand Lodge for its financial support.

STONEMASONRY The third student being sponsored, Florence Glasspool, who is currently in her second year of a three-year BA Hons degree in Stone Carving, has already achieved a measure of success, in that one of her pieces – an abstract carving of a dormouse in limestone – has recently been selected to adorn the fifteenth-century perpendicular masterpiece that is St. George’s Chapel, Windsor. However, somewhat remarkably, unlike many of the carvers who she regularly studies alongside, Florence had never actually carved before joining the school. With an art school background, Florence wanted to

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27

GRAND LODGE SPONSORSHIP

ÔAT FIRST I WAS VERY SLOW, BUT THIS YEAR IÕVE GOT A LOT QUICKERÕ

Above: Florence Glasspool in the schoolÕs garden in front of a limestone carving executed by a fellow student depicting Noah with his ark

but as she explained, ‘I was told it was not advisable and so I went off to university and did something proper. But after studying product-design engineering for two years, I realised that I had to change’. She subsequently looked around for carving courses and, in her own words, ‘quickly realised that this was really the only one’, and so she applied and was accepted.

‘It’s brilliant’, she said. ‘I’m a complete novice really and I was terrified at first because most of the other people on the course are ex-masons and really know what they are doing. I had come from an art school background, but here they sort of go, “there’s your hammer and chisel, now make something”.’ She laughs, ‘So at first I was very slow, but this year I’ve got a lot quicker’.

‘Obviously it would take a lifetime to become as good as the masons who worked on the medieval cathedrals, but I would just like to thank the Freemasons for sponsoring me and thereby giving me a chance to pursue a career that I love’.

Right: One of Florence GlasspoolÕs carvings

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Photography: Matthew Scanlan

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SLUG GOES HERE

Grand Orator, Kai Hughes joined the Royal Navy in 1979, serving during the period of the Falklands conflict. He left the Navy in 1994 to go to university where he read psychology. He graduated in 1997 by which time he had been a Freemason for twelve years.

WHAT THE DEGREES ARE TELLING US Grand Orator Kai Hughes talks to Julian Rees

G

rand Orator Kai Hughes joined the Royal Navy in 1979, serving during the period of the Falklands conflict. He left the Navy in 1994 to go to university where he read psychology. He graduated in 1997 by which time he had been a Freemason for twelve years.

‘You’ve been appointed the first ever Grand Orator. What is your approach?’

‘We talk about symbolism, but it’s very difficult for people to understand symbolism beyond the very superficial level because they haven’t really

30

understood the context in which the symbolism is there. If we talk about the symbolism of the rough ashlar, that’s great. A person comes in, rough and ready, and Freemasonry makes them smooth, it moulds them. On a very superficial level that message is quite useful for the majority of Freemasons but then you start peeling away the layers and you apply some context – namely what’s the meaning of the three degrees?

‘Once you understand what the three degrees are trying to do you can see far more meaning in the symbolism. So you’re peeling away those layers –

INTERVIEW

ARE YOU PROFICIENT AT RECITING THE RITUAL OR ÔAT UNDERSTANDING WHAT THE RITUAL IS TRYING TO ACHIEVE?Õ

peeling away the outward symbolic forms used by Freemasonry – and getting under them. What I tell the Provincial Grand Orators is that we have to talk the basics first and really get over the message of the three degrees.

‘One way into this is to explore basic questions: why do we blindfold a candidate? What is the significance of Jacob’s Ladder on our Tracing Boards? Why are we first prepared in our heart?

Why do we speak of our experience as a journey?

For the masonic degrees are stages of a journey, one which leads through a strange landscape giving insight not only into masonic symbolism but into life itself.

‘When people start to understand this, then they look at the symbols in the lodge room, and they become more meaningful because they understand the aim of the three degrees. Some brethren come to their lodge just for the social dimension and aren’t too keen on what we’re saying. I tell them about the lodge in Germany I visited as a young mason, where the lodge proceedings were just charged with so much energy and I realised there was another way.

Photography: Matthew Scanlan

UNDERSTANDING RITUAL ‘I like listening to what the younger members have to say. They are our future. Some of the older members may say, “I’ve been in it forty years. I can tell you far more than the younger members can.” But that is an outdated view. The fact that you’ve been in Freemasonry for forty years means that you may have had forty years’ experience of listening to ceremonies; but does it mean you understand what those ceremonies are? Sometimes a man who has been in only five years can see things in an almost innocent way. Now, there’s more acceptance of trying to hear the views of newer brethren.

‘If you ask, how much you know about the ritual, does that mean how proficient are you at reciting the ritual, or does it mean how proficient are you at understanding what the ritual is trying to achieve?

I think a lot of Freemasons are judged on their proficiency in reciting the ritual and it is only now that we are starting to enquire about what the ritual actually means.

‘So it’s only when you start removing the layers that the ritual is overlaid with, and understanding what that means, that you realise there is a

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potentiality within you, and that the whole purpose of the rituals is to release that potential. Buddha said that there is a Buddha in all of us and it’s up to us to release that.

‘You can say that this is what’s meant by the statement in our ritual, “that he may the better be enabled to unfold the beauties of true godliness” because that’s unlocking your potential, getting to know the qualities that you are trying to grow within yourself. This is what I mean about getting below the layers. When you understand that God is within you and that you have a potential to grow that spirituality inside you, then by the end of the third degree you are on a higher spiritual conscious plane and therefore reaching spiritual insight so that communicating with your God becomes much easier.

THIRD GRAND PRINCIPLE ‘It’s important not to forget Truth, the third Grand Principle, the spiritual truth within ourselves.

Freemasons enjoy their Freemasonry on different levels, and that’s fine. The brother who only comes to lodge for the meal is still coming to the lodge, he’s still hearing the words of the ritual, even if he isn’t immersing himself in the way I have talked about.

But when I’m giving an oration, one or two masons will come up to me and say, “That’s what I’ve been searching for. I knew there was more to it, and you’ve now given me a key to go further.” And that’s great. There has to be room for people who would never have joined Freemasonry if it wasn’t for this aspect.

‘I have contacted all the Provincial Grand Orators, set up an Orators’ forum where they can ask questions and put forward ideas. We had an Orators’ meeting on 22 January. We identified their roles, what they are supposed to be doing; we launched a bit of training, mainly in facilitating the questions and answers after the oration, and we discussed measures which could improve the scheme.

‘The important thing Freemasonry has, unlike other organisations, is our three degrees. So you’ve got to ask that question, why have we got three degrees? Why would we act out these little playlets? It’s got to be more than just “making good men better”. People have got to realise that there is something special about these three degrees.

And it is to explain this that is the whole point of the Orator programme.’

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LONDON FASHION WEEK

CATWALK CREATIONS As FreemasonsÕ Hall plays host once again to events at London Fashion Week, Lucinda Weston talks to up-and-coming fashion designer Kirsty Ward

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A

feeling of serenity prevails as you walk through the Great Queen Street doors of Freemasons’ Hall in Covent Garden.

With its sweeping marble staircases and ornate ceilings, this stunning Art Deco building has a refined elegance. Explore a little further, however, and you might be surprised to find a fashion show in full swing, with models marching down a catwalk to the accompaniment of a thousand flash bulbs.

A flurry of fashion darlings regularly descend upon the Grand Lodge in February to promote both new and seasoned designers to a global audience of media buyers, celebrities and style leaders as part of London Fashion Week. This year’s show saw Kirsty Ward showing her second collection from her own label. Kirsty is one of thirty designers to have taken part in the week-long Vauxhall Fashion Scout Autumn/Winter 2011 event, which showcases new and upcoming designers and runs alongside

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LONDON FASHION WEEK

ÔWHILE I LIKE TO USE A LOT OF VOLUME AND BE BOLD, I ALSO WANT MY CLOTHES TO BE WEARABLEÕ

Right and below right: the Prince Regent Room at FreemasonsÕ Hall is transformed for the Fashion Scout show Below left: a model prepares for a turn on the catwalk

Photography: Simon Armstrong, Ben Anders

the main London Fashion Week events. Hosted at Freemasons’ Hall since 2006, the independent showcase also offers support to new designers both through funding and mentoring, and has been described as a talent goldmine, launching the careers of Peter Pilotto, William Tempest and BodyAmr. The Grand Lodge’s Old Board Room has been converted into the backstage area for the show and Kirsty is crouched in a corner, surrounded by rails of clothes hung next to the grandiose portraits on the walls. She is helping a model into monstrously high shoes, her petite frame cloaked in an azure kaftan and she looks calm despite the chaos around her. As makeup and hair artists speedily get to work on the models, assistants make last-minute adjustments to the clothes so that they will fit slender frames.

From over two hundred designers to apply, Kirsty was selected by a panel of industry insiders to be one of four womenswear designers to take part in the Ones to Watch show. This is a stage for new designers to gain exposure, with experts on hand to offer help at every step of the way – from creative input to production and promotion of the event.

Front of house, the Prince Regent Room is a vision in white – a long catwalk runs the length of the room

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LONDON FASHION WEEK with models making their entrance to pulsing music as an army of photographers clamber to get the best shot. Kirsty is the first to show her collection and the four hundred strong audience look on largely expressionless as they furiously scribble down notes.

KIRSTYÕS DESIGNS Kirsty’s collection is a combination of sculptured sheer dresses constructed in voluminous layers to frame and flatter the female form, and statement jewellery made from plumbing materials. A selfconfessed B&Q addict, Kirsty sees jewellery as an extension of the clothes, and her pieces combine bright Perspex, copper hardware and beading in striking designs.

‘While I like to use a lot of volume and be bold, I also want my clothes to be wearable,’ explains Kirsty, believing that clothes should be approachable.

‘This season I experimented with putting jewellery in between the layers of fabric, as well as with the pattern cutting. I used a muted brown and yellow colour pallete and a lot of Aertex and mohair.’

As the Ones to Watch show comes to an end, Kirsty and her fellow designers walk hand in hand

HIDDEN GEM

Fashion designer Kirsty Ward brings her creations to life

As well as being the home of the United Grand Lodge of England, Freemasons’ Hall is also one of fifty Unique Venues of London available for hire to the general public and one of the most filmed locations in London.

Since 2005, it has welcomed a host of non-masons through its doors, including celebrities, supermodels and film stars. The thriving events business attracts around sixty thousand new visitors each year and seamlessly runs alongside the lodge meetings taking place in all nineteen lodge rooms every evening from Monday to Saturday.

With two and a half acres of

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sweeping marbled staircases and ornate hand-painted ceilings, it is one of EnglandÕs finest examples of Art Deco architecture. Each room is unique: the awe-inspiring Grand Temple covers a vast one thousand square metres, with a beautiful mosaic ceiling that took over seven years to complete, while Lodge Room 10 immediately transports you to India with its cooling vaulted stone ceilings and blue and gold fretwork accents. As Karen Haigh, Head of Events, says: ÔFreemasonsÕ Hall is a hidden gem in the heart of Covent Garden Ð once you step into the building you never forget it.Õ

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LONDON FASHION WEEK

ÔI LOVE WHAT I DO BUT BEING AN UP-AND-COMING DESIGNER THERE ARE ALWAYS STRUGGLESÕ down the catwalk to rapturous applause, before rushing back stage. Catching her quickly she is in a state of elation, beaming at how well the show went, despite ‘a few shoe issues’. The journalists dash back to the media room to file copy, while the buyers are able to get up close to the collection and place orders in the Exhibition Room – Freemasons’ Hall’s very own temporary boutique for the week. The collection is a hit, getting a fantastic response from buyers.

Kirsty honed her style – or what’s known as ‘design handwriting’ in the industry – at London’s Central St Martins. This was followed by an internship at Preen London, which paid nothing but taught everything, and fifteen months designing for eminent designer Alberta Ferretti in Rimini, Italy.

Back in England and collaborating with boyfriend designer David Longshaw on a jewellery collection to much acclaim, Kirsty then decided to go it alone – for the first time giving herself completely free rein.

Despite having her own window at Selfridges’ flagship Oxford Street store in January, Kirsty is refreshingly down to earth and speaks of the many challenges in starting out in fashion: ‘I love what I do so much I would work for 24 hours a day if my body would let me, but being an up-and-coming designer

36

Above: Kirsty poses with her designs Below: taking applause on the catwalk

there are always struggles, especially on the money side of things. My time costs nothing, but buying fabrics and producing the garments does.’

Kirsty has a family friend who sponsors her, as well as the funding she received from Vauxhall Fashion Scout, but admits she has the odd moment of doubt when she thinks about chucking it all in and running a sweet shop instead. However, spurred on by an overwhelming desire to make things and a passion for fashion design, Kirsty could be fast approaching a tipping point in her career where she is not just the one to watch but the one to wear.

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JUNGLE MARATHON

RAISING MONEY THE HARD WAY

Coldstream Guards officer, Capt. Matthew Burrows, ran Brazil’s jungle marathon 38

O

n his birthday, 18 February 2010, Lt. Dougie Dalzell M.C. of the Coldstream Guards was killed in an explosion while on patrol with his men in Babaji, Helmand Province, Afghanistan. His platoon had already suffered severe losses: two men had lost their lives and others had been severely wounded.

In Lt. Dalzell’s memory, his family founded a charitable trust: the Lt. Dougie Dalzell M.C. Memorial Trust. The Trust’s aim is to support injured soldiers and the families of soldiers who have been killed on duty. Funds raised go towards

JUNGLE MARATHON

rehabilitation and reintegration of wounded service personnel into society and to support families in need.

GATHERING SPONSORSHIP A close friend, a fellow platoon commander in the Guards who had completed two tours of Afghanistan and a Freemason, Capt. Matthew Burrows, wanted to raise as much as he could for the Trust. Gaining sponsorship from many dierent sources he embarked on the physically

freemasonrytoday.com

Above: After 75 straight kilometres the only thing keeping me afloat was the buoyancy of my backpack but the river crossing was a much-needed chance to cool off.

Left: Capt. Matthew Burrows (left) with Lt. Dalzell (right) in a forward patrol base in Helmand province, Afghanistan

39

JUNGLE MARATHON

Medics dressing my feet which by the middle of the marathon had begun to show serious wear and tear

Early days in the run, feeling fresh, before any issues began to arise

Being warmly welcomed by the villagers raised morale; especially when they grabbed our socks and shoes to wash out the grit after we had collapsed on to the beach

Photography: Christiane Kappes/Kappes Adventure Press

Day 5 and, as you can tell from the smile, the pain of 90 hellish kilometres disappears as I cross the finish line

40

JUNGLE MARATHON

ÔTHE RUNNERS HAD TO MAKE IT OUT OF THE JUNGLE BEFORE NIGHTFALL BECAUSE OF THE HIGH POPULATION OF JAGUARSÕ demanding Jungle Marathon in Brazil which finished at Alter do Chao near Santarem, up the Amazon river.

The marathon was a two hundred and twentytwo kilometre, six-stage, self-sufficient race through primary jungle with deep swamps and river crossings together with open trails and beach. As well as the hugely testing terrain, the competition is made all the more gruelling by high temperatures and humidity, coupled with the dangers of Amazon flora and fauna. As a result, it is considered one of the toughest endurance events in the world.

THROUGH THE JUNGLE The first two days were the hardest legs of the race.

The first day consisted of sixteen kilometres of steep hills with numerous river crossings, perfect for cooling down, but meaning runners’ feet were never dry. As well as these difficulties, each pack carried a hammock, medical kit, spare clothing and food to last six days. Day two, a run of twenty-three kilometres was similar in terrain to the first with steep hills, interspersed with waist-deep muddy swamp crossings, rivers and fallen trees. The third day, a run of thirty-nine kilometres, gave a well-deserved change from the constant ascents and descents of the first two days. Although the majority of the course was still in thick jungle, there were parts that ran along community trails through small settlements with excited children screaming encouragement.

BEATING THE PAIN By day four, another run of twenty-three kilometres, the constant wet, grit, mud and sand had started to degrade runners’ feet and despite the taping and care from the doctors on hand, blisters had started to appear. Everyone tried to prevent this from occurring but there is only so much that one can do in such an extreme jungle environment.

The fifth day was the longest stage: eighty-nine kilometres; forty-five kilometres through the jungle followed by forty-four kilometres on community trails and beach. Starting at 7 am, the first target was to reach checkpoint four by 3.30 pm that afternoon, a total distance of thirty-two kilometres through the jungle. There was little chance to rest as runners had to make it out of the jungle before nightfall as that area had a high population of jaguars that would have loved to snack on an unsuspecting runner.

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SantarŽm ¥

Amazon

Tapajos National Forest

BRAZIL Brasilia ¥ Rio de Janeiro ¥

¥ Rio Grande

JUNGLE TERRAIN Our race is held in a protected area of Rainforest, the Floresta Nacional de Tapajos.

The forest is the second largest conservation unit located in the Tapajos river watershed, a region of great biodiversity, with many species endemic to the region, and extremely scenic. Very few conservation units in the Amazon region protect such a large portion of the flora and fauna of clear water river systems.

LOCAL POPULATION PROFILE Over 1100 families divided in 24 communities live in traditional style, mostly along the Tapajos river edge. They cultivate manioc, corn, rice, watermelon, fish, gather turtles, brazil nuts, oils and resins, sell handcrafts and, more recently, practice ecotourism Ð good for the local economy and for conservation.

As Matthew explained to Freemasonry Today, ‘We finally hit the sandy roads at 5 pm that day and enjoyed a relatively flat fifty kilometres to the finish line. After eight more hours of community trails in the darkness, listening to the howls of monkeys and seeing eyes shining back at us from the undergrowth, I had developed a fever from the infections in my feet and by the next checkpoint, twenty-five kilometres later, I could barely support myself and I passed out for two hours.

‘At 6 am, I awoke to find that it was unbearably painful to support myself on my feet and the severity of the infections became evident. Luckily, one of the medical support crew was an anaesthetist consultant and she spent two hours treating my feet. After draining the blisters, injecting local anaesthetic into the worst areas and cutting off the tops of my trainers so my feet could swell out, I was ready to hit the road again with the assistance of a healthy dose of painkillers.

‘The rest of the distance was on the beach and trails with little shade from the sun: it was a long, hot and painful slog but I finally crossed the finish line ninety kilometres and thirty-five hours later, feeling slightly worse for wear!’

FINISH LINE ‘The final day, thirty-two kilometres, was along the shore of the Amazon with no escape from the incessant heat except the odd dip to cool off.

However, we could all sense the end and six hours later, as the finish line came into sight, I had a feeling of total elation and an ice cold beer quickly replaced the memories of the excruciating pain I had experienced. The Jungle Marathon 2010, all two hundred and twenty-two kilometres, was complete in a mere sixty-eight hours and twenty-eight minutes!’

SUCCESS FOR THE TRUST ‘I had decided to take on the Jungle Marathon because I wanted to push myself to the very edge and it also seemed a fitting tribute to one of the most mentally and physically robust officers I had the honour to serve alongside.

‘Thanks to so many generous donations, including many from masonic lodges, I raised the grand total of £13,300.’

www.dougiedalzellmemorialtrust.co.uk 41

Photography: Nick Thompson

Twelfth-century stone carving of Pythagoras in Chartres Cathedral.

He is depicted as representing music

PYTHAGORAS

PYTHAGORAS: THE INITIATE

Michael Baigent looks at one of the most revered figures of early Freemasonry

A

n early legend, taken seriously by working Freemasons, explained that prior to the great flood all knowledge of the seven sciences had been recorded on two large stone pillars which were hidden in caves near the ancient city of Thebes in Egypt – around the modern city of Luxor.

The fifteenth-century Cooke Manuscript of the Freemasons’ ‘Old Charges’ reports: ‘After this flode many years … these 2 pillers were founde … a grete clerke that called putogoras fonde that one and hermes the philosopher fonde that other’.

Hermes ‘the Philosopher’ was a mythical figure used to express the inner initiatory teachings of the Egyptian priesthood. He was a Greek echo of the Egyptian god Thoth (Djeuty) who ruled over initiation and was guide through the ‘Far-World’, the world of the gods and the dead.

The second figure was Pythagoras; he was different. He was not mythological but a Greek born on the island of Samos around 580 BC. And he was well aware of Hermes whom he considered ‘the wisest of all’.

Pythagoras’ teachings involved initiation and a study of music, geometry, medicine, divination, justice and politics; the latter perhaps contributing to the eventual demise of his schools.

The Greeks, particularly those from Samos, were great traders, venturing out in their ships across the Mediterranean perhaps even into the Atlantic to Cornwall to get tin for bronze, or travelling east for high-value items like silks, peacocks and precious stones. From the eighth century BC, they began creating their own colonies, the first of these in southern Italy and Sicily. Some still flourish: Syracuse in Sicily, Naples and Crotona in Italy, Marseilles in France and Malaga in Spain.

freemasonrytoday.com

LIFE OF PYTHAGORAS According to the philosopher Iamblichus, when Pythagoras was young he decided to study in Egypt.

On his way there he was initiated into the Mysteries of Byblos and Tyre and then spent some time in solitude in a temple at the top of Mount Carmel. Once in Egypt, he stayed twenty-two years visiting all the temples and becoming initiated into the different divine Mysteries.

He was caught up in the invasion of Egypt by the Persians in 525 BC and taken to Babylon where he was initiated into the Mesopotamian and Persian Mystery traditions. Then, in his mid-fifties, he moved to Croton in southern Italy where he founded his academy in the last decades of the sixth century BC. Unfortunately, a new ruler of Croton became an enemy: around 508 BC he openly persecuted the Pythagoreans and many were killed. That same year Pythagoras moved up the coast to Metapontum where he later died. In the fifth century BC his philosophy was violently suppressed and its remaining centres were burned.

HIS TEACHING Pythagoras was the first, it is said, to call himself a philosopher – that is, a lover of wisdom. Crucially, he saw wisdom as something you gained by experience and not as an intellectual accumulation or some prowess in argument, as philosophy became in the hands of such as Plato. And, perhaps surprising to many western readers, he believed in, and taught, reincarnation.

He said that he had come not to teach but to heal.

He had both practical and mystical approaches to medicine: he used diet, medicines and poultices but above all he taught that music, properly used, might also effectively heal. He discovered the

43

PYTHAGORAS

ÔTHE BASIS OF REALITY ITSELF WAS TO BE DISCOVERED IN NUMBER SINCE THIS WAS NOT A PRODUCT OF THE HUMAN MIND BUT OF A REALITY WHICH EXISTS BEYONDÕ Left: A mosaic depicting Euclid and Pythagoras in the west of the Grand Temple, FreemasonsÕ Hall, Great Queen Street, London

mathematical harmonic ratios at the basis of music and this led him to see a mystical interconnection with astronomy and geometry as well. He taught that the basis of reality itself was to be discovered in number since this was not a product of the human mind but of a reality which exists beyond.

Pythagoras used symbols to instruct his students but warned, ‘They who present these symbols without unfolding their meaning by a suitable exposition, run the danger of exposing them to the charge of being ridiculous and inane … When, however, the meanings are expounded according to these symbols, and made clear and obvious … then they will be found analogous to prophetic sayings…’

But above all, the primary task of healing for any Pythagorean was to bring himself back to the original unity. The act of humanity separating itself from the One, he said, was ‘an act of foolhardiness.’

Below: PythagorasÕ theorem, also called the 47th proposition of Euclid Ð who was a Greek mathematician living in Alexandria around 330260 BC Ð is depicted on the jewel of a past Master of a lodge. However, it is certain that this theorem did not originate with Pythagoras but came from a much earlier time in ancient Babylonia.

The theorem was also used by the Pythagoreans as a symbol of justice: while the dimensions of the triangle can be infinitely adjusted, the over-riding theorem itself remains intact; thus an overall legal system can maintain both integrity and flexibility Translation of IamblichusÕ Life of Pythagoras,

by K. S. Guthrie

a passing of authority from Abaris to Pythagoras.

Northern shamans like Abaris wore very different clothes from the Greeks. They wore trousers which were good for riding and for warmth in the bitterly cold Siberian plains. Distinctively, Pythagoras always wore the same.

THE ONE SOURCE Personal experience of the one source of divinity was the beginning and end of Pythagoras’ message. As our masonic ritual eventually explains, this can be seen symbolically as a journey towards the centre of the circle; thus a profound perspective is explained in a simple geometrical figure.

Where, our ritual leads us to ask, do the genuine secrets of Freemasonry reside? With the centre, it explains, the point from which you cannot err – for from the centre you have gained an eternal standard by which to judge your actions.

And the masonic search for the lost word can give us further insight: in Greek, the ‘word’ is logos but it also has the meaning in ancient Greek mathematics of ‘ratio’ which was the basis of Pythagoras’ music and geometry, the basis of divine harmony. In effect, the search for the lost word can be seen as the search for a lost harmony. Have we an echo here of Pythagoras’ warning that separation from the One is an act of foolhardiness?

A mysterious figure from the far north named in the Greek texts as Abaris and called ‘air-walker’ or ‘skywalker’ came to Greece, recognised Pythagoras as a living incarnation of Apollo, and mysteriously gave him a golden arrow.

Apollo was the god of ecstasy – that is, of the infinite stillness experienced in another state of consciousness; in the still centre of the heart perhaps.

Significantly, old Greek traditions record Apollo coming to Greece from those lands far to the north.

Abaris was an Avar shaman from Mongolia. His ‘arrow’ was a powerful magical object well known to the Tibetans and Mongols as a phurba, which often takes the form of a dagger with a three-sided blade.

According to Tibetan tradition, it is only used by initiates for shamanic healing.

Whatever the truth of this, this donation marked

44

United Grand Lodge of England, The Library and Museum of Freemasonry, London

THE MYSTERY OF THE AIR-WALKER

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MEGALITHIC MYSTERIES OF MALTA The Mnajdra temple site in Malta

THE MEGALITHIC MYSTERIES OF MALTA People first settled the Maltese islands around 7,000 years ago, probably coming from Sicily, writes Paul Devereux, though in truth we know little about the movement of peoples around the Mediterranean in prehistoric times. Around 3,400 B.C., the building began of megalithic temples unlike any elsewhere in the world and older than the Great Pyramid or Stonehenge freemasonrytoday.com

THE ÔTEMPLE PERIODÕ e temples were constructed for over one thousand years, a period punctuated by stylistic phases, and thirty sites still survive. ey display shared basic characteristics such as the temple buildings and courts being contained within a megalithic external wall with a slightly concave façade. ey have a central passage leading from the main entrance in the outer wall into the heart of the temple with a varying number of bays or apses on either side.

Specific architectural features also recur within the temples, including ‘trilithon’ doorways or openings – consisting of a lintel stone supported by uprights – recesses, and stone cupboard-like constructions of unknown purpose. ere are also curious apertures in some temple walls that are typically designated as ‘portholes’ or ‘oracle holes’.

Decorative or symbolic features, such as rock panels with carved motifs of various kinds, are often in evidence. e temples seem not to have been funerary in nature but used for public ritual and worship. ere is no evidence of human sacrifice though

47

MEGALITHIC MYSTERIES OF MALTA Entrance to Ggantija temple on Gozo

Right: details of Ggantija temple

Detail of Hagar Qim temple

48

MEGALITHIC MYSTERIES OF MALTA

THIRTY TEMPLE SITES STILL EXIST, THE EARLIEST DATING A THOUSAND YEARS BEFORE THE GREAT PYRAMID

Rabat ¥

Ġgantija GOZO KEMMUNA

judging by the bones uncovered at temple sites there was animal sacrifice; but to what god? There are indications that it was actually a goddess, an ‘Earth Mother’ figure. This is assumed to be so because of figurines and statues found in several temples depicting a ‘fat lady’, a female figure with exaggerated hips and breasts perhaps symbolising fertility.

The Stone Age Temple Period came to a curiously sudden end, and was followed by the arrival of a wholly different Bronze Age people.

Hal Saflieni

Mnajdra

A FEW KEY TEMPLE SITES Ġgantija Situated on Malta’s smaller sister island of Gozo, Ġgantija is in fact two conjoined temples.

The southern one is the older, and parts of its façade still stand up to 6 m (21 ft) tall. Folklore states that Ġgantija was built by a giantess who nursed a baby and ate beans while she carried the stones. One suspects that this represents an age-old fertility motif relating to the lost earth mother goddess.

Haġar Qim Located close to Malta’s south-west coast, Haġar Qim has a trilithon entrance that gives on to a complex cluster of passages, apses, courts, and chambers. The older parts date to c. 3,400 B.C.

¥ Valletta

MALTA

Tarxien

Haġar Qim

Birzebbuga ¥

A notable internal feature is a fascinating ‘floral altar’ carved with what seem to be abstract depictions of plants. There is also a stone pillar over 4.5 m (15 ft) tall, which may possibly represent a male deity, a phallic counterpart to the ‘fat lady’ carved limestone figures found at the site.

Mnajdra This atmospheric complex of three adjacent temples is situated close to Haġar Qim, near the edge of a steep slope plunging down to the sea. The temples were built in different chronological phases, the oldest part possibly

Entrance to Hagar Qim temple

Hagar Qim: reproduction of the unusual floral altar. The original is now in the National Museum of Archaeology, Valetta

freemasonrytoday.com

49

MEGALITHIC MYSTERIES OF MALTA

ÔTHE HYPOGEUM POSSESSES EERIE ACOUSTIC QUALITIES Ð ECHOES OF SOUNDS RUMBLE ON IN A REMARKABLE MANNERÕ Oracle chamber at Mnajdra temple

Large stone bowl hewn from a single stone at Tarxien central temple

Temple of Hal Safl ieni underground chamber with markings which appear to correlate with acoustic properties

REALM OF THE DEAD

Above, top: remains of a large statue at Tarxien South temple, unique in Mediterranean prehistory. Below: carved screen at Tarxien Central temple.

The original is in the National Museum of Archaeology, Valetta

50

A hypogeum is a subterranean, rock-hewn set of chambers. It is thought a number of the temples had such features beneath them, but if so, most remain undiscovered. By far the best preserved example is the Hal Saflieni hypogeum, close to the Tarxien complex in Paola. It consists of three main levels of subterranean chambers, galleries and pits, hewn out of the limestone. The quality of the rock-cutting ranges from rough-hewn areas to highly-finished façades as can be seen in the so-called ‘Holy of Holies’, reminiscent of the surface temples on Malta. The upper level is the oldest, dating to at least 4,000 B.C. The hypogeum was partly an ossuary because the skeletal remains of several thousand individuals were recovered from the site, but it also certainly housed ritual activities.

The hypogeum possesses eerie acoustic qualities – echoes of sounds rumble on in a remarkable manner. Special attention has been focused on the chamber sometimes referred to as the ‘oracle room’ where there is an oval wall niche which, if intoned into, produces a particularly powerful reverberating sound. Most archaeologists dismiss this as mere coincidence, but the Neolithic ceiling painting in this chamber might give the lie to that. Executed in red ochre, it is a spirally vine-like pattern with ‘fruit’ – disks – scattered through it.

Skilfully executed underground chamber at temple of Hal Safl ieni

This painting tends to be dismissed as Stone Age doodling but when taking part in an acoustic study of the hypogeum the present writer noticed that the ‘fruit’ disks become larger the further one goes into the oracle room and are at their largest as they approach the wall niche, where the ceiling painting stops abruptly. Three large red disks can be seen painted within the niche. Could the ceiling painting therefore be a form of acoustic notation, the red disks indicating the increase of the resonance in the chamber at that point? This is just one more mystery that Malta’s prehistoric past presents us with.

© Paul Devereux, Paul Devereux/Heritage Malta, Jose Fuste Raga/Age Fotostock/Robert Harding

dating to 3,600 B.C. It can be noted that some of the walling in the temple has an inward leaning (corbelled) construction hinting that there may have been a stone roof here though it is thought most Maltese megalithic temples had timber roofs. The rising sun at the Spring Equinox (21 March) shines through the entrance and down the central passage.

Tarxien The site now occupied by the remains of the Tarxien temple complex was used since c. 4,100 B.C., but the first megalithic structures there date to c. 3,000 B.C. The complex contains three temple sites: Tarxien South, Tarxien Central and the highly ruinous Tarxien Far East. Among several notable features in Tarxien Central is a large bowl of unknown function hewn from a single block of rock and two large stone screens decorated with relief carvings of spirals, a common motif in the temples. In Tarxien South the stand-out feature is the lower half of what had been a monumental statue probably depicting the ‘fat lady’ goddess, though wearing a skirt in this case.

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For nearly 200 years, the Gurkhas have fought alongside us and helped keep our peace. Today, they continue to do so. Famed for their courage and loyalty, Gurkhas have been awarded a remarkable 13 Victoria Crosses.

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It saves space and clutter and delivers near immediate access to an entire music collection. JB7 owners rediscover then fall in love with their music again simply because the Brennan makes it so accessible.

The Brennan also records from vinyl and cassette so you can enjoy your entire music collection but keep the originals in another room or retire them to the attic.

Small enough to pick up with one hand yet big enough for a lifetime of music, the Brennan JB7 is one man’s brilliant idea for everyone’s forgotten music. It’s only available direct from Brennan at www.brennan.co.uk.

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A word about copyright

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“The Advertising Standard Authority has asked us to tell you that it is unlawful to copy material without the permission of the copyright owner. In November, David Cameron announced a review of copyright laws “to see if we can make them fit for the internet age”. Find out more and have your say now at www.brennan.co.uk”

Ever since CDs were invented Martin wanted a CD player that would hold his entire CD collection. He wanted something as simple to use as a light switch but at the same time something that would let him find a particular track without leaving the armchair.

To get the whole story on the Brennan JB7 and order visit www.brennan.co.uk

Martin Brennan

brennan

GEORGE VI AND FREEMASONRY

THE KINGÕS FREEMASONRY There is no mention of Freemasonry in the Oscar-winning film about King George VI. Paul Hooley puts us right The King’s Speech has been critically acclaimed as one of the finest motion pictures of recent years and has renewed the public’s interest in, and affection for, King George VI, who reigned from 1936 to 1952.

The film, which chronicles the constitutional crisis created by Edward VIII’s abdication and George’s struggle to overcome his pronounced stammer, focuses on the moving relationship between the King and speech therapist Lionel Logue, which had such a happy ending.

What the film does not mention, however, is that both men were members of the Craft; or that the King believed Freemasonry had also helped him overcome his disability – which rarely surfaced whenever he performed masonic ritual. Logue, who had been the Master of St George’s Lodge, Western Australia, was also speech therapist to the Royal Masonic School.

KING GEORGEÕS LOVE OF FREEMASONRY

Albert, Duke of York, later King George VI, in his regalia as the Provincial Grand Master of Middlesex.

This photo was issued in 1931

freemasonrytoday.com

Following service with the Royal Navy in the First World War, he was initiated in December 1919 into Navy Lodge, No. 2612, of which his grandfather King Edward VII had been founding Master. On that occasion he noted: ‘I have always wished to become a Freemason, but owing to the war I have had no opportunity before this of joining the Craft’. From that moment he became a most dedicated and active Freemason. He was invested as Duke of York in 1920 and the following year installed as permanent Master of Navy Lodge. He joined other lodges and degrees and was appointed Senior Grand Warden of The United Grand Lodge in 1923.

George V died in January 1936 and was succeeded by his eldest son Edward, who had been initiated (also in 1919) into the Household Brigade Lodge,

53

GEORGE VI AND FREEMASONRY

See-Saw Films/The Kobal Collection

ÔAFTER THE SECOND WORLD WAR, KING GEORGE WROTE, ÒFREEMASONRY HAS BEEN ONE OF THE STRONGEST INFLUENCES ON MY LIFEÓÕ

Colin Firth as George VI and Geoffrey Rush as Lionel Logue in The KingÕs Speech The 3d Victory Stamp featuring masonic symbolism and issued in 1946

No. 2614. But before the year was out Edward had abdicated. Of the moment of change King George VI wrote, ‘On entering the room I bowed to him as King… when [he] and I said goodbye we kissed, parted as Freemasons and he bowed to me as his King.’

Protocol required George to resign his masonic affiliations, however when it was suggested a new position of Past Grand Master be created especially for him, he immediately accepted, declaring, ‘Today the pinnacle of my masonic life has been reached.’

THE VICTORY STAMPS After the Second World War, King George wrote that ‘Freemasonry has been one of the strongest influences on my life’ and in collaboration with engraver Reynolds Stone helped create a postage stamp, part of the ‘1946 Victory Issue,’ which is filled with masonic symbolism.

The 3d Victory Stamp was widely praised for the ‘strength and simplicity of the design’. It depicts the King’s head in the East, his eyes firmly fixed on illustrations of a dove carrying an olive branch (representing peace and guidance), the square and compasses (in the second degree configuration) and a trowel and bricks (the sign of a Master spreading the cement that binds mankind in brotherly love).

On the stamp the images appear in white, the colour of purity, out of purple, the colour of divinity.

The three coupled illustrations are surrounded by a scrolled ribbon made up of five figure threes – sacred numbers in Freemasonry – and was the unusual positioning of the wording meant to represent two great pillars? By its name and intention, the stamp proclaimed victory over evil, yet by its appearance it expressed compassion and hope.

King George VI once stated, ‘The world today does

54

require spiritual and moral regeneration. I have no doubt, after many years as a member of our Order, that Freemasonry can play a most important part in this vital need.’

The Victory Stamp captured those words in a graphic representation that also expressed the King’s belief that the building of a new and better world could best be achieved by adhering to the principles of the square and compasses.

MAINTAINING VALUES He reinforced those thoughts in 1948 in an address he gave to Grand Lodge: ‘I believe that a determination to maintain the values which have been the rock upon which the masonic structure has stood firm against the storms of the past is the only policy which can be pursued in the future. I think that warning needs emphasising today, when men, sometimes swayed by sentimentality or an indiscriminate tolerance, are apt to overlook the lessons of the past. I cannot better impress this upon you than by quoting from the book on which we have all taken our masonic obligations: “Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set.”’

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Matthew Scanlan reports on a pilot scheme

T

he comedian Bob Hope once quipped, ‘If you haven’t any charity in your heart, you have the worst kind of heart trouble.’ And as every Freemason knows, Freemasonry places great emphasis on a generous heart and charitable giving, even though not every member is aware of the charitable help that is available to both himself and his loved ones. Therefore, in the wake of a recent pilot scheme which was specifically launched to help raise awareness of the work of the masonic charities, Freemasonry Today decided to speak with those involved to see how the initiative went.

In September 2009 the four main masonic charities – The Freemasons’ Grand Charity, the Royal Masonic Trust for Girls and Boys, the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution and the Masonic Samaritan Fund – launched a joint pilot scheme called Freemasonry Cares to try and better inform members about their work.

For seven months the provinces of Bristol, Cambridgeshire, Durham and Yorkshire West Riding piloted the scheme, which focused on informing members and their dependents, as well as lapsed members (those who may have fallen on hard times or who have become too infirm to attend

56

Istockphoto

LENDING A HELPING HAND

FREEMASONRY CARES meetings), about the wide range of charitable help and support that they are eligible to apply for in times of need. And in all instances the message was simple: if you have a masonic connection and you are experiencing financial or healthcare problems, contact Freemasonry Cares.

more of an entitlement and not charity as such, and that appears to have helped somewhat’.

John Clayton, the Provincial Grand Master of Yorkshire West Riding, also noted that because calls made to the helpline number are dealt with in strict confidence, a greater number of masons have been encouraged to come forward and enquire about possible help, far more than was the case in the past.

He also pointed out that in the case of Yorkshire West Riding where there were already wellestablished charities such as Provincial Grand Master’s Fund, which in 2009-10 donated £425,662 principally to non-masonic charities, they have noticed an upturn in charitable applications by as much as sixty percent since the launch of the Freemasonry Cares scheme in the autumn of 2009.

Therefore it was generally agreed that even in provinces such as this, the new initiative can not only better inform masons and their dependents about the good work of the charities, but it can also provide a boon for public relations.

The conclusion of the Provincial Grand Master of Cambridgeshire, Rodney Wolverson: ‘The initiative was very good, well presented and well thought out, and overall it was received very well, but most importantly, it also shows that Freemasonry really does care’.

This optimism is also borne out by the facts. For during the pilot year the number of grants awarded in the four test-case provinces saw an increase of thirty-six percent on the previous year, compared to a thirteen percent average increase across the rest of the country. Consequently, the initiative is now being rolled out nationally and over the next eighteen months provinces across England and Wales will be invited to introduce Freemasonry Cares in the hope that the pilot success can be repeated across rest of the country.

KEY INITIATIVES In the words of Eric Heavyside, the Provincial Grand Master of Durham, ‘One of the most surprising things we discovered with Freemasonry Cares was just how many brethren and their families were totally unaware of the potential guidance and assistance available to them. Many simply go to their lodge and afterwards put away their regalia, and that’s it. And many in the province didn’t realise what they were entitled to; for some it never occurs to them to even seek advice in this regard.’

To tackle this shortfall in knowledge, a specially produced booklet was distributed throughout the four pilot provinces to members and widows of deceased masons. The booklets addressed commonly posed questions relating to both eligibility and the type of help available; help that typically ranges from purely financial related issues such as funeral costs or education support, to healthcare and family support, including hospital treatment, respite care and child maintenance. And in every province the booklets seem to have proved an unqualified success.

A key initiative of the scheme, information about which was also featured in the booklets, was the setting up of a confidential helpline number and this also appears to have won universal approval. For as Eric Heavyside once again explained, ‘One of the problems we frequently encounter is that a lot of our people are very proud people and they don’t want to call on charities. But we have tried to explain that it’s

THE RESULTS: RISE IN GRANTS/CASES

+13%

Non-pilot areas

Oct 08 Ð Apr 09

Oct 09 Ð Apr 10

© RMTGB

© RMBI Home Cadogan Court

Left, top: Cambridgeshire Provincial Grand Master Rodney Wolverson presents a picture of the Cambridge Masonic Centre. Left, below, John Clayton, Provincial Grand Master of Yorkshire, West Riding, at the construction site for a hospice

freemasonrytoday.com

Pilot areas

+36%

Oct 08 Ð Apr 09

Oct 09 Ð Apr 10

Anyone who wishes to contact Freemasonry Cares should ring the confidential helpline number:

0800 035 6090

57

CHARITIES UPDATE

THE FREEMASONSÕ GRAND CHARITY HARITY

GRAND CHARITY CELEBRATES ITS FIRST 30 YEARS

T

his year, The Freemasons’ Grand Charity is celebrating 30 years of grant-making. The Grand Charity took over the responsibilities of the Board of Benevolence in April 1980 and has since helped over 40,000 Freemasons and their dependants with financial relief grants.

In addition, its priorities have been to assist other masonic charities when necessary, as well as providing millions in funding for the wider community.

A commemorative leaflet has been enclosed within this issue of Freemasonry Today – we hope that you find it of interest.

Providing aid for overseas disasters

Ongoing support for air ambulances

Supporting charities that assist vulnerable people

60 Great Queen Street London WC2B 5AZ Tel. 020 7395 9261 Fax. 020 7395 9295 info@the-grand-charity.org

© SUSSEX AIR AMBULANCE, PLAN INTERNATIONAL, FOTOLIA

www.the-grand-charity.org

Providing help for the elderly

INCREASE IN MASONIC GIVING OVER TIME

THE RELIEF CHEST SCHEME’S 25 ANNIVERSARY

In its first year of operation, financial relief grants were given to assist 645 Freemasons and their dependants. Thirty years later, roughly three times as many people are assisted with financial grants on an annual basis.

These grants are given to assist with unexpected needs or to help with essential daily living costs. The largest group of people to have been assisted over the years have been widows and similar dependants.

However, in recent times there has been an increase in assistance given to Freemasons who have found themselves in difficult situations, compounded by the recent economic decline. In total, £53.7 million has been given in financial relief grants since the Charity’s inception.

In 1986, the Relief Chest Scheme was created by the Grand Charity to help the Craft give to charity easily and tax-effectively. In its first year of operation, 497 lodges had opened a chest Ð 25 years later, this number has grown to over 4,000.

The Scheme has saved a great deal of time for masonic organisations and all those charged with the task of administering masonic charitable donations. It has also enabled lodges to earn a favourable rate of interest on their donations and reclaim millions of pounds in Gift Aid. The Relief Chest Scheme is operated by the Grand Charity, but is a service open to all recognised masonic organisations in the UK.

A WEALTH OF SUPPORT FOR THE WIDER COMMUNITY The Grand Charity assists charitable projects and services that help people in need. It supports a wide range of causes, including medical research, support for vulnerable people, youth opportunities, air ambulance services, hospice services and worldwide disaster relief. £44 million has been spent towards helping hundreds of charities over the past 30 years.

freemasonrytoday.com

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HAS SUPPORTED THE GRAND CHARITY The Council of the Grand Charity wishes to thank all those who have contributed to the funds of the Charity, which has enabled it to achieve so much over the first 30 years – over £100 million has been given to help people in need.

59

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CHARITIES UPDATE

MASONIC SAMARITAN FUND

A

s local authorities across England and Wales are forced to reduce their budgets, carers requiring essential breaks are more at risk of being unable to access the support they desperately need. ankfully, the Masonic Samaritan Fund is able to help carers get the breaks they need during these difficult times.

Many people provide vital care for a loved one – a partner, a parent or a child. is will often involve helping someone with some of their essential daily tasks such as bathing, dressing, eating and moving around the home. Many carers have to reduce their work to accommodate their caring role, or give up work entirely, which will have a huge impact on their household finances and savings.

Caring for someone can be exhausting, expensive and have a serious impact on the carer’s health. All carers, whatever level of care they provide, need a break. Regular breaks can help to ensure that someone can cope with their caring responsibilities and provides the essential time and space needed to recharge their batteries. e MSF can help in the following ways: Residential respite care – where the person being cared for goes away to be looked after by someone else for a few days or a few weeks, for example in a care or nursing home; Domiciliary care – where support is provided

In recent months the Masonic Samaritan Fund (MSF) has seen an increase in demand for support with the cost of respite care

Shutterstock

GIVING HELP IN DIFFICULT TIMES

Many people provide vital care for a loved one Ð a partner, parent or child

in the home to help out with some of the carer’s responsibilities for a few hours a day.

In 2010 the Fund helped 134 carers and their families with respite care breaks. If you, or someone you know, could benefit from a break from their caring role, contact the Grants Team on 020 7404 1550 to see if help is available.

CHRISTMAS LUNCH One of the many letters of thanks received, written in December, says: ÔI really thank you for all you have done for us, and for this wonderful gift we have received which is the best we could ever have received.Õ (Left) Hector AcostaSantos, pictured with his son enjoying Christmas lunch in hospital

60 Great Queen Street London WC2B 5AZ Tel: 020 7404 1550 Fax: 020 7404 1544 mail@msfund.org.uk www.msfund.org.uk

EASING PRESSURE ON THE NHS e NHS has been tasked with finding £20 billion of savings by 2014. is is likely to have an effect on a very large number of patients. However, the impact will be felt the greatest by the most vulnerable of our society – older people, and those with disabilities and mobility problems. e MSF is well placed to help those facing lengthy waiting times for operations and care on the NHS

freemasonrytoday.com

during these difficult times. Support is available towards the cost of many medical treatments, including surgery for cancer, heart problems, replacement hips, knees and joints, spinal surgery, cataract removal, prosthetic limbs and many other serious and painful conditions. In 2010 medical grants were awarded to over 300 people to help them get back on their feet – literally!

If you, or someone you know, has been assessed as needing surgery or treatment on the NHS, but face a wait and cannot afford the cost of private treatment, please contact the Grants Team.

61

Did you do National Service?

Marking National Service between 1939 and1960, this important commemorative medal is sponsored on behalf of The Royal British Legion. Over 128,000 full-size medals have been allocated, 26,000 miniature medals issued and in excess of £525,000 has been donated to the Poppy Appeal Fund to date.

ELIGIBILITY Available to those who performed National Service, both military and civilian, between January 1939 and December 1960, their next of kin or direct descendants to be worn with pride, not alongside campaign or gallantry decorations, or in uniform by serving members but separately and distinctively.

The obverse of the distinctive 36mm medal features a Britannia like figure, representing the mother country, and the lion, representing all who performed National Service, with the reverse featuring a lush laurel wreath encasing the words “FOR CROWN AND COUNTRY”. The ribbon has a central gold stripe bound on either side by broad bands of blue representing the involvement of the Royal British Legion. These blue bands are in turn bound by narrow white and red stripes to give a very rich and patriotic medal ribbon.

Each medal can be edge engraved with your service details, is ribboned and fitted with an individual brooch ready to wear. Up to 3 nickel clasps can be fitted to the medal ribbon, specially designed to match the polished finish of the National Service Medal, these clasps are diamond engraved with your individual service details (e.g. Service or Regiment/Years of Service/Operation or Campaign). Each clasp can be engraved with a maximum of 20 characters & spaces, is designed with secure prongs so that it can be easily fitted to the full-size medal ribbon and comes with simple fitting instructions. Available optional extras include a miniature National Service Medal, full-size Ribbon Bar and Medal Presentation Case. To order, see application form.

A donation of ten per cent from each full-size and miniature National Service Medal sold will be made to the Poppy Appeal Fund. Please help those less fortunate than yourself by adding your own personal donation, see application form. Thank you. Registered Charity No. 219279 “I am delighted to commend to you the Commemorative National Service Medal, struck in association with the Royal British Legion and available to those who performed National Service, both civilian and military between January 1939 and December 1960.”

Chairman, The National Service Foundation, W Bro Gerald Rose

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ROYAL MASONIC BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION

CHARITIES UPDATE

RMBI CARE HOME RECEIVES NATIONAL AWARD

RMBI care home James Terry Court, Croydon

The Gold Standard Framework supports and works in tandem with RMBI’s ethos on end-of-life care

GREATER FAMILY SATISFACTION Care homes that have received the GSF Quality Hallmark Award have demonstrated a halving of hospital deaths and crisis admissions, leading to greater satisfaction for families, residents and staff, and significant cost savings for the NHS. To qualify for accreditation, staff at James Terry Court undertook the full GSF Care Home Training programme, usually conducted over a nine to twelve month period. This training was then embedded into the home for a further six months and followed by a rigorous accreditation process.

The accreditation is endorsed by all major care homes’ organisations and supported by Age UK. It is also now endorsed by the Skills Academy for Social Care.

All RMBI care homes will be going through the GSF accreditation process to achieve this national award to ensure they continue and build on the high-quality care provided.

freemasonrytoday.com

© RMBI

J

ames Terry Court in Croydon has recently received a national award recognising their Gold Standard end-of-life care. The Gold Standard Framework (GSF) helps care homes to better care for those residents who are approaching the end of their lives in the way that they receive the care they want, where they want it, protecting them from inappropriate hospital admissions and helping them to live well and die well in the place of their choice.

The Framework supports and works in tandem with RMBI’s ethos on end-of-life care. The RMBI ensures wherever possible those using its services are involved in planning for their end-of-life care.

This includes ensuring people are able to have those relatives and friends who are important to them with them at the end of their life, and that they have a dignified death because staff are respectful of their need for privacy, dignity and comfort. Each person’s Care Plan records their wishes with regards to how their body and possessions are handled after their death, and staff respect their values and beliefs.

Diane Collins, manager of James Terry Court, said: ‘Staff at the Home now feel better equipped to deal with the challenging task of looking after residents in the later stages of their life. The GSF provides a useful structure for identifying, and then planning and assessing the care that the individual receives.’

CALL FOR TRUSTEES Would you be prepared to volunteer some time to help guide the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution over the next five years? RMBI is recruiting three trustees (male or female) for its board in London, which meets four times a year plus an AGM. It is particularly keen to add people with experience in charity law, business and care homes/social care management. These roles are unpaid, although all reasonable expenses are reimbursed. Support and training will also be provided.

60 Great Queen Street London WC2B 5AZ Tel. 020 7596 2400 Fax. 020 7404 0724 enquiries@rmbi.org.uk www.rmbi.org.uk

If you are interested in being considered for board membership, please write with a copy of your CV to David Innes, RMBI chief executive. For more information, email ceassist@rmbi.org, telephone 020 7596 2407 or write to 60 Great Queen Street London WC2B 5AZ. Closing date is 30 June 2011.

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CHARITIES UPDATE

ROYAL MASONIC TRUST FOR GIRLS AND BOYS

STUARTÕS 40 YEARS OF SERVICE TO THE RMTGB It was StuartÕs many years in the Petitions Department which allowed him to witness the modernisation of the RMTGB

F 60 Great Queen Street, London WC2B 5AZ Tel: 020 7405 2644 Fax: 020 7831 4094 info@rmtgb.org www.rmtgb.org

or most of the RMTGB’s 220-year history, its work has focussed directly on providing an education for the distressed sons and daughters of Freemasons. But in more modern times the work of the RMTGB has changed significantly. Stuart French, who retires from the RMTGB in April 2011 after a career lasting over 40 years, has witnessed many of these changes.

In April 1970, after responding to a job advertisement in The Evening Standard, Stuart found himself working in the Card Index Department at The Royal Masonic Institution for Girls. ‘At that time, we mostly provided an education for children at our boarding schools if a Masonic family had suffered a distress – usually the death of the father,’ recalls Stuart, who rose through the ranks of the Petitions Department to his current role of Grants Manager. ‘But over the years we realised that we had to do more.’

Although his career took detours to the Festivals Department and managing the RMTGB’s first steps towards computerisation in the early 1980s, it was Stuart’s many years in the Petitions Department which allowed him to witness the modernisation of the RMTGB firsthand. The most significant change

Stuart French at the RMTGBÕs Petitions Committee

was the decision to close the Boys’ School at Bushey and establish the Girls School at Rickmansworth as an independent school outside of the RMTGB’s direct management.

Stuart says: ‘A reluctance to send children to boarding schools meant the Trust moved towards providing greater financial support to where it is most needed – usually at the family home.

Nowadays we tailor all of our support to meet the specific needs of the family – beforehand it was based solely on the child’s age.’

Stuart’s career has also seen the RMTGB’s work expand to include the TalentAid scheme (see below), the provision of student accommodation at Ruspini House, Choral Bursaries and non-Masonic grant making to other children’s charities. He remarks: ‘During my time at the Trust we have always tried to ensure that our support remained relevant to the children of the time, and I have valued the assistance so willingly given by the many almoners and visiting brothers whom I have worked alongside and who ensure that our support is given where it is most needed.’

ÔNOWADAYS WE TAILOR ALL OF OUR SUPPORT TO MEET THE SPECIFIC NEEDS OF THE FAMILYÕ TALENTAID BACKS OLYMPIC CYCLING HOPE TalentAid, a scheme launched by the RMTGB to support the ambitions of talented young people, celebrates its tenth anniversary this year. The scheme was established in 2001 in response to a growing awareness that some families were making huge financial sacrifices to support their children’s ambitions to develop a career in sport or the performing arts.

RMTGB Chief Executive Les Hutchinson said: ‘Over the past decade we have awarded around £3 million in TalentAid grants to over 250 young people whose talent has been so exceptional that it

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Luke Gray Ð a prospect for the 2016 Olympics

represents their best career prospect.’

Cyclist Luke Gray has been supported since 2007.

He is a prime example of the scheme’s ongoing success, having developed his sporting abilities into a high-achieving career. Currently 19 years old, he is ranked third in the world for his age in cyclo-cross, and hopes to compete in the 2016 Olympics.

For help and advice, download an information sheet and application form at www.rmtgb.org

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LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

TAKING THE GRAND TOUR In 2010 the Library and Museum at FreemasonsÕ Hall welcomed more than 30,000 visitors. For many visitors the highlight is the tour of the ceremonial rooms which is provided by Library and Museum staff. Freemasonry Today spent time with the team of tour guides to find out more

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ne of the longest serving guides is Mike Coleman. ‘!e tour starts in the Museum with a brief history of the two eighteenthcentury Grand Lodges and the story of the Union. !e route then goes through the Grand Officers’ Robing Room with its portraits of Royal Grand Masters, continues down the processional corridor, visits the Shrine and finishes in the Grand Temple. !ere we take the opportunity to answer visitors’ questions about the building and more generally about Freemasonry. We usually finish by reminding visitors to visit the shop.’ !e tour takes about forty-five minutes. Guide Stephen Hoole likes to take time to point out items of interest in the Museum to his group at the end of the tour.

Trevor Lowman has recently joined the team of guides. One of the challenges he faced was learning all the information as there is a tradition that the guides do not use notes. ‘I hadn’t realised,’ he says, ‘just how much there was to know.’

Another new recruit, John Green, has enjoyed meeting visitors from all over the world. ‘I have met people from Israel, Canada, Brazil and Belgium – and that was just in my first week!’

Both of them have learnt a lot from the other guides, as Trevor admits, ‘I have also borrowed some of guide John Weightman’s jokes!’

DO THE TOUR Colin Gurnett, another guide, would like to see even more visitors from London lodges. ‘Many members come to the building for their meetings and just see where they are meeting. It would be great if they could take time to do the tour and learn more about one of London’s great buildings.’ !e weekday tours are free of charge and take

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place at 11 am, 12 noon, 2 pm, 3 pm and 4 pm. !ere is no need to book for individuals or small groups but, as events can be arranged at short notice which can mean that tours are curtailed, anyone making a special journey is advised to telephone to check the availability of tours.

On Saturdays there is just one tour, starting at 10.30 am which has to be pre-booked. According to Melrose Eccleston, who looks after bookings, ‘the Saturday tours are very popular and get booked up quickly – please don’t leave your arrangements to the last minute as we can only handle limited numbers on Saturdays.’

Freemasons’ Hall is increasingly being used for events and filming. Sometimes tour groups get to experience what goes on behind the scenes on a film set. Guide Michael Rhodes remembers one tour he led which had among its number ex-James Bond Pierce Brosnan taking a break from a photography assignment in the building. ‘He was a charming man and was wearing one of the most stylish suits I have ever seen!’ !e Library and Museum can’t promise James Bond on every tour but you will be assured of a friendly welcome and a fascinating experience.

Library and Museum of Freemasonry FreemasonsÕ Hall, 60 Great Queen Street, London WC2B 5AZ Tel: 020 7395 9257 libmus@freemasonry. london.museum www.freemasonry. london.museum Shop: www.letchworthshop. co.uk

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SUSSEX MASONIC CENTRE

THE MASONIC MUSEUM IN BRIGHTON Yasha Beresiner visits the Sussex Masonic Centre

S

tanding at the entrance to the Sussex Masonic Centre in the heart of Brighton, you can catch the smell of the sea just a few hundred yards away. This centre, containing both masonic temples and administrative offices, was established in 1898 and must be one of the most convenient in England; it is only a two-minute walk from Brighton Station.

The museum is under the capable administration of the curator and librarian, Reginald Barrow, who takes great pride in the artefacts that are displayed in the various rooms on three floors of interconnected buildings.

MEISSEN MOPS Among the numerous important items in the museum’s extensive collection is an eighteenthcentury Meissen porcelain figurine representing Augustus II of Poland and Elector of Saxony (1670-1733). He is wearing a simple masonic apron and holding a scroll of the masonic constitutions in his right hand, indicating his authority. By his left arm, on a pedestal, stands a mops (pug dog).

This dog represents symbolically how Freemasonry survived in Germany, Prussia and elsewhere in Europe under the adverse conditions following the Papal Bull of April 1738 forbidding Roman Catholics from joining the fraternity.

The secret Order of the Mopses was founded in 1740 by German Roman Catholics with the support of Augustus II, who became its Grand Master.

Because his favourite animal was the mops, this became the symbol of the Order and gave it its name; the Order worked an elaborate, if somewhat outlandish, ritual which imitated Freemasonry. This rare and attractive figurine was made in the Meissen factory around 1740 and is attributed to the German

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Meissen figure thought to represent King Augustus II ÔThe StrongÕ of Poland and Elector of Saxony (1670-1733)

SUSSEX MASONIC CENTRE A green metal regalia box or case disguised to look like a book (below top) so that the apron (right), the sash (left) and the certificate (below) could be carried to a meeting discreetly.

The certificate is made out to Brother Leblond Chupelier of the Loge Saint Jean dÕEcosse, the ÔmotherÕ Scottish Lodge of Marseilles and is dated 23 June 1842

Left: French master masonÕs sash circa 1840s

sculptor Johann Joachim Kaendle (1706-1750), who sculpted exclusively for the Meissen factory and was known for his representations of animals.

HARRIS DESIGNS The museum also preserves a folder containing the original proofs and completed drawings by the famous John Harris, whose tracing boards continue to decorate many lodge rooms throughout the country. John Harris, a painter of miniatures and an architectural draughtsman, came on the scene

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SUSSEX MASONIC CENTRE

ÔA SCROLL ON THE LOWER HALF DEPICTS AN INTRICATE SETTING OF THE INNERMOST SHRINE OF THE TABERNACLE, THE SANCTUM SANCTORUMÕ in 1815, two years after the union of the two Grand Lodges. He was initiated in 1818 and from the beginning was fascinated by the symbolic portrayals on tracing boards. He soon revolutionised the concept of the designs, which ultimately led to the standardisation of tracing boards throughout the constitution.

In 1823, somewhat business minded, Harris dedicated a set of his miniature tracing boards to the Duke of Sussex, the first Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of England. This act naturally popularised his designs and his tracing boards

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soon became fashionable and in demand by the majority of lodges. A true breakthrough, however, came in 1845 when an invitation by the Emulation Lodge of Improvement was made for artists to submit designs for tracing boards. John Harris’ designs won hands down and he never looked back.

In the same folder are several pages of printer’s proofs and hand-coloured manuscript designs of Harris’ efforts. Among the most striking images are two third degree miniature boards with evocative mortal emblems. These printed boards indicate on

Two mid-nineteenth century designs for master mason degree tracing boards by John Harris (prints)

SUSSEX MASONIC CENTRE

ÔONE OBJECT THAT BRINGS TO MIND THE WIDESPREAD NATURE OF FREEMASONRY IS A SCRIMSHAW DRINKING HORNÕ their margin that they won the third prize and were published in 1849.

The realistic rendering of the skull and bones within the coffin is decorated by a multicoloured ribbon brim which is further enhanced by the dark black shadow of the coffin. A scroll on the lower half depicts an intricate setting of the innermost shrine of the tabernacle, the Sanctum Sanctorum. Seven branched Menorahs decorate the aisles, whilst three figures – Hiram King of Tyre, Hiram Abiff and King Solomon – stand in front of the Ark of the Covenant on the chequered floor of the Temple. The reversed ciphers and Hebrew letters are characteristic of third degree tracing board. The question as to why Harris depicted the ciphers ‘3000’ in reverse has never been satisfactorily explained; he may have misunderstood the Hebrew tradition of writing from right to left. In any case, these tracing boards were never formally adopted.

MASONIC SCRIMSHAW One object in the museum that brings to mind the widespread nature of Freemasonry is a scrimshaw drinking horn. The word immediately creates the vision of ancient mariners intent on painstaking and delicate etching on ivory or bone. The genre covers an enormous range of themes and it is only natural the symbolism of Freemasonry should also be represented. This excellent example of a horn, from around 1845, is in pristine condition with its intricate masonic emblems clearly visible.

Central to the design is an arch which appears supported by the square and compasses and headed by the all-seeing eye. In the centre the three masonic candlesticks are placed on the chequered floor and below are representations of the third degree coffin and the pentagram. Along the sides, emblems of various orders beyond the craft are identifiable; they have been carefully and clearly engraved. The detail of the carving is enhanced by crossed lines and deeper etching which creates shadows and contrasts further beautifying this rare object.

A prominent piece we saw on display is the apron worn by HRH the Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII) whilst attending meetings in Brighton. It is mounted in a lavish and heavy oak frame and above it is the unusual twisted Tyler’s sword, popularly referred to as ‘the flaming sword’, in allusion to the weapons carried by the cherubs guarding the entrance to Eden.

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(Above) A scrimshaw drinking horn decorated with masonic symbols circa 1845 (Right) A Sunderland jug of circa 1830 All photographs courtesy of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Sussex/ Matthew Scanlan

For those who may be interested in visiting the museum, the curator and librarian Reginald Barrow can be contacted at the centre on 01273 737404 71

LETTERS

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR SHOCK AND AWE Sir, In Freemasonry Today, Issue 13, Chris Stretton writes (quoting the words of the Editor): ‘Since when have we been “open to members of all religions as well as those who belong to none, but who nevertheless recognise a deeply spiritual context to all life?” On that basis Pagans would be acceptable.’

Personally, I find no conflict whatsoever between my pagan/Druid spiritual path and being a fully engaged Freemason.

Presumably Winston Churchill and William Stukeley didn’t either.

Ian Shaw Belper, Derbyshire

Sir, Have I missed something? Chris Stretton, in Freemasonry Today, Issue 13, asks ‘Since when have we been open to members of all religions as well as those who belong to none…’

I was taught that Freemasonry is open to any who profess a belief in a Supreme Being, this being the ‘deeply spiritual context to all life’.

We can’t both be correct; I feel that my view is the more correct one.

Mike Yorke St Crispin Lodge, No. 9046 Farnborough, Hampshire and Isle of Wight

THE GRAND ORATOR Sir, I have read Kai Hughes’ article in the Autumn 2010 issue of Freemasonry Today and have to say how much I share his irritation with proposers of the Visitors’ Toast stating that visiting is what masonry ‘is all about’. Of equal irritation to me is the visitors’ response which is often on the lines of, ‘We’ve all had a good time and that’s what it’s all about.’ Masonry, of course, is more than either of these things although they often flow from a sincere and well-conducted meeting.

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Write to: The Editor, Freemasonry Today, FreemasonsÕ Hall, Great Queen Street, London WC2B 5AZ Email: editor@ugle.org.uk Letters emailed to the editor should not be sent as attachments.

Please include a home address and telephone number.

An S.A.E should accompany any photographs to be returned.

It has been rightly said that ‘all that is Freemasonry is capable of the highest interpretation’, but visiting and enjoyment are not of the highest.

Grand Orator, please repeat your message again and again to encourage brethren to seek spiritual development with the aid of Freemasonry: that’s what it’s all about.

Herbert Ewings Septem Lodge, No. 5887 Surbiton, Surrey

ERASURE OF LODGES Sir, How sad to read in the Winter edition of Freemasonry Today about the number of lodges that were being erased: fifty lodges erased and another five who have merged and that is in just one quarter of the year!

What is the future of Freemasonry? Why is this happening? What are the long-term plans for the next five or ten years? We are in this time of recession; any business that lost such a significant number of ‘clients’ would be devastated and probably redundancies at all levels would happen to avoid the company sinking into bankruptcy.

Is it the goal of Grand Lodge to encourage lodges with low membership to merge?

Do we have too many lodges in our towns’ Masonic Centres that hamper the good work that Freemasonry does? At what level are we losing members; is it the older brethren we are losing through the expense of it? Is it the young new initiates who struggle to balance their work, life and Freemasonry? Is it the brethren who have been through the line to the Chair who feel frustrated? At least one lodge I know follows the line of Master, immediate past Master, Tyler – from the centre of attention to the door in two easy movements.

Surely it is within the role of each province to ensure this loss is halted by researching every town with its number of lodges, ages of members and finding solutions to the problems of why brethren leave.

In my opinion Freemasonry needs to be slimmer, more efficient and putting

its members first. In the short term its charitable contributions will require smaller targets but in the long term it will be fitter, healthier and marketing itself to the changing generations of the twentyfirst century.

John Porter Lux Solis Lodge, No. 9781 Saffron Walden, Essex

PUBLICITY TO CHARITABLE GIVING? Sir, The Revd Neville Barker Cryer speaks for many when he complains about the prominence given to the reporting in the masonic press of our charitable giving.

Charity is one result of following the precepts of Freemasonry; it is not ‘what Freemasonry is all about’.

Altruism, like charitable giving, need only receive one reward. That, as Neville Barker Cryer succinctly puts it, is the ‘heartfelt satisfaction’ which you get from knowing you have made yourself more extensively serviceable to your fellow-creatures.

I believe Freemasons should continue to do good deeds and tell no one about them. As soon as we want recognition for our actions they cease to be charitable and become merely commercial transactions; Freemasonry cannot, should not, buy its high regard.

David Griffiths Cheam Village Lodge, No. 6394 Sutton, Surrey

Sir, In his recent article ‘Honoured by Giving’ the Revd Neville Barker Cryer suggests that newer brethren in particular could be forgiven for thinking the charity is ‘what masonry is all about’ and he cautions against the idea.

For some years I felt slightly uncomfortable at the various ploys adopted to extract more and more money from us at each and every meeting we attend.

There is always good reason to support any charity, masonic or otherwise. Those

LETTERS brethren in a position to do so will, we hope, always donate privately or publicly but other brethren may not be able to do so, for whatever reason.

When a Festival is upon us even more money is expected over and above any ‘usual’ giving and another correspondent, Mark Parsons, suggests this can make ‘some very decent but poor members fear the Festivals.’

Grahame Mollet Sojourners Lodge, No. 7597 Bournemouth, Hampshire and Isle of Wight

Sir, The Revd Neville Barker Cryer’s article in your last issue set me wondering about these provincial central charitable funds which have been set up.

To be frank, I worry sometimes when I see photographs of senior Freemasons presenting large cheques to well-deserving causes and I ask myself how much these funds are set up for public relations purposes and how much to generate more money for charities. In fact, one has to ask whether, in the end, they produce more money than if giving to non-masonic charities were left to individual lodges and chapters. Perhaps someone could enlighten us.

It is one thing to have a fundraising festival which is normally an internal event amongst ourselves when we can be openly competitive, but when giving to nonmasonic charities I do wonder whether we should be more modest and discreet.

Peter Dodd Old Epsomian Lodge, No. 3561 London

RECYCLE REGALIA Sir, I have read with interest the observations made by Peter Hyde on the ‘Cost of Regalia’ in the last issue of Freemasonry Today.

Over the years much has changed in masonic dress and I do believe it would be a further loss if more was taken away; in particular I would regret losing anything from the Chapter ceremonies which are colourful and very impressive. In my own Chapter we recycle regalia from those who have received a promotion, have resigned, or have unfortunately died. We make a charge of half-price or less. An officer in the Chapter takes on the task of arranging these transactions.

There is, I am sure, a great deal of regalia in members’ cupboards and drawers at home which sits idle so I suggest to all that they get organised and recycle regalia and

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do not lose our dress or standards.

Stanley G. Herbert Bowyer Chapter, No. 1036 Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire

Sir, I am writing as the widow of a Freemason who was Secretary of his lodge for over twenty-five years. I still receive Freemasonry Today and enjoy reading it.

A letter in the last issue entitled ‘Cost of Regalia’ caught my eye.

There must be many, like me, who have their husband’s regalia and who have willingly passed this back to the lodge for further use. The apron is so beautiful and should be re-used. There must be many young members, unable to afford new regalia, who would be glad of such an offer.

May I suggest that widows should be contacted and asked for the regalia to use for new young members? I feel this would be welcomed.

My father and grandfather were also Freemasons, so I have a long affiliation with the Craft.

Jean E. Baty Tynemouth, Northumberland

THE MOVING COFFINS MYSTERY Sir, The article published in the last issue of Freemasonry Today, ‘The Mystery of the Moving Coffins’ was interesting. However, with reference to the moving coffins themselves, can we not apply the principle of Occam’s Razor to this? The principle which holds that the simplest solution is more often the best?

Consider the parameters: the moving coffins were lead-sealed and of young children and therefore they were watertight and light. The vault was underground and presumably brick-lined with no easy exit for water. Barbados, like many Caribbean islands, is renowned for intense cloudbursts.

Any substantial rainfall occurring over a short period of time would therefore collect in the vault and quickly submerge that which was there – except for the watertight light coffins which would float until the water receded and landed them in random positions with no impressions on what probably would have been an earth floor.

Conjecture, of course.

Chris Kingdon Commercial Temperance Lodge, No. 3144 Windsor, Berkshire

Sir, I read with great interest the article by David Harrison in Freemasonry Today, Issue 13, on ‘The Mystery of the Moving Coffins’ in Barbados.

In the spring of 2010 I attended a funeral for a lady who was a close family friend. She was a spinster and had made arrangements to be buried with her parents. The family plot was in the ‘old’ town cemetery and the lady had previously asked the retired grave-digger if he would do her the honour of opening the plot for her to be interred. It was while he was carrying out this task that we got talking.

He told me a story of how many years ago he was asked by his manager to open up an old burial chamber that belonged to a family who lived away; it was in preparation for an imminent funeral.

On opening the tomb it was noticed that the coffins were strewn all over the place, still intact, but seemingly rearranged and thrown about. The police were called but as the locks showed no sign of being tampered with, after some investigation, no explanation was given for the movement of the casks.

The tomb was tidied and the latest funeral took place after which the chamber was resealed; this task was observed by the local police.

Later that year the tomb was needed again and it was duly opened and again the coffins had been rearranged. Some were even standing upright. This caused great concern and many possibilities were considered but after a while nothing seemed to answer the question as to how these coffins had been so easily strewn about.

It was agreed that the chamber would be opened on a regular basis over the next few months in an attempt to find the cause of the disruption. Nothing was seen for two months but when the tomb was opened on the third month it was found to have been rearranged again but this time there was about two inches of water in the base.

It was concluded that at certain times the chamber would fill with water up to six feet deep and the coffins were therefore being lifted and moved as the water rose and fell.

This explanation eased the nerves of my friend and his colleagues as all sorts of things had been running through their minds as to the cause of the moving coffins.

I wonder if this has any bearing on Mr. Harrison’s story.

Roger Evans Rhyl, North Wales

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SLOGGI

LOAKE

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O L Y M P R A E L B R O O K P I E R R E C A R D I N H J S O C K S

GRAND LODGE

QUARTERLY COMMUNICATION OF GRAND LODGE Wednesday, 9 March 2011

REPORT OF THE BOARD OF GENERAL PURPOSES e minutes of the Quarterly Communication of 8 December 2010 were confirmed.

HRH e Duke of Kent was unanimously re-elected as Grand Master.

COMMISSION FOR APPEALS COURTS e following have been elected by the Rulers’ Forum as members of the Commission for Appeals Courts for 2011-2014, with effect from 27 April 2011: E.B.D. Waldy (London), M.J. Messent (London), G.G. Dearing (East Kent), His Honour Judge L.C. Goldstone, QC, (East Lancashire), P.E. Lawton (Yorkshire, West Riding), P.L. Bird (Buckinghamshire), D.N. Cheetham (Bedfordshire) and His Honour Judge R.J.S. Foster (London). e tables below show the number of lodges on the Register and of Certificates issued during the past ten years.

LODGES ON THE GRAND LODGE REGISTER 2001 2002 2003 London 1,596 1,581 1,570 Provincial 6,246 6,231 6,212 District and Abroad 802 793 791 Total 8,644 8,605 8,573

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

1,556 1,552 1,532 1,489 1,458 1,433 1,397 6,170 6,130 6,075 5,996 5,900 5,840 5,774 787

784

782

768

736

731

722

8,513 8,466 8,389 8,253 8,094 8,004 7,893

GRAND LODGE CERTIFICATES ISSUED 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Issued at FreemasonsÕ Hall 8,325 8,116 8,106 7,953 8,092 7,336 7,490 7,539 7,538 7,078 Issued by District Grand Masters 967 817 790 450 770 763 613 695 753 478 Total 9,292 8,933 8,896 8,403 8,862 8,099 8,103 8,234 8,291 7,556

PANEL FOR CLEMENCY e following have been elected by the Rulers’ Forum to serve on the Panel for Clemency, with effect from 27 April 2011, in addition to the President and Deputy President of the Board of General Purposes: M.B. Davies, J. Gillyon, M.W. Bayes, P. Mitchell, N.J. Burger and D.H. Lane.

CHARGES FOR WARRANTS In accordance with the provisions of Rule 270A, Book of Constitutions, the Board has considered the costs of preparing the actual documents specified in this Rule and recommended that for the year commencing 1 April 2011 the charges (exclusive of VAT) should be as follows: Warrant for a new lodge: £310 Warrant of Confirmation: £765 Warrant for a Centenary Jewel: £460 Warrant of Confirmation for a Centenary Jewel: £655 Warrant for a Bi-Centenary Bar: £700 Warrant of Confirmation for a Bi-Centenary Bar: £700 Certificate of Amalgamation: £78 Enfacement (Alterations) Fee: £105

78

AMALGAMATIONS e following lodges have surrendered their Warrants: Sale Lodge, No. 2962, and Timperley Lodge, No. 3555, in order to amalgamate with Cope Lodge, No. 1357 (Cheshire), and Ainsdale Lodge, No. 5884, in order to amalgamate with Samaritan Lodge, No. 4342 (West Lancashire).

A Resolution to this effect was approved.

ERASURE OF LODGES irty lodges have closed and surrendered their Warrants. ey are: Phoenix Lodge, No. 1030 (East Lancashire), Derby Lodge, No. 1055 (East Lancashire), Rock Lodge, No. 1289 (Cheshire), ornham Lodge, No. 2279 (East Lancashire), Royal George Lodge, No. 2643 (South Africa, North), Birkenhead Lodge, No. 2826 (Cheshire), Robertson Lodge, No. 2850 (South Africa, Western Division), Archimedes Lodge, No. 3802 (Warwickshire), Fenham Lodge, No. 4019 (Northumberland), Woodchurch Lodge, No. 4308 (Cheshire), Prenton Lodge, No. 4311 (Cheshire), Blyth Lodge, No. 4484 (Northumberland), Grange Lodge, No. 4583 (Cheshire), Walkden Lodge, No. 4685 (West Lancashire), Alexandra Park Lodge, No. 4889 (London), Olympus Lodge, No. 5488 (London), Victoria Lodge, No. 5504 (East Lancashire), West Gate Lodge, No. 5513 (Northumberland), Old Headington Lodge, No. 5798 (Oxfordshire), Lodge of Saint Peter, No. 6765 (Derbyshire), White Rose Lodge, No. 6781 (Warwickshire), Fairmead Lodge, No. 6894 (Essex), Crane Park Lodge, No. 7433 (Middlesex), King Solomon Lodge, No. 7564 (Northumberland), Amity Lodge, No. 8135 (South Africa, North), Tenebo Lodge, No. 8591 (Cheshire), New Horizons Lodge, No. 8703 (South Africa, North), Stoneleigh Oak Lodge, No. 8709 (Surrey), Broadhead Lodge, No. 9092 (East Lancashire) and Tame Valley Lodge, No. 9402 (East Lancashire).

A recommendation that they be erased was approved.

EXPULSIONS Eleven brethren have been expelled from the Craft. In the Paper of Business for the Quarterly Communication held on 8 September 2010, the expulsion with effect from 17 June 2010 of Michael Walter Robson was reported. Owing to an administrative error the particulars of the wrong brother were provided. e brother who should have been expelled was Malcolm Robson.

LIST OF NEW LODGES FOR WHICH WARRANTS HAVE BEEN GRANTED BY THE MW THE GRAND MASTER Okpare Lodge, No. 9863 (Ughelli, Nigeria), from 10 November 2010 and Prince Hamlet Lodge, No. 9864, (Letchworth , Hertfordshire), from 10 November 2010.

QUARTERLY COMMUNICATION MEETINGS e Annual Investiture of Grand Officers will take place on 27 April 2011, and admission is by ticket only. Other meetings will be on 8 June 2011, 14 September 2011, 14 December 2011, 14 March 2012 and 13 June 2012.

SUPREME GRAND CHAPTER Meetings will be held on 28 April 2011, 9 November 2011 and 26 April 2012.

NEW ZEALAND EARTHQUAKE A New Zealand Red Cross team at work

Antony Kitchener, New Zealand Red Cross

Extensive building damage in Christchurch

GRAND CHARITY GIVES £30,000 FOR RED CROSS EARTHQUAKE APPEAL

In response to the severe earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand, the President of the Grand Charity approved an emergency grant of £30,000 to the British Red Cross to assist with their recovery appeal

A

round 148 people have been killed and about 2,500 injured. e 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck at a shallow depth of 5km (3.1 miles) on 22 February at 12.51 local time when the South Island city was at its busiest. e Red Cross has launched an emergency appeal which will be used to support the New Zealand Red Cross response to the disaster.

Some 2,000 people were displaced and Red Cross teams helped to set up welfare centres distributing blankets, water containers and tents. is grant follows a £10,000 grant that was given following a large earthquake in the same area in September 2010. On that occasion the money was passed to the District Grand Master’s appeal on behalf of the Mayor of Christchurch Earthquake Relief Fund, which was to help the wider community with their immediate needs following the earthquake.

A crushed car shows the weight of the impact

freemasonrytoday.com

For further information about the Red Cross Appeal visit: www.redcross.org.uk

79

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REFLECTION

HIDING OUR LIGHT The Revd Neville Barker Cryer points out that history often excludes the influence of Freemasonry

I

n my Volume of the Sacred Law there is a saying of which I have been recently reminded by events: a well-known teacher is explaining to his followers that if they are people of integrity then they should be a light to the world and not hide their light under a cover.

There were two things that happened to me lately that made me think more carefully about that.

There was a time in the past when I was so busy with my ‘daily avocation’ and my many involvements in Freemasonry that brethren would ask me, ‘How did you have any time to have five children?’ I appreciate why they asked because it must have seemed that my engagements prevented my doing any of the things that most normal beings get involved in. In the light of my present writing, reading and speaking activities it may seem surprising that I can sit down long enough to watch television programmes, but I do.

The other evening I found myself fascinated by a programme about the life of Frederick the Great of Prussia. Having had to withdraw from a planned tour of East Germany because of health reasons three years ago, it was rewarding to see inside his palaces, to learn about his musical accomplishments, his well-known army reforms and his friendship with such Enlightenment figures as Voltaire.

The programme sought to give a comprehensive view of the king’s interests and I was waiting for some recognition of the king’s close involvement with Freemasonry, an activity which he shared with his French guest. There was not a whisper of that and yet if you are going to applaud the Enlightenment views of Frederick the Great, then an involvement with Freemasonry at that time was no small part of that interest. It was not him, but the makers of the programme, who were hiding his light under a bushel.

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I thought the same was true when I later watched the film, ‘The King’s Speech’. Learning how it had been the presence of either critics or people who were unknown to him that brought on his speech impediment, what, I wondered, would have been His Majesty’s state of mind when he was in his lodge or addressing those in Grand Lodge?

Would he then have been much less anxious when he was among friends? Of course, we were not given the chance to know for his light in this brotherhood was hidden from view. I wonder if there is a mason still alive who could tell us about that?

What, at least, I am trying to say on this occasion is that whilst in some respects we masons may need to be modest about our activities, there are also times when perhaps our contribution both in the past and the present ought not to be so hidden. Our contribution to society’s well-being ought to be noted.

On the other hand perhaps our past inclination to keep our presence under wraps has been the case for far too long and has spread too widely.

I heard only the other day that an assistant provincial ruler was due to visit lodge premises in a town with which he was unfamiliar. Not knowing where exactly to go, he parked his car in the main street and approached a group of young men who were chatting nearby.

‘Excuse me’, he said. ‘Do you know where the local Masonic Hall is?’ ‘Yes,’ said one of the young men, ‘I do’. ‘Then could you kindly show me the way?’ said the visitor. ‘I can’t’, said the young man, ‘it’s a secret.’

Even if these words were meant to be a subtle hint of mockery we still have a lot of our past imagery to live down or we have hidden away our light for far too long.

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