Affronted by Home Affairs Committee

Sir,
    As a minister of religion, my work is of a secretive nature. Let me explain. I have ministered to my community in Woodside Park for 40 years and have been entrusted with the secrets of those who have sought my advice regarding their personal problems. As a hospital chaplain, I am entrusted by doctors and nursing staff as to the true nature of a patient’s illness even though it has not been divulged to the patient’s family. When I was chaplain to Wormwood Scrubbs Prison, it was made quite clear to me that I was not to divulge to any person the personal problems of any prisoner. This is the ‘secret’ world that I live and work in. Would the Home Affairs Committee view my work with suspicion? Would they expect me to ‘reduce the secrecy’?
    I take the findings of the Home Affairs Committee as a personal affront and an insult to my intelligence and integrity. I would tell them that my vocation as a minister of religion is very similar to my joy in being a freemason. I am a public servant whose sole aim in this life on earth is to help a friend or Brother in time of need, no matter what his religious persuasion might be. In my vocation, I am a public servant dealing with individuals in a private manner. In Freemasonry, I am a relaxed person together with other Brethren who try to make this world a better place to live in through Brotherly love, Relief and Truth. This is my reply to a Committee who I hope would believe I was telling the Truth and would like me to ‘shed more light on my activities’.
    When I recently celebrated my 40th anniversary as minister of my synagogue, I was proud to inform the 850 members of my association with Freemasonry. May we all in the Fraternity go from strength to strength in all our future endeavours.
    Michael Plaskow P.A.G. Chaplain, Minister-Reader, Woodside Park Synagogue.

Letters on this subject from other concerned persons would be most welcome. Ed.

Historical Knowledge of Masonry Required

Sir,
    While it is fairly clear to any experienced brother what Freemasonry is all about today (and if one is in doubt, Richard Tydeman’s thoughtful summary in December’s Grand Lodge News should enlighten him), the motivation of the very first speculative brethren is a matter of far more doubt. As far as most accounts go, it appears that operative lodges began to admit non-operative brethren late in the sixteenth century in Scotland and perhaps a generation later in England (is it significant that a Scots king came south in 1603?). A fair amount seems to be known about operative masonry but there appears (to the uninstructed brother at least) to be virtually nothing except a few bare facts known about the beliefs of their new brethren. What, in short, were they up to?
    Is there perhaps a clue in the well-known phrase “the hidden mysteries of nature and science”? Four hundred years ago, science still had about it a whiff of heresy (we are roughly in the Galileo/Copernican era); is it possible that lodges were a useful “cover” for somewhat disreputable intellectual activity? Is it significant that Moray and Ashmole were both among the early members of the Royal Society? Or that in two of our degrees some stress is laid, in distinctly respectful tones, on scientific study? Is there evidence of a specifically moralistic content in these very early days?
    Could some learned brother contribute authoritatively to the solution of this problem?
    R.J. Marjoribanks (Burma-Kohima No. 8978), Burpham, Guildford, Surrey

The Editor would like to draw attention to the two-part series on Elias Ashmole’s historic initiation in 1646, beginning in this issue, as a contribution to understanding some of the issues opened in Mr. Marjoribanks’ letter. Part Two will appear in our autumn issue. Freemasonry Today will continue to provide the best contemporary knowledge regarding the fascinating - and vital - world of Masonic history. How can we understand ourselves if we do not know where we come from? Informed contributions - and questions - from readers in this regard are most welcome.

Fraternally Yours

Sir,
    As a poet I felt the launch of Freemasonry Today warranted the time and effort of a poem. Like many in the Craft, I welcome sincerely this magazine and wish it success.

A Welcome to Freemasonry Today

My welcome to this brand-new magazine
Wherein Freemasonry can openly be seen
For what it is! A happy band of Brothers,
Sworn to aiding and assisting others.

Our Ancient and Honourable Brotherhood
Despising corruption and promoting good
With Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth our aim
Quite opposite to what our critics claim.

These critics, thinking only power or gain,
Are exposing their own standards very plain
For “Evil thinks as evil does” is very true
As they would do, thus accusing me and you.

The proudest moment I experienced in my life
(Save on that day when I was wedded to my wife)
Was my initiation, when before my God I swore
To be a faithful Mason evermore.

And now there is a magazine for all to read
To tell of Masonry, both in word and deed,
And this old poet chooses this, his rhyming way
To wish success for Freemasonry Today.

    W.Bro. Gerry Miles 8707 Breckland. Norfolk.

Many thanks indeed, Bro Gerry, for your kind wishes, expressed in such a true and heartfelt manner. Ed.