James Daniel, Grand Secretary Designate

James Daniel is Grand Secretary Designate of the United Grand Lodge of England.
    By midsummer, Bro Daniel will have left his current job as Grand Secretary General to the Supreme Council of the Ancient and Accepted Rite (‘the Rose-Croix’), a post he has held since 1989. Before that he was employed by the British Council in Spain, Germany, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Venezuala and finally the USA where he was Cultural Attaché at the British Embassy in Washington DC.
    Born in Cornwall in 1941, Bro Daniel was initiated, passed and raised in Apollo University Lodge No 357, Oxford, while still an undergraduate at Brasenose College. During his posting to Sri Lanka in the early 1970s he became Master of St George Lodge No 2170 and was promoted to Past District Grand Pursuivant before he left the island. While serving in Munich he became Master of Friends in Council Lodge No 1383 in London.
    Since returning to this country he has served as Master of Westminster and Keystone Lodge No 10 for its 275th anniversary, and is now the Senior Warden of Pegasus Lodge No 2205, Inner Guard of Quatuor Coronati Lodge No 2076 and a member of the Royal Somerset House and Inverness Lodge No 4.
    Bro Daniel has been through the chairs of two London Royal Arch Chapters (Marquis of Dalhousie No 1159 and Avenue Chapter No 3231). In addition he is, this year, a Senior Grand Deacon as well as a Past Assistant Grand Sojourner in the Royal Arch and a Past Provincial Senior Grand Warden for Oxfordshire. He also holds Grand, District and Provincial rank in several orders beyond the Craft and enjoys undertaking research into aspects of Freemasonry during the second half of the 19th century.

500 Pour in to Clerkenwell Open Day

Anyone who had any doubts about the value of open days should have paid a visit to the exceptionally well-organised event which took place on Saturday 29 November at the Central Masonic Centre at Clerkenwell Green, London. General Manager Stephen Ayres, Dennis Brown and a fine team of helpers played host to hundreds of members of the public who came to inspect the beautiful Old Sessions House, built between 1779-1782. They were shown lodge rooms, charity exhibitions and regalia. Bro Huw Shooter and Bro Mark Hayley demonstrated the Craft on the Internet in the Dungeon Bar, while Bro John Amos demonstrated his computer programme illustrating lodge development from the time of the first Grand Lodge. Freemasonry Today had a stand and proved to be a focal point for many long discussions on the true nature of the Craft with people of different ages and backgrounds. Initially hostile enquirers changed their minds when the facts became known to them. Dennis Brown did not exaggerate when he told the Editor that the event was a “huge success”, while the latter counted it among the very best days of 1997.

Mercy Trek to Ethiopia

Chris Bolton, 58, Designate Scribe E for the Province of East Lancashire, joined fellow mason Maurice Ireland, 61, on an amazing mercy mission to help hundreds of starving people in Ethiopia last November. The Amhar people faced lingering deaths without the medical supplies brought across dangerous country by retired BT managers Chris and Maurice. Opening up a crucial supply line, armed guards accompanied the pair on their 200 mile trek from Addis Ababa as they tackled gruelling 4000m peaks in the Simien Range. According to Chris : “There is a Red Cross post accessible by helicopter in a remote part of the mountains, but they couldn’t afford a ’copter. That’s why we took supllies and a medical tent. We established a route so that mule trains were able to reach the Amhars.” The three week journey was made possible by donations of more than £1,500 from friends and Freemasons. Chris has said that “We are all very conscious that Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth are the Grand Principles on which Freemasonry is founded, and as members of Royal Arch Masonry we are further instructed in the words of the Valedictory Address that we are “expected to extend these noble and generous sentiments still further and that every member of the human race has a claim on our kind offices.”
    Alan Garnett, Provincial Grand Secretary, East Lancs.

Handel's Messiah at Freemasons' Hall

In Spring 1996 Peter Gough and Wayne Warlow were considering how to support the 1999 Festival for the New Samaritan Fund (Province of South Wales), and it was decided to produce a performance of Handel’s Messiah at Llandaff Cathedral. A Messiah Committee was formed for the purpose, under the auspices of the Loyal Commercial Lodge No 2720 and Proscenium Lodge No 9059. A tremendous £3,200 was raised and it was decided to repeat this success with an event at the Grand Temple, Great Queen Street. Permission granted, a further performance will take place on April 24 1998 with proceeds again going to the New Samaritan Fund.
    Under the baton of Wayne Warlow, the soloists will be Paula Bradbury, soprano : Anne Morgan, contralto : Malcolm Perrett and tenor : Jamie Miller-Coburn. The professional Vivian Orchestra will be supported by the 50-strong Vivian Chorus. The performance should begin at 7.30pm and will finish at 10pm. Tickets are £15 each. For further information contact Peter Gough, 3, Crown Precinct, Church Rd. Cardiff. Tel : 01222 754082. Cheques payable to ‘Festival Concert’ - please enclose an SAE. The Lord Swansea (Provincial Grand Master) will be present and it is hoped that the Craft will give him a truly memorable occasion before he retires from his Provincial Grand Mastership after the 1999 Festival.

Raby Gala will Contribute to £2.7 Million Target

The Province of Durham’s ten year festival for the RMBI (1989-1999) is nearing its climax. The drive to reach the Provincial Grand Master’s target - an inspiring £2.7m - will receive a boost from the forthcoming Raby Gala, to be held in the grounds of Raby Castle, Staindrop, Co. Durham on Saturday 4 July 1998. The Lord Barnard, TD, is the patron of what promises to be a marvellous event. Anyone can further contribute to the cause by obtaining the souvenir Gala Brochure which will include articles on the value of the Craft to the community, Rudyard Kipling, Robert Burns, French Freemasonry, famous masons, the Provincial Office, Raby Castle, Rookhope church, the changing face of the Craft, historic lodges, badges and regalia and a great deal more. Copies may be obtained from its enthusiastic compiler, Harry Rowell, at 19, High St. Tow Law, Co. Durham DL13 4DL. Tel/Fax : 01388 731 244. Price : £2.00 or £2.95 (inc. p+p).

Sky High!

Brethren at a loss for fund-raising ideas should look to the skies. There they might catch a glimpse of the Master of the Lodge of Humility with Fortitude No 229. Bro Arthur Geoffrey Larter of Epsom, Surrey, has in the last year raised £2000-plus for charity by sky diving from 10,000 ft. Bro Larter has made his leap into history at the tender age of 72 years!

Unique Temple Transformation

The Oxfordshire Masonic Centre is a regency mansion on Banbury Road, Oxford, housing three temples and banqueting rooms, surrounded by landscaped gardens with parking for over 100 cars. A refurbishment of the Redman-Brown Temple now places it at the forefront of masonic lodge design. Seating over 200, the new design incorporates the highest visual and auditory communication standards, as well as an air-conditioning system the envy of many an airless, humid lodge. The visual rounding of the temple walls and the tiered staging of the seating creates a ‘theatre in the round’ sensation, lit from above by a thousand fibre-optic lamps - a symbolic few of which are controlled from the Secretary’s desk.
    The temple organ, linked to a speaker system, incorporates a remote-control facility, playing pre-recorded pieces on computer disc - invaluable when an organist is unavailable. Once the masonic furniture is removed, the temple becomes an auditorium, suitable for conferences, product launches and even fashion-shows. Recent users include Oxfam, Unipart, WH Smith, Neilsen, Blackwells, Probus and local authorities - enhancing good relations between the Craft and the country at large, as well as helping to meet the quality demands of masons without a regular escalation of dining fees and lodge dues.
    The centre is open Monday-Saturday for drinks, bar snacks and full lunches for people either passing through or visiting this “city of dreaming spires”.
    Douglas J Clare PPrSGD (Oxon).

Stunning Sarbu at Queen Elizabeth Hall

Menuhin calls him “a force to be reckoned with.” Monday 2 February 1998 saw the celebrated Romanian violinist Eugene Sarbu give a classic concert at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, London. Accompanied by sister Carmina Sarbu on piano, the packed hall heard works by Mozart, Elgar, Lauricella, Schubert and Prokofiev - all in aid of the Musicians Benevolent Fund UK. Eugene described the event as “a great success”. Masonic luminary John Webb (have you heard his Prestonian lecture on Kipling?), who was lucky enough to attend the concert, simply said : “He’s brilliant!”

International Conference

Last December, Barcelona’s new Sants Hotel housed the 8th International Symposium on Freemasonry, organised by CEHME, the Centre for the Study of Spanish Masonry. The conference proved a resounding success, being attended by over 100 delegates representing universities as far afield as Cuba, and had as its honourary patron the President of the Government of Catalonia, Jordi Pujol.
    The President of CEHME, Jesuit Professor Jose Ferrer Benemelli, began his studies of masonry in the 1960s, and organised the institute after the death of General Franco in 1975. Although the road to Spanish openness was not without its risks - his offices were fire-bombed during the 1970s by right-wing extremists, the centre now enjoys wide acclaim and produces objective studies of a high academic standard.

Liverpool Masonic Hall Needs You!

The Mother Home of West Lancashire Masonry is in need. Since 1858, Liverpool masons have met at 22 Hope Street, situated in the bustling city centre, with a cathedral at either end, and further dignified by Sir Paul McCartney’s Institute of Dance and Drama and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Hall. A fund-raising committee has been set up to restore the Hall to full working splendour after a history of fire, flood and the ravages of Hitler’s bombs. W Bro Norman Dainty, Past Provincial Assistant Grand Master, heads the co-ordinating body for all groups in West Lancashire involved in fund raising. After the staggering £7 million plus raised for the Masonic Trust for Girls and Boys, it will be some task to raise the £200,000 required. Bro Norman appeals to masons throughout the world, especially if you have ever visited No 22 or have fond memories of the place, to assist with the effort. Please send donations c/o The Masonic Hall Building Fund, The Liverpool Masonic Hall, 22 Hope St. Liverpool. Tel : 0151 709 2506 £1 shares in the Hall can also be obtained.
    Bro David F Thompson

Safe, in the Freemason's Arms

Several months ago, Grand Lodge Information Officer Julian Perry entered into talks with Steve Plews, ‘Guv’nor’ of the Freemasons’ Arms in Long Acre, Covent Garden., to display some masonic memorabilia in his pub. Under pressure of work, Julian had to call for the assistance of the famous Goose & Gridiron Society who specialise in masonic taverns. The society - a smashing crowd open to new members - selected 22 prints from Grand Lodge’s Library and Museum showing street scenes around Freemasons’ Hall in the early 1930s, as well as pictures showing its construction. Copies are now being framed and will be displayed along the corridor leading to the upstairs dining room. Regalia and jewels may be added to the collection. Brethren wishing to join the society should contact Secretary Peter Locke at 19, Oakfield Ave. Kenton, Harrow, Middx. HA3 8TH. Tel : 0181 909 2077.

Incredible £10,668,361 for New Masonic Samaritan Fund!

The end of the four and a half year long London Festival Appeal in support of the New Masonic Samaritan Fund was marked by a gala dinner and dance in the Great Room, Grosvenor House Hotel on 7 January. Before presenting the President of the Fund, Major General Pat MacLellan, with the mighty cheque for £10, 668, 361, the Assistant Grand Master, The Most Hon the Marquess of Northampton DL, warmly thanked London mason’s for their very generous support and congratulated them on raising the highest amount ever for a festival. He also commented that London too had benefited from the Festival by gaining a new sense of focus and a feeling of being united in a common cause.
    Captain Paul Bootherstone DSC RN, Secretary, NMSF.