Registration of Freemasons

Sir,
    It is my understanding from your web site that governmental entities in the United Kingdom are either contemplating or have enacted the registration of governmental employees who are also freemasons with their various governmental employers. Try as I might, I can think of no non-nefarious reason for this action. There was a time in living memory when several European governments had their Jewish or other minority employees register that fact with their governments. After a while all persons who fit in that category had to display that fact on their clothing. Further on, they were forced into labor camps where that fact was tattooed to their skin.
    Finally, they were systematically exterminated. The registration of freemasons has an all too familiar ring to it and it is a slippery slope upon which we simply need never embark. It is especially troubling that freemason registration be proposed in of all places, the United Kingdom. The UK is the birthplace of modern freemasonry, as well as being the home of the parliament upon which all democratic legislatures are based. It simply astounds me that freemasonry, which advocates the universality of one God, the brotherhood of mankind, and the need for charity towards widows and orphans can be singled out for such treatment. It is a dark day indeed for the mother country.
    Grant S. Johnston, J.D. Mayor, Crystal City, Missouri Thirty-second degree Scottish Rite Junior Warden, Shekinah Lodge No. 256

Honours in Freemasonry

Sir,
    The article “Capital developments in London” of Issue 15 of the magazine incites me to the following remarks.
    Honours in Freemasonry should not exist. The only reason of becoming a freemason is the desire to work on self-improvement using the methodology (rituals, symbols) of the Brotherhood, and we all know that that task will go on forever. We work towards perfection knowing quite well we will never reach it. Each one of us tries his very best within the confines of his own intellectual, emotional and spiritual capabilities. There is, therefore, in this whole undertaking, no honour to confer.
    It strikes me again as odd that the need was felt to introduce another layer of honours: next to London Grand Rank and London Senior Grand Rank, the London Rank is now created. Will the next layer become London Junior Rank or London Minor Rank? In so doing, aren’t we reducing the Brotherhood to an ‘honorary’ society, light-years away from what it was originally conceived to be? And in so doing, aren’t we, excuse the expression, ‘disgusting’ potential valid candidates for membership from joining?
    The whole system of honours, called ‘rubanite’ in French, is not really what Freemasonry is all about. It does not fit with the need for less formality and less outdated ways of doing things, and it hurts, at least in my view, the modern mind of younger people.
    Carlo Lucq Antwerp, Belgium. Lodge “La Concorde Universelle, No. 9.

Freemasonry and the Armed Forces

Sir,
    With reference to the current controversy surrounding membership of Masonic Lodges by serving members of the armed forces.
    I cannot understand how being a Freemason can be considered a “destabilising influence”. When we are initiated into the society we are charged to ‘pay due obedience to the laws of the state’ and ‘not to forget the allegiance due to the Sovereign of your native land’. Surely, these are the self-same things that members of the armed services swear, (with hand on the appropriate VSL).
    This Lodge is extremely proud of one member of the armed services. Brother Alan Hoskins, Cdr., RN., a mason and a member of the Dalton-in-Furness Lodge No. 6828, and recently the leader of the group sent to assist in trying to rescue the crew of the Russian submarine KURSK. We wish he had more time to spend on Masonic matters, however his duties to Queen and Country quite rightly come first.
    David E. Smith, Ulverston, Cumbria. Secretary, Dalton-in-Furness Lodge, No. 6828.

The Essex Police

Sir,
    I have today read your current issue of Freemasonry Today and was appalled at the response you received from the Essex Constabulary.
    I am a serving Police Officer of some 24 years with the Metropolitan Police Service and the Secretary of the Winchmore Green Lodge, No.9116, in the Province of Hertfordshire, both facts of which I am very proud. However, for some time the lower ranks have failed to be surprised by the lack of back-bone seen in senior management. Why is it so bad that a charitable organisation such as the Freemasons have offered a donation of such enormous value when Police services up and down the country actively seek sponsorship from any possible source. I wonder if that donation were offered to the local Ambulance or Fire Brigade, whether they would have refused it?
    May I just say that I congratulate the Essex Freemasons for thinking of a truly practical place to put their money. It is just a shame that their charity was wasted on such a spineless senior management.
    Rowland Stone, Hertfordshire. Secretary, Winchmore Green Lodge, No.9116.

Sir,
    How sad it is to read of the Essex Police’s refusal of the offer to help purchase four life-saving machines. How narrow-minded can these people get? I only hope that whoever was instrumental in the refusal does not, in the future, need the facility.
    Does he not realise that there are probably members of his force who are Lodge members and do not agree with him. There are also a number of Police Lodges in this country, or is he not aware of this also?
    As far as “current public and parliamentary concern over Freemasonry” is concerned, it’s time the Chief Constable stopped acting like a wimp and gave some thought to the people these machines would be helping.
    Brian Wood, Belmont, Durham.

Gratitude to a cab driver

Sir,
    Recently I travelled by train to Great Queen Street but was severely delayed. As I was late I hailed a red cab at Victoria Station and quickly realised that the driver was also a freemason. The London traffic was almost grid locked and at the bottom of Long Acre I felt that it would be quicker to walk.
    The cabbie declined my offer to pay and suggested I put the money in the broken column, which I was pleased to do with endorsement. My fellow brethren thought it was a lovely reminder that, despite the constant criticism directed towards us, masonry is still alive and well.
    In my rush to meet my brothers I forgot to get the taxi number, so to the red cab driver may I extend a hearty thanks from the Lodge of Chivalry, No. 6372.
    Brian Pope Craigweil, West Sussex, Assistant Secretary, Lodge of Chivalry, No. 6372.

The excellent apprentices of Rosslyn and Rothenburg

Sir,
    On my visit to Rosslyn Chapel (founded in 1446) last year, I was interested in the story of the ‘Apprentice Pillar’. Readers are probably aware that this is the story of the Master Mason who hesitated to carry out work on a pillar of exquisite workmanship and design until he had visited some foreign land and had seen the original. However, in his absence, one of his apprentices started and completed the pillar which stands in the Chapel today. When the Master Mason returned he saw the completed pillar and was envious and enraged so much that he struck the apprentice with his mallet and killed him.
    However, when I was in Germany recently I came across another story about a Master and his apprentice. I visited the medieval walled city of Rothenburg in Bavaria, and there stands the beautiful St. Jacob’s Church whose high Gothic style dominates the skyline. According to a legend, the south tower was erected by the Master and the north tower was erected by his apprentice mason. Once again, enraged that his apprentice’s tower was better than his own, the Master (in this case) is said to have thrown himself from his tower and was killed. Construction of St. Jacob’s lasted from 1311 to 1484 and was commissioned by the Knights of the German Order (Teutonic Knights).
    I thought that readers may be interested in the similarity of these two stories and I wonder if anyone knows of another apprentice incident throughout other parts of Europe.
    Stuart Rennie Hockley, Essex Secretary, Canute Lodge of Instruction, 3104

James Sketchley, Freemason and the Masonic Halfpenny

Sir,
    I was intrigued by the article, “The Masonic Halfpenny”, in edition number 16, particularly in respect of the reference to James Sketchley, “a bookseller and a Mason in Birmingham” who designed and issued the coin.
    Although much more could be written about him, James Sketchley was one of the most influential Masons in Warwickshire during the latter part of the 18th century. He is variously described as auctioneer, printer, publisher and appraiser, and published the earliest town directories of Birmingham, Bristol and Sheffield. He was a member of the oldest surviving Lodge in the Province, St Paul’s, No. 43 (originally No. 64 under the Moderns and No. 124 under the Antients) and warranted in 1733.
    He became Provincial Grand Secretary in 1792 and his portrait, to this day, is on show in the current Provincial Grand Secretary’s office. He signed the Warrants of Shakespeare Lodge in 1792 and Apollo Lodge in 1794, both still very active Warwickshire Lodges.
    He told St Paul’s Lodge in 1794 that the low state of his finances would not permit him to pay his half-yearly subscription whereupon he was elected as an honorary member; he acted as the Master of the Lodge on many occasions afterwards. In 1796 he was granted relief by the Lodge and nothing more was heard of him until an obituary notice appeared in the Birmingham Gazette, 28 September 1801, recording his death in Pekipfy, New York, some six weeks earlier; he was probably 70 years of age.
    Rodney Pitham, Provincial Information Officer, Provincial Grand Lodge of Warwickshire, Edgbaston.

What defines a Freemason?

Sir,
    I read the article, “Developing a Brand Image”, by RW Bro. Donald Davinson, with great interest as its subject must be one uppermost in all our minds at the present time. If I am approached by a non-Mason who has searching questions as to what I stand for as a Mason, I would like to feel that I have a convincing answer ready. One that does not directly involve words from our ritual, necessarily – beautiful as they are. I can imagine the look I would get from my inquisitor, were I to declare, “Well, we believe in a system of morality, veiled in allegory and illustrated by symbols”, - true as that is. No, just in case my questioner is not well-heeled in word-skill, I think I shall need to learn to speak “un-Mason” at first, before I can hope to convince the guy that I am on the up-and-up and not just saturated in esoteric jargon.
    Some years ago I read a book which advocated a regime of healthy eating and exercise which would dispel unwanted poisons from the body and which would make one, as the title proclaimed, “Fit for Life”. This, the authors said, was not a diet, but a way of life. Diets, as we know, seek to combat dietary and physical deficiencies or excesses for specific bodily conditions, whereas the author’s plan was to create a healthy body by using and feeding it sensibly all the time. I saw in this, a possible Masonic corollary.
    As I see it, the religions of this world compared with Freemasonry with regard to moral teaching, are like diets are to a ‘Fit for Life’ regime. A type of morality is built into each, but many fail to practice toleration of other beliefs. Many are restrictive in their requirements. Some over-emphasise their demands for service, with little stress upon the need to help others. That, we believe, is their business. Everyone has a right to his own belief. We promise not even to mention “religion” at any of our meetings.
    Whereas, the Masonic ‘persuasion’, is a way of life which requires membership of any ‘one-God’ religion, but which encourages an extension of morality to one’s personal limits. It is a means of rounding out the character. Teaching many lessons in doing just that by example, inference through ritual rôle-playing, and instilling a sense of responsibility in its members. Masonry cannot, must not, be called a religion because it never undertakes to worship any particular supreme being in which its adherents believe. Masonry must make itself accessible to all, regardless of creed, so that when we talk about the creator in our meetings, we each may have our own vision of what is meant, without detracting from the overall intention of the instant.
    Freemasonry encourages brotherly love – when we get to know our brother Masons, and their individual efforts to come to terms with ritual and service to others, we come to respect them, then genuinely make them our friends and brothers. This, in turn, encourages a spirit of magnanimous friendship with all others. It engenders the habit of relief towards others, as this is made a part of the foundation of our Brotherhood. We come to look for need in others – all others, as well as Masons, and try to relieve that need.
    We remind our newly made brethren of the necessity for truth as a way of life also. But I feel that any brother who has satisfied the foregoing, is likely to be truthful by nature.
    There we have it all – “brotherly love, relief and truth”. The main tenets by which we stand, and I think that at this point I will do well to wait for the next question from my inquisitor.
    Don Sherman Ashford, Kent Ronaldshay Lodge, No. 3376.

The Festive Board

Sir,
    Facing the problems of an ageing membership and a greatly reduced universe from which to draw new members, we have rationalised our programme by scheduling one Craft meeting and one other (Chapter, Mark, KTs, etc) in each month from April to November. We close for the summer from December to March. We have also restricted the Festive Board to special occasions and follow other meetings with an informal gathering for drinks and sandwiches in the Ante-room.
    This informal gathering has worked out very well as members can stay for one drink or make an evening of it, as they feel inclined. It is possible to circulate and talk to everyone present and not only the members sitting close to you at the table. We still circulate the Loving Cup to welcome initiates and the occasional celebratory toast is drunk. The notice on our summonses that “Drinks and sandwiches will be available after the meeting” has proved to be a great success and has helped to bring up our attendance. It also keeps down individual outlay, yet still shows a profit for the Steward’s Fund. But the sandwiches have to be something special.
    F. Robert Towersey Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Secretary, Eureka Lodge No. 5557 Secretary, The Royal Edward Lodge No. 5566 District Grand Lodge of South America, Northern Division.

Sir,
    I am bemused as to why any Mason would suggest we bring an end to festive boards. This year I am the Senior Warden in my Lodge which means I go on what in this region we term as the “circuit”. That is, visiting other Lodges in the region.
    After only a few months I can state that I have made many new friends. These friendships were not made in the Temple, they were made at the festive board sharing food, drink, and conversation. Without a festive board I would not have made these friends. To me, walking into a strange Lodge and being met by familiar faces and a friendly handshake from Brothers I met across the dining table weeks ago, is what makes Freemasonry.
    Am I being a little hard to suggest that these Masons who do not want the festive board should acquaint their respective Stewards with their desire, leave after the work in the Temple is complete, and allow those remaining to make friends out of strangers. Perhaps I am wrong, but I think that this is what Freemasonry is about.
    Tom Hawksworth, Senior Warden, Andrew Marvell Lodge, No. 5642. Hull.

Sir,
    As the Secretary of a Masonic Centre I note with some concern the correspondence in Issue 15 regarding doing away with the festive board after Lodge meetings.
    If these correspondents meet in a Masonic Centre they should think of the consequences on the financial viability of the Centre. I am sure that, in common with the Centre with which I am involved, most Centres rely on making a profit on the bar takings and the wine consumed at festive boards and some even rely on making a profit from the food. If the bar time is reduced and the festive board done away with, that is a large slice of their income gone.
    Without this profit the rents would have to rise, the Centres would be further under-used and it could be that the whole thing becomes financially unviable and they have to close. Where then would they hold their meetings. I cannot see the pubs welcoming them with open arms as they did in the old days when Masonry was in its infancy.
    As for just having a banquet at the Installation meeting, where do the correspondents think you are going to get a Caterer to provide the odd meal now and again. He has to make a living the same as anyone else. If you did find someone, are they going to take as much care as the Caterer who serves meals every day of the week and who needs to please? No doubt he would employ casual labour for waitresses and washers up, and because they are not in regular employment would possibly have a “couldn’t care less” attitude. The whole thing would deteriorate. Is this what your correspondents want?
    Name and address supplied.

Where have all our young initiates gone?

Sir,
    In the past, many policemen and H.M. Forces personnel have been smoothly integrated into Freemasonry but some of our elderly Brethren too easily expect the 18th Century world of Freemasonry to be relevant today. Have they ever considered the possibility that the younger generations of the 21st Century may find our customs and organisation rather too eccentric? This particularly applies to the Craft’s Victorian administrative structure because it is no longer relevant to their workplace.
    Today’s young men have to be forceful, flexible and friendly to survive in an environment where decisions are made in fluctuating ‘Focus-groups’; ‘Mobile Board Rooms’; ‘Project and Planning Teams’; ‘Think Tanks’ and ‘Internet-linked conference sessions.’ How many of our Provincial Lodge Brethren know that our present ‘educational’ and ‘commercial’ worlds are no longer based on ‘paternalism’ and ‘dictatorial management’, because that way leads to ideological and commercial failure?
    Indeed, Freemasonry’s social structure and internal methods of communication must appear alien to the majority of men born after 1960, because they lack any personal experience of what service in Her Majesty’s Forces means in terms of comradeship and Brotherhood.
    Their computerised world demands continuous evolution to operate efficiently. Likewise, computerisation requires a perpetual input of innovative ideas from every member of a large organisation, to update and modify its central core. Unfortunately, this ‘central core’ can only direct and plan the future, if it obtains information with which to modify its objectives via the use of swift communications.
    In every age, good communications have always been the basic key to success.
    If Freemasonry is to survive, its administration must be reconstructed to allow ‘innovative ideas’ to be refined before being submitted to the higher echelons of the Craft for approval. We must remember all democratic Brotherhoods require equality of ‘status and personal input’, so where do we start? How about a 21st Century version of the ‘Book of Constitutions’ based on a system of Lodge Email Correspondents to establish a viable means of communication throughout Masonry?
    When the Press prints a character assassination of our ancient ‘aims’ and ‘objectives’ only a computerised system can provide all Grand Lodges with a coordinated and nationwide reply before it damages our public image. The Craft must learn that an immediate answer ‘today’, is more effective that a legally contrived answer ‘tomorrow.’
    Next, we need to actively promote the administrative integration of all Masonic Centres containing more than three Lodges, into the Craft’s communication system via email. Likewise, we must move away from the 18th century concept that because a Brother makes himself ‘practically useful in the Temple’, he is the best administrator to lead and plan the future of Freemasonry in a Provincial Grand Lodge. ‘Thinkers’ are just as useful as practical men. Very rare, and twice blessed, is the Brother who is both!
    Having efficiently constructed a computerised communication system that stretches from Grand Lodge down to every Brother in every Lodge, the Craft will discover it is not the intellectual ability of the ‘top few’ that is important - but the efficient harnessing of the intellectual brilliance of the ‘many’.
    Only by joining the 21st Century in this respect, will we become sufficiently attractive to our new Initiates to insure the survival of Freemasonry until 2,100 A.D.
    Peter Rance North Norfolk Lodge, No. 9156 Disabled Brethren

Sir,
    Congratulations to the two brothers featured in Issue 16 of Freemasonry Today, who have overcome the stigma of being confined to a wheelchair and have continued with their masonic careers.
    In 1995, I became disabled due to an accident at work and have since been dependent on a wheelchair. I nearly gave up masonry; but with the support and encouragement of all the brethren in my two Craft lodges, I have been installed as Worshipful Master in both lodges: Rosewood No. 8793 in 1996 and Mercury No. 7289 in 1999 for the millennium. What an honour!
    Also, since I became disabled, I have progressed in Chapter, and next season, I hope to be elected Z; I have also joined Mark, R.A.M., K.T., Malta and R.A.S.M., and in all orders I take an active office when appointed. Further, I am Tyler for four craft lodges and have been invited to be Janitor for a Chapter.
    So please brethren, do not let disability stop any brother from progressing in Freemasonry, or any candidate from joining our fraternity, the ritual can be adapted in all degrees without losing dignity and meaning.
    H. J. Theobald Bedford.