MASSACHUSETTS ADVANCES BROTHER FROM CHESTER

Recently Brother Mark Sutton of Kilmorey Lodge No. 7109 in Chester was passed to the degree of Fellow Craft by Isaiah Thomas Lodge of Worcester, Massachusetts USA, in the presence of the Grand Master of Masons in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Donald Gardner Hicks, Jr.
    Mark Sutton has been a resident of Worcester for several years and is employed teaching soccer to local youth programs. He returned to Chester for the Christmas holiday in December 2003, and while home was initiated at his home lodge before returning to the US. Mark’s father, Richard Sutton, who is Director of Ceremonies of Kilmorey Lodge, plans to raise Mark to Master Mason when Mark returns home for Christmas in 2004. Mark will not be in England long enough, however, for his father to confer both the second and third degrees, due to the mandatory 28-day limit between degrees.
    Richard Sutton found the web page for Isaiah Thomas Lodge in Worcester, Massachusetts, with the email address of the Master, and wrote to inquire whether the Massachusetts lodge might be willing to conduct the Fellow Craft degree for Mark before November, in order that Mark might be eligible for the third degree on his return to England.
    The Master of Isaiah Thomas Lodge, John Hickey, was very happy to comply. The necessary dispensations were obtained from United Grand Lodge of England and the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts.
    After the Isaiah Thomas Lodge was opened in the first degree by the Master, Mark was invited into the Lodge room and proved his proficiency in the first degree (Emulation ritual), examined by his father. Mark was declared proficient in the work by the Master, and then escorted to the antechamber for preparation. He was then passed to the second degree by the Master and other senior masons present.

SUPREME GRAND CHAPTER OF IRELAND CELEBRATES 175 YEARS

In September the Supreme Grand Royal Arch Chapter celebrated its 175th anniversary in Dublin, presided over by the Grand King, Charles Knipe. The gala meeting was held at the Supreme Grand Chapter premises at Freemasons’ Hall in Molesworth Street. District Grand Kings of all the Irish Districts were present, as well as those from numerous overseas Districts, including the Grand Superintendent of South East Asia. Representatives of sister Grand Chapters included those from Scotland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, England and Wales, as well as numerous delegations from the United States.
    A substantial and comprehensive amount of business was transacted, including a grant of u3500 to the Masonic Benevolent Institution, the investiture of numerous new Grand Representatives and investiture of the new Grand Chapter Officers.
    The minutes of the ‘Grand Convocation of Royal Arch Masons’ held in Dublin on 11 June 1829 show that the Chapter, having been opened in ample form, and the Companions present ‘having verified their powers, were received as representatives and proxies’ of no less than 54 private chapters. Companion John Fowler, at that time Past Deputy Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Ireland and at that time Deputy Grand Secretary, confirmed ‘the objects of the Preparatory Convocation and the intention and views of the those Royal Arch Masons who, with the sanction of His Grace the Duke of Leinster had contributed to forward the present undertaking’. The next paragraph in the Minutes indicates that the Companions present, ‘do hereby declare and constitute themselves the Grand and Supreme Royal Arch Chapter for Ireland, which motion being put was carried unanimously’. It was then resolved that ‘all Chapters of Royal Arch Masons [which] think proper to apply for Warrants shall be entitled to them on payment of the sum of five shillings each’.

CONSECRATION IN FRANCE OF NEW KNIGHTS TEMPLAR PRECEPTORY

In Bordeaux at the Château de Duras in October, the Knights Templar Preceptory St Front le Vaillant No. 15 under the Great Priory of the United Orders for France was consecrated. The Preceptory will meet in the town of Bergerac. There was a twist in the tail, since the Château de Duras was at one time owned and extensively re-built by Pope Clement V, who played an active part in the downfall of the Knights Templar in 1307.
    The Great Priory of the Temple and Hospital for France was inaugurated in June 2003 by the Great Priory of England and Wales under its Grand Master Leslie Dring. One of the English Knights present at that ceremony was Adrian Leopard. He interested the Provincial Prior of Worcestershire Graham Perkins in the idea of forming a Preceptory in France.
    A large number of English masons and their wives went to Duras for the consecration events, which took place over three days. The consecration itself was held in the Salle des Trois Maréchaux (Hall of the Three Marshalls). The consecration was conducted by the Great Seneschal of France, André Bassou, and Adrian Leopard was installed in the chair by Graham Perkins. Of the 23 founders, 14 were English, 1 Norwegian and 8 French.
    The Supreme Grand Master of the Knights Templar in France is Jean-Charles Foellner, who is also Grand Master of the Grande Loge Nationale Française.

Website: www.st-front-le-vaillant.org

MASONIC ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE RESCUED IN WASHINGTON

The Scottish Rite Valley of Washington is supporting the Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia in a collaboration with the Octagon Museum to organize an original exhibition highlighting the littlerecognized contribution of Freemasons to the design and architecture of the Capital of the United States.
    Featuring 20 original paintings by Peter Waddell, the exhibition will illustrate the role Freemasons have played in American architectural history. Original artefacts from the rich collections of the metropolitan area’s several lodges, will be displayed with the paintings. This project is central to the planning for the 2011 bicentennial of the Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia and a major step on the road towards a ‘Masonic Renaissance’ in the Federal City. The intention of this project is to bring Freemasonry to the community by demystifying the role Freemasons have played in the nation’s architectural history and to provide a new perspective on various historic events. The current sixmonth project consists of:

    • A painting exhibition designed to take the visitor on a journey of masonic discovery through art, architecture, symbolism, and esotericism;
    • A series of lectures by prominent speakers who will address the masonic fraternity’s contribution over time to the ‘American Experiment’;
    • A number of musical performances that will showcase great masonic composers, both classical and contemporary.
    Peter Waddell is well known for his work as a historical painter and has created several series of paintings that have served as the foundation of popular exhibitions at the Octagon, including, most recently, Inside the Temple of Liberty: 19th-Century Interiors of the U.S. Capitol Building (2002). A group of Freemasons is working closely with Peter Waddell to help select topics for the paintings and participate in the research necessary to ensure the accuracy of the work.
    The Octagon, the museum of the American Architectural Foundation, is a nationally recognized museum of architecture and design located two blocks from the White House at 1799 New York Ave., NW. One of Washington’s earliest residences, the building is a National Registered Landmark and is accredited by the American Association of Museums. The Octagon’s mission is to educate the public about architecture, design, historic preservation, and stewardship of American architectural heritage. These goals are accomplished through on-site exhibitions, travelling exhibitions, collections, and a wide variety of creative public programmes. The exhibition will run from May to November 2005.

Reprinted with permission from the Scottish Rite Journal Nov-Dec 2004.

FREEMASONRY IN THE RUSSIAN FAR EAST

After over 75 years of darkness, Freemasonry has returned to Far East Russia. The Alaska Russian Relations Committee, established by John Grainger, Past Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Alaska, started plans for two new masonic Lodges in Eastern Russia in 1993.
    The Grand Lodge of Russia was constituted in 1995 by the Grande Loge Nationale Française, under whose auspices John Grainger’s committee works. Because of the distances involved, Alaska is in a unique position to revive Freemasonry east of the Ural mountains. Pacific Rim Lodge No. 12 in Vladivostok is 8,700 km. from Moscow. In 1993 an exploratory trip was made to Magadan to study the possibility of returning Freemasonry to Russia. The Pacific Rim Lodge was formed under dispensation, and their first meeting was held in Palmer, Alaska in 1999, when Nickoli Luzganov from Vladivostok was initiated. A month later eight Master Masons flew to Vladivostok and conferred all three degrees on eight new aspirants. The Lodge was formally constituted in 2000 in Vladivostok in the presence of the Grand Master of Russia.
    In 1996 Dr. Sergei Bogolepov from Novosibirsk asked the Grand Master of Alaska for some guidance to become a Freemason. His grandfather had been a mason ‘but it was kept as a great secret in our family’. Dr. Bogolepov was raised to the third degree in Missouri, and subsequently became Master of Alpha and Omega Lodge No. 23 in Novosibirsk. Plans are afoot now to form lodges in Tomsk and in the independent republic of Kazakhstan.
    If Freemasonry is to succeed in eastern Russia it must be through the labour of Russian masons. But John Grainger’s committee can assist new lodges to become proficient in their work and to initiate new aspirants. Freemasons interested in assisting this work should contact John Grainger at jhg@kpunet.net

NEW ZEALAND’S MOST GENEROUS MASONIC BENEFACTOR

Little real knowledge remains of Frederick Seymour Potter, the man whose life and work has given millions of dollars to the needs of children and youth in the City of Auckland and New Zealand’s Northland Province, for more than eighty years. It is known that he was a modest and reserved man – he was quite happy to have never advanced beyond a Master Mason – but with a heart of gold. He was a Freemason who gave freely of his wealth as a successful businessman to be administered by Freemasons, because he knew they were honourable men. Born in London in 1857 he came to New Zealand the following year with his parents and lived in Auckland throughout his life. He died in Auckland Hospital in 1941, aged 84.
    Places for children to play was the inspiration for his first gifts; to the citizens of Auckland, seven acres in Mt Roskill and another seven in Balmoral were gifted to the local Councils to be used and forever kept as parks now known as Seymour and Potter Parks. He also gave six acres at Panmure, for homes for elderly Freemasons and their wives, nine acres at Karaka, Papakura, for a home for needy boys with the plans for building it, and an endowment of 50,000 New Zealand pounds. There were other gifts of land, some for parks, an Endowment Trust for an orphanage in Whangarei and a home for elderly women.
    In 1930 the Potter properties and endowments were entrusted to the Grand Lodge of NZ, and through the Grand Lodge Trustees to a management committee. Foremost among the conditions was the underlying desire to care for children.
    With this view in mind, the Trust’s latest project has been to build a specially dedicated Childrens Garden in the Botanical Gardens in Manurewa at a cost of NZ$177,000. Within the Garden, a display will tell the whole story of Frederick Potter, benefactor and Freemason.

With acknowledgements to New Zealand Freemason