WHAT'S FOR AFTERS

Sir,
    As a regular subscriber to Freemasonry Today I was interested to read Andrew Montgomery’s letter in your autumn edition and in particular his point regarding the invitation of candidates to Lodge dinners.
    It is some years now since my lodge commenced the practice of inviting nonmasons to the Installation Dinner and it has proved to be of immense value. We hold the function, after labour, in the local golf club, which is ‘jolly glad of the business.’
    It gives us the opportunity to meet ‘potential’ candidates and to promote the Order. This has led to a regular number of new members of high quality. There is the added advantage that the length of speeches - particularly by Provincial Officers - is greatly reduced.
    Andrew Kennedy, Broughshane Lodge, No. 246, (Irish Constitution), Co. Antrim.

GOOD PREPARATION

Sir,
    Your correspondent, John Grange, in Freemasonry Today, Issue 29, is correct when he says that the current way of initiating candidates with little or no grounding or preparation does little to breed enthusiasm for masonry.
    I was initiated into Saltley College Lodge, No. 5319, in December 1979. For some two or three years before this, in the company of another candidate, Jack Taylor, I was invited on a Wednesday evening to the Old Goose public house at Bedworth, Coventry, where members of Saltley College Lodge held an ad hoc rehearsal in a back room.
    When they had finished Jack and I were invited in, with the drinks of course, and talked about Freemasonry in general and what would be expected of us when we joined. In addition to this we were invited to the home of a senior Past Master who, over tea and sandwiches, took us through the costs and procedures. By the time we were initiated we were straining at the leash, eager to become involved. I know that when I walked down the stairs at Great Queen Street on that day in 1979 I was the proudest man in London.
    Both Jack and I are Past Masters of the lodge and have gone through the Chairs in the Royal Arch and many other Orders. I have seen initiates who have fallen at the first fence, in many cases, due to lack of support but my own enthusiasm for masonry, nurtured by those Past Masters, has grown over the years.
    Michael Adams, Rugby, Warwickshire.

ANCIENT CHARGES

Sir,
    I was discussing with a friend the reasons why so few young men join the Craft today. I said that too many members look on it as a dining club with charitable functions and a side interest in amateur dramatics! If we were to stress the spiritual and moral side more perhaps we might attract more of the right young men.
    I went on to say that in my opinion the first of the Ancient Charges, ‘A Mason is obliged, by his tenure, to obey the moral law, and if he rightly understands the art...etc’ should be stressed after every 1st Degree ceremony.
    My friend, who is nearing the end of his year as Master of his lodge, had never heard of the Ancient Charges! When I reminded him that they were part of the preamble to the Book of Constitutions he still couldn’t place them. To me, that 1st Ancient Charge, sums up exactly what Freemasonry is all about.
    L. Y. Davis, The Cumbria Lodge, No. 6643, Whitehaven, Cumberland & Westmoreland

MASONIC SAINTS

Sir,
    I was encouraged to read that the Pope is about to beatify Karl I, otherwise known as Charles IV of Hungary, who was a Freemason. Do you think that this could lead to the Roman Catholic Church removing its restrictions on the Craft and allowing Catholics to join our Order? It will be helpful to have a Saint who was a Freemason, and much more plausible than meeting a Freemason who is a Saint!
    J. H. Shepherd, Harrogate and Claro Lodge, No. 1001, Harrogate.

AN INADVERTENT MISHAP

Sir,
    I would like to relate an interesting experience that occurred at our Chapter meeting this September. As we did not have a candidate it was agreed that the Principals would do the three lectures, and a good evening it proved to be. We then proceeded from Grand Lodge to The Ship Tavern in Holborn for our Festive Board. On arrival, the first of us ordered our drinks but before the rest of our members had arrived various other gentlemen started arriving in typical masonic garb. At this point the young girl serving the drinks apologised and explained that she must go downstairs to find out about a possible over-booking. As the rest of our members arrived one of our Companions, who is a publican, stepped behind the bar to serve us, making a note of the various orders so as to cover the cost of these drinks. The young girl returned a little later to state that the management had in fact doublebooked the evening. They expressed their sincere apologies suggesting that if we were prepared to wait while the kitchen prepared the extra food they would accommodate all of us and the drinks were on the house. Our members were quite happy to join in with the members of the East & Central Africa Lodge, No. 7446, as their guests in their Festive Board.
    An inadvertent mishap which could have spelt disaster, in fact, led to a most enjoyable evening. We were made so welcome and we had time to make some interesting new freindships. Before the evening finished, our Chapter had an invitation to the next meeting of the East & Central Africa Lodge in March. This, I believe, sums up what the spirit of Freemasonry is all about. If only this attitude could be experienced by the majority of detractors of our great fraternity, masonry would have the good press it deserves.
    David Morris, Ancora Rubra Chapter, No. 7747, Freemasons’ Hall, London

ROYAL ARCH CHANGES

Sir,
    Usually I agree with much that Julian Rees writes, however, I am not quite certain that I understand one of the points which he makes in his letter in Freemasonry Today, Issue 30. He wrote: ‘John Mitchell is very wide of the mark to suggest that the removal of words constitutes a ‘dumbing down’ of the ritual. If the message conveyed by such a ritual is to rest on a word or a group of words then, with respect, that ritual is not worth much at all.’
    My point was that a number of words and the message which they conveyed had been removed from the ritual. Removing the message is ‘dumbing down’. If Julian Rees is right that the words are not necessary to convey the message - then the only (if somewhat illogical) conclusion is that there is no need to have any ritual at all in order to convey the message; and we have all been wasting our time learning the ritual and trying to put across the message which can be conveyed without the words in the ritual.
    From my researches, I am firmly of the opinion that since the Union of the Grand Lodges the Craft and Royal Arch rituals have been steadily eroded and ‘dumbed down’. Whilst a few minor changes may have been desirable, my worry is that the message is being lost. This may be a contributory factor to the number of young masons who do not progress into the Royal Arch and resign from the Craft after a few years. In units with which I am involved several members have suddenly announced that they have become completely disillusioned with Freemasonry and have resigned from all the Orders to which they belong. There must be something wrong with our ceremonies if this is happening. I agree with Julian Rees’ final paragraph; fortunately I belong to a very strong Royal Arch Chapter with its own peculiar traditions which it intends to continue.
    John W. Mitchell, Hove, Sussex.

BAND OF BROTHERS

Sir,
    I have been taking Freemasonry Today since its first edition and have always admired its high standards. Sadly that seemed missing in Issue No. 30, Autumn 2004. Your article ‘Band of Brothers’ by Andrew Montgomery is a sad denigration of the thousands of Allied troops who served in Italy.
    At the beginning of the article it says ‘the liberation of Europe was begun.’ Since the autumn of 1943 Allied troops had been fighting the Germans in Sicily and Italy culminating in the surrender of one of the Axis Powers’ capitals, Rome, two days before D-Day.
I think that a correction is due in memory of the Brothers and those who fought in this campaign unless, of course, Italy is not in Europe.
    Albert V. Manning, Grenadier Guards Association, 6th Battalion, Grenadier Guards, Compass Lodge, No. 8765, Syston, Leicestershire & Rutland.

Sir,
    Your article, ‘Band of Brothers’ in the autumn 2004 issue of Freemasonry Today has prompted me to put pen to paper (Biro actually). My son is a Lewis and a member of the Pegasus Forces Lodge, No. 9393, Hampshire and Isle of Wight, and just passed his Second Degree. He was chosen to drop into Arnham on that anniversary day and was presented with his Dutch wings.
    At the last lodge meeting he was asked to propose the toast to Noel Ross who dropped in sixty-six years ago and still attends lodge meetings. This was a very emotional moment for both of them as there was about forty years in age difference between them and the parachute drop was under so very different circumstances.
    Derek C. Wright, Farnham, Surrey

Sir,
    I write to express my disappointment that your article ‘D-Day Remembered’ was headed ‘Band of Brothers’ and was based on the American contribution of the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions.
    Had Andrew Montgomery cycled a little further he could have witnessed identical scenes to those he reported; at ‘Pegasus Bridge’, Benouville, Normandy and seen our chief towns and villages all bedecked with the Union Jack.
These were Britons from many places and professions, re-enactors from Britain and America - as mentioned before, the scenes were identical to the Ste. Mère- Eglise, apart from the fact that Benouville saw a rash of red berets.
    My disappointment stems from the fact that like Zane Schlemmer I was nineteen years of age when I first landed on French soil near Benouville in the very early hours of 06.06.44. I witnessed memorable celebrations at Pegasus Bridge on the sixtieth anniversary of that date; celebrations worthy of an article in Freemasonry Today.
    For those who are not aware, Britain formed two Airborne Divisions for World War II: the 1st and the 6th Airborne Divisions plus a number of Brigades. I served in the 7th (L.I.) Parachute Battalion of the 5th Airborne Brigade, 6th Airborne Division whose job it was to hold the left flank of the attack and which history shows it did.
    No doubt there are many Brethren reading your article who would wish that it was the Pegasus Bridge area being covered. Not the least of these will be my fellow Brethren of Pegasus Forces Lodge, No. 9393. Our membership covers many units of British Airborne Forces. You will appreciate that British Airborne soldiers are fully aware of the fine traditions of the 82nd and 101st American Airborne Divisions whereas I believe you could have been more selective in your choice to ‘Remember DDay’ for there were thousands of words written on the British participation of the second front, airborne and otherwise.
    Ron Follet, Pegasus Forces Lodge, No. 9393, Bordon, Hampshire & Isle of Wight.

MUSIC IN LODGES

Sir,
    I cannot agree with the Revd. Ivan Fowler in Freemasonry Today, Issue 30, that the answer to poor music in lodges is to use recorded music. As a qualified organist, my reluctance to play at lodges is because of the poor quality of instruments which no self-respecting musician would otherwise touch.
    A ceremony consists of the members welcoming a candidate to the lodge or to a new Degree within it. Doubtless a music recording will give a slick production but equally a CD recording of a professional actor reading the ritual would be more slick than the halfremembered mumblings we so often hear.
    Indeed, taking the Revd. Fowler’s argument to its logical conclusion, why bother having a ceremony at all? Why not just park the candidate in front of a pre-recorded slick professional video.
    Robert Leach, Ewell, Epsom, Surrey.

MORGAN LODGE?

Sir,
    My name is Delmund Penney and my fellow driver is Richard Smith. We are a couple of members of the Morgan Sports Car Club who discovered that we are both Freemasons. It seemed a good idea to establish how many Freemasons own Morgan sports cars and who may be interested in a ‘get together’, visit each other’s lodges or, possibly, form a new lodge which Richard Smith has tentatively called ‘Sliding Pillar’.
    We have had responses from several Morgan owners who are in the Craft and are interested in forming a new lodge and I wondered if there are any more Morgan owners out there in the Craft?
    Please contact me at: Delmund.penney@amcor-flexibles.com
    or Richard Smith at greystonesprint@btconnect.com.
    Delmund Penney, The Lodge of St. John in Bedwardine No. 7458 - Worcester 2 Southall Avenue, Worcester