NEW GRAND MASTER OF ISRAEL

In January, the Grand Master of Israel, Chaim Henry Gehl installed as his successor Sami Raphaeli. The ceremony was held at the Sharon Hotel in Herzlia, Israel.
    There were masonic delegations from many countries, including England, Germany, Netherlands, Austria, Luxembourg, Romania, Italy, Bulgaria and China. Having been invested, the new Grand Master then invested the Grand Officers for the year and presented certificates to various brethren for their dedication and work for Freemasonry in Israel. A full programme of events ensured that not only the delegates but also their wives and families were entertained.
    The United Grand Lodge of England was represented by the Grand Secretary, Bob Morrow. One of the salient points of the proceedings was the investiture of Yasha Beresiner as Past Senior Grand Warden of the Grand Lodge of Israel, for his services to the Grand Lodge of Israel both in England and in Italy. The many visiting delegations from other Grand Lodges made presentations to the new Grand Master and also to the retiring Grand Master. The dinner afterwards was attended by some 450 guests, both masonic and non-masonic.
    Born in 1933, Sami Raphaeli is a retired banker with a wide experience of the profession. He was initiated in Caspi Lodge, No. 56 in Haifa in 1977, and was Master of the Lodge in 1984. In the Royal Arch he became First Grand Principal in 1999 of the Supreme Grand Chapter of Israel. He attained Ancient and Accepted Rite 33rd degree in 2003. He has been active since 1985 in various committees of Grand Lodge and on the Board of General Purposes, also serving as Assistant and Deputy Grand Master. He has been Grand Representative of the Grand Lodge of Washington DC.

A SOVEREIGN GRAND LODGE OF MALTA

Freemasonry has been active in Malta since Lodge Parfait Harmonie was warranted by the Marseilles jurisdiction in 1730. By 1741 the Inquisition was pursuing the Freemasons, and several members had to leave the island. Towards the end of the 18th century both French and English Freemasonry were active. Early in 1815 a petition for the creation of The Lodge of St. John and St. Paul was granted by the United Grand Lodge of England, and this Lodge is the oldest English Lodge still to meet on the island.
    Since Malta gained independence in 1964 and British troops were withdrawn, only two English lodges remained. The English District Grand Lodge of Malta was dissolved in 1984, but there were, in addition to English lodges, other lodges warranted by the Grand Lodge of Ireland and the Grand Lodge of Scotland.
    Given the celebration of 40 years of Malta Independence and the anticipated admission to the European Union, the three Lodges of the Irish Constitution met in September 2003 and resolved to form themselves into a Sovereign Grand Lodge. This historic move was supported by the Brethren of the Count Roger of Normandy Lodge, No. 9265 (EC) who resolved to participate in the formation of a Sovereign Grand Lodge of Malta. In August 2004 Hospitallers Lodge, No 931 (IC) was established in Malta and also resolved to participate in the formation of a Sovereign Grand Lodge of Malta.
    The Grand Lodge of Ireland, in consultation with the United Grand Lodge of England and the Grand Lodge of Scotland, acceded to the petition of the Brethren and on 18 November 2004 these five regular Lodges were duly instituted and consecrated by the Grand Lodge of Ireland into The Sovereign Grand Lodge of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of the Republic of Malta (SGLoM).
    At the Consecration representatives of the Grand Lodges of Ireland, England, Scotland, Italy, France, Germany, Norway, Turkey and the Czech Republic were present.
Acknowledgment to Dr. A.J. Agius

NEW ZEALAND FREEMASONS WORK WITH ROYAL SOCIETY

The Royal Society of New Zealand recently organised a Transit of Venus competition among schoolchildren. The students had been invited to investigate the great scientific quest that indirectly brought James Cook and his men to New Zealand. In 1768 Cook was hired by the Royal Society of London for his skills as a navigator and astronomer to go to Tahiti to observe the Transit of Venus on 3 June 1769, from which observations the distance to the sun could be calculated. Transits of Venus are rare, and there was great excitement about it; such an opportunity would not come again for another 120 years. Three of the winning teams were headed for England, and one, financed by UNESCO, to Tahiti. The three teams destined for England were able to make their journey thanks to the sponsorship by the Freemasons, and substantial contributions from the British High Commission, British Council New Zealand and British Airways.
    In an address in the United Masters Lodge, No. 167, the Master, Alex Davidson, welcomed Dr Steve Thompson, Chief Executive Officer of the Royal Society of New Zealand, Dr Grant Christie of the Royal Society’s Astronomy Committee, and representatives of the Royal Society, the British High Commission, the British Council, UNESCO and other groups. ‘Like old friends who have been parted for many years,’ he said, ‘we are now meeting together under this roof, and the occasion is one of great joy for us.’
    The address pointed out the masonic initiative in forming the Royal Society, and how it had been dominated by Freemasons for the first two centuries of its existence. The separation of the two bodies around 1850 was explained, and Dr Davidson concluded with the hope that his address would go some way to explaining the enthusiasm with which the Freemasons of New Zealand have embraced the Royal Society of New Zealand’s Transit of Venus competition for schools.

MASONIC CONFERENCE IN SWEDEN

In December last year the first academic conference on Freemasonry in Sweden was held at the University of Lund. Entitled Between mysticism and power politics: Swedish Freemasonry and the European Enlightenment, the event was organised by Dr. Andreas Önnerfors and Dr. Henrik Bogdan, and was chaired by Professor Jan Hjärpe, a specialist in Islamic Studies at Lund University, and Dr. Jan Snoek, a specialist in the History of Religion at the University of Heidelberg.
    Dr. Martin Ernst Urmann of Innsbruck University and Thomas Karlsson of Stockholm University opened the first morning session with papers on Hermetic thought and the Gothic Kabbalah. The day continued with presentations by Matthew Scanlan on the emergence of early British Freemasonry, Professor Ferrer Benimeli of Zaragoza University on the motives behind the Papal prohibitions, Professor Andrew Prescott of Sheffield University on the contacts between Swedish and English grand lodges until 1813, Professor Pierre-Yves Beaurepaire of Nice University on the masonic connections between Sweden and France, and Dr. Oliver Hemmerle of Mannheim University on the Nazi perception of Swedish Freemasonry in the Enlightenment. Delegates and speakers were then given a guided tour of Lund Cathedral and the local Eos Lodge of Instruction, before dining by candlelight in what is believed to have been the city’s medieval masons’ lodge.
    Day two commenced with a lecture on some early French rituals exported to Sweden delivered by the Swedish scholar Ulf Lindgren. Alain Bernheim then spoke on the masonic rite of Templar Clerics in Swedish Pomerania and Germany, and Dr. Pierre Noël continued on a similar theme, by speaking on the Swedish influence on French Freemasonry. Drs. Andreas Önnerfors and Patrik Sonestad of Lund University then demonstrated the new on-line database of Swedish Freemasons in the eighteenth century, and the afternoon gave way to presentations by Tom Bergroth of the Academy of Åbo, Finland, and Professor Henrik Stenius of the Renvell Institute in Helsinki, both of whom spoke on Freemasonry in Finland. The conference was rounded off with a paper on Swedish Freemasonry in Russia, delivered by Dr. Yuri Stoyanov of London University.

EAST AFRICA CELEBRATES CENTENARY

Last year the District of East Africa celebrated 100 years of Freemasonry in the area. It was in 1904 that Brethren petitioned the Grand Secretary to form the Lodge Harmony, No. 3084.
    To celebrate the Centenary, a number of fund-raising events were undertaken. Leading the celebrations was Sir Jayantilal Chande KBE, affectionately known throughout the world as Sir Andy Chande. In October last year 350 members and guests attended the gala banquet at the Royal Palm Hotel in Dar es Salaam, at which the Guest of Honour was the President of Tanzania, His Excellency William Benjamin Mkapa accompanied by Mrs Mkapa. The guests included Ministers, diplomats and business leaders. President Mkapa praised the work of Freemasons. ‘In Freemasonry,’ he said ‘you exhort members to fulfil their duties to God, to authorities of the country and to the family. The District Grand Master has given us a synopsis of what you are doing for the less fortunate members of society. What has struck me most is your idea that we need not just to dispense charity, but that we should be caring.’
    During the year there were charitable gifts to orphanages, health and disability centres, primary schools and hospitals. 500 cataract operations were carried out, ENT surgical assistance was provided and 1000 trees were planted in Karura Forest in Kenya.

CALIFORNIA MASONS WORKING FOR CHILDREN

When children at the Masonic Home in Covina speak about what they want to do in their adult lives, many say they want to give back to others. When asked where that notion came from, one young boy said with shy pride ‘it shows we care about what’s been done for us by the masons’.
    The simple yet profound ideal of giving back captures the essence of masonic values. During their time at the Home, when many of the children are rebuilding their own lives, they have the opportunity to observe brotherly love, relief and truth in action. They see that these ideals can enrich their lives and those with whom they come into contact.
    The three major areas of emphasis in the children’s program – independent living, social skills and academic achievement – tie back to the masonic core values. There are a number of ways in which the children are exposed to masonic ideals, according to Judy Figueroa, Director of Admissions at Covina. The most influential is the way they see them alive and in action through their contact with adult residents and staff. Each Children’s Home has an adoptive grandparent, an adult resident who visits and sits with them during special events at the Home. The children get to know an individual who has dedicated himself to doing good for others. ‘And that rubs off,’ Ms. Figueroa remarks.
    The children also attend the Masonic Values Program awards every quarter. ‘It’s a big occasion here,’ says Ms. Figueroa. ‘Our Executive Director John Howl does a wonderful job at the presentation, talking about masonic values in a way that makes them interesting and alive.’
    There are more formal ways that the children learn about masonic values. Some of them voluntarily choose to join masonic youth organisations, such as Rainbow Girls, Job’s Daughter’s, or De Molay. Masonic residents who live on the campus serve as mentors for the boys as their wives do for the girls.
    Children who joined masonic youth organisations commented that meeting the requirements of membership could be challenging, but they felt it was worth the effort. One young Rainbow Girl said that she was learning skills that she would use all her life. ‘I’m learning to believe in myself,’ was the way she summed up her experience.
    A new member of De Molay found the group to be a kind of social safety net that could extend throughout his lifetime. ‘People are there to help you. If you stumble, someone will pick you up’ was his youthful description of brotherly love.
Acknowledgment to Ann Lyon Dudley and California Freemason