It has been fascinating for me, as editor of Freemasonry Today, to travel with Yasha Beresiner to the masonic libraries and museums. I have seen exquisite works of art created for the Craft and collections of daily objects with the Craft’s symbols skilfully introduced to form an integral part of their design. But in the midst of these treasures displayed up and down the country, two considerations remain ever-present.
    Firstly, with very few exceptions, these important collections are struggling for funds, are so short of money that many have given up expecting to be able to purchase new items for display and remain grateful for a pittance to preserve what they already hold.
    These libraries and museums are important parts of both our masonic and our national heritage. A good collection, well displayed and accessible to both Freemasons and non-masons, is a resource well worth maintaining and publicising.
    Every Province should have a fund to support these collections; lodges, especially research lodges, should direct at least part of their charitable fund-raising towards this worthy task. In this respect, it is very pleasing to report in this issue that a cheque given to the Provincial Grand Master of Worcestershire by one of our regular advertisers is going to be given to the Provincial Library and Museum.
    Secondly we have the recent realisation by the academic community that there is a wealth of data available in masonic archives, many of which have never been fully explored. There is sufficient material available to keep post-graduate researchers active for many years yet. Academia has also realised that there is a great gap in academic knowledge: for example, the new edition of the Dictionary of National Biography fails to mention the masonic affiliation of its subjects.
    The change in the academic attitude has come about for a number of reasons: important was the foundation by Lord Northampton in 1999 of the Canonbury Masonic Research Centre which has held annual international conferences enabling masonic and non-masonic scholars to explore areas of mutual interest. Also important was the foundation in 2000 of the Centre for Research into Freemasonry at Sheffield University, sponsored by the United Grand Lodge of England, the Province of Yorkshire, West Riding, and Lord Northampton.
    The skilful research and diplomatic tact of its director, Professor Andrew Prescott, has proved a significant factor in bridging the gap between masonic and non-masonic academic scholarship. Of course, this Centre too requires funding. It does plan to become self-funding from its student base but this will take time.
    The Regular Grand Lodge of Italy, whose Grand Master Fabio Venzi has often appeared in our pages, has provided a bursary to fund a post-graduate student. Freemasonry Today too has provided another.
    Such funding of post-graduate academic scholarships has long been a feature of Australian and New Zealand Freemasonry - as readers will have noted in our International pages - but it has not really been part of the English masonic landscape - with the notable exception of the substantial funds provided each year to the Royal College of Surgeons.
    The Sheffield Centre though is directly involved in masonic research and so by supporting its students we are also supporting the knowledge of, and the expression of, the great richness of our masonic heritage. It would be encouraging to see more scholarships funded from within the Craft. It would also help secure the long-term viability of this unique academic institution.

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A number of lodges now give new initiates a gift subscription to Freemasonry Today. Naturally we would like to encourage this since we like to think that our magazine would form an attractive addition to his first impressions of Freemasonry. Brethren thinking of making such a gift might like to know that we supply a gift certificate for the occasion. Please contact Richenda Wistow at our office .

Erratum: In the last issue of Freemasonry Today, in our review of Robert Lomas’s book, Turning the Hiram Key, a miscast word inadvertently gave the impression that we were calling into question Dr. Lomas’s professional academic standing. Nothing could be further from our intention and we apologise unreservedly to him.
    Michael Baigent MA - Editor