Arizona Masons Learning Center a Reality

Scottish Rite masons in Phoenix, Arizona had a dream to create a Child Learning Center as a non-profit entity. Accordingly, two rooms in the Masonic Temple were set aside for the project, containing one office and a multipurpose treatment room. Two part-time therapists started a pre-school screening programme to help find children who were at risk for delayed development. Hearing of this, the Arizona State Department of Health offered the services of another Speech Pathologist and an Audiologist. Soon several of the masons and their wives were trained to do hearing and vision tests. Once children were tested, the therapists were able to offer in-home speech therapy. The Phoenix Scottish Rite Board then added dyslexia programming for children and adults to the Center’s services.
    Soon, the project had outgrown the modest accommodation in the Masonic Temple, and by 1996 the dream of a new building began. Over the past nine years planning and building have been achieved, and now the newly-named Arizona Literacy and Learning Center is a reality.
    The Phoenix team has built a flagship learning center complete with an Audiology Center, facilities for speech, language, and dyslexia diagnosis and treatment, and classrooms for therapy and parent-teacher instruction, and the Center is debt-free. Parents, interns, and teachers may sit in offices with therapists and view and hear children with other therapists on video monitors.

Iberian Centre for Masonic Studies

Over the last few decades, historical research about Freemasonry in Spain has counted on the contribution of distinguished historians, most of whom however were not Freemasons. As a result, much of what has been written in that time about the history of Freemasonry in Spain has offered a view alien to the initiatic tradition of masonic work, or even with the intention of debasing Freemasonry to the level of a phenomenon of the past, an obsolete archaic institution not relevant to today’s world.
    The Centro Ibérico de Estudios Masónicos (CIEM), Iberian Centre for Masonic Studies, was set up in Madrid last year with the double aim of retrieving the history of Freemasonry ‘from Masonry itself ’ so to speak, rescuing the work of those of past generations, and secondly to contribute towards improving the existing degree of knowledge concerning masonry, highlighting its present character with the aid of talks, conferences and exhibitions. Its aim is therefore that for Freemasons to write the history of Freemasonry, however reputable may be the histories written by others.
    The CIEM is open to Master Masons of any Obedience, without distinction, as it is a cultural heritage belonging to all, which welcomes contributions from all towards its re-establishment The Centre plans to carry out the identification of existing sources and resources for the history of Freemasonry, searching abroad, as well as in Spain, in public and private files or in libraries, for all kinds of documents, manuscripts, letters, which concern, or have been produced by, Spanish Freemasonry.
    Plans are already well advanced to rescue any material still in existance and to create an archive, and a Catalogue of Spanich Freemasonry, to publish reports of the history of Spanish Freemasonry, and the organisation of public events to offer a more active image of Spanish and universal Freemasonry.
    The Centre intends to set up and manage a documental source of Spanish Freemasonry, and a site for this is currently being sought. In time, this should become the most important resource for researchers.

Mozart Celebration in Paris

The Grand Master of the Grand Orient of France, Jean-Michel Quillardet, welcomed an audience of some 200 to the Grand Temple in the rue Cadet in Paris recently, for a celebration of the 250th anniversary of the birth of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Of those present, about 50% were not Freemasons, underlining the policy of the Grand Orient to use such occasions to reach out beyond the Craft.
    The Grand Master, introducing the occasion, spoke of the importance of Mozart’s age, the Age of Enlightenment, in promoting liberty and conscience and freedom of expression, of qualities so important in the history of France and in the masonic movement. Pierre Mollier, Director of the Library and Museum of the Grand Orient, spoke about the masonic scene in the late 18th century in which Mozart was active. Roger Dachez, President of the Institut Maçonnique de France, briefly mentioned the beginnings of Freemasonry in Europe, laying stress on the importance of the history of Freemasonry being integrated into the cultural, political, social and economic history of Europe, and the importance of the Royal Society. In London Nicole Desgranges, leading French musicologist, said that Mozart had already imbibed much of the ethos of Freemasonry before joining the fraternity, having composed Thamos, King of Egypt, a work influenced by masonic symbolism, before his initiation. The climax of the evening was a performance by a wind and string ensemble, accompanying a tenor and a baritone in Mozart’s masonic and nonmasonic music.

Cyprus Freemasons provide Intensive Care Unit

The Pro Grand Master, Lord Northampton, has presented the Cyprus Ministry of Health with state-of-the-art intensive care unit equipment for Paphos General Hospital at the cost of CYP 36,000.
    The funds were raised by the District Grand Lodge of Cyprus Silver Jubilee Appeal, celebrating the 25th anniversary of its formation on the island. The ICU donated to the hospital is now fully operational under the supervision of senior specialist surgeon Dr. Phylactis Constantinides. Other Cyprus state hospitals have benefited from charitable donations and appeals run by the District Grand Lodge. Both Famagusta and Larnaca General Hospitals have been provided with kidney dialysis machines with funds raised in the District.
    A thankful Dr. Constantinides stated that ‘if the intensive care unit were to save just one life, it would have been money well spent’.
    The funds for the ICU equipment were raised through a series of events including military band concerts held at Paphos Harbour. The organisation of the events was aided by the friendly cooperation of the Mayor of Paphos Mr. Phidias Sarikas, the staff at the Paphos Municipality and the Port Authorities and police.

Masonic Art in Washington

Simeon Petkov and Dimitar Mavrov were researching in the library at the House of the Temple, Washington USA while working on a project for the Grand Museum of Egypt, in Giza. Their research led to an interest in Freemasonry, and both were initiated in Alexandria Washingtom Lodge, No. 22. in Alexandria, Virginia. With their growing interest in the Craft, they employed six artists in their design company specialising in murals, fine art, faux finishes and Venetian plaster.
    They have created a series of paintings representing some of the buildings and the architects of Washington DC, as well as treating some of the legends of Freemasonry. One of their aims is to restore the glory of the operative masons who created art and architecture from ancient times. One theme includes great people who played historic roles in the United States as well as the architects of famous buildings in Washington, many of whom were Freemasons. Another theme represents legends associated with Freemasonry and the symbolism of the different degrees, and the paintings include such figures as George Washington, Albert Pike, Prince Hall, Benjamin Franklin and others. There are also a painting of a Fellowcraft Mason in Egypt, a Knight Templar, the Druids and Stonehenge, Pythagoras, St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist, Solomon, Hiram King of Tyre and Hiram Abiff.

Wellington Scholarship Recipients Feted

New Zealand Freemasons have long had good relationships with academic institutes in the country and an enviable record of funding scholarships for bright students. This year, Jubilee Scholarship presentations have been made to five recipients in the Wellington District in New Zealand. The presentation was held at a meeting of Aurora Chapter, No. 109, meeting in Lower Hutt.
    Accompanied by family members, guests were admitted to the Chapter after it had closed and were greeted by the First Principal of the Chapter, Ian Burns.
    Welcoming them, Wellington Grand Superintendent Brian Staniland congratulated the students on their achievements and expressed the hope that the scholarships would be of assistance in their future studies.
    Brian Staniland invited Norman Carter, Past First Grand Principal, Chairman of the Grand Chapter Scholarship Committee, to give a brief background to the formation of the fund and its history to date, which was of interest to all those present. Of particular note was the fact that last year the fund received the most donations ever from Companions, thus enabling scholarships to be awarded to 40 of the 60 applicants, the highest number of awards ever made.
    All five of Wellington’s applicants were successful. They were Caroline Mayston, Michelle Berg, Elizabeth Hall, Rebecca Lenihan and Elizabeth Brown. The Companions and their visitors afterwards continued their talks together at supper in the refectory on the premises. Royal Arch Masonry in New Zealand lays particular emphasis on funding for sholarships.