Icelandic Visitors Attend a London Initiation

A group of Icelandic masons paid a visit to National Westminster Lodge No. 3647 to attend an initiation at Freemasons’ Hall in Great Queen Street, London. The meeting came about following a visit to London by Steindor Haraldsson, from Maelifell Lodge No. 13 in the Grand Lodge of Iceland.
     Brother Haraldsson is a regular visitor to the UK and also attended the National Westminster Chapter meeting. This was followed by a visit from 34 brethren from the Maelifell Lodge, led by their Master, Pall Dagbjartsson.
     An important part of the long weekend visit included a tour of Freemasons’ Hall by the brethren and their wives and an enjoyable dinner at the Institute of Directors.
     The events were an impressive occasion, especially for the initiate and was an excellent example of how masonic friendships can encourage and foster happy international relationships. Freemasonry in Iceland began in 1913 under the jurisdiction of the National Grand Lodge of Denmark. In 1951 the Grand Lodge of Iceland was consecrated as a sovereign Order and now has more than 3,000 brethren.
     Icelandic Freemasonry operates according to the Swedish Rite and comprises 11 Masonic Degrees. This system differs significantly from English-speaking countries, although there are many common characteristics.
     These differences are especially apparent in the varied and colourful regalia denoting each Degree. Evening dress is worn with white bow ties and top hats. Interestingly, the latter fold flat when travelling!
     Members of National Westminster Lodge paid a return visit recently, attending a lodge meeting at Skagafjordur in northwest Iceland.

District Grand Lodge Cares for Jamaican Children

An area of need in Jamaica and one that is close to the heart of the District Grand Master for Jamaica and the Cayman Islands, Afeef Lazarus, is the love and care of children.
     Children are the future of any nation and unless they receive affection, guidance, nutrition, and support early in their young lives they cannot develop into good and useful citizens later on.
     For this reason the District Grand Master, with the full support of the brethren of the District, threw his weight behind the Kindness In Donation and Services KIDS project in Jamaica. It has already raised more than J$18,000,000 to assist such children’s charities as the Marigold Child Care Centre, the Glenhope Place of Safety, Gladys’ Sheriff Basic School and the Jamaica Aids Support all dedicated to helping underprivileged children.
     Recently the KIDS programme has extended its focus to emphasise Basic School Education, recognised as the most important stage of a child’s development.
     For this reason KIDS is targeting the building of new Basic Schools and has already built one in Clarendon and a second in Denham Town in Kingston. These schools are both equipped with two classrooms, a computer room, male and female bathrooms, a functional kitchen and green areas for the children to play. The plan is to build three more immediately.
     The District Grand Lodge of Jamaica and the Cayman Islands, with assistance from the District Grand Stewards’ Lodge, has donated J$150,000.00 to the KIDS programme and has pledged its continuing support.

Masonic Conference in Cuba

A major academic symposium on the history of Freemasonry was held in Havana, Cuba, at the end of last year – the first of its kind to be held in the country, and was officially opened at the University of Havana.
     There were welcoming speeches by Osmundo Cabrera, Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Cuba, Professor José Ferrer Benimeli, founder and Director of CEHME (Centre for study of the History of Spanish Freemasonry), based at Zaragoza University, Spain, and the event’s principal organiser, Professor Eduardo Torres-Cuevas, Director of the National Library and the current holder of the chair for research into Cuban Freemasonry.
     For the remainder of the three-day event, there were around 20 presentations on the history of Latin American and Caribbean Freemasonry at the fashionable Hotel Habana Libre Trip.
     Freemasonry first struck root in Cuba in 1859, since when many of the country’s most famous personalities have been masons, including the nineteenth-century Cuban independence leader, José Marti. Following the Castro-led revolution of 1959, Freemasonry went into a sharp decline. However, since 1990 the number of members has grown by almost a third and today there are some 30,000 Freemasons in Cuba spread across more than 340 lodges.
     That Freemasonry operates in Cuba at all is remarkable, in that it was the only state formerly within the Soviet sphere of influence where Freemasonry was permitted. Although it is not altogether clear why Cuba should have tolerated the Craft, it is strongly rumoured that the intellectual élites backing the revolution, felt an affinity for Freemasonry due to its historical involvement with many of the liberation movements of Central and South America.
     Indeed, a cursory glance at a short list of famous masons across the southern Americas, figures such as Simon Bolivar, Dom Pedro I of Brazil, Benito Juarez in Mexico, and more recently, the leftist President of Chile, Salvador Allende, would appear to suggest that such a story might in fact hold more than a modicum of truth.

Lady Mason Wins Major Award

There was an international entry for the Internet Lodge Short Papers Competition, sponsored by Lord Northampton, the Pro Grand Master, and this worldwide flavour was reflected in the winners.
     Of the 77 entries received, 70 were valid for entry into the competition. Entries were received from 16 countries – Australia, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, England, Greece, India, Italy, Lebanon, New Zealand, Poland, Spain, Thailand, USA and Wales.
     There were three award categories: The Northampton Award for the best paper overall, the World Award for the best short paper by a Mason who is not a member of a Lodge under the UGLE and the Nova Award for a Brother who has been a member of the Craft for less than five years and has not been Master of a Lodge.
     The winner of the Northampton Award is Alan Bergin. His paper is entitled Were King Solomon’s Pillars Hexagonal? Alan was originally a Dorset Mason and is currently living and working in Tenerife, a member of 117 Tenerife Lodge under the Grand Lodge of Spain.
     The World Award prize went to Karen Kidd for her paper I am Regular. Ms Kidd is a member of Shemesh Lodge No. 13 under the Honourable Order of American Co-Masonry in Seattle.
     The Nova Award was won by Michael Halleran of Emporia Lodge, Kansas, with his paper Tomato, To-Mah-To – Shibboleths Beyond the Craft. Michael also presented another paper to Quatuor Coronati Lodge two weeks before the Internet Lodge presentations.
     Competition judges were Rich van Doren from the USA., Alan Tibbetts from Canada, Steve Burgoyne from South Africa, Andreas Rizopoulos from Greece and Alan Wyer and Stephen Wall, both from the UK.
     The overall quality of the papers was such that the international judging panel had difficulty in choosing the winners. The winners were announced on 14th March at Freemasons’ Hall, Bridge Street, Manchester, with the Pro Grand Master presenting the prizes.
     The success of the competition means that it is all set to become an annual event. Details will be on the Internet Lodge website, www.internet.lodge.org.uk shortly.

Edinburgh to Host 2009 Event

Next year is the 250th anniversary of the birth of the National Bard of Scotland – Brother Robert Burns – who was initiated into Freemasonry on 4 July 1781. He remained an active Freemason until his early death in 1796.
     It is hardly surprising therefore that the biennial International Conference on the History of Freemasonry, held for the first time in 2007, would be hosted in Scotland again, from 29-31 May 2009, during this important anniversary year.
     ‘This is an academic conference, the subject of which is Freemasonry and not a Masonic conference as Freemasons would normally expect’, explained Dr. Andreas Önnerfors, Director and Senior Lecturer, Centre for Research into Freemasonry, who has recently taken up that position at the University of Sheffield.
     He added: ‘An international conference brings together people from all over the world who have an interest in some aspect of Freemasonry and elevates it to the position of being a subject worthy of study in its own right.
     ‘Although essentially an academic conference, it was gratifying to see so many Freemasons and members of the public attend the 2007 event. Clearly more than just academics are interested in the subject.’
     It is expected that the first announcement and a call for papers will be issued in the near future and further details will be reported as they become available.
     The conference web site www.ichfonline.org is being updated.