FREEMASONRY TODAY

Grand Master J. Alan Wright and the Founders of St George Council No 179 in Barbados
International News
Americans Given Third Degree
A demonstration of the Third Degree
under the English Universal ritual was
given to masons of Prospect Lodge No,
714 F&AM, Grand Lodge of Indiana, at
Indianapolis, by members of Tower Lodge
No. 5159 of London, with help from
Stanhope Lodge No 1269 of London, and
Basildon Lodge No. 7798, Essex
The visitors were accompanied by their
ladies, and the meeting was also attended
by about 200 American masons, including
four Past Grand Masters of Indiana. The
brethren were led into the lodge by a piper
in highland dress and the officers of
Prospect Lodge.
The Stars and Stripes and the Union flag
were, in turn, ceremonially brought into
the lodge by an honour guard dressed in
knight’s attire of chain mail and helmets.
Following the presentation of each of the
colours, both national anthems were sung.
Back in 1979, Tower Lodge had conducted
the Third Degree in front of 1,100
American masons. The candidate on that
day, Barry Griffiths, also acted as the
candidate for the 2008 demonstration.
Sheffield and Los Angeles Agreement
The Department of History and the Centre
for Research into Freemasonry (CRF) at the
University of Sheffield have signed an
agreement with the University of California,
Los Angeles (UCLA) on future co-operation.
This will cover:
- Visits and informal exchanges of faculty,
scholars and administrators in specific areas
of education, research and outreach;
- Explore ways to co-operate in postgraduate
education and training;
- Organise joint conferences, symposia or
other scientific meetings on subjects of
mutual interest;
- Exchange of academic information and
materials;
- Pursue avenues for graduate and
professional student exchange during the
academic year of summer terms;
- Explore the possibilities for developing
joint research programs and collaborations;
- Other exchange and co-operation programs
to which both parties agree.
This is the first formal partnership agreement
between the CRF and other academic centres
and institutions.
Young Researchers
A Young Researchers Panel will be held
at the International Conference on the
History of Freemasonry (ICHF), to be
held at Edinburgh from 29-31 May 2009.
Young researchers, whose work is
related to Freemasonry, are invited to
present their research during a special
conference gathering. Some PhD
students are already involved in this
project.
Enquiries from interested PhD students
are welcome. Please contact Anaïs
Maes – PhD student at the Free
University of Brussels – by email:
anais.maes@vub.ac.be for further
information.
South Africa Gives a Helping Hand
South African masons are helping exservicemen
and women who are
looked after in homes provided by the
Members of the Tin Hats Women’s
Association (MOTHWA).
These homes cater for Moths or their
dependants who are at a frail care
stage in their lives. About five years
ago the state cancelled its assistance
to this and other organisations, which
had relied on those funds to maintain
the various homes.
As a result, all fund raising has to be
active to assist the rentals that the
members of these homes are charged,
and many, because of age and financial
circumstances, have very little income.
In the Eastern Cape, regional chairman
Janet Goosen and her husband Ashley
are prolific fund raisers.
In Port Elizabeth there are eight
complexes consisting of one and twobedroom
units and are self- catering.
New Zealand Shows Community Spirit
New Zealand masons are giving a lead in
promoting the Craft on the educational
and health fronts, showing Freemasonry in
the forefront of their local communities.
Charity hospital packs have been
produced under the
leadership of Northern
Division Grand Almoner
Ray Laurance and his
colleague from Central
Division, Gordon Riach
and their teams.
The packs have proved
hugely popular with the
A&E departments of
hospitals throughout the
North Island, and so far
more than 1,300 have
been distributed.
On the education front,
Freemasons New
Zealand, marking 31
years of university
scholarships, saw the
latest group of 35
students receive scholarships totalling
NZ$238,000 from the Governor-General,
the Hon. Anand Satyanand, at
Government House in Wellington.
New Zealand masons have provided more
than NZ$3 million over the years for the
benefit of 850 students.
Royal and Select Caribbean Initiative
The various Orders administered from
Mark Masons’ Hall continue to grow and
the Royal and Select Masters or Cryptic
Degree is no exception. The Order tends
to attract enthusiastic and experienced
Freemasons, not surprising given that the
minimum entry qualification is
membership of both the Royal Arch and
Mark degrees as a prerequisite.
The expansion of the Order in England
and Wales is also mirrored overseas. The
Grand Master, J. Alan Wright, recently
visited the Caribbean, accompanied by a
team of senior members.
The purpose of the visit was to
consecrate four new Councils, establish
the District Grand Inspectorate of the
South and East Caribbean and install
Derek Hugh as the first District Grand
Master.
During an 11-day visit, the team carried
out at each of the four locations in St.
Thomas, Barbados, St. Lucia and
Trinidad, the four Degrees of the Order,
the Consecration and Installation of the
first Master, and in Trinidad the
installation of the District Grand Master.
The four Degrees that comprise the
Cryptic are the Select Master, Royal
Master, Most Excellent Master and
Super-Excellent Master. The first two
Degrees provide an explanation of how
the secrets of the Craft came to be lost,
and the means taken to ensure their
survival for future generations.
The Most Excellent Master’s Degree
centres on the celebrations following the
building of the first temple, while that of
Super-Excellent Master is concerned
with the destruction of the first temple
and the captivity of the Jews in Babylon.
In essence, the Cryptic provides a very
cogent and vibrant link between the Craft
and the Royal Arch.
Most Founders are members of English
Craft lodges and were new to the
Order. Other Founder members came
from the Scottish Constitution and in
St. Lucia, the Council welcomed as
Founders members from the Prince
Hall Grand Lodge.
Issue 46, Autumn 2008
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