HOME Current Issue Index by Issue Search the Site Translate On-Line Printer Friendly Internet Help Centre Regulars Specials Humour Book Reviews Links Affinity Lodges Subscriptions About FMT ADVERTISING Contact Us

BACK NEXT Winter 2000/2001 Issue 15 Editor's Comment News Briefing News and Views On The Level The Down Under Experience What's in a Name? In Noah's Footsteps The Oldest Masonic Hall? Strength in Unity Symbolism and the Guilds? Masonic Night at the Palladium Capital Developments in London Having an Impact on History Developing a Brand Image Charity on a Grand Scale Letters to the Editor A Weekend to Remember Doing the Continental A Cyberspace Mason Review: The Secret Zodiacs of Washington DC Review: Masonic Curiosities and More Review: The Provincial Priory of Surrey Review: Freemasonry Universal Review: Freemasonry in Herefordshire Don't be Pressurised Copyright 1997-2008 Grand Lodge Publications Ltd Designed and Maintained by: Cyberpoint Limited

FREEMASONRY TODAY Winter 2000/2001 - Issue 15 - Index John Jackson - Editor's Comment There is the story of the sales manager who told his team: don’t tell me how good you are at selling – show me! Similarly, there is a golden opportunity for Freemasons in 2002 not only to talk about what good Masons they are – but actually prove it. There is to be a National Week of action from 26 June to 2 July 2002 on the subject of Freemasonry in the Community (details on page 7). A briefing has gone out to Provinces from Grand Lodge setting out the details in general on how to proceed. Basically, each Province will set up a committee to co-ordinate local action ... News Briefing Lincolnshire Police Chief to Seek Legal Ruling over Masonic Register — MoD 'Withdraws' its Instructions on Masons — National Week of Action will Highlight Masonic Activity — Jane Reynolds Stands Down as RMBI Chief — Lord Northampton is New Pro Grand Master — David Williamson is New Assistant Grand Master News and Views Uzbekistan mountain challenge gives boost to childrens charity — Mason’s plea for drivers and vehicles to convey aid to Saharawi refugees — London Lodge builds friendship with Danes — Birmingham silversmith crafts for US golfing maestro Tiger Woods — Masonic Fellowhip Group expands as work to benefit Widows continues — Historic banner laid up at Cheltenham — A fitting tree-lined backdrop to the new Royal Forest of Dean Chapter — Jewish Freemasons celebrate long connection with Sussex Province — Cheshire Masons aid Mencap mobility — York Minster celebrates £400,000 donation from Freemasons of North and East Ridings — New Italian publication is launched — Country Stewards Lodge exhibition opened at Grand Lodge museum — Woolpack memorial On The Level Climbing to the top — Canadian window dedication — New look for Slough — Air Ambulance benefits — Calling the Ismay clan — Millennium challenge is met — Cathedral chairs — Mark conservatory opened in York — First aid at Grand Lodge — Salisbury Cathedral Service to celebrate 225 years — Going public in Cobham — American visitors to UK — Marathon opportunity — Help for cancer research The Down Under Experience There are times in life when everything appears to be just in place: nearing my 60th birthday in top physical shape, business achieving its targets, the family happy, surrounded by good loyal friends and a Masonic career at its most pleasurable. It was in this well-balanced state of mind that my wife Zmira and I embarked on our Australian and New Zealand lecture tour, on 21st July 2000. We were the guests of the combined Australian and New Zealand ... What's in a Name? Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain"; so runs the third of the Ten Commandments. But what is this Name, and how shall we know it? In the last issue of Freemasonry Today we saw how the word which we pronounce as JEHOVAH was actually made by combining the consonants JHVH with the vowels of ADONAI (pronounced as "EDONAY"), the Hebrew word for "Lord". This was done because JHVH was never allowed to be pronounced, except by the High Priest once a year, so the word Adonai was always substituted ... Following in Noah's Footsteps To many Masons who do not know much about it, even to many Mark Master Masons who have not gone on to become Ark Mariners, the Royal Ark Mariner can seem to be just a quaint, short little degree about Noah’s Flood whose members wear rainbow coloured aprons. It may be attached to the Mark degree, but it is often dismissed as being ... Is this the Oldest Masonic Hall? What is believed to be the oldest building still used as a Masonic Hall, The Old Duchy Palace in Lostwithiel in Cornwall has always been referred to as a palace, although it was never any such thing. It is now the home of Restormel Lodge No 856. It is said to have been built as a replica of the Great Hall of Westminster – or Palace of Westminster – the parliament buildings in those days, circa 1265-1300. The Dukes and Earls of Cornwall, who were of Royal blood, had their residence at Restormel Castle near Lostwithiel, so the correct name for the place would have been ... Strength in Unity In September Grand Lodge approved an amendment to the Book of Constitutions giving power to the Grand Master to grant a Certificate of Amalgamation when two Lodges desire to amalgamate into a single Lodge. Throughout the history of organised Freemasonry, Lodges have come and Lodges have gone; that is the nature of life and things in general. Sometimes a Lodge has simply died, its Warrant has been returned to the Grand Master (whose property every Lodge Warrant is) and has been erased from the register of Grand Lodge ... Symbolism and the Guilds? Culross, a small Scottish town on the Firth of Forth, is unusual in possessing two graveyards where almost every tombstone bears the symbol of a craft guild. The more recent of these two graveyards is that of Culross Abbey, on the eastern edge of the town, which holds many graves from the 18th century. The other surrounds the older, and ruined “West Kirk”, which lies across fields to the north-west. Here, the graves date mostly from the 17th century. While trade guilds were common in ancient Greece and Rome, in medieval England the first evidence ... Masonic Night at the Palladium A highly successful evening’s entertainment was held at the London Palladium in the presence of the Grand Master, HRH Duke of Kent, which raised over £45,000. The supported charities are New Masonic Samaritan Fund and The Children’s Trust ... Capital Developments in London London is the largest single masonic group within the international family of Freemasons. With more than 55,000 Craft members and some 2,300 Lodges and Chapters, it has been difficult to steer. Its biggest boost was when the Assistant Grand Master, RW Bro the Marquess of Northampton, now Pro Grand Master-designate, became chairman of London Management, the new structure for the capital’s Freemasons. The need for structural change was glaringly obvious, particular as London, because of its size, did not have the local feel about it ... Having an Impact on History The Canonbury Masonic Research Centre (CMRC) held its second international conference in November entitled The Social Impact of Freemasonry on the Modern Western World. The two-day event proved a resounding success despite travel chaos caused by stormy weather and rail disruption. Delegates travelled from many countries to the venue, the historic wood panelled rooms of Canonbury’s 16th century tower, once the home of ... Developing a Brand Image Journalists are driven people. They are required to fill vast areas of newspapers even if there is nothing worth writing about. In the event of a slow news day, they must fall back on inventiveness. Freemasonry is good stuff to ginger up a slow news day. Sadly, the problems with the media often come from within. Attempts to feed "good news" stories about Masonry to the media are often frustrated because senior members of Lodges refuse to speak with journalists who will, they say, "twist everything". Image is less about reality than about perception ... Charity on a Grand Scale There is a sense of frustration at the Grand Charity, the flagship of the United Grand Lodge of England’s charitable work around the world. They desperately want to give away more money. Despite donating millions to charity every year – both non-masonic as well as masonic – they believe there are worthy recipients who are not being helped because Lodge Almoners in particular, and Freemasons in general, are not putting names forward ... Letters to the Editor Ignorance is bliss — Was Beethoven a Freemason? — Penalties need the red card treatment — Masonry and the armed services — Ministry ban slur — Let’s keep the festive board — Change the festive board format — Ending the festive board — Keep the banquet for installations — Masonic reference to the Scriptures — Some remorse over Morse and Masons — Royal Arch queries — Clerical wear for clergy in the Craft — Warwick memories A Weekend to Remember Festival Secretaries play a vital role in the life of a Lodge, and these days they are spoilt for choice. But one wonders how often there is general discussion in Lodges about where to go, leaving it instead just to the Master and his Festival Secretary. To guide Lodges in their possible choice, Freemasonry Today has taken a look at some of the festivals on offer. Principal Hotels is a group of characteristic, individual and highly distinctive hotels located throughout the UK, the Netherlands, Denmark and Ireland ... Doing the Continental When the Lodge of Stedfast Unity No. 9128 from Saffron Walden in Essex invited Freemasonry Today to join them for their Ladies’ Festival weekend in the beautiful Flemish city of Brugge, how could we refuse? Ian Eaton Festival Secretary and Worshipful Master Colin Marshall had decided on Brugge following the Lodge’s first successful European excursion last year to Chantilly, near Paris. Ian and Colin were only too happy to engage the services of President Tours again, as the Paris weekend had gone so well ... Making of a Cyberspace Mason I was surprised, to say the least, when only a week or two after my initiation into the Craft in July 2000, I received an e-mail from freemason.com, asking if I would write about the part played by the Internet in my introduction to Freemasonry. At 34, I am from that generation that left school as pocket calculators became a luxury item, yet have had to rapidly adopt technology in all its guises to survive in the work environment. Having had a long-standing interest in Freemasonry, I was a confirmed "fence-sitter" on all aspects of the fraternity until the summer of 1997, when I began to read ... Review: The Secret Zodiacs of Washington DC Review: Masonic Curiosities and More Review: The Provincial Priory of Surrey Review: Freemasonry Universal Review: Freemasonry in Herefordshire Don't be Pressurised I have been inundated with enquiries about stakeholder pension schemes and their effect on business. Banks and other institutions are bombarding businesses with literature, much of which seems to imply a panic, which is entirely wrong. While early preparation is desirable, the deadline is nearly a year away. For instance: The deadline by which employers must provide employees access to a stakeholder pension scheme is 8 October 2001, although schemes are already being marketed; At the moment there is no compulsion for employers to contribute to the scheme ...   Issue 15, Winter 2000/2001 © Grand Lodge Publications Ltd 1997-2008