Cross Keys February 2012

The Cross Keys The Monthly Newsletter of Lodge Houstoun St. Johnstone Walking the Road / Seeking the Light February 2012

In this issue: The Grand Lodge of Scotland Part 3 Was Napoleon a Freemason?

Bro. George Kenning Masonic Timeline Apron Rosettes Lord Paisley Further Degrees in the 18th Century The French Craft Influence in England Rosettes on an Apron Catalogue of peculiar Inventions Cross Keys February.

2012 Masonic Club from a Bygone Era

Number 155

The 18th Grand Lodge of Scotland Part 3 In 1777, Britain was at war with the US and soldiers were being called to arms. Lodges then, as today, were patriotic towards their country. A fine example of this was the Lodge of Kelso where the master and wardens started a recruiting campaign commanded by Colonel of the Athole Highlanders. The lodge offered 3 guineas over and above the King’s bounty to each new recruit.

This led to Grand Lodge issuing a rebuke to lodges. They felt that this was a misappropriate use of lodge funds which should be used for distressed or poor brethren only.

Some lodges had reduced or even waived the joining fees and Grand Lodge also felt this was against the ideals and spirit of the Masonic Order in general which promoted peace.

Whether lodges followed this practice or not is probably difficult to tell, but a few years later in 1794 when a threatened invasion by revolutionary France raised its head, many Scottish lodges offered half fees to new recruits wishing to become Freemasons.

An Aside Another area the Craft influenced was that of travelling warrants issued to lodges. The first was issued by the Grand Lodge of Ireland to the first Regiment of Foot in 1732 - The Royal Scots (today part of the Royal Regiment of Scotland). Of 419 warrants issued by the three Grand Lodges, only two are in existence. One is Glittering Star No. 322(IC)* and the other is St. Patrick’s Lodge.

The former is attached to the Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment (now the Mercian Regiment) while the latter the 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards. 332 was the only lodge ever to meet in the Tower of London in 1938 when a jewel was struck to commemorate the event.

For a full history of the lodge, see: http://www.irishmasonicjewels.ie/intro_topic51.html The jewel shows the Worcestershire Regimental badge.

An Informed Mason is an Involved Mason

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Was Napoleon a Freemason?

This debate has been going on for many years because of the lack of documentary evidence. However, that might have changed with the discovery of 1805 manuscript for sale that describes a Masonic banquet attended by "Brother Bonaparte".

The banquet is a Masonic ritual meal held most often during astronomical solstices, each lodge having its own rituals. Thus, one will find in the manuscript a series of health and hymns with air normalized by the French music reference book Clef du caveau (key of the vault), some instructions on the symbolic placement of the brothers and many details on the ceremonies. The names of the utensils are listed on a table which contains common names and their equivalent in Masonic symbolism (for example, bread becomes rough stone). Each page is written on watermarked laid in the fleur-de-lys (pre-Revolution period) with a beautiful writing inside black and red frames; pages are numbered and composed with care. Cover is fragile, some pin size holes through the pages, good overall condition.

The manuscript, referring to f. -. Bonaparte (below) and the first victory of the French consul must be dated around 1805, when the Freemasonry is reborn at the end of the Terror and at the time Napoleon Bonaparte proposed an alliance with the Grand Orient of France. It would seem strange if he were not a Freemason since his brothers, most of his generals and marshals of the Army were members. His wife, Josephine, was Grand Mistress of the female order.

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Crests of the Province The upper left quarter depicts the Barochan Cross is one of only three complete free-standing crosses surviving from the early-medieval kingdom of Strathclyde (AD 900–1100 ). In the 19th century it was moved to the summit of a knoll near the mill. In 1981 it was moved again, this time to Paisley Abbey for its better conservation. Upper right is St. Barchan, a Scot-Irish Saint, who lived between 550650. Bottom left is the Clochoderick Stone is composed of volcanic rock different from that below the soil on which it rests, but similar to bedrock found in the hills a few miles to the north and west, and deposited here during the last ice age around 18,000 years ago. Legend says that druids used this site for the dispensation of justice on this rocking stone. Whether the accused was innocent or guilty depended on which way the stone moved.

Bottom right is the masonic arms.

Lodge St. Barchan Installation

On Saturday10th December, 2011 Bro. Jamie Barton was installed as the master of this old lodge. Nothing amazing there, but Jamie’s mother lodge is Houstoun St. Johnstone No.242 - he is pictured with the master of 242 Bro. Graham Scott and his installing master Bro. Sandy Graham PM 156 and MM 242. Have a good year Jamie, from all at 242.

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Celebration 18th Century lodges often enjoyed themselves in a way that we might enjoy although most likely frowned upon in some places. One example is that of Roman Eagle Lodge No.160 in Edinburgh where ‚eating, drinking and appropriate conversation . . .passed the time with much good humour. Finally, after several songs in Latin, French, Italian, English, and Gaelic, the Lodge was closed in the usual manner.‛ (Minutes 1785) In the King’s Arms Tavern, the lodge held a masonic ball “where a brilliant numerous and respectable company attended amounting to Fifty Brethren attired in full Dress, and their proper Insignia…the Band in the 4th North British Militia favoured the Company with several German and Polish Airs upon the Piano Forte, the Lodge’s Military and violin Bands performed this evening. Brother Gardner performed many fine Scots Airs upon the flute, which were well receiv’d – upon the whole a finer sight or more happy company could not be, the room was lighted with 149 wax lights – the company retired into a small side room where an elegant cold collation was prepared, with all sorts of wines and spirits [and] fruits and the company broke up at 4 o.clock A.M.‛ (Minutes 1801) Sounds like a very enjoyable night indeed.

Foundation Stone Ceremony in Glasgow The foundation stone of Glasgow City Chambers was laid on 6 October 1883 with full Masonic ceremony by Lord Provost John Ure. This photograph reveals that the site was so crowded that some enterprising Glaswegians climbed on to nearby roof tops to get a better view of the proceedings!

Unfortunately, this popular ceremony has fallen into decline today.

Next month, another Glasgow building.

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Bro. George Kenning The Craft has many regalia makers today and the increase in products although interesting has also increased costs to a candidate for the profit of the company. One such supplier was George Kenning (later Toye, Kenning & Spencer). The son of an East End oyster seller, Kenning realised the potential of the market: he not only manufactured the costume but sold a range of products from his shops across Britain. George Kenning was an enterprising young man, who in 1860 was employed by Edward Stillwell & Sons. He had the temerity to ask for a rise and was promptly sacked. He set up his own firm mainly concerned with uniform trimmings and regalia. In twenty years he had outstripped his former employers.

He set up a mail order business which operated across the British Empire and was keen to develop new markets in the USA. He became a media magnate and advertised in his own widely read newspaper: The Freemason He even extended the brand by becoming closely involved in developing new Masonic orders all of which needed special costumes and props.

George Kenning was Initiated into the Lion & Lamb No 227 (now No 192) meeting at the 'London Coffee House' Ludgate Hill in 1861 and became master in 1871. He was elected Treasurer in 1875 and held that office until his resignation 1881. In recognition of his services, the brethren unanimously agreed to the following resolutions and had them illuminated and presented to W. Bro. Kenning :'1. That the Lodge, in deference to the expressed wish of our respected Bro. George Kenning, P.M., receives with sincere regret his resignation of the office of Treasurer, a post that he has held with so much advantage to the Lodge, by the unanimous re-election of the Brethren, for a period of six years; and in now acceding to his desire to retire, the Brethren avail themselves of this opportunity of expressing their sense of the lasting obligation the Lodge is under to Brother Kenning for the many and varied services rendered by him during the before mentioned period. It is hoped that his useful life may long be spared to continue his labours in the great cause of Freemasonry and the Charities connected therewith, all of which he has so near at heart.

2. That a copy of this resolution, signed by the W.M. and officers of the Lodge, be illuminated and forwarded to Bro. Kenning, as a slight memento of his active association with his Mother Lodge, and in testimony of the high appreciation of the Brethren of his Masonic Work and Worth.' [Signed in open Lodge, December 1st 1881.]

Bro. Kenning was a member of most orders and used this experience to advertise regalia for these order as seen in some adverts. He was one of the earliest members to join the Correspondence Circle of 'Quatuor Coronati Lodge. No 2076', was also a life member of the 'St Johns Lodge No 3.' Glasgow and was affiliated into the 'St David's Lodge. No 36.'

Edinburgh in 1877.

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Masonic Timeline The following is an attempt to place some degrees within a time frame to enable brethren to understand where certain events fit in. It is clear that degrees are not taken in chronological order. Perhaps they should be? Has any brother got views about the degrees of the Craft? The dates in many cases are only approximate and dates in italics are BC.

* The MEM degree is no longer worked in Scotland

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Campus of Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas

Rosettes on an Apron The Rose, the Queen of Flowers, is the symbol of beauty, of youth, of love, of joy, and of silence. In the ancient mysteries, in mythology among the ancient Hebrews and other nations the rose was ever considered a very important symbol.

The ancient Greeks dedicated the Rose, as the symbol of beauty, to Aphrodite the goddess of love. The Flora of Spring carries a rose in her hand, and Homer assigns rosy fingers to Aurora. Among the Hebrews it was customary to decorate themselves with roses at joyous festivals, hence the passage in Wisdom of Solomon: "Let us crown ourselves with rose-buds before they withered."

The same custom obtained among the Greeks and the Romans. Among the latter the Romans, this caution was particularly popular, during the winter whole cargoes of roses were shipped from Alexandria to Rome. At banquets the guests were seated upon cushions filled with rose leaves. Among the Sybarites it was the custom to sleep upon rose leaves. In Egypt and Greece the candidates for initiation into the mysteries especially wore roses; and roses were the constant ornaments of the temples during the ceremony of dedication and opening the feasts of the mysteries. The object of decorating the candidates for initiation with roses being to intimate to them, that that which had been communicated to them as secrets (sub-rosa) they were bound to preserve with inviolable silence, hence the rose, especially among the Freemasons, is considered as the symbol of silence which the candidate not only promised to observe but a silence which he faithfully and inviolably observed.

A similar custom as that practiced in the ancient Egyptian and Greek mysteries, obtained among the ancient Germans at their banquets, a wreath of flowers with a rose in its centre was suspended from the ceiling over the banquet table, as a symbol that everything that was spoken during those social gatherings should be kept as a secret among the partakers of those banquets.

This custom we find even at more recent periods, in several other countries the guests that were entertained at particular banquets wore a rose as a part of their head dress, while on the ceiling and upon the tables roses were either painted or produced in a natural state, for a like purpose, i.e. as the symbol of silence.

It is thus that the rose, the queen of flowers, became the favorite flower of the Freemasons, the disciples of the Royal Art, and the greatest of their festivals that of St. John the Baptist, is richly decorated with roses, thus reminding every Freemason of the threefold meaning of that emblem of Love, of Joy, and of Silence.

The three Rosettes on a Master Mason's Apron indicate that every Master Mason has thrice been obliged to Fidelity, to Secrecy, and to Silence: Fidelity to the Craft, Secrecy as regards our sacred Secrets, and Silence as to the proceedings of the Lodge, which should never be disclosed to the profane.

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From the Columns On 3rd January, 2012, the lodge first footed St. Barchan No. 156 to confer the MMD on a candidate. Although Bros. George Barclay SM and Ken Blackie were performing parts for the first time (Rec & Retro respectively) it was impossible to tell and the degree was done to the satisfaction of the assembled brethren.

Lodge Craigends No.1042 visited to confer the EA on James Ewing which proved to be a good night with over 100 brethren in attendance. This was followed on Thursday 26th January with another EAD this time by the OBs of the lodge. The candidate was Richard Caldwell.

Lord Paisley James Hamilton, 7th Earl of Abercorn and Grand Master of England was a scientist elected into The Royal Society for publishing Calculations and Tables on the Attractive Power of Lodestones (magnetism). He served as a founding governor for the Foundling Hospital for abandoned children.

James Hamilton, 1st Duke of Abercorn was born on 21 January 1811 in London. He was educated at Harrow School, Harrow on the Hill, London, England. He matriculated at Christ Church, Oxford University on 2 July 1829. He was Grand Master of Ireland in 1874.

James Hamilton, 2nd Duke of Abercorn was born on 24 August 1838 at Brighton, England. He was educated at Harrow School, Harrow on the Hill, London, England. He also matriculated at Christ Church, Oxford on 28 May 1857. While having many titles, he also assumed Lord Paisley and held the office of Grand Master of the Ireland in 1886 after his father.

Cross Keys February. 2012

James Hamilton,

James Hamilton,

2nd Duke of Abercorn

1st Duke of Abercorn

GL News Good to see new lodges rather than charters being returned: Lodge Mount Lebanon, No. 1312 in Lebanon be reactivated and a Charter has been granted to a proposed new Lodge St Joseph, No. 1838 in Nassau, New Providence, in The Bahamas. (See Page 19).

Grand Secretary tabled a request from the District Grand Lodge of Western Australia to change the name of Lodge St. James, No. 860 to ‘Lodge Robbie Burns Tarbolton No. 860’. The proposed change had been agreed by the Lodge and the District Grand Lodge and the Committee agreed to recommend the change to Grand Committee and Grand Lodge.

PGL News Saturday 18th February, 2012—Leadership Seminar in Lodge Nitshill at 10am until 12.30 Installation of the PGM Bro. John Miller and his Commissioned Office-Bearers on Saturday 17th Match in Johnstone Town Hall at 2pm.

Common Good Fund PGL has the Common Good Fund which contains some money for lodges to borrow at 0% interest. It is used for lodges if they suddenly require financial assistance. Applications should be made by the lodge secretary to the PG Secretary.

GLNF It was understood that approximately 20 European Grand Lodges as well as a number of other non European Grand Lodges had now withdrawn or suspended relations with GLNF and recent reports indicated the situation was no nearer resolution. After discussion the Committee agreed to recommend to Grand Committee that the time had come to set a deadline for Brethren who are members of both the GLNF and Grand Lodge of Scotland to choose which Grand Lodge they wished to remain a member of as joint membership could not continue indefinitely. It was suggested that members of the GLNF who are members of the Grand Lodge of Scotland would have to resign membership of the GLNF by 31 March 2012 or resign membership of the Grand Lodge of Scotland.

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Further Degrees in the 18th Century During the 18th Century, it might have been considered legitimate for sincere Freemasons to invent degrees that filled in the gaps in the Hiramic story, extending it to the completion of the First Temple, and even to the building of the Second. But for all too many fertile minds, the curiosity and gullibility of their Brethren was too great a temptation to resist. Towards the end of the 1740s it became 'Open Season' for the invention of 'Degrees'. The great majority of these had little relevance to what had gone before, but gave their neophytes the opportunity to acquire more splendid titles and regalia, and the belief that they were being admitted to ever more arcane and valuable secrets. More than a thousand degrees have been identified as having come to light in the second half of the eighteenth century. In most cases these degrees disappeared as rapidly as they had arrived. Each had, of course, been conferred for a fee, and their inventors had profited accordingly. Can you imagine the smile on regalia manufacturers today?!

It is not easy to navigate through this sea of ceremonies. However, among those which may be considered 'legitimate', it is possible to detect a threefold set of main currents. The first of these is concerned with the re-organisation of the work-force after the death of HAB, and which, by conferring Judicial or Inspectorial roles on their recipients, provided the recognition of the superiority sought by the aristocratic Ecossais. Secondly there were the 'Zerubbabel' Degrees, those in which secrets, lost during the building or the destruction of the First Temple, were sought among the rubble during the erection of the Second. Neither of these as such provided the chivalrous overtones which the courtiers and nobility wanted. The latter series was therefore initially extended by a distortion of Scripture, and a mis-reading of the Third and Fourth Chapters of the Apocryphal First Book of Esdras. Zerubbabel was made to journey to Babylon from the building-site in Jerusalem, there so to acquit himself as to receive a Knighthood from King Darius. This was known as the Degree of Knight of the Sword and of the Rose Croix - but it had nothing to do with the Degree of 'Rose Croix', the 18th in the Ancient and Accepted Rite of 33째 today. Rather did it resemble a Red Cross of Babylon.

There was a further set of Higher or Ecossais Degrees, in itself a legitimate development, but from which it is difficult to derive any moral lessons. These form the so-called 'Elu'or 'Elect' Degrees, sometimes known as the 'vengeance' group. In these, the murderers of HAB are discovered in their various refuges, and one way or another they receive that punishment 'which the heinousness of their crimes so richly deserved', and the trusty FCs who apprehend them are appropriately rewarded. However unfortunate the lack of morality presented in these Elu Degrees may appear to present-day eyes, they were adopted throughout France.

For example, in 1997 a manuscript of 13 Folios was discovered in Brittany. This appears to show "beyond doubt that the degree of Chevalier Elu was practised (sic) in 1750 in a local chapter founded by the Count de la Tour du Pin". The 7th (untitled) Section of the Quimper documen sets out what is apparently a lecture to be delivered to those who had just taken the Degree - a 'Traditional History' the latter part of which may well owe much to Ramsay's Oration in 1737. It recounts how seven Brethren were chosen by King Solomon to exact vengeance on the Fellow Craft who had struck the fatal blow on Hiram Abif. When the seven Brethren brought back the murderer's head, they were honoured by King Solomon, and were given principal roles during the completion of the Temple. They afterwards referred to themselves as Elect [Elu] Masters. They and their descendants aspired to be zealous followers of the Mosaic Law, but in time the latter fell away from these high standards, until the earlier virtuous living was revived by a small nucleus who took the Hebrew name of Kadoch (sic), meaning 'Saintly' or 'Separated'. These 'Kadoch' accepted the New Gospel after the Coming of Christ, and many became hermits in the Egyptian desert. Eventually St. John the Almoner became their best-known leader. Under the guidance of Hugues de Paens and Geoffrey de Bouillon the 'Kadoch' became Knights Templar. When the Templar Order was dissolved, some Templars escaped, took refuge in Scotland and resumed the name of 'Elect'.

Cross Keys February. 2012

Advertising from the Past Following an article about advertising, here is an old one from the 19th Century which advertised in a Masonic handbook. Although using the Craft for personal gain is completely discouraged, it is clear that then it was not and may have been perfectly acceptable. Perhaps they sponsored publication as in many Provincial handbooks.

Is there a difference between former pupils advertising in school magazines?

I would be interested if any brother has strong views for or against.

March Events in 242

Thursday 9th —FCD by 205 at 7.30pm Thursday 23rd —MM by OBs at 7.30pm

Sir William Wallace RAC 16th February—RAD at 7.30pm

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The French Craft Influence in England The Freemasons of Poole raised funds to assist British prisoners of war in France and even entertained a French prisoner brother. One Englishman captured by the French, on discovering that he was a fellow Mason, had him billeted with brothers in Verdun. During his captivity, which lasted from 1803 to 1814, Napoleon personally provided Christmas dinner for the English Freemasons.

Then there is the story of the ‘amity’ biscuit. A Captain Jacques le Bon captured the brig Oak in 1813, and upon discovering that the captain was a fellow Mason, released him. Not only that, he also presented him with a small dog which had been owned by an English Mason who had been recently captured.

The dog had a biscuit suspended around its neck. Captain le Bon stated that he would not even keep a brother’s dog in captivity, nor would he see it want for food. The biscuit, mounted and framed, is the prize possession of Lodge of Amity No. 137 at Poole.

There are numerous memories of the French brethren still visible in England, ranging from Lodge furniture, Masonic artefacts in museums, through to grave stones in English churchyards, memorials to French brothers who had given their Parole – their Word.

Masonic furniture made by French prisoners and purchased from them by Royal Sussex Lodge No. 353

Famous Scottish Freemasons

Click on: http://www.lodge76.wanadoo.co.uk/famous_scottish_freemasons.htm or the image above. The site was created by Bro. Stewart Donaldson of Lodge Stirling Royal Arch No.76. If there are other, I’m sure Bro. Stewart would be delighted to hear from you, particularly if you know any information about the 7 Lisbon Lions who were members of the Craft.

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Congratulations to a Reader

The Installation Ceremony of Bro. Kenny Jack as master of Lodge St Andrew No. 814 Province of Perthshire-West took place on Friday 6th January, 2012 in the Lesser Public Hall, Pitlochry and the Installing Master was Bro. W Ramsay McGhee. Approx 80 brethren from around the country were in attendance.

The members of the Installing Team:- Bro. David MacMaster PM Lodge Fingal No. 318; Bro. Alan Duff PM Lodge Breadalbane No. 657; Bro. W. Ramsay McGhee PM Lodge Seaforth No. 854; Bro. Andrew C. Brown PM Lodge St. Michael No. 38; Bro. Ian MacLaren PM Lodge Rosehaugh No. 1216.

Congratulations To Brother Rev. Andrew Paterson who has been appointed as Provincial Grand Master of Fife and Kinross with effect from 14th June 2012. Bro. Andy is a good friend to many 242 brethren being a member of Lodge Oak in Kelty where we used to exchange degrees and is still the Lodge Almoner.

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Foundation Stone Ceremony

It has become more common today to invite other orders to special meetings or ceremonies. One such ceremony took place in Carlisle with various orders being present.

Front Row:(L to R): R&SM, RA, Craft, MMM and Allied Rear (L to R): KT, A&AR, KTP, RCC & RO

Masonic Watch A very unique fob watch made in 1930 was recently auctioned. It was eventually sold for ÂŁ1660. The outer case is adorned with the unbroken chain of Brotherly Love and Affection with the Holy Royal Arch of York Rite Masonry supported by the pillars B & J. The Letter "G" and the AllSeeing Eye can be seen above the arch.

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Catalogue of Peculiar Inventions Every once in awhile you come across a book that is so out of the ordinary, in the subject field that your are studying, that it intrigues your fancy. Such is the book that Julia Suits has written about fraternal society initiation equipment.

The author further describes her work as “The Curious world of the De Moulin Brothers and Their Fraternal Lodge Prank Machines – from Human Centipedes and Revolving Goats to Electronic Carpets and Smoking Camels.”

It must be stressed, however, that Grand Lodges never sanctioned any of this equipment although individual lodges may have used them. There were so many fraternal organisations in the US at one time and many were invented purely for fun that much of this equipment would have been used elsewhere. For example, the Order of Red Men, the Loyal Order of Moose, Fraternal Order of Owls and so on are a few of the orders that followed masonic structures, but were rarely serious. Today, many have become benefit type societies.

In fact, the Fraternal Order of Eagles founded Mother’s Day (apparently).

Roman Working Tools It is the funeral Monument of Lucius Alfius Statius, found in Aquileia, NE Italy, along the ancient Roman route - Via Petrada (made of stones). Presumably he was master mason or builder, and underneath the inscription are his working tools:  The two roman feet gauge (regula)  A setting level  A line with a plumb bob (perpendiculum)  The compass (circulus )  The square (norma )  The setting maul (malleus)  Five chisels (scalpra)

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A Masonic Club from a Bygone Era

The Level Club sits on a side street midblock in the shadow of its more celebrated neighbor, the landmark Ansonia Hotel. It is nonetheless a monument to the gradiose aspirations of its Masonic builders, who called themselves the "Levelers." No one who passes this towering, 17-story, Neo-Romanesque structure can help but marvel at its polychrome faรงade replete with Masonic symbols, such as the all-seeing eye, and topped by modern setbacks. The building is partly the result of a friendly rivalry with the Shriners, another Masonic group, over who could build a better "fort." In 1923, the Shriners completed the Mecca Temple (now City Center) straight through from 55th to 56th Street between Sixth and Seventh Avenues, using the same architects, Clinton & Russell, who would soon design the Level Club. (The Levelers aimed to create a central clubhouse on the scale of such so-called "high-rise urban clubs" as the Yale Club on West 44th Street (James Gamble Rogers, 1915). The Levelers' ambitions were short-lived. The 1929 stock market crash ruined the club, and their grand fort became a commercial hotel under a series of names until it was converted to condominiums and renovated, with considerable care given to preserving its architectural integrity, in the 1980s.

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A Special Degree Team The Scottish Rite (4—33rd degrees) of Washington DC has a special service group of 32nd degree Masons called the Knights of St. Andrew.

The chieftain of the D.C. group, Bro. Bud Michels, 32º, is in the middle.

Tradition informs us that the medieval Order of the Knights of Saint Andrew was formed in 1314,

by King Robert the Bruce of Scotland, to honour sixty-three Knights who, at the Battle of Bannockburn, with no prior notice appeared on the field of battle as a mounted unit, quickly turning the tide and defeating the English.

Master’s Breastplate

The unique ‘jewel’ was worn by the master of Lodge Sanquhar Kilwinning No.194. It is made from copper amd measures 4 inches by 6 inches. Various Masonic emblems are engraved on it. The minutes of 1757 state: ‚The Breastplate or Long Square Metell with all the jewels belonging to a lodge engraven upon with a manteling engraven about it and Silverized was made a present of by James Bogle Sen to the lodge.‛ Although the lodge is numbered 194, it was originally The Lodge of Sanquhar founded before 1719 and received its charter from MK0 in 1938. It became dormant in 1822 and resuscitated in 1897.

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A Warning to all Lodges Records The former Burnaby Lodge in Victoria, Australia may have closed its doors, but the legacy of Burnaby will live on with a dedicated room in the Court House Museum, thanks to funding from the sale of the Masonic Hall.

The dedicated room will display items sentimental to the former Burnaby Lodge including regalia, banners, historical documents and chapter equipment. The museum is managed by the Donald Historical Society who recently accepted a cheque for $2,500 at the official unveiling on behalf of Freemasons Victoria.

Burnaby Lodge closed on 3rd September, 2009 and the Masonic Hall in McCulloch Street was recently sold. In 1985, the Lodge celebrated its Centenary with a special ceremony involving many of the items now on display.

A stark warning to all lodges—complacency must be avoided. Lodges must continue to work hard and brethren must work as a team to ensure the success of the lodge. It will not happen automatically.

Failing to plan is planning to fail

Ramblings from a Past Secretary I thought I would write a couple of words about my time as lodge secretary in Houstoun St, Johnstone No. 242, my Mother Lodge. Like anything, there are always ups and downs, good masters and others, but on reviewing my time over the last 14 years there are many more ups. It started rather shakily with the discipline case of a PM, but I very quickly realised that I had the support of many PMs and senior OBs, and it allowed us to work through adverse times. There is a great deal to do in the background, particularly trying to lead General Committee (a rather vibrant body!) towards the 200th Anniversary in 14 years time. Not an immediate priority, but one that couldn’t be forgotten about.

The lodge cannot stand still and we need to be constantly aware of our members’ needs and how we fit in with the Craft on a larger scale. Would I change anything from before?

I think I can honestly say no—some things could have been better, but we can only try.

We are in a magnificent society and it is worth working and fighting for.

Cross Keys February. 2012

Scottish Freemasonry in The Bahamas can trace its origins to as early as 1806 with the Turks Island Lodge No. 275 receiving a Charter from the Grand Lodge of Scotland (The Bahamas and Turks Islands were both recognized as one country at that time). There were other Lodges which were granted Charters from the Grand Lodge, most of them attached to military regiments based in the islands during that period.

Scottish Freemasonry laid dormant in The Bahamas until 1967 with the consecration and erection of Lodge St. Michael, No. 1634 thanks to the valiant efforts of a giant of a man and mason, Brother Dr. Claudius R. Walker and other brethren.

Today, there are nine (9) Lodges under the District Grand Lodge of The Bahamas working on the islands of New Providence, Grand Bahama, Abaco, Andros and Eleuthera.

The full history can be read here: by clicking on the crest above.

There is also a lecture entitled the Historic ‚Roots‛ of Racism in Freemasonry in The Bahamas. The brethren were represented at the 100th Anniversary of the building in Edinburgh last summer.

Why Green?

Green has been directly associated with the ideas of resurrection and immortality...The acacia (the masonic evergreen) has been suggested as a symbol of a moral life or rebirth, and also of immortality. To the ancient Egyptians, green was the symbol of hope. The Grand Lodge of Scotland and its provincial Grand Lodges (as well as many daughter lodges) have adopted thistle green as its emblematic colour, and, in varying shades, it is incorporated in the dress and furnishings of degrees and Orders beyond the Craft in English, Irish and Scottish Freemasonry.

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PGLRE Education Dinner The Provincial Grand Lodge of Renfrewshire East will hold another Education Dinner which will take place on 18th May, 2012. Although slightly early, please note the date in your diary. The first dinner a couple of years ago with the Grand Master Mason as the only speaker was a great success and it is hoped to continue this format. The only speaker is WBro. Dunlop, Grand Master of Ireland.

The event will take place in the premises of our lodge and we are honoured to host this popular event.

Early Notice—Special degree

On Saturday 26th May, 2012, a special military degree will take place on behalf of the Mark Wright project in the Masonic Hall, Barrhead.

Further details and conformation will be provided later.

In Memoriam The dead are like the stars by day … withdrawn from mortal eye… yet not extinct that hold their way In glory through the sky… .Spirits of bondage thus set free… .Vanish amidst immensity… While human thought… .Like human sight… .Fail to pursue…. Their trackless flight.

It is with deep sadness and much regret that we have to inform you of a loss sustained by the lodge in the passing to the Grand Lodge above of the following Brother:

Dennis Burgess

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Just click on the magazine to find out more.

Cross Keys February. 2012