TESSELLATED Newsletter of the District Grand Lodge of North Island New Zealand
TALES Spring 2017
Tessellated Tales A Breast Jewel to Celebrate the Tercentenary of The United Grand Lodge of England The breast jewel, approved by the Grand Master as a permanent jewel,
to
commemorate
the
Tercentenary of The United Grand Lodge of England, is based on the Arms of the Grand Lodge.
November District Communications To mark the 300 years celebrations of the Grand Lodge of England. Following a very successful Grand Masonic Ball held in Auckland in May of this year, the major event for our District of the North Island New Zealand to celebrate the 300 years of the Grand Lodge of England, will be the November Communications to be held at the Novotel Hotel in Rotorua, from the 17th to the 19th of November. There are many reasons to come along:
There are a few rules concerning the wearing of the Jewel and by whom. It can be worn by any member of UGLE who is a member between the 24th of June 2016 and the 31st of December 2017, however, it can only be worn by Master Masons
• A Ruler in the Craft, from London: Sir David Wooton, Assistant Grand Master, and Oliver Lodge, Grand Director of Ceremonies are attending.
and above.
• Charity: The Teddies for Loving Care programme will be officially launched by the Chairman of the TLC Appeal England, Ian Simpson.
dates can purchase the Jewel, but
• History, The Prestonian Lecture: Dr Richard (Ric) Berman will present his lecture on the early years of English Freemasonry, which he traces back to the 13th Century.
are raised, which may quite easily
Anyone Initiated between those will not be able to wear it until they
• Something different: The usual Friday evening social is to be replaced with a hangi and a show by a Maori Concert Party. • A great venue: The Novotel and Ibis are two of the best hotels in Rotorua and we have a good discount on rooms. • For the Ladies: There will not be a ladies programme as such – much better to let the ladies themselves choose from a wide range of activities that are available, including a selection of top spas and beauty therapy providers, all within a few minutes’ walk of the hotel. • The party: Saturday evening will see a formal dinner followed by music and dancing. Of course there is the usual communication meeting and, most importantly, the chance to catch up with all your friends from around the District. Also, we are expecting visitors from our sister constitutions, from the South Island and from overseas. This promises to be the best district function in years and everyone who can make it is urged to come along. Bruce McMurtie PGSwdBr District Grand Secretary Page 1
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Newsletter of the District Grand Lodge of North Island New Zealand
Tessellated Tales
District Grand Secretary, VW Bro Bruce McMurtrie PGSwdBr, Retires
Continued from Page 1
be after the 31st of December 2017.
Dear Brethren,
Once eligible, the jewel can be worn by Master Masons, Masters and Past Masters, holders of Metropolitan, Provincial or District Ranks and Grand Officers alike. It should be noted that while there may not be a natural order
Most of you may already know but for those who don’t, I will be retiring as District Grand Secretary (and relinquishing the office of District Grand Scribe Ezra) as at the November Communication in Rotorua on Saturday 18th November, after 23 years in the job. The District Grand Master will be appointing my successor, W Bro Ron Pemberton of the Prince of Wales Lodge at the meeting.
of precedence in the wearing of
I would like to thank all of you for your help, friendship and cooperation
Jewels – apart from the Royal Arch
over the years.
Jewel being closest to the center of the body - it would be highly appropriate for it to be worn next along from the Royal Arch Jewel.
I can tell you that I am leaving with very mixed feelings as Freemasonry, and this District, has been my life for nearly 40 years, having first been appointed as DGTreas in 1978 and, as such, a member of the District Board of General Purposes with various promotions and appointments
Unlike Centenary and Bi-Centenary
in both Lodge and Chapter until 1982 when the then District Grand
Lodge
a
Master, the late RW Bro Ivan Whale, invited me to join his ‘Cadre’ of
light blue ribbon, and which
advisors; remaining a member until RW Bro Collins appointed me as
on promotion to Metropolitan
President of the District Board of General Purposes at his installation as
Provincial or District Rank or
DGM in 1984.
Jewels
which
have
indeed Grand Rank are usually not worn, many being returned to the Lodge for recycling. The United Grand Lodge of England Tercentenary Jewel has a
I’ll still be around until November and will be staying with Ron until the end of the year. With kind personal regards. Bruce
dark blue ribbon, implying that it can be worn even after promotion to ‘dark blue’, Indeed the MW Pro Grand Master has actively encouraged Grand Officers to wear this breast jewel during the Tercentenary year, and has stated that they should not feel obliged to stop doing so from 2018 onwards. Holders of Metropolitan, Provincial or District Ranks can take a similar approach. W Bro Jon Cooper AGDC
Newsletter of the District Grand Lodge of North Island New Zealand
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Tessellated Tales
New District Grand Lodge e-Mail Address Vodafone New Zealand has chosen to stop providing an e-mail service to its local customers, therefore the District’s clear.net.nz email address has changed to dglninz@ gmail.com. The
old
address
was
supposed to remain active until the 30th of November, however it appears that emails to the clear. net.nz e-mail address are not being forwarded to the new gmail. com address. Any brethren wishing to e-mail the
Banner outside the Ellerslie Masonic Centre The banner at Ellerslie Masonic Centre was donated by Bro Bill Matheson of Lodge Ponsonby 708.
District Grand Lodge office are to use the new e-mail address, dglninz@gmail.com.
The Jewels of the Craft - Part One: The Early Jewels This article is the first in what is hoped will be a short series covering the various jewels and badges issued for various reasons in English Freemasonry. In putting this series together, considerable information was drawn from “The Medals and Jewels of British Freemasonry” by Trevor I. Harris. I wish to particularly acknowledge with grateful thanks W Bro Harris for granting permission to use material from his book. The Three Grand Masters Jewels are reputedly the first British Masonic jewels. The jewel was worn as both a past master’s and members jewel. The first known example made from copper dates from 1730. Fig. 1 shows a silver example from c.1760 and Fig. 2 a silver gilt example from c. 1780. From around 1755, various manufacturers started producing pierced and plate symbolic jewels, Again, worn as past master’s or member’s jewels, the designs tried to incorporate as many masonic symbols as possible. There was no standard design and each manufacturer produced what they wished. Figs. 3, 4 and 5 show examples from Figure 1
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1755, 1780 and 1790.
Figure 2
Newsletter of the District Grand Lodge of North Island New Zealand
Tessellated Tales
Figure 5
Figure 3 Figure 4
Battersea Enamelled jewels were made for around five years in the 1750s. An image was made in copper and then transferred to porcelain using a tin oxide. An example is shown in Fig. 6 During the Napoleonic Wars, many French soldiers were imprisoned in Britain. They had to pay for their own food and found they could raise money by making jewels with Masonic symbols and selling them to the British. They were made to high standards and gave the impression of being made from fine metals and semiprecious stones. The prisoners did not have access to such materials and with great ingenuity used materials such as silver foil and sea shells. An example from c. 1800-1812 encased in glass is shown in Fig. 7 From around 1780, lodges started to regularly issue past master’s jewels. The designs of these varied according to the wishes of the lodge and the designs offered by the manufacturers. Three examples from the 1790s are shown in Figs. 8, 9 and 10.
Figure 7
Figure 6
Figure 9
In Part Two, we will take a look at some early officer’s jewels and some of the medals issued in the late 1700s and early 1800s Figure 8
W Bro Tony Mansfield PDJGD
Newsletter of the District Grand Lodge of North Island New Zealand
Figure 10
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Tessellated Tales
Two for the Price of One It had been a couple of years since the last trek down to the ‘Naki, so when the opportunity came up to visit both English Lodges in one day, it was an opportunity too good to refuse. We set off on the Saturday morning in good humour and made our way towards Taranaki, stopping briefly to collect Roger Johnstone in Ngaruawahia and pausing for brunch at Bosco in Te Kuiti. A great little café with excellent food and a regular stopping place. Then onward southbound we went, replete with good food and coffee and not even a drop of rain and heavy traffic dampened our spirits. We arrived at the lodge rooms in New Plymouth well in time for the first meeting. From the outside, the building really doesn’t look much like a Masonic temple but the welcome inside was great.
The afternoon started with a meeting of Sir Donald MacLean Lodge which was one of their regular exchanges with Aorangi Lodge. The officers of Aorangi took the various offices in the lodge and worked a very nice second degree. The lodge then closed and we repaired to the refectory for some light snacks and a cuppa. Mt Egmont Lodge then called back on and proceeded to proclaim Andrew Vincent as Master for a second year. There was a good crowd with over 40 present and a nice short ceremony. After which, it was back out into refectory for a cheese platter and a glass or two of wine, while the toasts were attended to. Then it was off to a restaurant just outside New Plymouth for dinner with wives and partners. It was a cracking do. The company was of course great, but the food was fantastic and extremely good value. A great time was had by all before a few of us decided to check out the local nightlife with a visit to an Irish bar where our somewhat formal attire did mean we got a few questions from the somewhat younger, less formally dressed patrons. All in all a really good night. Sunday saw a relaxing drive back. For a change, we skipped the traditional stop at the Whitebait Inn at Mokau and tried a new stop recommended by our Irish friends – the Fat Pigeon in Piopio. The verdict was quite positive although the jury is still out on whether it is good enough to miss out on whitebait. A good trip where we caught up with a lot of old friends and had a great time – the twofer was definitely worth the effort. W Bro Tony Mansfield PDJGD Page 5
Newsletter of the District Grand Lodge of North Island New Zealand
Tessellated Tales
Wellington Lodge Host Masonic Researchers At their September meeting, the Wellington Lodge hosted The Research Lodge of Wellington No194 NZC, who in turn were hosting the Australian New Zealand Masonic Research Council 2017 Travelling Lecturer W Bro John Belton PPGSwdBr (Derbyshire). There was a good attendance of members of the Research Lodge of which W Bro John Mitchell PDJGD a Past Master of Aorangi Lodge is Master. Wellington Lodge’s Master W Bro Christopher French was unfortunately called away on business and W Bro Rolfe Everson DGSupWks, the IPM, took the Chair.
W Bro Rolfe Everson, Immediate Past Master Wellington Lodge No 1521; W Bro John Belton, Visiting Lecturer to the Australia and New Zealand Masonic Research Council; W Bro John Mitchell, Master The Research Lodge of Wellington No 194 NZC at Wellington Lodge Wednesday 20 September 2017.
John Belton became a Mason in 1980 in a small town in the Peak District of England. The discovery of masonic research really started while trying to unravel the causes of the decline in masonic membership across the English speaking world – and led to papers in Heredom and Ars Quatuor Coronatorum. Over the years he has joined other orders in Scotland and Ireland and visited Lodges in USA, Canada, Africa, Middle East and Australasia. He is a member of the Quatuor Coronati Research Lodge in London, and a Fellow of the Philalethes Society and of the Masonic Society in the United States. Author of The English Masonic Union of 1813: A Tale Antient and Modern. His current themes are more commonly in the later 19th and 20th centuries and his favourite is probably the work on English Revolutionary Fraternalism
linking London to the Italian Risorgimento in support of Bro Garibaldi and his redshirts. It is perhaps the exploration of those less travelled byways and angles to (masonic) history that he finds offer the greatest fascination and which feature in his work. The digital age offers great opportunities for those who want to read, and is also an area of keen interest. Robert Freke Gould’s many editions of History of Freemasonry was untangled by John Belton (AQC, 2015), including the mass of different series and volumes published over seventy years unravelled. There is a vast amount of material out there that is already available in digitised format – but whose availability is simply unknown to most masonic researchers. He has spoken widely around the world including at the biannual
Newsletter of the District Grand Lodge of North Island New Zealand
International Conferences on the History of Freemasonry, and variously the Wilson Coil lecturer in California, at the Pennsylvania Masonic Academy, and the Masonic Spring Workshop at Kananaskis, Alberta. Over the past decade he has been a regular contributor to masonic magazines, particularly The Square, on topics of current interest or controversy often relating to the role of freemasonry in society and the adaption of freemasonry to changes within society. By education John Belton was a microbiologist, by profession a marketer and exporter and in retirement, and by inclination, a masonic searcher out of curiosities. He lives in an eighteenth-century stone built cottage in the Peak District National Park in the north of England.
W Bro R M McKillop PADGM Page 6