Tessellated Tales - Winter 2017

TESSELLATED Newsletter of the District Grand Lodge of North Island New Zealand

TALES Winter 2017

Tessellated Tales

The Grand Masonic Ball ...and a great time was had by all!

There were some who said it couldn’t be done. Even the organising committee had a few stressful moments, wondering if it could actually be made to happen. But we got there!!

After seven months of planning, the Grand Masonic Ball to celebrate the tercentenary of the formation of the Grand Lodge of England took place in the Great Ballroom at the Langham Hotel.

Over 260 freemasons with their partners, families and friends enjoyed fabulous food, an endless supply of drinks, good music and great company. Above all else it was FUN!!

And, as a bonus the occasion raised some funds for the Teddies for Loving Care Appeal.

A big thank you goes to W Bro Andrew Cochrane, Master of St George Lodge, for his persistence and hard work in making the event happen. There was a team behind the scenes helping, but Andrew deserves the credit for putting the event together, persevering even when he was told it couldn’t be done, and leading the team to deliver a hugely successful event.

Photos tell the story better than any words can.

W Bro Andrew (Shaken not Stirred) Cochrane as Master of Ceremonies, kickes off the evening with an explanation as to what the guests can expect.

RW Bro Brian Westhead opens proceeding by extending a warm welcome to all.

The four sister constitutions in New Zealand were represented by their senior members.

L to R: MW Bro Mark Winger, Grand Master, Grand Lodge of New Zealand RW Bro Brian Westhead, District Grand Master, District of North Island New Zealand, United Grand Lodge of England.

Bro John Aldcroft, RW District Grand Master, District Grand Lodge of New Zealand North, Grand Lodge of Scotland RW Bro Andrew McGregor, Provincial Grand Master, Provincial Grand Lodge of New Zealand, Grand Lodge of Ireland.

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Newsletter of the District Grand Lodge of North Island New Zealand

Tessellated Tales

Brethren, reprobates, and partners from ‘The Premier Lodge’

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Tessellated Tales

...even a message from the Pro Grand Master

November Communications To mark 300 years of the Grand Lodge of England.

Following a very successful Grand Masonic Ball held in Auckland in May of this year, planning is well advanced for the major celebration of 300 Years of the Grand Lodge of England, in November. The celebrations are planned for the 17th to the 19th of November, to be held at the Novotel Hotel in Rotorua, and there are many reasons to plan to come along including: • A Ruler in the Craft, from London: RW Bro Sir David Wootton, Assistant Grand Master, and RW Bro Oliver Lodge, Grand Director of Ceremonies, accompanied by their wives will be attending.

• Charity: The Teddies for Loving Care programme will be officially launched by the Chairman of the TLC Appeal England, Ian Simpson.

• 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.

• 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. To book go to: www.accorconferences.co.nz/custom-offers/freemasons-2017-grandlodge-of-england-tercentenary-celebration • 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.

The question is not why to come but why would you not?

To register or for more information, please contact: Bruce McMurtie District Grand Secretary dgl-ninz@clear.net.nz Page 3

Newsletter of the District Grand Lodge of North Island New Zealand

Tessellated Tales Three Hundred Years Our Brethren of yesteryear went forth and led the way They laid a firm foundation that brought us to this day For here we stand three hundred years in joy and strong resolve Looking to the future and to how we may evolve Throughout time by fortunes grace good men themselves availed To forge a bond of fellowship, where others may have failed.

Upright men of vision well chosen by their peers The cornerstones of Masonry that have lead us through the years Our strength is one another as history has shown

By Brotherly love relief and truth our fraternity has grown Be you Nobleman or Craftsman be you rich or of despair All men are treated equal when meeting on the square This year of celebration is a time to contemplate And look toward to the future as worldwide we celebrate So let us all with one accord as we united stand Go forth and face tomorrow and extend a welcome hand May the mystery of the unsaid word and the tokens we bestow And the guarded privileges that we share everywhere we go Be the template that we follow and to which all of us adheres So our brethren of tomorrow may hail another hundred years.

J L Bau.© 6.5.2017

Zealandia Lodge Naming rights on new St. Johns Ambulance Training Room Zealandia Lodge recently had a fund raising luncheon for their local St. Johns Ambulance.

St. Johns are planning to build a training room at the rear of their premises in Kerikeri.

The estimated cost is expected to be around $50,000, of which Zealandia Lodge have pledged 10% ie. $5,000.00, with the proviso that the members of the Lodge can erect a sign over the entrance – “Zealandia Lodge Training Room”.

The Zealandia Lodge members believe that it will get Freemasonry’s name out into the community, with a view to getting new members interested in joining Freemasonry.

This is Zealandia Lodge’s effort to promote 300 years of Freemasonry.

The local manager of St. Johns Ambulance is in the process of obtaining permission to allow the naming rights on the training room.

W Bro Wayne Mayday PDJGW

Zealandia Lodge, St. Johns Ambulance fund-raising Luncheon Newsletter of the District Grand Lodge of North Island New Zealand

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Tessellated Tales

WELLINGTON LODGE No 1521 INSTALLATION W Bro Christopher Charles French was installed as Master of Wellington Lodge on the 21st of June 2017 by W Bro Rolfe Robert Everson, who had held the reins, as it were, for the previous two years having also been Master in 2010/2011.

Christopher in his spare time, is an IT specialist with the Government.

With one exception, his team are all unrecycled Master Masons which argues well for the future, and although we had run out of Entered Apprentices (temporarily) we did have a handful of Fellowcrafts to add to the ceremony.

The Lodge appears to have three prospective Entered Apprentices who will be initiated over the coming months, and with a programme of workings that will give the Lodge a full calendar.

W Bro Christopher French [Photo Br Cameron Macfarlane]

Enhancing to the installation ceremony was the attendance of distinguished representatives of all four Constitutions.

W Bro R M McKillop PADGM

Millennial Masonry: How those in their twenties and thirties are changing the Craft Those under the age of thirty constitute only two per cent of British Masons. This may seem negligible—apart from when you note they are also precisely the one age group in Masonry whose numbers are growing.

Membership for people under thirty is currently on the uptick by 7.65 per cent. Contrast this with a decrease in all other age groups—just over 10 per cent for people in their forties, by 7 per cent for people in their fifties, and just under 10 per cent for people in their sixties.

This is a significant reprieve from a death-knell for us all. If we would know what the future of Freemasonry holds, we might do worse than look to Millennial Masonry. What do Masons in their twenties and early thirties think about what they want from their Masonic experience?

I’ve spoken to a sample set of Masons, putting these questions to them.

Millennial Voices Varun is a 31-year old scientist, who finished his doctorate two years ago; he is currently Master of Canada Lodge in London.

[L-R] W Bro Bryce Smith, Assistant District Grand Master, District Grand Lodge North Island New Zealand, United Grand Lodge of England; RW Br Murray Smith, Past Grand Superin-tendent of Works, Provincial Assistant Grand Master, Provincial Grand Lodge of New Zealand, Grand Lodge of Ireland; Bro Robert Russell, Honorary Senior Grand Warden, Past Right Worshipful District Grand Master, District Grand Lodge of North Island New Zealand, Grand Lodge of Scotland; VW Bro Mervyn Johnston, District Grand Master, Kapiti/Wellington District No.19, Central Division, Grand Lodge of New Zealand.

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“You know, I hate harping on this. But I don’t think the future of young persons’ Masonry is getting horribly wasted over a massive fatty dinner after a meeting.

I want to do something constructive out of my Masonry.

And I have the self-starting

Newsletter of the District Grand Lodge of North Island New Zealand

Tessellated Tales attitude to do it, but many younger Masons might not, and they will need a framework with which to achieve some of their Masonic goals (I’m thinking mostly charitable ones here).

later, but it is possible. I don’t go to meetings to listen to minutes or charity steward’s reports (sorry, Bro. Charity Steward. Try email next time.)

I’m really sorry to say that, I don’t mean to sound ungrateful.

But honestly, young Masons never feel like they can speak up against the establishment, or do something on their own without needing to check with every single other Mason. And knowing other Masons, they all have weird and wonderful opinions.

So for the young Mason, it just gets confusing, and nobody’s going to read the blue book on protocol”.

4 - Taking it seriously. It’s fine to have a laugh, but if your lodge or unit does not essentially take what they’re doing seriously, I’d rather be somewhere else.”

3 - Cheaper meals. This is a Basically, if I want to do something controversial one, as many charitable, who do I approach? affluent young gentlemen are The Lodge, the District? And who looking for some really fine in these places - do I go to Grand dining. I, alas, have found myself Lodge directly? There need to be skipping such meals, as I find answers in place for this...like a it difficult to justify with our Masonic charity accelerator, to darling little financial constraint use a start-up analogue. crawling around.

John works in IT and is in his early thirties; an active London Past Master. He has earned three silver matchboxes, for word-perfect ceremonies from the Emulation Lodge of Improvement, and was just invested as a Metropolitan Grand Steward. He replies with four ways in which he would like Masonry to change: “1 - Later starting times. A 4pm starting time is just too early for most salaried workers. Leave days are precious, and I don’t like booking days off or half-days off for Masory unless it’s strictly necessary.

2 - Preserve the ritual. It’s at the core of what we do. It’s a little hard to do this while starting

the expense of dining.

For me, I think Freemasonry offers a journey of personal discovery, something I can’t find in politics or religion alone.

I told my two closest friends and their responses were: 1) Isn’t it a bit weird all that dressing up? And 2) I guess it will be good for your career as Masonry is about men getting up the greasy pole. I then had to explain brotherhood charity, etc.

Danny, in his thirties, is a Leicestershire mason, works as a consultant, and is heavily involved with the University Scheme. He calls for more of:

Niall, 27, works as an investment manager, and is secretary of a London lodge, where he is also a Past Master. He says, “One thing that keeps popping up is the dress code and meeting times. I find that interesting at least.”

Project Streamline (late starts, cut out the crap, etc.) whilst maintaining the tenets of the Craft; expanding the University Scheme and light blue clubs across the country.

Stronger mentorship schemes to look after and retain members. Greater openness Richard, 33, is a senior and awareness of the public, manager at Deloitte; he joined including the tercentenary Freemasonry in September, celebrations. Modernisation in is now a Fellow Craft, and has terms of the use of electronic just taken his first office as communication to keep lodge Inner Guard. He thoughtfully members up to date at lodge, observes: district/provincial and UGLE I think one of the challenges level. Wider awareness of what’s with Millennials is that they may going on outside your own see Masonry like they see Young lodge. And an advance in the Farmers or Conservative Future. use of social media.

It is for a certain type of wealthy, Richie, in his thirties, is a local privately educated nerd. There government officer; he is a are plenty of geeks out there recent past master of a university that would enjoy Freemasonry scheme lodge, called Honour but have a world view opposite and Generosity. He wants to see or at least different to YF or “more of the University scheme, CF. Then there are the festive multiple ceremonies, multiple boards - socialising with people candidates, and get them quickly outside of your age group is on the ladder.” often challenging for younger people. That’s not to mention Tim, 34, is a consultant in Oxford,

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Tessellated Tales where he finished a doctorate five years ago; he is currently Master of the university lodge, Apollo.

“The key with Freemasonry for younger people is to think of it as a charitable and social personal development course. To consider the three relationships it tries to encourage us to think about ... our relationship with our Creator, between each other, and with ourselves.”

The young Masons with whom I’ve spoken, display many of the most striking characteristics of `Millennials’, roughly those born from 1982 onwards.

This generation is so named – first, by historians William Strauss and Neil Howe in the United States – to note a demographic bump from roughly 19801990, as ‘Baby Boomers’ born after the Second World War themselves produced children.

And the name captures the fact that they would reach maturity from the year 2000 onward, in this brave millennium.

If they are joining Masonry, it is not as yet another thread within a fabric of the Establishment, and it is not in striking difference to the hardy serial ‘joiners’ – who returned from the Somme and Normandy to seek communal experiences at home after their demobilisation – because they very much like joining things.

In fact, it likely is rather the opposite. According to the British Social Attitudes survey, the Millennial generation is less likely than those before to consider themselves part of a particular religious denomination, less likely to join a political party or a trade Page 7

union, and less likely to have value mentors from older an especially high view of the generations, but there are hints of possible generational conflict Forces. afoot – 38 per cent say that They are fiercely individualistic. in the workplace, older senior Polling by YouGov shows them management do not relate more likely than their elders, to them, 3 per cent say their to consider confronting social personal drive intimidates older problems a responsibility of generations, and half found individuals, instead of the their managers did not always government. British Millennials understand they ways they used especially, compared with technology. their European neighbours of the same generation, are They do not especially like to join relaxed about social issues— institutions, but they are joining same-sex marriage, for one, this one. Why? Doubtless, the or consumption of alcohol, deeply personal engagement moral development tobacco, or cannabis – according with to a Eurobarometer study. They encouraged by the Craft – that also are much more likely to the ritual is there, supremely have set up their own business evocative, but how you interpret than their counterparts in any and engage with it is utterly up other European country. Part to you –appeals to Millennials of this is to do with Britain; a with a disillusion towards country with high university authoritative institutions. As attendance, which correlates does the exclusion from the with social liberalism, with Masonic space of religion a flexible and competitive and politics, both discredited labour market, tending discourses for Millennials. towards competitiveness and individualism, and whose Millennial Masonry so far has citizens (according to the thrown up its own institutions.

Economist) ‘chart their lives on The Connaught Club, founded social media with more zeal in 2007 for those Londonarea Freemasons under 35, is than most’. one – for members of lodges The Millennial generation’s which span the mix of ages, it world is digital, with 41 per cent is a novel affiliation which is admitting they would rather cross-lodge and generational. communicate electronically The universities scheme is than in person or by telephone. another, set up in 2005, with a This generation’s affinity with remit to ‘establish and enhance the digital world, as digital arrangements and opportunities natives, seeps into what they for undergraduates and other seek from organisations – university members to enjoy Masonry in flexibility, varied and interesting Freemasonry’. experiences, regular feedback, universities has its own flavour; and an opportunity to keep multiple-candidate ceremonies, learning. Uncomfortable with and in many cases more than rigid organisational structures, one degree worked in an their paradigmatic employer evening, is the norm, as is a is Google or Apple, or still speedy progression in to office, better, the tech start-up. They in both cases, in order to see Newsletter of the District Grand Lodge of North Island New Zealand

Tessellated Tales new Masons through as much of their Masonic journey as possible within the context of a short university time.

Though our numbers are gratefully stabilising, the contraction of membership from the post-war boom will mean there is a slight excess of units. Many of the twentieth-century lodges and chapters being permitted to return warrants and charters, to permit a slightly smaller number of healthy units rather than a much larger number of units with smatterings of seven or eight members. Another trend is the repurposing of other dying units, especially the nineteenth century lodges that are our Victorian family silver, holders of Hailstone jewels and slightly longer pasts. Often, this is into class lodges uniting people around particular shared interests.

Another convenient point of reference might be the Future of Freemasonry report, which UGLE commissioned in 2012.

The document was largely a stocktaking exercise with the tercentenary of the UGLE – and modern Masonry – beginning to lumber into view in 2017. On page 29, the report –by the independent Social Issues Research Centre in Oxford – concludes ‘even at the cutting edge of twentyfirst century communication technologies, our need for symbolic exchanges that reinforce social bonds remain as evident as ever.’

The Craft is acquiring a generation who show no signs of caring, especially for rank.

Whose predilection to see Masonry as a dining club is

weak, guided by a sense of moral seriousness and dissatisfaction with the answers for the grand questions, on offer either from organised religion or political parties – questions to which, their strong disposition is to answer themselves, educated, and charitably entrepreneurial.

More speculatively, others have raised the question whether Millennial Masonry may produce a different and closer working relationship between UGLE and the two women’s Grand Lodges.

In any case, and in nearly all respects, the inclination of Millennials will be to nudge us back to where we began – a less top-heavy institution, a haven of tolerance in a partisan and angry world.

Millennial Masonry The Square • March 2017 Submitted by W Bro Barry Holland LGR, PDGSwB

Celebrating the Tercentenary Northland Style Having spent the previous afternoon enjoying the hospitality of Ara Lodge No. 348 following the installation of their new master, the idea of driving up to Whangarei was a bit daunting but a few did and it was well worth the effort.

The three English Constitution lodges in Northland, Star of the North, Franklin and Zealandia had come together for a local celebration of the Tercentenary.

The celebration commenced with a service at the Anglican Church, significant as Baronet Samuel Osborne-Gibbs is buried in its grounds. While living in Whangarei, Samuel Osborne-Gibbs was the District Grand Master for New South Wales for UGLE and he founded Waitemata Lodge. He also helped found Star of the North but sadly died just before it was consecrated.

We then gathered at a local restaurant for a very pleasant lunch, thoroughly enjoyed by all.

W Bro Tony Mansfield PDGJD

W Bro Des Stuck and RW Bro Bob Vartan have the pleasure of cutting the celebratory cake.

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