Tessellated Tales - October 2011

October 2011

Newsletter of the District Grand Lodge of the North Island

Vol 1 Issue 2

Tessellated Tales

Installation of new District Grand Master The weekend of 8th October, saw the Installation of our new District Grand Master and Grand Superintendent, RW Bro Brian James Westhead. The District was very honoured by the presence of MW Bro Peter Geoffrey Lowndes, Pro Grand Master, who together with the Grand Secretary VW Bro Nigel Brown, VW Bro Andrew Wigram and W Bro Sebastian Madden travelled from England just to be with us on this very special occasion.

Grand Master in May 2012. W Bros Bob Fricker and Farouk Khan were co-opted onto the Installing Team as Acting Deputy Grand DC and Acting Grand Tyler respectively.

W Bro Joe Bau of Prince of Wales Lodge then read and presented a poem he had composed to the Pro Grand Master for the occasion.

The surprise of the day followed when the Pro GM announced the promotion of (now VW) Bro Bruce McMurtrie to the rank of Past Grand Sword Bearer and presented him with the regalia of that rank, a well earned honour.

For once Bruce was dumbstruck!

The weekend began with the arrival of the London team on Thursday morning. Once settled into their hotel, they were taken on a trip to the Waitakere Ranges to get a flavour of our beautiful countryside, and a visit to Soljans’ Winery in Kumeu, This was rounded off with a dinner at Sails Restaurant.

The expertise of the visiting Grand Officers was very evident as both ceremonies were carried out with dignity, precision and panache which made the spectacle memorable for all of those present. A ‘gold standard’ to which we must now aspire!

Friday began with a practice and it was clear from the outset that the Grand Officers set and demanded high standards of ritual. The afternoon, saw a relaxed “Meet and Greet’ which had the highest attendance recorded at such an event. The London team made themselves available to all, and everyone seemed to enjoy the event.

The real business of the weekend began in earnest on the Saturday morning with a brief practice followed by the Installation of Brian as Most Excellent District Grand Superintendent. Brian, in turn Installed E Comp R F (Bob) Fricker as ME Deputy Grand Superintendent, E Comp John A Hume as Second District Grand Principal and E Comp Graeme McKandry as Third District Grand Principal. E Comps Mike Chopping and Farouk Khan were co-opted onto the Installing Team as Acting Deputy Grand DC and Acting Grand Janitor respectively.

After a pleasant lunch, business resumed with another brief practice followed by the Installation of Brian as RW District Grand Master. The District Grand Lodge was opened by VW Bro Chas Holst, and Brian was escorted in by the Masters of the seven oldest Lodges. W Bro Roger Catelin, Master of Mount Egmont Lodge, carried and presented the DGM’s Chain of Office, a fitting honour given the many years of effort he has given to supporting and maintaining his Lodge and the District.

After the Patent from The Grand Master was read by the Grand Secretary, Brian took his obligation and was duly installed as District Grand Master with all the requisite pomp and ceremony. Brian, now RW Bro Brian Westhead, then installed W Bro Dave Roberts as Deputy District Grand Master and W Bro RJ (Bob) McKillop as Assistant Grand Master. He also designated W Bro Warren Weir to be invested as Assistant ~1~

The Installation Banquet was held at Alexander Parkway, overlooking the racecourse, an impressive venue. Following the meal and speeches, presentations of various gifts were made and received, including Brian’s presentation of items of pounamu, carved in the form of adzes and mounted in swamp kauri, to each of the Grand Officers, and a greenstone necklace to Henrietta Wigram.

We were also delighted to see the DGM of the South Island , RW Bro Geoff Rowe accompanied by his wife Bev, as well as the Grand Secretary of Sri Lanka, Mahendra K. Perera, who was accompanied by his wife and daughter.

Sunday saw the London team depart. First, though, they matched the Soljans visit with one to the Villa Maria winery. Andrew and Inside this issue Henrietta Wigram, who stayed on for a further week, enjoyed a trip * Meet the new District on Mike Chopping’s boat, and the Grand Master following weekend to a B-B-Q at * Lodges Reunited Farouk and Paddy Khan’s house.

A very special thank you is due to W Bro Warren Weir, President of the Board of General purposes, the man who organised and led the planning and worked tirelessly to ensure the success of the weekend.

* A Daily Advancement * Almoners Corner

October 2011

Tessellated Tales

RW Bro Brian James Westhead

Vol 1 Issue 2

Brian’s passion for sports cars has never left him, just got worse. Having rebuilt an Austin Healey Mark 1, he joined the Austin Healy Car Club. That was over thirty years ago. Brian, together with his family, has travelled the length and breath of the country with the Club many times, but has now moved on to a more reliable and comfortable car, a BMW Z3 which, he claims, blends in with the other cars in the club – sacre bleu!

Brian Westhead was born in Mount Albert in September 1948, the youngest of four children. His father must have felt outnumbered by a wife and three daughters until then! The family moved to Ellerslie after a few years, where his father became a trucking contractor. Brian found his interest in machinery and engines when his father allowed him to help maintain the truck.

All the children attended Ellerslie primary school, and then Penrose High school (now One Tree Hill College). Brian left school at sixteen and was apprenticed as a fitter/turner with Hansen Engineering Ltd, a large manufacturing company situated in Greenlane. It was then Brian developed his love for cars, spending lunchtimes under bonnets of V8s and the like, pestering the sales staff all along the ‘Golden Mile’ of car yards.

Brian and Desre were married in 1972, and built their first home in 1974 in Mangere Bridge. They then started the serious task of enjoying life until Shaun was born in 1983 and life became a little more serious. This did not stop them from gallivanting off to Australia, Fiji, America and Canada.

Brian, together with a co-worker, purchased Merton Equipment Ltd, an engineering company in Onehunga which manufactures handling equipment for materials. Brian enjoys a hands-on approach to running the company, and has a great crew working for him.

Brian’s Masonic career is more widely known to our readers. He was initiated in 1984 in the Lodge of Harmony, having been proposed by the late Ian Forrester. Brian was Master of his Lodge for the first time in 1993, and served again in both 2004 and 2005. He Joined the Remuera Lodge in 2005, and the Northern Light Lodge when it moved to Auckland as a daylight Lodge in 2006, serving as Master in 2009. Brian was appointed to the District rank of DGSwdB in 1997 and promoted to DDepGDC in 2000, DGDC in 2001 and DGJW in 2003. In 2007 he was made an Assistant District Grand Master and was appointed PAGDC in 2008.

Brian joined Harmony Chapter in 1989 and became its First Principal in 2001. He was then appointed to the District Grand Chapter rank as DPGSoj in 2004 and DGSwdB in 2010.

On 8 October 2011 Brian was installed as District Grand Master and Grand Superintendent of the North Island of New Zealand.

Together Again As we all know, as well as an opportunity for improvement, the fraternal bonds that freemasonry provide us are to be enjoyed. An excellent example of this is the link between two of our English lodges in New Zealand, Aorangi Lodge No. 2300 of Wellington and St Albyns Lodge No. 2597 of Christchurch who have a friendship going back more years than even W. Bro. Terry Parr, the Secretary of Aorangi, would like to admit. Strictly between us, Terry is now 76 and remembers brethren from St Albyns visiting his family home when he was only 10.

but Westminster Lodge (NZC) stepped into the breach and offered their magnificent Lodge Rooms in what was previously the Wellesley Gentleman’s Club. The occasion was a brilliant one and dinner was served to fifteen Aorangi brethren and their partners, together with the guests.

The visitors flew up on Friday and returned on the Sunday. For most of them, it was the first time in over a year they had slept in a high rise building, the Bolton Hotel. They commented that being among the high rises of Wellington was at first rather nerve racking experience, but that after getting over the first reaction they agreed it was good to sleep with no shaking.

After learning that the St Albyns Lodge rooms had been destroyed in the earthquakes, W Bro Terry Brandon of Aorangi decided it was a good time to revive the old custom and invite St Albans brethren for a visit. The Aorangi brethren warmly agreed, and the visit took place in September with four St Albyns brethren, two accompanied by their wives, making the trip north. They brought their own gavel, in order to continue the old custom of exchanging these between the respective Masters. To obtain it they had to get special permission from the emergency authorities to enter the damaged building site. The usual Aorangi venue in Wellington was unavailable,

The brethren are now planning to restore these regular get togethers. For next time, they are thinking of getting together in Blenheim, which is home to Dunedin Lodge No 931, founded back in 1862.

Contact us: Editor : W Bro Brian Stanney (bstanney@gmail.com) Sub Editor : Bro Derek Sendrove (dsendrove@gmaill.com) Feature Photographs,: WBro Andrew Conlan ~2~

October 2011

A Daily Advancement...

Vol 1 Issue 2

Tessellated Tales

The Coat of Arms of Grand Lodge The patent for the current Coat of Arms was issued by the College of Heralds, the body responsible for the regulation of all English heraldic devices, in 1919.

In the Arms two large cherubim stand one each side of a shield. The divisions, called ‘quartering’ of the shield represent the historic union between the two separate Masonic organisations called respectively the “Antients” and the “Moderns” in 1813, when the United Grand Lodge of England was formed.

The ‘quarter’ on the left, bearing three castles, and a pair of compasses mounted on a chevron, stems from the coat of arms of the Moderns (paradoxically the older of the two rival Grand Lodges), being in turn derived from the original Arms granted to the London Company of Freemasons in 1472.

The three castles are believed by some to represent the Trinity. The ‘quarter’ on the right, bearing images of a lion representing strength; an ox, patience;

a man, intelligence and understanding; and an eagle, promptness and speed, is derived from the Arms of the Antients.

These, being familiar emblems of Royal Arch, emphasise that to the Antients, the Royal Arch was an integral part of the Order.

Around the shield is a wide border carrying eight lions. This was added in 1919 to commemorate the involvement of the late King Edward VII and other members of the Royal Family in English Masonry.

Above the shield is the Ark of the Covenant and a proportionately smaller second pair of cherubim, which follows the description in Exodus Chapter XXV, verses 10 -20. There, we learn that the Ark was of acacia wood overlaid with gold and the cherubim were of solid beaten gold. The Hebrew lettering over the Ark is “Kodesh l’Adonai” meaning “Holy to the Lord” and this, we learn from Scripture, was the wording engraved on a gold plate affixed to the headwear of the High Priest.

The scroll at the bottom bears the Latin words “Audi, Vide, Tace” meaning “Hear, see and be silent” and is the first line of an old Latin couplet, a motto in two lines, dating at least from the fifteenth century. The whole couplet is “Audi, vide, tace, si vis vivere in pace” meaning “Hear, see and be silent, if you wish to live in peace”.

Freemasons Pitch In “Project Promise” was founded in Whangarei in March last year. The goal was to raise $3 million in three years to build a much-needed new oncology facility to serve the community. Most Northland District lodges are committed to helping and each has done its best, in its own way, to raise funds. In September The Star of the North E.C no 1647 did its bit with a film night featuring the award winning “The Visitor”. This function raised a handsome $4000, which has helped towards the total so far of $700,000. All hands to the pump!

The photo shows W.Bro Fordyce, the Master of the Lodge and W.Bro Callan, the function organiser, handing over the cheque to Jack Broome, Chairman of the Project Promise organising committee.

November Communications You are hereby requested to attend the next Communication to be held in the Ellerslie Masonic Centre, 9A Robert Street, AUCKLAND on Saturday 19th November 2011 at 11.00 A.M. The District Grand Master will enter promptly at 11.15 A.M. By command of the R.Wor. District Grand Master Registration no later than November 16 We would love to hear from you, letters to the editor are most welcome! ~3~

October 2011

Tessellated Tales

The Almoners Corner You know; I visited a master mason’s widow one evening in her one room bedsit in Selwyn Village. It was winter, and she sat in her armchair, her frail frame wrapped in blankets. The unused gas heater sat in the corner of her room. The lights were off, and in the darkness, she was watching TV. I had caught her at tea time, and she sat eating a boiled egg with her royal tea spoon. It had the Queen and Duke on the handle. She was making a cup of tea, and offered me one. She makes it from used tea bags which hang on a small line over the kitchen sink in front of a small window, to dry them out, so she can get every last ounce of tea out of each one.

We chatted for a while. She was quiet, reserved, uncomplaining and said she was content. There were so many in the world worse off than she. I asked her why she sat in the dark. She said the power was getting too dear. I asked if she was cold. She said no, the blankets were crocheted with wool.

She had made them herself. She said the gas bottle in the heater was getting too dear to fill up.

I asked her if an egg sustained her for dinner. “Oh yes” she said, “She didn’t have much of an appetite anymore”. Her frail frame quivered as she talked. “You know”,

I said, “tea bags are still very cheap and I could arrange to get you a big box for very little”. “Oh no” she said. She hated waste, and didn’t like to throw things out, which still had goodness in them. I told her we would like to help her, but she became quite stern and defensive and I could see her pride was in question.

I wonder how many of our widows are living like this in New Zealand. I wonder how many in our district of the North Island, are living in similar circumstances. I wonder if any of your lodge widows are too proud, from that proud strong generation, to ask for much, or indeed for anything.

In fact, I wonder if any of our very senior brethren, maybe living alone, or not, are living in very similar conditions to that lovely lady.

Can you imagine how little it would cost a lodge to drop around each week, or month, with one little item? Maybe a box of tea this week. A delicious frozen dinner the next. A full ‘exchange’ gas bottle the next. And the cheapest gift of all? Especially with the elderly – your time.

Vol 1 Issue 2

Imagine having a monthly lodge visit, set as a routine, driven by the Almoner, Master and Wardens.

Imagine picking on a different widow, or elderly brother, each month and giving them a half hour of your precious time.

What a wonderful gift that would be, from each Lodge Brother, to one of their own, every month.

What feelings would it engender in our widows and elder brethren? What feelings would it engender in ourselves, and how would that impact on the energy and feeling in our lodge? As an extension, could it actually impact on our own refectory proceedings, as the report for that month is given on how that visit went, what was achieved, and the plan for the next month’s one.

It can be done, and with little effort. It just needs you, to help your almoner, drive it !!!

All the very best...

Wor. Bro. Ron AGNEW - District Grand Almoner

Our Almoners do outstanding work, often unseen, unacknowledged. How, they would love the support of the Master, the Warden, the Brethren from time to time.

November Communications Ladies Programme and Dinner Ladies Programme Meet at the Ellerlsie Masonic Centre at 10.30 A.M. for coffee and then head to the Mount Eden area to visit a number of great factory shops.

A chance to get your Christmas shopping at discounted rates. It is intended to visit at least four outlet shops, including Citta Outlet, Sovoie and Sabarto in Normanby Rd, as well as Pacifica Skincare.

A lunch stop is planned at Nosh for around 1.30pm. This is not included in the cost.

Return to the Ellerslie Centre about 3.30pm for a social drink.

There will be a cost of $10.00 per lady to help cover transport costs.

Dinner

Following the Communications, please join us for dinner at

The Grand Thai Restaurant

93 Great South Road, New Market

09 522 2223 This restaurant is fully licensed, and BYO wine. There is a great range of different Thai foods with mains priced around $25 For Booking purposes, please indicate your interest and numbers on the registration form. ~4~