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The Twinning Ceremony and the Miracle of Freemasonry
Pierre Verroye, Worshipful Master La France Lodge No. 93
The twinning ceremony of La France Lodge No. 93, Washington, D.C., USA with Tolerance Lodge No. 2, Libreville, Gabon took place on the evening of June 8th and lasted twenty minutes. Yet, this is something I will remember and cherish for the rest of my life.
Twenty of our brothers from Gabon made the trip - a very long trip - for this momentous occasion. The plane ride alone takes two days, with a stopover in Paris. It’s a very expensive trip too. The fact that so many decided to embark on such an expidition was incredible to me at first. But when asked, our brethren from Gabon all pretty much said the same thing. It was perhaps best expressed in the brief response to my question by Worshipful Brother Martin Moussavou, Master of Tolerance Lodge No. 2: “Nous ne faisons que notre devoir, et ca nous grand plaisir de pouvoir enfin rencontrer nos freres” (We are only doing our duty and it is a true pleasure to finally meet our brethren). I now realize that in one short sentence he summarized the essence of Freemasonry: Duty and Fraternity.
There were three main events that made this twinning a success. The first was a tour of the Masonic buildings of our nation’s capital organized, offered, and narrated by our very own Deputy Grand Master, Right Worshipful Brother Akram Elias. We visited the House of the Temple on 16th street, LaFayette Park, the Capitol, as well as the Washington and Jefferson Memorials. The tour was a huge success, thanks to the beauty and significance of the buildings visited and the quasiencyclopedic knowledge of Brother Akram on the subject of Masonic history. Thank you, Right Worshipful Sir, for an unforgettable experience.
The second was the solemn and beautiful ceremony that took place the evening of the 8th. Who wasn’t impressed by the nearly flawless opening and closing of the lodge with everyone speaking in their mother tongue? So many languages, representing so well the diversity of our Craft, yet made one by our ritual. What better way to celebrate Universal Brotherhood, and set the stage for the twinning ceremony, which I will never forget.
Who could ask for a better setting? Who could expect a better or more dignified audience, what with all the past and current Masters, as well as representatives of so many Grand Lodges, both national and international? Who was not touched by the inspired lecture from Worshipful Brother Martin Moussavou on what a twinning really means? This was a fitting end to a very inspiring event.
La France No 93 respectfully presented Tolerance Lodge No. 2 a flag of the United States and the replica of George Washington Gavel. And Tolerance No. 2 showered us with beautiful works of art from Gabon. What an experience! Thank you, thank you, thank you Most Worshipful Brother Robert Heyat for allowing the twinning ceremony to take place during the Universal Brotherhood Celebration. Thanks again to Right Worshipful Brother Akram for conducting the twinning ceremony and expertly translating the proceedings. La France No 93 and Tolerance No. 2, now twinned for life, thank the Grand Lodge for the experience of a lifetime.
The third event was the banquet at Almas Shrine Center. What an evening! Great food, great company, and fantastic entertainment! But I know that like everyone who attended, there is one moment that will stay with me forever: the acceptance speech by Brother John Kriesel, upon being awarded the Medal of Freedom! Our brethren from Gabon will never forget it. Nor will I.
I and other brethren from La France No 93 forged enduring friendships during that weekend. I only wish Gabon was closer. But we will visit. We will make this twinning a lasting experience. And for lodges that are considering a twinning, allow me to be candid. Is it a lot of work? Absolutely! Were there times when my brethren and I thought it would be an unmitigated disaster? Yes. Was it worth it? YOU BET! And to that effect, I want to recognize Right Worshipful Brothers Guy Masquefa, Teko Foly, and Worshipful Brother Walter Hoenes, Assistant to the Grand Secretary, for their invaluable assistance in arranging the logistics. None of this would have been possible without their help and dedication. Thanks to this Twinning, I have made lifelong friends in only five short days. I now know that I experienced what some have termed the miracle of Freemasonry.
World Conference
NINTH WORLD CONFERENCE OF MASONIC GRAND LODGES May 8th & 9th, 2008
Conference Sessions : I. Standing Up to Darkness II. Masonic Integrity III. Global Fraternal Networking IV. Special Masonic Program
And following the conference,the Grand Lodge of Washington, DC is pleased to present : Universal Brotherhood Celebration, May 10th
For registration visit: www.glworldconference.org For more information contact: Grand Lodge of Washington, D.C. 5428 MacArthur Blvd, NW Washington, D.C., 20016 202-686-1811 (phone), 202-696-2759 (fax) grandlodge@dcgrandlodge.org
