10 minute read
Royal Arch Matters
Live Virtual Tour of the Western Wall Tunnels
On Wednesday 10th June, Leicestershire and Rutland Royal Arch Masons hosted a live virtual tour of the Western Wall Tunnels. The Western Wall will be familiar to Royal Arch Masons as it was originally erected as part of the expansion of the Second Temple on Temple Mount.
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The Western Wall Tunnels have been filmed using state-of-the-art technology that gave a fully immersive tour of these famous tunnels. During the virtual tour, those who participated were in awe at the hidden underground spaces, and the opportunity to stand opposite the Holy of Holies and walk through a Hasmonean water aqueduct. The Western Wall Heritage Foundation provided an expert guide who took the virtual group on the magical tour of the tunnels and more. The evening was well attended, by the Grand Superintendent Noel Manby, and many of his officers and Companions from Leicestershire & Rutland. Although the evening was free of charge, a donation to the Craft 2022 Festival was encouraged, which totalled an amazing £1,046. The Grand Superintendent said,
This was such a fascinating evening, I would like to say a special thank you to E.Comps Andy Green and John Peberdy for organising the event.
Royal Arch News
This article is entitled Royal Arch News, perhaps it should read The Lack of Royal Arch News, as we usually have enough information, articles, and photographs to fill three to four pages of Leicester Square.
However, as we all know, our Freemasonry has been severely affected by the Covid19 to such an extent that our Chapters have not been able to meet in their usual way, and therefore have limited news to report. Our summer activities have also been put on hold, with any gettogethers, BBQ’s or fund-raising events which usually take place having also been cancelled. Provincial Grand Chapter was not able to go ahead in March, which also means we do not have an address from the Most Excellent Grand Superintendent, Noel Manby, or photographs of the convocation. Although the Most Excellent Grand Superintendent was unable to appoint or promote in person those Companions in March 2020, they have been written to informing them they now hold their new office or rank. Similarly to the Craft, Supreme Grand Chapter have ruled that Provincial Grand Chapter 2020 must take place as soon as possible within whatever limits and guidelines set out by the government. We have already had to alter three different dates and three different venues to try to make provision for six Companions to meet. At the time of writing this article, it is hoped we will meet at Market Harborough on 10th December, numbers depending on the guidance at the time. This will enable the Most Excellent Grand Superintendent to reappoint Paul
Wallace as his Deputy, Promote Chris Packham to Second Principal, appoint Jonathan Varley to Third Principal, and Mark Street to Director of Ceremonies and formally make the 2020 appointments and promotions and conduct the usual business of Provincial Grand Chapter. The suspension of Freemasonry has seen the use of digital platforms such as Zoom, and Being Raised to that admirable rank of a Master Mason brings many benefits. The first could well be a surprising rise in your popularity with senior Masons jostling to offer you a drink, coupled with a quiet invitation, ‘because you were such a good candidate’. Asking you to join their very special ‘higher’ degree – romantic phrases such as ‘The Mark, Secret Monitor’, ‘Ancient and Accepted’, ‘Royal Order of Scotland’, ‘Rosicrucian’, etc, etc. You feel both honoured as well as spoilt for choice. Good friends however may merely enquire if in fact you should choose any at such a time, quietly adding might it not be preferable to try to understand and enjoy Craft Freemasonry for a few more years more before purchasing that extra regalia? United Grand Lodge cannot be accused of being evasive about the next step. The Book of Constitutions states simply and unambiguously that ‘pure Antient Masonry consists of three degrees and no more... including the Supreme Order of the Holy Royal Arch’. Simply put, for a Freemason to seek a fully harmonious moral life there are no other degrees within Speculative Freemasonry that are either necessary or available. These three Degrees, together with the ‘Holy Royal Arch’, provide all the guidance which is required. So then, what is the purpose of the Holy Royal Arch? In explanation Teams being used by our Chapters. This has enabled us to stay in touch with each other. It cannot be over stressed how important these “meetings” are and the Grand Superintendent hopes all Chapters will at least hold a virtual meeting on their usual Chapter convocation night. It would be a good idea to invite those brethren who are waiting to be exalted to these informal we must first turn to our history. Within Ancient Grand Lodge the Third Degree was divided into two parts. The first reminded us of our spiritual nature and the Divine justice which guided our earthly actions. The second, The Order of the Holy Royal Arch, disclosed the source and authority of those laws by which we shall be judged. (It was described as an ‘Order’ as it already formed part of the original three Degrees). In the 18th century Freemasonry was largely confined to a Western Europe, containing Jew, Christian and Moslem (the Abrahamic religions). They all recognised the first five books of the Old Testament as Holy Script and so the ritual for this second part of the Third Degree could continue using the underlying theme of King Solomon’s Temple. Modern Grand Lodge however was concerned about both remaining true to the old operative Masonic traditions as well as the problems which might arise when spreading Speculative Freemasonry to nations where the Abrahamic religions were not recognised. During the reconciliation of the Ancient and Modern rituals in 1813, therefore, for Craft Freemasonry to become universal the second part of the Third Degree had to be made optional. Does this make the Royal Arch a ‘religious’ Degree? Certainly not. As the Pro Grand Master has reminded meetings, so they do not think they are forgotten. For those Brethren who are not in the Royal Arch we are reproducing on the next page a very interesting paper on the relationship between the Craft
and the Royal Arch. us, Freemasonry is not a religion, but it does respect many religious values. It recognises a Supreme Being and ‘the Grand Lodge Above’, i.e. that each Mason has an afterlife. However, it adopts no religious custom traditions, or rituals such as absolution. It might well be said that the beautiful and action-filled ritual of the Royal Arch has far fewer religious overtones than, say, the First Degree in which all Candidates are asked ‘to pray to God to keep them steadfast’ in an Obligation made on their Volume of Sacred Law. May we summarise? Does one have to join the Royal Arch? Well, yes... and well… no. For an enthusiastic Freemason who wishes to develop his knowledge of our Craft then, as the Pro Grand Master recommends, membership of the Royal Arch is a natural and logical complement to the Third Degree, supplying its moral authority. Membership also helps a Mason understand more fully the moral principles that inspired our Founders to devise the three Degrees of Speculative Freemasonry. For those Masons recognising a Great Architect outside the Abrahamic religions then United Grand Lodge leaves them quite free to choose an alternative source of personal spiritual guidance. The choice however will always be yours.
Solomon website, authored by Michael Lee
COVID-19 and your fi nances
The current pandemic has certainly caused a number of people to think about their current and future personal fi nancial position. Whether from a retirement or investment management perspective, or consideration on how you will pass on a legacy to your children, there are many issues to consider.
I’d like to share my experience of these issues from my work with clients at Mattioli Woods plc.
RETIREMENT
Has the pandemic prompted you to consider retiring earlier or later? Research suggests that a signifi cant number of people in the UK are considering pushing back their retirement plans for a few years due to concerns over the economic impact of coronavirus1. In the 60-65 age bracket over 1 in 5 have said they will need to delay retirement. Have you fully considered your ‘number’ – the pot of money you need to make the decision on when to retire?
A recent survey suggested a single person wanting a luxurious retirement would need £33,000 per annum, or £47,000 per annum for a couple2. A luxurious retirement might be classed as taking longhaul holidays and having a new car every fi ve years. Luxurious may mean something else to you. You may or may not agree with these fi gures, but we can certainly help you plan around your own objectives. While some of you may be content with exhausting your funds, others may want to draw on just the investment growth from their Defi ned Contribution and Drawdown arrangements. Then there’s those who may want to purchase an annuity or who may also have further benefi ts in a Defi ned Benefi t Scheme.
INVESTMENT
We have seen stock markets fall and rise during the pandemic. The UK stock market has lagged behind the US during the pandemic and we still have Brexit to consider. Indicative fi gures based on today’s prices show a fall of circa 20% in the FTSE 100 index whilst the S&P 500 has risen by circa 9% over the last year3 . From my own experience, many UK-based investors will tend to have the majority of their investments in UK funds, rather than taking a more diversifi ed global approach. They ignore certain trends that are happening around the world that could provide long-term returns. A risk review of the investments you hold, whether they are part of your retirement pot or outside, could be very enlightening given the current climate.
PASSING ON A LEGACY
Once you have decided how much you need for your retirement thoughts then may turn to passing on a legacy to your children. You may be concerned about inheritance tax and the effect it has on your estate or you may just want to fi nd the best ways of passing on that legacy now or in the future. The pension freedoms changes in April 2015 made it easier and more tax effi cient to leave unused pension funds to your benefi ciaries on death – so planning in this area is essential. Should you gift monies now or place monies in a trust and how do you pass on a legacy to your children at different stages of life?
HOW CAN I HELP?
In the fi rst instance I can offer a consultation at our cost over video conferencing, given the current restrictions. This will uncover your aims and objectives for now and the future, and we can see if there is any advice you need in these areas. Please contact me on 07715 079 885 or email me at john.kelly@mattioliwoods.com so we can organise an initial chat.
MATTIOLI WOODS
Our best-selling product is peace of mind. We want to help you enjoy a standard of living of your choosing. We understand the weight of our responsibilities, so our abiding passion is to deliver the best possible outcomes for the people who entrust us with their wealth. Our business is built on the integrity and expertise of people like John. Find out more by visiting www.mattioliwoods.com
1. Interactive Investor (October 2020) ‘’The Great British Retirement Survey 2020’’ 2. Paul Davies (20 July 2019) “The cost of a ‘luxurious’ retirement? £42,000 a year, Which? reveals”. Which? 3. Based on data as at 28 October 2020 from www.markets.ft.com
