Main Website – Robert Burns as Poet Laureate of Freemasonry
In this Issue:
Cover Story
Robert Burns as a Freemason.
The Oration of Robert Burns given at Lodge Canongate Kilwinning No.2 on 26th January 1904 by Bro. Philip Sulley. PM.
Page 5, ‘The Wealth of King Solomon’ From where on Earth came all the gold?
Page 8, ‘Know Thyself’
Page 9, ‘Did You Know?’ Questions about the Craft.
Page 11, ‘Reflections’ Improper Solicitation
Page 13, ‘Tony Allcock’ Famous Freemason.
Page 14, ‘Preparation, Practice and Performance & Masonic Speech Making’
Page 17, ‘A Pass at the River Jordan’
Page 18, ‘The Lecture at the North-East Corner’
Page 21, ‘Foreign Countries.’ “Acacia”, 28th in the series.
Page 23, ‘It is no Secret’
Page 25, ‘Reflections’ Humility and Integrity
Page 28, ‘Words are Highly Prized Among Masons’
Page 29, ‘The Back Page.’ TheArt of Communication
In the Lectures website
The article for this month is ‘Robert Burns as Poet Laureate of Freemasonry’ [link]
Front cover image – Sketch of Robert Burns from pintrest freedownlaods, and adapted by the editor.
ROBERT BURNS as a FREEMASON
THE true history of the connection of the Poet Burns with Freemasonry will probably continue to be a matter for controversy between the Masonic historian and those who are ready to accept, without investigation, every legend that has been woven around his name by his admiring countrymen; but that he was a member of the Order and took part in its gatherings, in which the social and convivial side was probably not the least conspicuous, is beyond all doubt.
The annual communication of Lodge Canongate Kilwinning, Edinburgh, in honour of its poet laureate has become an institution, and the recent celebration, held within St. John's Chapel, presided over by Bro. A. A. Murray, was a marked success.
According to custom, the oration was delivered from the Burns' chair. The speaker was Bro. Philip Sulley, PM of Cupar, who, in proposing "The Immortal Memory of Robert Burns," said it was but natural to dwell on the links that bound him to our fraternity. As his Masonic history had been fully recorded by the historians of this and other lodges, it sufficed to say that he was a keen Mason, a regular attender, a hard worker, within the length of his cable tow. But was his work confined to attending meetings, filling offices, writing minutes, and taking part in the social after-gatherings which he must have rendered glorious and unforgettable to all who were happy enough to be present, and,
"Get a blad o' Johnie ' s morals, And taste a swatch o' Manson's barrels, I' the way of our Profession?"
What of his writings, his marvellous poems and songs? Were they to any extent inspired by Masonry; did they owe anything to its influence? He held that the amount of this inspiration, the extent of this influence had been, if not ignored, then certainly underestimated. To appreciate and form an unbiased opinion on the point, he asked them to turn their thoughts back to his early years—to the stern upbringing, the hard surroundings, and to his apprenticeship to the plough, the reaping hook, and the thresher's weary flinging tree, at an age when boys were usually at school and play —and then they would realize that his entry into a Masonic lodge was a passage from dark to light.
Accustomed hitherto to meet only the young of his own working life, to the very limited society of the farm towns, with one glimpse of broader things in Kirkoswald, with his appetite whetted by the little bachelor's club he instituted on coming to Tarbolton, he was for the first time introduced to the society of older and more experienced men, of varied positions and attainments; introduced on the level, free from all class distinctions; and, before all, introduced to pure religion, broad, world-wide, untainted by cant, hypocrisy, or sectarianism.
These influences were soon at work, and whereas up to July, 1781, he had written little of note, only such pieces as "Winter," "John Barleycorn," "Poor Mailie," and songs such as "Corn Rigs" and "Behind yon hills where Stinchar flows"—thenceforward his poems and songs were produced with amazing speed and power, and throughout them the influence of Masonry shows strong and stronger. His emancipation from Calvinism, his satires on the Kirk's abuses, were hastened, and to some extent took their origin from his entry into Masonry. In the short space between his elevation to the Depute Master's chair in July, 1784, and the
publication of the Kilmarnock edition in August, 1786, he was busy as a Mason, busiest as a poet, producing not only "The Twa Herds" and "The Holy Fair," but such masterpieces as "The Cottar's Saturday Night," "Halloween" and "The Jolly Beggars," in all of which Masonic influences play a large part, as he who read with a discerning eye might plainly see.
The benevolent side of Masonry must have been akin to his nature, as he showed very early in his letter to Sir John Whitefoord, his RWM : — "We look on our Mason lodge to be a serious matter, both with respect to the character of Masonry itself, and likewise as a charitable Society . . . . . To us, Sir, who are of the lower orders of mankind, to have a fund in view, on which we may with certainty depend is a matter of high importance. "And he proceeded to express his concern for the continued existence of Lodge St. James, Tarbolton, to which he had seceded after a few months spent with his mother Lodge of St. David. That mercy should temper Masonic justice, he proves in his letter from Edinburgh to the lodge: — "Men and brethren, I suppose those who owe us monies will appear—I mean those we summoned. If you please I wish you would delay prosecuting offenders till I come home. Those who confess debt and crave days, I think we should spare them,"— prose expression of his poetic ideal, and one that, no doubt, would often cause his scanty purse to be lightened to the needs or to the wheedling tale of the wandering brother both at Ellisland and Dumfries. And, when trouble upon trouble accumulated, when he was proscribed and well-nigh hunted; when his sun, after struggling with April fitfulness, seemed about to sink and to shine no more on his native and adored country, to whom was it he turned in his distress; of whom did he take his heart warm fond adieu; what were the choicest scenes his memory must recall?
"Dear brethren of the mystic tie! Ye favoured, ye enlightened few, Companions of my social joy; With melting heart and brimful eye I'll mind you still tho' far awa."
When "Fortune's Sliddery Ba' " came to his feet for a brief while, when "Edina, social, kind, with open arms the stranger hailed," is not this meeting, and the sister one of St. Andrew's Lodge, a living testimony to his continued love of Craft and Craftsmen in Scotia's darling seat? When Ellisland with its brief and broken hopes of comfort and prosperity faded into Dumfries and the final chapter in November, 1791, we find that from December (so soon as the little household was removed and settled) he resumed his keen Masonic work, his regular attendance, until failing health and the dread approach of that mysterious veil of darkness closed his career.
In no other place could it be so appropriate to review and estimate his labours and genius, by Masonic rule and line; and thus reviewed do they not lest—like our ancient Institution—firm and secure on the noble pillars of Wisdom, Strength and Beauty? Is not wisdom the inspiration of "The Epistle to a Young Friend," of "Tarn o' Shanter," of "The Cottar's Saturday Night?" Were not "For a' that and a ' that," "Does haughty Gaul," and "Scots wha hae," conceived and wrought in strength? And does not beauty reach her perfection in "Ae Fond Kiss," "My love is like a red, red rose," and "Mary in Heaven"? And, seeing that he purified the nation's songs and embellished them with ornaments of the loveliest and most unrivalled type, can we not say that, like Masonry, his work is adorned with lily work, beautiful within and without, a glory to all who behold it? And where in this world's literature could be found a poet or writer more fully exemplifying and upholding the three great personal qualities
of a Mason—Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth? Truth showed forth like the sun at noonday fearless, persistent, insistent; scorning meanness, subterfuge and deceit; hating malice, lies, and evil speaking. Relief sparkled like a jewel on every page—charity at its best and broadest, kindliness for every animate thing and even inanimate, pity of a depth and breadth and height that approaches the divine. Brotherly Love — that mighty, swelling, glorious passion of the great heart that could not be bounded by nationality, though it was as strong as its country's mountains and floods, but must burst through the gloom of ignorance, of intolerance and oppression, till it found its greatest and latest Masonic utterance in the soul-compelling words : —
"Then let us pray that come it may— As come it will for a' that, That sense and worth, o ' er a' the earth May bear the gree and a' that. For a' that, and a' that It's comin' yet for a' that That man to man, the world o'er Shall brithers be for a' that."
This article was sourced from The Masonic Illustrated, Aug. 1, 1904, which was the report of Bro, Bro. Philip Sulley’s oration at Lodge Canongate Kilwinning No.2 on 26th January 1904.
The Wealth of King Solomon
From Where On Earth Came All That Gold?
Freemasonry concentrates one's mind most wonderfully on King Solomon, his life and his times. The most remarkable thing is that such minute details of the activities of his reign should have been handed down to us. Every Freemason is made aware of exactly how the Temple was constructed. There is no confusion of fact and myth. The precise
details of how the Temple was laid out is understood by every qualified Freemason.
The scriptures inform us that King Solomon exceeded all the kings on earth for riches and wisdom. It states that "All the earth sought to Solomon to hear his wisdom." The latter attribute is too proverbial to require dilation, for is he not famed as the wisest man who ever lived? His wealth too is recorded in the Second book of Chronicles (Chapter 1, v. 12), "I will give thee riches and wealth and honour such as none of the kings have had that have been before thee, neither shall any after thee have the like."
Generally speaking the notion of a poor man is incompatible with kingship, indeed the mere notion of kingship implies wealth. If there have been kings who have been considered to be poor in history, the phrase has been of a relative character and directly related to the position of a sovereign.
King Solomon was so abnormally wealthy, even when the standards of wealth necessary for kingship is taken into account. In II Chronicles, chapter 9, verse 13, it states that the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred and three score and six talents, besides which chapmen and merchants—and all the kings of Arabia and governors of the country—brought gold and silver to Solomon.
No wonder that King Solomon was able to lavish gold in the construction of the Temple. We are told in the Scriptures that the porch, the greater house, the upper chambers, the Holy of Holies and the partitions, the two cherubim, the ten candlesticks, the hundred lavers, the altar, the oracle, the tongs, the snuffers, the basins, the spoons, the censers, the entry doors leading into the Holy of Holies were all overlaid with pure gold. Likewise with King Solomon's house of the Forest of Lebanon;
all the vessels, the two hundred targets and all the chambers of that house were overlaid with gold.
THE SOURCE
Where was the source of such huge quantities of gold? It is well nigh impossible to believe that the land of Israel contained in its entirety such an amount of gold even allowing for the amount brought in by the chapmen and merchants and kings of Arabia. The source it seems was entirely different. It is stated in I Kings, chapter 10, verse 22, "For the king had at sea a navy of Tharshis bringing gold and silver, ivory and apes and peacocks." There is a parallel passage in the Second Book of Chronicles. It is the interpretation of this story of the Bible which caused such differences of opinions among scholars throughout the ages. It is quite wrong to read that King Solomon had a navy at Tharshis; it quite plainly states that he had a navy of Tharshis. According to the Jewish Encyclopaedia any large vessel capable of making a long sea voyage was styled a ship of Tharshis, no doubt to distinguish it from a mere sailing yacht. It seems that in this context Tharshis is not the place that Jonah fled to; that, it would appear, was a remote region that had not heard of God. Another factor is that Tharshis, wherever it was, seemed to have had a considerable trade in silver, iron, tin and lead (Ezekiel XXVII, verse 12) (Jeremiah X, verse 9). It also gave its name to a precious stone which has not been satisfactorily identified. It does appear that Tharshis was the name of a stone in the fourth row of the Ephod, a richly decorated object worn outside the robe from which hung the breastplate. It formed part of the ceremonial dress of the High Priest. The Targum of Jonathan (Aramaic translation of the Bible) renders the word Tharshis in the prophetical books by "sea". On the other hand Josephus, the historian, considered
Tharshis to be Tarsus in Cecilia (a district of Asia Minor). Later scholars identify Tharshis with Tartessus mentioned by Herodotus (c.484-425 B.C.) as a district of Southern Spain. In any case Tharshis is not mentioned as trading in gold. It therefore seems that the explanation at which we arrived after considering all these opinions, or rather the explanation that is generally considered to be the most probable, is that King Solomon together with King Hiram had a fleet of ocean-going ships, that they were manned by expert mariners supplied by King Hiram and that their home port was Ezion Geber near Elat on the Red Sea.
OPHIR
Now the story develops but is no less a mystery. It is related that the ships sailed to Ophir whence they brought Solomon 420 talents of gold. Once in three years came the navy of Tharshis, bringing gold and silver, ivory and apes and peacocks. A parallel passage in II Chronicles says "That the servants of Solomon and the servants of Hiram which brought gold from Ophir brought Algum trees and precious stones." From that time Ophir was to the Hebrews the land of gold—their Eldorado.
LOCATION
The land of Ophir has been assigned to most parts of the compass including Armenia, South Africa, Arabia, Peru, the coast of India, Spain and Ceylon. Not all these are seriously considered. There are quite a number of sources who place the location in India—Redland, C. Lassen Ritter and Oppert in his Tharshis and Offir. Josephus, too, thought that the destination was India and that Ophir was near the mouth of the Indus, equating the word with the Sanskrit ABHIRA (the name of a shepherd tribe). They render this opinion as at that time India was a land of gold. Some feel that this destination is given added weight by the fact
that as well as gold the ships also brought ivory, apes and peacocks but the words used to denote this were "Habbim, kopim and tuldciyim" and there is a view that these words were taken from the Sanskrit and the same applies to the conjectural translation of Almuggim as Sandlewood. To add to the confusion one must again read II Chronicles, chapter 9, verse 21, which reads "For the king's ships went to Tharshis with the servants of Hiram; every three years once came the ships of Tharshis bringing gold and silver, ivory, apes and peacocks" In any case it appears that the Hebrews only became acquainted with India in the Greco–Persian period.
SOFALA THEORY
In 1871 the African traveller Karl Mauch found at Zimbabiye on Mount Afura near the Zambesi certain remarkable ruins which, tradition had it, could be traced back to the Queen of Sheba and King Solomon. These remains were situated in goldfields. In the neighbouring river topaz and rubies were to be found and large yew forests nearby were said to have furnished the Almug wood. Ivory is one of the chief articles of commerce of East Africa and furthermore apes abound. Could this have been the Offir of which the Bible speaks? Well, to counter this theory it has to be noted that the gold mines of Sofala have been known only since the time of Ptolemy whilst it is improbable that the servants of Solomon and Hiram could have exploited gold mines nearly two hundred miles from the coast when others were avail-able nearer home. Nor does the name Sofala seem to have any connection with Ophir, indeed it is derived from the Arabic Safala meaning to be low, i.e. Lowlands (Hebrew Shefalah).
ARABIA
The most probable view is that Ophir was situated in Arabia or on the Somali coast.
Both the East and West coasts of Arabia have been considered as the site. A book written in 1890 by E. Glaser proclaimed Ophir to be on the East coast in view of the three year voyage, which would have been much too long if it had been on the West coast, and he compares it with the cuneiform name "Apir" applied to the North East and North West coasts of the Persian Gulf. The Jewish Encyclopaedia inclines to the view that it is the Western coast of Arabia and feels that there is ample justification for this, especially as there are a number of references in the ancient authors to the rich gold of the South Western coast of Arabia. For instance, according to the Greek historian and geographer Agatharchides who lived in the time of Ptolemy VI and who wrote a treatise on the Red Sea, mines there contained pieces of gold as large as walnuts, although ironically this metal was of little use to the inhabitants. Iron and tin were considered three times more valuable. To take a more up to date opinion one could turn to Edward Ullendorff, Professor of Ethiopian Studies in the University of London. In the Schweich Lectures published for the British Academy as recently as 1968 he notes that although none of the Biblical references reveal an intimate knowledge of Arabia, three South Arabian Kingdoms are mentioned: Saba (Genesis 10, v. 7), Ma'in (Chronicles 1:4:41), Hadramawt (Genesis 10.26). This does prove Jewish contacts with this part of the world in those times. This could just be the vital clue but it is strange, so strange, that the Biblical authors and historians who were so explicit with regard to so many other important features of King Solomon's reign should have left us with this intriguing puzzle.
Article by Brother Raymond L. Karter, P.M., Lodge Montefiore, No. 753, and sourced from the Grand Lodge of Scotland Year Book 1978.
KNOW THYSELF
IN the course of the ceremony of raising a Mason to the Sublime Degree of a Master Mason, as practised in England, the attention of the candidate is drawn to certain emblems [of mortality] which it is hoped will guide his reflections to that most interesting of all human studies, the knowledge of himself. The maxim, "Know thyself," was no new maxim when the ritual of our Masonic ceremonies was expanded and perfected, during the eighteenth century. We know that, far back in the dim distant past, the heather oracles made use of it. Its origin has been ascribed to one who has been universally recognized as the founder of Greek geometry, astronomy and philosophy — Thales of Miletus — who flourished during the sixth century B.C., and was the chief of the Seven Wise Men of Greece. Chilon of Sparta — another of the seven — makes use of the maxim in his writings, and the saying was also inscribed over the entrance of Apollo's Temple at Delphi. Right down the ages this axiom has been quoted and its eternal verity demonstrated. Christian sages have held it in the highest esteem, and we find many passages in the V.S.L. which point out, in clear and unmistakable terms, its sterling worth. For instance, are we not told in Chapter XVII of St. Luke, verse 21, that "the kingdom of God is within you?" There can be no surer way to that haven of eternal happiness and peace than by learning to "Know thyself.”
Coming down to more recent times we find Alexander Pope clothing this maxim in poetic language thus:
"Know then thyself, presume not God to scan;
The proper study of mankind is man."
Later on, in the same poem, the maxim is again brought into focus, and we read:
"That virtue only makes our bliss below, And all our knowledge is, ourselves to know."
It is not surprising, therefore, that Freemasonry, in its system of morality, should point out the desirability for its members to acquire such a knowledge. Many may say that the principle enunciated is self evident, and that it is therefore not necessary to lay stress upon it. It may be true that the advantage of knowing yourself is obvious; but, as the acquisition of that knowledge is by no means easy, and the search after it neglected in so many cases, is it not well that we as Masons should have this truth brought continually to our notice as we listen to the ceremony of the Third Degree? It is to our profit that we should be made to realize the help and guidance that a knowledge of one's self can give, for, as William Hazlitt so truly tells us, "There is nothing that helps a man in his conduct through life more than a knowledge of his own characteristic weaknesses which, guarded against, become his strength." It is for want of such knowledge that men go astray, and utilize their faculties for ignoble ends. There must be no straying into bypaths from the Road of Conscience and Reason; and the precept, "Know thyself," is the best and surest guide, or signpost, to the true road to follow.
Nor is it surprising that this maxim should find its place in the ceremony of the Third Degree, in which are gathered together the fruits of those Degrees which precede it. The Master Mason should consider this charge to "Know thyself," a standing rule of conduct of life, and strive diligently to perfect himself in the necessary knowledge. By the study of ourselves — the sum of wisdom —
those tenets which form the basis of Freemasonry can be observed. By a searching knowledge of ourselves we may hope to steer the bark of this life over the seas of passion without quitting the helm of rectitude, and so subdue our passions and prejudices that they may coincide with the just line of our conduct. As Francis Bacon correctly has it, "knowledge is power." Just as knowledge of outside matters will give to the man who acquires it a power over his more ignorant fellow-men, so also will knowledge of one's self give us a power over those unworthy feelings which tend to be uppermost in most human beings. It is by means of such knowledge that man realizes that he does not live merely for himself, but is part of one vast humanity.
There is no better method of grasping and taking to heart those great Masonic principles, which the brotherhood would instil into all its members, than by following the maxim, "Know thyself." Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth will become real factors in a Mason's life. The spirit of Love, as defined in the V.S.L., becomes a standard for attainment; Charity, in its fullest sense, wells up and fills the heart; and Truth comes to the front, thrusting falsehood and dishonour into the abyss. By acquiring knowledge of yourself the shackles of ignorance and prejudice may be struck off, and the garments of goodness and humility donned. Fortified by such a knowledge all matters are put to the highest test, and only the good retained; also, the voice of conscience becomes strengthened and more audible to declare the true way. In short, it cannot be too strongly brought home to every Mason that it is by introspection that the mind is guided into the right channels; and that by a thorough knowledge of one's self the Mason is given strength and courage to practice, outside in the world, those beautiful principles and tenets he is taught within the
lodge. The truth of the maxim is brought home by its practice, and thus we are made to feel that more wisdom cannot well be crowded into less room than in those two short words, "Know thyself." The immortal Shakespeare must have understood the true inwardness of this precept, for, in Hamlet, when Polonius is expounding certain principles of character to Laertes, he concludes thus:
"This above all — to thine own self be true; And it must follow, as the night the day Thou canst not then be false to any man."
“KNOW
THYSELF”
Bro. Gilbert W. Daynes
The Builder Magazine - November 1925
DID YOU KNOW?
Question: Why do we use the letter “G” to signify the GGOTU rather than the delta, which is the more universal symbol of the deity?
Answer: The ritual mentions the letter G as representing God, the Grand Geometrician of the Universe, but it also represents Geometry which, according to ancient philosophers, was the motive force upon which the world was based.
(Regarding the use of the letter “G” to represent God, makes a good point. However the word for the deity begins with “G” only in English and German, but not in Hebrew, French, or many other languages. It cannot therefore be considered representative of the deity in those other languages. I speculate that it was first used in England for linguistic reasons and that in
a truly universal brotherhood, the Delta would be more appropriate.
Question: Explain the significance of the seven stars.
Wisdom hath builded her house, she hath hewn her Seven Pillars.
Answer: In the Tracing-Board of the Seventeenth Degree, or Knight of the East & West, is the representation of a man clothed in a white robe, with a golden girdle round his waist, his right hand extended and surrounded with seven stars. The Seventeenth is an apocalyptic degree and this symbol is taken for the passage in Revelation (1:16) ―
”and he had in his right hand seven stars”.
It is a symbol of the seven churches of Asia.
Seven Stars in the west: like the seven stars of the Pleiades reminds us of the Vernal Equinox. Summer Solstice, Midsummer‘s Night is one of the four celebrated ancient and scared days, when day is longest, light of the sun at its most powerful; Winter Solstice, the shortest day when the sun is ―reborn‖ of darkness, celebrates new beginning; Autumnal Equinox, the dark night of the soul, is a celebration of the harvest. And the Vernal Equinox, when day and night are in perfect balance, celebrates new life and that reminds us of the symbol with which the Senior Warden is invested, the level. Seven is the sacred number representing to the Hebrews, completion and perfection.
For stars to be seen we wait until the sun sets. Rising in the east, our star sets in the west and brings the necessary darkness.
―”Any old sailor knows, you need night to see the stars”.
Question: What events lead up to the building of King Solomon’s temple?
Answer: It turned out the people who held those tools and helped to build King Solomon’s temple – the Phoenicians from the city of Tyre – may be able to shed some light on these things. Among them were King Hiram, Hiram Abiff, and other masons from that city who share a legacy they brought this heritage included a small yet magnificent temple at Tyre that long processed the one build for King Solomon.
Herodotus, the ancient Greek historian, was one of those who described this earlier temple. I visited the temple, and found it richly adorned with number of offerings, among which were two pillar, one of pure gold and the other of emeralds, shining with great brilliance at night
Herodotus 2; 44
The two pillar standing in front of the this temple would later be echoed in two towering pillars that received the names Jachin and Boaz and came to be the most visible symbol of Solomon’s temple.
It is believe that he city of Tyre was found about 2750BC, incredible enough, the archaeological evidence verified the date given us by Herodotus,. This has now become the commonly accepted date for the origin of Tyre, a city that would come to have impact felt all across the Mediterranean,
The Questions and answers from ‘Did you Know’ were collected from various constitutions across the world, and in no way reflect the views or thoughts of the editor and or his Lodge or Mother Constitution..
Improper Solicitation
Improper Solicitation is a Masonic subject with much diversity from Lodge to Lodge, Province to Province, District to District, and Jurisdiction to Jurisdiction. There is no Grand Lodge written policy on the subject— only tradition—and we all know how varied tradition can be in Masonry.
The decision to join Masonry must come from the candidate himself and it should be based on a favourable opinion preconceived of the institution, a general desire for knowledge, and a sincere wish to render himself more extensively serviceable to his fellow creatures.
Without any information on what Masonry really is, the candidate who answers these questions in the affirmative when they are put to him, is simply agreeing with the principle of the questions, rather than seriously declaring upon his honour that his motives are preconceived based on the knowledge of facts.
It is possible, of course, to have a favourable opinion of Masonry before joining, but not much more than that. A candidate cannot know much more unless the information is supplied to him prior to his initiation ceremony.
Brethren have been heard to say, “No one is ever asked to join the Masons.” As much as it may shock some of you, this statement simply is not true. Many of us were asked if we would like to join; the brethren who asked us to join were also asked to join; and we have heard from many others who have been approached to join the order.
Our Grand Lodge publicly states, "To be one, ask one." This statement is prominently
displayed on the opening page of the Internet website for the whole world to see. But, can this statement be considered a slogan to solicit membership? Just like ‗We try harder‘ (Avis), ‗Good to the last drop‘ (Maxwell House), ‗Breakfast of Champions‘ (Wheaties) and ‗To be one, ask one‘ (Freemasonry). Similarly, instigating a conversation with a friend or family member, who is not a Mason, by stating, "By the way Joe, if you are ever curious about Masonry, just ask. It‘s very interesting and it sure provides me with a lot of pleasure,” would that too be considered soliciting?
I think we all can agree that slogans and similar conversations with friends are definitely forms of solicitation. But what kind of solicitation is it, and is it really permissible? And if it is permissible—then by whom? By our Grand Lodge of course and they lead by setting an obvious example. Especially obvious to those of us who visit their website which has been responsible for many new members.
So—wherein lies the confusion?
“Masonry, being free, requires a perfect freedom of inclination on the part of every candidate for its mysteries.” Thus the candidate agrees that he is joining the order, unbiased by the improper solicitation of friends, and uninfluenced by mercenary or other unworthy motives. The word "improper" is used advisedly and deliberately. It is referring to the “kind” of solicitation. It may be argued that its use implies that any kind of solicitation is improper, but if that is the case, how much stronger the sentence would be if the word “improper” was left out altogether, and read “unbiased by the solicitation of friends.”
Thus it is valid judgment that there is indeed a proper solicitation and an improper solicitation.
The dictionary states: Solicitation: -to ask; -importune; -invite; -beg; -implore;crave; and oddly enough, in that precise order. The definition of the word itself is quite varied in its expressiveness. And don't neglect the word “unbiased” which is referring to the candidate‘s own behaviour towards an improper solicitation. For without that behavioural concept, a candidate, receiving an improper solicitation by an over-enthusiastic Mason, would be automatically disqualified by actions other then his own. But with its inclusion, it is the candidate who will determine the factors which effected his decision to join the order.
Improper solicitation may include such things as: offering special inducements to join; the offer of speedy advancement in office; the suggestion of material gain; not ensuring that the man is honourable; that there is no effort expected from the candidate; that maintaining his job depends on joining; that his wife cannot join Eastern Star unless he joins; and so on.
If you have a friend or family member and you believe he is “good material” for Masonry, and you think he would enjoy being a member, why not tell him some of the things that may properly be told about Masonry. In fact, the truth is, Masonry is too good to keep to your self, it should be shared with someone you love and respect. Many of the greatest things about Freemasonry, and of being a Mason, are not Masonic secrets and should be shared, and without the necessity of waiting to be asked first.
Our Grand Master has said many times, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works.” Taking that one step further your pride in being a Mason should also shine and with every opportunity.
There are some things that should definitively be shared with all prospective
members: a belief in a Supreme Being who has revealed His divine will and rewards virtue and punishes vice is necessary; we are founded on the purest principles of piety and virtue; possess great and invaluable privileges for worthy men; that it is philosophy of life, which if practised by men the world over, would bring about peace and happiness; a beautiful system of moral instruction; and a friendly atmosphere in which all men may find brotherly love. You would be surprised how attractive that information sounds when you express those sentiments, using your own words and experiences, to a friend or family member.
And tell your friend that memory work will be expected of him and why. Memory work is a valuable tool used in our rituals to constantly improve the intellect of all our members, and a scientifically proven aid in the preservation of our mental faculties as we age. It is a tool which, once accepted for what it can and will do, will be embraced by him and very much appreciated by others. Thus making a good man better.
Suggest to him that he might find real pleasure in being a member of our Order. But then leave it to him, “of his own free will and accord,” to come to a decision.
Remember that many men are quick studies and an application form should always be handy. In fact, a carefully prepared information letter, covering some of the topics above and attached to the application form is a good idea.
How much better it is, when an applicant for Masonry knows definitely what kind of institution he is joining, rather than joining in ignorance, paying his fee, and finding after taking his first degree, that he did not get what he expected, so we see him no more.
In conclusion, let us discuss the reward that is waiting for you because you shared
Freemasonry. You will receive profound pleasure when you sponsor, and mentor, a candidate. It takes place as you observe this man over the years, as he, and his family, mature and develop within his Masonic journey. The reward is the feeling of pride in knowing that you were an important component in making his journey of a lifetime possible. I realize it sounds selfish when one seeks rewards within Masonry, but in this singular case, I believe – selfish is good.
This is from our Regular feature of articles under the title, “Reflections.” Articles from all around the world from a variety of Constitutions and authors and adapted to use in SRA76.
Famous Freemasons Tony Allcock
“For a seemingly simple game, bowls is a highly complex sport and Tony Allcock is one of its greatest and most complex champions. ‘The Daily Telegraph’ (February 2003)
Anthony Allcock OBE (born 1955) is an English bowls player. Born in
Leicestershire, England, he is considered to be one of the leading bowlers of his generation and was twice world outdoor singles champion (1992 and 1996) and three times World Indoor Singles Champion (1986, 1987 and 2002).
Allcock won double gold at the 1980 World Outdoor Bowls Championship in Melbourne in the team event (Leonard Cup) and triples with Jimmy Hobday and the legendary David Bryant. Four years later he won two more medals including the gold medal in the fours with George Turley, John Bell and Julian Haines at the 1984 World Outdoor Bowls Championship in Aberdeen. After winning three more medals at the 1988 World Outdoor Bowls Championship in Auckland he went on to win two singles gold medals at successive championships. They were at the 1992 World Outdoor Bowls Championship in Worthing and the 1996 World Outdoor Bowls Championship in Adelaide. With his eleven world indoor titles he has won seventeen world titles in total.
Allcock played in three successive Commonwealth Games in 1990, 1994 and 1998. He won singles silver medal in the 1994 Commonwealth Games in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.
Allcock was also three times singles and eight times pairs champion at the World Indoor Bowls Championships. The singles wins were in 1986, 1987 and 2002 and the pairs (six with David Bryant) were in 1986, 1987, 1989, 1990 1991, 1992 (and one each with Mervyn King and David Holt) were in 1997 and 2003.
He has won eight National Championship titles, singles (1990, 1991), triples (1990, 1995), fours (1994) and junior singles (1975, 1977, 1981) bowling for Belgrave BC and then Cheltenham BC. He has also won the
singles at the British Isles Bowls Championships in 1992.
Allcock was appointed the bowls performance coach for the England team at the 2002 Commonwealth Games, the year he retired from playing bowls, became the Chief Executive of Bowls England.
Having been appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 1989 New Year Honours for services to bowls, he was promoted to Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2019 Birthday Honours for services to lawn bowls. Successful in virtually all he attempts, Tony Allcock is a champion horseman and, in 2002, even won a medal at Crufts - for his dog of course!
In the 2023, Tony was the Worshipful Master of the Connaught Lodge No. 3270 –the canine special interest Lodge that has a large membership of Kennel Club members. He was initiated into the Lodge at an early age.
Sources –UGLE, Freemasonry Today Wikipedia
All of whom we give our grateful thanks!!
Preparation, Practice and Performance & Masonic Speech Making
One of the most satisfying and enjoyable experiences for the active and enthusiastic Freemason is to have taken part, as Master of his Lodge, in one of the ceremonies, and participating in the ritual to a standard that can only be described as “Satisfaction to yourself and advantage to your Lodge”.
This would have only been possible as a result of hours of intensive learning, and committing to memory the lines of the ritual, combined with careful preparation in rehearsal and delivery.
What is quite incomprehensible is the performance of the Master later at the Festive Board, who stumbles along with absolutely no idea how to rule and direct his Lodge. He then proceeds to deliver what is often a boring, incoherent, irrelevant and unimaginative Response to his Toast.
Why does this happen?
The reason is simple. The Brother involved does not understand that there is absolutely no difference between the control of procedure at the Festive Board and Masonic speech-making as there is in the technique for the governing of the proceedings, and the enactment of the ritual in the Temple.
This can be summarised in three simple words: Preparation, Practice and Performance. To become a great ritualist requires training and dedication. This applies equally to becoming an accomplished Master of a Masonic Lodge.
It is a sad reflection on the preparation of the Master-Elect, who in many Lodges is
installed into the chair and immediately comes under the control of the secretary, the director of ceremonies, or a host of the Lodge elders who seem to forget that their status in the Lodge is one of Past Master.
It is the duty and responsibility of the Master to rule and direct his Lodge. If he is so weak that he needs the constant supervision and instruction from senior members of the Lodge, this is a reflection upon them, that they have not trained him properly in preparation for his high office.
To be in control requires certain management skills that need to be acquired well in advance of a brother’s installation into the chair of his Lodge.
The procedure at the Festive Board should be an established sequence of events that includes the formal Toast List. It should be set out as a written plan and course of action to be followed by the Master and his director of ceremonies.
This should even include directions about when to stand, when to gavel, and who is to control the Masonic fire. This may be an established custom within the Lodge, but it needs to be set out in such a format that will enable the Master and his principal officers to control the proceedings smoothly with dignity and style.
In most Lodges it is the established practice of ‘Taking Wine’ during the meal. This is frequently undertaken to excess, causing disruption during the serving of the various courses, which is dangerous if food is being served. It is also totally unnecessary, causing inconvenience to brethren who are eating their meal. In fact, it is bad manners.
This tradition at the Festive Board is one of ancient usage, when every brother could challenge anyone at will to take wine. The
result was total bedlam. Grand Lodge decreed that the practice should stop and that taking wine at the table should be the prerogative of the Master.
By tradition, the Master takes wine for the first time with his Wardens, then no-one will join. It is then a sensible arrangement for the Master to take wine with everyone, which covers all those present. The exception could be at Installations, when VIPs are present, or the rare occasion when the Master may decide otherwise. Any further taking of wine is purely repetition and should be discouraged. It is tedious and does not make sense.
Preparation for high office should not begin months before Installation, but years. As a brother approaches senior office, the demand on him as a good public speaker becomes paramount. If he is about to become a Warden, he will face the prospect of having to make a contribution to the Toasts on every occasion for several years ahead.
It is the practice in many Lodges for the Junior Warden to propose the toast to the visitors, and the Senior Warden proposes the toast to the Master. The Master responds to his toast on each occasion. This can amount to 20 after-dinner speeches over the period of three years!
This can be a most formidable scenario for a brother who, in addition to his duties as a Warden, will also be engaged in the task of studying the three Craft Degrees and the Installation Ceremony from the Chair.
It becomes easy to understand the wisdom of a prospective Master to have engaged in preparation well in advance.
To write a speech, not under pressure, months if not years in advance is very sound preparation for the Masonic future.
It now becomes clear that to prepare for high office is not just about learning the ritual, it is also about the task of speech preparation. If speech-making is about planning in advance by the creation of the ‘skeleton’, then clothing it with sensible thought and then storing it away for the future is the solution.
It does not matter if, when the time comes, the content needs to be modified to suit the occasion. This is relatively simple because the hard work has been done well in advance.
Let us look at the toast to the Master:
Leadership by example – the direction and management of the Lodge; Pledge of support by the brethren; Pride to see the Master having reached his goal – inspiration to others; Congratulation on his polish and style in the Chair – his courtesy; The meaning of the Master’s Song in relation to the present incumbent. A simple booklet about leadership or managerial control will provide all the ideas necessary for this subject. Most important is the Master’s response:
Gratitude, pride of achievements, another milestone in the history of the Lodge; Friendship and support received; Pleasurable memories; Pledge of continued support for the Lodge. Finally, let us take a look at the toast to the visitors
Hospitality; Privilege to entertain visitors; The objective of Freemasonry is friendship. Every Christmas a small, delightful book is published called The Friendship Book, written by Francis Gay and published by D.C. Thompson & Co Ltd, and is available at all leading booksellers.
It contains a ‘Thought for each day of the forthcoming year’ and is all about friendship,. This book provides an inexhaustible supply of wonderful material for the speech-writer for the visitors’ toast.
Humour is an important ingredient in afterdinner speaking. However, to be entertaining and amusing does not mean that you must shower them with irrelevant jokes (often in bad taste) in the misguided belief that after-dinner speaking is about telling funny stories. It is not!
A relevant tale will add considerably to a speaker’s toast or response, but it needs to be very carefully introduced. It must illustrate a point that the speaker is making.
Another golden rule’ is never read your speech – always speak from notes. Try to avoid holding the papers in your hand, because if you are slightly nervous the papers will tremble, notifying to the audience that you are nervous.
The experienced speaker will write ‘bullet points’ down on a simple white card as a guide. These will be discreetly placed on the table in front of the speaker. Your eyes should sweep across the notes, and your audience should not be aware that you are collecting information from the bullet points in front of you.
In conclusion and most important – a cardinal rule of our fraternity – never, never permit or allow anyone to tell a rude or risqué joke at any Masonic Festive Board, under any circumstances whatsoever. It is against the Tenets of the Craft.
Ray Hollins is the author of A Daily Advancement in Masonic Knowledge: One Hundred Short Talks on the Craft. This article sourced from Freemasonry Matters.
A PASS AT THE RIVER JORDAN
You Say ‘Tomato, I say To-Mah-To’
The following Biblical account is from the first seven verses of the twelfth Chapter of Judges. It is the source material for the familiar Masonic story as told by the Senior Deacon as he conducts a brother Fellowcraft on his way to the Middle Chamber.
Then the men of Ephraim gathered together, crossed over toward Zaphon, and said to Jephthah, “Why did you cross over to fight against the people of Ammon, and did not call us to go with you? We will burn your house down upon you with fire!”
And Jephthah said to them, “My people and I were in a great struggle with the people of Ammon; and when I called you, you did not deliver me out of their hands. So when I saw that you would not deliver me, I took my life in my hands and crossed over against the people of Ammon; and the LORD delivered them into my hand. Why then have you come up to me this day to fight against me?
Now Jephthah gathered together all the men of Gilead and fought against Ephraim. And the men of Gilead defeated Ephraim. The Gileadites seized the fords of the Jordan before the Ephraimites arrived. And when any Ephraimite who escaped said, “Let me cross over,” the men of Gilead would say to him, “Are you an Ephraimite?” If he said, “No,” then they would say to him, “Then say, ‘Shibboleth’!”(שבלת) And he would say, “Sibboleth,”(סבלת) for he could not pronounce the word right. Then they would take him and kill him at the fords of the Jordan. There fell at that time forty and two thousand Ephraimites.
I raise a point for you to consider: The chance that forty-two thousand Ephraimites were killed at the passages of the Jordan is highly unlikely; forty, plus two thousand, is generally considered to be a much more likely figure. At the very least the words are open to either interpretation, and I’m sure have resulted in lots of questions about the way those words are presented in our ritual. To borrow another phrase…‘What means this confusion?’
Mispronunciation of a password, marking the user as true enemy, is a device used several times since Sibboleth betrayed the Ephraimites. On November 2, 1002, Saxons used Chichester Church as a test word; if pronounced softly, the speaker was a Saxon and spared; if hard, he was a Dane and killed. Then in 1282 as the French were massacred by Sicilians; the test was the word for dried peas. One pronouncing it checkaree satisfied the soldiers that he was a Sicilian; if he said siseri, he was known to be a Frenchman and was quickly dispatched.
In 1840 the Egyptians returned across the Jordan from a campaign to drive the Turks from their country. Resentful at being forced to help Egyptians, the Syrian Army seized some of the Jordan crossings and asked those who attempted to cross to pronounce the word for Camel: Jamel. The Egyptian language has no soft J sound, so when they answered Gamel, like their prototypes among the Ephraimites, they were slain at the passage of the river Jordan.
History records yet another time a test word was used at the Jordan. In the great world war, the Turks were met at the fords by the Syrians who demanded of those who would pass that they pronounce the Syrian word for onion. Those who said buzzel passed safely; those who said bussel were immediately killed.
Shibboleth is a word of many meanings, both Masonically and Biblically. In my research for this ‘nugget’ I consulted a friend who is a Rabbi. He accessed the Hebrew Bible for the meaning of the word, with the following interesting results:
Shibboleth appears in Zacharias 4:12, and is translated as Branch. In Isaiah 27:12, the translation is: Channel. From Genesis 41, Ruth 2, and Job 24 the translation is Corn, or Ears of Corn. And finally from Psalms 69 it comes to mean a Water Flood.
According to a modern dictionary shibboleth means ‘…a test word or pet phrase of a party; a watchword’. In my research I found this example: ‘Opposition to internal improvements became a Democratic shibboleth’ (that’s a quote from Harpers Monthly, July, 1892). Masonically, Shibboleth means a stream of flowing water, and corn, or a shock of wheat; and Masons around the world today recognize all three as emblems of plenty.
It is quite human to see our own ideas as correct and the other fellows as wrong. South Carolina ritual, Mackey’s home state, uses the word waterfall, Iowa, Colorado, and Virginia among others, use the word Waterford. So, you as a seeker of Light in your Masonic journey, must judge which is correct by argument rather than by weight of authority that is attached to such names as Mackey, Hunt, or Evans. Then again, I suppose it comes down to what the Grand Lodge ritualists have to say on the matter. So, it’s more than just calling it a tomato, or a ‘tomah-to’.
Another ‘nugget from the quarry of Freemasonry’. By Douglas M. Messimer, PM Tuckahoe Lodge 347, #84 in a series of articles from 7/16.
THE LECTURE AT THE NORTH EAST CORNER
Over the last couple of years, I’ve had the privilege of delivering the Northeast Corner lecture to all of our Lodge’s Entered Apprentice Masons. It’s one of my favourite lectures, and being that it’s given toward the end of the Degree, you have a real opportunity to leave a lasting impression on each candidate.
In my view, this lecture has four major components:
The Ground Floor
Darkness Versus Light
The Symbolic Cornerstone
The Temple Portrayal
The Ground Floor
The lecture gives the newly-initiated Mason his bearing within the Temple; the First Degree represents the ground floor.
We’ve had some interesting discussions during Lodge about this. One Brother gave a presentation where he suggested that the “ground floor” may not be the ground floor of the Temple itself, but rather that it may allude to the grounds just outside the Temple walls — where much of the construction was underway. He stated that when operative lodges were erected on-site, they could have been built in a manner in which the northern wall was the permanent wall of the structure-being-built. The western, southern, and eastern walls would be temporary. If constructed in this manner, the northern portion of the lodge would literally be dark; no light would be able to reach that portion of the lodge room.
Regardless of your view on where the “ground floor” is, the lecture is important,
because it “grounds” the candidate by giving them a starting point. It allows the first three Degrees to be a story of moving inward and upward. If we’re going to use the candidate’s placement in this position as a symbol, we have to give them the proper context.
Darkness Versus Light
The best explanation for this portion of the lecture that I’ve ever read was written by W. Bro. Rob Lund in his paper, The Deeper Meaning of the Entered Apprentice Degree.
The N.E. corner has great symbolic significance. It is the meeting place of darkness and light (the sun rises in the East, travels across the sky in the south, leaving the north always in shadow). The N.E. angle represents the Candidate’s own condition. Standing at this point, he can, at will, advance further East, to the Light, or relapse into darkness in the North; it rests with him as to which direction his life will take. He is to regard himself as a “foundation-stone,” and the material for raising thereon a “super-structure.” This expression means something more than just character-building: it refers to building, within himself, a spiritual Temple.
As human beings, we are flawed. The ability to choose right over wrong, or good over evil, is always within us. It’s not always easy, and it takes a concerted effort on our part to make the right choices as often as possible.
We like to believe that our Craft “takes good men and makes them better.” What real purpose does that serve? Is it for the benefit of the man — the individual Mason? I think that you could convincingly argue so, but I also believe that there is a larger issue at stake. A small portion of the prayer said at Closing:
…as we are about to separate and return to our respective places of abode, wilt thou be pleased so to influence our hearts and minds, that we may each one of us practice, out of the Lodge, those great moral duties which are inculcated in it…
We strive to hold ourselves to a higher standard — to be mindful of ourselves and our surroundings at all time. Each day, we are supposed to be better than we were the day before. Freemasons are supposed to be the builders of things, what are we building?
The Symbolic Cornerstone
The Entered Apprentice Degree is the first step forward, Masonically, for a lot of different things. If self-improvement is one of our aims, then yes, we are building ourselves into better men. More importantly, my belief is that we’re trying to build a better family, a better community, and as an extension, a better civilization.
It’s imperative that we set the right standards for our children — that we help shape them into men and women of good character. We do this, in part, by serving as the best role models we can possibly be. None of us are perfect, but we should try to be. And when we fall, it’s important that they see us pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and try again.
We lose sight, some times, of what really matters. The number of Masons in a Lodge or within the Craft aren’t what’s important. I would love for my sons to follow me into the Fraternity some day, but I’m more concerned with seeing them step out onto their own as capable men — men who aren’t afraid to try — and men that others would want to emulate.
If we can live as an example of good character and morals for others, and if it
encourages others to make the right decisions, we’re doing the work of the Lodge. And while Freemasonry helps us set the cornerstone within our own temples, each of us serves as the cornerstone within our families and communities.
The Temple Portrayal
The final portion of the lecture, at its heart, does a very good job of introducing the Candidate to what the first three Degrees are really about. We are the temple being built. And as taught during the Working Tools lecture, we’re also working to make ourselves into suitable “stones” for the “Builder’s” use. My personal view regarding this is, we’re doing our best to fit neatly into the world. We build ourselves in the hopes that we may help others to build themselves.
The concept of building ourselves as a temple — with the designs for the completed temple already in-mind — is our first real glimpse at the common theme that sits at the heart of the Second Degree: the Letter G and the Moral Advantages of Geometry. We see this same symbolism in the Rough Ashlar and the Perfect Ashlar. It’s the culmination of all of the lessons we’re to learn from our Working Tool lectures. It’s presented during the “final act” of the Third Degree. We impart the same lesson over and over again, because it is critically important that every Mason understands. Each example that I’ve cited uses a different approach, I believe, because each set of symbols resonates differently with everyone. Every one of them carries subtle nuances that sets it apart, but they’re all so similar.
I’ll close with a quote from the lecture itself and a couple of comments:
To fulfil its purpose both in design and effect, that is, the support of the structure
whose erection it precedes, it should be composed of materials that will outlast all other materials in the building. So that, when that eternal ocean, whose waves are years, shall have engulfed all who were present at the laying ceremonies, the cornerstone shall remain…
I take this passage to have (at least) two additional meanings that stand separately from the standard “building yourself as a temple” symbolism.
1. If we serve as the cornerstones within our families, we provide stability when everything around us appears to be unravelling. When everyone begins to lose their way due to some outside event, our job is to serve as the anchor point.
2. In the end, Time will triumph over us all. It will grind us down, and it will ravage us. Our names and every memory that anyone has ever had regarding us will be lost. The cornerstone is that vital set of principles that you teach to future generations and those around you. If we are able to safely carry forward those noble virtues that we hold in the highest regard, we’re doing our part to push back darkness. Time may lay waste to our every memory, but it won’t be able to erode the cornerstone that we helped preserve.
This is the bedrock of civilization.
This excellent paper was sourced from the Noble Science and Royal Art blog, published in August 2017 by an unknown author in the USA, to whom our thanks go. Editor.
Acacia
FROM the first solemn moment when the elected candidate hears the Charge in the anteroom and learns of "that humble and reverent attitude it is now your duty to assume, as all have done who have gone this way before you," to that sublime instant when the Fellowcraft is raised, a Master Mason, the three degrees march steadily forward through a lifetime of teaching, always promising "more light," always holding out a hope of a Great Lesson to be learned, a Great Secret to come into the heart.
The Great Secret is the Great Mystery ... it is no secret in the sense that it must not be told, for Bible, Church and Freemasonry herald it to all men; the truth of immortality and a life beyond.
There are earnest seekers after Masonic truth who differentiate between immortality, a future life, and eternal life. All of them carefully avoid ... as will the present writer! ... a discussion of the logic that a future life connotes one which is past, that an eternal life cannot have a beginning and that an immortal spirit must always have been immortal even as it is to be immortal after death. With such questions of metaphysics neither this book nor Freemasonry have anything in common.
For the belief of which the Sprig of Acacia is a symbol is not in Freemasonry complicated
with doctrinal discussions, with any dogma of the kind of life after death, or any arguments as to where or how it may be lived. It is a plain and simple secret which is no secret; it is set forth in the degree in language which the simplest-minded may understand, and made a part of the ceremony by means which the most objective intelligence may comprehend.
In the beautiful funeral ceremony of a Freemason we read of the Sprig of Acacia, "This evergreen, which once marked the resting place of the illustrious dead, is an emblem of the immortality of the soul."
The whole drama of the Master Mason Degree is of immortality; a teaching that while to all men comes death, there are no ruffians, no betrayals, no falsities, no untoward happenings in life as we plan it, which can affect the ultimate life beyond the grave.
To the vast majority of mankind it is a fact that no immortal soul ever returns, from beyond that veil drawn aside at death to let the life pass from the clay, to tell us of what is upon the other side. The materialist argues ... and with logic from the material standpoint ... that this failure of material evidence, in all the thousands of years of which we have record, is proof that there is no life after the body dies. The falsity of the argument is the same as that noted in another chapter as between the scientist who wants evidence only of the mind, while the man of faith will hear no evidence save that of the heart. The materialist and the Freemason speak different languages; no wonder they cannot understand each other!
Can the materialist who loves his child draw a mathematical demonstration of that love upon a trestle board, or prove it by the rule of three? Can he bring aught save verbal testimony or circumstantial evidence of action, to prove in a court of law the feeling in his heart for his baby? Of course he cannot; yet the feeling is there. Freemasonry does not need the mathematical or the legal evidence which satisfies the scientist that a ball drops, a world
revolves, a solar system moves according to law, to prove her simple doctrine of the deathlessness of life.
The Sprig of Acacia is to us a symbol of immortality not only because of our use of it in our degree, but because it was very anciently so. In Egyptian mythology, it was a shrub of erica, or tamarisk, which grew up into a tree about the body of Osiris and protected it so that it was preserved for Isis to find. The acacia or tamarisk was a holy wood to the Arabs of long ago; they noted that a post of the wood, planted, often grew again. We know the acacia or evergreen as a tree which retains its outward appearance of life when in the winter all else of plant life seems to die. We know how and why it is used in the Master Mason degree, and of what it means to all "who have gone this way before."
But like many another symbol of Freemasonry, there is another beside the outward and visible meaning; there is an inner, covered meaning to the Sprig of Acacia, which will mean much to any Freemason who will ponder it until it becomes a part of him. The doctrine of immortality of the soul is man's ultimate hope; it is his all as far as the future is concerned. And it may appear difficult to think of any inner or covered meaning which could go beyond this.
Yet has it not been written, "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God so that the things which are seen were not made of things which do appear."
In past ages men have lived and died in faiths, beliefs, moral certainties, which to-day could not be substantiated. A large part of the world to-day has utter faith in that which other equally as large parts of the world are quite convinced isn't so! For instance, a number of very learned and brainy men believe in the reality of the phenomena of spiritualism. An equal number of equally learned and brainy
men prove to their own satisfaction that the first set of learned and brainy men are badly mistaken.
A large number of very religious and devout people worship stone images as humbly and as sincerely as others worship God.
There are a number of wholly sincere people who truly believe the world is flat, the general consensus of opinion to the contrary notwithstanding.
The unthinking say: "But they can't all be right!"
In the larger view, any sincere and honest belief is right. That it is or is not correct, can hardly matter in the great scheme of things. An all-wise and all-loving Creator must look with equal love both upon his savage children who worship Him as the sun, or as fire, or the god who whispers in the wind, and upon their more civilized brethren who adore Him as wholly unseen and unknown.
For we are taught in all religions, and in every act and walk of life, that the important thing is faith. Not that in which faith is had, but the faith, itself, the belief, the utter confidence that "things which are seen were not made of things which do appear."
Faith, it is said, will move mountains; but is it important that mountains move? The important thing is to have faith; whether the faith be in something which is or is not an eternal verity, matters little a hundred years from now. But the living influence of the man who believes something with his whole heart and acts by his belief, will continue long after he himself is clay.
A homely illustration which every man who is a father knows at first hand may make this the plainer; our small boy or girl believes, up to the age of six or thereabouts, that Father knows everything, is all wise, all powerful, all good. It isn't so, of course — we are but
human. But the belief is so; and on that belief small son and daughter found their conduct, fear parental censure, look forward to Father's praise. It is the belief, not whether what is believed is true or not, that moulds the child.
It is that we, grown-up children of the Great Architect, believe something, have a conviction and hew to it as best we may, that counts. Whether we call Him God, or Christ, or Jehovah, or Siva, or Brahma, or Buddha; whether we worship Him in a church, outdoors or in our bedroom, whether we see His manifestation in a round earth or a flat one, a spiritualistic seance or Masonic lodge, whether we believe in a future life or a life immortal; whether we believe in reincarnation or a series of seven heavens, or the Nirvana of the Buddhist, or the Christian orthodox heaven of golden streets and flowing milk and honey, or some other conception of what happens to the soul after it passes from the body; these things matter little. What does matter is that we do believe; that we do have faith.
That, then, is what seems to the writer the hidden meaning of the symbol of the Sprig of Acacia; it is an emblem not only of immortality, but of faith; of belief in that which cannot be seen, cannot be demonstrated, cannot be shown by evidence.
Who has it may believe what he will; he is happy in that belief, and constant in his reverence for Deity. Who has it not may not substitute scientific proof, evidence, demonstration; his heart will not be satisfied, and at the last his soul will still be hungry.
The Sprig of Acacia is all of a promise; but it is far more; it is a symbol of that, and only that, which can bring peace and happiness to the spirit.
This is the Twenty-eighth article in our regular feature, ‘Foreign Countries,’ by Carl Claudy.
It is no Secret.
It is no secret that many of Masonry's noblest and beautiful teachings are from both the Old and New Testaments. It is no secret that the Bible holds the central position as the great light of Masonry. It is no secret that Masons love and revere the Bible nor is it a secret that Masonry helped to preserve it in the darkest age of the church when infidelity sought to destroy it. The Bible meets Masons with its sacred message at every step of progress in its various degrees.
It is no secret that high above Masonry's steeple is the ever watchful and all Seeing Eye of Almighty God. Every part of its foundation walls are beautifully built and artistically fashioned by the Supreme Architect of the Universe with the plumb, level and square. The hope of eternal life and assurance of the resurrection to new existence beam from the light of the altar. Its walls are a refuge from the tears and cares of life, and its roof a shelter from the pitiless storms of diversity and grief. Its treasury is opened to the destitute, and relief stands ever ready for the poor. Its cornerstone rests upon the four quarters of the Earth and its doors are never closed to a worthy man. Every man comes of his own free will and accord. This is Masonry!
Besides Masonry's great respect for God and reverence for the Holy Book there are other great doctrines and principles that contribute to the greatness and the important influence of Ancient Freemasonry.
From King Solomon's Temple the great Masonic Fraternity came forth, and its footsteps may be traced through the ages to the present day. Masonry has played an important part in the moulding and making
of America and in fashioning its fundamental laws and life.
While the true secrets of Masonry are lodged safely in the repository of faithful breasts, there are many things Masonry teaches that are not secret. It is certainly no secret that the principal purpose of Masonry is first, last and always to produce the finest, noblest type of character through fellowship and mutual helpfulness. Masonry is a progressive discipline. Its members are "seekers" and "strivers" after light and truth by which to live wisely and harmoniously. Ever striving toward a high standard of conduct, Masonry is always a moral discipline. In the struggle for moral excellence, as in the building of King Solomon's Temple, the Supreme Architect is both indispensable and invaluable.
The whole superstructure of Masonry rests upon the Supreme Architect. There are no atheists in Masonry. The universe is viewed as one vast structure which owes its existence to the Supreme Architect. Man, too, is a builder engaged in constructing a Temple of character with which he is supplied materials, patterns and instruments to build.
The purity and innocence symbolized by the Lamb's Skin which he is required to keep unsoiled represent the Mason's highest honour. There is scarcely a page of Masonic Ritual that does not urge the cultivation of the virtue of purity. Necessity is thus laid on Masons to subdue their passions and to acquire the art of selfcontrol. Masonry seeks to build a better world by building better individuals.
It is no secret that with the mournful movement of spade and coffin the Mason is reminded of his end. Death terminates his journey! Death ends man's earthly labours
and seals his account for the Supreme Architect to judge.
It is no secret that Masonry teaches the immortality of the soul. The resurrection of the body from the grave is indelibly stamped upon the Mason's mind. While memory holds her seat among the casualties of his soul the Mason can never forget this sacred lesson.
And crowning it all with beautiful lily work, Masons put into practice what they say about brotherly love. "Behold, how good and how pleasant IT IS for brethren to dwell together in unity!" Masons favour no man for his wealth and frown on no man because of his poverty. Freemasonry shows no deference to learning or nobility. The ground is wondrously level at its altar.
At its altar the oily tongue of slander is silenced. Hatred, envy and malice are buried in oblivion, and faults are forgotten. Masons stand by each other. They uphold each other both in life and in death.
Charity is indeed one of the most beautiful columns in the Temple of Masonry. Masonry never wearies of stressing the need for charity. To sympathize with each other in misfortune, to be compassionate for another's miseries and to return peace to troubled minds are among the great aims of Masonry.
All Masons obligate themselves to help, aid, and assist the poor, the distressed, the widows and orphans. Nor is charity restricted to fellow Masons only, but extended to all. It shares the common bonds of race as children of one great Creator, and seeks to unite men of every race, colour, sect and opinion. Masonry practices the Golden Rule and seeks always to eliminate divisive forces which build walls between people.
The compass enables the Mason to draw a perfect circle, to work to the end that harmony and peace may eventually encircle the world. It offers relief to the helpless, wraps the drapery of charity over homes darkened by sorrow, wipes tears away, soothes sorrows, feeds the hungry, heals the sick, and ministers to the burned and crippled.
Where in all the annals of time is such an organization to be found outside the church? Yet it is not secret that Masonry is not a religion, not a church. A good Mason keeps his priorities in order. Masonry respects every man's right to the religion of his choice and never claims or desires to be any man's religion or a substitute for it. Masons believe in tolerance. Masonry helps and encourages a man to be a better church member, and a good church member usually makes a good Mason. Some of the most religious persons I have ever known have been Masons. For any person to allow Masonry to become his religion or to take the place of his church is a mistake and due to Masonic teaching but to someone's misinterpretation or misunderstanding.
It is no secret that Masonry helps men be better men and to build a better world. Masonry is a living epistle, known and read of all men, declaring to the world that it is a true and tried organization, a great and wonderful fraternity of fellowship, charity and benevolence.
It is no Secret
Dr. James P. Wesberry Sunday Masonic Paper
“As free-thinking or Speculative Masons, I cannot tell you how to think, nor can I tell you what to think, but hopefully I can give you something to think about.”
Humility and Integrity
Humility is defined by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary as “the absence of any feelings of being better than others” or “the quality or state of being humble”. It lists as synonyms “demureness, humbleness, lowliness, meekness, retiringness and unpretentious”. When we look up the word unpretentious we find “free from ostentation, elegance or affectation”. When we look up the word humble we find “not proud or haughty: not arrogant or assertive”. Humility is a quality or characteristic ascribed to a person who is considered to be humble. A humble person is generally thought to be unpretentious and modest: someone who does not think that he or she is better or more important than others.
Humility is not to be confused with humiliation, which is the act of making someone else feel ashamed, and is something completely different. Unfortunately people who do not possess some level of humility will often end up humiliating others by their arrogance or conceit.
We have all seen the humble man in Lodge and in our daily lives: the man who goes about his work and membership unpretentiously and without fanfare. One of the common threads amongst these men is their servant nature which almost by definition makes them pillars of humility.
Genuine humility doesn't draw attention to itself, so it has a tendency to be overlooked by people. Of course, there are times people do not see it, because it is truly absent. But perhaps the greatest problem for many is that they have a false or distorted idea of what humility is. And this misunderstanding
may be true not only of the person being observed (and talked about), but also of those who are making the observations.
Some people believe that humility consists of merely belittling themselves. Let’s be clear about something though. Humility is not inferiority. These men are strong and independent; they are just modest about their ways. They have high self esteem, just not the need to be boastful or showy about their ways.
It has been said that a wise person acts without claiming the results as his; he achieves his merit and does not rest arrogantly in it; he does not wish to display his superiority. This, my brethren, is humility.
Genuine humility is also an expression of all that is intended in the second greatest commandment of love toward our neighbour (Matthew 22:39-40). The truly humble person does not exalt himself above others, but he has a "servant's heart" - just like Jesus did. He considers others as more important, and tries to exalt them or lift them up. He desires to treat others as better than himself because he truly considers them as deserving to be treated that way.
Another character trait of a Mason is integrity. The Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines integrity as 1: the firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values (incorruptibility), 2: an unimpaired condition (soundness) and 3: the quality or state of being complete or undivided (completeness). It lists as a synonym honesty. But my brethren, is this all there is to integrity?
Integrity is apparently one of the most important and often mentioned of virtue terms. It is also perhaps the most puzzling. For example, while it is sometimes used virtually synonymously with „moral,‟ we
also at times distinguish acting morally from acting with integrity. Persons of integrity may in fact act immorally - though they often might not know they are acting immorally. Thus one may acknowledge a person to have integrity even though that person may hold importantly mistaken moral views.
You might also hear people speak of the integrity of a wilderness region or an ecosystem, a computerized database, a defense system, a work of art, and so on. When it is applied to objects, integrity refers to the wholeness, intactness or purity of a thing - meanings that are sometimes carried over when it is applied to people.
When used as a virtue term, “integrity‟ refers to the quality of a person's character. We speak of attributes such as professional, intellectual and artistic integrity. However, the most philosophically important sense of the term “integrity‟ relates to general character.
Over the years philosophers have specifically tried to understand what it is for a person to exhibit integrity throughout life. Acting with integrity on some particularly important occasion will, philosophically speaking, always be explained in terms of broader features of a person's character and life.
The question for us that needs exploring and understanding is “What is it to be a man of integrity”? Ordinary discussion about integrity often involves two fundamental intuitions: firstly, that integrity is mainly a formal relation one has to oneself, or between parts or aspects of one's self; and second, that integrity is connected in an important way to acting morally. How these two thoughts can be incorporated into a consistent theory of integrity is not obvious, and most accounts of integrity tend to focus on one of these to the detriment of the other.
A number of thoughts have been advanced, the most important of them being: (i) integrity as the integration of self; (ii) integrity as maintenance of identity; (iii) integrity as standing for something; (iv) integrity as moral purpose; and (v) integrity as a virtue.
Integrity is a matter of people integrating various parts of their personality into a harmonious, intact whole self. When we understand integrity this way, the integrity of a person becomes the same or similar to the integrity of things. Integrity is primarily a matter of keeping oneself intact and uncorrupted. A related approach to integrity is to think of it primarily in terms of a person holding steadfast to their commitments rather than ordering or endorsing desires.
Brethren, in preparing for this talk I have discovered that there are many views and varying definitions of integrity. Let me suggest to you that integrity is made up of the personal inner sense of "wholeness" coming from honesty and consistent uprightness of character. Integrity is not something that you can have but rather is a trait that others view in you. Much like humility you can work towards a sense of integrity, but in my view it only ever becomes real when others see it in you. Integrity is something that builds within you over years of upstanding living but at the same time is something that can be ripped away from you in a moment as a result of poor choices in your life.
I have always thought my brethren that if you wanted a picture of a man to strive to be, you need look no further than the Ceremony of Installation and that glorious final charge…
This is from our Regular feature of articles under the title, “Reflections.” Articles from all around the world from a variety of Constitutions and authors and adapted to use in SRA76.
Words Are Highly Prized Among Masons
A Cautionary Note
Freemasonry is the beneficiary of many eloquent expressions of its ideas and ideals by our Grand Masters, international scholars and renowned orators. We have all been inspired by a well crafted and powerfully delivered address explicating the core values of Freemasonic philosophy. I well remember a speech some years ago that completely changed my perception of Freemasonry. For me it was an epiphany! Such is the power of words.
Yet there is an inherent risk. It is very easy to be ‘lost in the web of words.’ What happens after the glow of the evening fades? Do we transform those beautifully expressed concepts into actions? Do they change our behaviour in a positive direction? Bro. Albert Pike put the purpose of all Masonic studies simply: “To learn and to do.”
From ancient times, ‘The Mason’s Word’ has occupied a significant position in our Ritual. ‘Words’ play an important part in the modes of recognition given as ‘secrets’ in the several degrees. We must ever be mindful that it is our Ritual that defines Freemasonry and distinguishes us from every other society, organization, or club.
Ritual is of supreme importance in an initiatory Order. In Freemasonry it is the vehicle by which the precepts and doctrines of the Fraternity are transmitted to successive generations of those seeking answers to the pervasive basic questions of life: Who am I? Why am I here? What am I doing here? Where am I going from here?
In an essay entitled Time to modernize the Ritual – the Language of Mystery, the
English Masonic scholar John Hamill wrote: “Our Craft rituals were developed over a long period, from the late 1600s until they were formally codified by the Lodge of Reconciliation from 1814 to 1816. They inevitably include words and phrases with meanings that have changed in the past two hundred years. Many of those words are still in common usage and so can cause confusion for a new member. … Occasionally, we hear calls to modernise those ceremonies, to take out old words and phrases and replace them with modern, instantly comprehensible ones. I hope those calls are never answered. Our ceremonies contain some wonderful set pieces of English language that would be destroyed if we modernised them. Freemasonry is a learning process, and if we have to resort to a dictionary to fully comprehend what we learn, that can only enrich us.”
English Emulation Ritual was adopted by our Grand Lodge in 1859. In our Grand Jurisdiction, the Ritual is monitored and protected by the Ritual Committee under the provisions of Section 7 of the Constitution. The Work is exemplified in the annual fall tour of the Lodge of Instruction headed by the Custodian of the Work and in District Lodges of Instruction called by the District Deputy Grand Master.
Ritual must not only be memorized and accurately recited – it must be internalized. Lectures must not only be delivered – they must be exemplified, both within and without the lodge. Speeches are not only spoken – they must be lived. Do we understand the words we speak? Do we mean what we say? Most important, do we practise what we preach?
Article sourced from the website of Hamilton District Masons, ‘The Masonic Minute.’ by R.S.J. Daniels, January 2016.
“New Year’s Reflections”
Shall we see it, loving Brothers, Ere another New Year's day?
Shall we join those loving others, Whom the past year tore away?
Shall we change this toil and drudge, For the bright Celestial Lodge,
Shall we tread that one more station, Take that fast and best degree, Whose consummate "Preparation" Is to set the spirit free?
Lay our bodies off, that then Souls unburdened may go in,
Shall we find beyond the river, — Shall we find beyond the tomb, — Those who left us, not forever, Lett us till we, too, should come?
Shall we learn the long-lost word That admits a man to God , —
Then, be zealous, loving Brothers, While your lives so swiftly tend; Emulate those faithful others In the prizes they have gained; O'er the river, on the shore, They are happy evermore, —
Toil , — your wages rich are ready; Bear , — your burdens all shall cease; Give , — however poor and needy; Pray , — and God will give release From this bitter toil and drudge
To the bright Celestial Lodge by Rob Morris Masonic Poet Laureate.
THE BACK PAGE
The Art of Communication
The act of communication has at least three critical elements the sender, the message and the person who receives the message. I say “at least three elements” because there may be many more factors involved in successful communication. For example, the relationship between the sender and the receiver. Some married couples, I understand, can finish one another’s sentences.
Communication between generations can suffer because of a lack of shared experiences. One man said he took his family to one of those restaurants where the walls are plastered with movie memorabilia. He went to see the waitress about reserving a table. When he returned, he found his 11 year old daughter staring at a poster of Superman standing in a phone booth. She looked puzzled.
“Doesn’t she know who Superman is?” he whispered to his wife.
“Worse than that,” she replied. “She doesn’t know what a phone booth is.”
