MASONRY DOWN UNDER
We often talk of masonry being ‘universal’ and recently I had the opportunity to witness this fact at first hand. At the beginning of February 2010 I returned home from a three month or so long trip to Australia. Given that I was staying for such a long period of time I took the opportunity of visiting a number of Lodges whilst down under.
I armed myself with my regalia, a dark suit, clearance letter from our Lodge Secretary and my Grand Lodge and Chapter certificate. When I arrived in Figtree about one and a half hours south of Sydney I quickly located an address for the Masonic Hall. Sadly when I went to visit the hall I found a building site and no sign of a hall, I learned later that the hall was being rebuilt at a cost of $6 million.! I then visited the internet and found the contact details for Balgownie Lodge that meet in December. A phone call to the secretary Roy Haggis quickly led to an invite for myself and my wife to their Christmas meeting. Balgownie Lodge being in ‘the country’ was much more free and easy than I had been led to expect but the welcome they gave me was brilliant and an interesting if some what different evening was enjoyed by Janet and I
Later in December I was back in Sydney and chanced upon the Kensington Masonic Hall. Once again a phone call to the secretary of John Smith Lodge led once more to an invite to their Christmas meeting. However before I could attend I needed to visit the hall and take my certificates and clearance letter so that the Secretary Maurie Mountain could vouch for me. I enjoyed a superb evening in the company of masons some of whom were from Scotland (£10 Poms) but the majority from Australia. I was made very welcome and questioned greatly about the craft in England, it seems they to are having recruitment problems but are tackling them in some quite novel ways. In Australia you can become a mason at the age of eighteen and such young men are referred to as a ‘Lewis’. In Sydney all prospective masons are placed into a pool and appointed a mentor. The mentor visits them over a number of months and informs them just what masonry is about. The candidates are then given the choice of a number of lodges near to where they live to join. Once they decide upon a lodge then that lodge’s mentor takes over. The candidate is even encouraged to attend a festive board prior to his initiation so that he can meet socially lodge members and they can meet him.
It is a system that seems to be working and numbers are slowly rising once more. During my stay I met and made many new Masonic friends who were delighted to invite me to their lodge and their home. I would say to any mason who is going abroad for any length of time to consider visiting a lodge in the country they are staying in. The friendship and hospitality is just the same there as it is here and it really is true that this great organisation of ours truly is ‘universal.’ Ok the ritual may well be somewhat different but you can follow the ceremonies just as well as you can here, the wording may be different but the basic ritual is the same where ever you are in the world. I return to Sydney in October 2010 this time for a six month stay and already have half a dozen invites to visit lodges around the Sydney area some thing I am really looking forward to. Yes masonry and the friendship involved in it truly is Universal do try it.
Tom Mather
March 2010
The redecoration and refurbishment of The Palace.
In the late summer of 2009 there was a significant refurbishment to the entrance hall of The Palace and the stairway and the main lobby. The blue room and the bar were totally redecorated. Some of that work was carried out by those connected with The Palace and Lytham St Annes Masonic Club.
This project was financed and managed jointly by St. Annes Palace Ltd and LSAMC. As a part of this programme the Steward`s flat on the second floor, was substantially improved.
The redecoration work is very plain to see by all members of Quadrant Lodge and their guests and by all Masons who visit The Palace and the range of improvements seems to have been welcomed by all.
Everyone will notice the installation of the wonderful stained glass panels at the top of the stairs, which are equally visible from in the lobby area.
These panels, all depicting Masonic symbols were originally commissioned and paid for by Squire Clifton and installed in The County & Commercial Hotel in Lytham in the 1920`s. That was where his lodge, Lodge of Triumph 1016 held its meetings.
Some years later these impressive panels were removed because of alteration at the County Hotel and preserved due to the efforts of W. Bro Banny Chester. They were then purchased by St.Annes Palace Ltd.
Some years later a Lady Mason, who lived locally, and who was Grand Officer heard about the existence of these panels and as a result, some Lady Masons came from London to St Annes with a view to buying them.
Many will think that it is marvellous that they are now out of storage, re-sited and adding so much to the ambience of The Palace.
Interestingly there is still (January 2010) old and very weathered sandstone plaque of the side of the County Hotel which features Masonic Symbols - a square and compasses, although these are not easy to see.
As a part of this project the entrance to St.Annes Market was much improved and some of the stall-holders helped with that. It’s a reflection of changing times that although every stall in the market is currently let, not one sells any fresh food or food products.
Ted Lake
Feb 2010
A YEAR IN THE LIFE OF THE WM
My year as SW was quickly drawing to a close and I was beginning to get nervous about the forthcoming installation meeting. I was to become the first MM to be installed into the chair at Quadrant Lodge for several years, as for those past years we had had to rely on past masters to step in to do the job. However, we were now in a stronger position with several MM following on behind me.
The big day arrived and I was placed into the chair of King Solomon in an exemplary ceremony performed by our outgoing master W.Bro. Tom Mather.
Another person who was equally as nervous as myself that day was my wife Susan who was having to organise and entertain twenty something of the brethrens ladies at the Atrium Restaurant at the Dalmeny Hotel where we were later to join them.
The day turned out to be a great success for everyone concerned and after leaving my brother-in-laws, who was also our Director of Ceremony‘s, house just before 5 am the following morning after a marathon of an extended party, we managed to get to bed around 6 am.
Two hours later, after waking up startled by the alarm clock we had to make our way back down to the Fairhaven hotel at Lytham, from our home in Blackpool, were I was to carry out my first official duty as Master and take part in the first of these current 10.kilometer sponsored charity walks.
During the course of the walk Susan asked me how it felt to be the new master of the lodge and I told her that for some strange reason I felt somehow different. There was no single thing I could put my finger on but I just generally felt different.
I had always been a shy sort of person and had never enjoyed or sought to be the centre of attention but after going through the previous days ceremony I was in a semi state of shock, or I suppose it could just have been the lack of sleep.
Well, here I was master of my own lodge and I didn’t have a clue what to expect. Even though I had served every progressive office from Tyler upwards I was still relatively inexperienced. So much so that in the seven years I had been in masonry I had only ever visited at most six times in the whole of that time. Little did I know how this was going to change and how many new friends I was going to meet along the journey during my mastership year.
From the day of my installation at the end of April until the start of the summer recess at the end of May I had visited one different lodge each week and thought that was a lot, especially due to my past visiting record.
I had been looking forward to our May meeting as it would be my first full meeting as master, however I was a little apprehensive as I was to perform a first degree ceremony which I had been working hard to learn.
The summer recess arrived as a welcome break from all the learning but it was short lived as I was now scheduled to do a third degree ceremony when we next met in September.
September's meeting came along and I raised Bro. Gavin Mathams. During the next month I visited another six lodges before raising Bro. John Lynn in October.
November was a quiet month with just two visits being made before our next meeting. This one turned out to be an easy night for myself as our IPM Tom Mather gave a fine explanation of the third degree traditional history to Bro. John Lynn who had been raised at the previous meeting.
We would not now meet again until January as we never used to meet in December due to its closeness to Christmas so during this interval I managed to fit in thirteen visits.
At our January meeting I did the last three quarters of the second degree tracing board after Bro. Mason Wheeler had ably assisted me by performing the first part of the task.
I had now started to visit some of the Poulton lodges on a regular basis and made friends with several of the Lodges Masters. It was a real pleasure to visit these various lodges as they made you feel so welcome and there was what they called “the Masters circuit” whereby all the Masters from the lodges meeting in that building are automatically invited to every meeting that takes place. So when you visit one of these lodges as a master there will be several other masters present and you all sit together in lodge and at the festive board. In no time at all you have made numerous new friends to whose ladies nights, old English nights, Sunday lunches and every other meeting and occasion you are invited to.
I don’t know if this was ever the practice at the Palace building at St. Annes but it should be considered for adoption if not. Thinking back, I had thought it a little strange when at my installation after being introduced to one of the visiting St. Annes masters and inviting him to come along to our next meeting, he replied, “thank you very much, I would love to come, and do you know you are the first master to give me an invite and I’m almost at the end of my year”. There’s got to be something wrong here.
Back to the plot. I had made another thirteen visits before our own next meeting in February. Of these one visit on 8th February was to Kilgrimol Lodge who were sadly holding their last ever meeting. This was to be followed only some three or so weeks later by my attendance at the last ever meeting of Aemulantes Lodge both of whom have now amalgamated with ourselves to form a new stronger Quadrant Lodge.
Once again February’s meeting turned out to be another easy night for myself when W. Bro. Mike Middleton came to our rescue by giving us a fine lecture entitled “King Solomon”. Ten more visits were undertaken before our Old English Night in March. Traditionally our March meeting is classed as a business meeting when the new master is elected along with numerous other positions being decided. Business and Lodge work completed, we afterwards had an enjoyable festive board and were entertained by a very good comedian come singer called Chris Briton, who was himself the Master of his own lodge over in Oldham.
Panic stations are now again setting in as our installation ceremony starts to loom closer but I manage to fit another ten visits in before the big day.
Well the day finally arrives. Everyone’s always telling you how quickly the year will go and it’s true. I again had mixed feeling about the occasion. In one way I would be glad to get it all over with but in another I would be sad to let go. Well, the day worked out fine, we all got through our parts and our new master David Lawn is now at the helm. Like myself, I know David started off apprehensive but I hope that when he looks back as I am now doing he will realise it’s been the best year of his life.
Incidentally, in the fourteen days since the installation we’ve attended two ladies evenings and I’ve visited three more lodges, it’s not over yet, but at least I don’t now have the lodges DC coming up and saying where do you want to respond, in lodge or out. Happy days!!
John Chapman
WHAT IS A MASON?
This is a question we have all been asked, usually it is closely followed by, are you a secret society. The second question is always easy to answer, no we are not otherwise people would not know of our existence. The first question is, however, much more difficult to answer. The easiest thing to say is that Masonry is all things to all men, but that is of little help to a young man contemplating becoming a mason. What I will do is attempt to explain what masonry is to me.
First and foremost, to me it means Charity. Yes we hold our meetings and have a great deal of fun in so doing. However there is an aim and that is to raise money for those who are less fortunate than ourselves. It is true that we help fellow masons who may be on hard times. We also help the families of masons who may well need assistance. I am very proud of that fact and equally proud that this organisation and Quadrant Lodge is very supportive of many other non-masonic charities.
Secondly it means Commitment, a commitment to attend meetings regularly. When at those meeting to take part in what is taking place with the same commitment we would to our friends and family. However never losing sight of the important factor that our first duty is always to our family. If asked to do something in the lodge, do it with good grace and to the best of our ability. Rest assured if you ask some one to do some thing for you they will if at all possible do so and to the best of their ability.
Thirdly it means Character, often I see young men join the lodge and the work they are encouraged to undertake, causes then to blossom as a man. They master difficulties they never dreamed they could. The shy become able public speakers, those who feel learning s beyond them master great pieces of written work and deliver it with a skill and eloquence they never dreamed they were capable of.
Fourthly it means Companionship. I have been in masonry since 1985 and in the time I have been a mason I have made many good and true friends. Friends who have stayed with me through thick and thin. Friends who just by a quiet work or a nod of the head have indicated that what ever problems I may be experiencing, should I need assistance all I need to do is ask. Assistance which is unconditional, often not publicly acknowledged by the giver or receiver, for that matter.
Finally it means Camaraderie I have visited many lodges other than my own over the years, both in this country and ‘down under’. When ever have visited a lodge I have always been made welcome, warmly greeted and made to feel at home. There is a camaraderie about masonry that I enjoy and makes me feel glad that I joined this organisation. I for one am glad it is not a secret organisation, for if it were, I would have never found out about it. I would have missed out on a great deal over the last twenty eight years.
W. Bro. Tom Mather