Freemasonry

Address to a Fellowcraft

The Fellow Craft Degree represents the whole period of your mature manhood. You have proven yourselves and have been accepted and received as apprentices, and you are now operatives on your life’s work. You have sworn to maintain inviolable the truths of life that have been and will be entrusted to you. You have also … Read more

The A-B-C’s of Lodge Renewal

ACTIVITY – BROTHERLY LOVE – COMMUNICATION

“The problems facing the Fraternity in the decade ahead are much more related to the qualities of leadership, the absence of meaningful programs, the failure of Masonic education, and a failure of the Craft to connect in meaningful ways with the family and the community, than they are with adding more members.”

~ Bro. Brent Morris, The Siren Song of Solicitation

Much has been written and said about Masonic Renewal in North America. Many jurisdictions are implementing programs and urging their constituent lodges to embark on renewal programs.

“There is an urgent need for focusing on membership, making meetings interesting and good communication within the Lodges and the community… If we are to keep their attendance, we must convince them that we have something of value and interest for them.”

~ M. W.Bro. Bruce Porter Masonry in Manitoba, No., 1994

“Masonic Renewal then, as it is necessary and, as it is to be achieved, is from the `bottom-up’ – a grass roots effort to which every Brother can and must make a contribution.”

~ W.Bro. Juggi Uppal Grand Lodge of Alberta Bulletin February 1995

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The Ancient and Accepted (Scottish) Rite

Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry of Canada

The Ancient and Accepted (and frequently termed ‘Scottish’) Rite is a large collection of philosophical degrees collated into a single progressive rite, with expression internationally. There is much history to the Rite, and much variation within the practice of this across the world.1

Scottish or ‘Eccossais’ Masonry

The first mention of ‘Scotch’ masonry appears to be in 1733. The association between a Scottish origin of this more philosophic and Kabbalistic theme in masonry appears to be based in the Jacobite politics of the late 17th and early 18th centuries, and most especially in the masonry that was practiced in France in the first half of the 18th century.2 3 Chevalier Andrew Michael Ramsey, a Jacobite exile, tutor to the children of the nobility and royalty, is considered to have been the most instrumental in the early development of this movement, and is believed to be the author of a number of these earliest degrees.4 5 By 1740, Ramsey has developed an initial rite of 7 degrees.6 7 8 It has been suggested that a number were politically motivated against the English, and in support of Roman Catholicism.9 This is a complex historical area of research involving political and theological disagreement, and most especially ideological dissent, and is a subject I can only briefly touch upon here.10

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What is an A-hah Moment?

What is an A-Hah moment????

There is no question in my mind that, as Spiritual Beings, we must be always aware of that inner voice giving us “Options” in our lives.

You will note that I have high lighted “Options” because I do not believe we receive Directions, rather GAOTU places alternatives before us and then allows us to make the decision for ourselves.

It is in this way we learn to appreciate the guidance we are being given. As and when we ignore that guidance we must also learn to realize and  appreciate that the end result was probably our own making.

A few weeks ago I was invited to be the Keynote Speaker at a District Education Day and in preparing for that opportunity I recalled my personal commitment to myself that, in “The Educator” and in personal presentations, I was never going to adopt a lecture or sermon format but concentrate on the sharing of experiences. It was as a result of this decision that I ventured into sharing  Masonic Education – in an email format since 2003 –  and have ended up with “The Educator” website.

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Are We Our Brothers’ (And Sisters’) Keepers?

Peter Paul Rubens – Cain slaying Abel (Courtauld Institute)

From the title of this paper it is obvious that it is paraphrasing a well known passage contained in the Volume of the Sacred Law, Book of Genesis, Chapter 4, Verse 9, in which the Lord calls Cain to account for his brother Abel’s whereabouts. The answer, as we know, is one of defiance. In the words of the King James version of the Holy Bible it is the familiar response: “I know not: Am I my brother’s keeper?” The more modern Living Bible puts it into these words: “How should I know?… Am I supposed to keep track of him wherever he goes?”

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The Greatest Organization on Earth

Not just a man. A Mason.

I believe that I belong to the greatest organization on earth, a brotherhood of men with the sole purpose of creating better men for a better world, who sees God’s creation as a masterpiece and that each one of us is connected to everything else in the Universe…to each other, to the plants and to all of the creatures of the earth and beyond.

We recognize our relationship to everything and that eternity isn’t a place where we go after we die—but eternity is here, now and forever. We believe that everyone is equal—regardless of our race, our creed, our gender, our economic status or our sexual orientation. Our lives are precious—all life is precious and that the Kingdom of Heaven, Nirvana, Cosmic Consciousness, Atonement, Enlightenment—whatever you call it—isn’t a place beyond us, but it is within us.

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The Great Dissension (or Schism)

The School of Athens by Raphael (1509–1510), fresco at the Apostolic Palace, Vatican City.

Address by Wor. Bro. E. J. E. McLagan, member of the Hobart Lodge of Research, 21st. July, 1967.

I now address the issue of the Great Dissension, which occurred in the 18th Century, culminating in Freemasonry in England being divided into two factions bitterly opposed to each other.

These rivals became known as the “Antients” who formed a rival Grand Lodge in 1751, and the “Moderns”, who loyally adhered to the original Grand Lodge constituted in 1717.

Until comparatively recently the “Antients” have been apt to be described as “Seceders” or “Schismatics”, but both terms are quite unjustified seeing that not one of the first dissidents belonged to any lodge under the jurisdiction of the Premier Grand Lodge, and also that their ritual and customs differed scarcely at all from those of their Scottish and Irish Brethren, whose Grand Lodges, as we shall see later, were to recognize the so-called “Antients” as the Grand Lodge of England.

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Almoner

What is an Almoner?

Pieter Thijs - Portrait of an almoner with his wife and children as an allegory of charity
Pieter Thijs – Portrait of an almoner with his wife and children as an allegory of charity

The word “ALMONER” is an officer elected or appointed in the Continental Lodges of Europe to take charge of the contents of the alms-box, to carry into effect the charitable resolutions of the Lodge, and to visit sick and needy brethren. A physician is usually selected in preference to any other member for this office. An Almoner may also be appointed among the officers of an English Lodge. In the United States the officer does not exist, his duties being performed by a Committee of Charity.

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Why “Ancient, Free and Accepted”

Celebrating 300 years of Freemasonry

We are told, in the ceremony of investiture in the first degree, that our order is “more ancient than the G-F- or R-E-“. In actual fact, Freemasonry dates back to time immemorial, and still draws men to it by its fundamental truths.

But when we call ourselves “Ancient, Free and Accepted”, we do not necessarily mean that our order is “old”. Much of our ritual is legendary and the Hiramic legend is not based on historical fact. Actually, it has very little value as a story, since it merely tells of a tragedy which has been repeated in various forms in the long history of mankind. Its true value is de­rived from the lessons which are taught and the moral precepts it contains.

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Amos, What Seest Thou?

In all the Lodges under the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of the State of Louisiana (and many other Grand Jurisdictions) the VOSL is open at the Seventh Chapter of Amos in the FC Degree.

Why do we do this?

Plumbline

This practice is not universal, but ours has the sanctity of long use and sacredness. Also, since one of the working tools of a FC is the Plumb, it is appropriate to open the Bible at the story about the plumb line of God.  What do we really know about this man, the prophet Amos? Do we know why the God called him to deliver His message of judgment to His people of Israel?

Solomon received from his father, David, a powerful empire. During his latter years it began to fall apart. Expensive building projects sapped the strength and loyalty of native Israelites. As the adjoining nations saw the opportunity to assert their independence they did so and Solomon was unable to prevent the disintegration of the empire.

Before Solomon’s death, the Aramaeans had severed themselves from his kingdom, and shortly after the succession by Rehoboam, a further split took place. With this breakdown of the monarchy, subject states declared their independence so that the territory once ruled by David became divided into autonomous units. That portion of Solomon’s empire north of Mount Hermon, extending as far as the Euphrates, revolted and formed the kingdom of Syria, with Damascus as its capital. South of Syria was the kingdom of the ten tribes, known as Israel, or the Northern Kingdom, with its capital at Shechem. The Northern Kingdom included the larger portion of Palestine proper, an area of about 9,400 square miles. The kingdom of Judah included the tribe of that name, a portion of Benjamin, and Simeon, which had been incorporated earlier into Judah. Kings of the Davidic line reigned over Judah until the fall of Jerusalem to Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon (587 B.C.).

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