Canadian Mason
Duke of Kent praises Freemasons
Tue, 08/31/2010 - 14:45Source: Beaconsfield
Posted by Jack Abell on Aug 31, 10 10:18 AM in Good Causes
BEACONSFIELD Freemasons have won the royal seal of approval for encouraging youngsters to do community work in the area.
The Duke of Kent paid tribute to 28 groups at the Masonic Centre in Windsor End, Beaconsfield, who had encouraged teenagers to care for others in the ihelp project.
The scheme provides around £14,000 in prize money for youths who give up their time to help others.
The Duke, who is the head of Freemasonry in England Wales, met Buckinghamshire Freemasons during a private visit to Stoke Place, Stoke Poges, where he was briefed on how initiatives are giving the order a higher profile in the community.
He said: "I have been very impressed by all that you do. It is important to channel the energies of young people into helping others.
"And it is vital to explain freemasonry's ideals of friendship, decency and charity to a wider community.
"The ihelp project is clearly achieving all those objectives. I congratulate you all."
He also praised a group of Masonic cyclists who raise more than £50,000 for good causes in a marathon trek from Gibraltar to Bucks.
Treasures of Cork past and present opened up to public
Tue, 08/24/2010 - 05:09Source: Irish Times
CORKONIANS WILL get a chance to step back in time next weekend when some of the city’s most historic buildings are opened to the public in a series of guided tours and talks as part of Cork Heritage Open Day on Saturday August 28th.
Lord Mayor of Cork Cllr Michael O’Connell said the Heritage Open Day provided a unique opportunity for Corkonians to visit some of the city’s most noted buildings, buildings which are rarely open to the public, as well as exploring other fascinating aspects of the city’s past.
“For the first time ever, we’re opening up the Lord Mayor’s office here in City Hall and I will be telling the story of Tomás MacCurtain and Terence MacSwiney and the fact that the portraits we have of both men were donated by another former lord mayor, Gerald Goldberg.
“We have many of the oldest buildings in the city being opened to the public, but we also have some of the newest like the extension here to City Hall, the Elysian Tower and the penthouse suite on the Clarion Hotel so there’s a great mix of old and new.”
Among the historic buildings open to the public on Saturday next are the Masonic Hall on Tuckey Street, which has been the home of Freemasonry in Cork since 1844 and the Unitarian Church on Princes Street, the oldest documented surviving building in the city.
Local historian Liam Ó hUigín will give a guided tour of the old walls of the city, while there will also be tours of Cork City Hall and the Washington Street courthouse. Another local historian Ronnie Herlihy will give a guided tour of St Joseph’s Cemetery in Ballyphehane where temperance campaigner Fr Matthew is buried.
Among the other events planned is a screening of a film by pioneering British filmmakers Mitchell and Kenyon, who visited Cork in the early 1900s, which is being shown in the Civic Trust House on Pope’s Quay.
Meanwhile, the Cork Vision Centre on North Main Street will host Echoes of the Past , a series of black and white photographs over the past 100 years and the Traveller Visibility Group will host a photographic exhibition at the City Public Museum in Fitzgerald’s Park. Among the events planned for children is a bug and nature hunt in Fitzgerald’s Park and a fun family tour in the Crawford Art Gallery. For further information log on to www.corkheritageopenday.ie
Myths about Masons not always on target
Tue, 08/24/2010 - 05:07Source: Beaver County Times
Larissa Theodore Beaver County Times
Sunday August 22, 2010 11:45 PM
BRIDGEWATER — When it comes to Freemasonry, Bill Alberts has heard it all before. Tales of baby or farm animal sacrifices. Of being an ancient cult or a top-secret organization on a mission to control people’s lives. A secret society trying to establish a new world order.
“Basically anything you can think of,” said Alberts, the worshipful master of the St. James Lodge in Bridgewater.
“Some of the myth is not harmful, but it is just not right,” said Richard Muth, master of Parian Lodge in Beaver Falls.
One of the nastiest that Alberts and Muth have heard is that Jack the Ripper was a Freemason because of the ritualistic way he killed some of his victims.
But Alberts, Muth and Matt Smith of the Rochester Lodge, are working to dispel some of those myths.
“We’re not a secret society,” Alberts said. “We’re a society with secrets.”
With the release of Dan Brown’s latest book “The Lost Symbol,” Muth said a spotlight of mystique is shining on the Freemasons the same way as Brown’s “The Da Vinci Code” placed new fame on the Catholic Church’s Opus Dei. In “The Lost Symbol,” Brown’s main protagonist, Harvard professor Robert Langdon, explores the U.S. capital in a plot that book reviewers say is reminiscent of “The Da Vinci Code” and Nicholas Cage’s “National Treasure” movies.
Langdon has to solve cryptic puzzles connected to a Masonic Pyramid and other ancient mysteries to help his mentor and save the day. Throw in the Freemasons, and book reviewers say “The Lost Symbol” isn’t likely to squelch any rumors or deter conspiracy theorists. With Washington, D.C., as the backdrop, the book, in fact, begins with a wine-filled skull, bejeweled power brokers and a dark Masonic temple, only steps away from the White House.
Dispelling myths
“People get impressions about what we do and who we are. A lot of times, it’s not correct,” Alberts said. “We’re trying to open ourselves up a little bit and let people know. Freemasons are still here. We’re amongst you. Don’t hate us.”
Three local lodges under the 37th Masonic District hope to dispel some of the crazy myths out there by opening themselves up to the public. An open house Saturday aims to give the public an accurate glimpse and an opportunity to learn about Freemasonry and its place in the community.
As Alberts, Muth and Smith see it, the Masons foster goodwill through charities, building hospitals and supporting community projects. And through the Masons, other orders exist such as the Shriners, DeMolay for boys and the Order of Eastern Star and Rainbow Girls for women and girls. They all work to make the world a better place, Muth said, pointing out that local Masons run a child identification program to help parents in missing child cases.
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Pamphlets containing facts about Freemasonry will be handed out to those who attend. A PowerPoint presentation will also play.
Alberts said the earlier Freemasons were strict on policies when it came to secrecy, but state lodges have been encouraged by the Most Worshipful Grand Master, who presides in Philadelphia, to open up and “show ourselves a little bit.”
“Freemasonry was very important in the forming of our country. Ben Franklin was a Freemason and with the ties he had with the French, he was able to get the French to come in on the Revolutionary War against England,” Alberts said.
In fact, Alberts said many of America’s founding fathers — George Washington, Benjamin Franklin — were Masons, not to mention eight or nine presidents and some various congressmen, astronauts and star athletes. Alberts doesn’t deny that Masonic symbols have found their way into national emblems, such as the Great Seal — the pyramid with the eye — printed on the dollar bill.
That doesn’t mean the Masons control the money, he said.
Becoming a Mason
There are secrets and elaborate initiation ceremonies that date back hundreds of years. Any fraternity has its rituals, Muth said, with handshakes and emblems known only to its members. Preserving that shroud of secrecy serves a purpose, he said. Masons traditionally identify each other through secret handshakes for the purpose of recognition, Alberts added.
“You see someone who says ‘Hey, I’m a Freemason,’ they give you the handshake,” Alberts said.
To join the brotherly bonds of the male-only society, you have to know another Mason, Alberts said. If you think someone you know is a Mason, you can ask him to get you in. He’ll have to get you a petition, which you fill out and send in to the Grand Lodge in Philadelphia. If the nomination is approved, the petition is sent back to the lodge where you applied, and the membership has to vote on it. If it passes, you are brought in based on three degrees: the apprentice degree, fellow craft Mason or master Mason.
Alberts’ father and grandfather were Masons, along with a few cousins and uncles. He waited until he was 42 to join. That was 3½ years ago.
“Once I matured up a little bit and knew what I wanted to do, I did it,” he said.
The 37th Masonic District consists of 11 lodges around Beaver and northern Allegheny counties. The group’s influential ranks have included judges, politicians and police.
“We make good men better, and we do that simply by using basic principles of morality and trying to pattern our lives that way,” Muth said.
Semi-Annual Meeting, New Orleans, Fri.-Sat., September 24-25, 2010
Sun, 08/22/2010 - 15:22Source: themasonicsociety.com
The Masonic Society will hold its Semi-Annual Meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana, on Friday and Saturday, September 24-25, 2010.
Date and TimeFriday, September 24, 2010
Starts 1PM Central Time
Concludes at 9PM
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Starts 9 AM Central Time
Concludes after the Banquet
The Royal Sonesta Hotel, 300 Bourbon Street, New Orleans, LA 70130-2213
Theme and ProgramThe theme of The Masonic Society's Semi-Annual will be
"Our Service To Masonry"
Workshop and lectures concerning this years' theme are in the works. Please check back for updates to this section.
Presentations and other submissionsAll proposals for presentations and papers for consideration should be directed to
Bro. Jay Hochberg, Submissions Coordinator
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
of The Journal of The Masonic Society. Please email your submissions no later than Wednesday, August 11, 2010.
Please note that all submissions will be subject to review for suitability to the theme of the event.
Registration$65, includes banquet and conference events. Both members of the Society and non-members are welcome to register and attend.
Your Lady or Other Guest may attend the conference and banquet for an additional $65.
NOTICE: Registration for the conference does not include accommodations. See below.
You are on your own for dinner Friday night as well as breakfast and lunch Saturday. A list of nearby recommended restaurants (to help you avoid the tourists traps) is being developed along with outside sights and events that you may wish to enjoy during any free time you have or on Sunday the 26th.
The registration page is found here. Deadline for registration is Saturday, September 18, 2010.
NOTICE: Registration for the conference does not include accommodations. See below.
BanquetOur banquet meal, included with your registration, will consist of:
Soup: Chicken & Andouille Gumbo
Salad: Romaine Lettuce with Fresh Grated Parmesan Cheese, Garlic Croutons & Creamy Caesar Dressing
Entrée - Your choice of (please make choices with your registration):
1. Garlic Citrus Chicken
Chicken Breast Dressed in Garlic Cream & Citrus Salsa Fresca with Grilled Asparagus & Almond Rice Pilaf
or
2. Seared Pork Tenderloin
Served with Gratin Potatoes, Vegetable Ratatouille & Caraway Sauce
Dessert: Royal Sonesta Bread Pudding with Whiskey Sauce or White Chocolate
AccommodationsThe Society has arranged for a limited number of rooms at the Royal Sonesta Hotel. We have negotiated a rate of $159 per night (+ tax) for Friday, September 24, 2010 and Saturday, September 25, 2010 (with checkout on Sunday, September 26, 2010). If you wish to arrive early on Thursday, September 23 or stay a night later on Sunday September 27th, the room rate will be $109.00 (+ tax) for those nights. NOTE: If you plan to stay in the hotel, please reserve early as the hotel is booking now for the Saints-Falcons home game on Sunday, September 26. Rooms may be reserved at the reduced rate through Friday, August 27, 2010. We cannot guarantee any room availability after that date.
Rooms may be reserved online at this link.
Alternately, you may call the hotel directly at 504-586-0300 and use the group code "MASONIC".
PLEASE NOTE: The special room rate is for registered and paid attendees ONLY. Because room availability is limited, we will monitor hotel reservations closely and will cancel all reservations for which there is no corresponding registered, paid attendee.
Banquet DinnerOur Banquet will be served at 7 PM on Saturday the 25th in the Royal Sonesta Hotel. Coat and tie for men. We will have a round table discussion following the banquet with questions and answers for the good of the Society and Order.
Ladies' programLadies are invited to join us for the presentations on Saturday, or they may choose to "wander" the amenities of New Orleans and the French Quarter. However, if your lady has an interest in attending a more formal ladies' program, please contact the
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
. (No guarantees, but if a sufficient number of ladies indicate an interest, we will do our best to accommodate them.)
Kansas Lodge Calls for Papers on Modern Masonic Practices
Sun, 08/22/2010 - 10:34Source: Aude, Vide, Tace
Mount Zion Lodge No. 266, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of Kansas, operating in Topeka, Kansas, announces a call for papers and presentations for its first Modern Masonic Practices Symposium entitledThe Gentleman, the Scholar, and the Mystic: Exploring Modern Masonic Practices in North America to be held from Friday, April 16 - Sunday, April 18, 2010.
Fully conforming with established customs and rituals of the Grand Lodge of Kansas, Mount Zion Lodge operates within the broad realm of Traditional Observance and European Concept practices, as defined by modern American Masonic culture, but does not tie itself to any specific model or identity. The Modern Masonic Practices Symposium will select and present original, scholarly research papers on the phenomenon of progressive development and modern trends in Traditional Observance and European Concept lodges in North America. Diverse perspectives and methods of examining this phenomenon are encouraged from a broad range of study.
Possible topics include, but are not limited to:
- The development of modern and progressive changes to Freemasonry in North America, including its underlying causes.
- Sociological challenges facing Freemasonry in North America today.
- Governance and administration issues and solutions for Lodges adopting new practices.
- The rebirth and importance of the philosophical and spiritual aspects of Freemasonry.
- European Masonry reconciled with European Concept Masonry in form and practice.
- Transcendent traditions in Freemasonry and their place in Modern American Masonic Practice.
The papers should be scholarly in tone, with a maximum length of 4000 words, which may be presented in a 30 -45 minute oral address to the symposium. All submissions must be from a Master Mason in a Lodge in Amity with the Grand Lodge of Kansas. The symposium committee will award prizes as follows: First Place, Runner-Up, and Honorable Mention. Authors of the winning papers will be invited to present their work at the symposium as guests of Mt. Zion Lodge.
Deadline for Submissions: November 1, 2009
Submission Format: Completed papers with a resume or c.v. should be sent to:
Joesphe G. Stiles
c/o Mount Zion Lodge 266
P. O. Box 1217
Topeka, KS
Joesphe at gmail dawt com
Be sure to include full contact information (name, address, email, phone, and affiliation).
Was the Hunchback of Notre Dame a Real Operative Mason?
Sun, 08/22/2010 - 10:32Source: Freemasons for Dummies
Was Victor Hugo's fictional character of the Hunchback of Notre Dame, Quasimodo, in his novel Notre Dame de Paris, based on a real-life operative Mason? Documents from a 19th century English sculptor named Henry Sibson and recently discovered and donated to the Tate Museum reveal a heretofore unknown hunchbacked sculptor who worked on Paris' Notre Dame cathedral around 1828 when Hugo was first writing his novel.
From the Telegraph.uk article Real-life Quasimodo uncovered in Tate archives by Roya Nikkhah:
Clues suggesting that Quasimodo is based on a historical figure have been uncovered in the memoirs of Henry Sibson, a 19th-century British sculptor who was employed at the cathedral at around the time the book was written and who describes a hunched back stonemason also working there.
The documents were acquired by the Tate Archive in 1999 after they were discovered in the attic of a house in Penzance, Cornwall, as the owner prepared to move out.
However, the references to a "hunchback sculptor" working at Notre Dame have only just been discovered, as the memoirs are catalogued ahead of the archive's 40th anniversary this year.
The seven-volume memoirs document Sibson's time in Paris during the 1820s, when he was employed by contractors to work on repairs to Notre Dame Cathedral.
In one entry, he writes: "the [French] government had given orders for the repairing of the Cathedral of Notre Dame, and it was now in progress ... I applied at the Government studios, where they were executing the large figures [for Notre Dame] and here I met with a Mons. Trajan, a most worthy, fatherly and amiable man as ever existed – he was the carver under the Government sculptor whose name I forget as I had no intercourse with him, all that I know is that he was humpbacked and he did not like to mix with carvers."
In a later entry, Sibson writes about working with the same group of sculptors on another project outside Paris, where he again mentions the reclusive government sculptor, this time recalling his name as "Mon. Le Bossu". Le Bossu is French for "the hunchback".
He writes: "Mon Le Bossu (the Hunchback) a nickname given to him and I scarcely ever heard any other ... the Chief of the gang for there were a number of us, M. Le Bossu was pleased to tell Mon Trajan that he must be sure to take the little Englishman."
Adrian Glew, the Tate archivist, who made the discovery, said: "When I saw the references to the humpbacked sculptor at Notre Dame, and saw that the dates matched the time of Hugo's interest in the Cathedral, the hairs on the back of my neck rose and I thought I should look into it."
Hugo began writing The Hunch Back of Notre Damein 1828 and the book was published three years later. He had a strong interest in the restoration of the cathedral, with architecture featuring as a major theme in the book.
Hugo publicly opposed the original neoclassical scheme for Notre Dame's restoration led by the architect Etienne-Hippolyte Godde – the same scheme which Sibson describes Le Bossu and Trajan working on – favouring a more Gothic style for the cathedral.
The publication of The Hunch Back of Notre Damein 1831, which made Hugo one of France's most acclaimed authors, is widely credited with prompting the Gothic restoration of the cathedral in 1844, designed by the architect Eugene Viollet-le-Duc, which Hugo had championed.
His close links with the cathedral make it likely that he would have known Le Bossu and Trajan, and further research undertaken by Mr Glew in the national archives of France has uncovered additional links between Hugo and the characters described by Sibson.
The Almanach de Paris from 1833 – which gives a list of all professionals working in the city – names a sculptor "Trajin" as living in Saint Germain-des-Pres, where Hugo also lived at the time.
An early draft of Les Misérables, another of Hugo's acclaimed novels, holds another clue indicating that Hugo drew on the Government sculptors described by Sibson for inspiration.
The lead character in an early version of the novel is named as "Jean Trejean" which Hugo later changed to "Jean Valjean".
According to Dictionnaire des Franc-Maçons by Michel Gaudart de Soulages and Hubert Lamant, Hugo was not a Freemason, but belonged to an order of Martinists.
Comedy Night @ Scarborough Masonic Temple June 20, 2010
Fri, 06/04/2010 - 13:20
Father's Day Stand-Up Comedy Night Benefit June 20
Tickets phone 416-989-9917
SCARBOROUGH ON
Stand-Up Comedy Night at The Scarborough Masonic Temple will feature Jim McAleese on Father's Day. Net proceeds to Toronto East Masonic Centre's new building fund.
The event, hosted by comedian Russell Roy, is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Sunday June 20th at the Scarborough Masonic Temple , 2201 Ellesmere Ave., featuring a performance by nationally touring headline act Jim McAleese (Corner Gas, Dan for Mayor, CBC Comics! Winnipeg Comedy Festival, Evening at the Improv). Doors open at 5 p.m.
General admission tickets are $20 and can be reserved in advance by calling Paul at 416-989-9917 or more information is available on-line at www.scarboroughcomedynight.eventbrite.com
