The Official Journal of the United Grand Lodge of England Number 25 ~ Spring 2014 £3.

50
FREEMASONRY TODAY

TAKING
THE
LEAD
Number 25 ~ Spring 2014

Why a lodge for

dog lovers is the
perfect blend of
friendship and
Freemasonry p22

NEW LIFE A GRAND HACKETT

SUPPORT BALL TO MODELS UNITED
GRAND LODGE
AT TOMMY’S REMEMBER THE HALL of ENGLAND

Funding vital research, p42 University celebrations, p54 British style on show, p60

FROM THE
GRAND
SECRETARY
F
or any of our members to celebrate
fifty years in the Craft is a great
achievement, and one that is usually
commemorated with fellow lodge members
and the acknowledgement of the Province or
District. However, when our Grand Master
celebrated his fifty years in Freemasonry in
December 2013, it was an occasion marked
by the whole English Constitution. You will,
I am sure, be interested to read more about
this important event further on in this issue
of Freemasonry Today.
Many of you will know that, at the March
Quarterly Communication, Sir David Wootton
succeeds David Williamson as Assistant
Grand Master. We all thank David Williamson
for his tremendous contribution during the
thirteen years that he has held the role, and
wish David Wootton every success in his new
appointment. David Williamson’s address at
the December 2013 Quarterly Communication
is well worth reading.
Now that 2014 is underway and with only
three clear years to our tercentenary, I take
this opportunity to remind us all of our values
of integrity, kindness, honesty, fairness and
tolerance. These values apply internally as well
as externally. Remember too, above all, that
Freemasonry is to be enjoyed.
PHOTOGRAPHY: DAVID WOOLFALL
‘In this issue, you will read about how Freemasonry
enables its members to explore their hobbies and interests
while also making new friends.’
freemasonrytoday.com
WELCOME
In this issue, you will read about how
Freemasonry enables its members to explore
their hobbies and interests while also making
new friends. Our profile of Connaught Lodge
reveals a community that has been uniting dog
lovers, Freemasonry and The Kennel Club for
more than one hundred years. We also report
on the University Lodges’ Ball, which saw one
thousand Freemasons and members of the
public come together for a fantastic night that
recalled the grand balls of yesteryear.
A feature on Freemasonry Cares shows
another side to membership. For David Blunt,
accepting that he needed support, after illness
left him severely disabled, was a challenge.
Encouraged by his lodge Almoner to call the
Freemasonry Cares hotline, David now has
a new scooter that has given him the freedom
to live his life. At the other end of the age
spectrum, we look at the work of pregnancy
and birth charity Tommy’s and how the
masonic charities are supporting its research.
I believe that the breadth and depth of
stories in this issue shows an organisation
that can hold its head high as we count down
to our three hundredth anniversary.
Nigel Brown
Grand Secretary
3
 CONTENTS

The Board of Grand

Lodge Publications 34 42
Ray Reed, Robin Furber,
Graham Rudd
Publishing Director
Nigel Brown
Editorial Panel
Karen Haigh, John Hamill,
Susan Henderson,
John Jackson,
Siobhan McCarthy
Editor
Luke Turton
Published by 22
August Media Ltd for
The United Grand Lodge
of England, Freemasons’
Hall, Great Queen Street, 28
London WC2B 5AZ
Editorial
Freemasonry Today,
Freemasons’ Hall,
Great Queen Street,
London WC2B 5AZ
editor@ugle.org.uk
Advertising contact
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3 More London Riverside,
London SE1 2RE
Mark Toland 49 60
020 3283 4056
mark@square7media.co.uk
Circulation GRAND SECRETARY 3 WORD GAMES 46
0844 879 4961 Nigel Brown welcomes you to the spring issue Looking back in time, Caitlin Davies explores the
fmt@ugle.org.uk
fascinating stories behind the names of masonic lodges
Masonic enquiries NEWS AND VIEWS 6
editor@ugle.org.uk The latest masonic news from around the country THE CRAFT UNDER FIRE 49
www.ugle.org.uk
Past Provincial Grand Master David Rosser explains the
020 7831 9811 SENIOR INSIGHTS 21 effect that the German occupation of Jersey had on local
Printed by Assistant Grand Master David Williamson reflects on
Wyndeham Roche masons during World War II
his privileged position serving English Freemasonry
© Grand Lodge
Publications Ltd 2014. The A DOG'S LIFE 22 HAVING A BALL 54
opinions herein are those The fusion of the modern face of Freemasonry
Tabby Kinder explores the unique relationship between
of the authors or persons with traditional values creates a social whirl at the
interviewed only and do Connaught Lodge, The Kennel Club and Freemasonry,
University Lodges’ Ball
not reflect the views of which has lasted for a hundred years
Grand Lodge Publications
MOMENT IN TIME 27 OFTEN MISUNDERSTOOD 57
Ltd, the United Grand
John Hamill looks at the life of Francis Columbine Daniel,
Lodge of England or Royal Alpha Lodge gathers to honour the Grand Master
August Media Ltd. a pioneering Freemason with an accidental knighthood
as he marks fifty years in the Craft at Freemasons’ Hall
STANDING FOR PROGRESS 28 FASHIONABLE BACKDROP 60
Miranda Thompson watches on as Freemasons’ Hall
Anthony Wilson reveals that modernising the business
receives a menswear fashion show makeover
of Freemasonry is one of his proudest achievements
IN THE FACE OF ADVERSITY 34 CHARITIES UPDATE 66
How Freemasons are helping out around the UK
Freemasonry Cares can provide support in times of ill
health and financial need, reports Tabby Kinder LIBRARY AND MUSEUM 71
The translation of a Persian letter written in 1778 is
HONOURED TO BE HERE 41 an insightful addition to the Grand Lodge archives
Masons from many walks of life make their mark on
HM The Queen’s New Year’s Honours list for 2014 LETTERS 73
Your opinions on the world of Freemasonry
Cover image: David Yeo
SUPPORTING LIFE 42
This page: Laurie Fletcher, The Freemasons’ Grand Charity and the Masonic REFLECTION 82
David Yeo, Superstock, Samaritan Fund are backing Tommy’s research into Prisoner-of-war camps were home to many examples of
© SZP/The Bridgeman Art
Library, Jason Lloyd-Evans miscarriage and stillbirth. Sophie Radice finds out more masonic activity during World War I, says John Hamill

freemasonrytoday.com 5
NEWS You can now keep up to date with all the

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FreemasonryToday
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Rev Peter Mayo-Smith (left) receives a commemorative plaque
from First Principal John Barnes of Brunswick Chapter
BRONTE
CHURCH
CLOCK
TICKING
AGAIN
When members of Brunswick Chapter, No. 408,
noticed that the clock on Haworth Church in
West Yorkshire had stopped for several weeks,
they started making enquiries.
They discovered that the church in the famous
village with Brontë connections needed to complete
essential repairs and develop health and safety
measures for the volunteers who wound the clock.
The Brontës came to Haworth in 1820 when
their father, Patrick, became vicar of the church
– a position he held for 41 years.
The church, which carried out a £237,500
refurbishment of its south roof in 2012, needed
a further £700 to complete the safety measures.
Haworth-based Brunswick Chapter made a
successful application to the Grand Superintendent
of Yorkshire, West Riding’s Charitable Fund and
presented a cheque for £700 to the church.
The Rev Peter Mayo-Smith, priest-in-charge at
Haworth Parish Church, said, ‘The funding from the
Grand Superintendent of Yorkshire, West Riding
has made all the difference and now we can look
forward to seeing the historic clock tick on for
many years. We must thank Brunswick Chapter
for coming to our aid.’
Brunswick First Principal John Barnes added,
‘We were delighted to get a great public service
restarted and now people in Haworth will know
the time again.’

6

PRESTONIAN
LECTURE
The Board of General
Purposes has considered
applications for the
official delivery of the
2014 Prestonian Lecture
and has decided that it
should be given under
the auspices of The
London Grand Rank
Association, Egerton
Worsley Lodge, No. 1213,
Eccles (West Lancashire)
and Temple of Athene
Lodge, No. 9541, Harrow
(Middlesex). The lecturer,
Dr Mike Kearsley,
revealed the lecture title
to be ‘1814 Consolidation
and Change: the first
year of the United Grand
Lodge of England’.
Rod Dyer (right) and Chris
Oldfield at the point where
the Indian and Atlantic
Oceans meet
PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES, PHOTOSHOT
freemasonrytoday.com
NEWS AND VIEWS
NEW PGM
APPOINTED
FOR SOUTH
WALES
Gareth Jones has been
installed as the new
Provincial Grand Master
for South Wales by
Pro Grand Master
Peter Lowndes at Barry.
A ‘seven-point plan’
is now in motion to
address recruitment
and retention, and to
maintain standards
within lodges. Charitable
efforts will be further
developed, as will
greater social interaction
for families.
SCOUTING SUCCESS
Links between Scouting and Freemasonry took another step forward when
both the Kindred Lodges Association (KLA) and The Freemasons’ Grand
Charity ran a stand at The Scout Association’s Reunion. The annual event at
Gilwell Park near Epping Forest brings together more than 2,000 Scouting
adults from around the world.
Working in partnership, the KLA and the Grand Charity explained how
Freemasonry supports local Scouting and its ambition to change young
people’s lives. The stand had a positive reception, with many visitors asking
how they could connect with local Freemasonry as well as thanking the New PGM Gareth Jones
Grand Charity for its £500,000 grant to help encourage the growth of (right) with Pro Grand
Scouting. The KLA intends to return to next year’s Reunion. Master Peter Lowndes
CHALLENGING
THE SOUTH
AFRICAN HEAT
Two brethren from Mirfield Lodge,
No. 1102, in the Province of Yorkshire,
West Riding, cycled 400km over five days
to raise money for Regain, the charity
supporting those who have become
tetraplegic as a result of a sports or
leisure injury. Sometimes referred
to as quadriplegia, tetraplegia is the
complete or incomplete paralysis from
the neck downwards as a result of severe
spinal cord injury, affecting all four limbs
and the trunk. Rod Dyer and Chris
Oldfield completed the arduous event
in the heat of South Africa’s Western
Cape and raised around £8,000 from
sponsorship and organising a number
of social events.
7
 NEWS AND VIEWS

LIFT FOR
NORFOLK
LIFEBOATS
Norfolk Provincial Grand
Master John Rushmer
has presented match-
funded cheques for
£2,500 to the RNLI
Happisburgh Lifeboat
Station. Under the
Matched Funding
Scheme, the Grand
Charity matches grants
made by local lodges
to national non-masonic
charities in 12 selected
Provinces, up to £5,000.
The scheme aims
The crew at their weekly to raise awareness
training exercise on the of the charitable help
north Norfolk coast available from masons
at a local level.

Youngsters try SURGEON SUPPORT

out the iPads FROM DEVON
ROYAL ARCH
At the Riviera International Centre in Torquay,
Second Grand Principal George Francis attended
the Holy Royal Arch Masons of Devonshire
HELP FOR HOME Annual Provincial Grand Chapter. To a packed
FROM HOME IN auditorium including more than 100 distinguished
SOMERSET guests from the Provinces, Grand Superintendent
Simon Rowe announced that Provincial Grand
CLIC Sargent is the Chapter had contributed more than £75,000 to
UK’s leading cancer the Supreme Grand Chapter Royal College of
charity for children and Surgeons 2013 Appeal.
young people. One of
its Homes from Home,
where families can stay
NICE FOOTWORK for free during a child’s
cancer treatment, Sam’s
IN DERBYSHIRE House in Bristol is a
purpose-built residence
Derbyshire masons from Morcar Lodge, No. 8458,
with a garden, close to
which meets at Alfreton, and the Royal Masonic
Bristol Royal Hospital for
Trust for Girls and Boys have helped a young woman
Children (BRHC). The
achieve her ambition in the dancing world.
Lodge of Agriculture,
Joanne Howarth, granddaughter of widow
No. 1199, of Yatton in
Mavis Howarth, whose late husband Jerry was
Somerset, has donated
a lodge member, was able to complete a three-year
four iPads to the centre.
PHOTOGRAPHY: JOHN SMERDON

residential course at the world-famous Brian Rogers

The charity is close
Performers College in London.
to the heart of WM
Now principal of the JL Dance Academy in Ripley,
David Megilley, whose
Joanne puts her success down to the eight years she
family stayed at Sam’s
was supported by Freemasonry.
House when his nephew Second Grand Principal George Francis with
Lodge Almoner Terry Payne with (l to r) his wife underwent a procedure Grand Superintendent Simon Rowe and Second
Margaret, Joanne and Mavis Howarth for leukaemia at BRHC. Provincial Grand Principal Gerald Watson

freemasonrytoday.com 9
NEWS AND VIEWS

CLASSIC VISIT
FROM SIR
STIRLING MOSS
For the past 10 years the Masonic
Classic Vehicle Club (MCVC) has
mounted displays at the NEC
Birmingham’s Classic Motor Show,
the largest indoor classic car

PHOTOGRAPHY: PETER JAMES INSURANCE AND STEWART MILLER INSURANCE

exhibition in the UK.
In 2013 the club’s display theme
was Historic Competition Cars, with
exhibits including a 1958 Maserati
250F F1 car owned by Gerry Hann,
Berkshire Deputy PGM; a 1953
C-type Jaguar (replica) constructed
and owned by Phil Cottrell of Lodge
of Aviation, No. 7210, in London;
a 1932 Austin 7 Ulster displayed
by Roger Gourd from Merantune
Lodge, No. 6149, in Surrey; and a
1922 AC Sports from the Brooklands
Museum, loaned by Steve Gray.
Undoubtedly, the highlight of
the club year was when Sir Stirling
Moss, considered by many to be the
greatest British racing driver, visited
the MCVC stand at the NEC. Sir Stirling Moss on the MCVC stand with club Secretary Phil Cottrell and the Maserati 250F

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10
NEWS AND VIEWS

DISASTER RELIEF
IN THE PHILIPPINES
Typhoon Haiyan struck the eastern coastal
provinces of Samar and Leyte in November, then
swept through six central Philippine islands. It was
one of the most powerful typhoons ever recorded,
with reports of winds over 190mph. Millions of
people were affected and thousands killed.
As a result, Richard Hone, President of the
Grand Charity, approved an emergency grant of
£50,000 to the British Red Cross to help provide
immediate disaster relief. A dedicated Relief Chest
has also been opened by The Freemasons’ Grand
Charity, and an online fundraising page set up at
http://everydayhero.co.uk/event/E0129C.

Any individual mason or lodge can make a

donation by sending a cheque to The Freemasons’
Grand Charity, noting that it is to be paid into the
ROCK AND A HARD PLACE Philippines Typhoon Haiyan Relief Chest E0129C.
For more information, visit www.grandcharity.org/
A gruelling European cycle challenge is being organised by local Freemasons for pages/relief.html or call 020 7395 9246.
the Buckinghamshire Masonic Benevolent Fund (BMBF) alongside non-masons
riding for other charities.
Rock Ride 2 will see the cyclists ride 1,500 miles from the Rock of Gibraltar to
Buckinghamshire in 14 days at the beginning of June. The original Rock Ride event
took place in 2010, but Rock Ride 2 is much bigger with 18 cyclists raising funds for
10 charities.
Grants from the BMBF, which began in 1902, top up any state welfare benefits
an individual is entitled to receive, as well as any additional help from The
Freemasons’ Grand Charity. Much of the BMBF’s expenditure is for one-off
emergency payments to assist with unforeseen circumstances caused by sudden
illness or death, and the level of annual grants is around £60,000. For more
information about the cycle challenge, visit www.rockride2.com.

ATHOLL LODGES
CELEBRATE UNION
Egyptian Lodge, No. 27, hosted an event organised
by the Association of Atholl Lodges to mark the
bicentenary of the union. Representatives were present
from many of the 122 Atholl-warranted lodges still
working under the United Grand Lodge of England
(UGLE). Among the guests were the Metropolitan
Grand Master and President of the Association of
Atholl Lodges, Russell Race, and UGLE Director
of Special Projects John Hamill, a Vice President.

TEEING OFF FOR TENTS A gathering of members

of Atholl lodges
Derbyshire Masonic Golfers Association (DMGA) Secretary Keith Allen and
Warren Hutson, captain, presented 3rd Wingerworth Scout Group leader
Denise Booth with a seven-man patrol tent to enable them to continue their
camping expeditions with adequate shelter.
The existing stock of camping equipment is more than 30 years old and
in urgent need of replacement. The donation came from the DMGA and the
Chesterfield Masonic Benevolent Fund.

Warren Hutson, Denise Booth and DMGA Secretary Keith Allen with Scouts

12
 NEWS AND VIEWS

FUNDING FOR
LOCAL HOSPICE
Ian Talboys from Delphis Lodge, No. 7769, in
Hereford, has long admired Linda Bishop’s support
of St Michael’s Hospice, joining her on charity walks
in the Black Mountains, raising money especially for
the new complementary therapy suite at Bartestree.
With the £14.5 million new build due for completion
in June, hospice fundraising head Ruth Denison has
received a £1,000 donation from Delphis Lodge and
a further £2,809 from The Freemasons’ Grand
Charity, ring-fenced for the therapy suite.

CANCER
CHARITY
EXPRESSES
ITS THANKS
Haven Breast Cancer
Support Centre
manager Frankie
Devereux has praised
Hereford masons for

GOOD CAUSES
their £5,800 donation
during Breast Cancer

IN PYJAMAS
Awareness Month.
Herefordshire PGM
the Rev David Bowen
Pupils at The Royal Masonic School for Girls,
highlighted the ongoing
at Rickmansworth in Hertfordshire, have raised
support of Freemasons,
hundreds of pounds for BBC Children in Need
who have been a Haven
and for the typhoon victims in the Philippines.
guardian since 2011. The
Year Four pupils organised a cake sale and
charity’s new national
a non-uniform day to raise money for the BBC’s
director of fundraising,
appeal, with many of the youngsters going to
Edward Lord, was at
school in ‘onesies’ and pyjamas. Parents organised
the presentation.
another cake sale in the playground after school
This year’s donation
to raise money for the people of the Philippines
to The Haven, match-
following Typhoon Haiyan.
AID FOR MARIE funded by the Grand
Charity, included
CURIE NURSES funding from Palladian
Ledbury’s recently formed Marie Curie Cancer (No. 120), Royal Edward
Care Fundraising Group has been supported by (No. 892) and Delphis SANCTUARY HELP
Freemasons with a donation of around £1,500.
Eastnor Lodge, No. 751, of Ledbury and Vaga
(No. 7769) lodges, as
well as the Herefordshire
FOR YOUNGSTERS
Lodge, No. 3146, of Hereford awarded the Masonic Charity. Thanks to West Yorkshire Freemasons, 20 children
donation, with an additional £500 from The from an inner-city primary school in Leeds enjoyed
PHOTOGRAPHY: ROBERT HARDING, REUTERS

Freemasons’ Grand Charity. Deputy Provincial
Grand Master Mike Roff made the presentation.
Marie Curie Cancer Care Fundraising Groups
operate across the UK, with the groups of
volunteers meeting regularly to organise and
support fundraising activities in their community.
Ledbury Fundraising Group chairman Bruce
Foster emphasised that such financial help would
be ring-fenced to support Herefordshire Marie
Curie nurses in their care of the terminally ill.
David Bowen, Edward
Lord, Frankie Devereux
and David Knowles
a Christmas-themed party at the Hope Pastures
horse and donkey sanctuary. As well as rescuing
and rehoming horses, ponies and donkeys, Hope
Pastures aims to educate people in animal welfare
and provide a city sanctuary for community groups.
David Wignall of Allerton Lodge, No. 3047,
applied to the Provincial Grand Master’s Fund of
the Province of Yorkshire, West Riding for funding
for the party, and a cheque for £500 was presented
to Sue Huggins-Geering, a Hope Pastures trustee.

freemasonrytoday.com 13
NEWS AND VIEWS

EYE-CATCHING
TECHNOLOGY
State-of-the-art technology that works by tracking
its user’s eye movement has been donated to
Ty^ Hafan children’s hospice by award-winning charity
Lifelites. The Eye Gaze technology, unveiled at the
hospice in south Wales, means that all children –
whatever their disability or illness – will have access
to the benefits of technology.
Lifelites has been supported by funding from
the Province of Monmouthshire and Thomas Cook
Children’s Charity, among others. Monmouthshire
PGM the Rev Malcolm Lane, a Lifelites trustee, said:
‘We know the money donated will be put to excellent
use, providing specialist technology for children
at the Lifelites project closest to our hearts here
in south Wales.’

A SUITABLE HORSE
Herefordshire Riding for the Disabled (RDA) at Holme Lacy is searching for
a suitable new horse. The previous occupant of the now empty stable was Gypsy,
sponsored by the Herefordshire masons. Local Freemasons, whose first sponsored
horse was aptly named Mason, recently donated £2,600 towards the purchase
of a replacement for Gypsy.
The annual minimum cost of maintenance for each of the 13 horses stabled at
Herefordshire RDA is £1,500. Like all RDA centres, Herefordshire depends on
local financial and physical support to provide a quality service of compassion and Lifelites CEO Simone Enefer-Doy (second from
care. The centre provides 250 weekly sessions for the disabled and the most recent right, front row), PGM the Rev Malcolm Lane and
donation had been match-funded by The Freemasons’ Grand Charity. Deputy PGM Richard Davies at the unveiling

CENTENARY WALK FOR

Dick Whittington
SOMERSET LODGE comes to Corby
Members of Nyanza Lodge, No. 1197, in Somerset
celebrated 100 years in their Ilminster building by
walking from their first home to the current site. The
lodge was founded in 1867 and members moved to
their present home in October 1913. In that year, the
brethren processed in full regalia via the high street
in Ilminster to honour the move.
The celebration marked the first time that any
Somerset lodge has paraded in public since World
War II. Stuart Hadler, Provincial Grand Master of
Somerset, joined lodge members on the walk.

PANTO PLAYERS
The Corby Masonic Players
of Northamptonshire and
Huntingdonshire Province performed
their latest pantomime, Dick
Nyanza Lodge members Whittington, written and directed by
with PGM Stuart Hadler Jack Summerfield. The cast included
three ruling Masters of Corby lodges:
William Glover (Lodge of Unity,
No. 495), Scott Morton (Thistle and
Rose Lodge, No. 6644) and Wayne
Summerfield (Corbie Lodge, No. 9155).
Dick Whittington is the Players’ sixth
pantomime and was supported both
on and off stage by family members.

14

Organisers Peter Smith and Stuart
Ross at one of the display cabinets
FREEMASONRY
EXPLAINED IN YORKSHIRE
Thanks to a donation to Harrogate’s Royal
Hall, a masonic exhibition has returned
a portrait of Henry Lascelles to Yorkshire
The Royal Hall at Harrogate has
provided a superb home for the annual
meeting of the Provincial Grand Lodge
of Yorkshire, West Riding since 1937,
although its masonic links go back
to the Royal Hall’s origins.
A Restoration Trust was formed to
raise funds for the building and the
Province made a generous donation.
The trustees offered the Province the
long-term use of two display cabinets,
with the aim of hosting a permanent
public exhibition of Freemasonry in
a non-masonic context.
While researching a wish list of
artefacts for the display, the Province
became aware of a portrait of Henry
The Earl of Harewood on display
freemasonrytoday.com
George Charles Lascelles, 6th Earl of
Harewood, PGM of Yorkshire, West
Riding 1926-1942, Pro Grand Master
1935-1942 and Grand Master 1942-1947.
The portrait was commissioned by
the Province in 1937 and presented
to the Earl to be hung in Freemasons’
Hall, London.
Interested in bringing the painting
back to Yorkshire for the first time
since it was commissioned, the
Province approached the Board of
General Purposes, which agreed to the
loan for an initial period of five years.
A Masonic Experience: Freemasonry
Explained opened in December at the
Bradford Industrial Museum.
NEWS AND VIEWS
GREEN-FINGERED
GUIDES WIN TOP PRIZE
Gardening Guides have won the top prize in an
annual competition organised by Buckinghamshire
masons that rewards youngsters who work hard in
their local communities. Members of 4th Taplow
and Hitcham Guides won the £2,500 for producing
planters for the elderly at a Burnham care home.
The runners-up received £1,000, three other
groups were awarded £500 each, and sponsoring
lodges received £500 each for a charity of their
choice. The teams were invited to visit their local
masonic centres, while the sponsoring lodges visited
their chosen projects, providing an additional way
to promote Freemasonry in the community.
Girl Guide winners with Beaconsfield Mayor
Cllr Sandy Saunders and APGM Mike Stimson
PRESS TALK COMES
TO BEACONSFIELD
Bowen Lodge, No. 2816, which meets at
Beaconsfield in Buckinghamshire, has hosted the
2013 Prestonian Lecture, ‘As we were seen: The
Press & Freemasonry.’ Given by journalist and
academic Paul Calderwood, the lecture was an
historical account of Freemasonry’s relationship
with the press over nearly three centuries. The
event raised around £900 for various charities,
including the National Autistic Society.
The 2013 Prestonian lecturer Paul Calderwood
(centre), with Bucks PGM Gordon Robertson
(left) and Bowen WM Tim Arnold
15

BELPER AID FOR
AUTISM CENTRE
Holbrook Centre for Autism, which provides specialist
schooling for students with autism and learning
disabilities between the ages of four and 19, has
received £1,200 for teaching aids from Belper masons
in Derbyshire. The fundraising was started by Brian
Smith, Master of Lodge of St John, No. 8070, aided by
the Belper Masonic Benevolent Association and the
Provincial Grand Lodge of Derbyshire.
Julian Scholefield, the centre’s head teacher, said
the funds would be used to buy additional iPads and
supporting software to enhance the existing technology
portfolio available to all students.
DURHAM SCOUTS ADAPT
At a meeting of Quest Lodge, No. 7102, in Seaham,
representatives of Durham Scouts received a grant
to buy special adaptation kit to enable handicapped
Scouts to participate in practical Scouting. The grant
was presented by Past Assistant Provincial Grand
Master Kenneth Howe to Sheila Gibbon, assistant
county commissioner for special needs.
Scout leaders, together with wives and friends,
attended the meeting where they were invited
into the lodge room to hear a presentation on
PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES
the similarities between Freemasonry and
Scouting. Quest Lodge Master Raine Gregson
led the initial fundraising with a social evening,
which raised £600, and Durham Provincial Grand
Lodge added a further £1,000 to the donation.
Raine Gregson, Sheila Gibbon, Kenneth Howe and
Quest PM Kenny Routledge
freemasonrytoday.com
NEWS AND VIEWS
HOSPITAL APPEAL BACKED
IN HEREFORDSHIRE
The Cobalt medical charity, now approaching its 50th anniversary,
supports patients with cancer across Gloucestershire, Herefordshire and
Worcestershire. The charity is working with Wye Valley NHS Trust to set up
a state-of-the-art breast cancer digital screening and biopsy assessment
centre at Hereford County Hospital.
Mel Bolton, service delivery manager (diagnostic and scientific) at
the hospital, joined Herefordshire masons on a tour of the area that will
accommodate the new facilities, accompanied by Sian Syddall, the appeal’s
community fundraiser. Herefordshire PGM the Rev David Bowen, in presenting
the latest masonic donation, said he was pleased that this project would
make it unnecessary for patients to travel to Bromsgrove and Cheltenham
to access these services.
DERBYSHIRE LODGE
INITIATES FIRST STUDENT
One year after Assistant Grand Master
David Williamson accepted it into
the Universities Scheme, Derbyshire’s
Hartington Lodge, No. 1085, has initiated
its first student candidate, 18-year-old
Philip Tomlinson.
The meeting was attended by more
than 80 brethren, including Provincial
Grand Master Graham Rudd; Assistant
Provincial Grand Master Steven Varley;
and 12 Entered Apprentices, as well as
two Fellowcrafts from other lodges.
The lodge has already secured six
further candidates, having run a stand
at the University of Derby’s freshers’ fair,
followed by an open evening at Derby
Masonic Hall.
17
NEWS AND VIEWS

ALBANIAN
RECOGNITION
On 14 October 2011, the Grand Lodge of Albania
was formed by the Grand Orient of Italy from three
lodges meeting there. The United Grand Lodge of
England no longer recognises the Grand Orient
of Italy, but it has publicly stated that it accepts the
Grand Orient’s regularity of origin and that its lodges
are working routinely.
The Grand Lodge of Albania has shown that it is
of regular descent and that it conforms to the Basic
Principles for Grand Lodge Recognition. The Board
of General Purposes therefore has no reason to believe
that it will not maintain a regular path. At its December
Quarterly Communication, Grand Lodge approved the
recommendation from the Board that the Grand Lodge
of Albania be recognised.

HISTORIC SEVENTY
YEARS IN
MILESTONE SUFFOLK
FOR PRUDENCE At a meeting of Babergh
Lodge, No. 8122, which
It is quite a milestone when a lodge reaches its meets at Sudbury,
1,500th regular meeting, but it is an event that Suffolk, there was
was recently celebrated by Lodge of Prudence, a celebration of the
No. 388, which meets at Halesworth in Suffolk. 70th anniversary of
Among the distinguished guests welcomed the initiation of Lionel
at the meeting by Worshipful Master Ian Ansell Bell by his father into
was Ian Yeldham, Provincial Grand Master for Stour Valley Lodge,
Suffolk, who witnessed an initiation ceremony. No. 1224. Suffolk
The date of the lodge warrant is 23 June Provincial Grand Master
1827, but research by lodge Past Master Charles Ian Yeldham delivered
Bedingfield uncovered an old Minute Book a fitting tribute and a
that referred to the first meeting of the Lodge certificate recognising
of Prudence, No. 500, which took place on A member of his achievement.
12 October 1791. Records state that the meeting the Oklahoma At the same meeting,
was held at the Three Tuns Inn, Halesworth, Masonic Indian Graham Pearce was
which is now a social club. Degree Team initiated into the lodge
The Province of Suffolk itself was formally and it was thought an
recognised in 1772 and now includes 66 lodges. NATIVE AMERICANS appropriate gesture for
him to present Lionel,
GIVE MASONIC DISPLAY a founder member,
Hundreds of masons gathered at Wisbech St Mary, with a fine selection
Cambridgeshire, to watch a colourful demonstration of red wine.
of masonic rituals by a group of Native Americans.
PHOTOGRAPHY: AWL IMAGES, STEVE WILLIAMS

The Oklahoma Masonic Indian Degree Team was

Members and distinguished visitors gather
to celebrate the 1,500th meeting of Lodge
of Prudence
on a UK tour, and its visit to the village leisure
centre at Fenland attracted 300 fellow masons from
around the eastern counties.
Event organiser Brian January was fascinated
by the display of how Native American tribes use
masonic symbols and rituals: ‘They dressed in
traditional costume and demonstrated some of their
ceremonies. It was like a play, and was quite different PGM Ian Yeldham (left)
from what we do. No one had ever seen anything like with Lionel Bell and
it in England. It was just out of this world.’ WM Tom Keane

18

‘It has been an honour to have
had the opportunity to contribute
to English Freemasonry.’
PHOTOGRAPHY: GREG FUNNELL
freemasonrytoday.com
SENIOR INSIGHTS
ENVIABLE
REPUTATION
With Sir David Wootton
succeeding him, outgoing
Assistant Grand Master
David Williamson looks back
at his achievements and the
support he has received
D
uring my thirteen years as Assistant Grand Master,
I have visited every continent for a variety of
purposes: to install District Grand Masters and
Grand Inspectors, to attend landmark meetings of private
lodges, and to represent the Grand Master at other Grand
Lodges. Here at home, I have installed Provincial Grand
Masters, attended charity festivals and lodges in their
Provinces, and in Metropolitan London. I have always
received a warm welcome, for which I thank them all.
There are many other people to whom I owe personal
debts of gratitude for the support and encouragement they
have given me during my term of office, not least the several
Rulers I have been privileged to serve under, and the many
people at Freemasons’ Hall.
Over the years I have witnessed many changes, such
as the formation of Metropolitan Grand Lodge, in which
I was privileged to play a part. Nine years ago, I started
the Universities Scheme, which now has fifty-nine lodges,
many of which I have visited. I am proud of what they are
achieving and grateful to my organising committee for the
time they have devoted to promoting the scheme.
In parallel with the growth of the scheme, I have seen the
mentoring initiative have an increasingly positive effect in
making masonry meaningful to new masons and aiding
retention. One of the biggest changes has been in the way
we portray ourselves to the outside world, through social
media and our publications, all of which contribute to what
we know as ‘openness’, helping us regain what the Grand
Master has called ‘our enviable reputation in society’.
As I reflect on the past thirteen years, I can say that it has
been an honour to have had the opportunity to contribute
to English Freemasonry; I have enjoyed every moment.
My sincere thanks to the many masons it has been my
privilege to meet. I will always remember the collective and
individual encouragement you have given me over the years.
21
SPECIAL INTEREST LODGES

ONE
MASON
AND HIS
DOGS
Connaught Lodge has
been uniting dog lovers,
Freemasonry and The Kennel
Club throughout its hundred-
year history. Tabby Kinder
traces the social bonds that
connect Crufts with the Craft

G
raham Hill has an interest in the animals that
has, he admits, somewhat taken over his life.
‘I started exhibiting dogs in 1965 – Russian
wolfhounds known as borzoi – and I’ve won
breeding and showing achievements at championships
for years: top dog, top breed...’ he beams proudly as his
well-trained borzoi calmly gaze into the camera lens.
Graham is Secretary of Connaught Lodge, No. 3270.
Set up for Freemasons with an interest in dog fancying,
the lodge now has fifty-five members from across
Britain involved in all facets of the dog world, from
showing at Crufts and other dog shows through
to field trials, agility, breeding, owning and judging.
The lodge has a history inextricably linked with The
Kennel Club that goes back more than a hundred years.
Connaught was founded by a group of six like-minded
men in 1907 and named in honour of Prince Arthur,
Duke of Connaught (son of Queen Victoria), who was,
in the early twentieth century, Most Worshipful Grand
Master of the United Grand Lodge of England and also
president of The Kennel Club.
g
22
freemasonrytoday.com 33
 Proud Connaught Lodge
member Graham Hill
with his beloved borzoi

24

‘Each Connaught Lodge member must belong to The Kennel
Club, a requirement that has created a close-knit brethren
of varying expertise and specialist knowledge.’
As a ring commentator at Crufts and a secretary of
the Welsh Kennel Club, Graham’s commitments mean
he doesn’t exhibit much anymore but still owns the
borzoi, a couple of whippets and a Cardigan Welsh
corgi. ‘I’ve had corgis all my life, being from Wales and
part of the farming community. Our Cardigan was once
a working dog but now all of them are household pets.’
For Graham, the philosophy behind Connaught
Lodge is simple. ‘It’s for Freemasons with a common
interest in the canine world,’ he says. ‘All of us are
associated with dogs, and Connaught members are
involved in organising and taking part in all disciplines
of canine activities.’
Though the lodge meets just four times a year (at the
temple on Duke Street before walking to The Kennel
Club on Clarges Street), its members routinely meet
informally as they are senior officials in dog fancying
across the UK. ‘We’re a whole cross-section of canine
enthusiasts,’ Graham says of this niche interest lodge.
It’s a philosophy that truly espouses two key aspects
of masonry: socialising and brotherhood. Many
members are glad of the social aspect, counting
Connaught as their mother lodge.
CANINE CONNECTION
‘Niche interests and Freemasonry go hand in hand,’
explains Jimmy Keizer, Connaught Lodge Almoner and
a tour guide at The Kennel Club in London. The club’s
art gallery houses the largest collection of dog paintings
in Europe, and its exhibitions, open to the public by
appointment, are popular in the dog world.
The Kennel Club is an ideal partner for Connaught
Lodge, which holds its Festive Board there each year.
Indeed, to this day, each lodge member must belong
to the club, a requirement that has created a close-knit
brethren of varying expertise and specialist knowledge.
Jimmy, a member of The Kennel Club since 1989,
became a lodge member in 1996 after a lifetime of dog
fancying in both a professional and leisure capacity.
Acting as a governing body for dog shows and other
canine activities, and also operating the national
PHOTOGRAPHY: DAVID YEO
register for pedigree dogs, The Kennel Club is the oldest
recognised body of its kind in the world. And much like
Freemasonry, its practices are steeped in tradition.
Of course, an appreciation of dogs is not restricted to
making them trot around dog show rings – something
that Connaught Lodge Master David Sowerby is keen
SPECIAL INTEREST LODGES
to explain. Initiated into the lodge in 2005, becoming
Master in October 2013, he says: ‘I’m the oddity in
Connaught. Everyone else tends to be of the show world,
the Crufts element, but I’m firmly a part of the working
side, field trials and hunting dogs.’
David’s five cocker spaniels hunt and retrieve game
in the shooting field, and he regularly ventures to grand
manor grounds and estates in the British countryside
to compete. ‘They’re fit for the purpose for which they
were originally bred and that’s important to me,’ he says.
The joy David finds in his love of dogs encapsulates how
lucky he feels to be alive, especially following a recent
battle with cancer: ‘It’s a privilege to be involved in
dog trialling – if it wasn’t for the dogs, I wouldn’t get
to experience the beautiful views and nature.’
David believes Connaught Lodge will grow steadily
in membership numbers. ‘It’s a good thing,’ he says. ‘The
lodge isn’t run by The Kennel Club and the club isn’t run
by the lodge. Instead, one enriches the other. Connaught
brings different views, experiences and expertise from
different locations together, while the practices of their
niche, specialist interests add to the beauty of masonry.’
HOUNDS FOR HEROES
Each year, Connaught Lodge raises funds
for a different charity, nominated by the
serving Master. Last year, approximately
£3,500 was raised for Hounds for Heroes,
which provides trained assistance dogs
to injured and disabled people from the
UK Armed Forces. This year, the lodge
is focusing on fundraising for the United
Grand Lodge of England’s tercentenary.
25
 ROYAL ALPHA

IN GOOD
COMPANY
Royal Alpha Lodge celebrated the
Grand Master’s fifty years in the Craft at
an historic occasion in Freemasons’ Hall

H
is Royal Highness The Duke of Lodge. Pro Grand Master Peter Lowndes
Kent was initiated into Royal presented His Royal Highness with a
Alpha Lodge, No. 16, on Monday, framed collage of pictures of past royal
16 December 1963 at a meeting held at Grand Masters surrounding a picture
the Café Royal. The then Grand Master, of the current Grand Master. The Pro
the Earl of Scarborough, was his proposer Grand Master pointed out that Earl
and his seconder was Lord Cornwallis, Cadogan, who was present when he
Provincial Grand Master of Kent. was Viscount Chelsea, had acted as
Although the Master was the Junior Deacon at the ceremony. Also
Marquess of Zetland, it was the Assistant in attendance was Sir John Welch whose
Grand Master, Sir Allan Adair, who took father had also been present on that day.
the chair for the ceremony. Adair was The meeting was held in the Grand
ABOVE: HRH The Duke of Kent
both a famous soldier and a well-known Secretary’s Lodge Room at Freemasons’
with Deputy Grand Master
mason; not only had he heroically Hall, followed by dinner at Lincoln’s
Jonathan Spence, Pro Grand
commanded the 4th Guards Armoured Inn, where His Royal Highness is the
Master Peter Lowndes and
Division in World War II, he also went Royal Bencher. The members were
Assistant Grand Master
on to become Deputy Grand Master. delighted that the Grand Master was
David Williamson
Fifty years on, members celebrated able to attend his lodge on this historic
the anniversary at the December 2013 occasion and his health was drunk with
installation meeting of Royal Alpha much enthusiasm.

freemasonrytoday.com 27
FIRST PERSON

An accountant by profession, Anthony Wilson

explains why he brought modern business practice
to Freemasonry when he became President of the
Board of General Purposes ten years ago

FIRM
VOICE
28

How did you come into Freemasonry?
I’d been married to my wife for about a year and
was spending a weekend down at my father-in-law’s.
I noticed after lunch that he was walking around the
garden with his brother. I knew he was a Freemason
but I didn’t know that his brother was. They were deep
in conversation and later he sidled up to me and asked
if I’d ever thought of becoming a Freemason. I said
I hadn’t, I knew about it but not in detail, so he told me
what was necessary and proposed me for the Tuscan
Lodge, No. 14. I was about twenty-six when I joined.
What drew you to the Craft?
Initially, what attracted me was the intrigue of finding
out what Freemasonry was about, but once I’d been
through the ceremonies my whole view of it changed.
It was relaxed but there was also a formality – it wasn’t
an easy ride. Don’t just expect to get things out of it;
put things into it and you’ll get enjoyment. I realised
that there was a lot of knowledge, that it was telling
you a story linked to your values and that it gelled with
what I stood for in life. The other aspect I was grateful
for was that it brought me into contact with a large
number of people I wouldn’t otherwise have met.
How did you become President of the Board of
General Purposes?
One thing I’ve learned from Freemasonry is that
although you don’t expect things to come along,
freemasonrytoday.com
FIRST PERSON
somehow people notice you. I was asked to sit on
a committee to look at the future of London, which
brought me into contact with the Rulers and the
Grand Secretary. From that I was asked to become
a member of the old Board of General Purposes.
When the old Board was restructured I came
off it but was subsequently asked if I would become
President of the Committee of General Purposes,
which is the equivalent to the Board of General
Purposes for the Royal Arch. Having been President
of that for about three years, I was asked if I would like
to become President of the Board, which I had already
rejoined on becoming President of the Committee.
This is my tenth anniversary in the position.
What does the Board do?
We’re responsible for the governance of the Craft;
the relationship between individual lodges and the
Grand Lodge; the relations between Grand Lodge
and the Provincial Grand Masters; the relations
with recognised foreign Grand Lodges; the finances
of the Craft and its assets – of which Freemasons’
Hall is one. We set the membership dues to run the
services at the centre of the Craft and we manage
the PR with the outside world. Very largely, we do
everything apart from the ceremonial side. What
I do as President would not be possible without the
Deputy President, the Grand Treasurer, the Grand
Secretary and the whole team at Freemasons’
g
29
FIRST PERSON
‘The Board is much more
transparent now... it’s a
much better forum where
each member is an
active contributor.’
Hall. It’s very much a collegiate affair – we’re a team and
I’m very fortunate with the support and counsel I get.
What drew you to the business of Freemasonry?
My background is in chartered accountancy and
I’ve always been interested in business and how you
can improve it. Working on the Board was a way
of helping the running of Freemasonry that wasn’t
purely ceremonial but rather administrative. When
I was in the profession, one of the first audits I did was
for the Grand Lodge 250th Anniversary Fund, which
is a charity that sponsors research fellowships with
the Royal College of Surgeons. I didn’t think that some
twenty years later I’d be approached to become a trustee
for that – it’s funny the way the world moves.
How did the old Board function?
Pre-1999, the Board of General Purposes met eight
times a year. It consisted of nearly fifty people and
all its business was done through a number of
committees in the morning which reported to the
full Board in the afternoon – it wasn’t an environment
in which discussion ever took place. It had the hangover
from thirty to forty years ago when Freemasonry wasn’t
so much run by the Rulers, who were more titular and
ceremonial, but by the then Grand Secretary and the
President of the Board. They would basically decide what
30
they wanted and the Board was there to serve that way
of doing business.
How is the Board different now?
It’s much more transparent. Gavin Purser spent
a lot of time working on a new structure when he
was President to create a Board of about twelve people
who meet six times a year. It really is a better way of
conducting business. We have proper discussions and
I don’t think over my ten years that we’ve had to vote on
anything because consensus has come from discussion.
It’s a much better forum where each member is now an
active contributor. We also sit in a boardroom where
everyone can hear each other; the old boardroom had
WORDS: LUKE TURTON. PHOTOGRAPHY: LAURIE FLETCHER
a wonderful dais at the top and the rest of the tables
were set in a horseshoe shape, so if you were in the south
of the room you couldn’t hear what someone was saying
in the north – you could just about hear the podium.
The Rulers have also become more involved, which
is a great advancement, and I work with them closely.
How have things changed during your presidency?
Change is slow because you’ve got to take the members
with you. One of the things I’m very proud of is
advancing professionalism in the way in which the
Craft is run. The organisation that supports the Grand
Secretary has been streamlined; it’s more efficient
g

‘One of the things I’m very
proud of is advancing
professionalism in the
way in which the Craft
is run. We’ve brought in
standards you’d expect
to find in business.’
than ten years ago because we’ve brought in standards
you’d expect to find in business. There’s also much
greater willingness to accept the culture of change in
this building. The staff see the benefits and I would like
to think the whole working environment has improved.
Is the Board structured differently?
We’ve increased our focus on the outside world. In the
old days, dealing with the foreign Grand Lodges was
handled by the Grand Secretary who also dealt with
internal affairs and our members. Together with the
Rulers, we saw the need for someone who would just
focus on external relations and so created the role of
Grand Chancellor.
Is managing Freemasons’ Hall a challenge?
By far the largest asset we have is Freemasons’ Hall
and a lot has happened here over the past ten years
– we had to strip out asbestos, which was a nightmare
because it was everywhere. When the Hall was built,
asbestos was what you used for safety and it took three
or four years to strip it out while still allowing the
building to be used for purpose. The new maintenance
challenge is what’s called Regent Street Disease, which
is named after buildings in that street that were built
around a steel frame – a very popular method in the
1920s. Unfortunately, the steel and what surrounded
freemasonrytoday.com
FIRST PERSON
it weren’t always fully airtight so the steel was capable
of rusting. Freemasons’ Hall is one of the first all-steel-
frame buildings so has the disease, but we’re tackling it
– we’re very proud of this building.
What is modern Freemasonry?
When I took the role on, what worried me was
Freemasonry no longer being relevant to the society we
lived in. If you look over the years of our membership,
numbers peak and trough. Membership has always
been high when we filled a much-needed role in society
but that changes because society changes. So that’s
something we’re looking at more and more, to find
that relevance. One of the things I feel very strongly
about is that Freemasonry has to fit in with your family
life – we’ve got to keep an eye on that, to make sure that
members don’t focus too much on their Freemasonry to
the detriment of their family.
What’s being planned for 2017?
The tercentenary will increasingly take up our focus
and we have a working party looking at key elements.
We believe very strongly that this will be a time for
our members to celebrate – as the premier Grand Lodge
of the world we will involve the foreign Grand Lodges,
but we won’t lose sight of the fact that it’s a celebration
by our members, of our members.
33
SUPPORT NETWORK
BACK TO LIFE
When illness or financial problems strike, pride can inhibit
some masons from asking for support. Tabby Kinder finds
out how Freemasonry Cares is ensuring masons and their
dependants are helped quickly, simply and in confidence
W
ith a flurry of winter coats and woollen
gloves, David Blunt and his wife wrap
up against the chilly January day. David
positions himself onto a shiny electric
scooter – a vehicle that, for him, makes leaving the
house possible. The couple are beginning the trip to
their nearby hospital in Rugby for a routine check-up.
It’s a journey they have made a couple of times a month
since an illness left David with severe disabilities almost
five years ago.
For David, acknowledging that he needed support in
the form of the scooter was a challenge that took a while
to overcome. ‘When I first came out of hospital I just
didn’t admit my disabilities,’ he says. ‘I struggled for
months before I admitted defeat and asked for some help.’
According to Warwickshire Assistant Provincial Grand
Master Trevor Sturt, David’s situation is by no means
unique: ‘His case is a classic example and one that was
likely to have slipped through the net had Freemasonry
Cares not existed.’
Freemasonry Cares is a joint initiative between the
four national masonic charities – The Freemasons’
Grand Charity, the Royal Masonic Trust for Girls
and Boys (RMTGB), the Royal Masonic Benevolent
Institution (RMBI) and the Masonic Samaritan Fund
(MSF) – to provide charitable support, financial and
otherwise, to masons and their families.
34
While this support has always been available, a need
was recognised at the heart of the organisation to make
assistance more accessible, both to those who aren’t
sure if they are eligible for help, and to those who are
embarrassed to even ask for it. So far, it’s proving
a huge success in getting people like David vitally
important support.
David’s old scooter, gifted to him several years ago by
the son of an old friend, urgently needed replacing, and
after speaking to his lodge Almoner in the autumn of
2013, he was directed to the Freemasonry Cares hotline.
‘The MSF was then able to pick up his case, assess his
needs and grant him the new mobile scooter he’s using
today,’ Trevor says.
REGAINING INDEPENDENCE
In the course of just a few months, the MSF then went
on to replace David’s bath with an accessible shower unit,
and also granted his wife an adjustable chair, easing the
PHOTOGRAPHY: LAURIE FLETCHER
problems she has with her own mobility. ‘Accepting help
through Freemasonry Cares was a psychological step for
me, as well as a financial and physical one,’ says David.
‘My wife’s quality of life has been greatly improved by the
support, particularly for her sanity now I am able to get
out of the house. The scooter gives me the freedom to
go out, get to appointments and meet people almost
every day of the week.’
g
 SUPPORT NETWORK

By calling Freemasonry
Cares, David and his
wife have received
much-needed support

freemasonrytoday.com 35
SUPPORT NETWORK

David’s scooter, provided

by the Masonic Samaritan
Fund, has restored his
sense of independence

36

‘People can just call one number... It’s the simple approach
that encourages people to understand there’s no harm
in asking for help.’ Jess Grant
David’s story highlights the importance of not just
communicating the support available to masons but also
streamlining how enquiries are handled by the masonic
charities. ‘The process is a lot more simple than it used
to be,’ says Jess Grant, one of the core team of just three
people responsible for planning and administering the
initiative. ‘Now, people aren’t put off by wondering what
charity is right for them or if they would even qualify,
because they can just call one number and have instant
access to everything on offer. It’s the simple approach
that encourages people to understand there’s no harm
in asking for help.’
Jess attributes the success of Freemasonry Cares so
far to the confidential nature of the scheme that allows
masons, their family members and widows to ask for
support anonymously if they so choose – and many do.
‘It’s a voice on the end of the phone rather than a familiar
person who they might have known for thirty years,’ says
Jess. ‘We wanted to remove any obstacle that might stop
someone from making that initial approach.’
For Jess, Freemasonry Cares is definitely working:
‘We get calls from people who have been gearing
themselves up for some time to phone, especially in
the cases of widows who may feel they’re doing their late
husband a disservice by admitting to not being able to
cope. But the calls are coming in greater numbers and
the charities are supporting more people than ever.’
The enquiry level in David’s Province of Warwickshire
is now running at around fifteen calls per month –
three times higher than the number of calls made to
the charities in the previous year. ‘We’ve had eighty-one
enquiries processed in this Province this year, which is
a ten-fold increase in assistance given by the charities to
our members, already proving that Freemasonry Cares
is encouraging the people who need help to ask for it,’
says Trevor.
Paul, a mason in Surrey (whose name has been
changed by request), admits straightaway that he would
freemasonrytoday.com
SUPPORT NETWORK
not have asked for support unless he was able to do so
privately. ‘When you have cancer it takes over your whole
life and everyone you meet just wants to talk about it,’
he says. ‘The lodge is one of the few places I can go where
nobody really knows my situation; it’s a relief.’
EASING THE STRAIN
Paul first discovered he had metastasized bowel cancer
four years ago, adding a huge burden to his family
responsibilities of being a single father to his seven-year-
old daughter and the sole carer of his elderly mother.
‘It was alright at first, the government provided some
basic support and the NHS have been able to manage
my cancer,’ he says. ‘It’s good in the most important way,
because I’m still alive, but ongoing treatment has really
stretched me financially as I’m not able to work and my
savings have completely disappeared.’
Just weeks after being encouraged by his lodge
Almoner to put in a phone call to Freemasonry Cares,
the Grand Charity was able to give Paul a £5,000 lump
sum towards his general living costs. ‘I was resistant
at first but the application process was simple. Julia
Young from the RMTGB welfare team came round
and we spoke for over an hour. I had been living
g
CARE HOTLINE
Freemasonry Cares offers free and confidential
guidance on the wide range of financial,
healthcare and family help available to masons
and their dependants. To contact Freemasonry
Cares or apply for support, contact your
lodge Almoner, call 0800 035 60 90 or email
help@freemasonrycares.org. To find out if you
may be eligible for support from the masonic
charities, you can answer some easy questions
at www.freemasonrycares.org/decider.php.
37
SUPPORT NETWORK

‘Accepting help through

Freemasonry Cares was a
psychological step for me, as well
as a financial and physical one.’
David Blunt

on the edge of what I could afford every month, but

this grant means I have a buffer so I can worry a little
less about my outgoings and a little more about myself
and my family.’
The RMTGB was able to provide Paul with a termly
payment of £600 to pay for music lessons, clothes, school
trips and holidays for his young daughter. ‘I was amazed
and so grateful, it was more than I ever expected to
receive, and being able to pay for my daughter’s
Christmas presents without worrying was such a relief,’
says Paul. ‘Julia provided a friendly face without being
someone I would need to see every day and that was
important to me – we’re a bit resistant, us blokes! But
as soon as I’d made the first contact, the whole thing
became a little less daunting.’
‘My advice to someone reading this would be to just
pick up the phone,’ says Jess, explaining that there is
no such thing as an insignificant grant. ‘Somebody
may call us up and need major heart surgery that costs
£50,000, whereas someone else may call and say they
need a mobility aid to get down the driveway. Both
of these things can have a huge impact on someone’s
quality of life, and we always strive to provide individual
support in a reassuring and confidential manner.’

SURREY RANK AND FILE

Bob Jenkinson, Provincial
Grand Almoner for
Surrey, is a huge
advocate of the
Freemasonry Cares
initiative and wants
more people to receive the help
they need. ‘We grabbed the
opportunity to offer Freemasonry
Cares to the brethren in Surrey
because we recognised the same
problems as The Freemasons’ Grand
Charity – that the rank and file mason
often doesn’t have a clue what any
of the charities are about and even
less idea of how to get support from
them,’ he says.
Since adopting Freemasonry Cares
and promoting it in meetings and
literature across the Province, Surrey
has seen the number of enquiries
made to the charities increase
by around twenty per cent on the
previous year. ‘We’ve had about fifty
enquiries to the Freemasonry Cares
hotline this quarter, and I’m personally
getting twice as many calls from
people asking me to initiate contact
for them, so the push has really
generated an understanding of what
the masonic charities are there to do,’
says Bob. Masons in Surrey have
received almost £1 million in grants
since the launch of the initiative in
the area a year ago – up £160,000
on the previous year.

38

HONOURABLE MASONS
From senior accountants and school trustees
through to pub landlords and Sahara explorers,
Freemasons are among those honoured in
HM The Queen’s New Year’s Honours list 2014
DAVID MARK SPOFFORTH, OBE
Former president of the ICAEW, Mark
received an OBE for services to the
accountancy profession. He served on the
Council for eighteen years, chaired various
committees and served on the Takeover Panel. Mark
was deputy chairman of the International Accounting
Education Standards Board, spent six years making
weekly broadcasts on financial matters on local BBC radio,
wrote a monthly column for Accountancy Age and has
lectured internationally on accountancy. Mark is Junior
Warden of the Chartered Accountants Livery Company.
DR ROBERT DAVID TAYLOR
SILLETT, MBE
Serving the needs of others was constantly
in Robert’s mind during his career at
Christ’s Hospital. On retirement, his desire
was to sustain this, and fundraising for Down Syndrome
Education International was one of his areas of focus.
‘I thank all those who have helped me raise a lot of money
through my presentations in several degrees,’ says Robert.
‘It has been a great honour to have been awarded an MBE.
The citation is for services to the community and helping
others. I shall continue to focus on helping those in need.’
RICHARD BRIAN
SUTHERLAND, MBE
Honorary chairman of the Board of
Trustees at Birtenshaw School, Richard
has been awarded an MBE for services
to education and the community in Bolton. He served
twenty-one years as a trustee of the school, six years
as chairman, and was instrumental in its move to a new
multimillion-pound site in September 2012. He is a Past
Master of Anchor and Hope Lodge, No. 37, and Supera
Moras Lodge, No. 3326, and is also a member of Lodge
of Antiquity, No. 146.
Other brethren to receive honours include Sir Roger Gifford (Knight Bachelor), Lt Col Victor Joseph Garth Matthews (OBE),
Paul Victor Dedman (MBE), Dr Peter Clive Crawford Pitt (MBE), David Mark (MBE) and Maj (retired) David Malcolm Davies (BEM).
freemasonrytoday.com
RECOGNISING ACHIEVEMENT
GRAHAM PHILIP ELLIS, BEM
Father-of-three Graham was bestowed
the British Empire Medal (BEM) for his
efforts in raising hundreds of thousands
of pounds over more than thirty years for
charity. From Harlow, Graham’s first challenge was the
London Marathon in 1981, and he recently completed
a 100km trek in one of the world’s toughest terrains,
the Sahara Desert. ‘I have been fundraising for so long
that I thought I had missed out on something like this,’
he says. ‘I’m chuffed.’ The BEM rewards sustained, local
contribution and innovative, high-impact work.
JOSEPH JOHN GILDEA, BEM
Landlord Joe has been awarded the British
Empire Medal for his tireless charity work.
Over ten years he has raised in excess of
£107,000 in memory of his daughter
Angela, who died from breast cancer when she was just
thirty-two. Since 2002, Joe and his regulars have been
raising funds for the Countess of Chester Breast Care
Unit, jumping out of planes and climbing mountains. In
September 2012, Joe’s pub was voted the most charitable
pub in the UK by The Publican’s Morning Advertiser. He
recently retired but hopes to continue with charity work.
ANDREW HAROLD
OSBORNE, BEM
Andrew was appointed a trustee of the
Faversham United Municipal Charities by
the Faversham Borough Council in 1970,
when the charity was in a sorry state, and subsequently
a co-opted trustee by fellow trustees. Tasked with
running the almshouses and administering funds for
charitable purposes, Andrew is proud to have been
a member of a revitalised board that has succeeded in
turning around the finances of the charity, saving the
building and its endowments for the benefit of Faversham.
41
42
MEDICAL RESEARCH

IN
SAFE
HANDS
PHOTOGRAPHY: PLAIN PICTURE, SUPERSTOCK
 MEDICAL RESEARCH

The first year of a research

project exploring the
reasons behind stillbirths
is being funded by The
Freemasons’ Grand Charity
and the Masonic Samaritan
Fund. Sophie Radice finds
out more about this
pioneering work

T
he heartbreak of losing a baby during pregnancy
and birth affects one in four pregnant women
in the UK each year, yet comparatively little is
known about why this occurs. When babies are lost,
the families usually have a desperate need to know why
it happened and are often disappointed by the lack of
knowledge or interest. ‘That’s why Tommy’s was set up
in 1992 by two obstetricians working in the maternity
unit at St Thomas’ Hospital in London,’ explains Jacqui
Clinton, Tommy’s health campaigns director.
Tommy’s funds research into pregnancy problems,
and provides information and a dedicated midwife
telephone helpline – a heavily used service that received
three thousand six hundred calls and emails last year
from mums and dads wanting advice, and bereaved
parents in need of support. The charity now funds
three research centres in the UK run in partnership
between hospital and university experts, based at
St Thomas’, London; the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh;
and St Mary’s, Manchester.

UNCOVERING COMPLICATIONS
When a baby dies after twenty-four weeks of gestation
it is called a stillbirth. Every year in the UK more than
four thousand babies are stillborn; many deaths remain
unexplained, although it is estimated that abnormalities
in the placenta – essentially a baby’s life-support
machine – occur in forty per cent of cases. In 2009,
the Manchester Placenta Clinic was set up with the
aim of detecting these abnormalities.
The centre combines specialised antenatal care for
pregnancies affected by fetal growth restriction with
frontline research into why the condition occurs and
how it might be treated. The Freemasons’ Grand Charity
and the Masonic Samaritan Fund (MSF) are donating
£42,000 towards new Tommy’s research that will
g
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 MEDICAL RESEARCH

‘Every year in the UK more

than four thousand babies are
stillborn; it is estimated that
abnormalities in the placenta
occur in forty per cent of cases.’

pioneer a method of MRI scanning to build a detailed

picture of fetal development that doesn’t place the baby
at risk. The Freemasons will support one year of the
three-year research programme, enabling Tommy’s to
seek match grants for the remaining period.
A founding member of the Manchester clinic, Caption here
Dr Ed Johnstone explains this novel method of looking please if required
at placentas in vitro: ‘For MRI scanning, we have taken
advantage of a new technology that uses oxygen as
a contrast agent to provide unique, non-invasive
biomarkers in compromised pregnancies. We are then
able to look in much more detail at the placentas of the
pregnant women at different gestational stages and
assess the complications that are linked to different
placental problems by the blood oxygen concentration.’

SEEKING ANSWERS
Adrian Flook is one of the trustees of the MSF and has
In 1995, Tommy’s
a personal connection with Tommy’s. ‘My own daughter
was born at St Thomas’ eight years ago. My wife was not
opened the UK’s
first-ever Maternal
a young first-time mother and we were anxious about
that. We did our research and found that St Thomas’
and Fetal Research
Unit at St Thomas’
was considered one of the best places to give birth for
Hospital, London
mothers who might have complications.’ Adrian is full
of praise for Tommy’s. ‘They deserve their excellent
reputation because the team that took care of us was
amazing. I’m really proud that the Freemasons have
donated to such an interesting and worthy cause.’
Susan Harper-Clarke, from Teddington, is another
beneficiary of Tommy’s. She had experienced the agony
of two late miscarriages at nineteen weeks and twenty-
two weeks; tests showed that she had what’s known as
an ‘incompetent cervix’, despite being healthy and free
of risk factors. After some online research she found the
Tommy’s website and the Preterm Surveillance Clinic at
St Thomas’ Hospital. ‘I wasn’t even pregnant yet and was
so grateful to be taken seriously,’ says Susan. ‘It gave me
real confidence that Tommy’s would support my third
pregnancy fully. I hadn’t been given any information or
help with the other pregnancies and no one seemed
interested in finding out why this had happened to us.’
Under the team’s care, Susan gave birth to her son,
Thomas, at thirty-eight weeks in July 2012. Her story
is just one of many as Tommy’s works towards its target
to halve the number of babies that die during pregnancy
or birth by 2030.
UNCONDITIONAL
SUPPORT
Sanjukta Chaudhuri, from Beaconsfield, has
benefited from St Thomas’ expertise. After
three miscarriages, the first in 2000, she was
put in touch with the Preterm Surveillance Clinic,
London. She describes the clinic’s Professor
Andrew Shennan as ‘the eternal optimist’.
At eighteen weeks, during her fourth
pregnancy, her membranes bulged and the
potential for the onset of infection was high.
There was no opportunity to save the pregnancy
so she requested to be induced rather than wait
for nature to take its course. Now knowing what
the problem was, Sanjukta was recruited to
take part in a trial at St Thomas’ and had an
abdominal stitch inserted before becoming
pregnant again. Care at the clinic included
having her cervix measured every other week
and the fetal fibronectin test – the result of which
showed she was no longer a high-risk patient.
Professor Shennan delivered Sanjukta’s son,
Oisin, by caesarean in January 2013, and after
three days she was able to take him home. She
says of being a mum: ‘It’s unconditional love. I
can never repay what Tommy’s has done for me.’

freemasonrytoday.com 45
LODGE STORIES
From rocks in Devonshire and Shrewsbury nymphs to lords
who upheld the law on the Scottish border, Caitlin Davies
explores the rich history behind masonic lodge names
WHAT’S IN A NAME?
N
ames, as Romeo and Juliet knew all too well
when considering their family ties, are crucial
to identity. When it comes to masonic lodges,
they provide an intriguing link to the past. Chosen by
its founders, a lodge’s name could be the town in which
it is based or the pub where members met, a shared
interest or a notable figure, or even a masonic virtue.
‘Lodge names can stem from an element of local
history or quirk of the times, but will seldom be
arbitrary,’ says Susan Henderson, the United Grand
Lodge of England’s Communications Adviser. ‘It can
be a fascinating insight into the lodge’s formation.
What has struck me is that people have a real emotional
attachment to a lodge name.’
Some are inspired by the landscape in which the
lodge was born. QUEESELET LODGE, No. 6887, in
Birmingham owes its name to two Anglo-Saxon words,
‘queest’ (a wood pigeon) and ‘slaed’ (a wooded valley).
Torquay’s TORMOHUN LODGE, No. 6449, gets its
name from the history of the area: Tor(re), meaning ‘top
of’, refers to an area inhabited since Saxon times. ‘There
was a rock, or tor, standing over the village and that’s
how it got its name,’ explains Peter Keaty, Assistant
Provincial Grand Master for Devonshire.
Then there are lodges linked to a place or occupation.
TILBURY LODGE, No. 2006, in Essex gets its name
from the Tilbury Docks. When work first started in
1882, constructional officers who were Craft members
decided to form a lodge for fellow employees. Another
example, CLAVIS LODGE, No. 8585, in Oxfordshire
is a lodge for church bellringers and takes its name from
a 1788 manuscript on the subject, Clavis Campanalogia.
Not forgetting SCIENTIFIC LODGE, No. 840, in
Wolverton, Buckinghamshire; its founding Master back
in 1860 was locomotive designer James McConnell.
Some masonic lodges are linked to an individual, such
as an Earl, Duke or local historical figure. BELTED
WILL LODGE, No. 3189, meets in Cumbria, not far
‘Seldom arbitrary, lodge names can stem from an element
of local history or quirk of the times.’ Susan Henderson
46
from Hadrian’s Wall in an area steeped in the history
of Lord William Howard. Born in 1563, he was an
English nobleman and antiquary, sometimes known
as ‘Belted Will’. ‘Howard was a romantic figure,’
says lodge Secretary Ron Cameron. ‘He was made
a Commissioner for the Border and helped to bring
order out of chaos at a time of great bloodshed.’
Other lodge names have been inspired by figures in
literature. PHILAMMON LODGE, No. 3226, was
founded in 1907 in Devonport. ‘When they were
thinking of a name one of the founding members,
brother Crang, said, “How about Philammon?”’ says
Peter. Crang was reading Charles Kingsley’s 1853
novel Hypatia, which features a young monk named
Philammon (Lover of God), and as a keen churchman,
Crang decided he’d found a suitably esoteric name.
Our tour of masonic lodges would be incomplete
without mention of figures from myth. SABRINA
LODGE, No. 4158, in Shrewsbury is named after the
nymph of the River Severn, known as Hafren in Welsh
mythology. She was the daughter of Locrin, king of the
Britons, and Estrildis, his secret lover and second wife.
Perhaps one of the most unusual names is LIGHT
FROM THE EAST LODGE, No. 4186, in Surrey,
founded by brethren who had served in India during
World War I. When the lodge was consecrated in 1920,
AE Shewring, the Consecrating Chaplain, noted: ‘Lodge
Light from the East/What a name to be proud of/What
a memory of the past/An inspiration for the present/
And a hope for the Future.’
After this whirlwind journey through England’s
lodges, it seems that names can point to geography,
a love of literature or just where someone once lived.
But they all reveal histories of which masons are proud.
‘There are hundreds more examples just as interesting,’
says Henderson. ‘I hope readers will be inspired to find
out about their own local masonic history, and I expect
a rash of letters to Freemasonry Today!’
 LODGE STORIES

QUEESELET
TOR MOH U N
TI LBURY
C L AV I S
SCI ENTI FIC
BELTED WI L L
PH I LA M MON
SAB R I NA
L IGH T F ROM
TH E E A ST

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 MASONIC HISTORY

ON BRITISH SOIL
With Freemasonry banned
T
he story of Jersey’s occupation by the Nazis is
PHOTOGRAPHY: GETTY IMAGES, © SZP/THE BRIDGEMAN ART LIBRARY

unique not only in masonic terms, but in the

in Germany, Jersey’s Past history of World War II, because it took place
on the only part of British territory to be occupied by
Provincial Grand Master German forces during that conflict. It would have been
impossible to attempt to defend the Channel Islands,
David Rosser explains what in the case of Jersey just twelve miles from the west
the Nazi occupation of the coast of France, without incurring an unacceptable
level of civilian casualties. It was therefore announced
Channel Islands in World that, as the Islands might be occupied, those who
wished to leave would be evacuated. It was an agonising
War II meant for local decision, but for Freemasons (and there were more than
a thousand each in Jersey and Guernsey) especially so,
members of the Craft knowing of Hitler’s persecution of German Freemasons.
Following the fall of Paris on 14 June 1940, the Nazi
forces moved quickly westwards and began their
g

freemasonrytoday.com 49
MASONIC HISTORY

invasion of the Channel Islands at the end of the month.

The occupation began not without bloodshed as a PREVIOUS PAGE:
number of civilians were killed during a brief air raid Jersey residents find
on St Helier, on the road to the quayside. their home tarred by
Freemasons would have been more apprehensive had the Germans
they known of the Führer’s order in September 1939 for
the creation of a list of British subjects and European THIS PAGE: German
exiles, the Sonderfahndungsliste GB (Special Search List soldiers relaxing on
GB) – now known as the Black Book – who were to be Jersey in March 1942
taken into what was euphemistically termed ‘protective
custody’ in the event of an invasion of Great Britain.
This was brought home after obtaining a copy of the
Last Will and Testament of the Provincial Grand
Master of Jersey in those days, Charles Edward Malet
de Carteret. Significantly, the Will was signed on 1 July
1940, the day enemy forces landed in Jersey. So far as we
are able to gather, he had never previously made a will.
Charles must have wondered what might have been in
store for him and other members of the Craft still in the
Islands. In poor health, Charles died in January 1942.

LIFE ON THE GROUND

The atmosphere was more relaxed than had been
expected, mainly because the German troops were in
high spirits; they were convinced that the occupation
of Great Britain was but a few days away. And while
some restrictions were harsh – for instance, remaining
Jewish shops had to display notices to this effect –
proclamations issued by the occupying authorities were
conciliatory if not, in some respects, almost bizarre.
For instance, islanders were allowed to say prayers for
the British Royal Family and the welfare of the British
Empire. Likewise, while the National Anthem was not
to be sung without permission, it could be listened to on
the radio. For Freemasons, the future seemed uncertain.
Charles was anxious that nothing be done to make life
more difficult for his members and was informed by the
German military authorities that, provided no further
meetings were held and the masonic temple locked up,
the building and its contents would be left alone.
Relying on this, and the proclamation issued on the
first day of the occupation, which stated that ‘in the
event of peaceful surrender the lives, property and
liberty of peaceful inhabitants is solemnly guaranteed’,
Charles complied. Furthermore, he instructed that all
the beautiful furnishings in the temple, as well as the
thousands of priceless items in the library and museum,
should remain in situ. Unfortunately for Freemasons,
the proclamation proved untenable. Soon after the
establishment of the regular German troops (the
Wehrmacht), the Sturmabteilung, or SA, were also
despatched to Jersey – more sinister forces bent on
pursuing the Nazi official policy against Freemasonry.
The first indication that something was afoot was
the unannounced arrival at the masonic temple on 19
November 1940 of the Geheime Feldpolizei – the Secret
Field Police – who demanded all keys to the building
and proceeded to place seals on every door. Then, on
Thursday, 23 January 1941, a squad of special troops
from Hitler’s Einsatzstab Reichsleiter Rosenberg arrived
and proceeded to take an inventory of the contents and
to photograph the main rooms, including the temple.

50
 MASONIC HISTORY

‘What was remarkable was that,

having taken such drastic action
against the physical attributes of
Freemasonry, no action was taken
to persecute individual masons.’

The investigations led to the despatch of further

squads of Einsatzstab from Berlin, who commenced the
systematic looting of the building on 27 January 1941.
All the main pieces of furniture, the many beautiful
furnishings, and the contents of the library and
museum were stripped out, loaded onto lorries and
shipped off the island. Anything that the looters did not
want was either smashed and left lying around or piled
in great heaps and burnt. Photographs taken when the
building was repossessed by masonic authorities in 1945
reveal the scale of the devastation inflicted.

MATERIAL LOSSES
It subsequently came to light, from articles published in
the local newspaper, which was under the control of the
occupying authorities, that the reason for the removal of
furnishings from the temple was to transport them to
Berlin for use in an anti-masonic exhibition. Likewise,
the photographs were taken to enable exhibition
managers to replicate the layout of a lodge room.
Exhibitions were also staged in Paris, Brussels and
Vienna using artefacts stolen in similar fashion from
French and Belgian lodges; another was held in
Belgrade. It is known that artefacts were also taken
from masonic buildings throughout the Netherlands,
so there was little shortage of suitable material with
which to stage such exhibitions.
Thankfully, the main fabric of the building remained
undamaged and for the remainder of the occupation it
was used to store liquor and confiscated wireless sets.
What was most remarkable was that, having taken
such drastic action against the physical attributes of
Freemasonry, and given the purpose of the notorious
Black Book, no action was taken to harass or persecute
individual masons, full details of whom would have
been ascertainable from the stolen masonic records.
The situation becomes more astonishing given that
in 1942, and again in 1943, Hitler ordered all high-
ranking Freemasons to be deported to Germany. The
orders were sent directly to the Commander-in-Chief,
but no action was taken to identify, locate and deport
these senior masons, of whom there were many. This
opens up the intriguing line of speculation that some
of the most senior military commanders had masonic
connections or sympathies, or may even have been
members of the Craft at some time.
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MASONIC HISTORY

‘After the liberation by British

forces on 9 May 1945, the massive
task of restoration confronted the
masonic authorities... it took
several decades to complete.’

We know that none of those appointed to govern the

Channel Islands was a Nazi, and that Commander-in-
Chief of the island Rudolf Graf von Schmettow came
increasingly under suspicion in Berlin. Chief-of-Staff
Baron Hans von Helldorf also came under suspicion
for his leniency towards civilians, and for failing to
carry out orders he received from Berlin – he was
banished to the island of Herm, pending court martial.
Meanwhile, the wife of Baron Max von Aufsess, who
was still in Germany, was declared an enemy of the
state and arrested by the Gestapo. Von Aufsess had
been tasked with handling the liaison between the
military government and the Jersey authorities.

THE AFTERMATH
After the liberation by British forces on 9 May 1945,
the massive task of restoration confronted the masonic
authorities. Since the last meeting of Provincial Grand
Lodge in October 1939, the Province had lost its
Provincial Grand Master, his Deputy and many other
senior members. Despite this, Provincial Grand Lodge
was convened on 16 August 1945, just one month after
the masonic authorities repossessed the building.
All the furnishings needed replacing, and to meet the
cost the Province had to rely almost entirely on its own
resources and the generosity of friends worldwide,
although they did receive a donation of £5,000 from
Grand Lodge. By early 1946 the temple had been
restored to some kind of normality, although it took
several decades to complete the full restoration. With
the anti-masonic exhibition staged in an area of Berlin
that suffered almost total destruction at the end of the
war, it is likely that the building in which it was housed
was destroyed. So sadly, and despite endless enquiries, FROM TOP: The
none of the stolen treasures except for some two restored Jersey
hundred and fifty library books have been recovered. masonic temple;
There is a happy ending to this story. As those who looking out from
are able to recall and compare will readily testify, the a German watch
present splendour of the Jersey masonic building even post on the island,
exceeds that which existed prior to the traumatic events August 1940; a
of January 1941. This is a tremendous tribute not only soldier inspects
to those on whose shoulders fell the enormous burden a crop; crowds
of restoration, but also to their friends worldwide who welcome British
contributed so much and so generously to this massive troops during the
task. Thanks to them, Freemasonry in the Channel liberation of the
Islands is alive and well today. Channel Islands

52
54
 UNIVERSITY LODGES

SOCIAL
HIGHLIGHTS
Held at the end of 2013, the
University Lodges’ Ball not
only harks back to a bygone
era of masonic tradition but
also shows the modern face
of Freemasonry

R
ecalling a time when the masonic lodges
of the universities of Oxford and Cambridge
staged lavish social events, the University
Lodges’ Ball, sponsored by Aerice, was held
on 23 November in the glamorous surroundings of
the Honourable Artillery Company’s Armoury House.
Hosted by the university lodges in conjunction with
Freemasons from across London, the night proved to
be a glittering celebration of masonic social tradition.
In the autumn of 2012, the Secretaries of Apollo
University Lodge, No. 357, and Isaac Newton University
Lodge, No. 859, Chris Noon and Alistair Townsend,
both – independently – had the idea of reviving the ball
tradition. ‘We used to hold balls every year or two in the
nineteenth century and we realised that 2013 would be
the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the greatest
ball that we ever held: the Grand Ball, which was in
commemoration of the wedding of the Prince of Wales
and Princess Alexandra of Denmark, both of whom
attended the event,’ explains Chris.
Held by Apollo in 1863 at Christ Church, attendance
at the Grand Ball was large and the catering was lavish.
The ball saw After World War II, however, Freemasonry followed the
Freemasons and rest of the country into austerity and the balls fell into
members of the abeyance. Chris and Alistair decided to plan a grand
public come event so that the masonic ball might regain its rightful
together for a place as the highlight of the social calendar.
fantastic night
PHOTOGRAPHY: DAVE GREEN

With five hundred and fifty guests attending, the ball

of celebration featured the best of British music, entertainment and
and fundraising hospitality, and also raised money for military charity
Combat Stress and the Royal College of Surgeons. ‘We
are delighted to be able to benefit from this amazing
event,’ says Uta Hope, director of fundraising and
communications at Combat Stress.

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 MASONS IN HISTORY

ALL AT SEA
It is no coincidence that the same man who invented the
life preserver and received a mistaken knighthood also
had a wholly unique relationship with Freemasonry.
John Hamill considers the life of Francis Columbine Daniel

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MASONS IN HISTORY
‘A prominent member under
both Grand Lodges, Daniel
had made enemies because of
his sometimes high-handed,
if well-intentioned, actions.’
O
n 21 July 1806, crowds thronged to the River
Thames in London to view an exhibition of
Francis Columbine Daniel’s patented life
preserver. Made from leather and silk, it was
the forerunner of today’s inflatable life vest. A report
of the demonstration cites people floating down the
river playing musical instruments and smoking pipes
– even loading and firing sporting guns.
Daniel was born in King’s Lynn in 1765, his father
hailing from Edinburgh and his mother from Norwich.
After education at a grammar school, Daniel was
apprenticed to a surgeon and apothecary at Wapping
in East London in 1779. Nine years later he set up his
own practice and became a Freemason. It was possibly
a foretaste of his later, somewhat eccentric masonic life
that he was initiated twice: first in a lodge under the
Antients Grand Lodge and then in one under the rival
Premier Grand Lodge (the Moderns), both in Wapping.
The area was a hive of naval activity and it was
Daniel’s observation of many drownings that led to his
resolve to find a means of preserving life in and on the
water. His 1806 exhibition brought him to the attention
of the Lords of the Admiralty and a further display in
the presence of their Royal Highnesses the Dukes of
York, Cambridge and Cumberland gained him celebrity
status. His invention won him gold medals from the
Royal Humane Society and the Royal Society for Arts,
and brought him to the attention of the Court, which
was to lead to a certain notoriety.
Daniel’s celebrity led to his being invited to a garden
party at Buckingham Palace in 1820. Joining what he
believed was the receiving line to be introduced to the
king, he was surprised when asked to kneel and a sword
was tapped on both his shoulders. Having been dubbed
a knight he could not be ‘undubbed’ and so left the event
as Sir Francis Columbine Daniel.
LIFE IN THE LODGES
Led by William Burwood, members of Daniel’s
Antients’ lodge, the United Mariners, had formed
a charity in 1798 ‘to cloathe and educate the sons of
indigent or deceased Freemasons’. Daniel had been
a great supporter, but had made enemies because of his
sometimes high-handed, if well-intentioned, actions.
The members forced the Antients Grand Lodge to open
its eyes to Daniel’s prominent membership under both
58
RIGHT: Francis
Columbine
Daniel’s life
preserver made
its public debut in
1806 and could
be used by up
to three people
Grand Lodges. Daniel refused to choose between his
affiliations and, in 1801, was expelled from the Antients.
In 1808, Daniel retired from his medical practice to
concentrate on Freemasonry and charity. He persuaded
his Moderns lodge, Royal Naval, to form a boys’ charity
to assist the sons of impoverished or deceased members.
The Premier Grand Lodge had founded a girls’ school
in 1788 and the move was successful. In 1813, the
two Grand Lodges united and their boys’ charities
were then amalgamated in 1817, becoming the
Royal Masonic Institution for Boys, now part of
the Royal Masonic Trust for Girls and Boys.
Daniel seems to have run Royal Naval Lodge as his
personal fiefdom, alternating between being its Master
and Treasurer, and introducing seafarers into the lodge.
It was undoubtedly a success, but Daniel was not good
PHOTOGRAPHY: COURTESY OF DOMINIC WINTER AUCTIONEERS
at making returns of new members to Grand Lodge or
paying their registration fees. In 1810 he was suspended
from the Premier Grand Lodge until the debt was
cleared. That happened in 1817, and he was welcomed
back into the Premier Grand Lodge.
Rather like a shooting star, Daniel had a brief blaze of
glory and then disappeared. There is no record of him in
Freemasonry after 1821 and he must have died shortly
after as in 1825 his daughter, who had fallen on hard
times, applied to lodges in Somerset for assistance on
the strength of her late father’s membership. Turbulent
as his life may have been, he left an indelible track
through both his life preserver and his work for the
sons of Freemasons in distress.
FREEMASONS’ HALL

60

GENTLEMEN
ON THE MOVE
In January 2013, Freemasons’ Hall hosted its first menswear
fashion show for heritage label Hackett. Miranda Thompson
witnesses the transformation of the masonic
headquarters into a grand hotel
Y
ou’re looking great!’ The shout cuts through
the vestibule at Freemasons’ Hall, today lit
softly in blue. A man takes hold of a luggage
cart and trots through the high iron gates,
twirling in his checked trousers as he reaches the end.
Welcome to the Autumn/Winter 2014-15 Hackett
menswear fashion show, the first time the clothing
brand has ever displayed at Freemasons’ Hall. Today,
the vestibule and its surrounding quarters are appearing
as ‘Hotel Hackett’. ‘The Hall has one of the finest
and most dramatic Art Deco interiors in London,
reminiscent of the grand hotels of the period,’ says
Jens Kaeumle, creative director at the menswear label.
‘It felt a perfect fit to host the show, and the stunning
backdrop is ideal for a collection inspired by the
glamour of travel.’
It’s two hours before the first model walks and the
vestibule is buzzing. Spotlights illuminate the intricate
tiles before the Grand Temple as men with ponytails
untangle wires and black-clad assistants carefully lay out
branded goody bags on the white-block seats. In keeping
freemasonrytoday.com
FREEMASONS’ HALL
with the travel theme, stacks of luggage are artfully
arranged around the interior and bellboys in small hats
and sharp suits line the stairs.
But the Hall’s Hackett makeover stretches beyond
the vestibule. Classic tweed jackets hang in the Robing
Room, where the steam hiss of an iron punctuates the
calm atmosphere, while the Grand Dressing Room
houses hair and make-up – models old and young
sporting neat beards and shorn crops wait their turn for
the mirror. In the corridor, a model is being put through
his paces: ‘Walk, walk and turn,’ he’s instructed, his black
shoes gleaming like the polished wooden floor.
‘Doesn’t it look wonderful today? They’ve really used
the building as a backdrop,’ says the Hall’s Head of Events,
Karen Haigh, as she surveys the scene. ‘The lighting and
the way they’ve set it out, it’s masculine but elegant.
And the iron doors look amazing under those lights.’
Freemasons’ Hall is no stranger to high fashion: every
February and September during London Fashion Week
it hosts Fashion Scout, a platform for new creative
design talent featuring a packed schedule of shows.
g
33
61
FREEMASONS’ HALL
‘I’m very conscious that this is a peace memorial, a working
building, and we have to be sensitive to members. We only take
on events that are right for the building.’ Karen Haigh
‘It’s evolved into something quite special,’ Karen says.
‘Everyone knows Freemasons’ Hall houses the new
designers. We used to have a few men’s events tagged
onto the end of Fashion Week, but I think it’s great that
they’re taking off like this.’
A PERFECT FIT
What began as a side venture at Freemasons’ Hall has
blossomed. When Karen was initially asked to investigate
whether the hosting of external events could bring in
extra revenue to benefit the building, nobody guessed
the scale to which it would grow. In 2013 the Hall hosted
one hundred and twenty-five events, among them
daily conferences, the Aston Martin one-hundredth
anniversary and even the UK Lingerie Awards.
Why is the United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE)
happy to hold events as eclectic as this? ‘They send out
a message that the building is accessible. It gets rid
of the myth of closed doors,’ Karen explains. And despite
the mix of people filling the building today, it’s clear
that the Freemasons are always the priority. ‘We’re
very sensitive,’ she says. ‘We don’t want to disturb lodge
members, so we work around them. We do soundchecks
to make sure the rest of the building isn’t affected.
And we’ve even run tours when there’s been filming.’
While it’s clear just how much UGLE enjoys
welcoming these events, Karen always carefully curates
the line-up. ‘I’m very conscious that this is a peace
memorial, a working building, and we have to be
sensitive to members,’ she explains. ‘We only take
on events that are right for the building.’ So what made
Hackett a good fit? ‘I think the brand ties in well with the
heritage of the Hall,’ Karen says. ‘You’ve got a very old,
traditional building that is something like a gentleman’s
club, and then you’ve got the young men coming into it.
It’s a nice juxtaposition. It shows we’re not fuddy-duddies
– that’s the big thing. A lot of the younger members like
that we’re not just seen as old-fashioned.’
Back in the vestibule, where every seat is filled and
extra space absorbed by those standing, it’s time for the
62
fashion to take over. Lights dim, conversation fades and
faces crane toward the iron gates as a bellboy emerges on
the catwalk, pushing the luggage carrier at just the right
speed. Forty models follow him in turn, each cast from
a roll-call of characters that you might encounter in the
lobby of a glamorous hotel, from the nattily dressed CEO
to the gentleman explorer, a nod to the age of adventure,
and former rugby player Thom Evans, who steps out in
a grey overcoat and tailored trousers.
The classic British attire on show spans a classic colour
palette – warm blush jumpers, soft grey beanie hats,
dark checks – and, of course, a selection of suitcases.
In a matter of minutes, Jeremy Hackett himself takes to
the catwalk, tipping his bowler hat to a roar of approval,
and then it’s all over. It’s just as Karen says: ‘You’d never
put Freemasons and fashion together, but isn’t it lovely?’
NOT JUST
MEN’S
FASHION
While Freemasons’
Hall provides a
fantastic venue
to showcase men’s
fashion, it’s equally
comfortable
recognising the
top names in
the lingerie sector.
Held at the Hall in December, the 2013 UK
Lingerie Awards was a spectacular night of
drama and entertainment in the company
of industry stars and celebrities from across
the country. Hosted by Sky Sports News
presenter Millie Clode, the event crowned
Debenhams the UK’s Favourite Lingerie
Retailer of the Year.
 FREEMASONS’ HALL
PHOTOGRAPHY: JASON LLOYD-EVANS

Art Deco Freemasons’

Hall was a striking setting
for a show inspired by
the glamour of travel

freemasonrytoday.com 63
CHARITIES UPDATE
THE FREEMASONS’ GRAND CHARITY
CARING FOR THE
HIDDEN WOUNDED
Tom Stimpson MBE spoke at The Freemasons’
Grand Charity’s General Meeting about the
help he has received in overcoming
the psychological effects of warfare
H
ighlights at the Grand Charity’s
General Meeting held last
November included the approval
of £745,000 of grants to non-masonic
charities, bringing the total of such
grants approved in 2013 to more than
£2.4 million. Another highlight was the
ongoing support for service personnel.
Among the guests was RAF veteran
and Freemason, Tom Stimpson MBE.
Tom spoke on behalf of Help for Heroes,
a charity that provides wounded veterans
with welfare support, life-skills courses,
sports facilities, education and training
– and gave him ‘lifesaving’ support after
he was medically discharged from the
RAF. Since 2008, the Grand Charity has
donated £72,570 to Help for Heroes, with
many lodges raising additional funds.
Tom’s traumatic experiences of war
while in service in Iraq and Afghanistan
left him both physically and mentally
66
Tom Stimpson FUNDS FOR
VETERANS
speaking at
the General
A
Meeting
s part of the Freemasons’ continuing
support for British ex-service personnel,
the Grand Charity donated £50,000 to
Blind Veterans UK (formerly St Dunstan’s). To date,
the total donated to the charity is £101,000. The
Grand Charity’s latest donation will fully fund
a new state-of-the-art bedroom as part of a vital
refurbishment project at its Brighton centre.
When thanking the Grand Charity for the
donation, Lesley Garven, manager of the Blind
Veterans UK rehabilitation, training and care
centre in Brighton, said that it would enable
‘blind veterans to live comfortably in a supported
environment with access to the highest quality
nursing’. The continuing support from Freemasons
to our ex-service personnel is helping rebuild lives.
A full list of the non-masonic grants that were
approved in November 2013 is available to view at
www.grandcharity.org.
Enclosed within this issue of Freemasonry
Today you will also find the Grand Charity’s
Charitable Giving 2013 leaflet – we hope
you enjoy reading it.
wounded. When describing his return
home from Iraq, his wife said that he ‘left
as a husband and father, and came back
a stranger’. With the support of the RAF
and Ministry of Defence, friends and
family, Help for Heroes and his masonic
brethren, Tom has come back from what
Blind Veterans UK
he says was the ‘lowest point’ in his life.
– nurse and patient
Tom emphasised that his story is not
an isolated one – thousands of active
service men and women are affected by
The Blind Veterans UK
post-traumatic stress disorder. Sadly,
centre in Brighton
many veterans cannot face the despair
their traumas have caused; according
to the BBC’s Panorama, fifty service
personnel committed suicide in 2012
in the UK alone. Tom’s closing message
to the meeting was: ‘We may be leaving
Afghanistan in 2014, but the effects of
war will remain with so many for many
more years to come. Please continue to
support them and Help for Heroes.’
60 Great Queen Street, London WC2B 5AZ
Tel: 020 7395 9261 Fax: 020 7395 9295 Email: info@the-grand-charity.org
Facebook: TheFreemasonsGrandCharity Twitter: @TheGrandCharity
www.the-grand-charity.org
 CHARITIES UPDATE

MASONIC SAMARITAN FUND

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

The Masonic Samaritan Fund is supporting treatment
and research into curing complex medical conditions

T
he majority of the MSF’s grant-making is to
cover the associated costs of a diagnosed health
or care need. However, the charity also funds
medical research projects that aim to improve the
treatment for many of the illnesses and disabilities
affecting masonic families and the wider community.
Richard Penelrick was diagnosed with Ataxia-
Telangiectasia (A-T), a rare and progressive genetic
disorder for which there is no cure, when he was sixteen
years old. A-T has weakened Richard’s immune system,
leading to frequent chest and lung infections, and
placed him at significantly increased risk of developing
cancer. He was wheelchair-bound by the end of his
teens, and the condition is generally fatal to patients
by the time they reach their late twenties.
Richard’s family have looked after him through
increasing disability and challenging care needs. His
masonic guardian, John Pritchard, said, ‘The impact of
A-T on individuals and their families is devastating. We The A-T Society
not only have to cope with providing twenty-four-hour tirelessly campaigns
care for Richard, but we must be ready at any time to to improve the quality
face the prospect of a severe illness or his possible death.’ of life for people living
with the disorder
SUPPORT FOR A-T SUFFERERS
In partnership with the Province of Devonshire, the LEFT: Tony Morrell
MSF has given support to Richard and his family. (Provincial Almoner),
Margaret, his mother, has received respite care grants Nick Ball (APGM),
for several years, allowing her time to rest from the day- Margaret with her
and-night care she provides for her son, while Richard son Richard, and his
has received a bespoke wheelchair, tailored to his needs. masonic guardian,
Margaret said, ‘It is very pleasing to see Richard in a John Pritchard
wheelchair that helps with his medical needs and allows (lodge Almoner)
him to still use his own physical capabilities. I would
like to thank all involved throughout this application.’
There is currently no cure for A-T, which affects one HOW TO MAKE AN APPLICATION
in forty thousand young people in the UK. The MSF In support of helping to alleviate delays for treatment or surgery, the MSF
has donated £49,695 to the A-T Society, a charity that provided more than two hundred medical grants to Freemasons and their
seeks funding for medical research to explore routes to dependants during 2013 at a cost of just over £1.5 million. The support
potential cures for A-T. Society chief executive William provided covered a wide range of medical conditions and the Fund’s new
Davis, said, ‘This generous grant from the Masonic online Eligibility Calculator can tell you if you’re likely to qualify for a grant.
Samaritan Fund has enabled the charity to fund exciting Visit www.msfund.org.uk/eligibility-calculator and answer ten simple
research that may not only impact on people living with questions to receive an immediate decision as to your eligibility to make
A-T, but could go on to advance treatments and even a full application to the Fund.
promote a cure for other genetic diseases and cancer.’

60 Great Queen Street, London WC2B 5AZ

Tel: 020 7404 1550 Fax: 020 7404 1544 Email: info@msfund.org.uk
Facebook: msfund.org Twitter: @MS_Fund
www.msfund.org.uk

freemasonrytoday.com 67
CHARITIES UPDATE
ROYAL MASONIC BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION
FAVOURITE PASTIMES
After a life of structure and relationships forged through work,
many men feel an absence in their lives once they retire. The RMBI
therefore supports residents with a range of activities to fill this void
M
aintaining hobbies and keeping
up with regular social activities
can be difficult for those
who are less able to get out and about
and whose cognitive functions may be
in decline. Taking part in stimulating
and enjoyable activities and meeting
new people is vitally important for older
people in order to combat loneliness,
keep active and retain a sense of identity
and connection to the past.
Jack MacMurran, a resident of RMBI
care home Cadogan Court in Exeter,
has been participating in Men in Sheds,
an innovative project run by Age UK
Exeter. The scheme brings together
men over the age of fifty in the familiar
surroundings of a ‘shed’ or workshop, for
practical activities such as woodworking,
while socialising and learning new skills.
The renovated garden furniture and
equipment is donated to charity, raising
funds for worthy causes worldwide.
BUILDING BONDS
Jack has been part of the Men in Sheds
programme since 2012. During this
time, he has made new friends, shared
memories and repaired everything from
wheelbarrows to birdhouses. Jack says:
‘I’ve made some great friends through
Men in Sheds. We enjoy talking about
what we’ve been doing that week and it’s
nice to have a change of scenery. I used
to work on ships and still enjoy making
and fixing things; it’s great that I can still
do this once a week and nice to know
that what I make is put to good use.’
Another Cadogan Court resident,
Stan Ashdown, eighty-one, also enjoys
68
making things out of wood – although
the furniture he produces is in miniature
form. Stan has always loved carpentry,
having built stage sets for local theatre
productions in his younger years, but it
was after his retirement that he became
interested in doll’s house construction
and miniature furniture, turning a spare
room at home into his workshop.
Since moving into the RMBI home
with his wife Elsie last April, Stan has
continued with his hobby, producing
beautifully crafted items such as tiny
beds, tables and wardrobes, replicating
styles from different periods.
JUST LIKE OLD TIMES
A key aspect of life in RMBI care homes
for many male residents is the masonic
fraternity itself. Each RMBI home has an
Association of Friends formed of local
masonic volunteers, who make a vital
contribution to residents’ quality of life.
They organise events and raise funds
to enable the purchase of items such as
minibuses and audio equipment, as Elsie and Stan Ashdown with miniature furniture
well as the creation of leisure areas.
Male residents can also enjoy masonic
activities through the Good Neighbour
Lodge, No. 8378, whose meetings take
‘A key aspect of life in RMBI
place in the homes on rotation. care homes for many male
Ecclesholme in Manchester is one of
several RMBI homes that now has a bar, residents is the masonic
recently converted from an old lounge.
The bar offers real ales and traditional fraternity itself.’
pub games, and at eighty-six years old,
George Hogget is a regular. His daughter
says he ‘thoroughly enjoys chatting and
reminiscing with the other gentlemen
residents over a pint, just like old times’.
60 Great Queen Street, London WC2B 5AZ
Tel: 020 7596 2400 Fax: 020 7404 0742 Email: enquiries@rmbi.org.uk
Facebook: thermbi Twitter: @thermbi
www.rmbi.org.uk

ROYAL MASONIC TRUST FOR GIRLS AND BOYS
Mustafa with
volunteers in his
transformed garden
MAKING AN IMPACT
The RMTGB has given a grant to Helping
Hands, which coordinates local volunteers
to improve the quality of life for sick children
A
s part of its Stepping Stones
scheme, the RMTGB awarded
a £30,000 grant to Helping
Hands, a scheme established by
the charity WellChild in 2006 to
provide practical support to severely
sick children and their families. The
children supported by the scheme have
a range of conditions such as learning
difficulties, mobility problems or visual
or hearing impairments.
Many family homes are unsuitable
or unsafe for children with such
conditions. Four-year-old Mustafa was
born with a diaphragmatic hernia, a
hole in his heart, an underdeveloped
lung and epilepsy. He needs twenty-
four-hour oxygen therapy to help him
breathe and has serious learning
disabilities. He is constantly seeking
sensory stimulation, but his garden had
freemasonrytoday.com
many trip hazards and it wasn’t safe for
him to play outside with his family.
WellChild’s Helping Hands scheme
aims to give sick children like Mustafa
the opportunity of a better childhood
by coordinating teams of local
volunteers to carry out small home
improvement projects. Mustafa’s
garden was transformed in just one
day as volunteers from a local business
installed a new artificial lawn, a large
play mirror, colourful murals, and
a specialist swing and support seat.
These small improvements will have
a dramatic and lasting impact on
Mustafa’s childhood and daily life.
The Helping Hands scheme relies
on donations and volunteers giving
their time. To lend your support,
go to www.wellchild.org.uk
60 Great Queen Street, London WC2B 5AZ
Tel: 020 7405 2644 Fax: 020 7831 4094 Email: info@rmtgb.org
Facebook: rmtgb Twitter: @rmtgb
www.rmtgb.org
CHARITIES UPDATE
HERTFORDSHIRE
LAUNCHES APPEAL
T
he Province of Hertfordshire has launched
its 2019 Festival Appeal for the RMTGB at
a series of dedicated events. The five-year
appeal will see the Province’s five thousand six
hundred Freemasons aim towards a final Festival
target of £3 million.
The donations will be used to fund the
RMTGB’s core work of supporting around two
thousand children and young people from
masonic families in financial hardship each year,
in addition to grants made through its Stepping
Stones scheme. In Hertfordshire alone, more than
one hundred and seventy children have been
supported during the past five years.
Launching the appeal, Provincial Grand Master
Paul Gower said: ‘I hope that the Freemasons of
“Happy Hertfordshire” will produce a sum worthy
of our Province, and so enable the RMTGB to
continue its work of relieving hardship in the
families of our less fortunate brethren.’
For more information about the 2019 Festival
Appeal, go to www.rmtgb.org
69
 LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

MESSAGE
FROM
MADRAS
Among the more unusual
items in the archives of
Grand Lodge is a fragile
letter written in Persian,
attached to an illuminated
English translation

I
n 1778, a letter was written in Madras by Ghulam
Hussainy, Umdat-ul-Umra, the eldest son of the 8th
Nawab of the Carnatic in southern India, to George,
4th Duke of Manchester, Grand Master of the Premier
Grand Lodge of England (the Moderns). This followed
his initiation, when Grand Lodge had presented to him,
as the future Nawab, a masonic apron and finely bound
Book of Constitutions.
The importance of this letter was recognised in
1836 when it was displayed at Freemasons’ Hall at
the time of the initiation of Mohamed Ismail Khan,
FROM TOP: The ambassador to India’s King of Oudh. But it was then
document before deframed and so, by the early twenty-first century,
conservation, the letter, written on fragile Indian paper, was in poor
and after specialist condition (as illustrated above left).
treatment; George, A specialist conservator has been able to preserve
4th Duke of the document and the Library and Museum has
Manchester commissioned photographs of it, which can be used
to study the letter’s contents. In addition, a transcript has
been attached to the catalogue record to enhance access
to the information it contains. The conservation work
was funded by the Association of Independent Museums’
Pilgrim Trust Conservation Scheme.

The Library and Museum is open Monday-Friday,

and admission is free

Library and Museum of Freemasonry

Freemasons’ Hall
60 Great Queen Street
London WC2B 5AZ
Tel: 020 7395 9257
Email: libmus@freemasonry.london.museum
www.freemasonry.london.museum
Shop: www.letchworthshop.co.uk

freemasonrytoday.com 71

LETTERS
TO THE
EDITOR
UNIVERSAL BROTHERHOOD
Sir,
I read with interest and fascination the recent
article in Issue 24, the paper on Shotokan
Karate Lodge, No. 9752. The connection
and synergy between the martial arts and
Freemasonry may not at first appear that
obvious, but this paper clearly draws the
parallels between the two. In fact, I would
argue that the connection between martial
arts and Freemasonry translates and has
parallels in the philosophy and practice
of most martial arts practised today.
Having trained in the Korean martial art
of Taekwondo (to Black Belt), it is clear to
me that many of the tenets described in this
paper – brotherly love, humility, respect for
others, tolerance and understanding – are
similar to the tenets of Taekwondo, which
include courtesy, integrity, perseverance,
self-control and having an indomitable spirit.
Well done fellow martial artists and brothers.
Robert Ashford (Professor),
University of Birmingham Lodge,
No. 5628, Edgbaston, Warwickshire
Sir,
In the winter of 1994 through spring
1995, Highgate Lodge, No. 1366, was in
the doldrums, with poor attendance and
a dearth of initiates. Its affiliated Highgate
Chapter was in an even poorer state, with
just a half a dozen subscribing members.
There was a period of hope when Peace and
Friendship Lodge, No. 7414, took over the
ailing Highgate Chapter, changing the name
to Peace and Friendship, but the exercise
failed to sufficiently revive the fortunes of
the Chapter. The sponsorship of the Chapter
again returned to Highgate and the name
was restored.
In the meantime, Highgate Lodge had
enjoyed an influx of new initiates, many from
what is often called ‘former Yugoslavia’. The
enthusiasm of the lodge Secretary and the
desire of those members to acquire masonic
freemasonrytoday.com
Write to: The Editor, Freemasonry Today,
Freemasons’ Hall, Great Queen Street,
London WC2B 5AZ
Email: editor@ugle.org.uk
Letters emailed to the editor should not be sent as attachments.
Please include a home address and telephone number. An S.A.E.
should accompany any photographs to be returned. The opinions
expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect
the views of the United Grand Lodge of England.
knowledge to import to their native land
(where Freemasonry was banned during
the Tito regime) began to revive the Chapter.
There were fifteen members from Serbia,
two from Slovenia and one each from
Montenegro, Bulgaria and Albania, with
more in the pipeline with links to Turkey
and Serbia.
Some might find this mixture of
nationalities remarkable, yet the affairs of
the Chapter (and of Highgate Lodge) are
conducted in perfect fraternal friendship.
For example, all the members basked in the
reflected glory of one companion whose
mother lodge and chapter is Highgate, and
who became the Grand Master of Regular
Grand Lodge of Serbia. Members of Highgate
Lodge and Chapter contributed to his regalia
as a mark of respect.
I believe that the prosperity of both
Highgate Lodge and Highgate Chapter, with
its diverse membership, reflects the beneficial
effects of the universality of the teachings of
brotherhood in Freemasonry.
Henry Miller,
Peace and Friendship Lodge,
No. 7414, London
Sir,
As younger, and newer, Freemasons, my
friend and I wanted to be in a lodge where all
the members get involved from an early age
in their masonic careers. Although I am only
twenty-eight and Jamie Williams is only in
his thirties, we wanted to set a precedent that
says you don’t have to wait until you’ve been
in Freemasonry for many years or become
Master to get involved. Consequently, at
our October installation meeting, Jamie and
I presented a pair of handmade columns to
our Prince of Wales Lodge, No. 1705.
We had made them, with gemstone globes
placed on the top, representing the terrestrial
and celestial. The columns are painted gloss
white with gold and blue – the colours of the
lodge – with gold Prince of Wales feather
LETTERS
castings placed on all four sides of each
column. Both columns are inscribed with the
date of presentation on behalf of the Stewards’
bench for the 2012/2013 masonic season.
The columns are used and displayed,
and are an example of how all members can
invest in the future of their lodges. When it
is our turn to be Master, or in many years
to come after, we will inherit a lodge fit for
the purpose, and know that we have been
involved in the creation and maintenance
of the fabric of our lodge.
Benjamin Hume,
Prince of Wales Lodge, No. 1705,
Gosport, Hampshire and Isle
of Wight
RALLYING NOTES
Sir,
We all have our favourite sounds, be they
made by The Who, Pink Floyd, Pavarotti,
Paul Potts, or even a Ferrari V12 on song.
But for sheer heart-tugging joy in this land,
what can beat a brass band?
Michael Vernon Hatherall of the
Preswylfa Lodge, No. 5792, South Wales,
is an experienced bass trombone player and
an ex-army musician, who has been playing
in brass bands since the age of six. He told
me, ‘I love brass bands, and playing brass, but
with a very active masonic life and being self-
employed, time is of the essence, and I have
missed the music.’
Michael had recently had the idea of
starting a masonic brass band. It would offer
its services to all the masonic lodges in the
Province for entertainment, ladies’ nights and
other social occasions, with all money raised
going towards masonic charity.
In making a rallying note to ensure that
‘the band plays on’ in South Wales, who
knows where this could go? Both the
Provincial Grand Master Right Worshipful
Brother Gareth Jones and Preswylfa Lodge
are supporting this project, and Cardiff
Masonic Hall is providing practice
g
73
LETTERS

space. If brass players with instruments

are interested, please contact Mike on
email@mikehatherall.co.uk.
LEFT: In 2013, the Masonic
Roger Gale,
Samaritan Fund gave
Lodge of St Illtyd, No. 6078,
vital support to medical
Neath, South Wales
research into progressive
neurological diseases
Sir,
I know the expression, ‘a bad workman
BELOW: The shared
always blames his tools’, but as an organist
values of Freemasonry
who is out about sixty-five times a year across
and martial arts make
Hertfordshire, Surrey, London and Middlesex,
a sound basis for the
I am dismayed at the standard of organs at
formation of lodges such
some of our masonic centres.
as Shotokan Karate Lodge
As musicians and entertainers, we try our
hardest to add life and character to a meeting,
but imagine turning up at a masonic centre
and being presented with an old beaten-up
dance organ; a drum machine difficult to
deactivate; dual ‘F’ split manuals; half the
stops not functioning or seemingly all wired
to the same sound; swell pedals that do not
function; and keys that do not work when
pressed – it’s enough to make you just walk
away. But we do not; we are there to bring
enjoyment, so we persevere. On many
occasions I have had a senior lodge officer
come up to me saying that I brought
a ceremony to life.
Many lodges complain about the lack
of good organists, especially ones that can
enhance a meeting and bring life to a degree
ceremony. I know every centre cannot afford
the same as the organ in Temple 10 at Grand
Lodge or at the Watford Masonic Centre, but
masonic centres must do more to update the
organ. If you want to attract a good organist
who can respond to events around him, get
a good organ: nothing special but something

PHOTOGRAPHY: PAUL CALVER

that works!
Maybe I’m hoping for too much but if the
instruments are not updated, we are destined
for a new officer – called Senior CD Player!
Bob Weeks,
Isambard Brunel Lodge,
No. 8908, Watford, Hertfordshire

‘I believe that the prosperity of both

Highgate Lodge and Highgate Chapter,
with its diverse membership, reflects the
beneficial effects of the universality
of the teachings of brotherhood
in Freemasonry.’ Henry Miller

74

‘Donated human brain tissue is the
gold standard for [dementia] research,
but is in desperately short supply... so
last year I became a donor to Brains for
Dementia Research.’ Fred Walker
PROGRESSIVE RESEARCH
Sir,
I was pleased to see in the autumn issue
that the Masonic Samaritan Fund is
providing important support to research
into progressive neurological diseases. My
wife Joan was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s at
sixty-seven but she needed care long before
that. I was her carer, and eventually twenty-
four-hour nurse, at home. Watching her, from
when she couldn’t locate a stamp on a letter
through to the inability to open her mouth
to eat, was traumatic.
I now work to raise awareness and funds
for dementia research. I have learned that
donated human brain tissue is the gold
standard for research, but is in desperately
short supply, and so last year I became
a donor to the programme called Brains
for Dementia Research, which recruits
people with and without dementia
(www.brainsfordementiaresearch.org.uk).
When I die, my brain will be used to help
researchers better understand the differences
between brains with and without dementia,
and new donors are always needed.
I am sure many members will have had
experience of dementia among their friends
and families so will therefore be interested
in this, as well as the important support to
research from the Masonic Samaritan Fund.
Fred Walker,
Caledonian Lodge, No. 204,
Manchester, East Lancashire
POWERFUL SUPPORT
Sir,
Many years ago I was diagnosed with
depression and anxiety problems. I lived a
secluded life and saw no prospects of getting
better. Freemasonry had always been in my
mind growing up as some of the American
side of my family were Freemasons. I scraped
up some courage and contacted the Bucks
Provincial website and was put in touch with
the local rep for my area. We met and finally
freemasonrytoday.com
I was introduced to St Martin’s Lodge in
Bletchley. From day one I was welcomed by
all. I felt part of a new family and slowly but
surely my confidence is returning. Where
medication failed, brotherly love succeeded.
I recently completed my second degree and
look forward to the third. I’m even the dining
Steward for my lodge. Although it was a bit
scary taking it on, I know I have the full
support of my fellow brothers every step of
the way. Thank you Freemasonry and my
brothers at St Martin’s for their warmth,
care and understanding. Brotherly love,
relief and truth: the most powerful sentence
on the planet.
Paul Evetts,
St Martin’s Lodge, No. 2812,
Bletchley, Buckinghamshire
Sir,
One of the most important decisions we
make as masons is to propose a candidate
into Freemasonry who would be a credit
to the proposer, the lodge and Freemasonry
in general. As proposers, we have a
responsibility to encourage and support
our candidates as they hopefully progress
to becoming Worshipful Master of the lodge.
I proposed Bryan Goatcher into lodge, and
had the privilege to initiate him in 1991 into
Arthur Jolly Lodge, No. 8102.
Bryan was so keen and enthusiastic,
and everything was looking good for his
continued progress, until sadly he suffered
a severe stroke, which affected his right side
and his speech. His ability to communicate
verbally was acutely limited, his right arm
was paralysed and his hearing was impaired.
Bryan’s promising working career came
to an end, but with the wonderful support
of his wife he showed great fortitude. Despite
his disabilities, his determination was such
that he progressed from Inner Guard, to
Junior then Senior Deacon, carrying out all
the floor work while his fellow Deacon acted
as his voice.
LETTERS
While Junior and Senior Warden I spoke
for him, and then acted as Immediate
Past Master during his year as Master in
1999. Ceremonies were conducted enabling
Bryan to remain in the chair and conduct
all the necessary actions with his left hand.
He was given tremendous support, both
by lodge members and our many visitors.
The Festive Board worked the same way
with lodge members acting as his voice.
Freemasonry was a haven for him, where
his disability could be put aside and he was
treated as an equal.
Bryan, who proved to be a truly remarkable
man, sadly died last November aged seventy.
He will be remembered as an inspiration
to us all, a truly remarkable Freemason.
I was reminded of this by the letter from
Tony Baker of Malvern Hills Lodge, No. 6896,
in the last issue. With the help of brotherly
love, a Freemason need never be defined by
a disability.
Steve Thompson,
Arthur Jolly Lodge, No. 8102,
Brighton, Sussex
MYSTERY OF THE HEEL
Sir,
How right John Hamill is to urge that we
don’t modernise the language of our ritual.
My favourite is the Charge to the Initiate
that encapsulates so well the qualities that
we expect of ourselves.
One mystery that I find odd is the suggested
pronunciation of the word ‘heel’, which I
contend should be pronounced just as that
– the Oxford Dictionary in its third meaning
defines it as ‘set a plant in the ground and
cover its roots’, so why shouldn’t it be
pronounced as it’s spelt? And of course there
is the old chestnut of ‘tenets’, derived from
the Latin tenere (to hold) with a short ‘e’,
so where the pronunciation ‘teanets’ came
from is another mystery.
Peter Dodd,
Old Epsomian Lodge, No. 3561, London
75
REFLECTION

IN THE LINE OF FIRE

Director of Special Projects John Hamill explains how,
unlike its successor, World War I saw Freemasonry
tolerated, if not encouraged, by the enemy

O
ver the coming months we will be reading
and hearing a great deal about the events
leading up to World War I, its progress and
final outcome. Unlike previous wars, this ‘Great
War’ was the first to have a major effect not only on
those involved in the fighting but also on those left
at home. We all know about the Blitz during World
War II, but how many today remember the Zeppelin
raids dropping bombs on London and coastal areas
during World War I? And, of course, the attrition in
the trenches meant that there were very few families
unaffected by death or serious casualties.
Regular Freemasonry has always stood apart from
politics and did so throughout the war, refraining
from making any comment upon it. Indeed, reading
through the printed proceedings of Grand Lodge
and Grand Chapter during that time, it would be
difficult to realise that a major conflict was taking
place. Small changes were made to the rules to
enable those on active service to maintain their
membership, dress codes for meetings were relaxed,
and there were regular reports from the Board of
Benevolence about sums donated to various relief
bodies. But there was no comment on the war at all.
Such was the determination of the Craft to
continue life as normally as possible that they even
managed a muted celebration of the bicentenary of
the formation of Grand Lodge at a special meeting
at the Albert Hall on Saturday, 23 June 1917.
HONOUR AMONG MEN
Despite its horrors, World War I has been called the
last ‘gentleman’s war’ because of the way in which it
was conducted and the honourable treatment
accorded to prisoners of war. We have all heard of
the unofficial Christmas truces in the trenches when
troops from both sides met in no-man’s land to play
football together. There are also examples of
masonic activity continuing in prisoner-of-war
camps with the passive agreement of the enemy.
The Grand Secretary must have been very
surprised when, on 18 December 1914, he received
a letter through the post signed by one hundred
and twelve brethren who were civilians interned in
a camp at Ruhleben near Berlin, sending Christmas
wishes to the Grand Master and Grand Lodge.
When read aloud in Grand Lodge, their letter led
to immediate calls for a fund to be raised by which
food and comforts could be bought and sent to
them, an act of mercy that the German authorities
allowed to continue for the rest of the war.
Under the terms of the Hague Convention,
service personnel who fell into German hands
were encamped in neutral Holland. Among
them were many Freemasons. With the connivance
of the German authorities, the Grand East of the
Netherlands consecrated two lodges – Gastvrijheid
at Groningen and Willem van Oranje at the Hague.
After the horrific debacles at the Dardanelles,
there were many British and Empire prisoners
of war in Turkey. Records exist of them working
Lodges of Instruction at camps in Yozgat, Busia and
Afium Karasia. At the British Base Reinforcement
Camp at Rouen, more than one hundred soldiers
of all ranks petitioned the National Grand Lodge
of France to have a lodge at the base. They were
consecrated on 16 December 1916 as Jeanne D’Arc
Lodge, No. 5.
How different the enemy’s attitude to the Craft
was at that time compared to the years leading up
to and during World War II, when fascist dictators
openly persecuted Freemasons, many thousands
of whom perished in prisons and labour and
concentration camps.

‘Regular Freemasonry has always stood apart

from politics and did so throughout World War I,
refraining from making any comment upon it.’

82