As a
precaution against the Coronavirus, please note that Freemasons' Hall will be
closed to the public until further notice.
One of the oldest
social and charitable organisations in the world, the roots of modern
Freemasonry lie with the medieval stonemasons that built our castles and
cathedrals, yet it is as relevant today as it was hundreds of years ago.
Freemasons use four important
guiding principles to help define their path through life: Integrity, Friendship, Respect and Charity.
Membership is open to
people from all backgrounds and the organisation’s aim is to empower members to
be the best they can be – it’s about building character, supporting members as
individuals and helping them make a positive contribution to society.
Freemasonry provides a structure for members to come together under
these common goals, enabling people to make new friendships, develop themselves
and make valuable contributions to charitable causes. We
are one of the largest charitable givers in the country, contributing
more than £48 million to deserving causes in 2018.
Coronavirus - Member Update
20 March 2020: A message from the Grand Secretary
In these testing times, I have already been immensely impressed by the
determination shown by a number of Freemasons to maintain their daily
advancement in Masonic knowledge, and how receptive everyone has been to the
challenges we face.
As the joint letter that I, and the CEO of the Masonic Charitable
Foundation, the Freemasons’ Charity, has said, there is so much that we ought
to do to demonstrate the value of who we are and what we do as Freemasons in
the community. This also affords a great opportunity for every mason to expand
his masonic horizons by taking advantage of the new Solomon website as well as
honing and passing on their ritual skills.
While we will all be required to make adjustments during this period of
suspension, I would also ask that members fully acquaint themselves with
whether certain adjustments can co-exist with the Obligation that we all took
when initiated. It is the opinion of the Grand Registrar that it is an “Antient
Landmark of the Order” that Lodge meetings and the related ceremonies can only
take place with all Brethren physically present in a properly tyled Lodge Room;
however, it is acceptable for members to practise such ceremonies, most particularly
those aspects which make up the spoken parts of the ritual, over the internet. The
security implications and pitfalls (for example the ability to record on a
number of software platforms) unfortunately do not square with our Obligation
to assure privacy and confidentiality of proceedings - and we therefore ask
members to refrain from any demonstrations of those elements of the ceremonies
covered in the Obligation, or any attempt to reproduce the ‘choreography’
online. We have no doubt that our Directors of Ceremonies will have no
difficulty in putting our Brethren right on such things when we are happily
able to meet again. For these reasons please do not try to hold a genuine Lodge
or Lodge of Instruction in a virtual form, but feel free to practise those
elements outlined above.
We will, in the days and weeks to come, be providing LOIs with material
from Solomon, and our extensive archives to enable learning, discussion and
that ever important Daily Advancement in Masonic Knowledge.
As previously stated, I have no doubt that Brethren will continue to
adapt to this challenging situation - but simply ask that thought is given to
the implications that these have on our ancient Craft.
Dr David
Staples FRCP
Grand Secretary
The
below communication from the Pro Grand Master was sent to all our members
on
19
March 2020:
Dear
Brethren and Companions,
These are
difficult and testing times for us all. First, I wanted to thank each and every
one of you for your patience and understanding during this challenging and
worrying period.
Coronavirus is going to be with us for some considerable time, and I am certain
you are as disappointed as I am that we have, reluctantly, suspended all
Masonic activity. I trust that you will agree that it was the right course of
action at the right time.
I appreciate
the enormous disruption that this will cause all of us, and also the hole left
in our lives by the withdrawal of something we hold enormously dear. To those
of you who have been Masons for but a few months, this may seem a little
strange, but to those like me, who have been ‘bitten by the bug’, we cannot
help but feel bewilderment and sadness at how quickly something so important
has been taken away from us, albeit temporarily.
For the next few months we may not see as much of each other as we have
recently; we may be spread throughout the country, or indeed the world and we
may have things asked of us which sit outside the ordinary compass of our
experience. From a personal point of view, being over 70 and diabetic I am
taking the "lock down" seriously, as I am sure all brethren in the
same situation will. There are, of course, a great many in this position and it
is not easy with no, even vague, end date in sight. My real sympathies are with
those who live alone. I am lucky, I have a wife, as well as our children all of
whom are most supportive and our daughter is arranging our shopping needs,
where they can't be delivered. I do hope that many of our brethren are in the
same boat and over and above that, we all have our large and active masonic
community to rely on. We are luckier than most.
My youngest
son is adamant that the best way forward is to try to have some form of
structure in our day, as that is what we have been used to most of our lives,
albeit in a very different format. I suspect that, in the current times, the
structure will take on a rather strange appearance. We live in a reasonably
isolated area and can walk for over an hour without seeing anyone, therefore I
think the dog is going to get a great deal fitter (and could even become a
better ritualist!); my office might become and stay tidy and I can catch up
with all those things I have been putting off for far too long. This won't take
up 3 months or whatever time is required, but I am sure other activities will
develop as time goes by. Anything to keep mind and body active. Of course, at
some point in the future, life will return again to normal.
I have already mentioned trying to keep a structure in our lives. Freemasonry is
a very well-structured institution. Currently that structure has been
disturbed, but rest assured that, whilst The Book of Constitutions is pretty
rigid on some subjects, ways will be found to ensure that we get Lodges and
Chapters back onto the right format as quickly as possible after the
resumption. This difficult period will run its course, and move into history
and our Lodges and Chapters will begin to meet again. Candidates will
experience the wonder of the initiation ceremony, Bro Treasurers will again
chase their profligate Brethren for dues, Grand Officers will, more’s the pity,
sit ‘tutting’ on the back rows over some ceremonial sleight, imagined or
actual, and the rhythm of our masonic lives will once again return to normal.
Over the
last few years we have been trying to stress that Freemasonry must remain
relevant to society and I have never been in doubt that this has been the case
in many ways. However, it has never been more relevant than it is right now. What
we do in the next few months, will be written into our Lodge and Chapter
histories and will test us, as an organisation and as people perhaps more than
anything in our lifetimes. I think it is fair to say that I cannot remember a
more testing time for the organisation, for society and for the country. We
need to step up and do our part, as we have in difficult times past, to help
those, our less fortunate Brethren, their families and the communities from
which we are drawn.
That is why,
we have, today, released a joint statement with the MCF, the Freemasons’
Charity, committing to help those in need. Up and down the country, in
Provinces large and small, Freemasons are coming together to commit to help
those who find themselves at life’s lowest ebb. I encourage those of you who
feel able to safely commit both time and effort to think on how you might play
a very small part in this worthy National effort. There are many great ideas
already out there, and we will be sharing these and how successful they are as
things develop.
We will need
your dedication, flexibility and patience over the coming weeks and months to
help each other through these turbulent times. Freemasonry has weathered many
storms in its centuries-long history. It will weather this one too, and we will
emerge ready for the challenges of, I suspect, a very different world.
Look after yourselves, brethren, and I trust we can get back to normality in
the not too distant future. I wish you and your families good health and
happiness, and more than your fair share of luck.
Peter Lowndes
Pro Grand Master
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