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Planning ahead
I was delighted to read ‘Planning ahead for
the Chair’ by Raymond Hollins (MQ, Issue
No. 18). I was initiated in 1994 and was told
to make a daily advancement in Masonic
knowledge.
At the festive board I was given a First
Degree book and I pledged to read it for 10-
15 minutes. When I became Senior Deacon
I taught myself all three degrees and practised
them at various Lodges of Instruction.This
gave me time to learn the Installation and
Inner Working plus Address to the Master.
This stood me in good stead, for totally
unplanned, I had four years in the chair
continuously due to unforeseen calamities –
two years in each of two Lodges, and for a
while reigning Master of both. This should
be food for thought for junior Masons, who
are the bedrock and future of Freemasonry.
Paul Fuschillo,
Ilford, Essex
Another Ellis school
I have read the article (MQ, issue No. 18)
on the new William Webb Ellis Lodge
with great interest. However, William Ellis
founded four schools of which only one has
survived to the present day.
That school is the William Ellis School
at Parliament Hill in London and it has a
Lodge founded by former pupils which
was consecrated in 1932 as Elysian Lodge
No. 5242.
It has just celebrated it’s 75th anniversary
and two of its Old Boys have just completed
over 50 years in Masonry.
J.H.Porter
Swindon
Research help needed
I am currently researching needlework in
relation to The Royal Masonic Girls’ School
and would like to obtain a copy of the book
Polished Corner Stones, Royal Masonic School
for Girls by Lorna Cowburn, ISBN 0-954-
1560-0-5.
Perhaps someone no longer has a need
for their copy or have one for sale. Having
viewed a copy at the library recently, the
information contained within is pertinent
to my research. Also, I am anxious for any
information regarding needlework samplers
that were stitched at the School. I can be
contacted at linda@thesamplerguild.co.uk
or through my father, Peter Hadden,
Trevelyan Lodge No. 9187, Berkshire.
Linda Hadden
Beamish was superb
When I first joined masonry nearly 30 years
ago, I was interested to hear the stories from
much older Masons about how they often
joined in civic parades in full regalia. So you
can imagine how delighted I was to see the
photographs from Beamish.
As a councillor, I am often involved in
civic duties, and I greatly regret that I am
not allowed to display my membership
of Freemasonry in an obvious way
I am not suggesting that we should wear
full regalia, but it would be nice if Grand
Lodge could design a simple neck jewel
to attach to a ribbon so that those of us
involved in civic duties can show the public
the part that we play. The Lodge I belong to
has provided three Town Mayors and many
councillors during the last 25 years, yet the
public know nothing of this.
Bob Barnes
St Neots, Huntingdonshire
Church bigotry
I am a relatively new brother, but my family
connection goes back at least 100 years, with
grandfathers and uncles who were very keen
Masons and held high office.
I am a Christian, and before joining
the Lodge I was advised by a number of
churchgoers not to join. Since joining
I have been told by our vicar that I am no
longer a suitable person to hold any office
within the church.
For that reason, I and a number of other
local brothers have resigned totally from that
church and now attend elsewhere, where
the prejudice is not present.
My Lodge committee contacted Grand
Lodge about this totally unwarranted
discrimination, but they could do nothing.
David Hendry
Malmesbury, Wiltshire
Archbishop Masons
Archbishop Geoffrey Fisher (MQ, Issue No.
18) was not the first Archbishop to belong
to the Craft. The Rt. Rev. Dr. Harrington
Clare Lees, Archbishop of Melbourne from
1921 to 1929, was a foundation member of
Old Melbournians Lodge, founded in 1922.
This will be of interest to members of
the Craft, particularly to northern Masons,
as he was born in Ashton-under-Lyne
in Lancashire.
Kenneth Bayley
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“Toot” a Mason
In answer to Bro. Owens Edwards letter on
“Openness in New Zealand” (MQ, Issue
No. 18), as you can see from the attached
photo, I have sported a “Fridge Magnet”
on the rear of my car for the past five years.
It has caused some motorists to “toot”
their car horns at me, not always giving the
right toot! I can tell if the person is an EA,
FC or MM!
The badges can be bought from the
internet “freemasonstore” in America,
I purchased 50 of them five years ago and
sold them to fellow Masons at £5 each
and donated the money to charity.
Bob Sutton
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Copyright 2002-2007
MQ Magazine
Web site created by Mark Griffin
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