Friday 28 Nov 2008 - Kirknewton & Ratho Auld 85 - Visit

Great Lodge to visit. To my shame I hadn't been for a while, however, still got the same warm welcome. It felt like I'd never been away.

Ratho is only a couple of miles from Edinburgh Airport but it comes under the Province of Linlithgowshire. I met Bob, RWM of Caley 392, Bro Keith Miller who is Master at No.8 and Bro Malky Munro who is a PM of No.8 and 1291, at the Lodge.

The attendance was modest but was swelled by a large deputation from Lodge St Magaret 548 from South Queensferry. A surprise for me was one of my good friends I play golf with, Bro Alex (Pop) Roberts, being part of their number. At the end of the meeting Pop's good friend Bro Peter Anderson of 548 was given Honorary Membership of Auld 85. Peter is a great Piper and has supported 85 at many Burns Suppers.

Part of 548's deputation included an newly initiated Brother. As the degree was to be an exemplification he volunteered to be candidate. He enjoyed the experience and commented on the many differences to his own Lodge ritual. 85 have many great ritualists and it was a delight to see Bro Bob Potter PM do the tracing board. Ratho is one of the very few Lodges that do a tracing board in every degree.

We retired to an official Harmony. Bro David Watt is the RWM of 85. It was good to meet up with him as we shared the Chair of our Lodges previously. Didn't win anything in the raffle.

A Humbling Experience

Many of us get caught up in the day to day running of our Lodges. Ritual work, administration or organisation. Many of us are happy to support our Lodges on meeting nights or on Deputations. I think sometimes we forget the other work carried out by our Almoners, at Lodge level, and the Benevolent Committees at Provincial and at Grand Lodge levels.

I was asked by The Provincial Grand Lodge of Edinburgh to make a visit to a beneficiary of The Scottish Masonic Benevolent Fund of Grand Lodge to complete an Annual Report.

The lady I was to meet is the widow of a PM from a Lodge in our our Province. I knew of her from chats I'd had with the PMs of her late husband's Lodge, but had never met her. Her husband had passed away over 10 years ago. He was a well respected PM of the Lodge.

Completion of the Annual Report became almost secondary as we chatted about mutual friends and her experiences of Freemasonry and how it had affected her life and that of her husband. Her daughter also makes a mean cup of tea! Before I knew where I was almost an hour and a half had passed. She was a delightful lady who, despite the very debilitating illness she suffers from, was in fine heart and spoke with great fondness of her experiences of her husband's Mother Lodge and of Freemasonry in general.

This fondness has continued since her husband's passing. It is a credit to the Lodge that successive Almoner's and the PMs have kept in touch with her and kept her up to date with the happenings in the Lodge. She had been very active in the Social side of the Lodge and indeed had spent over 20 years as part of the team of ladies who provided food for the Brethren on Lodge nights and at Installations. The Lodge provides her with a Benevolent Grant each year as does Grand Lodge which supplements a meagre income. She is very grateful for both.

Not long before I left she relayed a very disturbing story to me. A couple of months back, not long after receiving her Benevolent Grant from the Lodge, she had decided to go to the local shopping centre to do some of her Christmas shopping, the Grant allowing her to do so. This lady is confined to a wheelchair. She was waiting for the return of her daughter, who had queued at the nearby Post Office, when she was mugged by two low lives who stole her handbag. In a busy shopping centre in broad daylight!

Despite this story I can only say that I am a happier man to have met her. Not just because I saw first hand the good that our benevolence does but because I spent some time in the presence of a great lady whose positive outlook of Freemasonry made me proud to be a Mason.

God Bless You my dear.

Weds 26 November 08 - Visit to The Caledonian Lodge 392

Bob Mitchell's greetin' meeting as Master. 3rd Degree. He had a great turn out. Bob has once again been a prolific visitor inside and out of the Province. Up to last night he had made 189 visits since taking the chair last December. Not as many as the last time he took the Chair but as he says "there's still just over a week to go." I just put it down to a lack of dedication;-)

1267 had a Deputation and I joined them to enter the Lodge. 4 other deputations included The Lodge of Light 1656, The Rifle Lodge 405 and, believe it or not, representations from The District Grand Lodges of Ghana and also Trinidad & Tobago.

I picked up Colin and Charlie to travel in from Livingston. Bob had asked Colin, Kenny and I to do some floor work during the Degree. Charlie was helping out as Candidate for the evening. Colin was doing the Tools, Kenny the Traditional History and I was doing the Bible reading and singing the solo. A nervous looking Colin took his seat in the car beside me. We discovered he'd never done this set of tools before and with so many of his Lodge to be there on the Dep didn't want to let his Lodge down. Word perfect, needn't have worried. Didn't stop him having a good moan about it on the car on the way in. Colin...moan...never!

Despite the large amount of Deputations, the usual Lodge Business and the fact it was a 3rd Degree the evening's proceedings past swiftly. However, there was a slight delay at the end. Unknown to Kenny, Colin and I there was an ulterior motive behind Bob asking us to help on the floor of the Lodge. We were presented to the West of the Lodge and thereafter had Honorary Membership of 392 bestowed upon us. A proud moment for the three of us, only surpassed by the smug "got you" expression on Bob's face throughout. Bob's words to us were heart felt and I thank him and the Brethren of 392 for the honour. There was another Masonic first at that point...Colin was left speechless!!!

We retired to an Official Harmony with the usual Toasts and the famous Caley Mince & Tatties served up by Peter the Mince. Star of the harmony again was Bro Arthur Symington PM 392, 93 years young, who sang Gone Fishin'. Contrary to popular belief Arthur was not present at the building of the Temple at Jerusalem!

Colin was the last to leave...again.

Thurs 20 Nov 08 - Visit to Lodge Water of Leith 1267

Last night I visited with my good friends at Lodge Water of Leith 1267. I had the honour of having Honorary Membership of this Lodge bestowed on me some time ago. My link with the Lodge started in 2002 when I met their Substitute Master, Bro Colin Nichol, at a social event in Edinburgh. Colin would take the Chair of his Lodge at the same time as I would take the Chair of Dunedin Caritas.

The social event was hosted by The Caledonian Lodge 392 and their SM, Bro Bob Mitchell, had invited both Colin and I and our wives as his guests. Bob was also on the way to the Chair of 392. Our Masonic bond has grown over the years. Together with Bro Kenny Dickson of The Roman Eagle Lodge CLX (160) we became known as The Gang of Four. Most of our visiting was done together. We visited far and wide. It was the first time either of us had taken the Chair of our respective Lodges. It turned out a fantastic year.

Colin, Bob and I have revisited the Chair of our Lodges since but, although an honour to do so, it could not compare to that first year.

Back to last night. Bro Thomas Vincent Stott RWM (Tam) took charge of his first meeting having been installed into the Chair by Colin on Saturday 8th Nov 08. It was a 3rd Degree. Not an easy one to start off with. 1267 have a very proud tradition of good ritual and Tam was nervous being under the scrutiny of his Past Masters.

He need not have worried. He and his Office-Bearers performed well. I even managed to get into the act singing the solo. He did give us one moment of amusement during the obligation. Hard to keep a straight face after it actually, but you have to try. Bro Jim Watson, the senior PM present on the evening, paid tribute to the Master at the end of the meeting. My own RWM, Bro Jim Gillanders, was acting WSW for the evening. Jim, as well as being an Honorary Member, has affiliated to 1267 and when he comes out of the Chair at 1316 has been given permission to be installed as WSW in 1267. He will also hold the office of Director of Ceremonies at 1316. Further evidence of the close bond that has developed between the Lodges. This bond is not just between the PMs but also at the "junior" Office-Bearer level. So much so that 1316's SD, Bro Charlie Black, has been elected an Honorary Member of 1267 and he will be obligated as such in December.

Our candidate for the evening was none other than Bro Kenny Dickson PM of CLX. Kenny stood in to allow the degree to take place. 1267 test their candidates in open Lodge before they can be prepared for their next degree. The questioning is much more rigorous than most. Kenny answered the questions well, as you would expect from a PM.

The attendance before the deputations were admitted was perhaps disappointing, however, this was swelled by 3 great deputations from The Lodge of Edinburgh (Mary's Chapel) No.1, Lodge Auchtergaven 1123 and Lodge Queen's Edinburgh Rifles (The Royal Scots) 1253.

After the meeting we retired to an informal Harmony Board, no speeches, no toasts. Bro John Buckham had prepared a great curry. John has kindly volunteered to do the Harmony catering for me at 1316 next year. A duty I cannot thank him more for.

All in all a good evening amongst good friends.

Installation Planning

Most of the planning is complete. Just the Installation cards and the toast lists to complete and print. Friday 12th December 2008 at 11 Morningside Drive, Edinburgh. We start at 6.30pm.

Ticket sales are going well. This is my third time taking the Chair of my Lodge and I would hope for about 60 to 70 to attend at the Festival of St John after the ceremony.

I have four of my good friends as Installing Masters taking care of the ceremonial part of the evening. All very experienced and excellent ritualists.

I am looking forward to the evening.

And so I start.

Never blogged before. As I set this up I wonder where it will take me.