Comments on The North Eastern Corner: A Night Traveled Well

Now this is the spirit of the New Mason. Regrettab...

2007-10-30T03:02:00.000-04:00

Now this is the spirit of the New Mason. Regrettably, it is not every Mason who would feel comfortable sitting in a lodge of Haitian brethren. We will be far along as a Fraternity when we simply do not even think that is an issue.

I would invite you and your readers to join in the discussion of how to revivify Freemasonry at my blog: "21st Century Freemasonry", at the URL http://21stcenturyfreemasonry.blogspot.com/

Ah yes, I have some fond memories of UF. I was the...

2007-10-23T11:32:00.000-04:00

Ah yes, I have some fond memories of UF. I was there when they first came to the GL to get their charter (Under Dispensation for a year, while they learned the Conn workings).

Friendship usually runs a "hospitality suite" at the GL sessions, and on the night before the next GL session, they stopped by.

At 2:00.

AM.

Oy. There were a couple of Friendship brothers still with me, and the UF brothers - whom we'd met several times in the past - showed us some Haitian ritual, and we compared notes and toasted each other until, umm... what time does the sun usually come up?

As rough as the next day... er, later that day was, they were very excited to be getting their charter, and naturally I was excited for them.

My lodge and (I reckon) the vast mojority of lodge...

2007-10-23T11:24:00.000-04:00

My lodge and (I reckon) the vast mojority of lodges in England sing at the beginning and end of lodge meetings and also at the Festive Board.

At the meetings we sing the 'Opening Ode' and 'Closing Ode' - two non-religious hymns and at the Festive Board we sing grace after the meal (not every lodge sings grace).

On top of that the National Anthem is almost always sung - either at the end of the meeting, or before the first toast at the Festive Board.

Singing is such an important part of Lodge meetings to me, as it's the only vocal thing which absolutely every one of us does together, in exactly the same way, with exactly the same timing. I've always found that singing is a great way to unite people, and wouldn't have our meetings an other way.