Many have asked for a definition of masonry, but few have received a satisfactory answer. The explanation most frequently given is that it is a science veiled in Alleghory and explained by Symbols. Concealed in Symbols might better explain the real situation. This explanation really means little to most of us. In as much as anyone may interpret our Symbols, and Masonry itself, according to its own light, here is my definition. Masonry,in the final analysis, is a way of life, a theory of life, a philosophy of life. It manifests itself in our daily contacts with our fellows. It is not what the tongue proclaims, but what the heart contains. The true Mason, then, is the one who interprets the symbols, in which Masonry is concealed (or by which it is explained) through exemplification in his daily life of what was put into such symbols long before Solomon started construction of the Great White Temple which crowned Moriah's Mount. Masonry should be a brotherhood of man, and this need not be an idle dream, even though it may require long and patient effort to overcome error and prejudice I believe the time yet will come, possibly within the lives of some here today, when battle flags will be forever furled, when battle tanks will become the tractors of the husbandman, and the Eternal Truths which are Freemasonry, will be universally recognized by a world forever at peace through practice of what our Symbols contain. That will be Masonry fully developed.
I believe that freedom of religion is an inalienable human right and tolerance an indispensable trait of human character; therefore, I will stand in my Lodge with Brothers of all faiths, and respect their beliefs as they respect mine, and I will demonstrate the spirit of Brotherhood in all aspects of my life.
I know that education and the rational use of the mind are the keys to facing the problems of humanity; therefore, I will bring my questions and my ideas to my Lodge, and strive to advance the growth of my mind alongside my Brothers.
I know that the rich tradition of Freemasonry and its framework of Ritual are important platforms for growth and learning; therefore, I vow to stand upon these platforms to improve my self as a human being, and I vow to help in the mission of the Craft to provide tools, atmosphere, challenges and motivation to help each Brother do the same.
I know that charity is the distinguishing human virtue, and that personal community service is the best demonstration of one's commitment to humanity; I acknowledge that words without deeds are meaningless, and I vow to work with my Lodge to provide service to the community, and to promote charity, friendship, morality, harmony, integrity, fidelity and love.
I know that my obligation to community extends beyond my local sphere and is partly fulfilled in my patriotism: love of my country, obedience to its laws and celebration of the freedoms and opportunities it symbolizes.
I know that leadership is best demonstrated by commitment to serving others; I will therefore participate in, and help work at improving individual leadership skills, and serve the Brothers of my Lodge to the best of my ability.
I know that friendship, fidelity and family are the foundations of a well-lived life; I therefore vow to be a faithful friend to my Brothers, as I expect my Lodge to respect my personal obligations, and to treat my family as though my family were their own.
I know that the last great lesson of Freemasonry -- the value of personal integrity and the sanctity of one's word -- is a lesson for all people in all times; I therefore vow to be a man of my word.
I know that Masonry's power is best exercised when its Light is shared with the world at large; I therefore vow to bring the best of myself to my Lodge, in order that my growth might be fostered and nurtured, and to present myself to the world as a working Freemason, on the path to building a more perfect temple. Because I am a Freemason, these values and aspirations are guideposts for my progress through life.Rt. Wor. Bro. Russ Tinker
I now present our flag,
The symbol of unity and of sovereignty.
Between bars of red and on a field of white,
It blazons forth in its autumn glory,
A Canadian Maple Leaf,
Whose eleven points represent
The ten Provinces and the Territories
Which comprise our great Dominion.To Freemasons, the red symbolizes the dauntless
Courage of our forefathers which we emulate;
the white, that blameless purity of life and
Conduct to which we aspire;
And the points, the eleven nightly virtues
Of which patriotism is the greatest,
And to which we are ever dedicated.Finally, it inspires in us reverence for
Him to whom we ever fervently pray.
God save our Queen
And heaven bless the Maple Leaf forever.
In his capacity as a Craftsman and as a man of the world, he is continually coming into contact with his fellows and he learns to control his passions and to recognize the rights of others, with the result that the stone he is working upon, namely, his character, is gradually taking shape as a perfect Ashlar.
Later, he is called upon to hand his stone over to the Builder, who cuts a bevelled hole at the top, so that the stone can be attached to a lewis and be hoisted up ready to be placed on the base assigned to it by the Builder. Thus, he is reminded that the rope, the Lewis, and the crane represent the all sustaining power of God, and that if he has discharged his duty faithfully and in accordance with the precepts laid down in the V.S.L., he may rest assured that when his final summons comes he will find that the great Builder will have prepared a place for him in that "Great Spiritual Temple not made with hands eternal in the Heavens."
Finally, let us consider this "perfect Ashlar" from a geometric point of view. Looking at the perfect "Ashlar," as it stands in the Lodge we notice that it has six equal and exactly similar sides, and that no matter how it is placed down, on the level, it must stand on one of its faces and present a similar face to the observer, from any point of view. It is the only geometrical body which requires no support from its fellows, but when placed in line with similar cubes, demands it own space, and lines up with the others on top, bottom and sides.by J. Fairbairn Smith
Let us pause for a moment and earnestly ask ourselves, which are we making--stumbling block or a stepping stone? If a man's life is such that he cannot "join in the grand design of being happy and communicating happiness to others," then he is a stumbling block, not only to himself, but to all those with whom he is associated. If that man is a Freemason he should study the ritual and discover the inner meaning, so that he can learn to perfect his stone.
Let us trace whence comes this perfect stone. An ancient charge provides that a mould stone shall be given to a visiting Operative Mason to enable him to demonstrate his craftsmanship. The stones were selected individual stones from the quarries to suit the requirement of the material building. As Speculative Masons, we obtain our mould stones from the quarries of life. Thus, when we receive an application for admission to our Lodge it is our duty to carefully scrutinize all the credentials of the applicant from every angle, so that only approved material is admitted to the Craft.
Freemasonry can and does improve good material, but it cannot make bad material good. As with the Operative Mason, poor material would have endangered the material structure. So with us as Speculative Masons, a faulty Ashlar will endanger the Spiritual temple we are endeavouring to build. Having found, by the strictest inquiry, that the applicant, or mould stone, is suitable, we have, by those inquiries, knocked off some of the irregularities which surrounded him, and after his initiation, he is represented as the "rough Ashlar," that is, the stone is no longer the mould stone, but it is approximately a cube which still requires a considerable amount of "dressing" before the "perfect Ashlar" which is within it can be brought to light, and the candidate is given him to "knock off rough knobs and evanescence," of his character. Later on he finds that, although the common gavel and chisel are suitable for reducing the roughness they are not capable of achieving perfection. As a Craftsman he receives another set of working tools, one of which is essential to perfection, namely, the square, and here he learns that it is only by continual grinding and many applications of the square that the stone can be brought to a true die, or cube.By J. Fairbairn Smith
Not many operators in Masonry can make a Perfect Ashlar. So there are not many perfect Masons in our Lodges. In our Ritualistic and other work, we can take away much of the roughness, remove the sharp points and obliterate the visible defects. We can produce as good a Mason as there is within our power to produce. But the essential thing is to have good material upon which to work. This statement is applicable to all mankind, but to us as Symbolic Masons, it is pregnant with meaning, for, was not each one, at the commencement of his Masonic career, placed in the Northeast corner as an example stone, in the hope that the stone so placed would, in the fullness of time, be wrought into a thing of beauty acceptable to the builder?
What does the poet say of the stone? Isn't it strange that Princes and Kings And clowns that caper in sawdust rings, and common folks like you and me are builders for eternity? Each is given a kit of tools, a shapeless mass and a book of rules: And each must make, ere life is flown; a stumbling block or a stepping stone.
These are very true words. The kit of tools are those talents with which God has blessed us to enable us to fulfill our mission in life. We are told in the Volume of the Sacred Law that one man received five talents, another, two talents, and yet another, only one talent, so that our duty is for each to discharge his allotted task to the best of his ability, and help those who have not been so well blessed as himself. Thus each will be assisted in carving out the "Grand Design" of being happy and communicating happiness and thereby of being more "extensively serviceable to his fellow creatures."
The shapeless mass is a man's character, and each one of us is his own Architect, Builder and Material, and like our predecessors, the Operative Masons, we each must show our craftsmanship in working out a perfect "Ashlar" fit to be tried by the square of his own conscience.
The book of rules is the V.S.L. "That great light that will guide us to all truth, direct our steps in the path of happiness, and thus, point out the whole duty of man."Part 2 of 4
By J. Fairbairn Smith
An eminent sculptor was once
asked: "How do you carve such beautiful statues?" He
replies, "It is the simplest thing in the world. I take a
hammer and chisel and from a massive, shapeless rock, I
knock off all the stone I do not want, and there is the
statue. It was there all the time."
In every Lodge room there are the Rough Ashlar and the Perfect
Ashlar. These two and the Trestle Board constitute our
Movable Jewels. What is their significance? What do they
have to do with Masonry? In our monitorial work we are
taught that the Rough Ashlar "is a stone as taken from the
quarry in its rude and natural state" and that the Perfect
Ashlar "is a stone made ready by the hands of the workman,
to be adjusted by the working tools of the Fellow Craft."
The Rough Ashlar was not a stone that was merely picked up
somewhere. It was a stone that has been selected. Some work
was done upon it. It was apparently a good stone. It was a
stone that showed good prospects of being capable of being
made into a Perfect Ashlar. If it had not been a good stone,
it would never have been cut out from the quarry. So it is
with our prospective member. He cannot be merely picked up
somewhere. He must be selected. Before he is ready to be
initiated some work must be done upon him. He must stand
certain basic tests. He must be apparently of good material.
He must be a man who shows good prospects of being capable
of being made into a good Mason. If he had not been a good
man, he should never have been proposed for membership.
In changing a Rough Ashlar into a Perfect Ashlar, the workman takes
away and never adds to. He chips and chips. He cuts away the
rough edges. He removes the visible flaws, he does not
create by chemical means or otherwise, a new material. He
takes that which is already there and develops it into the
Perfect Ashlar.
The stone from which the Venus de Milo was carved by an unknown
sculptor of ancient times, lay since the beginning of time
in the rocks of the Island Milo. A common, unknown workman
may have cut a huge piece of marble from the quarry. But it
took a master artisan to carve out the beautiful statue. It
took a good piece of marble and a skilled artist to produce
the Venus de Milo.
Part 1 of 4
By J. Fairbairn Smith
It was a tale of Masonic men surrounding a campfire in the Old West, at night, discussing the Fraternity and its teachings. One old man listened patiently, and finally spoke up: "I can tell you more about Masonry in a little example than some of the great Masonic philosophers can in books. Everybody Stand up, and gather in circle around the campfire ." They did that. "Now, everybody hold hands with the man next to him." they did that, too. "Now, what do you see looking ahead ?" "The face of a brother through the flames." "What do you feel in front of you?" "The warmth of the fire, and the comfort it brings on a cool night." "What do you Feel at your side?" "The warm hand of a brother." "OK. Now drop the hands, and turn around."They do so. "Now what do you see, looking ahead?" "Complete darkness." "What do you feel, looking ahead?" "A sense of loneliness, of being alienated". "What do you feel at your side? "Nothing at all." "What do you feel on your backside?" "The warmth of the fire." "So it Is with Masonry", said the old man. "In Masonry gatherings, you can feel the warmth of Masonry interaction, you can see the face of a Brother through the light Masonry brings to you, and you can always feel the warm hand of your Masonic Brother. When you turn away from masonry, and are out in the world , you see darkness, feel alienated and alone, and do not feel the warm hand of your Masonic Brother. But Masonry, and the warmth and light it brings, are just a turn away from you."
Author Unknown
A friend is someone we turn to when our spirits need a lift.
A friend is someone we treasure, for our friendship is a gift .
A friend is someone who fills our lives with beauty, joy, and grace.
And makes the world we live in a better and happier place.
There is a miracle called friendship, that dwells in the heart.
You do not know how it happens or when it gets it's start.
But you know the special lift it always brings.
You realize that friendship is the world's most precious gift!!!
A century ago one out of every 25 adult men
in North America was a Free Mason but the fraternity
has fallen on hard times in the past 30 years, victim of
the general suspiciousness of Baby Boomers of their
father's institutions.
Now, new cultural references to the Masons
in movies such as National Treasure and From Hell,
along with novels like Brad Meltzer's Book of Fate and
the soon to be released Da Vinci Code sequel, have sparked
renewed interest in Freemasonry with today's men.
These fictional references to the Masons
coincide with an explosion of non-fiction books and History
Channel programs, all shining new light on our 300
year old fraternity.
In today's society, divorce rates over the
last 30 years have resulted in a high number of absentee
father households. Many men of this generation have
missed out on the benefits of positive male mentors and
role models.
These same young men are rediscovering the Freemasonry of their Grandfathers and Great
Grandfathers in their quest to become better men. A
generation raised on the noble mythology of the Lord of the
Rings stories and the "chivalric" Jedi Knights of the Star
Wars saga seem to be looking for similar but real
world codes of honour and conduct in their daily lives.
This generation is looking for models in the
honourable lives of Canadian heroes and legendary men
such as Alexander Dunn, the first Canadian winner of
the Victoria Cross, 6 Canadian Prime Ministers, as well
as Lord Stanley, John Molson, Tim Horton and King
Edward the Seventh, all of these legendary men were
members of proud Canadian lodges. A noble code of
honour and conduct is sought by this generation of
young men and they are finding it in Masonic lodges.
They are coming in search of the lodges of
the founders of North America; John A. Macdonald and
George Washington, also musicians Mozart and Oscar
Petersen, as well as the poets Robert Service and Rudyard
Kipling.
They are looking for our philosophy and
methods of symbolism, true equality among men of all
races and faiths, personal growth, individual charity
and service to our communities. They are looking for
festive boards and toasting and an enjoyable night out they
can't find anywhere else outside of the Lodge. I am
convinced, over the last few years that we are on the verge
of the greatest expansion we have had in over 30 years. It
is the lodges that are prepared to give these new men
something legendary, something ancient, something
mythic and something noble that will succeed. It is the
lodges which are prepared to give their candidates the
best possible experience and their existing members the
best possible environment and fellowship. These Lodges
will grow and prosper.
Here in this great Canadian landmark, the
Masonic Memorial Temple, honourable men have
gathered since 1930. This building and others like it were
built across this great country and around the world to
proudly proclaim to their communities who the Masons were and
what they were capable of building.
The ceremonial laying of the cornerstone of
this building by Grand Master Most Worshipful Brother
Henry Lewis took place on June 22, 1929. A total of
thirty six Lodges and 2000 Masons paraded to the New Temple
from the Dorchester Street Temple. A past Grand
Master, Canon Allan Stanford, delivered the oration. In
his address he reflected on the very nature of the Masonic
Order. He stated, "We have just laid one cornerstone
today, but everyone knows that four cornerstones are
necessary to support any building. Our ceremony is
symbolic. It points to those moral and spiritual
foundations upon which our order stands. The four corner stones of
Masonry are, a belief in a supreme being, the essential
worth of man, a reverence for law, and an obligation to
service. The stone we have laid is at the angle of the building
where two walls are conjoined. Masonry seeks to bind
men together in a great fraternity. It can only be done
by the acceptance of these four cardinal factors."
The time is now for all Freemasons, young
and old, to start thinking big again, like the men who
built this great place.
The time is now for us to believe the very
best of our fraternity and to make certain we live up to
our promises and our legends. We are the oldest, largest and greatest
fraternal organization the world has ever known. We
need to make certain we believe it about ourselves first,
but when we do, gentlemen, when we do, Masons are truly
capable of great things.
Together, we can and will be legendary men
again.
Brother Zachary J. Brown
