Alain Bernheim: My Approach to Masonic History

Square and Compasses

As a French citizen who was successively a member of the Grand Orient of France – ‘that irregular body’ –, then of the Grande Loge Nationale Française – a regular one –, then of the United Grand Lodges of Germany and, for the past ten years, of the Swiss Grand Lodge Alpina, Alan presents his approach to Masonic history

Yorkshire Freemasons Cycle from London to Leeds in One Day

Yorkshire Freemasons Cycle from London to Leeds in One Day Freemasons Hall Start

On Sunday 2 July 2017, a group of intrepid West Yorkshire Freemasons successfully cycled over 200 miles from Freemasons Hall in London to Castle Grove Masonic Hall in Leeds, in an impressive 15 hours. The L2L Cycle, which featured 11 Freemasons from a number of Lodges across West Yorkshire, raised over £6000 for both the West Riding Masonic Charities Fund and local support centre, Breast Cancer Haven Yorkshire.

Freemason Oliver Russell, 2nd Baron Ampthill

Capture

Russell was born on February 19th, 1869 in Rome, Italy. He was educated at Eton and graduated from New College, Oxford. While at New College he began rowing and rowed for Oxford against Cambridge. In 1894 and 1898, he served on the original Olympic committee.

The Gloves

Masonic freemasonry men s large ceremonial white gloves

Apart from their practical uses to protect the hands from cold and injury, gloves have symbolic connotations. The old illustrations of operative masons at work do not show them wearing gloves. Their use, then, must have been mostly ceremonial, and their adoption in speculative Freemasonic ritual must be explained by their symbolism. The Italian writer Vanni considers that the origin of the symbolism lies not in their use by certain craftsmen or as protection against the cold, but rather in their military use.