Promoting the Fraternity across the World
Freemasonry consists of fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local fraternities of stonemasons, which from the end of the fourteenth century regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities and clients. The degrees of freemasonry retain the three grades of medieval craft guilds, those of Apprentice, Journeyman or fellow (now called Fellowcraft), and Master Mason. These are the degrees offered by Craft (or Blue Lodge) Freemasonry. Members of these organisations are known as Freemasons or Masons. There are additional degrees, which vary with locality and jurisdiction, and are usually administered by different bodies than the craft degrees.
The basic, local organisational unit of Freemasonry is the Lodge. The Lodges are usually supervised and governed at the regional level (usually coterminous with either a state, province, or national border) by a Grand Lodge or Grand Orient. There is no international, world-wide Grand Lodge that supervises all of Freemasonry; each Grand Lodge is independent, and they do not necessarily recognise each other as being legitimate.
Sir David was introduced to Lifelites through his role as both a high ranking Freemason, and as Master of the Worshipful Company of Information Technologists, a livery company for senior practitioners in the information technology industry. Since learning more about the charity’s work, he has decided to lend his name to help the organisation and the children it supports.
Immediate Past Master of the Oliva La Safor Lodge – Worshipful Brother Graham Simons visited the Teulada-Moraira Alzheimer’s Society (AFA) to present staff with a cheque for €500.
Graham, the Immediate Past Master of the Oliva La Safor Lodge, had selected AFA as one of the lodge’s charities for his year as Master and during that period the donation was raised by members of the Lodge at various fundraising events
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.
After a week of poor ‘summer’ weather with rain every day, when dawn broke on Friday the weather had changed and showed its better side with glorious sunshine, as ordered for the Neston Lodge Summer Boat Luncheon Cruise!
Last year the members and guests assembled in Chester for a similar event with their guests and such was the success of the trip that they decided to renew the outing, however, on this occasion it was agreed they would hire the whole boat!
South Wales Freemasons recently held a Teddy Bear Picnic at St Lythans, near Wenvoe, to celebrate 300 years of Freemasonry and to raise funds for the Teddies for Loving Care (TLC) Appeal.
The Teddies for Loving Care scheme has provided over 2 million teddies to children in A&E departments in hospitals across England & Wales. Supplied by Freemasons, the teddies are used to comfort children visiting hospitals and are used as a distraction or helpful show-and-tell.
There were so many things different about the emergency chapter meeting held at Bryn Masonic Hall. Firstly, proceedings commenced at 8:30 on a Saturday morning with a hearty breakfast. The chapter was meeting miles away from its official home. The car park was full of motorcycles. Many of the companions wore their regalia over motorcycle leathers. No festive board followed the meeting, and the companions ‘got on their bikes’ and rode away. Unusual to say the least, but perfectly normal once you know the story.
Following the establishment of the Membership Marketing Team (MMT) under the leadership of Robert Wright, the Assistant Provincial Grand Master…
The Almoners Page and 3 others shared Blackmore Vale Lodge, Sturminster Newton hosted the Dorset Masonic Knowledge Quiz Final and retained the Barnes Trophy for the fourth year running.
It was also an opportunity for Masonic generosity, pictured above are some of the Yeovil Heartbeat Staff who are responsible for Cardiac Rehabilitation at Yeovil Hospital receiving a cheque for £266 from the evenings main draw.Dorset Freemasonry’s photo.
Peace, love and harmony? Those three essential Masonic commodities were apparently not very evident 300 years ago, as was delightfully demonstrated when the St Helens and Prescot peripatetic pageant players brought their excellent production of ‘A Timeline Drama and Pageant’ to Rowley Court, Lancaster at a meeting of the City of Lancaster Lodge No 281.
