Three Uses of Memory in Freemasonry by W.Bro. J. Scott Kenney

Giulio Camillo - Teatro della Memoria

Why is memory so important to Freemasons? I’m sure to many of you, that will seem obvious. Yet, beyond memorizing material so that you can do things like prove up to a higher degree, perform your ritual part well, do the floorwork, deliver a charge or even deliver a tracing board, there is a great deal more to this topic than one might think at first glance. Thus, in this brief paper, I hope to sketch out three interrelated areas in which memory may – whether consciously or inadvertently – be of significance to Freemasons.

13 Father and sons in May Fair Lodge No. 8294

13 Father and sons in May Fair Lodge No. 8294

May Fair Lodge, No. 8294, which meets at Mark Masons’ Hall in London, has a strong family history with no less than 13 father and son relationships in its short 46-year history, three of which were sons initiating their fathers. The tradition has continued with a double initiation of Matthew Flynn and Dilip Singh Dhanjal, each aged 21.

Dedication Ceremony of The Masonic Peace Memorial on 19th July 1933.

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Arthur, Duke of Connaught ( Youngest Son of Queen Victoria ) Grand Master of The United Grand Lodge of England 1901 -1939, spent some time on how Freemasonry should commemorate, those of its membership who were killed, or declared missing in The Great War. On the 27th June 1919, he organised a conference in The Albert Hall, and invited representatives from Ireland, Scotland and other Grand Lodges throughout the Commonwealth to attend in London and consider how best to commemorate those, of their membership, who died for King and Country. All those in attendance were presented with a Peace Medal, to commemorate their individual contributions, to the discussions of the day.

Wanstead Park Lodge Freemasons raises over £3,000 for Blesma, The Limbless Veteran

Blesma

On a sunny Saturday evening in June last year members of WPL and their guests embarked the HMS Belfast on the river Thames for a Ladies Festival unlike ever before. After guests made their way along the footbridge they were greeted by a piper who piped them onto the ship to WM Steve May and his wife Janette.                                              

Kipling and the Craft

Image of Rudyard Kipling who wrote thhis Tylers Toast

The need for this further essay was first made apparent to me when—in my capacity as Secretary of the Lodge and Editor of the Transactions—I began to receive inquiries from Brethren as far away as Vancouver and Singapore, asking for materials and information which might help them to complete their own papers on Kipling, and I found, to my surprise, that while our library contains a great deal of relevant material, there has never been a paper on Kipling in our Transactions.