The “Free” In Freemasonry

Masonic Aprons

WHY IS IT THAT OUR Fraternity bears the name “Freemasonry” instead of “Masonry”? Why the “free” in it? Far back in the Middle Ages a freemason was the name of a builder who could design buildings as well as construct them. He was what we should now call an architect.

Vale Lodge celebrates ‘The Ladies’

Lancaster Vale Lodge celebrates The Ladies Pic 1 220c6ff97472988f530eb2f4c174ad33ca2e1a6d

Members of Vale Lodge No 5256 held a very successful evening at the Longlands Hotel, Tewitfield, near Carnforth to celebrate and honour ‘The Ladies’. The WM of the lodge Bill Byrne and the principal guest, his wife Ela, were delighted to welcome fellow Masons, family and friends to their special evening, which was orchestrated with precision and humour by the lodge director of ceremonies Norman Mitchell.

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.