My Year In The Grand West

On Tuesday, February 25, the GJW and I travelled to Vienna, Ontario, in Wilson District to accompany the Grand Master, MWBro David Cameron, at Oriental Lodge 181 and witness the formal extinguishing of the lights in a solemn ceremony and the surrender of their warrant. The members had proudly served the community and rather than amalgamate decided to "go dark" and also in the process donated the monies remaining in their bank account to a variety of local worthy causes. The ceremony was held in the Vienna Temple, also home of Vienna Lodge, where most of the members of Oriental will affiliate. The temple walls are filled with history, including a very unique and interesting piece of Masonic art - numerous pieces depicting parts of our Masonic ceremonies and rituals, each hand-carved and painted - contained in a wall-mounted case. There is also a very heavy hammer found in the anteroom used by a Mason - or the company he owned, identified by the S&C - in a day long ago t...

On Friday, Jan 24, I travelled down the 403 to St Catharines to participate in the amalgamation of three lodges that were prepared to form Reunion Lodge 103, and they were assisted in doing so by many Grand Lodge officers, who were treated to a sold-out Robert Burns Dinner beforehand. The three lodges in Niagara A amalgamating were Temple Lodge, Maple Lodge and St Andrews Lodge. The ceremony was solemn and short, in fact, and I was happy to see the many brethren cast their votes for the new slate of officers eagerly and begin their work together. According to the District's website: Maple Leaf Lodge No. 103 owes its existence to the efforts of the brethren of St. George's Lodge No. 15, who sponsored its establishment with the purpose of promoting the expansion of Freemasonry in the Niagara area. As a result, Maple Leaf was instituted on July 28th, 1858. Among its Charter Members was a Brother James Seymour, who served as the first Junior Warden, and who was destined to rise...

On this evening, at The General Mercer Lodge (in Toronto West District) No 548, the brethren were proudly recognising the accomplishments of two Masons: VWBro Milan Cobonov, due to his appointment as Grand Standard Bearer last July  - he and I met years ago while getting our 32 in Hamilton at Scottish Rite - and Bro Ted Dziemenko, who received his 25 year pin. The meeting was held at the historic and acoustically perfect West Toronto Masonic Temple, on Annette Street, where several years ago, during the centenary of WW1, Milan and I produced an amazing choral album - live off the floor - called Sacrifice and Solace , featuring the Toronto Valour Ensemble who sang a collection of songs, several of which were popular during The Great War, and the remainder that were compositions based on letters sent home from the trenches. General Mercer himself, a true Canadian hero, was a Mason and also a member of the Queen's Own Rifles, and according to his biography remains to this day the...

The William Mercer William Medal is one of the highest honours a member of the Craft in this jurisdiction can receive, given years of unblemished service, and yesterday Bro Paul Laver proudly received his from the Grand Master at Harding Lodge 477 in Woodville.  In July 1944, Most Worshipful Brother Timothy Clark Wardley, in his annual communication to Grand Lodge, presented the idea of a special medal for outstanding Masonic service. This medal, now known as the “William Mercer Wilson Medal”, may be awarded only to one who, for one reason or another, did not aspire or attain the position of the Worshipful Master of a Craft Lodge. The awarding of this honour also extends certain privileges and courtesies to the recipients. The owner of The William Mercer Wilson Medal is entitled, like anyone who has achieved the position of Worshipful Master of a Craft Lodge, the honour of sitting in the East. He is entitled to grand honours. He or they should also be referred to in the preamble...

After a formal banquet - and the room was filled to capacity - the brethren and many visitors, including the Grand Master, assembled, entered the lodge and were witness to a very memorable Masonic evening: beginning with the Empty Chair ceremony , followed by the 60 Year pin presented to Bro Lt Col Norm Cohen (ret), and then a precision Military Degree Team conferred an excellent  EA degree fo r our candidate Bro Shin Suzuki. Another special guest of the evening was WBro Steve Connelly, who, while the candidate was resuming his personal comforts, assisted me in providing a presentation on the Vimy Gavel  - a unique and valuable piece of Masonic history - and then delivered a presentation on Bro Lt Col Sharpe, who was responsible for leading a small troop of his men onto Vimy Ridge after the battle to retrieve the oak from which the six Vimy Gavels were then crafted.  WBro Derek McNulty sat in the Chair o King Solomon and led the degree, impeccaly; WBro Joe Curry s...

After a lovely drive across highways through sunny weather, my wife and I arrived at the Holiday Inn in Kanata in the late afternoon, and soon thereafter departed along with the GJW and his wife to Bytown Lodge No 721 in Westboro. Along with the Grand Master, we were to participate, sitting in our respective chairs, in a Rededication and Recommitment ceremony, as the lodge was celebrating its 50th anniversary. Bytown Lodge, a proud Cornerstone lodge, is very active in Ottawa District 2, and after the ceremony they'd also planned a very special 6-course dinner. It was sold out. Bytown Lodge was formed in the late 60s primarily by former servicemen retiring from the Armed Forces, led by WBro Joe Johnston and RWBro Jim Heffel, with the help of Acacia Lodge who sponsored their application at Grand Lodge, and was constituted in October 11, 1969. A year later, in 1970, the Ottawa District, having grown to 30 lodges, soon was split into two: Ottawa 1 and Ottawa 2, as it remains today.