My Year In The Grand West

I fortunately arrived in Stoney Creek early for a Dedication Ceremony (certainly not something we Masons see often, and therefore certainly not something many of us get to participate in - and hence when the ceremony began with the opening of Grand Lodge, a lot of GLOs past and present were there) and was able to take a picture of the empty - beautiful - new lodge room before many brethren arrived to fill it up. The hall is located within a now re-purposed church, and last year the brethren of Wentworth 166 had approached administrators for the church, as the entire building was up for sale, to rent this older apparently un-used portion of the church adjacent to the new church - yet all under one roof; definitely a win-win situation. On March 21, 2006 Wentworth Lodge No. 166 amalgamated with T. H. Simpson Lodge No. 692. During the life of Wentworth Lodge, it has had 6 homes previously, with the most recent being at the corner of Dawson Street and Passmore Avenue in Stoney Creek. The...

After our evening in Niagara-On-The-Lake, the GJW and I drove down the 401, turning left at Trenton, and ventured on to the town of Frankford for the Installation of RWBro Bill Thompson for the ensuing year and the Investiture of his Officers. At the roast beef buffet banquet held before Quinte Lodge No. 69 was opened, sandwiched between the Deputy Grand Master and the Master-elect, I had the opportunity to catch up with not only RWBro Hogeboom but also Bill, as we had sit on several GL committees, and he was also a Past GSW - of which there were many, including our Past Grand Master, MWBro Ron Groshaw, attending on this ceremonial and festive evening! Located in Prince Edward County, Quinte Lodge was formed a few years ago after the successful amalgamation of Stirling Lodge and Frankford's Franck Lodge during MWBro John Green's term. In addition to the camaraderie on this auspicious evening, the lodge room also features three old and incredible paintings - tracing bo...

On November 23, a new lodge was granted dispensation by our Grand Lodge in order for the brethren of Heredom Lodge UD to now provide Observant Masonry in Toronto. The ceremony was carried out in darkness with the exception of candle lights. The visitors entered the lodge room, while listening to Haydn's piece called "Die Schopfung" - translated as The Creation - and each then stood silently awaiting the entrance of the members of our other two Ontario-based Observant Lodges who would first sit in the officers chairs to open, and they were followed shortly thereafter by the soon-to-be seated officers of Heredom Lodge. After the traditional opening and Toronto Humber Valley's DDGM reading the dispensation, and a presentation delivered related to the music and its significant import, while "Im Anfange schuf Gott Himmel und Erde" was played - which translates to In the Beginning God created Heaven and Earth - and RW Bro Gareth Taylor provided insight in to t...