My Year In The Grand West

Sandwiched in between a Scottish Rite meeting on Thursday evening, and a Heritage Lodge meeting on Saturday morning, was a visit to Georgina Lodge on the occasion of the Official Visit of the DDGM, RWBro Brainerd Blyden-Taylor. This was the week when RWBro Harold Clarke had finished the encasement of MWBro C. Edwin Drew's regalia and it had been mounted on the wall, above the organ in the temple. a fitting tribute to a wonderful man and inspirational leader. In addition to the many WMs from Toronto Humber Valley, joining me in the East was RWBro Mark Kapitan and RWBro Terry VanHorne. At the outset of the meeting, after the lodge had been duly opened and the brethren were called from labour to refreshment, I provided some Masonic Education - a piece on the use of threes in Freemasonry, and in life, or triads (versus dyads), the groupings of three and the concept of three. I believe it was well received, and generated further discussion. As a young Mason, I was signing the registe...

Kilwinning Lodge 565 has a fine tradition of wearing their kilts on the occasion of the Official Visit, and this night, Thursday February 21, was the Official Visit of RWBro John McLoughlin, DDGM Toronto West, born in Glasgow, so I and several others in attendance, including the GJW and RWBro Charlie Woods, were in the minority wearing our pants. The lodge was formed in 1920 and will be celebrating their centenary in the fall. WBro Jamie Low, as WM, decided to provide an exemplification of the FC degree before we went downstairs for a great beef dinner and libations, as well as well-rounded conversations. It was relayed afterward that their JW had quickly departed for a career elsewhere, which precipitated a shuffling in the officer lineup, and required the import of WBro Stefano Amelio into the SW chair on this evening - though the lecture and charge to the FC were delivered by RWBro Andrew McClelland, who grew up across the road from Burns Cottage in Scotland. The lodge is proud o...

On this fine night, February 20, it was time to visit Whitby again and on the occasion of the Official Visit of the DDGM of Ontario District, RWBro Grant Parnell, to David T. Campbell Lodge, who were initiating a new brother into the Craft. And these lads were well practised; and we were treated to some Masonic Education as well. After a banquet (catered by the brethren of Composite Lodge) that featured the biggest ham steak I've ever eaten, WBro. Yuri Dimagiba led the brethren through a perfect degree that certainly put a smile on the face of the candidate for the evening, and practically left him speechless at the conclusion. WBro John Dean and I had a great conversation after lodge concerning the history of Whitby in general and the history of the lodge specifically. The original lodge room for Masons in Whitby was located at the "four corners" downtown and was later sold to a bank, which then enabled the purchase of land on Cocchrane Street, ust north of Dundas (...

On Valentine's Day, the GJW and I traveled up to, first, Parry Sound, in order to check-in to our hotel, where we then changed and hit the road to continue our drive up to Sudury where we stopped at the Big Nickel (for a quick selfie) and then drove around the corner to meet the WM of Bethel Lodge 699, WBro Robert Tailleur, at Sizzle Mongolian Grill and then to the temple for their regular meeting. We were enthusiastically welcomed by the brethren, including the DDGM, RWBro Robert Lipic, and before going up to the 3rd, where I provided some Masonic Education by reading the article written by RWBro Wallace McLeod entitled The Banner of Grand Lodge, three officers were duly invested with their collars and a ballot was taken for a new applicant.  After lodge was closed, we enjoyed pie and ice cream downstairs, toasts and the wonderful traditional passing of the gavel so that each member in the room could be given the opportunity to speak and offer an enoyable, memorable or inspriat...

In the fall, I joined the Senior Wardens of Ontario District in passing (as a team) a young member of Cedar Lodge to the 2nd degree, and on this Tuesday Jan 28 I had the pleasure of joining the Grand Master, and many other Grand Lodge officers and brethren from across the Jurisdiction, for the Installation of the new WM, WBro Dean Peel, and Investiture of his officers for the ensuing year. The evening began with a meal and toasts - including to the haggis - in the hall below, and the head table were piped in by not one, not two but three pipers, including the Grand Piper. My immediate predeccsor was also in attendance, RWBro Frank Thompson, and other past Grand Senior Wardens as well, including MWBro Ron Groshaw, and RWBro Peter Irwin who received his 25 Year a Past Master pin this evening. According to their site, Cedar Lodge is one of several Lodges operating in the City of Oshawa. Well over 100 years old, Cedar Lodge was established in 1872 and has had many notable members over t...

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...

On this Wednesday evening, Jan 15, I drove down to Grimsby to meet RWBro Mark Kapitan at his home, and then together we travelled down the road to visit the brethren of Niagara Lodge No. 2 to watch a happy young man enjoy receiving his First Degree and become an Entered Apprentice - joining the other two EAs in the lodge on this evening. Prior to the lodge opening, being gratefully received and watching the ceremony, and as the members gathered, we took the time for a tour of the museum in the building, adorned with a lot of mementos and displaying the historic impact of its members over the 200+ years of activity in the community. The members of the lodge were well-practiced for the ceremony and certainly well-prepared for the evening, and deserved the accolades accorded them by the visiting DDGM and his District Secretary, and the Festive Board afterwards (downstairs in the Art Gallery) featured a wonderful pot of meatballs, accompanying friendly and informative conversat...

On this Friday night, RWBro Mark Kapitan and I ventured a few miles down the highway to Canada's southernmost district to visit Windsor Lodge for the Installation of the new WM and Investiture of his Officers for 2020 - and it was very well done. I was surprised - though Mark had seen this before - to see the WM slide gently into the role of IM and conduct most of the ceremony, with the exception of a few pieces. The temple , built in 1921, is truly impressive. It was designed by James Carlisle Pennington in a Neo-Classical Revival style and was given heritage designation by the City of Windsor in 1994. In addition to many pieces of memorabilia upon numerous shelving units, and various pictures and portraits, and Honour Rolls, adorning the historic walls, it features a ballroom on the ground floor and two great lodge rooms (one extremely large, which we enjoyed throughout the ceremony from the East, and the other, called The Red Room, was only slightly smaller - but definitely ...

I together with RWBro Mark Kapitan and RWBro Tom Haight, and VW David Churchill, joined our Grand Master, MWBro David Cameron, and the DDGM for Ontario District, RWBro Grant Parnell, and many other Masons, for the annual Installation of the WM and Investiture of his officers at Jerusalem Lodge No 31 in Bowmanville on December 11. The room was absolutely packed for the ceremony, and was a testament to the amount of travelling done by the members of this vibrant lodge. According to the website , Jerusalem Lodge was chartered in 1849 with the United Grand Lodge of England and numbered 28. Somehow, the warrant was lost, but there is a record of Jerusalem Lodge being transferred to the Grand Lodge of Canada (Ontario) and so Jerusalem Lodge operated as No. 28 under a dispensation from the Grand Lodge of England from June 1849, until the first Charter was received in 1858, then duly renumbered 31. This charter is dated on July 14th, 1858.

On this first Thursday in December, I, along with RWBro Mark Kapitan, RWBro Tom Haight and RWBro Roy Hardy, met at King City to then travel together up the 400 and visit Corinthian Lodge No 96 in Barrie. We sat in our respective chairs and took the lodge up to the 2nd and then the 3rd, and back down again to close. While open in each degree, a piece of Masonic education was delivered, and while in the 3rd, a well-mentored MM proved himself flawlessly. There was no degree work, no installation or investiture, but a simple meeting planned and run by WBro Garry Perkins that was a pleasure to attend - and the room was filled with Masons from across the District... not to mention Grand Lodge officers.

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...

Last night, my mother lodge, The Beaches Lodge No 473 held a wonderful reception for me at York Temple, and also invested VWBro Robert Jewell (who was at my initiation in 2005) with his regalia as Assistant Grand Organist. The lodge was opened at 7pm, and visitors were admitted shortly thereafter, and after being afforded Grand Honours, lodge was closed in order to bring in the guests of the evening, which included my wife, Arlene, and our sons William and Richard. My eldest son Eric was already in lodge as SW, and he welcomed Michaela to also sit in the North with their two children Olivia and Ayven.  Several of my brethren in lodge were asked to provide a synopsis of their relationship with me and share a few of their experiences along the way. WBro Christian Giles spoke about our first day in lodge, and some of our subsequent ventures around the world, and the impact of Freemasonry we have enjoyed together, WBro Russ Richardson regaled us with stories from our days in the mus...

On the 1st, I attended the annual Installation and Investiture of the Officers for Canada Lodge, which currently meets in Whitby, and watched as WBro Craig Woods was installed in the Chair of King Solomon. My friend RWBro Dean Bergerson was the Installing Master, and IPM WBro Bill McKeown proudly invested his son Simon as the Inner Guard. It was also a special night for WBro Ed Russell, as he was invested and Senior Warden - and I had some fun with him at the end of the night in the West. As well, it was nice to see Bro Doug Lauder visiting - he was initiated into Freemasonry as a member of The Beaches Lodge (and he still is a member) but he moved eastbound to Courtice and, due to a fortuitous meeting of Heritage Lodge in Orono a few months ago, he has now affiliated with Orono Lodge, now in line to become JW, and was travelling to Whitby on this evening with WBro Steve Spence who was on the Installing Board. A wonderful night spent with old friends.

On Saturday, the Irish Degree Team from St John's Lodge  (London East District) arrived in Peterborough - as guests of Peterborough Lodge - by bus in the late morning to perform the legendary Third Degree, and there were certainly plenty of visitors waiting in lodge in eager anticipation. As the Grand Master pointed out during his response to the The Toast To Grand Lodge at lunch, this is a degree that has a history beyond the Unification of 1813 and into the earliest lodges of the Ancients , especially in Ireland, Scotland and Northern England, prior to the eventual formation of the Premier Grand Lodge in London. It was a great day. I had never seen the degree, but had heard a lot of rumours, regarding its rather violent nature - properly providing a candidate true trials and tribulations in order to become a Master Mason. Sitting in the East, I found the team, which were dressed appropriately, integrated the play aspect of Scottish Rite degrees really well to drive home t...

I was invited to visit Beach Lodge No 639 by my travelling sidekick, our GJW, RWBro Mark Kapitan, and on this evening at the temple in Stoney Creek the brethren were initiating a new member. It was an evening to sit back and enjoy the show. Beach Lodge has a storied history (as - come to think of it - most lodges do) and I presented the lapel pin to the candidate at the conclusion of the degree, and adorning the pin centrally beneath the S&C is a lighthouse, a reminder of their humble beginnings, meeting originally on the strip of beach adjacent to the waterfront. Very active in the district and vibrant, next month the lodge will initiate another Mason, albeit in their new home in Burlington. As was pointed out to me by the GJW, "The Strip was called Burlington Beach back then yet was still in the Hamilton Masonic Districts. We moved from the Beach Blvd in 1971 and went to the Building on Brant Street for 10 years having many PM's still involved from both moves. Then, ...

On Saturday, September 21, Acacia Lodge No 430 held its last Installation and Investiture of its Officers at East Toronto Masonic Centre, which has now been sold, and the brethren will, as of October 1, begin to meet at the York Masonic Centre in Leaside. Acacia held its banquet (with a sumptuous array of food prepared by their own chef, and music supplied by a DJ, also a member) prior to the meeting, which was attended by many visitors, as well as guests, including members of the Grand Lodge of Philippines. The East Toronto Masonic Centre was built by members of Acacia over a century ago. This was the first meeting where I could not where my White Tie and Tails, as this meeting was held during the day. I don't have a Morning Suit and thus the ol' tuxedo was dusted off. WBro Jun Ogues was installed as Worshipful Master, and WBro Rodel Hernaez is now IPM of the lodge. According to their history, found on the Toronto East District website: "A preliminary meeting was h...

On Friday, September 20, RWBro Kapitan and I had quite a road trip, and were able to share many stories, beginning in Bowmanville where we met and travelled together to Madoc in order to visit St Andrew's Lodge No 497 on the occasion of the Official Visit (his first of the year) of Frontenac District's DDGM, RWBro Bernie MacLean. There was no degree work this evening, but an incredibly well-researched and well-written piece of Masonic Education presented by VWBro Garnet Holmes, who is apparently famous among the district's brethren for delivering many such pieces. After lodge was closed, and after much friendly discussions were held, we went downstairs to the banquet room and enjoyed home-made chili and beef stew (and a draw, which I did not win) before getting back on the road. According to the DDGM, Frontenac Masonic District is made up of hundreds of Freemasons from 14 different Lodges covering an area from Napanee in the west through Kingston to Gananoque in the e...

Alpha-Tuscan Lodge No 384 - in my own Toronto East District - held its Installation and Investiture of Officers on Thursday, September 19, and it was a very well-attended evening and a wonderful ceremony, enabled by an excellent Installing Board, led by WBro Brad Guinn. Alpha Lodge was formed in 1880 and Tuscan Lodge received its charter in 1918. They amalgamated in 2008, and they proudly share a rich history of achievement. In 2005, at the time of the realignment of the 5 Toronto Districts, Alpha and Tuscan were among only 3 lodges from the old District 7 to become part of the new Toronto East District (of which The Beaches Lodge was to also join, leaving the former District 3). The 3rd was Cathedral Lodge and it has since gone dark. A complete history of the first 125 years of Alpha Lodge was compiled and printed by WBro. Martin Sckulnick, also in 2005, and limited copies are still available from him. According to the current Toronto East District website, "Alpha and Tuscan ...

On September 17, I visited Temple Lodge No 597 to watch the ceremony of Lowering The Lights, which was solemn, as it was in fact the last meeting for Temple Lodge, which had formed 98 years ago shortly after The Great War had concluded. The Grand Master, MWBro David Cameron, was also joined in the East by Past Grand Master and Grand Secretary, MWBro Garry Dowling, as well as the DDGM for London East District, our Grand Director of Ceremonies, Grand Chaplain, Grand Registrar and Grand Junior Warden. The subject of shutting down a lodge forever, and going dark, is still controversial among the brethren in general, but in this case, as was told to me by a Past Master this evening, they had indeed enjoyed initiating quite a few EAs over the past several years, but these men had accepted employment outside of London and thus simply could no longer attend meetings regularly or, most crtiically, commit to the responsibilities of an officer of the lodge. The members, after much discussion, ...