My Year In The Grand West

The Barton Lodge No 6 is celebrating a unique Masonic milestone this year, as they turn 225 years old, and if it were not for the COVID19 outbreak a few days after this meeting would have enjoyed a wonderful banquet, but on this evening the GJW and I were joined in lodge by the Grand Master, MWBro David Cameron, who had lived across the road from the candidate and watched him grow up, and who now watched him at his Initiation, proudly becoming a Mason. Congratulating the members this evening on joining "The 225 Club" were two members of The Ancient St John's Lodge No 3 who had both travelled from Kingston to enjoy the degree and education that was also provided. As written in an article entitled " Early History of Freemasonry in Upper Canada " by MWBro Freed, PGM, Grand Lodge of Canada in the Province of Ontario, who says: "The Barton Lodge, No.6 on the register of the Grand Lodge of Canada, was the ninth of those warranted by William Jarvis. Its cha...

Located in the local Plympton-Wyoming Fairgounds, just a few miles from Sarnia, on this Saturday night my wife and I drove a few hours to experience the annual Pie Olympics - an event held annually for the past 23 years - during the Ladies Night of the district. The event also raised money for the local hospice, which is the District Charity and has been for the past 8 years. The evening was also attended by many Grand Lodge officers, including the Grand Master, as well as quite a few past GMs, such as MWBro Atkinson, MWBro Todd, MWBro Green and MWBro Dowling, and likely among the crowd several men aspiring to be GM one day.

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...

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...

This was a special day, not only on this Saturday Jan 25 were we to be treated to a Robert Burns Dinner, to be attended by the Grand Master, but in the afternoon beforehand we were also to be treated to a Scottish 3rd Degree, courtesy of Battlefield Lodge 61, held in the Scottish Rite Cathedral. The degree did not disappoint anyone that afternoon, whether the many numerous visitors or those from within the trio of Hamilton-based districts, and it was rather brilliant in fact. I highly recommend you to visit next year, and in the years to come, as I'm sure the tradition will continue. Some history... In 1795 the first Lodge to call Hamilton its home was The Barton Lodge which held its first meeting at Smith's Tavern in Hamilton. Then in 1799 the second Lodge in the Hamilton area was established at Forty Mile Creek (Grimsby) and was called Union Lodge. The original District was called The Gore District and stretched from Grimsby to Oakville. Immediately following the the end...

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...

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...

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.

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 Saturday, after first meeting WBro Frank Grant in the morning at his residence - a member of the Craft who is 102 years old, and who served in the Merchant Marines in WW2, and who received his 60 Year Service Pin - we travelled into the Ottawa Valley to visit Renfrew Lodge No 122. On this occasion the lodge was honouring three of its members with their Long Service Awards and 50 Year pins: RWBro Jack Ledger, WBro Donald Brydges and Bro Harold Daber were each properly presented and congratulated by the lodge and then greeted personally by the Grand Master, as well as the Grand Junior Warden, Grand Registrar and me. The lodge opened and then closed upon greeting their visitors, and then admitted guests, including many family members and friends, who were not only quite happy to sit inside a lodge room, but also to offer such very appropriate and generous remarks. At the Festive Board, afterwards, I was able to provide the response to the traditional Toast to The Visitors. It wa...

The other night I visited Mimosa Lodge No 576 in Toronto East District that these days meets in Aurora - and, wow, what an impressive temple: a converted church, complete with paintings adorning the walls; apparently several by the same artist who painted the scrolls in Zeradatha Lodge. This was the annual Installation of the WM and Investiture of his officers, and I, for the first time since being invested, sat in the West during the ceremony, while MWBro Don Campbell was the IM. The temple was originally constructed in 1877 as a Methodist Episcopal Church and was purchased in 1885 by The Rising Sun Lodge, which has continued to own and occupy the premises since that time. The walls of the Lodge Sanctuary are graced by four magnificent paintings installed in the early 1900's to illustrate the Four Proper Objects of a Mason's daily life - Prayer, Labour, Refreshment, and Sleep. The first is a mural "Prayer", approximately seven feet square on the "East"...

Last night I met up with my sidekick our GJW, RWBro Mark Kapitan, at Hwy 6 and the 401 near Guelph, after taking 2 hours to get there, in order to then drive together into Waterloo (where I attended WLU from 1978 to 1981) to join the Grand Master on his visit to  Waterloo Lodge No 539 . The brethren, led by MWBro David Cameron, were investing VWBro David Churchill who was appointed Assistant Grand Director of Ceremonies in July, and also attending and receiving recognition was Grand Director of Ceremonies, RWBro Dan Graham. What was unique in this visit was noticing upon their walls an encased gavel, and upon closer inspection finding out it was the historic and well-known Kipling Gavel, a gavel given to WBro Snow in 1934, along with a personal and signed note. Also on the wall was an old copy of My Mother Lodge, a poem written by Kipling when he was in India and attended lodge there as a young man. Courtesy of W Bro David Findlay, in 1972 "Waterloo Lodge joined with three ot...

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...