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...

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...

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...

This was one of my first daytime lodges, and certainly my first not only held in the morning but in a morning suit (courtesy of RWBro Peter Sialtsis), and at this meeting, which was the annual Installation and Investiture of Officers of Corinthian Lodge 330, I first met RWBro Mark Kapitan in Aldershot and then together we drove to London for a 10am opening, with current Grand Chaplain RWBro Tom Haight sitting at the Secretary's desk; also joining us was RWBro Roy Hardy, the Grand Registrar, in the beautiful Blue Room at the Dufferin Temple. Online it is stated that Corinthian Lodge No. 330 enjoys a lengthy history that is intertwined locally  with Middlesex County that had voted for the incorporation of London East as a Village in May, 1874, with Adelaide Street being the dividing line between London and London East. (Lilleys Corners was the Post Office up to this time, located at the corner of Dundas and Adelaide Streets. This building was erected in 1867, and is still standin...

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.