-
Articles/Ads
Article MASONRY IN SCOTLAND.—No. 2. ← Page 3 of 6 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Masonry In Scotland.—No. 2.
I know what he would say—refer to rule 1 , chap . 1 . I can only shake my head and say—it won ' t do , Mr . But let us look to verse 1 , chap . 1 , of the laws and constitutions , it tells us very plainly who they are , or rather who they should he ; for it is only a make believe , that the Masters and Wardens of all the lodges ( not the proxies ) are inserted in that rule ; to prove this we will now turn to verse 12 , chap . 11 , and what do we find there— " A roll of the office-bearers of the Grand Lod
ge , and the Masters and Wardens of lodges in the Edinburgh district , and of proxy Masters and Wardens of other lodges , made up by the Grand Clerk , " & c . & c . ; where are the Masters and Wardens of other lodges mentioned in this rule—they have vanished—the trick would do credit to Robert Houdin . We do not find a single word about the real members of the Grand Lodge in it , with the exception of the Masters and Wardens of the Edinburgh district ; and my admiration is how we have
escaped , and remain our own representatives , without the aid and able assistance of proxies . I put it to every brother , if this rule has not been framed for the express purpose of excluding the real members of the Grand Lodge , and for that purpose alone ; the proxies are everything , the Masters and Wardens are nothing . It will be well for the brethren throughout Scotland to think upon this matter , and act upon what their thoughts suggest .
Still further to convince the Craft , that the Masters and Wardens of country lodges are not wanted , to mar by their presence the calm dignity that reigns in the Grand Lodge , let us refer to a chapter in " the laws and constitutions , " headed by one of our own talismanic watchwords , " charity . " Verse 2 ( we must give them chapter and verse ) informs us that— " This fund ( the Fund of Scottish Benevolence ) is raised by
means of annual contributions , payable the 30 th November each year from the office-bearers and members of the Grand Lodge , " & c . & c . We have got the members here once more ; take care of them , that they do not slip through your fingers , and do as directed by the " laws , " which refers us to Appendix K ; what does it show , lift the cup , the balls are gone— Robert Houdin again—we look in vain for the members , that is , the Masters and Wardens of the lodges in this Appendix K , they are not there ; we can see nothing but a formidable array of victimised
officebearers of the Grand Lodge , with the siraonaical value of their situations attached , and along with the all-powerful proxy Masters and Wardens , the Masters and Wardens of Edinburgh , Leith , and Portobello , but no mention of the Masters and Wardens of what are called in some parts of the rules the subordinate lodges . I think the argument is made out , that the brethren from the country are not wanted—they are not members — " they do not know how to conduct masonic business . "
A straw thrown up shows how the wind blows ; one of the Grand Lodge straws is worth a little attention , simple as it is . I allude to the hours at which meetings of the Grand Lodge and Grand Committee are sometimes called ; unless it be part and parcel of that exclusive system which obtains in Grand Lodge , and which has done so much to retard the progress of , and even to give Scotch Masonry a backward tendency , and will still further lower the character of the Craft if persisted in
; why are any of these meetings called at such hours as to prevent the attendance of those engaged in business ? It may be all very well for those proxies who have time at their command to attend meetings during business hours ; but it is very hard that business people , who are anxious for the advancement of the Order , should be prevented from doing so ,
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Masonry In Scotland.—No. 2.
I know what he would say—refer to rule 1 , chap . 1 . I can only shake my head and say—it won ' t do , Mr . But let us look to verse 1 , chap . 1 , of the laws and constitutions , it tells us very plainly who they are , or rather who they should he ; for it is only a make believe , that the Masters and Wardens of all the lodges ( not the proxies ) are inserted in that rule ; to prove this we will now turn to verse 12 , chap . 11 , and what do we find there— " A roll of the office-bearers of the Grand Lod
ge , and the Masters and Wardens of lodges in the Edinburgh district , and of proxy Masters and Wardens of other lodges , made up by the Grand Clerk , " & c . & c . ; where are the Masters and Wardens of other lodges mentioned in this rule—they have vanished—the trick would do credit to Robert Houdin . We do not find a single word about the real members of the Grand Lodge in it , with the exception of the Masters and Wardens of the Edinburgh district ; and my admiration is how we have
escaped , and remain our own representatives , without the aid and able assistance of proxies . I put it to every brother , if this rule has not been framed for the express purpose of excluding the real members of the Grand Lodge , and for that purpose alone ; the proxies are everything , the Masters and Wardens are nothing . It will be well for the brethren throughout Scotland to think upon this matter , and act upon what their thoughts suggest .
Still further to convince the Craft , that the Masters and Wardens of country lodges are not wanted , to mar by their presence the calm dignity that reigns in the Grand Lodge , let us refer to a chapter in " the laws and constitutions , " headed by one of our own talismanic watchwords , " charity . " Verse 2 ( we must give them chapter and verse ) informs us that— " This fund ( the Fund of Scottish Benevolence ) is raised by
means of annual contributions , payable the 30 th November each year from the office-bearers and members of the Grand Lodge , " & c . & c . We have got the members here once more ; take care of them , that they do not slip through your fingers , and do as directed by the " laws , " which refers us to Appendix K ; what does it show , lift the cup , the balls are gone— Robert Houdin again—we look in vain for the members , that is , the Masters and Wardens of the lodges in this Appendix K , they are not there ; we can see nothing but a formidable array of victimised
officebearers of the Grand Lodge , with the siraonaical value of their situations attached , and along with the all-powerful proxy Masters and Wardens , the Masters and Wardens of Edinburgh , Leith , and Portobello , but no mention of the Masters and Wardens of what are called in some parts of the rules the subordinate lodges . I think the argument is made out , that the brethren from the country are not wanted—they are not members — " they do not know how to conduct masonic business . "
A straw thrown up shows how the wind blows ; one of the Grand Lodge straws is worth a little attention , simple as it is . I allude to the hours at which meetings of the Grand Lodge and Grand Committee are sometimes called ; unless it be part and parcel of that exclusive system which obtains in Grand Lodge , and which has done so much to retard the progress of , and even to give Scotch Masonry a backward tendency , and will still further lower the character of the Craft if persisted in
; why are any of these meetings called at such hours as to prevent the attendance of those engaged in business ? It may be all very well for those proxies who have time at their command to attend meetings during business hours ; but it is very hard that business people , who are anxious for the advancement of the Order , should be prevented from doing so ,