Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Reviews.
the Lodges in Northern Prussia , I am almost entirely thrown on my resources , and it is therefore possible that I may not be quite correct in every particular ; should such be the case , and any of tbe brethren be able to correct me , I shall feel greatly obliged . "The lodge occupies a neat building , three stories
high , which contains , besides noble lodge-rooms , anterooms , & c , a fine banqueting-hall , ball-room , ancl several smaller apartments , adapted as reading and card-rooms , & c . This is the case in most of the Continental lodges , the Craft apparently doing much more for the social enjoyment ancl recreation of its members than is the case in this country .
" I had no trouble whatever in gaining admission to tbe Lodge , as a brother of mine , a member of the lodge , vouched for me . I was introduced to the W . M ., and the Orator , and at once admitted . "As I said before , on the day in question there was no ordinary business transacted . New Year ' s Eve
being kept , I believe throughout Germany , as a holiday , the brethren assembled in a special holiday lodge . The lodge-room would accommodate about two hundred . The "W . M ., ( ffliritnirdiger Meister ) sits on a little dais in the East , on his left hand the chair of the immediate Past Master , and on bis right that for any distinguished Brother present , either visitor or member of the lodge .
" The two "Wardens sit opposite the "W . M ., in tbe "West , the Junior "Warden ( Zweiter Aufseher ) directly opposite , and the Senior "Warden ( JErster Aufselier a little to his right . Opposite the Senior Warden , about half-way between him and the platform in the East , stands the reading-desk , at which the obligations are taken , and whence the Orator ( Bedner ) or any other Brother is wont to read papers , delivers lectures .
" The members of the lodge and visitors occupy the two sides of the lodge-room between the W . M ., and the Wardens ; all the Master Masons on the left , and the Apprentices and Fellow-Craft on tbe right of the W . M . The two Deacons sit , the one about half-way down
on the rig ht amongst the Master Masons , the other opposite him amongst the Fellow-Craft and Apprentices , All the brethren wear white leather aprons , as in this country , adorned in accordance with their rank and in addition , a five pointed star on the left breast ;
throughout the ceremony they keep their bats on , as a sign of equality . The brethrenhaving placed themselves intheir seats , the W . M . opened the lodge in due form in the first degreee , the Ritual being read from printed books by him ancl the two Wardensand as soon as the lodge
, -was declared open , a large tracing board , belonging to the first degree , was spread on the floor in the centre . The W . M . then called upon the Orator for a promised paper , which was read from the reading-desk in a very able manner . It treated of the influence of Masonry on its members in generaland on tho
, German Brethren in particular ; after which the W . M . himself addressed the the lodge in a very eloquent speech , reviewing the past year with all its good sings it must be to a man to be able to look back upon
and bad occurences , and setting forth the great blesa year and to fiud that he has , while it lasted , done his duty to himself and his fellow-creatures ; and furthermore that good and true Freemasons , before all other members of the community , ought to stand the best chance of attaining to so noble and desirable a
position . The whole address was a very feeling one , and made the hour very solemn to me ; and I have no doubt , to all the brethren , whose profound stillness seemed to indicate as much .
"This address concluded the business of the day , and after the usual questions , if any brother hacl anything to propose , the minutes of that day ' s proceedings were read by the Secretary and there aucl then confirmed . The lodge was then closed iu due form , after which all the brethren , forming the Masonic Chain , sang the parting song , which is the same throughout the year , and is sung after every meeting .
" At the door stood the poor box , to which , I think , every Brother contributed a trifle . '' The brethren then separated without further ceremony , many of them returning in the evening , with their friends and families , to a grand ball . " The Prussian Lodges do not advance their
brethren as quickly as the lodges in England , a Brother has to be an Apprentice ( Lehrling ) for one year before he can be passed to the second degree , and must remain a Fellow-Craft ( Oeselle ) for two years before he can be raised to the sublime degreee of a Master Mason ; aud all that time ( three full years )
the Brother has no voice in the lodge , but is simply there to learn . This system may seem rather hard and I think myself , should at least be somewhat modified ; at the same time we cannot but acknowledge that the German Lodges teach their members something , and improve , or at least endeavour to improve
the minds of the brethren by lectures addresses , & c , as I have endeavoured to describe to to you ,- there can be no doubt but that this is one of the principal objects of Masonry , and which is , I fear , too much neglected with us . The routine working of a lodge ,
initiations , passings , and raisings—beautiful as the ceremonies are—weary a man who has to go through them year after year , without having , occasionally at least , the opportunity of bearing and profiting by good , sound addresses , discussions , or other means by which the mind may be improved . What is Freemasonry but a society of men whose object is to make
themselves and their fellows better men ? This , however , cannot be effected by Ritual alone , other and stronger means must be applied , and I hope and trust that this our good Kingston Lodge does not lack brethren sufficiently able to come forward and contribute towards this great end : by such means ,
the true princip les of Freemasonry will show themselves to its members and benefit the Craft . As it is , many of our brethren at large , I am afraid , hardly know or understand the full and glorious objects of our order . " It may seem strange to youthat Iso young a
, , Mason , should make bold to come forward with these views , but the German system , as I happened to wit ness—and I say this without the least prejudice—has made so deep an impression on me , that 1 could not abstain f ' rsm . these few remarks .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Reviews.
the Lodges in Northern Prussia , I am almost entirely thrown on my resources , and it is therefore possible that I may not be quite correct in every particular ; should such be the case , and any of tbe brethren be able to correct me , I shall feel greatly obliged . "The lodge occupies a neat building , three stories
high , which contains , besides noble lodge-rooms , anterooms , & c , a fine banqueting-hall , ball-room , ancl several smaller apartments , adapted as reading and card-rooms , & c . This is the case in most of the Continental lodges , the Craft apparently doing much more for the social enjoyment ancl recreation of its members than is the case in this country .
" I had no trouble whatever in gaining admission to tbe Lodge , as a brother of mine , a member of the lodge , vouched for me . I was introduced to the W . M ., and the Orator , and at once admitted . "As I said before , on the day in question there was no ordinary business transacted . New Year ' s Eve
being kept , I believe throughout Germany , as a holiday , the brethren assembled in a special holiday lodge . The lodge-room would accommodate about two hundred . The "W . M ., ( ffliritnirdiger Meister ) sits on a little dais in the East , on his left hand the chair of the immediate Past Master , and on bis right that for any distinguished Brother present , either visitor or member of the lodge .
" The two "Wardens sit opposite the "W . M ., in tbe "West , the Junior "Warden ( Zweiter Aufseher ) directly opposite , and the Senior "Warden ( JErster Aufselier a little to his right . Opposite the Senior Warden , about half-way between him and the platform in the East , stands the reading-desk , at which the obligations are taken , and whence the Orator ( Bedner ) or any other Brother is wont to read papers , delivers lectures .
" The members of the lodge and visitors occupy the two sides of the lodge-room between the W . M ., and the Wardens ; all the Master Masons on the left , and the Apprentices and Fellow-Craft on tbe right of the W . M . The two Deacons sit , the one about half-way down
on the rig ht amongst the Master Masons , the other opposite him amongst the Fellow-Craft and Apprentices , All the brethren wear white leather aprons , as in this country , adorned in accordance with their rank and in addition , a five pointed star on the left breast ;
throughout the ceremony they keep their bats on , as a sign of equality . The brethrenhaving placed themselves intheir seats , the W . M . opened the lodge in due form in the first degreee , the Ritual being read from printed books by him ancl the two Wardensand as soon as the lodge
, -was declared open , a large tracing board , belonging to the first degree , was spread on the floor in the centre . The W . M . then called upon the Orator for a promised paper , which was read from the reading-desk in a very able manner . It treated of the influence of Masonry on its members in generaland on tho
, German Brethren in particular ; after which the W . M . himself addressed the the lodge in a very eloquent speech , reviewing the past year with all its good sings it must be to a man to be able to look back upon
and bad occurences , and setting forth the great blesa year and to fiud that he has , while it lasted , done his duty to himself and his fellow-creatures ; and furthermore that good and true Freemasons , before all other members of the community , ought to stand the best chance of attaining to so noble and desirable a
position . The whole address was a very feeling one , and made the hour very solemn to me ; and I have no doubt , to all the brethren , whose profound stillness seemed to indicate as much .
"This address concluded the business of the day , and after the usual questions , if any brother hacl anything to propose , the minutes of that day ' s proceedings were read by the Secretary and there aucl then confirmed . The lodge was then closed iu due form , after which all the brethren , forming the Masonic Chain , sang the parting song , which is the same throughout the year , and is sung after every meeting .
" At the door stood the poor box , to which , I think , every Brother contributed a trifle . '' The brethren then separated without further ceremony , many of them returning in the evening , with their friends and families , to a grand ball . " The Prussian Lodges do not advance their
brethren as quickly as the lodges in England , a Brother has to be an Apprentice ( Lehrling ) for one year before he can be passed to the second degree , and must remain a Fellow-Craft ( Oeselle ) for two years before he can be raised to the sublime degreee of a Master Mason ; aud all that time ( three full years )
the Brother has no voice in the lodge , but is simply there to learn . This system may seem rather hard and I think myself , should at least be somewhat modified ; at the same time we cannot but acknowledge that the German Lodges teach their members something , and improve , or at least endeavour to improve
the minds of the brethren by lectures addresses , & c , as I have endeavoured to describe to to you ,- there can be no doubt but that this is one of the principal objects of Masonry , and which is , I fear , too much neglected with us . The routine working of a lodge ,
initiations , passings , and raisings—beautiful as the ceremonies are—weary a man who has to go through them year after year , without having , occasionally at least , the opportunity of bearing and profiting by good , sound addresses , discussions , or other means by which the mind may be improved . What is Freemasonry but a society of men whose object is to make
themselves and their fellows better men ? This , however , cannot be effected by Ritual alone , other and stronger means must be applied , and I hope and trust that this our good Kingston Lodge does not lack brethren sufficiently able to come forward and contribute towards this great end : by such means ,
the true princip les of Freemasonry will show themselves to its members and benefit the Craft . As it is , many of our brethren at large , I am afraid , hardly know or understand the full and glorious objects of our order . " It may seem strange to youthat Iso young a
, , Mason , should make bold to come forward with these views , but the German system , as I happened to wit ness—and I say this without the least prejudice—has made so deep an impression on me , that 1 could not abstain f ' rsm . these few remarks .