qc minutes sep 2008
TRANSCRIPT
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UNITED GRAND LODGE
OF
antient, free and accepted freemasons ofEngland
Quarterly Communication
Holden at Freemasons' Hall , Great Queen Street , London
on Wednesday , the 10th day of Sep temb er 20 08
present:
MW Bro the Most Hon. the Marquess of Northampt on, DL Pro Grand Master
RW Bro P.G. Lowndes Deputy Grand Master
RW Bro D.K. William son Assistant Grand Maste r
RW Bro the Rt. Hon. Lord Millett, PC Metropolitan Grand Master for London
RW Bro T.R.R. Richa rds Provinc ial Grand Mas ter for Chesh ire
RW Bro A.D.J. Rosse r Provinci al Grand Master for Jerse y
RW Bro D.P. Cons Pro Provinc ial Gran d Mast er for Middle sex
RW Bro M.J. Price, CBE Provincial Grand Master for Warwickshire
RW Bro J.Mc A. Hodgs on Provincia l Grand Mast er for Shropshir e
RW Bro R.C. Smal lwood Provinci al Grand Master for Herefor dshire
RW Bro D.L. Jenkin s Provincia l Gran d Mas ter for Somers et
RW Bro M.H. Roalfe Provincia l Grand Maste r for Leice sters hire and Rutland
RW Bro T.S. Theo dossi ou District Grand Master for Cyprus
RW Bro R.J. Anderson
Provincial Grand Master for Yorkshire, North and East Ridings
RW Bro G. Pea ke Provinc ial Gran d Mast er for Isle of Man
RW Bro T.D.C. Lloyd, TD, DL Provincial Grand Master for Staffordshire
RW Bro B.C. Belling er Provincia l Grand Maste r for Ham pshi re and Isle of Wight
RW Bro C.F. Harris Provinci al Gran d Maste r for Hertfordsh ire
RW Bro M.J. Flynn Provincia l Gran d Master for Bristol
RW Bro J.M. Hooto n Provincia l Grand Maste r for Berks hire
RW Bro R.G.H. Godda rd Provincial Grand Maste r for Worces tershire
RW Bro I.B.J. Ross Provincia l Grand Maste r for Suffolk
RW Bro D.A. Fok District Grand Maste r for Hong Kong and the Far East
RW Bro M.R. Baile y Provinci al Grand Mast er for East Kent
RW Bro R. Reed Provincial Grand Master for Buckinghams hire
RW Bro J.G.R. Rudd, DL Provincial Grand Master for Derbyshire
RW Bro R.K. Wilson Provinc ial Grand Master for Nottin gham shire
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wBro the Rev. J.D.R. Spriggs Assista nt Grand Chapla in
w Bro the Rev. D.B. Thoma s Assistant Grand Chaplain
w Bro A.R.P. Ullstein, QC Assistant Grand Registrar
w Bro A. Bunting Assistant Grand Registrar
VW Bro G.F. Redman, PGSw dB Assistant Grand Secretary
w Bro D.H.T. Henderson- Ross Assistant Grand Director of Ceremonies
w Bro R.J. Ingham Clark Assistant Grand Director of Ceremonies
w Bro A. Kelly Assistant Grand Director of Ceremonies
w Bro G.R. Newson-Smith Assistant Grand Director of Ceremonies
w Bro Dr. G.R.E. Shilson . Assistant Grand Director of Ceremonies
w Bro W.G. Withers Assistant Grand Director of Ceremonies
w Bro J.W Tritton Assistant Grand Sword Bearer
w Bro J.H. Wood Assistant Grand Sword Bearer
w Bro N.H. Matthews Assistant Grand Superintendent of Works
w Bro R.C. Bruc e Assista nt Grand Superin tendent of Works
w Bro A. Clark Grand Organis t
w Bro S.D. Miller Grand Standard Bearer
w Bro T. New man Grand Standard Bearer
w Bro J.H. Martin Assistant Grand Standard Bearer
w Bro J. Partridge Assistant Grand Standard Bearer
w Bro N.S . Springer Assistant Grand Standard Bearer
w Bro R.N. Howarth Deputy Grand Organist
w Bro C.G.J. Head Grand Pursuivant
w Bro G.S. Angell Assistant Grand Pursuivant
w Bro R.D. Till Assistant Grand Pursuivant
RW Bro J.S. Winpenny, ProvGM , West Kent Grand Stewardw Bro D.J. Thompson, PAGStB Grand Steward
w Bro S.V. Robbens, PSGD Grand Steward
w Bro M.A. Jackson Grand Steward
RW Bro I.R. Bryce, TD, DL, PDepGM Grand Steward
w Bro D.R. Metcalfe Grand Steward
w Bro R.A. Bates Grand Steward
RW Bro Maj. I.D. Bruce, TD, DL, PProvG M, Norfolk Grand Steward
w Bro N.J. Woods Grand Steward
w Bro M.J.M. Brett-Warburton Grand Steward
w Bro I.J. Yeldham, PAG DC Gran d Steward
w Bro M. Brooks, PAGDC Grand Tyler
A large num ber of Past Gran d Officers, qualified Past Gra nd Stew ards, a nd
the Masters, Past Masters, and Wardens of many private Lodges.
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VISITORS
GRAND LODGE OF PENNSYLVANIA
RW Bro Stephen Gardner Grand Master
RW Bro Robert J. Bate man Junior Grand Warden
GRAND LODGE OF UTAH
MW Bro Glen A. Cook Grand Maste r
RW Bro John C. Liley, Jr., Junior Grand Warden
RW Bro Blaine H. Simons Representative of UGLE
GRAND LODGE OF GREECE
MW Bro Nico s Vourgidis Grand Maste r
RW Bro George Vassilogeorgis Deputy Grand Master
GRAND LODGE OF RUSSIA
MW Bro Andrey Bogdanov Grand Master
RW Bro Vyacheslav Smirnov Assist ant Grand Maste r
RW Bro Vladimir Nikitin, PSGW Grand Secretary
Grand Lodge was opened in ample form and with solemn prayer at 12 noon.
CONFIRMATION OF MINUTES
The Minutes of the Quarterly Communicatio n of 11 June 2008 were taken as
read and confirmed.
REPORT OF THE BOARD OF GENERAL PURPOSES
On the Motion of the PRESIDEN T OF THE BOA RD OF GENE RAL PURPO SES
(RW BRO A.C. WILSON, PJGW), seconded by the DEPUTY PRESIDENT (RW BRO M.H.
LAWSON, PJG W) the following report of the Board of General Purposes was taken
as read.
To the United Grand Lodge of Antient, Free and Accepted Masons of England
BOARD OF GENERAL PURPOSES
Meetings in 2009
1. In accordance with the requirements of Rule 225 of the Book of Constitutions,
notice is hereby given of the dates up on which the Boar d of General Purposes will
meet in 2009:
10 February 21 July
17 March 15 September
12 May 10 Novem ber
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ATTENDANCE AT LODGES UNDER THE ENGLISH CONSTITUTION
BY BRETHREN FROM OTHER GRAND LODGES
2. The Board consid ers it appro priate to draw attention to Rule 125 (b), Book of
Constitutions, and the list of Grand Lodges recognised by the United Grand Lodge
of England, which is published in the Masonic Year Book, copies of which are sent
to Secretaries of Lodges.
3. Only Brethren who are membe rs of Lodges under recognised jurisdictions
may visit English Lodges. They must produce a certificate (i.e. a Grand Lodge
certificate or other documentary proof of Masonic identity provided by their Grand
Lodge), should be prepared to acknowledge that a personal belief in
T. G. A. O. T. U. is an essential Landmark in Freemasonry, and should be able toproduce evid ence of their good standing in their Lodges. It is the Master 's
responsibility to ensure that the requirements of Rule 125 (b) are met.
4. It is particul arly noted that the hazard of admittin g a member of an
unrecognised constitution arises not only in connection with overseas visitors (or
individuals resident in this country who belong to an unrecognised constitution
overseas). Th ere are Lodges of unrecognise d constitutions meeting in England, and
care must be taken that their members are not admitted to our meetings.
ATTENDANCE AT LODGES OVERSEAS
5. The continu ing growth in overseas travel brings with it an increase in visits by
our Brethren to Lodges of other jurisdictions, and the Board welcomes this trend.
6. From time to time, however, Brethren become involved with Masonic bodies
which Grand Lodge does not recognise, e.g. in visiting a jurisdiction which, quite
legitimately so far as it is concerned, accepts as visitors Brethren from Grand
Lodges which are not recognised by the United Grand Lodge of England. In this
connection, Brethren are reminded that it is part of their duty as members of the
English Constitution not to associate Masonically with mem bers of unrecogn ised
constitutions, and should such a situation occur, they should tactfully withdraw,
even though their visit may have been formally arranged.
7. To avoid this danger, and potential embarrassmen t to hosts, Brethren should
not attempt to make any Masonic contact overseas without having first checked
(preferably in writing) with the Grand Secretary's Office at Freemasons' Hall,
Great Queen Street, London WC2B 5AZ, that there is recognised Freemasonry in
the country concerned and, if so, whether there is any particular point which should
be watched.
8. The Board recomme nds that the terms of this warning should be repeated:
a. verbally in open Lodge whenev er a Grand Lodge Certificate is presen ted,
and
b. in print once a year in a Lodg e's summo ns.
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9. Brethren should also be aware of the Masonic convention that
communications between Grand Lodges be conducted by Grand Secretaries. They
should therefore not attempt without permission to make direct contact with the
Grand Secretary of another Constitution. This does not preclude direct contact on a
purely personal level between individual Brethren under different Grand Lodges.
AMALGAMATIONS
10. The Board has received reports that the following Lodges have resolved to
surrender their Warrants:
(a) Finchley Lodge, No. 5031 in order to amalgamate with Arkley Lodge,
No. 7720 (Hertfordshire); and
(b) Waldron Lodge, No . 6919 in order to amalgamate with Justice Lodge,
No. 4763 (Cheshire).
11. The Board accordingly recommend s that the Lodges be removed from the
register in order to effect the respective amalgamations. A Resolution to this effect
appears at item 3 of the Paper of Business.
The Boar d of General Purposes regrets to record the death of the following
Present and Past Grand Officers reported up to 15 July 2007:
RW Bro Col. M. Jones, OBE, TD, DL, PProvGM, Monmouthsire
W Bro P.S. Walker, PS GD
W Bro F. Scott, PJG D
W Bro C. Botoulas, PJG D
W Bro C.J. Allison, PJGD
W Bro W.J. Stark, PAGDC
W Bro L.H.E. Thorn, PAGDC
W Bro D.F. Hill, PAGDC
W Bro G.G.F. Dell, PAGDC
W Bro R.G. Glazebrook, PAGDC
W Bro G.T.J. Lockett, PAGDC
W Bro M. Hollinshead, PAGDC
W Bro S.A. Swinden, PAGDC
W Bro W.D. Pittham, OBE, PAGDC
W Bro T. Marsh, PAGDC
W Bro A.T. Bennett, PAGSuptWksW Bro L . G G Jackson, PGStB
W Bro R. Leigh-Qu ine, PGStB
W Bro A.D.C. Ashley, PGStB
w Bro K.A. Lock, PGStB
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ERASURE OF LODGES
12. The Board has received a repor t that fourteen Lodges have closed and have
surrendered their Warrants. The Lodges are:
Streatham Lodge, No. 2729 (London)
Thornton Heath Lodge, No. 2985 (London)
Cordiality Lodge, No. 3982 (East Lancashire)
Temple Lodge, No. 3990 (East Lancashire)
Unison Lodge, No. 4051 (East Lancashire)
Goodwill Lodge, No. 4358 (East Lancashire)
Welfare Lodge, No. 4780 (East Lancashire)
Zodiac Lodge, No. 5207 (East Lancashire)
Querna Corona Lodge, No. 5267 (London)Accrington Lodge, No. 6587 (East Lancashire)
Pro Juventute Lodge, No. 6999 (Middlesex)
Anselm Lodge, No. 7685 (Middlesex)
Grand Porchway Lodge, No. 8428 (Middlesex)
Attenborough Lodge, No. 9109 (Nottinghamshire)
13. Over recent years the Lodges have found themselves no longer viable.
The Board is satisfied that further efforts to save them would be to no avail and
therefore has no alternative but to recommend that they be erased. A Resolution to
this effect appears at item 4 of the Paper of Business.
RECOGNITION OF A FOREIGN GRAND LODGE
The Regular Grand Lodge of the Kingdom of Morocco
14. The Regular Grand Lodge of the Kingdom of Morocco was formed on
15 June 2000 from three Lodges meeting in Morocco under the Grande Loge
Nationale Francaise. Having shown that it is a descendant of a duly recognised
Grand Lodge and that it conforms to the Basic Principles for Grand Lodge
Recognition, the Board, having no reason to believe that it will not maintain a
regular path, recommends that it be recognised.
15. A Resolu tion will be moved accord ingly and appears at item 5 of the Paper of
Business.
CONDITIONAL RECOGNITION OF A FOREIGN GRAND LODGE
Ghana
16. The Grand Lodge of Ireland currently has twenty Lodges meeting under its
Provincial Grand Lo dge of Ghana, two of which meet in Togo. The Grand Lodge
of Scotland has twenty-eight Lodges meeting under its District of Ghana.
17. It is the intention of the Grand Lodges of Ireland and Scotland , following
consultation with this Grand Lodge to constitute from their Province and District
respectively a Grand Lodge of Ghana, on 7 and 8 of December 2008.
18. To date none of the fifty-seven Lodges under our own District of Ghana has
indicated a desire to participate in the formation of this new Grand Lodge, but
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nevertheless the Board of General Purposes has agreed that an English deputation
should accept an invitation to go to Ghana in order to lend support to the Irish and
Scottish Grand Lodges.
19. By the time this Grand Lodg e meets in December, the Grand Lodge of Ghana
will have already been constituted. The Board would prefer that the new Grand
Lodge be recognised from the moment of its creation, rather than after a delay, even
if it is only a matter of days.
20. A Resolution appears at item 6 of the Paper of Business to recomm end that
recognition of the new Grand Lo dge, cond itional upon its being constituted, be
granted prospectively.
REPORT OF LIBRARY AND MUSEUM TRUST
21 . The Board has received a report from the Library and Museum Charitable
Trust which appears as Appendix A.
EXPULSIONS
22. As required by rule 277 (a) (i) (B) and (D), Book of Constitutions, Appendix B
shows Brethren recently expelled from the Craft.
FREEMASONS' HALL, LONDON (Signed) A.C. WILSON
15 July 2008 President
PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF GENERAL PURPOSES: MW Pro Grand Master and
Brethren, there is a small typographical error in the Board's Report, and also in the
Resolution at item 4 in the printed Paper of Business. The list of Lodges for erasureshows Goodwill Lodge as No. 4351. The number should in fact be 4358.
Apart from this I believe that the Board's Report speaks for itself and needs
no further explanation from me. Nevertheless, Appendix A contains an extract from
the Annual Report of the Council of the Library and Museum Charitable Trust.
Over the years since its creation much has been done to improve the Museum,
displays and exhibitions and the access to the Library, and I would like, on your
behalf, to extend our thanks to the Director, Diane Clements, and her staff for their
hard work, enthusiasm and achievements in this area.
I would also like to mention that the programme of major works to the
building continues. As you have seen we are now embarking on the replacement of
the fire escapes. The majority of the work will be in the courtyards, but there will
be some structural work within the building itself to increase the number of accessareas to the fire escapes. I am told that apart from the occasional distant noise of
hammering during the daytime there should be no interruption to meetings at
Freemasons' Hall. It is anticipated that the work will be completed by next March.
Finally, Appendix B to the Paper of Business lists Brethren w ho wer e recently
expelled from the Craft, and I now ask the Grand Secretary to report the offences
for which they were expelled.
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THE GRAND SECRETARY (VW BRO C.N.R. BROWN) announced the reasons for
the expulsions.
PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF GENERAL PURPOSES: MW Pro Grand Master and
Brethren, I move that the Report of the Board of General Purpo ses be adopted and
entered in the Minutes.
The Motion was seconded by the DEPUTY PRESIDENT and was agreed to.
MW PRO GRAND MASTER: Brethren, the Board's Report lists the names of
those Grand Officers whose deaths were reported up to 15 July. I am sorry to have
to report, in addition, the death on the 12 August of RW Bro Sir Kenneth Newton,
Bt, OBE, TD, Past Senior Grand Warden, a valued member of the Board of GeneralPurposes for over thirty years, and its President for six years. I now call on you to
stand in memo ry of those depar ted Grand Officers and other memb ers of Grand
Lodge.
The Brethren stood in silence.
RESOLUTION FOR THE GRAND LODGE
AMALGAMATIONS
TH E PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF GENERAL PURPOSES moved the removal from
the register of the Grand Lodge of the following Lodges:
Finchley Lodge, No. 5031 (London); and Waldron Lodge, No. 6919(Cheshire).
The Motion was seconded by the DEPUTY PRESIDENT and was agreed to.
RESOLUTION FOR THE GRAND LODGE
ERASURE OF LODGES
THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF GENERAL PURPOSES moved the erasure from
the register of the Grand Lodge of the following Lodges:
Streatham Lodge, No. 2729 (London); Thornton Heath Lodge,
No. 2985 (London); Cordiality Lodge, No. 3982 (East Lancashire); Temple Lodge,
No. 3990 (East Lancashire); Unison Lodge, No. 4051 (East Lancashire); Goodwill
Lodge, No. 4358 (East Lancashire); Welfare Lodge, No. 4780 (East Lancashire);Zodiac Lodge, No. 5207 (East Lancashire); Querna Corona Lodge, No. 5267
(London); Accrington Lodge, No. 6587 (East Lancashire); Pro Juventute Lodge,
No. 6999 (Middlesex); Anselm Lodge, No. 7685 (Middlesex); Grand Porchway
Lodge, No. 8428 (Middlesex); and Attenborough Lodge, No. 9109
(Nottinghamshire).
The Motion was seconded by the DEPUTY PRESIDENT and was agreed to.
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RESOLUTION FOR THE GRAND LODGE
RECOGNITION OF A FOREIGN GRAND LODGE
On the Motion of the GRAND CHANCELLOR, seconded by the PRESIDENT OF THE
BOARD OF GENERAL PURPOSES, the following Resolution was adopted:
"That the Regular Grand Lodge of the Kingdom of Morocco be recognised."
RESOLUTION FOR THE GRAND LODGE
CONDITIONAL RECOGNITION OF A FOREIGN GRAND LODGE
On the Motion of the GRAND CHANCELLOR, seconded by the PRESIDENT OF THE
BOARD OF GENERAL PURPOSES, the following Resolution was adopted:
"That subject to the constitution on or after 1 December 2008 by the Grand
Lodges of Ireland and Scotland of a Grand Lodge of Ghana the said Grand Lodge
be recognised immediately upon its constitution."
MW PRO GRAND MASTER: Brethren, we are now to receive a talk to mark the
75th anniversary of Freemasons' Hall, and I call on VW Bro J.M. Hamill, PGSwdB,
to address this Grand Lodge.
A FITTING MEMORIAL
VW BRO J.M. HAMILL, PGSwdB: MW Pro Grand Master and Brethren, on the
18 July 1933 some 6,299 Brethren gathered at the Royal Albert Hall for an especial
Grand Lodge meeting. The MW The Grand Master, HRH The Duke of Connaught,
a younger son of Queen Victoria, presided, accompanied by no less than four Royal
Princes: HRH The Prince of Wales (later The Duke of Windsor), HRH The Duke of
York (later King George VI), HRH Prince Arthur of Connaught (the Grand Master's
son) and the young Prince George, later to be Duke of Kent, our Grand Master and
the father of our present Grand Master. The purpose of the meeting was twofold: to
welcome the forty-three delegations from sister Grand Lodges who had come to
take part in the celebrations for the completion of the present Fre emaso ns' Hall, and
to invest HRH Prince George as Senior Grand Warden.
The following day some 5,353 Brethren filled this Grand Temple and all the
Lodge rooms within this building to again welcome the Grand Master and the
Royal Princes. The Grand Master solemnly dedicated the new Masonic Peace
Memorial, as it was then known, to the service of God and to Freemasonry. To
enable the Brethren not in the Grand Temple to take part in the ceremony, the new
fangled radio was used and links were established between the Grand Temple and
each of the Lodge Room s. At the end of the ceremon y the MW The Grand Master
toured the whole building , stopping in each of the Lodge rooms to greet the
assembled Brethren.
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The two meetings were the highlights of a whole week of celebrations for a
project that had taken some fourteen years to achieve. In June 1919 an especial
Grand Lodge had been held, again at the Albert Hall, to celebrate the coming of
peace after the grea t cataclysm of the First World War, and to take into
consideration how best to commemorate the almost 3,000 Brethren of the English
Constitution who had given their lives in the service of King and Country. The
Duke of Connaught had intended presiding at the meeting but fell victim to the
Spanish flu epidemic then sweeping through Europe. He sent a message, however,
in which he suggested that the most fitting and permanent memorial to the fallen
Brethren would be to build a new home for the "Mother Grand Lodge" in what he
described as "the Metropolis of our Great Empire". The idea was taken up with
alacrity, not least, I suspect, because the Grand Master insisted that the project befunded not by a levy on the members but by voluntary donations.
As is usual, a special Committee was set up to get the project going. The
Masonic Million Memorial Fund was instituted to raise one million pounds, the
projected cost of the building. To raise funds a series of special jewels were
designed. The most famous, still to be seen today, is the Hall Stone jewel and
collarette which was to be presented and w orn in perpetuity by the Masters of those
Lodges which contributed a minimum often guineas per subscribing member to the
fund. The presentation of the jewel s to the Masters of qualifying Lodges was to be
a regular feature of Quart erly Comm unications until the fund was finally closed in
1938.
The first problem the Special Committee had to face was where the new
building would be. Grand Lodge had been gradually acquiring property to the west
of the then Freemasons' Hall, with the intention of extending the existing building
as a memorial to King Edward VII who, as Prince of Wales, had been Grand Master
from 1874 until he succeeded Queen Victoria in 1901. Various groups within Grand
Lodge wanted to take the opportunity of movin g away from Great Queen Street.
Sites on the Adelphi, at Kings Cross, Paddington and Euston and even in the
suburbs were lo oked at. A very emotional debate was h eld in Grand Lodge in 1922
during which it was powerfully argued that we should stay in Great Queen Street
where we had been since 1775 and where sufficient property had been acquired to
fulfil the Grand M aster's w ish of having a suitable and com modiou s building to act
both as the headquarters of English Freemasonry, and the principal meeting place
in London for Lodges and Royal Arch Chapters.
The next step was to consider designs. In 1925 through the Royal Institute ofBritish Architects an international architects' competition was announced, with Sir
Edwyn Lutyen s, not a Freemason, as the Chairman of the assessors. Ov er one
hundred architects from around the world submitted preliminary designs. Of these,
ten were selected to be worked up as plans and scale drawings. The main problem
for the architects had been the irregular shape of the site and the desire to have the
Grand Temple at the centre of the building on an East-West axis. Another problem
was the sheer size and weight of the inten ded structure and the fact that London is
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formed on clay, which even at that time was drying out as the water table dropped.
The winning architects were the partnership of H.V. Ashley and Winton Newman.
Know ing of the problems involved, before begin ning their designs they had
travelled to America to study the construction of skyscrapers in New York and
Chicago. They came up with a design based on a steel frame which would spread
the load and lessen the amount of stone which would be needed to construct a free
standing building. Freem ason s' Hall thus becam e one of the first major steel framed
buildings to be erected in this country.
The 1920s were a period of economic uncertainty, leading to the General
Strike in 1926, and the collapse of the world eco nomy in 1929. After the initial
enthusiasm the fund raising began to flag. Taking the lead from the Masonic
Charities, it was decided in 1925 to have a major festival to boost the funds. On
Saturday 8 August 1925, over 7,200 Brethren joined the Grand Master for lunch at
Olympia in West London. The event still stands in the Guinness Book of Records
as the largest ever sit-down meal held in the British Isles. For the five course lunch
five miles of tables were laid with 50,000 plates, 30,000 glasses, 30,000 knives,
37,000 forks and 15,000 spoons. An army of 1,250 waitresses served the diners
with salmon, lamb cutlets, chicken dressed with tongue and York Ham followed by
strawberries and cream. The courses were accompanied by Amontillado sherry,
sauternes, champagne and brandy, and liqueurs.
At the end of lunch the Grand Master was delighted to announce that
825,000 had been paid into or promised to the Masonic Million Memorial Fund.
That gave the Grand Secretary a problem. He had only a small staff whose time was
fully taken up with administering the Craft and the Royal Arch with no time to take
on the managemen t and huge amoun t of paperwor k involved in the fund raising. He
was authorised to take on five new temporary staff to admini ster the fund. They
were all boys who had recently completed the commercial stream at the Royal
Masonic School for Boys. Temporary does not do justice to their service to Grand
Lodge. They were all kept on when the new building was completed and each of
them served Grand Lodge for forty-nine years and I had the privilege of meeting
them as they were the senior management in the Grand Secretary's office when I
joined the Grand Lod ge Library staff in 1971.
By 1927 the plans had been agreed, the whole site had been acquired, finance
had been assured and work could begin. On 14 July the Royal Albert Hall was again
pressed into use, and an especial Grand Lodge was held to lay the foundation stone
of the new building. By means of an electrical relay as the Grand Master laid themock stone on the stage of the Albert Hall the actual stone was duly laid on the
corner of the building. The event in Great Queen Street was witnessed by the
Masters of the Lodge of Antiquity No. 2 and the Royal Somerset House and
Inverness Lodge No. 4 who then jumped into a waiting taxi and sped to Kensington
Gore to inform the Grand Master that the actual stone had been well and truly laid.
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The business of Grand Lodg e had to continue and Lod ges meetings in the old
Hall had to continue to have a meeting place. The decision was therefore taken to
keep the old Hall going as long as possible. Th e propertie s to the west of the Hall
were demolished and the steel work for the tower, Grand Temple and Wild Street
and Wild Court areas began to rise. By 1931 the west end of the building was
complete and the Grand Secretary's office was moved into what is now Lodge
Room No. 10, Lodges and Chapters began to meet in the new Lodge rooms and
demolition of the old Hall began to enable the east end of the building to rise.
A problem arose over the original Grand Hall designed by Thomas Sandby in
1775. It was on the site of what is now the Balmoral Room in the Connaught Rooms
and it was hoped that it could be incorporated in the new building. In 1883,
however, Sandby's Hall had been severely damaged by fire. Although it was
reconstructed the work hid more than it repaired. When the local authority
surveyors looked at it in 1931 , when the rest of the old Hall was bein g demo lished
around it they stated that it was structurally unsound and that it would have to be
remedied were it to survive. That would have involved huge expense which Grand
Lodge could ill-afford as nothing changes Brethren construction costs were
proving greater than the original estimates. After debate in Grand Lodge it was
agreed that Sandby's Hall which had served Grand Lodge since 1775 had to be
demolished but was kept in use until 1931.
Work went on apace and was completed to enable the great celebrations to
take place in July 1933. The new building was a stunning success as an example of
the latest technology and building practices. It was written up in all the architectural
and building journa ls and was given great coverage in the national and international
pres s. I t was to be know n as the Masonic Pe ace Memor ial, for it is not jus t the
memorial shrine that commemo rates those who died on active service but the whole
building itself is the memorial, something that occasionally gets forgotten. It was
only with the outbreak of the Second World that the building rever ted to being
called Freemasons' Hall, although our rates demand from Camden Council, they
being rather slow, still comes in addressed to the Masonic Peace Memorial, Great
Queen Street.
Although conceived of as a memorial the building did not become a
mausoleum. It has been a very living building and has shown itself capable of
adaptation as times change , despite the restrictions of being a Grade 2* listed
building both inside and out. Over the years various changes have b een made to the
building, expanding the areas available for formal meetings. In the last few yearsthe Hall has been an almost permanent building site, with work going on to remove
asbestos, and the major project to convert storage and filing areas in the lower
ground floor area into modern offices so that the national Masonic Charities could
be co-located in this building and work more closely together. Once other minor
work is completed we look forward to welcoming the Metropolitan Grand Lodge
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of Lond on's staff and volunteers back into the building. Th e observant among st you
will have noticed scaffolding in the courtyard and some hoardings on the first and
second floors - part of the necessary work to replace the original fire escapes to this
Grand Temple.
In recent years we have been developing non-Masonic activity in the building
to increase revenues. This was thought by some to be a revolutionary idea but, as
so often in Freemasonry, it was a re-inventing of the wheel as the original
Freemasons' Hall built in 1775 had been very much a public as well as a Masonic
building. We are justifiably proud of what has become recognised as a jewel of Art
Deco architecture and design and are delighted to be able to share it with the
community as a whole.
At the dedicat ion of the building on 19 July 1933 the Grand Chaplain , the
Bisho p of Guildford, in his oration said of the building: " It stands in its dignity, its
beauty of proportion, its harmony of mass and line, its warmth and restraint in
colour and lighting, its suggestion of strength and durability, and the aptness of its
planning. It represents the dream of a real architect, made substantial by
experienced builders and craftsmen; all alike giving of their best." He went on to
say: "that which we joyously acclaim today is not the close of a great work, but the
finish of its preface. The volume that is to follow is not yet written but will slowly
develop in the ages to come." Seventy-five years later we can echo what he said.
The opening chapters of the volu me are now comp lete but the story, we ho pe, will
have no ending and this great Masonic Peace Memorial will continue to house our
Craft and be the physical embodiment of those principles and tenets which are
fundamental to our Brotherhood, for generations to come, [loud applause]
MW PRO GRAND MASTER: Brethren, on your behalf I would to thank Bro
Hamill very much for that enlightening and humorous paper on the origins of this
wonderful building, [applause]
PRO GRAND MASTER'S ADDRESS
Brethren, I have had the great privilege of being Pro Grand Master since
March 2001 and before that I was Assistant Grand Mas ter for five years in charge
of London. I have decided that the time has come for me to step down in March and
give someone else the chance to steer the Craft for the next few years.
These past eight years have continued a process of great change for English
Freemasonry, helping it to come through one of the most difficult periods in its
history.
As the Grand Master pointed out recently, we are entering a period of
consolidation, and if we continue to build on the foundations of openness we have
laid for the 21st century there is every chance that we will start to grow again. I
welcome an increase in our numbers as long as we continue to maintain the highest
standards and concentrate on the quality of our candidates.
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I am pleased to tell you that the Grand Master has appointed RW Bro Peter
Lowndes, Deputy Grand Master, to succeed me. He will be installed as Pro Grand
Master at the Quarterly Communication of Grand Lodge in March. He will be
succeeded as Deputy Grand Master by RW Bro Jonathan Spence, Grand Director
of Ceremonies, and he in turn by W Bro Oliver Lodge, Past Deputy Grand Director
of Ceremonies. I am pleased to say the Assistant Grand Master will be continuing
in office. I shall be presiding at Grand Lodge for the last time in December.
I wish Bro Lowndes every success in his new important role and have every
confidence that the Craft will be in very capable hands. For my part I shall continue
to enjoy my Masonry, albeit at an easier pace and with less direct responsibility.
I look forward to helping in any way I can to ensure the future good healthand happiness of English Freemasonry. It has been an honou r to serve the Craft.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
MW Pro Grand Master: Brethren, I h ave to announce that the MW The Grand
Master has made the following appointments:
VW Bro Norman Eric Heaviside, PGSwdB, as Provincial Grand Master for,
and Grand Superintendent in and over, Durham in succession to RW Bro Derek
Richmond, who died on 22 February. Bro Heaviside was installed by me on 4
September;
RW Bro Captain Sir Norman Lloyd-Edwards, KCVO, RD, RNR, PJGW, as
Provincial Grand Master for South Wales, in succession to RW Bro Hywel Davies,who retired on 30 June. Bro Lloyd-Edwards was installed on 24 July;
W Bro Norman James Thompson, PAGDC, to be Provincial Grand Master
for, and Grand Superintendent in and over, Cumberland and Westmorland, in
succession to RW Bro John Hale, who retired on 23 July. Bro Thompson will be
installed on 25 September;
W Bro Harry James Duggan, PSGD, as District Grand Master for South
Africa, Western Division, in succession to RW Bro Peter Duckworth, who retired
on 25 July. Bro Duggan was installed the following day;
W Bro Chief Moses Oghenerume Taiga, PSGD, to be District Grand Master
for, and Grand Superintendent in and over, Nigeria in succession to RW Bro Adediji
Adedoyin, who retired on 31 July. Bro Taiga will be installed on 20 September; and
W Bro Edward Thomas Wibrew, PAGDC, as Grand Inspector of the Malta
Group of Lodges and Chapters, in succession to VW Bro Barrie Parsons, who
retired on 11 March.
In his capacity as First Grand Principal, the MW the Grand Master has
appointed E Comp Anthony Strong, PGSoj, as Grand Superintendent in and over
KwaZulu-Natal, in succession to E Comp Christopher Delderfield, who retired on
18 July. Comp Strong was installed the following day.
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WELCOME
MW Pro Grand Master: Finally, Brethren, I would like on your behalf to
welcome some distinguished Brethren from overseas who are with us today.
From the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, the Grand Master, RW Bro Stephen
Gardner; he is accompanied RW Bro Robert J. Bateman, Junior Grand Warden;
from the Grand Lodge of Utah , the Grand Master , MW Bro Glen A. Cook; he
is accompanied by RW Bro John C. Liley, Jr., Junior Grand Warden, and RW Bro
Blaine H. Simons, Past Grand Secretary, who is also our Representative at that
Grand Lodge;
from the Grand Lodge of Greece, the Grand Master, MW Bro NicosVourgidis; he is accompanied by the Deputy Grand Master, RW Bro George
Vassilogeorgis; and
from the Grand Lodge of Russia, the Grand Master, MW Bro Andrey
Bogdanov; he is accompanied by an Assistant Grand Master, RW Bro Vyacheslav
Smirnov, and another Brother.
From our own Constitution we have, from Cyprus, the District Grand Master,
RW Bro Theodosios Theodossiou; he is accompanied by W Bro Andrew
Theocharous, District Junior Grand Warden;
from Hong Kong and the Far East, the District Grand Master, RW Bro David
Fok; he is accompanied by the Deputy District Grand Master, W Bro Paul
Whitmore, PAGDC, and another Brother;
from South America, Northern Division, the District Grand Master, RW Bro
Colin Foster;
from East Africa, RW Bro Sir 'A nd y' Chand e, KBE, OSM, Past District
Grand Master; and
from Nigeria, RW Bro Edward Akindele Leigh, an Assistant District Grand
Master.
I have had no notice of any other distinguished visitors from overseas.
However, I extend on your behalf a very warm welcome to all Brethren who have
travelled a long distance to be with us today.
The Grand Lodge was Closed in ample form and with solemn prayer. At the
close of the proceeding s, the first verse of the National Anthem was sung .
The meeting closed at 12.41 p.m.
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LIST OF NEW LODGES FOR WHICH WARRANTS HAVE BEEN GRANTED BY
THE MW THE GRAND MASTER SHOWING THE DATE FROM WHICH
THEIR WARRANTS BECAME EFFECTIVE
DATE OF WARRANT/ LOCATION AREA
No. AND NAME OF LODGE
12 March 2008
9840 Blue Lamp Lodge Chepsto w Monmou thshire
1 May 2008
9842 Gates of Heaven Lodge Sarah and Abrah am London
Lopes Dias Hall
RECORDED ATTENDANCE AT THE GRAND LODGE
Grand Officers (including Present Grand Stewards) 351
Masters, Wardens and Past Masters 240
Visitors 10
Total ...601
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APPENDIX A
THE LIBRARY AND MUS EUM OF FREEMA SONRY
The following is an extract from the Annual Report of the Council of the Library
and Museum Charitable Trust for the year ending 31 January 2008.
The major areas of activity for the Library and M useu m are exhibition s and tours,
cataloguing and conservation, acquisitions, the pro vision of resources for research
either by visitors in person or by staff responding to enquiries and raising awareness
of the collections.
Achievements and Performance
EXHIBITIONS AND TOURS
The Library and Museum has maintained its policy of free access and is open from
10am to 5pm Mon day to Friday. Staff prov ide up to five daily, free tours o f the
ceremonial rooms of Freem ason s' Hall with pre-boo ked tours on Saturdays.
The 2007 summer exhibition Tokens of Unwritten Lives - the Folk and Popular Art
of Fraternity was held at Freemasons' Hall, London from 2 July to 28 September
2007. It celebrated the creativity of ordinary people who chose to mark their
membership of local and national groups and societies by the creation and display
of objects signifying that membership . A free exhib ition guide was available to
visitors. The changing series of exhibitions in the Library and Museum itself
included an exhibition about the sheet music collection to mark the completion of
its cataloguing and Squaring the Triangle - Freemasonry and Anti-Slavery, an
exhib ition to mark the 200th Anniversary of the aboli tion of slavery. On display in
this exhibition were some of the documen ts catalogued with grant monies awarded
by the Pilgrim Trust/Esmee Fairbairn Foundation Cataloguing Grants programme
relating to masonic lodges in the West Indies and American colonies (later the
United States) from the eighteenth and nineteenth centu ries. At the end of the year
the exhibition Recognising London marking the centenary of London Grand Rank
was opened by Russell Race, Deputy Metropolitan Grand Master.
CATALOGUING AND CONSERVATION
With funding support from the Supreme Grand Chapter of England, workcommenced on cataloguing the print and photograph collection. Further funds for
this project were also received from the London Grand Rank Association Heritage
and Educational Trust.
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ACQUISITIONS
The London Grand Rank Association Heritage and Educational Trust also
supported the acquisition of an important miniature painting by Henry Spencer of
William Wix, Provincial Grand Mas ter of Essex, which w as purchased tow ards the
end of the year.
Donations of regalia, books and artefacts have continued to enable the Librar y and
Museum to expand its collections and the Council is grateful for the generosity of
all donors.
PROVISION OF RESEARCH RESOURCES
Increasing use is being made of the Library and Museum as a research resource
with 238 new read ers registered during the year (2006: 193). The issue of books and
documents has continued to increase steadily. Many enquiries are dealt with by mail
or increasingly electronically. Family history is an increasingly popular hobby and
over 2000 such enquiries were an swered during the year. In October the Library and
Museum organised a Family History Study Day for family historians to provide
guidance on the use of Masonic reso urces.
RAISIN G AWARENESS OF THE CO LLEC TION S
Library and Museum staff undertook a programme of lunchtime talks in Spring
2007 which were free and open to all. The response was again positive. Members
of staff also spoke at Masonic Lodges around the country and at meetings of family
history societies and local and specialist history groups. The Curator delivered a
paper to the Decorative Art Medals Society on "Symbolism Made Metal - three
centuries of Masonic Medals" and later a paper at the Social History Curators
Group conference in Leeds, entitled "Where's the Goat? Potential and Pitfalls in
Curating Masonic Collections". (The conference entitled "Too hot to handle?" was
on the theme of controver sial subjects in muse ums and had international
attendance.)
Following the exploratory grant awarded in 2006, the Library and Museum was
awarded a grant of 22,325 by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council in
March 2007 to develop the Subject Specialist Network on Fraternal and Friendly
Societies and Associations. During the year work was completed on visitor surveys
and exhibition development. The project will be completed during 2008. The
Library and Museum also received 2,500 in May 2007 from the London Museums
Hub to assist with publicity for Museums and Galleries Month. The commissioning
of exterior signage, funded with part of this grant, has been of significant longer-
term benefit to the Library and Museum by raising visitor awareness.
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The Library and Museum hosted the Annual conference of Archives for London
("AfL") in November 2007.
Financial Review
As at 31 January 2008 the consolidat ed net assets of the Library and Museum
Charitable Trust were 2,819,927 (2007: 2,536,839).
The activities of the Library and Mus eum are funded by donation s, fees charged for
genea logica l research and bookin g fees for Saturday tours. The Friends of the
Library and Museum established in 2001 enables individuals (whether Freemasons
or not), Lod ges and Chapters to support the Library and Museum by w ay of an
annual subscription. Friends receive regular Newsletters and can attend special
events. The Friends scheme is open to all those interested in developing their
understan ding of the varied collections of the Library and Mus eum and wh o wish
to contribute to their development and care.
The Library and Museum's trading subsidiary, Letchworth's (Freemasons' Hall,
London) Limited ("Letchworths"), made a Gift Aid contribution to the Library and
Museum of 52,000 (2007: 60,000).
Plans for Future Periods
Plans are already in hand for the exhibition programme during the year which
include two exhibitions: Women and Freemasonry and Square Meals: Three
Centuries of Masonic Dining.
Copies of the full Report and Accounts are available upon written application from
the Director of the Library and Museum.
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APPENDIXB
EXPULSIONS FROM THE CRAFT
The following list shows Brethren expelled from the Craft on 2 June 2008
with the Lodges (Chapters) of which once a member.
Name
Peter Jon Foster
Timothy Neville Hill
David Mark McDonnell
Gary James Norman
Alan Michael Price
Robert William Price
Lodges
(Chapters)
L516
LI 799
L4569
L7006L8899
L9266
L9584
L9755
LI 244
L6249
L2825
L7514
L8614
(C2420)
L469
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examined the poten tial usefulness of BOL D fMRI to map cerebral blood flow and
measure the cerebrovascular reserve.
The key finding from this project has been the successful development and
implementation of a novel and new advanced MRI scanning technique for patients
of carotid artery disease, which is currently being used for clinical assessment of
patients on a research basis.
Mr Adnan Sheikh
Cross-talk between pancreatic cancer cells and stromal monocytes (General)
Division of Surgery and Oncology, School of Cancer Studies, University of
Liverpool
Pancreatic cancer is a devastating disease with a more often than not fatal
outcome. Owing to its very aggressive nature and potential to spread rapidly it is
often at a very advanced stage by the time it presents symptoms to the patients, at
which time the cancer is often inoperable. This accounts for less than 20% of
patients being able to receive a curative operation.
High levels of monocytes (a type of white blood cell) bearing two proteins
S100A8 and S100A9 have been discovered within pancreatic tumour stroma
surrounding the cancer cells. Cancer cells may be regulating the productio n of these
proteins in the white blood cell by a process described as 'Molecular Cross-Talk':
a means by which cells communicate with each other. The aim of this research hasbeen to unrave l the mech anis ms behind this interaction, and study the role of these
proteins in pancreatic cancer spread and invasiveness.
Key Findings:
1. Pancreatic cancer stroma (the surrounding supporting cells) contain varying
number of white blood cells called monocytes.
2. The presen ce of monoc ytes varies from tumou r to rumour, and their
expression of S100A8 and S100A9.
3. Pancreatic cancer cells enhance the expression of S100A 8 and S100A9
indicating a potential 'Cross-Talk' channel between the cancer and its surrounding
cells.
4. Both prot eins were seen to significantly increase the motility and growth rate
of the cancer cells, highli ghting their role in contr ibutin g to the invasive potential
of this disease.
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Mr Matthew Tait
Role of the water channel AQP4 in Spinal Cord Injury
Academic Neurosurgery Unit, St George's University of London
Spinal cord injury is a devastating condition that affects mostly young
patients. At present there are no treatments to improve neurological outcome after
injury. The aim of the study is to investigate the role o f a protein called AQP4 in
spinal cord injury. The aquaporins (AQPs) are a family of water pores found on the
surface of cells throughout the body. At least ten aquaporins have been identified in
mammals. AQP4 is the predominant AQP in the central nervous system, where it is
primarily found at the borders between the cerebrospinal fluid and major fluidcompartments. It is generally accepted that AQP4 is vital to the control of water
content of the brain and spinal cord.
Outcomes after spinal cord injury in normal mice vs. mice that are genetically
engineered to lack the AQP4 protein have been compared. From preliminary
experiments, a markedly improved outcome in the AQP4-null mice was predicted.
The research may demonstrate potential novel treatment options, using AQP4
inhibitors, to improve outcome for extremely disabling diseases.
Key Finding:
1. The different responses of the mice give vital information about the role of
AQP4 in the disease being studied. Recovery following cord injury was shown tobe significantly improved in the mice which lack AQP4.
The grant from the Fund to the College in 2007 amounted to 145,500, which
brought the total amount granted by the Fund to the College since the inception of
the Fund to 3,514,808.
The grant approved by the Trustees for 2008 is 145,500.
The Patron of the Fund is MW Bro HRH The Duke of Kent, KG, Grand
Master, and the Trustees of the Fund are: RW Bro Gavin Purser, PSGW,
(Chairman); RW Bro the Rt. Hon. the Earl Cadogan, DL, PDepGM; RW Bro
Anthony Wilson, PJGW, President of the Board of General Purposes; VW Bro
Anthony West, PGSwdB; VW Bro Jonathan Spence, GDC; W Bro Bernard Ribeiro,
FRCS, CBE, PSGD, and W Bro David Rosin, FRCS, PSGD.
The Secretary to the Trustees is W Bro Richard Bate, PSGD.