The Focus LodgeAdvancing Masonic Knowledge

Lodge of Economy No. 76

Newsletter: 20 January 2014

W. Bro. John Harvey, Worshipful Master

The Entered Apprentice’sJourney - Part 2This, the second Focus Lodge event, was widely anticipated after the success of the October meeting and the 48 Brethren attending were not disappointed. Assistant Provincial Grand Master Worshipful Brother Noel R. Voice PAGSuptWks was a welcome guest representing the Provincial Grand Master who was unable to attend for personal reasons. His official entourage of Provincial Officers was headed by Provincial Deputy Grand Director of Ceremonies, W.Bro. Peter Springett.

The Presentation was conducted in a most eloquent and scholarly manner by Worshipful Brother Tony Ayres, more than ably assisted by Worshipful Master John Harvey, Worshipful Brothers David Sermon, John McNeece, George Groom, Darcy Jones and John Surtees with Brother Andrew Cooper and Brother Ian Fraser. This write up can only give a flavour of what was covered, but we can say it was fascinating.

Bro. Michael left us at that point in the ceremony when the Candidate has completed his journey from darkness to light, and has had

When the Focus Lodge was originally conceived, one of its guiding lights was W. Bro. Michael Baigent, known throughout the Craft for his Masonic scholarship, and as an outstanding Editor of Freemasonry Today. His passing, as well as depriving us of a dear friend, has been a terrible blow to the Focus Lodge. In our first Presentation, Bro. Michael took us, in detail, through the first half of the Journey of Initiation. Consequently, under the circumstances, it was considered highly appropriate for the Lodge to devote our second Presentation to continuing that journey.

W. Bro. Noel Voice APGM PAGSuptWks

conferred on him the status of Brother among Masons. He pointed out that the Candidate has no sooner finished this first journey than he finds himself on the brink of another, that being the way of Freemasonry. So Bro. Tony invited the Brethren present to accompany the Candidate as he continues on his way, but now as a Freemason.

There is more travelling to do, further trials must be endured; and there is knowledge to be imparted - which is another common feature of initiatory rites.

Alms collected during the meeting amounted to £128.68. The Festive Board raffle, in aid of To Honour a Promise, amounted to £175.

W.Bro. Tony Ayres

New Master: W.Bro. John Harvey

A smiling Dave Oakley and friends

George Groom and friends

The Lights in FreemasonryThe Presentation then took us from the restoration of material light to the three great though Emblematical Lights in Freemasonry. With a simplified explanation of how the universe began was formed was given by the Scientist and a quotation from the Volume of the Sacred Law from the Cleric. There then followed a definition of how our Brethren of the Antients Grand Lodge defined the three Great Lights and this differed from the perception of that of the Moderns.

The three Lesser Lights were then the subject of further definition and explanation with Bro. Tony pointing out that so many aspects of our symbolism we often take for granted yet are an important aspect of our ritual. In fact this part of the Presentation is likely to be the topic of further investigation at a future Focus Lodge event.

‘The bit in the Ceremony of Initiation about the poniard is, I think, quite interesting’ said Bro. Tony. ‘Some of the older Brethren will remember taking a version of the Great Obligation that differed from the one more recent Initiates have taken. I myself took an intermediate version, but here is what my father declared at his Initiation’.

At this point the Candidate recited the old style Obligation and which was followed by a dialogue between the Antient, Cleric and Scientist. In the face of public criticism about bloodthirsty oaths, Grand Lodge altered these in the ‘70s to the version we use today. But, of course, no-one had ever been appointed to do the deed - there has never been a rank of Grand Executioner! So the penalty was never anything more than a declaration of what one might deserve.

The cable tow makes appearances in the ritual in later degrees, so there is an implication that, metaphorically speaking, it remains in the possession of the Initiate even though it has been removed from his neck. Incidentally, Wikipedia tells us that a cable's length is a tenth of a nautical mile (100 fathoms or 600 feet) and that it derives from the length of an anchor cable in sailing ships. As sailing ships were still very much the thing when Freemasonry was being formalised, this may have informed Masonic thinking at the time.

The subject of the Steps, the Sign Token and Word, the significance of the North East, the Charity Charge, and finally the Working Tools were all explored in a throughly fascinating way. Bro. Tony would have completed this intriguing Presentation with a question and answer session but, sadly, we had run out of time W. Bro. Noel gave a vote of thanks, on behalf of the Brethren, for this truly outstanding presentation and wished Lodge of Economy No. 76, the Focus Lodge every possible success for the future.

Poniard and Cable Tow We were reminded that the great thing about symolism is that one is free to choose one’s own meaning.

Success for the Future

The Next FocusPresentation is

is on 26 March

SYMBOLISM INFREEMASONRY

byW.Bro John Donoghue

The Three Great Lights

The Poniard

The Cable Tow