A MASONIC RAMBLE
Compiled by W.Bro Christopher John Band, P.J.G.D.
I have called this piece a ‘masonic ramble’ because I am not going to dwell on one subject and it will be more of collection of thoughts, past and present. It started in my mind after the Installation when it occurred to me that apart from Roy Hoole and myself, none of our members would know why it is that we sing ‘Abide with me’ at our Installations now.
The word ‘now’ is significant because we have not always done so. Certainly when the Lodge was formed it did and carried on doing so for many years. Then around the 1950s UGL decreed that singing in Lodge meetings was no longer to be permitted. The following Installation, the then D.C. apparently enquired from the Representative if we could sing it or not. The Representative apparently said (or words to this effect) that he would have said nothing if it had been sung but since he had been asked, the answer had to be ‘no’. And so it was dropped for many years.
This continued until 1977 when I went into the Chair. The then D.C. (Bill Cross) told me the story I have just recounted finishing with the comment that Grand Lodge no longer banned such signing. So I enquired why we did not start again. He said no one had taken that decision but as I was M. E., if I wished to, we would …….and so we have done so ever since for the last 29 years. Mind you, that undemocratic decision on my part was not without it’s detractors. Two members objected both of whom had joined after the Lodge stopped signing it. One objected on principle and refused to sing it ……and never did; the other objected because his family always sang it at funerals and it upset him so much he always nipped out before we did so. The fact that we might well have always sung it had it not been banned, did not seem to occur to them.
And so that shows how traditions come and go and in this case, come, go and come back again.
There was once another tradition linked with ‘Abide with me’. The address to the Brethren, now given by the representative was once given by our Chaplain after which he gave the prayer (which was also dropped and restored) and then we had Abide with me. The address was much longer than the current one and I think there may still be a copy amongst the D.C.’s papers – there used to be anyway. Ansdell Lodge in St. Annes still have this longer address which is given by one of their P.Ms. When I represented there, I was asked to address the W.M. instead.
My first contact with this Lodge was in 1957 when I came to the Ladies Evening as guest of my eventual father-in-law who was a member. Ladies Evenings were very formal then. Not just Dinner Jackets -- full evening dress – white tie and tails - if you had it. Most Lodges did not allow non-masons to attend unless connected to the family of a mason. I got in on that basis. I was only 19 then and have only missed 2 Ladies Evenings since.
I was initiated into this Lodge in 1968, 2 weeks after my 30th birthday and for those still struggling with mental arithmetic, I am now 67. Our members today would find the Lodge of those days very formal compared with today. Humour in the Lodge was not allowed – one had to stifle giggles if anything amusing occurred. Grand and Provincial Officers rarely spoke to you and you certainly did not speak to them unless it was necessary. It was very much them and us.
We had a very good but strict D.C. then, Fred Partington, who impressed me a lot. However, I was surprised when I think my first Installation approached, he got into a complete flap saying ‘Manning is coming’. ‘Manning is coming’. I did not know who this Manning was and Who, you may well ask was Manning? He was the Assistant Prov. G.M. for the Fylde (we did not have 2 in those days – not until 1981 ) and he was known to reduce W.Ms and D.C.s to tears or gibbering wrecks. One Installing Master actually resigned there and then. If anything went wrong he ranted and raved and people dreaded his coming. One can’t believe that now. Fortunately I was none the wiser and everything apparently went off well so there were no fireworks.
D.Cs. were more strict then. Absolutely no books allowed at rehearsal – we were expected to know it. And at practice or rehearsal, jacket and tie was the only accepted dress. My predecessor as DC, John Haslam, was also strict. I can remember Gordon Walker who was then Junior Warden saying before we went in. ‘what will he tell me off for tonight?’. One mistake and JH would tell you off afterwards. We had one Warden (not Gordon) resign due to that. Anyway JH left to move away and when I took over with Roy Hoole, we took away the stick and just used the carrot and so it has been ever since.
In my early days, Candidates were easy to come by. Apart from the Installation (even at our voting night in December) there was always a ceremony. The WM was expected to do a First, Second and Third in his year. In the first 10 years I can only remember one occasion when that did not happen. The JW was always expected to do the first charge at the first initiation in his year. In some Lodges, if he could not do that, he did not go through the chair.
Because we had so many candidates and so therefore many members, it could take 2 or 3 years just to get on the Stewards list. Few people dropped out and it could take another 4 or 5 years to get to Inner Guard.
In fact when I joined, Masters were taking 15 years to get to the chair and another 15 to get Provincial Honours. Not many Brethren were lived long enough to get a promotion.
In the first 10 or 15 years, I can only once remember us having a lecture. This was about 1972 and the then Assistant PrGM (Bill Foster – who was a much nicer man than his predecessor), gave one. I can’t remember his subject but I do remember him saying ‘I was initiated during the War …….the first World War’. That is about 90 years ago now and it made one think then never mind now..
I mentioned getting on the Stewards list. We would have about 8 to 10 Stewards and I remember when I was DC I wrote out a list of their actual duties. This was about 20 years ago and when I found it recently the list made me realise how times have changed. This is what I wrote:-
“The duties of Stewards as you will be told when you are appointed are to attend to visitors at the Social Board and assist other officers in their duties.
Attendance on visitors:-
After the ceremony is over and you have gone downstairs, the following require attention before the meal:-
(a) put out gavels
(b) put out cards for the 9.0 clock toast (and menu cards at Installations)
(c) put out wine glasses as required
(d) put out ashtrays – smoking was allowed then
(e) help selling raffle tickets
During the meal:-
(a) obtain drinks for anyone requiring them. Brethren did not get their own then. They hailed a Steward
(b) Top Steward to see that Top Table wine is poured and open bottles if required
(c) Help waitresses clear tables if necessary
After meal:-
(a) put away gavels and cards
(b) clear away glasses and wash them
Assisting other officers:-
This will usually take the form of giving the charge or explaining the tools in any of the 3 degrees so it is a good idea to learn all these in case you are asked. It is useful to know the duties of the IG and Deacons in case one can’t come any time and you are asked to stand in. After the ceremony, help the Tyler to put our equipment away “
Nowadays one might say, ‘What Stewards?”
Seriously though, we always had several there and everyone played their part in helping. I was always hoping the IG or deacons might not turn up but I only once got the chance of standing in.
Before 1978 Lodges rarely had raffles. They were frowned on but started up just before then. Our Lodge Committee reluctantly agreed to start this in 1978 but not at Installations as it would lower the tone. That changed eventually too.
While on the subject of the Social Board, I remember someone once saying ‘Oh, you’re the singing Lodge’. This is something else which got lost over the years. In addition to the 9.0 clock toast, we had two or three other pieces which we sang. I can’t remember them now but they got dropped when we no longer had a regular organist to play for us.
On the subject of the 9.0 clock toast, this is to Absent Brethren. We were told quite firmly by one of our DCs in the past that it was NOT to absent and seafaring brethren because Onward is not a seafaring Lodge. If the meal started late, we would often break into the meal to have the 9.0 clock toast at 9.0 clock…….until Grand Lodge decreed that no toasts could be proposed before those to the Queen and Grand Master. No one liked that and we had a spell doing Queen, Gr.M. and Ab. Br. during the meal until sense prevailed and we now do it where it falls.
Before finishing with the Social Board, a word of advice to all of you who may in the future (and I hope will in the future) attain the Chair. When you eventually come to propose the toast to your successor, you do not commence with the words W.M. You start with Grand Officers or Officers of United Grand Lodge. That is because you are not addressing the Master at that point and do not include in the opening of a speech the Brother or class of Brethren the subject of the toast. By the same token, a toast to Grand Officers should (if proposed by the WM) commence ‘Prov. G. Os and Brethren’ and if proposed by a Warden ‘W.M., Prov.G0s and Brethren’.
On the subject of toasts, I would recommend anyone who is proposing toasts 3 or 5 (to Grand and Provincial Officers) to read them before the day you have to propose them and familiarise yourself with the names and their pronunciation. It is one thing to hear them read each meeting but another to read them yourself and it can be very embarrassing to stumble over them when the time comes.
At the Installation, many Lodges still break for tea & biscuits during the Ceremony. We have stopped doing this and it saves a considerable amount of time. To instigate the break, a Lodge ‘calls off’ from labour to refreshment and afterwards calls on from refreshment to labour. But this ‘calling off’ was once many (perhaps 100 or so) years ago for more than light refreshment.
The Lodge broke off for their Social Board and returned to close the Lodge afterwards. This is the reason why decorum at a Social Board is regarded as so important….. it is part of the whole evening’s business.
Those of you who have visited Hesketh Lodge (founded in 1863) will have heard the reading of their minutes 100 years ago which are often most interesting. These once recorded that the Lodge had opened, conducted their usual business and then ‘called off’ for their Ladies Evening. At about 3.00 or 4.00 in the morning, they returned to the Lodge, ‘called on’ and closed the Lodge before going home. Think about that one.
The Address to the Brethren at the Installation, contains the words:-
‘The Brethren whom the WM has selected to assist him in the ruling and government of the Lodge are too well acquainted the principles of masonry and the laws of our institution to warrant any mistrust that they may be found wanting etc’
Brother Wardens, how well acquainted are you with the Laws of our Institution? I would recommend any Brother who is going into a Warden’s Chair to read and make himself acquainted with the B of C, particularly that part dealing with private Lodges. When you are in the Chair, you cannot plead ignorance of those laws you are required to enforce.
I would also commend the B of C to the Brethren to read now and again. It contains much interesting information. The Charges of a Free Mason commencing on page 3 are a case in point. I will read the first one.
Later on page 15, it gives the ranks of those who qualify as members of Grand Lodge in order of rank (this applies to Provincial Officers also where applicable). There are 84 different ones. The Provincial Grand Master comes in at No 9. A Deputy Prov. G.M. as Past Grand Sword Bearer at 32 and a PSGD the rank held by an Assistant ProvGM at no. 50. A long way down the list.
The B of C also states what salutations are applicable and from this you will learn that a V.W. Brother (as in the case of our DepPrGM) gets 5, all other G0s, 3……….with the rider that within their own Provinces, AsstProvGMs get 5. Not otherwise. In Grand Lodge or elsewhere they are entitled to only 3.
It will also tell you how many Provincial Officers a PrGM is allowed to appoint and how this is calculated. So if you think our PGM should appoint more, he can’t.
Another publication which is most useful is the WL Year Book. Each Lodge gets 4 each year mainly for the use of the WM, Sec and DC. The guidance notes at the beginning are most helpful. I will read this one:- (duties of Masters and Secretaries). Secretaries will know these points but probably not all masters.
Also part of this is one on Past Masters. (read) This tells us something which is usually much misunderstood. How often do we hear someone who has just installed his successor being told that he is now Worshipful Brother? That is wrong. A Master is ‘worshipful’ the moment he is installed – as in Worshipful Master. What is wrong is that you cannot have two ‘worshipfuls’. In other words he is either Brother Nicholson, WM of Onward Lodge or W.Bro. Nicholson, Master of Onward Lodge. You cannot call him W.Bro and WM. Also a Master is never a reigning master. He is either a Master or Past Master.
On the subject of Masonic etiquette, some of you will know that for some time now at Installations one of our guests, Leon Tax, has helped to pour the whisky. He could not come this year because he is now an Assistant Prov GM and in that capacity cannot attend an installation unless he is the representative or the representative is another Assistant, the Deputy or PGM himself. If he did he would outrank them and become the representative himself. An Assistant cannot even attend his own Lodge Installation in those circumstances and so will always arrange for another Assistant to represent. However the PGM and DeputyPGM will not be so fortunate.
Before I conclude, one thing about cost. Each year I along with all others who hold or have held the rank of PAGReg get invited to attend a meeting of Chancery Bar Lodge in London. I had the usual letter last month and was asked that if I intended to go, would I please send a cheque for the cost of the meal which would be £65. When one considers the cost of the train fare and overnight accommodation, I have never been. But one can be assured, what we pay here is very good value for money.
I think all that I have mentioned tonight illustrates that one can (as is said in the Charge after Initiation) make a daily advancement in Masonic knowledge. There is much one can find out all the time particularly in the workings of the Lodge. Much is there in the B of C. If in doubt, the answer is always ‘ask’ . Provincial Lodge in particular will always advise.