Rising Point. Vol. 13-1. Winter, 2008.pdf

MASONIC EDUCATION

INTERNATIONAL MASONIC REVIEW PUBLISHED BY BONISTEEL MASONIC LIBRARY

KArl W. GrUbE, Ph.D., 32°

~Links to more Light~

VOLUME 13. ISSUE 1 • • WINTER 2008

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

massachusettes ...........................................www.massfreemasonry.org

FREEMASONRY IN POLAND

By Bro. Mitchell Ozog - page 12

caLifornia ...................................................................www.freemason.org

minnesota ..................................................................www.mn-masons.org

JEWS, THE ENLIGTEMENT, AND FREEMASONRY

By Bro Seymour D. Greenstone - page 22

georgia .................................................................................www.glofga.org

IS CO-MASONRY THE ANTIDOTE - page 26

By Bro. Carlos Antonio Martines, Jr.

And more...

Virginia .......................................................www.grandlodgeofvirginia.org

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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 29

creation of the alleged “First Grand

Lodge”) Anderson simply made

a synthesis of various documents,

some of which were even second

hand; whereas in the case of our

forementioned manuscript, we

are in the presence of an unique

and complete document. And with

respect to the evoked “Mistress”,

we can all admit that Sabine de

Pierrefonds, artist and sculptress,

had to, at the same time, form/

train Apprentices and Companions

(Fellowcrafts). Later on, in due

time, the beneits of this Feminine

Initiation into “Accepted Free-

Masonry” were extended to a

female monarch: Queen Anne

Stewart, Daughter of James II, who

ruled between 1702 and 1714.

VOLUME 13. ISSUE 1• WINTER 2008

INTERNATIONAL MASONIC REVIEW PUBLISHED BY BONISTEEL MASONIC LIBRARY

CONTENTS

FEATURE ARTICLES

PAGE 4

PAGE 7

PAGE 9

WHAT ExACTLY IS “MORE LIGHT” IN MASONRY?

Bro. Robert Blackburn

FREEMASONRY IN NIGERIA

By Bro. Roy Chikwem 32°

Many Masons today confuse ritual proiciency with Masonic “light.” While a deeper understanding

and appreciation of ritual can lead to important personal insights, this is not the “light” our Masonic

predecessors had in mind. Modern Masonry is a product of the European Enlightenment.

“Light,” consequently, was knowledge of the world around us and, more particularly

for Masonry, information that

BROTHER jOHN B. GRAYSON, 1806 - 1861

By Bro. William Krebaum, 32°

makes us all better human

MASONIC LOYALTY

By Bro. Tim Bryce, PM

beings. Early Masons used

their lodges to discuss a variety

of topics, loosely ascribed to the

seven “liberal arts and sciences.”

PAGE 12

Freemasonry in poland

By Bro. Mitchell Ozog, 32°

The ability to intelligently discuss

and debate such matters was

considered a distinguishing

characteristic of a Master

Mason.

Today’s Masonry has all but forgotten its intellectual

heritage. Few lodges are active places of learning, Masonic or otherwise.

They are social clubs and service organizations, mistaking memorization

and philanthropy with Masonry. Real Masonry, it must be remembered, is about

creating enlightened men. Ritual and charitable works are important. Ritual

is the entrance to Masonry; philanthropy is one of Masonry’s many gifts. But for

Masonry to be truly meaningful, education has to be its cornerstone. Lodges having

libraries should update them. Members should organize regular book clubs and discussion

groups. More importantly, time should be scheduled at every regular, non-degree meeting for

education. This could be a Masonic “short talk” or other informative article. Better yet, a 20

to 30 minute member presentation when time permits. The “seven liberal arts and sciences” is

a broad body of knowledge; no doubt every member could, and should, be able to contribute

something for discussion. Lastly, lodges should arrange guest speakers or performers, such as

university professors and musicians, for special lodge events. Such occasions can be opened to

family and invited guests, spreading Masonry’s light a little further. All Masonic lodges should

consider themselves “research lodges,” places where members learn about the Craft and grow as

enlightened men. We fail ourselves, as Masons, if we do not make time at lodge for learning. We

also fail our brothers when we are too stingy to share what we know. This is particularly true for

new members who have high expectations of the Fraternity. Therefore, we must all continuously

strive, individually and collectively, to bring more light to ourselves and Masonry. Without it, our

lodges will be very dark indeed.

PAGE 19

let’s be legendary - again

By Bro. Christopher L. Hodapp, PM

PAGE 22

jEWS, THE ENLIGHTEMENT, AND

FREEMASONRY

By Bro. Seymour D. Greenstone, PM

PAGE 26

IS CO-MASONRY THE ANTIDOTE

By Bro. Carlos Antonio Martinez, Jr.

PAGE 30

WHAT ExACTLY IS “MORE LIGHT IN MASONRY?

By Bro. Robert Blackburn

PAGE 32

MASONIC EDUCATION - LINKS TO MORE LIGHT

By Bro. Karl W. Grube, 32°

......WINTER 2008 • INTERNATIONAL MASONIC REVIEW • THE RISING POINT......

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 28

“Every year, the Saturday following

the Ascension, the Brothers and

Sisters get together in a determined

place to recite their prayers in honor

of the Holy Trinity, in favor of the

Holy Church, for Peace and Union

of the country, and for the repose

of the souls of all defunct, not only

Fore-Brothers and Fore-Sisters,

but, all friends and Christians… If

a member of our Guild dies, his/her

Brothers and Sisters should pray for

him/her and celebrate a mass for the

peaceful state of his/her soul”…

2. In the archives of York Lodge

Number 236, which belonged to

the Ancient Grand

Lodge of England, in the Orient of

York whose origin is immemorial,

there is a

Manuscript dated in 1693 and

transcribed on a lightly mutilated

parchment, by which

we ind that, during the reception of

a neophyte in the 17 th century:

“One of the Elders picks-up the

Book, and He or She who is to

be made a Mason places his/her

hand on the Book, and then the

instructions are given”.

3. Another fact comes to contradict

the exaggerated misogyny of a vast

number of

Masons, Grand Jurisdictions and

Concordant Bodies: There is a

great feminine name, among those

“admirable cathedral builders”, that

of Sabine de Pierrefonds, daughter of

Herve de Pierrefonds, better known

by the germanic name of Erwin

Von Steinbach. Sabine participated

in the construction of the cathedral

of Strasburg, and also sculpted

some of the most prominent statues

of Notre Dame in Paris. Evidently,

however, the construction of these

cathedrals, which, usually took up

to a couple of centuries to be built,

required more than one Master of

the Work, and it is highly probable

that Sabine de Pierrefonds was not

the only woman who toiled in these

labors.

On another hand, among those

possible feminine receptions of

“Accepted Masons”, like those

narrated by ancient medieval

“Duties” and “Charges”, we can

include those of the Masters’ wives,

since these “Bylaws” make an

invariable reference to them both:

“Thou shall not reveal the secrets

or projects of thy Master or thy

Mistress… “ (Ancient Constitutions

of Franc-Masons, taken from a

manuscript written 500 years ago

by J. Roberts, Warwick-Lane, 1722,

Apprentices’ Bylaws, 1,4,5,7)

The publication of this manuscript

was prior to that of “Anderson’s

Constitutions”, and it has been

found to be more trust-worthy, in

light of its antiquity and uniqueness

– since in 1724 (seven years after the

Freemasonry

nigeria

By Bro. Roy Chikwem, 32°

Freemasonry was formally

introduced to Africa in 1772, with

the erection of Geode Hoop Lodge

No.18 in Cape Town, Sierra Leone

under the charter of the Grand East

of the Netherlands. The spread of

Masonry in Africa was rather slow.

This was on account of the little

social contact that existed between

the early European merchants and

the natives. Commerce was then

unfortunately concentrated on the

inhuman slave traficking. The drive

for the abolition of this vile trade

which incidentally was propelled

by Freemasons such as Lord

Mansield in Britain, fortiied by

other abolitionist groups in France,

and later in the United States, led to

the 1807 British Act of Parliament

to that outlawed slavery.

Grand Lodge of Gabon, National

Grand Lodge of Guinea, Grand

Lodge of Ivory Coast, Grand Lodge

of Liberia, National Grand Lodge

of Madagascar, National Grand

Lodge of Mail, Grand Lodge of

Senegal, National Grand Lodge of

Togo, Grand Lodge of South Africa,

Grand Lodge of Benin and Grand

Lodge of Mauritius. However,

Masonry is so widespread in Africa

that there are comparatively few

cities of more than a few hundred

persons that do not boast of at least

one Masonic lodge. All the three

British Constitutions: - the United

Grand Lodge of England, Grand

Lodge of Scotland and the Grand

Lodge of Ireland are present in

Africa including Prince Hall Grand

Lodge and Grande Loge Nationale

Francaise.

Today, there are twelve regular

Grand lodges in Africa namely;

Grand Lodge of Burkina Faso,

Apart from South Africa there is

no country in Africa possessing

......WINTER 2008 • INTERNATIONAL MASONIC REVIEW • THE RISING POINT......

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 27

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4

before all, Geometry, fundament of

Masonry and Architecture, which,

he later taught to his descendants.

- Fifteen of the thirty nine Masonic

Historians elaborated on the

existence of a Lodge at the East of

Paradise. Some contend that at the

sixth day of the Creation, the issue

of women in Lodge was addressed

and approved at the Celestial Grand

Lodge. Others state that the First

Mason was indeed Adam, and

from that standpoint Jean Marie

Ragon de Bettignies (1781-1866)

concluded: “… If our father Adam

labored in Lodge, he could not have

done it with anyone else, but, with

his woman …”.

Elian Brault stated, rather

persuasively: “… Given that the

Serpent of Genesis approached

Eve irst, to have her taste the fruit

of The Tree of Life, Science and

Death, it was Eve evidently the First

Initiated, whom, in turn, initiated

Adam …”

For his own part, Marc Bedarride

sustains that the Patriarch Jabel,

son of Lamech, was the irst who

conceived the felicitous idea of

accepting a woman in Lodge. He

chose as Grand Mistress his sister

Noema, daughter of Lamech and

Sella, and sister of Tubalcain.

Since the age of seventeen, Noema

demonstrated having the most

outstanding qualities, by being

honest, civilized, gracious, affable,

amiable, kind and beautiful. Jabel

surrounded himself with other

illustrious sisters to help him with

his labors – having had their irst

Lodge meeting at a plain ield

surrounded by twelve palms, and

under a pure and serene sky where

Peace, Concord and Harmony

reigned.

more lodges than Nigeria. Nigeria

currently has 130 Daughter Lodges

consisting of 78, 32 and 20 under

the Scottish, English and Irish

Constitutions respectively. The

Federal Republic of Nigeria operates

under a federal constitutional

republic comprising thirty-six

states and one Federal Capital

Territory. The country is located in

West Africa and shares land borders

with the Republic of Benin in the

west, Chad and Cameroon in the

east, and Niger in the north. In the

south lies the Gulf of Guinea, part

of the Atlantic Ocean. The capital

city is Abuja. The people of Nigeria

have an extensive history, and

archaeological evidence shows that

human habitation of the area dates

back to at least 9000 BC. Nigeria

is the most populous country

in Africa and the eighth most

populous country in the world with

a population of about 150 million.

England, Grand Lodge of Scotland

and the Grand Lodge of Ireland

are present in Nigeria. Masonic

membership cuts across people of

Traditional, Christian and Islamic

faiths. It is not uncommon to see

brothers belonging to all three

British constitutions. It gives the

brethrens the opportunity to witness

different rituals and traditions of

Freemasonry. The United Grand

Lodge of England and the Grand

Lodge of Ireland preceded the

Grand Lodge of Scotland in

establishing lodges in Nigeria but

Scottish Masonry appears to be the

dominant force in Nigeria. There are

various Masonic appellant bodies in

Nigeria including Supreme Grand

Royal Arch Chapter, Royal Arch

Chapter of Scotland, and The Royal

Order of Scotland

Freemasons in Nigeria have to

some extent attracted animosity

especially from the evangelical

churches and the government. Often

times, Freemasons are not allowed

to openly participate in church

or Islamic rites including being

accorded funeral rites on account

of their Masonic afiliations. In the

past, the government had required

all public oficers to declare and

renouncetheirMasonicmembership

or resign or have their positions

terminated. But Freemasons are to

be found in the seats of power and

authority despite all odds. Nigerian

Freemasons are men of charity,

good heart and great works. In fact,

they have contributed to chartable

causes in the areas of education,

community development, medicine,

sport, and much more.

OPERATIVE ERA

When some poorly informed

people – Masons and Non-Masons

– blindedly reject the possibility

of a Woman being eligible and/

or worthy of Masonic Initiation,

whether it be in a Feminine Lodge

or a Mixed-one, one cannot help to

“sketch” a light smile; for it is clear,

even by the accounts and terms

of Profane History, that women,

in their individual capacities or

through their membership in diverse

guilds of spinners, weaveresses,

carvers, upholsterers, sculptresses,

etc. have taken active participation

in the Divine Art of Architecture.

Some evidential facts that support

the above statement are the

following:

1. The Carpenters Guild of Norwich,

a guild that dates from 1375, and to

which the

Masons of York belonged, recollect

that:

Freemasonry was introduced to

my native country of Nigeria in

1868 with the opening of the Lagos

Lodge No.1171. The second Lodge

was erected in 1896 with a Charter

from the Grand Lodge of Ireland in

Calabar as Lodge MacDonald 197

I.C. Lodge Academic No. 1156 S.C

was later consecrated on November

4, 1915 in Lagos. Subsequently

Masonry took roots in Nigeria

to the extent that right within the

Islamic Northern region, Lodges

were chartered and worked as early

as 1939 in Kaduna, Kano; Zaria

and Jos.

All the three British Constitutions:

- the United Grand Lodge of

......WINTER 2008 • INTERNATIONAL MASONIC REVIEW • THE RISING POINT......

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