FOR centuries, the Freemasons have been renowned worldwide for the discretion and secrecy surrounding their activities, leading to many rumours circulating in popular culture about their traditions.
As with most rumours, of course, the suggestions were mostly the result of non-members' lack of knowledge about how their local Masonic lodges operated under a perceived shroud of secrecy.
Recently, though, the Grand Lodge of Scotland has tried to put those rumours and misconceptions to rest by opening up the organisation and its lodges to members of the public.
On Bute, those moves took the form of an open weekend at the Lodge Rothesay St John No. 292 in the town's Chapelhill Road:
Bit too far for me to visit, unfortunately! Used to know a member of St Kilda Lodge in Oban(?). Swapped an AS30 Quadricentennial medal for one of their centenary medals.
I am probably one of the few non members who saw the inside of a Lodge in the 1950s. I got a job in one during Bob a Job Week one year. I remember the "all seeing eye" was a bit spooky.
My old man was a Mason and I had an occasional shifty at his masonic case. All the books were printed without any vowels, shades of Bletchley Park. A strange organisation indeed.
Without trying to bore anyone, the most beautiful lodge I was ever in was Trafalgar in Leith. The hall is decorated like the deck of an 18th century Man o' War, with the stage being built like the wheeldeck, complete with red and green navigation lanterns to the rear!
My da' was a Mason (his granny from Airdrie was 166 years old) but long before joining it he was a member of the ILP later becoming a committed communist - which he was till his dying day, a political outlook possibly formed from going doon the pit in 1917 when he was fourteen and his da' of the Seaforth Highlanders was putting his life on the line in the mud of France to prop up up a social order that was designed to keep him and his like dirt poor. How my da' decided the seemingly divergant memberships were compatable I have haven't quite worked out yet. Maybe he was a spy.
The son followed the father (by this time the father had passed on to a higher level) into the craft and enjoyed the social life for a few years before moving on. He has never been back, not a criticism it just reflected a life changing course, new country, more weans, corresponding contraction of social life .
That said, the son can faithfully say - in his opinion that he never saw or experienced anything remotely sinister by being in Masonic circles (or should that be squares?) Never knowingly benefitted financially or otherwise by being in it and never witnessed any bias of any kind religous or otherwise.
Strangely enough the son's granny would appear to be older than the father's, but in Free Masonry she is in fact a lot younger. Curious maths when 440 is younger than 166.
Home
Calendar
Search
Register
Login
Rothesay Lodge 262 opens its doors
Print Thread
Report to Moderator
Logged
Private message
Thread Tags
