MasonicWorld’s Blog and News

Now not only are there an estimated 20,000 women freemasons in Britain alone, but their male counterparts in the United Grand Lodge of England have decided to give the ladies a pat on the back by celebrating their centenary year with a special exhibition at their headquarters in Covent Garden, starting on June 4. It will be the first British exhibition on women and their involvement with freemasonry.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/court_and_social/article3620126.ece

Other links:

One hundred years ago a new Masonic organisation was formed in London. It was the first Grand Lodge founded in England to admit men and women as members on an equal basis. From its formation in 1717, the governing body of English freemasonry had restricted its membership to men. By the end of the nineteenth century women were campaigning for full civic and legal rights and wanted to join Masonic lodges too. Women and Freemasonry: The Centenary exhibition at the Library and Museum of Freemasonry at Freemasons’ Hall in Covent Garden traces the history of their campaign. Women and Freemasonry: The Centenary runs from Wednesday 4 June to Friday 19 December 2008 (weekdays only) and is free of charge to all visitors.

http://www.freemasonry.london.museum/exhibits/women-freemasonry.php

MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL, Minn., April 10 /PRNewswire/ — The University of Minnesota has received its largest gift ever — $65 million from Minnesota Masonic Charities — to the University of Minnesota Cancer Center. With this pledge, Masonic support of cancer research and care at the University of Minnesota over the past 53 years totals $100 million. In recognition of this record-breaking gift, the University of Minnesota Cancer Center will now be called the Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota.

"The Masonic Fraternity is proud to expand its partnership with the Masonic Cancer Center for a cure. The gift is new, but the giving is not," said Raymond G. Christensen, M.D., Grand Master of the state’s nearly 17,000 Masons.

http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/masons-give-u-of-minnesota-65-million-for-cancer-research,347520.shtml

We updated our screensavers today.

The new screensavers were developed from our "premium" graphics we launched last month at MasonicSoftware.com. 

You can download your free screensavers at: http://www.masonicworld.com/screensaver

Enjoy!

Aspiring for world supremacy? Then the Russian Freemasons are not the group to join.

"Many walk away disappointed when they don’t find buttons to operate the world behind my armchair," Russia’s top Freemason, former presidential candidate Andrei Bogdanov, said jokingly in his office in central Moscow.

Freemasonry — whose obscure origins have been traced to sometime between the building of King Solomon’s temple in the 10th century B.C. and the 16th century A.D. — once boasted an elite following in Russia, including 18th- and 19th-century nobility, poet Alexander Pushkin, architect Vasily Bazhenov and war heroes Alexander Suvorov and Mikhail Kutuzov.

These days, however, it is a more modest order. Indeed, the secret fraternity does not count any billionaires or senior politicians as members, said three Freemasons and two historians.

Continue reading: http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2008/03/28/002.html

During the course of any given day I field many questions on Freemasonry.  This particular question had me at a loss.  Ronn wanted to know the story behind this Masonic fishing hook. 

Figured I’d put this out to the blog in the hopes that someone can point Ronn in the right direction.  The information he has so far:

I have found no one who collects hooks who has any information on why the symbol would be on the hook. The makers are known though, with the original company opening in 1820 and taking on the Clerk, Green & Baker name in 1859. The hook was found with five others of the same vintage but different names and none with the symbol. I am not sure this hook was but am that the others were made in England.

If you have any additional information to provide please contact Ronn at: http://www.ronnlucassr.com/  (contact link on the bottom left).  In addition, it seems he makes hooks, so maybe if anyone is interested he might be able to resurrect the Masonic fishing hook (I googled and did not find other Masonic fishing hooks).  *I am not affiliated with Ronn or his business.  I am sure he would appreciate any help someone could provide.

*This post was submitted at request.  If you would like to have your news posted, please contact us via our contact page. 

Brethren,

For generations, Masonic "historians" have attempted to deny the very existence of King Athelstan’s brother, Prince Edwin of York.

This calumny has now been thoroughly exposed and he cannot any longer be denied his rightful place in Anglo-Saxon, and English Masonic history.

Records of the Abbey of St Bertin in Flandres, a few miles from Ushant, make note of King Athelstan’s expressions of gratitude for their burial of Edwin, who had drowned in a storm escaping from England during a period of turmoil (AD933).

In the contemporary Cartulaire de l’abbaye de S. Bertin it records the favour Athelstan heaped on the monastery "because the king’s brother, King [sic] Edwin, had been buried in the monastery of St. Bertin."

The cartulary version dates the incident to 932 and describes how, "the same King [sic] Edwin, when, because of some perturbation in his kingdom, got into a ship and tried to reach this part by sea, but the ship foundered in the storms and he was lost in the waves.

When his body was brought to the shore Count Adalolf received it with honour because he was a close kinsman and brought it to St. Bertin for burial."

The William of Malmesbury version in his Gesta regum suggests ingenuity and perseverance in an armour-bearer who found and fished out his master’s body and "swam a ship to land".

We can now say that this incident is confirmed by the entry in the Anglo-Saxon chronicles for the year 933: "This year died Bishop Frithestan; and Edwin the atheling was drowned in the sea".

Let us hear no more falsehood on this issue Brethren: Prince Edwin of York, the first Grand Master of The Grand Lodge of All England at York lived his life, died tragically at sea in AD933, and his mortal remains are buried in the Benedictine Monastery of l’Abbeye Saint Bertin in Flandres.

A delegation from The Grand Lodge at York will make a pilgrimage to l’Abbeye Saint Bertin as soon as it can be arranged.

YORK

January 2008

Peter J. Clatworthy

Grand Secretary

Grand Lodge of All England at York

www.grandlodgeofallengland.org

A nice video explaining Freemasonry and what it means to be a Mason. 

We perused the web to find leadership and membership conferences.  Does your Grand Lodge or Lodge  host such events?  Have a "plan of action" for 2008?  Retaining and growing current members is a must for a successful Lodge or Grand Lodge. 

Some of our picks:

Grand Lodge of F&AM of Alaska Strategic Plan

Grand Lodge of F&AM of Alaska

Masonic Service Association of North America (MSANA)

Taking the Next Steps

Grand Lodge California

Membership

Leadership

The 43^rd Masonic Spring Workshop (Grand Lodge of Alberta)

Masonic Workshop

Grand Lodge of Arizona 2008 Lodge Leadership Conferences

Grand Lodge of Arizona Leadership Conferences