12 Gifts of Christmas…. #1 Steve

MCF Logo
The MCF logo

This year the Masonic Charitable Foundation are releasing a series of 12 short videos to highlight the work carried out on behalf of our members during 2017.  It is stories like this that make us proud to be Masons!

Here is the first in the series…

Steve’s illness was preventing him from leaving the house and seeing his friends and family. The Masonic Charitable Foundation (MCF) funded a mobility scooter which has given him a new lease of life and the freedom to go out whenever he likes.

Merry Christmas from us all in
Agricola Lodge No 4501

Next video in this series>

Installation Meeting 2017

Agricola Lodge No 4501 has a new Worshipful Master!

WM with IPM
Our new WM (L) with his IPM

At our installation meeting on Friday 24th November 2017, Paul Constable was installed into the Chair of the Lodge as it’s 96th Worshipful Master.  The ceremony being expertly carried out by his predecessor Neil Sadler.

Paul is one of a very select group of Masons who have served as Master of Agricola 4501 on more than one occasion.  Aged 67,  Paul is a retired  IT professional and former Royal Navy seaman.  He lives in Tunbridge Wells with his wife Lin,  and has been a member of the Lodge since 2004.

Grand Officers
Our new WM with the PGM’s Representative and some of the Grand Officers

Every Installation meeting in East Kent  is attended by a senior member of the Province,  representing the Provincial Grand Master.  On this occasion we were pleased to welcome Provincial Junior Grand Warden, Martyn Summers.

 

 

We were also pleased to welcome 24 other guests and visitors.  This number included the Masters of Duke of Kent, Monckton and Malling Centenary Lodges who assisted during the ceremony.

Following the appointment and investiture of the new Master’s team of Officers,  the Brethren approved donations to the following Charities….

The Kent Museum of Freemasonry

Teddies for Loving Care

Demelza Hospice Care for Children

The Masonic Fishing Charity

 

The formal work of the Lodge being complete, members, guests and visitors repaired to the dining room where they enjoyed a sumptuous meal of Farmhouse Pate,  followed by Roast Lamb,  a dessert of Baked Apple, and the usual Cheeseboard, Coffee and mints!

During his response to the Toast to the Provincial Officers,  Martyn Summers thanked the Lodge members for their warm welcome, and conveyed to the new Worshipful Master the personal congratulations of Provincial Grand Master Geoffrey Dearing.

Master and Wardens
Our New WM with his Wardens

After the meal a  raffle organised by new Charity Steward Jim de Save raised the magnificent sum of over £325.00 which was donated to the Cornwallis East Kent Freemasons Charity

 

 

Agricola Lodge No 4501,  traditionally ends the Festive Board with the Tyler’s Toast which guides our thoughts to those of our Brethren who might be in “….distressed circumstances”.  This having been completed,  the Brethren departed,  eagerly looking forward to a new Masonic year.

Remembrance Day Parade 2017

Members of Agricola Lodge No 4501 were amongst a contingent of almost 40 Maidstone Freemasons who took part in this year’s annual Remembrance Day Parade in Maidstone Town Centre on Sunday 12th November.

Remembrance Day 2017
Maidstone Masons pay tribute to the fallen

They  joined members of HM Armed Forces, Reservists, Armed Forces Veterans,  Community Groups and Youth Organisations from across the area to commemorate those who lost their lives in the Two World Wars as well as those killed or injured in more recent conflicts.

The Banner on display this year was that of Maidstone’s oldest Lodge, Belvidere No 503

The parade began at 10:30 am in Week Street, passing along the High Street and past the Town Hall,  before arriving at the War Memorial in the Broadway.

The Service of Remembrance included the national two minutes silence at 11am and the laying of wreaths in memory of the fallen.

A wreath on behalf of all Maidstone Freemasons,  was laid by Belvidere’s newest member  Bro. Chris Took.

RBL Poppy Appeal
RBL Poppy Appeal

Maidstone’s Freemasons are traditionally strong supporters of the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal with many acting as Poppy sellers and collectors for the Charity.

Agricola‘s current Worshipful Master Neil Sadler said…

“We are honoured and proud to take part in this annual Act of Remembrance for those who gave their lives in the defence of Freedom.  We urge all our members to support the work of the Royal British Legion and other Forces Charities in caring for and supporting servicemen and their families,  all of whom have given so much  in the service of our country.”

Our Charities: Cornwallis East Kent Freemasons’ Charity

Agricola Lodge No. 4501 is pleased to be a supporter of the Cornwallis East Kent Freemasons’ Charity  (CEKFC).  This is our own Province’s local organization for providing assistance and support to a wide range of Charities, Community Groups and individuals here in East Kent.

CEKFC Logo
CEKFC – Caring for Kent

 

The Charity’s declared aim is

“…to invest in a brighter future, by assisting the vulnerable, and funding opportunities for the disadvantaged in our communities”.

 

CEKFC Taxi Bus
CEKFC Community Taxi Bus

 

 

It achieves this by making grants towards projects that directly assist the disadvantaged  here in our East Kent Community.

 

 

Recent grants have included…

  • Vulnerable People – improving the lives of the vulnerable and disadvantaged in our communities.
  • Helping to alleviate the impact of disability.
  • Providing care for the seriously ill and older people.
  • Supporting Carers.
  • Relieving poverty and distress
  • Youth Opportunities – helping children and young people reach their full potential.
  • Supporting youth groups and organisations
  • Developing life and work-related skills
  • Focusing on disadvantaged young people.
  • Helping the under 25s.

 

CEKFC Charity
CEKFC Charity Presentation

The Charity is named after the Cornwallis family which has played a prominent role in Kent  life for many years.  The family were landowners and farmers,  undertaking many public offices in serving the people of Kent.  It was in recognition of this service that Colonel Fiennes Stanley Wykeham Cornwallis was created Baron Cornwallis of Linton in 1927.

Their close connections with Kent have been mirrored in the family’s association with Freemasonry. The first Lord Cornwallis was Provincial Grand Master of Kent from 1906 until his death in 1935.

He was succeeded in this office by the second Baron who served as Provincial Grand Master of Kent until it was divided into the Masonic Provinces of East and West Kent in 1973.   At that time, Lord Cornwallis became the Provincial Grand Master of East Kent.

All About: The Province of East Kent

Freemasonry in England , Wales, The Channel Islands and the Isle of Man is administered by the United Grand Lodge of England,  through 48  “Provinces”  which are largely based on County and the London Metropolitan boundaries.

Each Province is headed by a Provincial Grand Master assisted by a Deputy and one or more Assistant Grand Masters depending on the size of the Province.

Here in Kent, the large number of Lodges means that the County is split between the Provinces of East and West Kent.

 

Province of East Kent
The Province of East Kent’s Insignia

Agricola Lodge No 4501 is a proud member of the Province of East Kent whose headquarters are in Whitstable.  It is headed by Provincial Grand Master, Geoffrey Dearing.

The Province is home to over 6000 Freemasons who meet in 186 Lodges, based at 34 different centres around the county.  Locations range from historic Gravesend in the north,  to Dymchurch on the South coast;  and from Paddock Wood in the west,  to the seaside resort of Ramsgate in the east.

 

CEKFC Logo
CEKFC – Caring for Kent

The Province’s main Charity is the Cornwallis East Kent Freemasons’ Charity (CEKFC) which is also based in Whitstable.

If you are looking to join a lodge outside the Maidstone area you can apply online by visiting the Province’s Membership Portal 

Lodge Officers: The Almoner

One of the most important roles in a Masonic Lodge is that of the Almoner.

An almoner was originally a chaplain or church officer  in charge of distributing money (Alms) to the deserving poor.  The word derives from the Ancient Greek: ἐλεημοσύνη eleēmosynē (alms), via the popular Latin almosinarius

Almoner Collar Jewel
The Almoner’s Collar Jewel

 

Caring for others is a key aspect of Masonic philosophy, and the Almoner‘s role is the one where that is put into most direct effect.

The Almoner’s core job is to be the “eyes and ears” of the Lodge, ensuring the welfare of its members and of their widows and dependants.

 

Specific responsibilities include…

  • Maintaining regular contact with sick or distressed Lodge members.
  • Maintaining regular contact with Lodge widows/widowers/single members.
  • Making contact with families of recently deceased brethren.
  • Being alert to the needs and problems of Lodge members and their dependants.
  • Making contact with members not attending Lodge meetings.
  • Being involved if issues of exclusion of members arise.
  • Making new members welcome, in conjunction with the Proposer, Seconder and Lodge Mentor.
  • Ensuring that members, partners and dependants are aware of what support may be available.

 

MCF Logo
The MCF logo
  • Providing support to members in financial difficulty particularly through initiating the process of making applications for help to the Masonic Charitable Foundation.
  • Being aware of happier events such as birthdays, births and special wedding anniversaries so that the Lodge can send appropriate greetings.

To perform this role an Almoner needs to possess considerable tact, courtesy, discretion, patience and humour.  He  needs a sympathetic disposition, a commitment to helping people, and the time and energy to devote to the benefit of Lodge members and their dependants.

Could you do it?

Our Charities: The Masonic Fishing Charity

This year Agricola Lodge No 4501 is pleased to support

The Masonic Fishing Charity.   The Charity’s aim is to bring an interactive fishing and countryside experience to people with special needs.

Catching the smile!
Catching the smile!

 

It achieves this by running fishing events, both coarse and fly, at various fisheries.  Participants are invited from special needs schools and centres;  as well as people who have suffered trauma.

The East Kent Branch of the Charity organises 4 such events,  at fisheries throughout the Province.

 

This is far more than just a days fishing though! It enables mentally disabled people to gain in confidence, meet new challenges and achieve tangible results; it helps disadvantaged people and those from harsh backgrounds to renew their confidence by meeting people and interacting with adults from outside their current experience;   it helps physically disabled people (including war heroes and stroke victims) to participate and experience something that may otherwise be unavailable to them and it enables the Charity’s volunteers to give something back to the community and have some fun along the way.

MFC Logo
MFC Logo

The Masonic Fishing Charity is completely run by volunteers and is a non profit making enterprise.

You do not have to be a Freemason to help or take part in their activities.

 

All About: United Grand Lodge of England

You will read elsewhere on this site,  references to “Grand Lodge” or the United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE),   but what is it,  and how does it function?

UGLE Coat of Arms
The UGLE Coat of Arms

 

The United Grand Lodge of England is currently celebrating it’s 300th Birthday as it was founded in London in  1717.   In that year four Lodges met at the Goose and Gridiron Tavern in St Paul’s Churchyard and decided for form themselves into the world’s first Grand Lodge.  Anthony Sayer became  the first Grand Master.

 

The Grand Master
The Grand Master

 

Today UGLE is the governing body for Freemasonry throughout England and Wales, as well as overseas Districts and Territories.  It has over 200,000 members meeting in over 7000 Lodges.  

It’s current Grand Master is

HRH The Duke of Kent.

 

 

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The MCF logo

As well as being an administrative body, UGLE, through it’s Charitable arm the Masonic Charitable Foundation , is one of the largest grant making bodies in the UK with payments totalling more than  £33,000,000 per year.  Grants are made to a wide variety of Charities, social groups, community organisations and individuals in need.

 

Freemasons Hall in London

UGLE is housed at the world famous Freemasons’ Hall in London’s Covent Garden.  

It has been the home of English Freemasonry since 1775.  The present Freemasons’ Hall was built between 1927 and 1932 as a memorial to the 3,000 members, killed during the First World War.

One of the UK’s finest Art Deco buildings. It has recently been upgraded to give access to people with disabilities.

Freemasons’ Hall is one of London’s top 10 film locations featuring in several Hollywood blockbusters. It was also the headquarters of the team from Spooks, the BBC spy series.

 

Grand Temple Interior
The interior of the Grand Temple

Starting with the Library and Museum, you can take a guided tour of the Grand Temple and ceremonial areas. There are up to five tours a day if the Hall is not in use for events.  It is strongly recommended to check times and pre-book.

 

Call 0207 395 9257 or email libmus@freemasonry.london.museum

Freemason’s Hall provides a magnificent setting for product launches, creative performances, receptions for up to 1,200 people, dinner dances catering for 25-250 and conferences for up to 1,000 delegates. Each year it hosts the London Fashion Show.

October 2017 – A very special visitor!

Our October 2017 meeting saw the Worshipful Master, Neil Sadler welcome a most special and distinguished guest in the person of Past Deputy Provincial Grand Master,  Roger Odd.  The purpose of Roger’s visit was to present Agricola Lodge with a splendid pair of stone Ashlars in recognition of the Lodge’s gererous support of the Province of East Kent’s Tercentenary Appeal.

Canterbury Cathedral
Canterbury Cathedral

In 2016, to celebrate 300 years since the founding of the United Grand Lodge of England (UGLE),  the Masonic Provinces of East Kent, West Kent, Surrey and Sussex came together to launch an appeal in aid of restoration works at Canterbury Cathedral.  The result  was that over £300,000 was raised to fund important repairs to,  and restoration of, the stonework in the NW Transept Tower of the Cathedral.

Ashlars have a symbolic importance in Freemasonry;  as the Stonemason’s  transformation of the “Rough” ashlar  into the “Perfect” cube of the dressed stone,  is taken as a metaphor for the process which we refer to as “making good men better.”  These presentation Ashlars are made from the same Caen Limestone with which Canterbury Cathedral is faced.  They feature the Square and Compasses logo of UGLE on the front and our Lodge number, 4501 on the reverse.

Neil Sadler with Roger Odd
WM Neil Sadler (L) receives the Ashlars from Roger Odd

During his talk Roger described how Kent Freemasonry’s close and valued relationship with the Cathedral began over 150 years ago.  He passed on the thanks of both the  Dean of Canterbury, the Very Rev Dr. Robert Willis, and The Provincial Grand Master of East Kent, Geoffrey Dearing.

 

This meeting also saw the presentation of a Grand Lodge Certificate to Bro. Peter Jacobs by Agricola’s own Past Assistant Provincial Grand Master Roger Waltham.  A Grand Lodge Certificate is presented to every Freemason on completion of the Three Degrees, at which point he becomes a Master Mason.

This evening also saw the election of our Master Elect, Paul Constable.  Paul will be installed into the Worshipful Master’s Chair at our Installation meeting on 24th November 2017.  Full details and booking facilities are available in the Events section of this site.

As usual, the formal part of the meeting was followed by our excellent Festive Board, the highlight of which was a rather splendid Steak and Ale Pie!…

Report:  Richard Carney

Photos:  Neil Marshall

 

 

A potted History of Freemasonry

The questions of when, how, why and where Freemasonry originated are still the subject of intense speculation. The consensus amongst most Masonic scholars is that it descends directly or indirectly from the organisation of operative stonemasons who built the great cathedrals and castles of the middle ages.

July 31, 1599:  The Oldest Masonic Lodge Minutes in existence are from the Lodge of Edinburgh No. 1 which has records to prove its long-time existence as the world’s oldest Masonic Lodge.

1646:  Elias Ashmole (The founder of the Ashmolean Museum at the University of Oxford) recorded his initiation into Freemasonry with these words… 
“October 16, 4.30pm – I was made a freemason at Warrington in Lancashire with Colonel Henry Mainwaring (a Roundhead parliamentarian friend related to his father-in-law) of Karincham in Cheshire. The names of those that were then at the Lodge, Mr Richard Penket Worden, Mr James Collier, Mr Richard Sankey, Henry Littler, John Ellam, Richard Ellam and Hugh Brewer.”
This is the first evidence of the initiation of an English speculative mason – notwithstanding the fact that those present and listed would have certainly been initiated at an earlier date.

24 June 1717:  Four London Lodges, which had existed for some time, came together at the Goose and Gridiron Tavern in St Paul’s Churchyard in London, declared themselves a Grand Lodge and elected Anthony Sayer as their Grand Master. This was the first Grand Lodge in the world.

1723: By this time the new Grand Lodge had published its first rule book – The Book of Constitutions of Masonry – and was meeting quarterly and recording its meetings. It had extended its authority outside London.

1725:  The Grand Lodge of Ireland was established.

1736:  The Grand Lodge of Scotland was established. The three Home Grand Lodges began to take Freemasonry overseas and the development of Freemasonry abroad mirrors the 18th and 19th century development of the British Empire.

1751:  A rival Grand Lodge appeared in London. Its original members were Irish Masons who claimed that the original Grand Lodge had made innovations. They dubbed the first Grand Lodge the Moderns and called themselves the Antients. The two existed side by side – both at home and abroad – for nearly 63 years, neither recognising each other as regular.

1813:  After four years of negotiation, the two Grand Lodges in England united on 27 December 1813 to form the United Grand Lodge of England. This union led to a great deal of standardisation of ritual, procedures and regalia.

1814:  Some 647 Lodges were in existence. The 19th century saw a great expansion of Freemasonry – both at home and abroad.

1900:  2,800 Lodges had been established despite losses when independent Grand Lodges were formed in Canada and Australia in the later part of the century.

1914 -1945:  The two World Wars both had a great effect on English Freemasonry. In the three years after the First World War over 350 new Lodges were set up, and in the three years after the Second World War nearly 600 new Lodges came into being. In many cases the founders were servicemen who wanted to continue the camaraderie they had built up during their war service, and were looking for a calm centre in a greatly changed and changing world.

1967:  On 14 June 1967 the 250th anniversary of Grand Lodge was celebrated at the Royal Albert Hall. Centrepiece of the celebrations was the installation as Grand Master of HRH The Duke of Kent, who still holds that office today.

1992:  On 10 June 1992 over 12,500 Freemasons and guests gathered at Earls Court in West London to celebrate the 275th anniversary of Grand Lodge. For the first time press and television were present at a meeting of Grand Lodge and the event featured on television newscasts around the world.

2017:  Freemasons around the world are currently celebrating the 300th Anniversary of the United Grand Lodge of England..

Some famous  Freemasons…

  •  At least five Kings of England (more recently Edward VII, Edward VIII and George VI),
  • The present  Duke of Kent,
  • Statesmen  Winston Churchill and Lord Kitchener,
  • Military genius the  Duke of Wellington,
  • Authors Rudyard Kipling and Arthur Conan Doyle,
  • World Cup winning England manager,  Alf Ramsey,
  • The explorer  Ernest Shackleton,
  • The scientist who discovered penicillin, Alexander Fleming ,
  • Painter  William Hogarth,
  • 18th Century Poet  Alexander Pope
  • Flamboyant playwright Oscar Wilde.
  • Famous actors  David Garrick,   Richard Todd and Peter Sellers,
  • Musicians: Arthur Sullivan of Gilbert and Sullivan fame and Nat King Cole.