Twas The Night Before Christmas, Down At The Lodge

‘Twas the Night before Christmas, and down at the lodge
not a gavel was stirring, and in the hodge-podge.

Of aprons and jewels and chairs East and West
You could savour the silence, most gladly divest

All metal and mineral, it mattered not,
Since Christmas was nigh and the coals were still hot.

In the hearth of your home place, all Masons abed,
As visions of trestle boards danced in their head;

When up on the roof there arose such a clatter
Our Tyler jumped up to see what was the matter!

He picked up his sword and ran fast to the door,
Three knocks shook the panels - he wondered ‘What for?’

He answered the knocking with raps of his own,
And once the door opened he saw, with a moan

Of delight it was Santa, all jolly and red
Except for one notable feature instead!

Upon his large finger he wore what we knew
Was compass and square on a background of blue!

‘Why Santa!’ he shouted and lowered his blade,
‘I see you’re a Mason!’ the Tyler relayed.

He looked toward the Master’s most dignified chair
And said, voice near trembling, ‘Most Worshipful there

Is a Gentleman properly clothed at the gate!’
The Master replied, ‘Let’s allow him - but wait!

You tell me a Gentleman, but I don’t see
His Apron beneath that red suit, can it be

Our visitor hasn’t been properly raised?
Must we offer a test that is suitably phrased?

‘I do beg your pardon,’ ol’ Santa said quick
As he pulled up his coat and displayed not a stick

But a cane with engraving, two balls did appear
And oh, what an apron, he wore and held dear!

Adorned like the Master’s, complete with a sign
Of “Lodge Number One, the North Pole” on one line!

“Now let this man enter,” the Master declared,
And once in the Lodge room, the Brethren all stared,

For Santa was wearing a jewel not seen
For many a century - there in between

The fur of his coat and the splendid red collar
Gleamed two golden reindeer that shone line a dollar!

“It’s Donner and Blitzen, who I must confess
“Are actually images brought from the West

By my Warden, a craftsman like none in the world!”
And with a great laugh from his bag he unfurled

An ear of fine corn, and some oil from the East,
“My friend I have plenty, tonight we will feast

On all that is good! We are Masons, kind sir!”
A murmur went throughout the Lodge, quite a stir,

As presents and promises flew from his sack!,
A Mason, showed he had a knack

For making this Christmas the best you could glean,
And soon even Deacons were laughing, they’d seen

On this very night only happiness reigned!
This jolly Saint Nicholas quickly explained

That only a Mason could be so inclined
To make all kids happy, make all people find

A Christmas so special, yes, Santa was right!
Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

With the Season’s Greetings to one and all.
from Tofique Fatehi, PM of Lodge Al-Ameen No 1412 (GLScot.), Mumbai, India. This poem made it to CraftyMason.ca from the monthly newsletter from Hamilton District C.

The Masonic Myth: Unlocking the Truth About the Symbols, the Secret Rites, and the History of Freemasonry by Jay Kinney

The book is just about 250 pages and gives an educated breakdown of Freemasonry: its history from the time of operative masons to the detailed history of the spreading of Freemasonry in North America and Europe, its structure and hierarchy, its appendant bodies and rites, and its symbolism and explanations. Conveniently, a few days after receiving a copy of The Masonic Myth I found myself using it as reference to have a clear ‘map’ of the chairs within the lodge, while out one night with some brothers from lodge, then later again a few days later when I was looking for information about the Scottish and York Rites’ degrees. While absolutely interesting and easy to read from a non-mason’s footings, I found this book to be more than helpful as an active member of a lodge.

While dispelling common rumours and conspiracy theories about the Fraternity, Jay Kinney later comments on the future of Freemasonry regarding demographics and dwindling memberships, bringing focus to other fraternal orders which both rose and fell in the 19th century. Sure, you may be able to strike up a conversation about lower memberships numbers with just about any Mason, but Kinney makes interesting notes on the sudden (massive) expansion of communication with brethren from across the world using various methods online including e-mail lists, message board forums, and chat rooms.

I must state again that this book was thoroughly researched, and shows no signs being thrown together to appease the masses (coughDan Browncough). Different than fictional books using the history of Freemasonry as an engine, Jay Kinney drives excitement just the same- more than just “based” on a true story in The Masonic Myth. I have the paperpack version, but I’ll likely pick up the hard cover just so I have a copy to lend out, and one to store on the shelf in my collection. It’s great for reference and the easy-to-read and often humorous lines (like the pop culture reference to The Simpsons in the first chapter) makes this a great choice for some Masonic reading before bed.

Follow me on Twitter @craftymason

ISBN: 9780060822569 (Buy it online from Amazon - $15 or less)
Author Bio:
Jay Kinney is co-author of Hidden Wisdom: A Guide to the Western Inner Traditions. For fifteen years, he served as publisher and editor-in-chief of Gnosis Magazine, the premiere journal covering esoteric traditions and spiritual paths. In addition, Kinney is a member of Mill Valley Lodge #356 and Mission Lodge #169, F&AM, in California. He’s also a member of the York Rite, and a 32° KCCH in the Scottish Rite. He has twice been a speaker at the California Masonic Symposium, and is a recipient of the Albert G. Mackey Award for Excellence in Masonic Research. He has extensive contacts within Freemasonry and, as Librarian and Director of Research for the San Francisco Scottish Rite, has access to many resources and Masonic records that have eluded most popular writers on this topic.

As posted on the Heritage Lodge No. 730 website:

The purpose of the Masonic Lodge at Black Creek Pioneer Village is to present Masonry in a favourable light to the many visitors who tour the village each year and to give them a better understanding of the place of Freemasonry in the social fabric of an 1867 crossroads rural community.

Last Sunday, I spent the better part of an afternoon walking about the town, and talking to the historical interpreters who dress the part and explain how life was. The first viewable building when you enter the town was the Tinsmith Shop, but at the back there was a peculiarly placed door with a little sign to the left (pictured above) reading Black Creek Masonic Lodge. The door was open, so I eagerly made my way into the building, and up the stairs.

Click to Enlarge

The lodge room (pictured above) was exactly as you might have found it years ago. I was greeted by two Brothers who handed me a pamphlet about Masonry in general, and Masonry at Black Creek. They were very knowledge and willing to answer any questions I had, or any of the village’s visitors had, as this building is open to the public. The picture above does not do this room justice, unfortunately. I hadn’t planned on taking pictures during my visit, and I definitely didn’t think I’d be walking into a lodge that day, so I had to make due with my Blackberry.

Scanned copy of the Black Creek Masonic Lodge Pamphlet:

For more information about Black Creek Pioneer Village, see the official website at: http://www.blackcreek.ca/

Have you been to the lodge room? What did you think? Let me know in the comments!

]]> http://www.craftymason.ca/black-creek-masonic-lodge.html/feed http://www.craftymason.ca/black-creek-masonic-lodge.html http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/CraftyMason/~3/wURhETY6EOs/famous-canadian-freemasons.html http://www.craftymason.ca/famous-canadian-freemasons.html#comments Sat, 04 Apr 2009 02:38:20 +0000 Wes http://www.craftymason.ca/?p=65 In most Masonic documentaries I’ve seen on TV or articles in the paper or what have you, the notable Masons were always American - Benjamin Franklin, John Wayne, Buzz Aldrin, Louis Armstrong, and the list goes on. But I was rarely given insight into famous Canadian Masons.

Below are the Top 5 Most Interesting Canadian Freemasons

5.

First Canadian Stamp

Sir Sanford Fleming - Creator of the first Canadian postage stamp and suggested the use of worldwide timezones. This pick for the number five spot may seem wild and out of left field, but if you take a moment to wonder- how does someone think up the concept of timezones worldwide? Before that, it simply didn’t exist. Maybe I find it more weird than it is, but Sir Sanford Fleming has earned his spot as number five on our list!

4.

Sir John A MacDonald

Coming in as number four is Sir John. A. MacDonald - Canada’s first Prime Minister. He was born in Scotland in 1815, but in 1820 his family moved to Kingston, in then Upper Canada. He led the Conservative party for 24 years, and served as Prime Minister for most of them- from 1867 to 1873. It’s also interesting to note that America’s first president, George Washington, was also a Freemason.

3.

Dr James Naismith

Dr. James Naismith - Inventor of the sport of Basketball, takes the third spot on our countdown. One more time: he invented basketball! There can’t be any contest to James Naismith making this list. Born in Almonte, Ontario, Dr. James Naismith was talented in sports and represented his university in football, soccer, and gymnastics. It wasn’t long after leaving to start a job at the YMCA in Springfield that he was charged with creating an indoor game to provide an “athletic distraction”. And then basketball was born.

2.

Molson

John Molson - Founder of Molson Breweries takes our number two spot for most interesting, and should be placed highly in any well-known Canadian Mason list as well. I’d be surprised if there were more than a handful of resident Canadians who haven’t heard of Molson Beer.

1.

Tim Hortons

And to cap this list off, taking our number one spot is… Tim Horton - NHL hockey legend and founder of the large coffee shop chain “Tim Horton’s“. The coffee chain that is known all over Canada, and one of the, if not THE largest Canadian brand still in operation. What would any morning be like without a Tim Horton’s coffee? What would your life be like if these Masons hadn’t made the achievements they had?

Were you surprised? Would you put anyone else in the Top 5? Don’t be shy, leave a comment!

Mozart Decoded DVD

“Mozart Decoded - The Man, the Music, The Masonic Mystery” is an hour long film about the life of famous composer and Freemason, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and the influences Freemasonry had in his life and music. The movie was mostly focused on his biography. I was a bit let down to find it wasn’t very in depth with Masonic content, but it’s absolutely understandable given that it was completely necessary for the viewer to have some sort of background on him to begin with. As I remember (I last saw this some 2 months ago), the masonic content wasn’t given focus until the midpoint of the film. With any luck, the director will issue another film with a greater information. But it was still a great watch, don’t get me wrong- especially for a short production!

If you’re interested in seeing this film, which I recommend you do, you can buy it online from the production company’s website. I’m not sure if this is available for rent, however, as this did seem to be a “small time” film, but it’s worth checking at your local video store.

Have you seen it? Planning to? What do you think? Share with us in the comments.

The Masonic Ring by Howie Damron

The Masonic Ring lyrics can be found here and you download the mp3 here and put it on your iPod or burn to CD. Don’t forget to buy his album, “Hiram’s Call”, if you like it!

Download lyrics : [click here]
Download the song: [click here]

What do you think of the video? Leave a comment below.

The Grand Lodge of BCY notes:

The appearances of Freemasonry in movies range from the unremarked and irrelevent use of symbols such as the square and compasses on scenery and properties, to the actual enactment of masonic ritual by principal characters. The following list of references is not definitive, nor are all entries confirmed.

To view their masonic movie listings, please see the following link:
http://freemasonry.bcy.ca/fiction/cinema.html

What makes the GL of BCY website stand out from any other listing you may find on the web, is that it contains screen captures from many of the movies- video stills, like a photo, of a scene to physically show the reference, rather than writing a paragraph to help you imagine the reference.

They also carry a listing of references in pop culture, games, television, and more.

What’s your favourite movie with a Masonic reference?

Plot Summary from IMDB:

The story is set in the latter days of World War 2, against the backdrop of fierce combat on the eastern front. Brother’s War is based on real events. The western Allies push into Germany and the Red Army is fights its way towards Berlin. Churchill is worried about Russia’s post-war plans for Europe but most not endanger the increasingly threatened alliance between the west and Russian A British military attached to the Red Army discovers a Russian war crime against the Polish government in exile and is seized by Stalin’s feared intelligence service. He finds unexpected help from an enemy and fellow prisoner a German Captain. They discover a common bond in freemasonry and are bound by honor, oath and secrets. They are joined by Anna, a beautiful Polish nurse cast adrift on the tides of war. The three are pursued by A Ruthless Russian commander through Germany caring a secret that can change the outcome of the world and the fate of millions. Brother’s War was produced with strict attention to historic accuracy and military detail and portrays the horrors and heroism of desperate battles. The film also opens the door into the ancient order of the freemasons and presents unmatched insight on the real histories of these men, brothers all, who have fought in every war for hundreds of years.

I had emailed the director, Tino Struckmann, in early December for more information about getting to see this movie which offers an insight into the history of Freemasonry and WWII. Tino mentioned that the film will be out on DVD and on TV in the beginning of 2009, but couldn’t get me any hard dates.

I’m eagerly awaiting the release! Check out the official website @ http://www.brotherswar.info/

Canadian Freemasonry Degree Structure

This graphically illustrates all the appendant/concordant bodies and rites of Freemasonry in Canada.

Although, it’s “live” someone may not always be available at that very second to chat. So please stick around, and I’m sure someone will pop in. Don’t be offended- we’re not ignoring you!

For more information about connecting to the Masonic chat, please click here:
http://www.craftymason.ca/masonic-chat