As I was born on the same day as George Washington, I think that it would be great to visit in February and tell the story.
2nd question
We have a historical theme park in Victoria Australia Sovereign Hill, upstairs in the Charlie Napier Hotel is the smallest lodge room , probably only holds 20 attendees, and have dinner later in the hotel
I’ve only visited a small number of lodges outside of my local area, and none really stand out to me. They are usually old and needing updating and/or repairs. There have been a few that had features I liked. Honolulu lodge had fiber optic lights embedded in the ceiling to mimic stars for example. I loved Horus Tyler lodge’s exposed wooden beams in the lodge room, was very nicely designed. Franklin lodge is very small and old, but the fact the officers dress up in revolutionary period clothes is a neat touch. My suggestion to them that if they can’t get the WMC changed to allow officers to wear more historically accurate aprons, that they ask the MWGM dispensation to allow it instead, at say, a special event once a year.
Personally, I think it is absurd that our Jurisdiction insists that only square aprons can be worn. As near as I have been able to determine, square aprons became the standard for commercial reasons. There was less waste produced in their making than there was with rounded aprons.
There is a very long history of American Masons wearing rounded aprons, including by our own George Washington.
To claim that rounded aprons are somehow unmasonic or improper is absurd.
That said, I don't agree that a Grand Master of Washington should declare it OK for our Lodges to wear rounded aprons at a special event.
I say that because:
If the Grand Master did so, the Lodge would wear them, and everything would be fine for the Lodge. At the next Annual Communication however, the Grand Master's decision would be ruled improper (there would be no other choice, as the body has not long ago decided this specific issue.) Then it would not be possible to wear the aprons again.
This would all be fine, except for the fact that these aprons are expensive. Lodge members would have purchased them, and then not be able to wear them, causing them to lose money unnecessarily.
This is basically what happened in this Jurisdiction some years ago:
A Lodge asked a Grand Master for permission to wear rounded instead of square aprons. He gave them that permission. The Lodge and its members went out and bought quite costly, very fine, rounded aprons. Then the Jurisprudence Committee ruled that the Grand Master's decision was improper, and the body as a whole upheld the decision of the Jurisprudence Committee. This resulted in the Brothers who bought these very expensive aprons not being able to wear them.
I agree with you, 100%, that this should be allowed. But I think it will have to come about through action of the body at an Annual Communication.
I'd love to see kirkwall killwinning in Orkney scottland and see the kirkwall scroll.
The others id recomend to you traveling companions. The masonic marker at black camp gap. More specifically during the york rite summer assembly. A week long experience!
For those of you in the Allied Masonic Degrees, this years Miscellanea will include a reprint of an article that details the contents of the original time capsule placed in the 30s at the foot of the marker at black camp gap. Few people know that there was a seal from the grand lodge of germany to be placed in it, but oweing tot he nazi's take over of germany in 1938 it was not delivered. Later it was deposited when the time capsule was exhumed and replaced in the 70s. Each stone was sent by every jurisdiction in the free world at the time. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xShC3PtlKmU
Killwinning for the obvious reason and then because my physics/computing partner who retired at CERN last year was born there 82 years ago and after he finished College in Scotland he moved to Geneva in 1967 to work at CERN and still lives there after retirement
The one here in our country would be the Grand Lodge of Free & Accepted Masons of Indiana
I'm with you on all three of your choices. Killwinning would be truly awesome to see, as would the Scottish Rite Cathedral in Indianapolis, and the House of the Temple in D.C.
In answer to the first question
Fredericksburg Masonic Lodge No. 4
As I was born on the same day as George Washington, I think that it would be great to visit in February and tell the story.
2nd question
We have a historical theme park in Victoria Australia Sovereign Hill, upstairs in the Charlie Napier Hotel is the smallest lodge room , probably only holds 20 attendees, and have dinner later in the hotel
I've got to agree, it would be awesome to sit in George Washington's mother Lodge!
No. 4:
https://masoniclodge4.org/
Thank you for telling us about the Lodge Room in the Charlie Napier Hotel. That does indeed look like an awesome place to visit!
https://lesterlost.com/sovereign-hill-photos-inspire-you/
I’ve only visited a small number of lodges outside of my local area, and none really stand out to me. They are usually old and needing updating and/or repairs. There have been a few that had features I liked. Honolulu lodge had fiber optic lights embedded in the ceiling to mimic stars for example. I loved Horus Tyler lodge’s exposed wooden beams in the lodge room, was very nicely designed. Franklin lodge is very small and old, but the fact the officers dress up in revolutionary period clothes is a neat touch. My suggestion to them that if they can’t get the WMC changed to allow officers to wear more historically accurate aprons, that they ask the MWGM dispensation to allow it instead, at say, a special event once a year.
Personally, I think it is absurd that our Jurisdiction insists that only square aprons can be worn. As near as I have been able to determine, square aprons became the standard for commercial reasons. There was less waste produced in their making than there was with rounded aprons.
There is a very long history of American Masons wearing rounded aprons, including by our own George Washington.
https://www.mountvernon.org/plan-your-visit/calendar/exhibitions/george-washington-s-masonic-apron-on-view/
To claim that rounded aprons are somehow unmasonic or improper is absurd.
That said, I don't agree that a Grand Master of Washington should declare it OK for our Lodges to wear rounded aprons at a special event.
I say that because:
If the Grand Master did so, the Lodge would wear them, and everything would be fine for the Lodge. At the next Annual Communication however, the Grand Master's decision would be ruled improper (there would be no other choice, as the body has not long ago decided this specific issue.) Then it would not be possible to wear the aprons again.
This would all be fine, except for the fact that these aprons are expensive. Lodge members would have purchased them, and then not be able to wear them, causing them to lose money unnecessarily.
This is basically what happened in this Jurisdiction some years ago:
A Lodge asked a Grand Master for permission to wear rounded instead of square aprons. He gave them that permission. The Lodge and its members went out and bought quite costly, very fine, rounded aprons. Then the Jurisprudence Committee ruled that the Grand Master's decision was improper, and the body as a whole upheld the decision of the Jurisprudence Committee. This resulted in the Brothers who bought these very expensive aprons not being able to wear them.
I agree with you, 100%, that this should be allowed. But I think it will have to come about through action of the body at an Annual Communication.
Thanks, wasn't aware of that history about rounded aprons in our jurisdiction.
I think we will get them approved someday, but it is going to take some time I fear.
I'd love to see kirkwall killwinning in Orkney scottland and see the kirkwall scroll.
The others id recomend to you traveling companions. The masonic marker at black camp gap. More specifically during the york rite summer assembly. A week long experience!
http://www.phoenixmasonry.org/masonicmuseum/Great_Smoky_Mountains_Masonic_Monument.htm
Thank you for both of these. I wasn't aware of either of them, and have enjoyed reading about them this morning!
Kirkwall Scroll:
https://www.thesquaremagazine.com/mag/article/202010what-is-the-kirkwall-scroll/
Yep I have a copy in my office on the wall.
For those of you in the Allied Masonic Degrees, this years Miscellanea will include a reprint of an article that details the contents of the original time capsule placed in the 30s at the foot of the marker at black camp gap. Few people know that there was a seal from the grand lodge of germany to be placed in it, but oweing tot he nazi's take over of germany in 1938 it was not delivered. Later it was deposited when the time capsule was exhumed and replaced in the 70s. Each stone was sent by every jurisdiction in the free world at the time. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xShC3PtlKmU
What an awesome bit of physical Masonic history!
Killwinning for the obvious reason and then because my physics/computing partner who retired at CERN last year was born there 82 years ago and after he finished College in Scotland he moved to Geneva in 1967 to work at CERN and still lives there after retirement
The one here in our country would be the Grand Lodge of Free & Accepted Masons of Indiana
( I have a friend/Brother that lives in Indianapolis) .........do wish I could make that trip to ours in Washington D.C. to see this one https://i80.servimg.com/u/f80/19/36/49/57/screen17.jpg
I'm with you on all three of your choices. Killwinning would be truly awesome to see, as would the Scottish Rite Cathedral in Indianapolis, and the House of the Temple in D.C.
Mother Lodge:
https://www.mk0.com/
SRC:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scottish_Rite_Cathedral_(Indianapolis)