Ontario Mason Magazine Fall 2019 FALL 2019
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FALL 2019 The Official Magazine of the Grand Lodge of A. F. & A. M. of Canada in the Province of Ontario From The Editor The ONTARIO MASON MAGAZINE Published For: The Grand Lodge of A. F. & A. M. of Canada in the Province of Ontario Grand Master: M.W. Bro. David J. Cameron Communication Chairman: R.W. Bro. Tom Siemiernik 363 King Street West, Hamilton, Ontario, L8P IB4 Telephone: 905-528-8644 Fax: 905-528-6979 W. Bro. Dan Dignard Brethren, Managing Editor: W. Bro. Dan Dignard Fall is here and Hanukkah and Christmas celebrations are not far away. It’s hard Telephone: 519-433-1615 to believe that another year is almost past. 2019 was a year with many notable [email protected] events including the installation of a new Grand Master M.W. Bro. David J. Cameron and ten years of Sankey Lectures. Design Layout Graphic and IT W. Bro. Dan Dignard V. W. Bro. Stewart Hanna Included in this issue of the magazine is a summation of those ten years of San- key Lectures. You can also go to the Sankey Lecture website and view videos of Staff Writer the lectures. I encourage you to take some time to watch these videos and learn R.W. Bro. Garnet Schenk about Masonry in North America. W. Bro. Jim Chisholm Fall 2019 also marks the seventh year since the re-launch of the Ontario Mason Regional Communications Coordinators Magazine in its current format. As always we need content for the magazine North Region: W. Bro. Jim Chisholm and we want to showcase the Masonic and social events in your Lodge and Dis- East Region: V. W. Bro. Stewart Hanna trict. Many Districts alreasy have newsletters or magazines that showcase these South Region and Golden Horseshoe: W. Bro. Dan Dignard events locally but we want to also show the rest of Province what great things you are doing. Please also forward your pictures and stories to us at omm@ grandlodge.on.ca. Submissions: If you would like to be on our ditribution list you can also contact this email All submissions and feedback to The Ontario Mason Magazine and request to be added. Another option to subscribe or to view issues of the should be submitted at: magazine you have missed is to go to the Grand Lodge website and view the [email protected] magazine under the publication tab at the top of the page in the members area. Lastly, I wish you and your family a safe and happy holiday season and health, To all contributors: wealth, and happiness in 2020. The factual accuracy of an article is the Contributor’s responsibility. The opinions Sincerely and Fraternally, expressed by the authors do not necessarily reflect those of the Grand Lodge of A.F. & A.M. of Canada in the Province of Ontario, W. Bro. Dan Dignard or those of the Ontario Mason Team. Team Lead/Managing Editor Ontario Mason Magazine. Page 2 Ontario Mason Magazine Fall 2019 FALL 2019 Table of Contents 4 From the Grand Master 7 The Point of Education 11 Grand Junior Warden Regalia 16 DeMolay 26 Masonic Foundation 30 Masonic Symbolism 32 10 Years of Sankey Lectures 45 Working Tools of a Mason 48 You Are Part of The Message Disclaimer: The Ontario Mason Magazine advises that, while the greatest care has been taken in compiling the contents of The Ontario Mason (this “Publication”), the editor, designer, and publisher cannot accept any responsibility for any er- rors or omission. “Freemasonry: The once and future thing.” Page 3 From the Grand Master... Brethren, You may have heard me say that I believe we need to stop trying to be everything to everyone. Focus on what is quintessential about Masonry and drop the rest. I think that means we concentrate on: • the Ritual • explaining and discussing the meaning of the Ritual – that’s education • and mentoring our brethren and that’s it, really. All the rest falls out from that naturally: • charity understand the words and what the sentence is trying to • community involvement say, you can then phrase it properly and put the emphasis • fellowship in the right place. If one is just reading it, most will just gloss over the words they don’t understand and forget to If you live the teachings in the Ritual you will do those go back and look them up. To memorize something you things. must repeat it many times. You must get to know it. That helps you absorb it personally. First is our Ritual. It is our Ritual that separates us from all the Service Clubs and other community organizations out Next is the floor work. Most of that is explained in the there. It is what makes us different; what makes us, us. It rubrics in new version of the Book of the Work, but the is what has been passed down from generation to gener- “red book” is also valuable. And attending a Lodge of In- ation. It is what our ancient brethren guarded steadfastly. struction trumps all. The Masonic experience is a group effort. While the words may be able to be learned on Since the Ritual teaches everything we need to know to one’s own (and that is open to debate!), co-ordinating the be a Mason, we need to impart it in a way a candidate will movements and actions on the floor of the Lodge involves absorb it. It needs to be done well. First and foremost, is to knowing what each other is doing. Practices are essential. present the words in an impressive way. I have always thought practices were the most fun part Clear, flowing and with expression. of Masonry. The performance pressure is not there. The social benefits are. You can joke around during rehearsal. What about memorization? Many complain about having If another officer is unavoidably absent you can try out his to memorize things – and not just the candidates. Why part. A great learning experience. Even if you have only can’t we just read the Ritual? Wouldn’t it be smoother if we one line, going to the rehearsal lets you see your brethren did? Well, maybe, but maybe not. To read something well, at work, hear their interpretation of the cadence of the Rit- one must familiarize oneself with the passage in advance. ual. Often questions come up about why certain things are Would most people do that? And how do you do the floor done in a certain way and you learn more about the Craft. work with a book in your hand? The role of Past Masters is to mentor and guide the more But more importantly, memorization has to do with un- junior Brethren. Past Masters at a practice is paramount to derstanding. Not so much for the candidate as for the success. How can the new officers perform their work in a brother giving the work. In every guide to memorizing time honoured tradition if those that know the tradition Ritual one of the first things they say to do is look up the aren’t there to guide them? words you don’t understand in a dictionary. Once you Page 4 Ontario Mason Magazine Fall 2019 Many Lodges regularly have a time of fellowship after We left off last month with a narrative prior to Saturday, rehearsal, getting some of the benefits of a festive board September 7, when our team of Grand Lodge Commit- without the regimentation. Informal discussion of ideas tee Chairmen and the working Board of General Pur- for future projects comes up, problems get solved, and poses members all met in Ajax to detail how the work we learn more about our Brethren, their lives, and their of their respective Committees supported the Strategic families. Plan of our Grand Lodge and present their objectives. With rehearsal experience under your belt you can con- To be frank, this meeting didn’t go quite as well as ex- fidently work like a well-oiled machine on Lodge night, pected. Rather than all of the attendees focusing in on giving the candidate an experience that he will remem- the Grand Lodge mission to promote Masonic educa- ber with awe. tion through our ritual and history and the mentoring of our members, whether they be Grand Lodge Officers And that is the main point, isn’t it? Giving an impressive all the way to the newest Entered Apprentice Mason, experience to the candidate. We get three chances to do many of the reports we heard were completely unrelat- that, and so we must put our all into it. ed but rather about special projects of their own design to promote Freemasonry in general. David J. Cameron Now, don’t get me wrong, the latter is a laudable pur- Grand Master suit – to coin a phrase – but as our Grand Master says, ‘not every Grand Lodge Officer needs to make their own special mark through their own special project.’ We have limited resources and we need to focus our at- tention on the immediate and most pressing Masonic needs – to educate and prepare Masons at every step From the Deputy... of their development to keep our membership excited about our Craft and able to perform their allotted task with excellence whether it be as a Grand Lodge Com- mittee Chairman, a new Lodge Deacon, a new Entered Apprentice Mason or a prospective member attending your festive board. I love the old adage – ‘how do you eat an elephant?’ I agree that we have a lot to do, but success is built on small victories.