Harashim 2010
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Harashim The Quarterly Newsletter of the Australian & New Zealand Masonic Research Council ISSN 1328-2735 Issue 49 January 2010 First Prestonian Lecture in Australia John Wade at Discovery Lodge of Research Laurelbank Masonic Centre, in the inner Sydney suburbs, was the venue for the presentation of the first Prestonian Lecture in Australia by a current Prestonian Lecturer. Discovery Lodge of Research held a special meeting there on Wednesday 6 January to receive the Master of Quatuor Coronati Lodge No. 2076 EC, the editor of Ars Quatuor Coronatorum, and the Prestonian Lecturer for 2009—all in the person of Sheffield University’s Dr John Wade. Some 37 brethren attended the lodge, including the Grand Master, MWBro Dr Greg Levenston, and representatives from Newcastle and Canberra. WM Ewart Stronach introduced Bro Wade, outlining his academic and Masonic achievements, gave a brief account of the origin of Prestonian Lectures, and closed the lodge. Ladies and other visitors were then admitted, swelling the audience to 54, for a brilliant rendition of the lecture: ‘“Go and do thou likewise”, English Masonic Processions from the 18th to the 20th Centuries’. Bro Wade made good use of modern technology with a PowerPoint presentation, including early film footage of 20th-century processions, supplementing it with his own imitation of a fire-and-brimstone preacher, and a spirited rendition of the first verse of The Entered Apprentice’s Song. (continued on page 16) From left: GM Dr Greg Levenston, Tom Hall, WM Ewart Stronach, Ian Shanley, Dr John Wade, Malcolm Galloway, Dr Bob James, Tony Pope, Neil Morse, Andy Walker Issue 49 photo from John page Wade 1 About Harashim Harashim, Hebrew for Craftsmen, is a quarterly newsletter published by the Australian and New Zealand Masonic Research Council (10 Rose St, Waipawa 4210, New Zealand) in January, April, July and October each year. It is supplied to Affiliates and Associates in hard copy and/or PDF format. It is available worldwide in PDF format as an email attachment, upon application to the Asst. Secretary, [email protected]. Usually the current issue is also displayed on the website of the Grand Lodge of Tasmania http://www.freemasonrytasmania.org/. Copyright and reprinting Copyright is vested in ANZMRC and the World News author of any article appearing in Harashim. International Conference at Canonbury; Affiliates and Associates are encouraged to Sheffield’s financial woes reprint the entire newsletter (at their own and that Dr John Wade of Sheffield In September 2009 Dr Andreas expense) and circulate it to their own members, University was helping to raise funds for including their correspondence circles (if any) Önnefors, Director of the Centre for the CRFF by sale of copies of his and to supply copies to public and Masonic Research into Freemasonry and Prestonian Lecture for 2009. libraries within their jurisdictions. Fraternalism, and Senior Lecturer in Individual items from any issue may be reprinted by Associates and Affiliates, provided: History at Sheffield University, The item is reprinted in full; announced that: The name of the author and the source of the the CRFF is currently under immense article are included; and pressure to secure funding for its future A copy of the publication containing the survival and commitment to the creation reprint is sent to the editor. Anyone else wishing to reprint material from of international excellence in the field of Harashim must first obtain permission from the academic research into freemasonry and copyright holders via the editor. fraternalism. With immediate effect a Unless otherwise specified, authors funding shortfall is putting the centre’s submitting original work for publication in activities at stake. Harashim are deemed to grant permission for their work to be published also on the Internet He explained that ‘during the course of Dr Andreas Önnefors websites of ANZMRC http//anzmrc.org and the 2009 the CRFF has lost three major Grand Lodge of Tasmania: opportunities for providing continued The University of Sheffield website http://www.freemasonrytasmania.org/. funding’ and that ‘due to accumulated contains a ‘Research Assessment Contents overspending’ the University had frozen Exercise’ document headed Affiliate and Associate members are encouraged the CRFF account. ‘RAE2008 . RA5a Research to contribute material for the newsletter, The three lost ‘major opportunities’ environment and esteem’ which, under including: the heading ‘2.4 Collaborative Their lecture programs for the year; cited by Dr Önnefors were: an Any requests from their members for unsuccessful ‘European research bid in Research’, contains a brief summary of information on a research topic; the range of €850k’; a decision in the work of the CRFF from its inception Research papers of more than local interest August by the United Grand Lodge of in 2001 to 2008: that merit wider publication. A distinctive feature of Departmental The newsletter also includes news, reports from England not to provide ‘continued research is the extensive participation by ANZMRC, book reviews, extracts from other funding of project-based research publications and a readers’ letters column, from between two and seven years, with a our staff in collaborative research time to time. total volume of around £2m’; and the endeavours. 1) The Centre for Research into If the source of an item is not identified, it is University’s decision in January ‘to by the editor. Opinions expressed are those of the Freemasonry and Fraternalism author of the article, and should not be attributed cease negotiations with the so-called US- (Önnerfors). The Centre was set up in to the Council. based Liafail Foundation, which through 2001 as outlined in RAE2001. Until Material submitted for publication must be in its British intermediary in 2004 had February 2007 it was directed by Prescott a digitised form by email or mailed on a CD or pledged funding in the range of £1m in and focused on the involvement of DVD, addressed to the editor, Tony Pope, 15 Rusten St, Queanbeyan, NSW 2620, order to support the CRFF’. Freemasonry in the prominent themes of Australia, [email protected]. Dr Önnefors stated: ‘We hope that it modern British history (empire, radical Clear illustrations, diagrams and will soon be possible to reconstitute our politics, trade unions, masculinity). photographic prints suitable for scanning are operational capacity for the last quarter Funding is provided by the charitable welcome, and most computer graphic (IBM) Trust for Research into Freemasonry, of this year, but the question still remains formats are acceptable. Photos of contributors which has no involvement in staff (preferably not in regalia) would be useful. about how the activities of the CRFF can appointments or the research agenda. The Contributors who require mailed material to be be secured on a long-term basis beyond Centre was awarded £250,000 from 2000 returned should include a stamped, self- the end of 2009’. He listed five addressed envelope. to 2002 and has received £85,000 per year ‘immediate initiatives for support’: sale from 2003. Agreement in principle has General correspondence of books of collected lectures at £20 per been given by the Liafail Foundation to All other correspondence, including about contribute £1 million towards the cost of purchase of CDs and books, should be directed volume; private donations to CRFF; a refurbishment and construction of the new to: The Secretary, ANZMRC forthcoming academic journal, Journal 10 Rose St, Waipawa 4210, for Research into Freemasonry and premises occupied by the HRI and the New Zealand. Fraternalism; a jointly-arranged Centre. The Centre’s activities include [email protected] two international conferences, an page 2 Harashim exhibition, and a series of lectures, seminars and postgraduate seminars. Publications include a bibliography of English-speaking works on freemasonry, searchable online versions of Lane’s President’s Corner Masonic Record of England and Wales and Drafften’s Scottish Masonic Record, Prescott’s edited volume Marking Well, and seemed to be present when he several articles by Prescott and Burt appeared! (Exeter). Our next important ANZMRC When the Centre for Research into function is the biennial conference Freemasonry began in 2001, it was jointly from 3rd to 6th September next year in funded by the United Grand Lodge of Mandurah, Western Australia. We England (UGLE), the Provincial Grand have endeavoured to publicise the Lodge of the West Riding of Yorkshire occasion and I would like to thank the and the Pro Grand Master, Lord lodges and chapter in New Zealand for Northampton. In 2002 UGLE agreed to their enthusiasm and interest in this continue funding until 2009. In 2003 the event. Our organising committee has Supreme Grand Chapter HRA also been working hard for the past year to became a contributor. In May 2006 the arrange for a conference that you will Douglas Knoop Centre was opened, to not forget and over 500 PowerPoint house the CRF, and the UGLE magazine It did seem a long time between the promotional presentations have MQ reported this as being ‘thanks to a decision at our biennial conference at already been circulated to brethren in munificent donation by the Liafail Queanbeyan in October 2008 and the Australia, New Zealand, Asia and Foundation’. The MQ article also stated joint, in lieu of a single, ANZMRC other parts of the world. We are able to that: ‘The senior director of the Liafail lecture tour one year later. However, it offer top class facilities and the Foundation unveiled a plaque honouring has come and gone and now Kerry and opportunity to see the famous Western Douglas Knoop and commemorating the I are both back home after delivering a Australian wildflowers at their peak Foundation’s gift’. total of 23 presentations in four and a time. half weeks—an average of five We have been very lucky in presentations per week.