Harashim The Quarterly Newsletter of the Australian & New Zealand Masonic Research Council ISSN 1328-2735 Issue 9 January 1999 NEW MASONIC INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH ASSOCIATION An international association of Masonic researchers and research bodies has been formed, initially based in Virginia, USA. To date, only four research lodges, a council of Knight Masons, and six individual researchers have joined, but many others have expressed interest, including ANZMRC. The idea was first mooted during Masons may be interested in joining and arrangements for the historic joint Research Lodges or doing more Masonic research. That alone would • Universal Council of Knight Masons meeting of the Civil War Lodge of make it worthwhile to form an #70 UD, DC. Research #1865 (Virginia) and a Association of Research Lodges. The Maryland Masonic Research Society contingent from Quatuor Coronati Lodge [The term ‘research lodge’ is intended and the Texas Lodge of Research are #2076 (England) at the George to include research societies and similar among those which have expressed Washington Masonic National Memorial, groups, and individual researchers.] interest, and individuals who have joined in Alexandria, Virginia, in July last year. He goes on to suggest: include Paul M Bessel, GSwdB (VA); Subsequently, Paul M Bessel, WM of If we get a reasonable number of Paul L Handley, President of the South Civil War Lodge of Research, formulated members joining this new Association, Carolina Masonic Research Society; and the proposal on an Internet site, with a we can then officially begin. We can hold James E Sledge, 80-year-old Custodian of statement of purpose, temporary by-laws a conference telephone call, or the Work (ritual) and active researcher, of exchange mail (or email or computer (see page 4), and application forms for chat) to make any changes in the Georgia. membership. The announcement was temporary bylaws, adopt an official made just too late for inclusion on the name, elect officers, plan activities and agenda of the ANZMRC Conference in meetings, and do anything else we feel might be useful. We could decide to try October, but can be viewed on <http:// to hold an in-person meeting, perhaps in In this issue . www.geocities.com/athens/1799/ connection with a Philalethes meeting or News resassn.html>. Initial fees are US$10 for some other event that several of us individuals and US$25 for organised would be attending. We could also use International Masonic Research the dues money to send Newsletters for Association forming ................1,4 research groups. the new Association to the members, Bro Bessel suggests three reasons for Philalethes chapters in Europe.........5 and also to others who might become QC visits USA.................................4 the formation of such a body: members. In the Newsletters we could include information about what the Grand Lodges in France to unite .....5 We could share information about what member Research Lodges are doing, each of our Research Lodges are doing, and ideas for each Research Lodge to Features so each of us can get new ideas that we use. Book reviews...................................6 might be able to implement successfully in our own Research Lodges. Thus, all Groups which have already joined the President’s corner............................3 research lodges can improve as a result association are: Readers’ letters..............................11 of cooperation between us. • Civil War Lodge of Research #1865, Thumbnail sketches.......................12 With more communication between This ’n’ that .....................................9 us, some Research Lodges could find Virginia, more opportunities to develop joint • Michigan Lodge of Research and Articles programs that individual Research Information #1, Lodges could not do on their own. As I see it from here (Canada).......10 If individual Masons see that • Pythagoras Lodge of Research, DC, Masonic education (South Africa)...2 Research Lodges are cooperating and • Southern California Research Lodge, Issuethus 9accomplishing more, then more page 1 Article contributed by RWBro Rodney E Grosskopff, ADGM, District of the Transvaal, UGLE, and Secretary of Lyceum Lodge of Research #8682 EC, our South African associate member of ANZMRC. MASONIC EDUCATION by Rod Grosskopff Most committed Freemasons cannot help casting a nervous glance at the numbers in our lodges. We find so much enjoyment and satisfaction around the chequered floor, why can’t others see it? Why do they leave so soon? We immediately conclude that it is because they do not understand, and therefore they need Masonic Education. After all, our rituals tell us to make a daily advancement in Masonic knowledge. But, although I more entertainment-orientated evening— About Harashim believe Masonic knowledge is extremely a play in period costume or a musical important, I do not believe that it is a evening—to which we would also get Harashim is a quarterly newsletter published by the Australian and New Zealand Masonic Research cure-all. It forms a part, a major part, of about 100. All in all, I guess we reach Council (PO Box 332, Williamstown, Victoria 3016) what I call The Masonic Experience, and approximately 5% of the Masons in our and two copies are issued free to each of its Affiliate it is this which we must get across to our District, and some of them probably only and Associate members in January, April, July and members. So, if I now concentrate on once a year. October each year. Masonic Education, please bear in mind It may very well be that we do not Copyright and reprinting that on a future occasion we need to promote our lectures as well as we should Copyright is vested in ANZMRC and the author of discuss The Masonic Experience. and, in all truth, perhaps our lectures are any article appearing in Harashim. We all agree that there is a need for not as interesting as we would like to Affiliates and Associates are encouraged to reprint the entire newsletter (at their own expense) and Masonic education. The traditional think they are. Part of the problem may circulate it to their own members, including their ‘English system’ of education is by way very well be the fact that lectures are used correspondence circles (if any) and to supply copies to of the ritual; in most instances it is the as a ‘fill in’, when a lodge has nothing public and Masonic libraries within their jurisdictions. presenter who derives the most benefit better to do. Often the lecture is only Individual items from any issue may be reprinted by Associates and Affiliates, provided: from it, and his education comes in the arranged after the summons has been sent learning of the ritual, when he studies it out, so that very little can be made, by • The item is reprinted in full; word for word and contemplates it. I think way of promotion, of the subject or the • The name of the author and the source of the article it is sometimes lost on the candidate and, speaker. I must say I get incensed by this. are included; and in our fast moving society of instant I have told every lodge at which I speak, • A copy of the publication containing the reprint is information, one cannot blame a that if I find my lecture advertised in the sent to the editor. candidate for thinking that there can’t be summons as ‘an item of Masonic Anyone else wishing to reprint material from Harashim must first obtain permission from the very much to this Freemasonry interest’, then they should not be copyright holders via the editor. business—and we can lose him if we surprised if I don’t arrive. As a case in Contents don’t do something about it. The point, I have a lecture about the part Affiliate and Associate members are encouraged to ‘Continental system’ differs from ours, in played by Freemasons in building up contribute material for the newsletter, including: that a lot more study is required from a Johannesburg, and one lodge advertised • Their lecture programmes for the year; candidate between each degree, and his this lecture as ‘District Grand Master • Any requests from their members for information understanding of Freemasonry must be arrested’. Well, as you would imagine, on a research topic; demonstrated before he can be promoted. there was a magnificent turnout! I gave If we are talking about education only, the same lecture a week or two later at Authors submitting original work for publication in Harashim after 31 December 1998 are assumed to then perhaps it is the right system. It is, another lodge where it was advertised as grant permission for their work to be published however, not within our Masonic culture ‘an item of Masonic interest’, and there also on ANZMRC’s Internet website, unless and were we to legislate tomorrow were six or seven members of the lodge otherwise specified. (assuming that we could) that all Lodges and one visitor. So, yes, there is room for are to adopt the ‘Continental system’, I improvement in our lectures, lecturing • Research papers of more than local interest that don’t think you would see any change at and in the promotion of the lectures. merit wider publication. all. Not only don’t we have brethren to Ultimately, I do not believe that they are The newsletter will also include news and reports from lead such education, but it is not our style. the be-all and end-all of Masonic ANZMRC, book reviews, extracts from other Lyceum Lodge of Research was Education. There is no question that we publications and a readers’ letters column. If the source of an item is not identified, it is by founded to further Masonic Education should carry on with our research, the editor. Opinions expressed are those of the author and we, like most other research lodges, because that produces the material that I of the article, and should not be attributed to the present originally researched papers at believe we should use in other ways.