White Rose - Masonic Province of Yorkshire, West Riding

FOUNDERS’ JEWELS
The heritage of a Masonic Lodge’s origin
is an important part of the character of most,
if not all, Lodges and Founder’s jewels are
an essential ingredient of that heritage.
They authenticate the very beginning of the
Lodge’s formation.
Stage two of the Historical Records
survey carried out in the Province of
Yorkshire West Riding in 2011 – 12 required
all Lodges to document, amongst other
items, Masonic jewels in their possession.
This part of the survey completed by the
Vale of Nidd Lodge No 4984 revealed
amongst its miscellaneous collection
of jewels a Founding Junior Warden’s
jewel from Leyton Grange Park Lodge No
5473. This Lodge, originally based in East
London, was consecrated on 6 November
1934 in a ceremony at Freemasons Hall,
London. The Lodge now meets at the MH,
Chingford in the Province of Essex. Despite
fairly extensive research by the Vale of Nidd
Lodge secretary, it proved impossible to
establish any connection to Leyton Grange
Park Lodge and explain how this particular
jewel came to be in a display cabinet in
Pateley Bridge.
However, the Vale of Nidd Brethren
determined to return the jewel to its rightful
home in Essex. ‘Accordingly, a stated day
having been appointed for its return to
Chingford’, the Vale of Nidd Master, W Bro
Jim Millington, accompanied by three other
Lodge Brethren, journeyed to Essex in
October 2012 to attend a meeting of Leyton
Grange Park Lodge and formally return their
Founding Junior Warden’s jewel, this being
one of only three now in their possession.
A second Founder’s jewel, this time from a
Lodge in the Scottish Constitution, was also
discovered during the Historical Records
survey and arrangements are currently
being made to return it to its original Lodge.
The Vale of Nidd Lodge, consecrated
on 14 February 1928, had 21 Founder
members. Over the intervening years
knowledge of the whereabouts of many
of its Founder’s jewels has been lost. The
Lodge has only seven of the twenty one
in its possession and would welcome any
information which could lead to the return of
the other 14.
The picture shows the WM of the Vale of
Nidd Lodge, W Bro Jim Millington (centre
right) having presented the Founder’s jewel
to the WM of Leyton Grange Park Lodge.
THINGS
AREN’T
WHAT THEY
USED TO BE
W Bro David Battye of Hillsborough
Lodge No 5444 reflects on the
differences faced by many working
Masons over the years
When my Lodge, Hillsborough No 5444,
was consecrated in 1933, it was a very
different world in a variety of ways. Car
ownership was a rarity, people usually
worked within easy travelling distance of
home and communication was by post
as most people did not own a telephone.
Travel to distant countries was by
steamship and took days or weeks rather
than hours. Many areas of employment
in which members were engaged had a
reasonably relaxed approach to requests
for an occasional early departure.
All these differences have played a part
in how members can and do attend and
interact with their Lodges.
In 1933 one could imagine a late arrival
at my Lodge in Sheffi eld placing the blame
on the tram journey from a local factory or
offi ce. This would almost certainly be within
about ten miles, at the most, for almost
all members. The majority would be well
within this distance. Absences because of
work were probably limited to late working,
for a variety of reasons. Attendances were
generally high, as a percentage of the
Lodge members.
When I was initiated in 1968, matters
had changed, but the general effect on the
Lodge and on attendances had not been
greatly affected. Then, we were getting
the blame for late arrival placed on traffi c
density. Absence because of work was
limited to those few who were working a
greater distance from the Lodge, say over
50 miles or so, and most of those were not
permanently employed so far away.
After the time I had passed through the
chair, in 1981, matters were beginning to
change at an accelerating pace. I frequently
found myself working at locations far
away from Sheffi eld, almost anywhere
between Londonderry and Lowestoft, or
between Perth and Penzance. Most of
these occasions involved work during the
evening. The chances of returning to Lodge
for a meeting were non-existent. This was
exacerbated by conferences abroad,
which were not scheduled to suit me and
the exigencies of Lodge attendance.
Even when I did manage to attend, there
were occasions when I had to blame trains,
motorway incidents or fl ight problems
as the cause for lateness. Attendance
percentages fell, not because of lack of
or dwindling interest, but because of work
pressures. A work-style change reduced
these pressures markedly, but only
retirement has restored the luxury of being
in control of time and place so that Lodge
can again take a more suitable place in my
priorities.
All these and more problems are being
faced by Brethren in my own and in most
other Lodges. The problem is not reducing
but increasing at a seemingly everincreasing
pace.
In the light of all the above, we must
fi nd a way of working fl exibly in our
Lodges, taking a more relaxed attitude
to those, mainly younger, Brethren who
are pressured by their work to be at
another place on many occasions. Are we
understanding of their problems? Most
of the burden of covering for absence will
rest on the Past Masters. Do they exhibit
sympathy or do they show irritation and
make remarks which may drive members
away? Are we prepared to accept a less
than 100% attendance in a candidate
for Master so that he can progress and
eventually, when work simmers down, play
his rightful part among the rulers of the
Lodge and among the senior members of
the Craft?
Have we the graciousness to recognise
that times have changed, probably
permanently, and members now work
frequently anywhere in Europe, or indeed
further away, but that the commitment to
Lodge and the Craft has not diminished
necessarily? Unless we can answer
positively to these points, then we will
lose many of the most promising of our
members and the Craft and our own
Lodges will be the losers.
St WILFRID LODGE No 6395 IS PROUD TO SUPPORT THIS PAGE OF THE WHITE ROSE MASONIC NEWS
Meeting on the 2nd Thursday of each month except Aug at Castle Grove Masonic Hall, Headingley, Leeds. LS6 4BP
White Rose Masonic News Spring 2013
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