It’s worth remembering that everyone, at some stage, has experienced the cloying fear and dry mouth of utter stage fright. Even the most polished performer has frozen in the headlights.
But every one of us has ultimately become a more accomplished and comfortable public speaker in our personal and professional lives for the experience. So we asked London Masons for their tips on committing their blue and red books to memory…

W Bro Nick Tessier got in touch the day after vacating the Chair for the first time, installing his successor with a complete ceremony. He says, “I am neurodiverse and in fact severely dyslexic. It takes me three times as long to read anything, so I will often learn presentations in order to keep up. This has made me surprisingly good at ritual. I spend half an hour each morning going through a couple of lines, and then half an hour each night putting today’s lines in place with the rest of that section. Then I go over the whole ritual, morning and night, for the final few days.”

W Bro Lewis J. Hooper agrees: “For me, the best tip is to break each practice session into small chunks. Break it down into a couple of sentences and focus on learning those. When you then move on to the next chunk of sentences, start from the beginning and add them on. Little and often, you’ll add to what you already know.”

But for a masterclass in ritual, meet W Bro Barnaby Clutterbuck. “Initially I found it challenging to consume the ritual and even more challenging to convert my living room performance to the floor”, he says. “Lodge rooms diminish memory, so I started developing memory tricks to help with parts that wouldn’t stick. ‘Teach us to bear in mind and act according to’… for this I would conjure images of a bear in my head acting with an accordion…”
But that’s just the start. Clutterbuck adds: “I was successfully performing memory tricks, but I wasn’t tapping into the meaning of the words I was parroting. This was the turning point for me. I started working on understanding the pieces I was delivering, delivering them as a story and engaging the recipients rather than just saying the words. I will always credit Metropolitan Grand Inspector, Clive Hawkins with this massive change in my ritual.”

Clutterbuck offers these steps as a whole:
• Understand the story you are telling.
• Use memory tricks and learn in small but testing chunks at a time.
• Practice whenever you can: in the shower, jogging etc.
• Go back and review: you’ll have a few words wrong, so craft it.
• Deliver it out loud at home.
• Deliver it at LOI or arrive at the Lodge early so you can deliver it in the room.
Now, disregard everything you’ve just read – because there’s no one right or wrong way to learn. W Bro Steve Murphy LGR, Visiting Officer, says: “I am a competent ritualist and early on in my Masonic career realised that looking at the book was not the best way for me personally to learn the ritual. We tend to learn in one of three ways: “words, music and dance” or reading, hearing and doing. As DC in my Lodge I encourage the Brethren to find the best way for them to learn. I tend to make an audio recording of the ritual that I want to learn, save it in my iTunes and then listen to it multiple times. The beauty of listening is that I can do it anywhere. It is amazing how you quickly pick it all up!”

We haven’t yet mentioned LOI. Of course, LOI is fundamental to ritual practice, and many Lodges are now simplifying this with virtual LOIs (not that there’s a substitute to doing the requisite floorwork). But LOI is the midway to a performance, not the start point. W Bro Christopher Blackman says “Practice as much as you can at home so that, when you attend your LOI, the other brethren can then support you where necessary. Just learning it at LOI sometimes isn’t enough.”

There is also important advice for more experienced Brethren watching from the sidelines. W Bro John Morris can no longer attend meetings for health reasons, but still encourages new candidates from his computer. He says: “When I found out I had to remember words, I thought, ‘Oh well – that’s it for me!’ But I met people who would go on to help me learn. More senior Masons should take positive note of what Brethren do correctly, rather than focusing on what they get wrong, which is too negative. More new Masons would stay in the Craft if they were helped in a positive way.”

Clutterbuck concludes: “Ritual is for the recipient. Your job is to actually convey the message. Think about performing the piece with more people, bring Past Masters and light blues together; it binds the Lodge. Use gestures to animate your speaking. Make it relevant to objects in the Lodge, touch the ashlars as you describe them, stand next to the pillars as you describe them… all this will give ‘Aha!’ moments to even the darkest blues among your Brethren. Understanding and delivering ritual has made the last few years of Masonry my most enjoyable: I feel like I finally get it.”

“Oh, and when you think you’ve got it… you’re only halfway through your practice!”

This article is part of the Arena Magazine, Issue 52 August 2023 edition.
Arena Magazine is the official magazine of the London Freemasons – Metropolitan Grand Lodge and Metropolitan Grand Chapter of London.

Read more articles in the Arena Issue 52 here.

The post Beating the Book appeared first on YORICK LODGE The Metropolitan Whisky Lodge.

Over 1,000 hungry children will get their morning off to a better start, thanks to a grant of £60,000 from London Freemasons to children’s charity Magic Breakfast.

Magic Breakfast currently provides school breakfasts in Primary, Secondary, Special Educational Needs schools and Pupil Referral Units across Scotland and England, reaching more than 200,000 children and young people every day. Its aim is to end child hunger in the mornings. The charity works with their partner schools to provide a free nutritious breakfast to their students, ensuring they start their day with the fuel they need. 
Across the country, there are 4 million children living with food insecurity (per The Food Foundation). Magic Breakfast has found that missing breakfast can have a detrimental impact on a child’s education; and by offering children a nutritious breakfast the charity enables them to concentrate better and fulfil their potential.

Each school supported in Tower Hamlets receives breakfast foods which may include cereals, bagels, beans, and porridge.  School breakfast is free and accessible to every child at every partner school. Schools are encouraged not to means-test their students, meaning Magic Breakfast provision is inclusive, free of stigma and available to all children.

  
All partner schools receive support from a designated member of the Magic Breakfast team, their Engagement Partner, who is local to their region and able to help each school to set up and optimise their breakfast provision. Engagement Partners are trained to recognise the signs of hidden hunger and help teachers be best equipped to support children.  

The grant will part fund the charity’s project in Tower Hamlets, which has one of the highest child poverty rates in London (56%). The charity supports more schools there than in any other local authority, with 10% of neighbourhoods there among the poorest in England. The project allows Magic Breakfast to partner with 22 schools in Tower Hamlets, where approximately 4,000 children access the charity’s breakfast provision each morning. The grant could provide as many as 230,000 servings of breakfast to over 1,380 of these children.

Breakfast provision has the potential to be a powerful intervention for children suffering the effects of deprivation. Independent research, funded by the Educational Endowment Foundation and carried out by the Institute of Fiscal Studies, found that providing a free, nutritious breakfast  to Year 2 pupils in schools boosted their reading, writing and maths by an average of two months’ progress per year, compared to pupils in schools with no such breakfast provision.  

Lindsey MacDonald, Chief Executive of Magic Breakfast said: “We’re very grateful to the London Freemasons for their generous grant, which will enable us to reach more hungry children and enable them to better concentrate in morning lessons.  With their funding, we are able to help children in one of the most deprived areas of London and ensure morning hunger doesn’t act as a barrier to learning.”

Paul King from London Freemasons said: “I’m very pleased we’ve been able to support Magic Breakfast and the fantastic work they do to help hungry children across the country. This will allow them to focus on maximising their potential in education and remove the barriers that they are facing from having an empty stomach.”

For more information about Magic Breakfast, please visit www.magicbreakfast.com

This article is part of the Arena Magazine, Issue 52 August 2023 edition.
Arena Magazine is the official magazine of the London Freemasons – Metropolitan Grand Lodge and Metropolitan Grand Chapter of London.

Read more articles in the Arena Issue 52 here.

The post Hungry school children in Tower Hamlets will be provided a Magic Breakfast appeared first on YORICK LODGE The Metropolitan Whisky Lodge.

Every year 1,800 children are diagnosed as suffering from some type of cancer. Even if you haven’t experienced it yourself, it is not difficult to imagine the emotional devastation and turmoil a parent must feel when receiving the news that their child is suffering from such a serious illness.

This is quickly followed by the discovery that supporting your child through treatment brings other practical difficulties and financial implications.

For more than 30 years the Lennox Children’s Cancer Fund has worked to support children and their families experiencing the distress and heartache of a childhood cancer diagnosis.

Lindsey Bidwell, the Relations & Partnership Manager for the charity says “When a child is suspected of, or diagnosed with, cancer they are whisked off to a Principal Treatment Centre to start immediate testing and treatment. They are often many miles away from home, leaving parents with no time to gather essential supplies”.

Working with children and parents who have been affected by childhood cancer the Lennox Children’s Cancer Fund has designed a care package aimed at saving parents time, money and worry by providing essential supplies in those first traumatic days.

The package is called “We’ve got your back” and comes in the form of a back-pack containing, amongst other items: fluffy socks for both parents and child to combat cold feet; a fluffy blanket to give some comfort and warmth; children’s gloves to keep the child’s hands warm (because a common side effect of chemotherapy is the patient feeling cold); a universal phone charger; a metal water bottle to keep water cool; a travel thermos cup for the parents; toiletries; a neck pillow; ear plugs and eye masks for parents, who will often be disturbed at night with medical staff coming in and out of the treatment room; and an activity pack to help the child during long periods of inactivity.

Each back-pack costs £100 to produce and the Charity approached the Masonic Charitable Foundation (MCF) for a grant to enable them to provide three London hospitals, Great Ormond Street, University College of London, and The Royal Marsden, with a supply of back-packs.

The MCF was pleased to provide a grant of £10,000 that would enable the Fund to provide back-packs to each unit for approximately six months. Each back-pack will have “Kindly Sponsored by the London Freemasons” printed on it.

One mother says “With so many essentials needed for the intense first few months of treatment, it’s very unpredictable so it’s great to have a bag ready to go. He absolutely loved receiving this parcel and was excited to explore the contents. Whenever he is chilly, he uses the socks and heat toy and has the bag packed ready for the unexpected hospital visits”. 

Another father adds “We were distraught. The blanket kept our boy warm after he was sick on his own one and the activities helped keep him occupied whilst in hospital. The book inside has helped me write down my feelings, as I struggle to express to others how I’m feeling and must be strong for my boy”.

For more information please visit www.lennoxccf.org.uk

This article is part of the Arena Magazine, Issue 52 August 2023 edition.
Arena Magazine is the official magazine of the London Freemasons – Metropolitan Grand Lodge and Metropolitan Grand Chapter of London.

Read more articles in the Arena Issue 52 here.

The post ‘We’ve Got Your Back’: The Lennox Children’s Cancer Fund appeared first on YORICK LODGE The Metropolitan Whisky Lodge.

Charlotte was only 36 years old when a quad biking accident in Costa Rica left her paralysed. Having awoken at 5am as usual to head out by quad for her early morning surf, minutes later she found herself face down in the jungle.

“I was in so much pain. Everything was so difficult for me, but I was treated with immense care by all the doctors and nurses.”

After a month in hospital in Costa Rica, she was flown back to the UK. Here, she spent a further month in the Royal London Hospital, before being transferred to the London Spinal Cord Injury Centre at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, Stanmore.

It was here that Charlotte discovered Horatio’s Garden London & South East.

Horatio’s Garden is a nationwide charity nurturing the wellbeing of people after spinal injury; in beautiful, vibrant sanctuaries in the heart of NHS spinal injury centres. Leading designers create accessible gardens where the charity’s team, alongside volunteers and creatives, care for people and plants alike.

The charity’s story begins back in 2011 with Horatio Chapple; a schoolboy who wanted to be a doctor and who volunteered at The Duke of Cornwall Spinal Treatment Centre in Salisbury during his school holidays. Talking with patients, he noticed there was a lack of outdoor space for patients with spinal injuries and their loved ones.

Horatio intended to change that. Patients in the Spinal Centre were unanimously enthusiastic about his idea to create a garden and, encouraged by his parents, Dr Olivia Chapple and David Chapple FRCS, Horatio began to put his plan into action.

Tragically, Horatio’s life was cut short in 2011 at just 17; and following an outpouring of love and goodwill, the nationwide charity was formed in his name. His legacy has continued to grow and is now nurturing the wellbeing of thousands of patients like Charlotte, their families and friends, and NHS staff throughout the UK.

The charity’s vision is to sustainably grow thriving communities and biodiverse gardens in all 11 NHS Spinal Injury Centres in the UK. To date Horatio’s Garden has opened six gardens in the South West, Scotland, Stoke Mandeville, Midlands, London & South East and Wales, with a seventh under construction in Northern Ireland and the capital appeal now underway for an eighth in Sheffield.

A distilled version of this eighth garden, soon to become Horatio’s Garden Sheffield & East in 2024, was recently awarded ‘Best in Show’ at RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2023. Designed by Charlotte Harris and Hugo Bugg of the award-winning Harris Bugg Studio, they join a glittering array of acclaimed Horatio’s Garden designers.

Among them is eight-time RHS Chelsea gold medal winner Tom Stuart-Smith, who brought Horatio’s Garden London & South East to life. Opening in September 2020, this exceptional garden has flourished thanks to a brilliant volunteer team led by Head Gardener, Ashley Edwards and Garden Administrator, Tracey McCarthy.

Horatio’s Garden relies entirely upon public support, including that of the London Freemasons, who have generously supported the charity’s London-based garden with a grant of £10,000.

The grant will be instrumental in ensuring the charity can continue to nurture the garden, run horticultural therapy sessions, hold creative workshops, and host seasonal events for people spending time in Horatio’s Garden London & South East.

It’s clear for patients, their loved ones and hospital staff that spending time in Horatio’s Garden has a profoundly positive impact. Research shows that 98% of the charity’s beneficiaries see an improvement in their wellbeing, with 88% reporting that the gardens have supported their mental and physical rehabilitation.

In Charlotte’s words, “Horatio’s Garden helped me so much. It’s therapeutic and very inspiring and you forget about your worries. The healing power of nature is so important.”

This article is part of the Arena Magazine, Issue 52 August 2023 edition.
Arena Magazine is the official magazine of the London Freemasons – Metropolitan Grand Lodge and Metropolitan Grand Chapter of London.

Read more articles in the Arena Issue 52 here.

The post London Freemasonry donation supports patients with spinal injuries appeared first on YORICK LODGE The Metropolitan Whisky Lodge.

W Bro Richard Cavanagh LGR reports

More than 400 local children and their parents from disadvantaged backgrounds in Newham will benefit from a major package of support thanks to a grant of £40,000 from London Freemasons to Bonny Downs Community Association (BDCA).

BDCA is a community-led organisation, working in Newham to promote community cohesion, encouraging wellbeing and healthy lifestyles, as well as tackling isolation and addressing the root causes of poverty. 

Newham is the third most deprived borough in London and in the top 10% of most deprived areas in England.  Around 50% of children in the borough live in poverty – well above the London average of 37%.  Many families live in long-term poverty, often in overcrowded homes and with no access to state support or benefits. Roughly three-quarters of children supported by BDCA were born to mothers who were themselves born outside of the UK.  In addition, Newham has the highest prevalence of common mental health disorders in London (per Public Health England).

To combat these social ills and provide much needed succour, BDCA delivers targeted projects across a range of areas including sports, youth, children and families, over 65s and community support.  Having transformed previously derelict spaces into four thriving community hubs, the charity uses these spaces to provide a community nursery, a food bank, a day centre for homeless adults and a centre for advice and support for people in debt. 

The Children and Families Project supports disadvantaged children and young people up to 19 years in the local area; gives support during times of crisis; improves mental and physical wellbeing; reduces isolation; increases resilience; and provides a community support network. 

BDCA’s projects include:

• A weekly “tots haven” group to provide low-income families with a healthy breakfast and a mental health peer supporter for children and their parents.

• A weekly family-friendly Yoga session to enable parents to enhance their physical wellbeing without worrying about childcare as their pre-school children can join in.

• A weekly Family Hub session giving tailored advocacy and advice, including Immigration and Domestic Abuse Specialists; English lessons; and provision of a clothing bank for children’s clothes. 

• Intergenerational activities and support by trained peri-natal mental health peer assistants.

• Bringing communities together for interfaith celebration events for Christmas, Eid, Easter and Diwali, thereby encouraging appreciation for each other’s cultures.

• Funding free places at a 3-week summer scheme for 100 disadvantaged young people at risk of becoming victims or perpetrators of crime, including learning leadership skills.  Without this subsidy, these children would otherwise not be able to attend. 

The MCF grant will help BDCA to run these activities, supporting over 400 beneficiaries.  A recent survey of the current BDCA beneficiaries found that 71% were supported at a critical moment, 84% found a better support network and 87% felt less isolated in their circumstances. 

Sulthana Begum, Co-Director at BDCA, said: “We’re very grateful to London Freemasons for their generous grant which will benefit hundreds of local children and families. We aim to support a family’s physical, mental and financial wellbeing through specially targeted projects to transform the lives of some of the most vulnerable people in our community.”

For more information on the Bonny Downs Community Association please visit www.bonnydowns.org

This article is part of the Arena Magazine, Issue 52 August 2023 edition.
Arena Magazine is the official magazine of the London Freemasons – Metropolitan Grand Lodge and Metropolitan Grand Chapter of London.

Read more articles in the Arena Issue 52 here.

The post Bonny Downs Community Association: Helping children and families in poverty appeared first on YORICK LODGE The Metropolitan Whisky Lodge.

The post Arena 52 Print Edition appeared first on YORICK LODGE The Metropolitan Whisky Lodge.

My recent visit to the Royal Colonial Institute Lodge No 3556 has set a completely new standard in my personal Masonic journey.

When, one night at The George, my good friend Lui Hui (whom I afterwards found out is DC of the Lodge) told me about this unit, it might have been the very fine dining, it might have been the history, but I really couldn’t resist.

I found myself surrounded by a bunch of highly skilled and, above all, enthusiastic Brethren who welcomed me in great fashion.

The main item on the agenda was a 30-minute morality play performed by members of Lodge of Asaph entitled “The Fight”. Set at the end of a Festive Board of the Lodge of Falmouth (Massachusetts) just prior to the War of Independence, it was an excellent production which included sound, period costume, lighting and props. Two members of the Lodge – W Bros Stratton Richey and Tim MacAndrews were volunteered to dress up and take part – which they did admirably!

The Royal Colonial Institute Lodge is a Metropolitan Lodge, meeting at Freemasons’ Hall twice a year. The June meeting is aligned to UGLE’s Quarterly Communication, so that members and brethren visiting from abroad can maximise their time in London.

It attracts Past Masters with an appetite for finer dining across London in a more relaxed atmosphere, with Festive Boards held at private clubs and non-mainstream specialist venues. On this occasion we dined at the Royal Automobile Club.

The Lodge does not take Initiates and therefore performs no ceremonial work other than the annual Installation. Instead, the aim of the Lodge is to have fun, unique, and educational meetings.

Aiming to reach 100+ members by the end of this year, the RCI supports the development of the Commonwealth Lodges’ Association (of which it is a member).

W Bro Richard Criddle gave me the background to this extraordinary Lodge. It was consecrated on 10th January 1912 for the purpose of enhancing the ties of the then Empire and Craft; and between the resident and non-resident Fellows and Members of the Royal Commonwealth Society (formerly the Royal Colonial Institute).

Connections with brethren abroad remained strong throughout the First World War and when, in 1939, the Duke of Connaught resigned as Grand Master of UGLE, he remained as Worshipful Master of the Lodge and was able to welcome the District Grand Master of Japan, as well as representatives of the Grand Lodges of Cuba, Peru, Greece, Yugoslavia and more. Upon Connaught’s death in 1942, the Grand Master noted at his successor’s Installation, “…it is the meeting place of brethren who are now in London but whose homes are many thousands of miles away… Though the members of this Lodge may be drawn from many parts of the Empire, they meet in lodge on common ground and for a common purpose.”

It was in the 1950s that the Lodge began a tradition of hosting talks and lectures. Fast forward to 1972, and the links with the Commonwealth were further strengthened at an emergency meeting of the Lodge where members were joined by 203 members of other Commonwealth Lodges. This meeting was to be the forerunner of the Commonwealth Lodges’ Association, a relationship which the Royal Colonial Lodge proudly still retains.

The Centenary History of the Lodge, written in 2012, concludes: “…the Lodge has provided a meeting place for Commonwealth brethren through two World Wars and through times of hardship, financial depression and financial prosperity… Perhaps in looking back we can gain more strength to move forward.”

What finally struck my attention was that the brief list of distinguished Deputy (1912-1942) and Past (1942 onwards) Masters features distinguished members from Masonic administrations as far afield as (credited in names used at the time) Madras, New Zealand, Ceylon, Punjab, Bombay, Bengal, Hong Kong & S. China, Nigeria, Pakistan, Zambia, East Africa, S. Australia, W. Australia, New South Wales, and Tasmania; as well as Suffolk, Herts and Northants & Hunts.

On the night I visited, 10 joining members were accepted and the names of 26 prospective members read out.
 

The journey continues.

This article is part of the Arena Magazine, Issue 52 August 2023 edition.
Arena Magazine is the official magazine of the London Freemasons – Metropolitan Grand Lodge and Metropolitan Grand Chapter of London.

Read more articles in the Arena Issue 52 here.

The post Back to the Future Royal Colonial Institute Lodge appeared first on YORICK LODGE The Metropolitan Whisky Lodge.

The United Grand Lodge of England adopted its transgender Policy on 17th July 2018 – closely followed by both the Order of Women Freemasons and Freemasonry for Women (FFW, previously known as the Honourable Fraternity of Ancient Freemasons or HFAF).

Needless to say, this attracted widespread support and some concern amongst Brethren. Five years later, we wanted to see how it’s going and what it’s like for trans Brethren; so we spoke to W Bro Jo Lyons LGR of Lodge of Honor and Generosity No 165 and Bro Lisa Keen of FFW’s Stability Lodge No 1.

Meet Jo

I’d spotted Jo receiving her London Grand Rank in 2022, and was curious to find out about her journey. She was assigned male at birth, and is now a woman. She’s 63 and teaches economics at Millfield School in Somerset. She was initiated in 1995, and is a fifth generation Mason (on both sides of her family) – although she didn’t join her father’s Lodge in Dartford, preferring to take the step on her own.

Jo’s journey started when our Metropolitan Grand Secretary, Matthew Christmas, subtly opened the topic over lunch when they worked together at Canford School. Jo understood what Matthew was alluding to due to her family connections; and the die was cast.

Jo’s expectations of Freemasonry had been set in the 70s through Ladies Nights and other social events organised by her father’s quite formal, traditional Lodge in Dartford. When she was Initiated, she found her London Lodge quite different – more informal, brisker, with a large proportion of senior masons, and 5.30pm starts with the intention of being in the bar by 7! Her father attended her initiation and delivered the charge. Quite a moment for anyone!

Jo didn’t “feel right” from the age of 13-14 and questioned her identity at various points. In the 70s, there wasn’t an understanding of trans identity, but she was very clear she wasn’t homosexual and it was only in the 90s that she became aware of trans people. “I’d buried myself in competitive sport – canoeing – and represented Great Britain”, she says. After winning a medal at the 1995 World Championships, she felt she could retire. “My brain then started to question who I was”, she notes. However, she was focused on marriage and parenthood. “Then, I felt tied by parenthood so it was only 6 or 7 years ago – when I thought the children would cope, that I could focus on my identity. And it turned out my wife was hugely supportive – which is amazing.” Jo’s been out as a trans woman since 2018. And her father? “It was touching how receptive and accepting he was – he took it straight on board. That was a pleasant surprise and helped me move through the process.” I asked Jo whether his accepting reaction may have been partly because he was a Freemason. She replied “I think so: he did live the tenets and that probably helped him live a calm, meditative life.”

Outside Freemasonry and beyond her immediate family, she’s found older people and more distant family struggle to understand. Inside Freemasonry, it’s different. “I can’t think of a situation when anyone has got it wrong; and that’s quite an achievement when I look at the rest of the world who get it wrong more than 50% of the time.”

“When I came up to get London Grand Rank, I was worried I might feel isolated – but 20 or 30 Brothers came up to me to introduce themselves and tell me how amazing it was.” 

UGLE have connected her with other trans Masons to offer support: “It would probably be good if trans masons knew there were others out there and, if we are willing, to communicate with each other. There are times when you feel very isolated. We’re a pretty marginalised chunk of society and there are times when you feel pretty down. And it just takes one more negative comment. There are reasons why suicide rates amongst trans people are so high. The knowledge that there are others out there, and even perhaps who might go to a Lodge meeting I was at, would be very supportive. There might be others who are reluctant to come out but need to know Masonry is a safe place to do so.”

Meet Lisa

I was introduced to Bro. Lisa Louise Keen via a Brother who is a member of FFW. She’s 47 years old, an HGV driver by day and a professional photographer by night. She was assigned male at birth.

Lisa was Initiated into FFW’s Stability Lodge No 1 in 2019 which met at the old FFW Headquarters in Finchley Road, but now meets at the Southgate Centre. She’s a member of two other Lodges, Lodge of Wisdom No 55 in Harrow and Athena Lodge No 59 – a Universities Scheme Lodge – which meets in Stoke on Trent. She’s a regular visitor at other FFW Lodges.

Her introduction to Freemasonry was through photographing Ladies’ Festivals, when W Bro Paul Clark (who she knew through line dancing) asked her to take photos at his. After meeting quite a number of Masons, reading about Freemasonry’s charitable work and with some encouragement and guidance from Paul, she eventually joined mutual friend Phyllis’ Lodge, Stability Lodge No 1. As the Junior Deacon, she’s now focused on the ritual and floor work and is also part of the FFW Mentoring Team: “I’m becoming more of a teacher and someone to look up to.”

Her preconceptions had been that Freemasonry was for people of upper class, or wealth or “know people in the right places” but has found that it’s open to all and it doesn’t matter what class you consider yourself to be in.

Lisa had been cross dressing for many years, very much with the understanding of her female partner. When her partner sadly passed away, she started the process of transitioning, again with the support of her current wife, who knew her throughout her transition which she completed a year before becoming a Freemason. She’d felt different since middle school (age 11-13) – in 80s rural Suffolk – a time when there was no internet and little public knowledge of trans issues. She told her mum she had been cross dressing at age 18, and they went to see the doctor for advice. She was introduced to a transvestite group for support, but it was only when she moved away to Lincolnshire in 2006 that she was able to live as a woman more or less all the time.

Throughout her introduction and Initiation into Freemasonry, it was never brought up that she was transgender and she hasn’t been treated any differently, with perhaps only one third of her FFW Brethren knowing. She gets a lot of support and encouragement from both female and male Masons she knows, with some seniors saying “we can’t wait to see you in the chair!”

“The Worshipful Master in two of my Lodges are both openly gay”, adds Lisa, “I find that in my Lodges diversity is welcomed. Freemasonry is moving with the times”. In fact at the first Ladies’ Festival she photographed, Lisa met two Women Freemasons from Canada who were wife and wife. She says “from that moment onwards, I knew I wouldn’t have any problems of acceptance within Freemasonry”.

She thinks that what makes the difference for trans people and others from diverse backgrounds is that those with higher ranks openly express their support – as did Pro Grand Master Peter Lowndes, when the UGLE transgender Policy was first published.

A final comment from Lisa: “Join If you want friendship, to better yourself through new skills, to grow confidence and to find out more about yourself. If you’re transitioning, you won’t have a problem – you’ll have support in Lodge and out of Lodge.”

Jo’s final comment to me summed it up: “I have found this organisation to be at the cutting edge of acceptance and welcoming to someone like me. If anyone is thinking this is something they might want to do, whatever their circumstances, whatever their creed, colour, sexuality, this organisation has demonstrated to me that it’s readily accepting to whoever is willing to accept the principles. If you’re into Masonry’s principles, then Masonry will be into you”.

I came away from speaking to Jo and Lisa thinking Freemasonry can best support trans people by being very open about it, by making it normalised, and connecting trans masons so that they can support each other.

If you are trans, would like to discuss these issues or connect with Jo or Lisa, please email me at

This article is part of the Arena Magazine, Issue 52 August 2023 edition.
Arena Magazine is the official magazine of the London Freemasons – Metropolitan Grand Lodge and Metropolitan Grand Chapter of London.

Read more articles in the Arena Issue 52 here.

The post Welcome and Acceptance: Meet two trans Brethren appeared first on YORICK LODGE The Metropolitan Whisky Lodge.

Two years ago, the members of Caledonian Lodge embraced the potential of becoming a ‘Special Interest Lodge’ under the Metropolitan Grand Lodge Scheme. With the assistance of its members and the guidance of VW Bro John Parry (now MetGL Special Interest Lodge Inspector) and W Bro Martin Vidler (Metropolitan Grand Inspector); alongside several distinguished and potential Joining Members, the Lodge began the journey which has led to Caledonian Lodge becoming ‘The Spirit of Scotland’ Lodge in London. 

On 2nd June 2023 at a regular Lodge meeting, held in Temple 17 at Freemasons Hall, we were honoured with the presence of RW Bro Christopher Hayward PJGW, Deputy Metropolitan Grand Master and 120 other distinguished Brethren. The order of the day was to Initiate Mr Mitchell Hedges, a South African living and working in London, a man with considerable Scottish Heritage.

We were also proud to welcome the Grand Master Mason of Scotland, MW Bro Ramsay McGhee, who had initially been due to travel to London via the overnight train from Inverness. Due to industrial action, his train was cancelled. Arrangements were made for him to fly from Inverness instead. On the morning of the meeting, when arriving at Inverness airport, he discovered, as he was parking his car, that his flight to London had just been cancelled. With considerable effort he booked a flight from Aberdeen to Heathrow. He then drove to Aberdeen and boarded the flight, arriving at 5:30pm at Freemasons’ Hall to a rapturous welcome from the Brethren. His Herculean efforts, and his expressed desire to continue to support the Lodge and its Scottish theme was recognised with much warmth and appreciation.

Many other Scottish Masons had also travelled down from Scotland to be present at the meeting, among them Brethren from Caledonian Lodge No 392 SC, Edinburgh Castle Lodge No 1764 SC, and The Caledonian Lodge of Uganda No 1389 SC. An association between Caledonian Lodge  and Caledonian Lodge No 392 SC is currently under discussion.

Also present at the meeting was Mitchell Hedges’ father, W Bro Charles Hedges PDGJW of Duguza Lodge No 2461 SA, who had travelled, with another Masonic Brother, from South Africa to be present at Mitchell’s initiation. 

Our five joining members resulting from the initial exploratory meetings through to membership were likewise present: Worshipful Brothers Tom Quinn SLGR, Hugh Love PSGD Alasdair Milne LGR, Eddy Garty PAGDC Middx and Keith Alexander PSGD, MetGInsp.

Following the meeting, the Festive Board was accommodated at the Connaught Rooms, where the Brethren were entertained by the skirl of the pipes and the ‘Address to the Haggis’ by Caledonian Lodge member Bro Hamish McLeod. There was a tangible harmony throughout the evening, and it was a pleasure to witness over 100 attendees celebrating both Masonry and Scottish culture together.

The history of the Caledonian Lodge is both fascinating and tantalising. We are fortunate to have detailed contemporary reporting on the foundation of the Lodge back in the 1700s; on some of its important Initiates, and how these members contributed to the development of Freemasonry as we know it today. There are books, lectures and fine portraits giving a special insight into some of those pioneers and trailblazers in Freemasonry.

We also have some beautiful and highly prized artefacts, including a set of solid silver collars dating back to the late 18th Century (which, when not being worn at a meeting, are on display in the museum at FMH). Some of the detail, particularly that concerning the Lodge’s special charity, the Royal Masonic School for Girls, which the Lodge helped found and sustain, gives a revealing insight into the truly hands-on nature of this support in its early years. 

This year the Lodge will celebrate 260 years since consecration and there is a family lineage within the Lodge from one of the Founders to three current members.

It is well documented that in 1762, Scottish Brethren from Edinburgh petitioned the Grand Lodge of Scotland for a Warrant to open a Lodge in London; this was constitutionally refused. They then followed a process for the establishment and foundation of Caledonian Lodge in London.  We know little more: crucial records and artefacts were lost to fire, seizure by bailiffs and damage during the Second World War.  From fragmentary sources, we do know that the Lodge aligned with the Antients during its turbulent embroilments with Moderns during the late 18th Century, repelling initial attempts to bring the Lodge under the more watchful control of Grand Lodge and resulting in the threat of expulsion. Indeed, following further machinations in 1771, a Past Master, the Secretary and two Wardens were indeed expelled. 

However, with the Union of the Antients and Moderns in 1813, Caledonian Lodge provided one of the very select nine representatives appointed from both factions, thereby finding itself at the very epicentre of one the most seismic movements in Masonic history. 

And today? The next meeting of Caledonian Lodge is on Friday 6th October, with a Passing. We will, of course, continue to support the Spirit of Scotland in London, with Harmonies and Scottish themed events all planned. To attend, please contact our Brother Secretary W. Bro. Allen Sinclair on .

Arena Reporter and fellow Scotsman abroad, Bro Vinny Cochrane, attended the meeting, and writes:

Freemasonry may be an esoteric concern but the terrifying charm of the Scots made me feel right back at home. The regalia of our visiting Brethren from North of the border was augmented with tartans, kilts, and sporrans. The skirl of the pipes as we welcomed Caledonian Lodge’s officers was like being transported back in time, and the Initiation was conducted with granite dignity.

An essential part of Scots’ sense of humour is self-irony, manufactured from the pretence that we are ultra-serious tough-guys who are so hard-bitten that we wear skirts in a dreich (wet and gloomy) climate without fear of being mocked. Nowhere is this tongue-in-cheek ruggedness more apparent than the “address to the haggis”; a spectacle usually performed on Robert Burns Night. A ritualised Scottish celebration, with toasts, addresses, and traditional fare, it is very similar to a Festive Board. Bro Hamish McLeod recited the address perfectly as it should be, with a mixture of awestruck admiration and terrifying contempt. After further excursions into frightening Scots dialect, Bro Hamish sharpened his knife and violently stabbed the haggis with malignant relish, his voice as driving, malevolent and implacable as a Highland gale. And so, the Festive Board played host to its ceremonial cousin where I can declare the scran was a pure belter, and naebody was scunnered. (The food was excellent, nobody disappointed.)

My adventure into the land of midges and monsters proved to be a unique blend of traditions, in which heritage and identity were always evident. The one casualty of the night, the cruelly mutilated haggis, was not butchered in vain.

This article is part of the Arena Magazine, Issue 52 August 2023 edition.
Arena Magazine is the official magazine of the London Freemasons – Metropolitan Grand Lodge and Metropolitan Grand Chapter of London.

Read more articles in the Arena Issue 52 here.

The post Special Interest Lodge News: The Scots are Coming! appeared first on YORICK LODGE The Metropolitan Whisky Lodge.

Picture the scene. A crowd of men, each atop their metal frames, individually distinct by their colourful threads. They jostle for space, pushing against each other, swaying and trying to keep their balance. A green flag ascends above, filling the sky and fluttering in the breeze. Silence fills the air. They pause. They wait. And then it happens.  A sudden pull and the green sky is ripped away. A slow and steady bassline sound of pedal rotation builds; each revolution faster and louder than the last, the tempo quickening until a cacophony of chains running against metal and the steady metronomic beat of an orchestra of pedals turning in unison.   They push and jostle, filling the gaps that open before them, each darting into the vacant space left by another. As the tempo increases, they funnel into a single line, one after the other in an impervious slipstream; a line of wheels turning as if one machine, until they reach their destination in a screech of tyres as black and white chequers descend.

And then the final transformation: the colourful mosaic of shirts falls away. All are now reborn, a new uniform of black and white: some with a dash of light blue, some a dash of dark. From the door, an older man looks on bewildered at the bikes which now lie in a heap: he is their Tyler. This is their Lodge. Welcome to Citizen Lodge No 2911, London’s Cycling Lodge.

It’s Saturday 15th April, and I’m at Freemasons’ Hall to witness the inaugural meeting of Citizen Lodge newly re-established as a Special Interest Lodge. As with every Lodge, Citizen has a proud history, having been consecrated in 1902. There is a feeling of hope here today; a Lodge looking to the future with confidence and assurance. A new Worshipful Master is being installed and a Lodge is being reborn.

The outgoing Worshipful Master, the excellent W Bro Stephen Jenkins, thanked all his officers before handing over to W Bro John Gwalter to conduct the ceremony of Installing the new Master, a task he completed with distinction. The new Worshipful Master is W Bro Amarjit ‘Amo’ Basra. W Bro Amo has only himself recently joined Citizen Lodge, motivated by his long-held desire to find a cycling themed Lodge.  He is very much a driving force in this respect, but is also keen also to emphasise the importance of the Citizen Lodge’s past. He is humbled by their acquiescence to his joining as their new Worshipful Master, his thanks are sincere and heartfelt to those Brethren who have remained in their respective offices to allow him to lead the Lodge during this important and transitional year. Citizen, in common with many Lodges, was looking for a breath of new life and to attract new members; it’s decision to embrace W Bro Amo’s proposition is already bearing fruit. The transition to a SIL has already brought four new joining members to this meeting, and other expressions of interest already received.

We were promised some special touches in the Temple to celebrate the world of cycling and we were not disappointed. The new members donned cycling helmets as they were formally presented to the Wardens and the Worshipful Master respectively. Half-way through the meeting, the Lodge took a break – but only after the WM enquired ‘Have the peloton reached their first full stop?’ before refreshments in the ante room. At the Festive Board, thrice a lap of honour encircled the room comprising the Worshipful Master, the Wardens and the Grand Inspector all proudly wearing their cycling shirts emblazoned with the Cycling Lodge motif.  On a more personal note, whilst the Brethren were celebrating the rebirth of this friendly and fun Lodge, it was also a pleasure for those in attendance to celebrate with the Senior Warden – the engaging Bro Sumit Selli – on the recent birth of his daughter, Saanvi. Congratulations, Bro Sumit!

There is a recognition that this Lodge has much potential, evident by the visitation of W Bro Martin Vidler in his first visit as a Met Grand Inspector.  His presentation to the Brethren spoke of his excitement for what this Lodge can achieve as a Special Interest Lodge in terms of attracting new members and its bold social calendar and fundraising vision.  W Bro Vidler was ably assisted by his Escorting Officer, W Bro Amer Basra (no relation), who not only commanded the Brethren with authority but also stepped in for the Lodge’s Director of Ceremonies, dictating proceedings with such ease that it would have been easy to believe he was a member of the Lodge and not visiting for the first time. 

A busy social calendar includes several charity bike rides including the London Bridges Challenge, a ride from London to Southend, and a cycling tour encompassing four London temples, as well as regular fortnightly social rides from FMH on Wednesday evenings. In September, a charity ride from London to Nice, a total of 1,000 miles, is planned; to raise money for Prostate Cancer UK, London Air Ambulance and Cancer Research UK. The great Freddie Mercury summed it up best: “I want to ride my bicycle. I want to ride my biiike!”

This article is part of the Arena Magazine, Issue 52 August 2023 edition.
Arena Magazine is the official magazine of the London Freemasons – Metropolitan Grand Lodge and Metropolitan Grand Chapter of London.

Read more articles in the Arena Issue 52 here.

The post Special Interest Lodge News: On your Bike! appeared first on YORICK LODGE The Metropolitan Whisky Lodge.