W S B Dear Brother, KRING NIEUW HOLLAND Inc. A masonic study circle with a difference. Circle New Holland meets, 1.00 till 4.00pm on the Third Saturday (Feb - Nov) in the Bacchus Marsh Masonic Centre, 86 Main street Bacchus Marsh.Vic.3340 WORK TABLE FOR FEBRUARY 2018 H W H This month's regular meeting will be held on Saturday 17 February 2018 In Bacchus Marsh Masonic Centre The worktable and timings for the day are: 1.00 pm Members convene informally. 1.15 pm Rehearsal 2.00 pm Installation Ceremony for the new Presiding Master 3.00 pm Brother meal Dress: Dinner suit, apron and gloves Visiting brethren are always most welcome. Dinner s fee is $ 15.00 p.p. Brethren are kindly asked to make a special effort to be present. However, should you be unable to attend, an apology would be appreciated. With the well-known sentiments of respect and affection, your Br and co-worker in the R A, fraternally, Dear Bro.... Your Subscription for the Year 2018 is now due. All members $ 30.00 Secretary; Fred Vandenberg 74 Patrick street Stawell, Vic. 3380 Phone: 03-53583650 e-mail: fredvdb@aapt.net.au http://kringnieuwholland.org.au/index.html Thank you.
I wish everybody a very Happy and Healthy 2018. Report of the meeting held on Saturday 18 November 2017 The Presiding Master, Bro. Iain Taylor opened the Annual General Meeting at1.20 pm. Apologies where received and recorded from Brethren who were unable to attend for various reasons. For February 2018 meeting at 2.15.pm, and we all retired to the South where we enjoyed a beautiful dinner. Confirmed & accepted were the Minutes of the months June, July, August, and October 2017. It was Proposed by Bro. Fred Vandenberg, and seconded by Bro. Rob Hamilton. Carried. The Treasurer presentd the financial statement for 2017.It was proposed by Bro. Rob Hamilton, and seconded by Bro Vic Palun. Motion was accepted. The Secretary Fred Vandenberg, Treasurer Bert Siersema where re-elected in their functions. The Presiding Master Bro. Iain Taylor resigned for health reasons, and Bro Fred Vandenberg proposed Bro Rob Hamilton. It was seconded by Bro. Brad Diviny. The motion was carried and Bro. Rob Hamilton was elected as the new Presiding Master. As committee members where re-elected the Bro s Clive Pattie, Brad Diviny, and Terry Bennett was elected to replace Bro. Rob Hamilton. In this year s Newsletter, we ll finish our articles about different Masonic Orders and their degrees, and we ll begin with Goddess symbolism in Freemasonry,,a lecture which I gave in 2012. This year we are also doing a new ritual from the Operatives The Midsummer Ceremony, and don t forget our 25th year celebration in July. In February we will install our new Presiding Master Bro Rob Hamilton, so bring your Masonic friends to see this. The annual subscription will remain the same at $ 30.00 per year. Bro Fred Vandenberg proposed that the dinning fee be increased from $10.00 to $15.00 per head as the cost of food has risen. Bro Iain Taylor will be made a special member for the work that he has done as Presiding Master. Seconded by Bro Vic Palun. Motion carried. This year the Kring will donate $400.00 to make up hampers for families who have a hard time. Bro Iain Taylor thanked Rob & Lee-Ann Hamilton for the sales of the books, and the Ladies, who furnished the beautiful display on the tables for our Xmas dinner, and closed the Annual General Our new Presiding Master & Treasurer Brethren, if you have friends (Masons) and they would like to come, please bring them along to the Kring. They will see we are: A masonic study circle with a difference. Brethren, your subscription for 2018 is now due. Membership is $ 30.00 per year.
These are the articles ready for the Hampers. Giving the ladies a break and doing the dishes. WORK TABLE FOR 2018 Saturday 17 February Lodge: Installation of the new Master Saturday 17 March Comparitie: Talk & Demo, AMORC Bro. Vic Palun Saturday 21 April Weekend away, Comparitie; by camp fire, in the Grampians. Saturday 19 May Lodge; An old time Operative Midsummer Ceremony Saturday 16 June Lodge; Spring Equinox from J. v. Ruysbroeck Saturday 21 July Lodge; 25 years celebration Sylvester with the Ladies. I like to thank Bro. Terry for organising the ham & meat, and Reverend Deacon Bro Adriaan for bringing the parcels to the families, and managed through contacts he has in the community, to find suitable people to deliver six hampers to. They were people who were genuinely struggling, and not part of our usual emergency relief program. He says that all the people that received hampers were humbled by the gift and extremely grateful that someone had noticed and cared enough to do something for them. It is a project that is well worth the end result. He said thank you to everyone in the Kring on behalf of these people, and hoped we can do again it this year. Saturday 18 August NO MEETING Saturday 15 September Lodge; The Hung Rite Saturday 20 October Field Lodge; Summer St John Saturday 17 November Comparitie; Annual General meeting Set worktable for 2019 & Xmas party.
Different degree s and Orders in Freemasonry, part 10 The Worshipful Society of Freemasons, ( The Operatives) The first charter granted to a Masons Company was in 926 A.D., by Athelstane. The present Masons Company of London was incorporated in 1411 in the reign of Henry IV. They were given a heraldic coat of arms through the influence of Sir Christopher Wren. The supporters of the arms are two Masons, the one on one side having blue facings and holding a square, the one on the other having red facings, and holding compasses. The blue masons were known as square masons and the red masons as round masons. We will hear more about these puzzling differentiations later. Operative Masonry consisted of seven degrees, the first four being operative and the last three supervisory and administrative and requiring special qualifications. The first four degrees were divided into blue and red masons each division having separate signs, tokens and words and meeting in separate lodges. The seven degrees were: Apprentices to the Craft of Freemasons square and round. Fellows of the Craft of Freemasons - square and round. Super Fellows who have their Mark square and round. Super Fellows also Erectors on the Site square and round. Intendents, Superintendents or Menatzchin. Those who have passed technical instruction for Master, Certified Master, or Passed Master, also called Harodin. The Grandmasters, two were elected for life or until retirement, and the third elected annually, collectively known as the Sanhedrin. In the old days most workers were bondsmen working under bond to the town or city or to some big landlord. These men were common labourers or apprentices learning a trade. After an apprentice had attained proficiency he became a freeman and could travel in search of work, something that we take very much for granted. Only the sons of freemen could become Masons. A lad to become a Mason (not a Freemason) had to be 14-15 years of age and make application for permission to become an apprentice to the Society. If the petition was accepted the lad had to be proposed by a Mason, seconded by another, and supported by five more. Note the number seven, as seven Masons are necessary to make a speculative lodge perfect or to initiate a candidate. After this, the applicant goes to the work-shop or quarry at high twelve on Friday, the sixth day of the week High-twelve because, according to operative tradition, something important happened at that hour and that tradition has been followed by, and incorporated into, speculative Freemasonry. Friday was the last day of the week in the time of King Solomon and on that day workmen received their pay, which carries through into the Mark ceremony today. The candidate is now admitted to the ante-chamber of the Lodge by his conductor who gives the password free and of good report. The candidate then takes an oath never to reveal anything in the event of his rejection during the ceremony. This is done by reading out his application and kissing the book when he says promise and swear. He also takes another oath that, avoiding fear on the one hand, rashness on the other; he will persevere through the ceremony of his initiation. The candidate then puts his fee on the lower area of a footing stone, which is checked by the Treasurer, but left until the candidate is obligated. An Operative Lodge is not set out in the same way as ours as there are three Masters. Grand Lodge, Royal Arch and the Scottish Lodges have three Masters, but with one exception, it is not necessary for all three to be present together. The floor of the Lodge is three squares in area. The Masters sit in the west to mark the rising sun, the S.W. in the east to mark the setting sun and the J.W. in the north to mark high twelve! The altar is in the centre of the Lodge, under the letter G and a plumb line is suspended over the centre of the altar. The rough ashlar is near, and to the east, of the altar. The candidate in the ante-room is divested of all money and metals and hoodwinked.
Three men come from the Lodge to strip him naked and splash him with mud. The surgeon removes the hoodwink and says wash and be clean. A bath is ready and the candidate bathes. He has to dip himself seven times. The surgeon examines him and reports to the Lodge that he is perfect in all his parts. The Master then asks the Lodge if they will accept him as an apprentice to the Craft. He is accepted by the clean hard sign. The candidate is then hoodwinked again, clothed in a white robe, has a blue or red cord looped around his neck held by a man in front and another behind. A shorter red or blue cord is then tied around his waist and held by a man on each side. The four men make a diamond with the candidate in the centre. This diamond has reference to a method of checking the correctness of work by operatives, being four right-angled triangles. The candidate and his attendants make five points. This is known as the five point system. Annually the third Master of the Lodge underwent a ceremony similar to our third degree, and this probably, is where the five points of fellowship were derived. The candidate now applies for admission to the Lodge at the inner door, and is asked how do you hope to obtain admission? giving the answer by the help of God and being free and of good report. The sword is held to his naked left breast so as to draw blood. He is then admitted and led to the northeast corner where he is questioned while kneeling. What is your age? What is your character? What is your knowledge? Have you ever been a member of any company or guild before? do you swear you have never been expelled, discharged or run away from any work? In all cases of difficulty or danger, in whom do you put your trust? In God is all my trust, the candidate answers. Right, rise. The brothers in the E. S. W. and N. will take notice that John Smith is about to pass before them. He is then led around the Lodge. After the first perambulation he is asked if he can see anything to which he replies no. The hoodwink is then raised sufficiently for him to see his feet and about a yard in front of them. He is warned to keep strictly to the path, or tessellated border, the next time round he puts one foot in front of the other, heel to toe, this called end-on-work or, work-inline and he must make one perambulation correctly without failure. He starts at the N.E. then to the S.E. and on way to N.W. and on his way back to the N.E. he is barred by the J.W. who allows him to pass on a good report. He then proceeds until barred by the S.W. who allows him to pass on good report. A strip of carpet is laid down leading to the rough ashlar so that the candidate does not tread on the Mosaic Pavement as he is led to the ashlar. The candidate kneels with both knees on the rough ashlar, right hand resting on V.S.L. and left hand holding compasses. I had heard that before the V.S.L. was available the candidate rested his hand on the perfect ashlar, it being a symbol of perfection. After taking the obligation the candidate is told to seal it with his lips. As his lips approach the book a sheet of soft wax is placed on the book and his head forced down so that his lips make an impression on the wax. Thus his obligation is literally sealed with his lips. The charge is then given. The obligation in Speculative Masonry covers a lot of the operative charge, except for that part relating to the Dame of the House. All operative lodges had a housekeeper who was protected and she had to swear to be of good character. The candidate is now given his actual working tools, chisel, maul and straight edge with compasses in addition in the red, given his apprentices apron, and taken back to the N.E. corner. There he is asked how he is going to live to his first pay. If he has money or is living with his father, nothing further is done. If, however, he says he is poor and has no money, the Master craves charity for him and a collection is made. For seven years he is an apprentice and wears a blue or red cord around his neck to show that he is bound. The initiation is complete and for seven years the candidate works as an indentured apprentice. After he has completed his time he again makes application to the Superintendent to be passed to the honourable degree of Fellow of the Craft of Free Mason, after swearing to conform to the Antient charges, established customs etc. The applicant has to go and kneel on the same ashlar stone as when he was bound seven years previously. The bond is torn up and the blue or red cord is removed from his neck. Rise Free Brother, you are now superior to an apprentice but inferior to a Fellow of the Craft of free Masons. He is then given the password and pass grip which is the same as ours, but again covered. Next Month we will go further in the second degree.