Interesting Beginnings!

Since my journey began I have run across some interesting stories of how different Lodges aquired their names. Most have been named after geographical areas, cities, persons of note etc. One story related to me is of South Africa Lodge #6742, in London England,founded by returning veterans of military service in S.A., see here http://southafricalodge.co.uk/history.html.

Another tale that will put a smile on your face goes, 'the lodge was started by a group of men who had built a tavern in the Gold Rush town of Rich Bar. Their wives had been less than enthused, and quickly burned the place to the ground. The Masons chose "Sincerity" as their name to let their women and state dignitaries know that they were sincere in their desire to better themselves in the virtues still taught in lodges today: temperance, fortitude, prudence and justice.' see here http://freemasonsfordummies.blogspot.com/2009/07/californias-sincerity-lodge-no-132.html

And my personal favorite, in the wake of Aldrin's Masonic space mission, the Grand Lodge of Texas formed Tranquility Lodge No. 2000, named after Tranquility Base, the location of Apollo 11's landing. According to the lodge website,
On July 20, 1969, two American Astronauts landed on the moon of the planet Earth, in an area known as Mare Tranquilitatis , or "Sea of Tranquility". One of those brave men was Brother Edwin Eugene (Buzz) Aldrin, Jr., a member of Clear Lake Lodge No. 1417, AF&AM, Seabrook, Texas. Brother Aldrin carried with him SPECIAL DEPUTATION of then Grand Master J. Guy Smith, constituting and appointing Brother Aldrin as Special Deputy of the Grand Master, granting unto him full power in the premises to represent the Grand Master as such and authorize him to claim Masonic Territorial Jurisdiction for The Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Texas, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, on The Moon, and directed that he make due return of his acts. Brother Aldrin certified that the SPECIAL DEPUTATION was carried by him to the Moon on July 20, 1969. see full story posted here http://freemasonsfordummies.blogspot.com/2009/07/apollo-11-freemasons-and-moon.html#links

I would like to ask anyone who reads this blog and has an interesting, funny, obscurely named Lodge, I would like to know about it. In fact feel free to post any weird or half way interesting tales, ghost stories(I'm sure there is at least one haunted Lodge out there), rumors etc about your Lodge, I love'em all! Feel free to post in the comments section or e-mail it to me and I will include them in a future posting.

Meeting new friends!

This weekend I had the opportunity to meet face to face with a pair of brothers,Drew and Rob, during some free time while attending my sister-in-laws wedding. Let me start off by saying that these two gentlemen are shining examples of what I percieve to be the best reasons to join Freemasonry. After meeting both of these men via the 'intra-net' and getting past the basic introductions both were more than happy to extend themselves, and their time to me. Having some free time away from wedding prep, I was able to meet them downtown Edmonton, and spend an hour talking about how we all were led down the different highways in life, but met at the same crossroads.

One a son of missionaries, punk rock band member, the other a freestyle skier, and downhill longboarder. As we gathered together over drinks at a local coffee shop, I remarked of how I thought the 3 of us were definetly NOT the face of FM today, and could not have been corrected more quickly by these two fellows! I should mention that until this day both men did not know each other, and they quickly related to me that at least in their own Lodges, that the face of FM has indeed started to become a younger one and one continuing to be filled with many different roads and experiences that have led these men to their Lodges.

It was really cool to be able to spend an hour with these two gentlemen, and hear their personal experiences while exploring the world since discovering FM. Drew had a great story about Cuba, and although he never was able to confim that his relief came directly from a brother there, it had to have been more than mere coincedence! When the three of us parted company that afternoon it was very apparant that I had gained not only two good friends, but if all goes well at my Lodges vote on my petition, I have gained two brothers of man as well. Cheers to you both!

False Representation!

Has anyone seen somebody wearing or displaying the symbols of FM, but they weren't a Mason at all?

I had an experience yesterday which left me with a couple of questions. A man approached my desk with a beautiful belt buckle displaying the square and compass. As a petitioner it immediately caught my eye and I began to ask him a few questions during our business to broach the subject without being completely overt. I asked him where he lived, he answered with the same city I live in. Sweet, I thought. Then I asked what lodge he belonged to, to which he replied, 'Oh you mean my belt buckle, I got it in Mexico. My name is Gordon, I like the G in the middle.' He also said he gets asked quite frequently about about, and more or less the same queries: Where are you from, what lodge etc.

I was kind of disappointed, I thought I had a Mason from my hometown and possibly the lodge I was petitioning standing in front of me. Was pretty bummed for the rest of the day! Why would you continue to display symbols such as these and be questioned on a regular basis only to reply in the negative everytime? Maybe he had no idea of the richness of the symbols and the close brotherhood that keeps and guards these symbols. Too bad!