INTERNATIONAL MASONIC REVIEW PUBLISHED BY BONISTEEL MASONIC LIBRARY
Volume 13. Issue 1 • • WINTER 2008
FREEMASONRY IN POLAND
By Bro. Mitchell Ozog - page 12
JEWS, THE ENLIGTEMENT, AND FREEMASONRY
By Bro Seymour D. Greenstone - page 22
IS CO-MASONRY THE ANTIDOTE - page 26
By Bro. Carlos Antonio Martines, Jr.
And more...
~Links to more light~
BML Intender Online page ......www.bonisteelml.org/intender2.htm
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100 Global Masonic Links ................www.bonisteelml.org/links.htm
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Detroit Masonic Temple ...www.gamesbygrube.freeyellow.com/dmt.html
Ontario .....................................................................www.grandlodge.on.ca
Ohio ................................................................................www.freemason.com
Massachusettes ...........................................www.massfreemasonry.org
California ...................................................................www.freemason.org
Minnesota ..................................................................www.mn-masons.org
Georgia .................................................................................www.glofga.org
Virginia .......................................................www.grandlodgeofvirginia.org
MASONIC EDUCATION
Karl W. Grube, Ph.D., 32°
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THE RISING POINT
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Cover photo: Mitchell Ozog 2008
EDITOR
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LAYOUT & DESIGN – Bro. Mitchell Ozog
For those of you who are new to this publication, we hope you enjoy
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Foreign Correspondent - Warsaw
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EDITOR - IN - CHIEF
Bro. Mitchell Ozog
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......WINTER 2008 • INTERNATIONAL MASONIC REVIEW • THE RISING POINT...... ......WINTER 2008 • INTERNATIONAL MASONIC REVIEW • THE RISING POINT......
30
Continued from page 29
3
INTERNATIONAL MASONIC REVIEW PUBLISHED BY BONISTEEL MASONIC LIBRARY
volume 13. issue 1• WINTER 2008
Contents
FEATURE ARTICLES
Freemasonry In Nigeria
By Bro. Roy Chikwem 32°
Brother john B. grayson, 1806 - 1861
By Bro. William Krebaum, 32°
Masonic loyalty
By Bro. Tim Bryce, PM
Freemasonry in poland
By Bro. Mitchell Ozog, 32°
let’s be legendary - again
By Bro. Christopher L. Hodapp, PM
jews, the enlightement, and
freemasonry
By Bro. Seymour D. Greenstone, PM
creation of the alleged “First Grand
Lodge”) Anderson simply made
a synthesis of various documents,
some of which were even second
hand; whereas in the case of our
forementioned manuscript, we
are in the presence of an unique
and complete document. And with
respect to the evoked “Mistress”,
we can all admit that Sabine de
Pierrefonds, artist and sculptress,
had to, at the same time, form/
train Apprentices and Companions
(Fellowcrafts). Later on, in due
time, the benefits of this Feminine
Initiation into “Accepted Free-
Masonry” were extended to a
female monarch: Queen Anne
Stewart, Daughter of James II, who
ruled between 1702 and 1714.
Page 4
Page 7
Page 9
Page 12
Page 19
Page 22
Page 26 IS CO-MASONRY THE ANTIDOTE
By Bro. Carlos Antonio Martinez, Jr.
What exactly is “more light” in Masonry?
Bro. Robert Blackburn
Many Masons today confuse ritual proficiency with Masonic “light.” While a deeper understanding
and appreciation of ritual can lead to important personal insights, this is not the “light” our Masonic
predecessors had in mind. Modern Masonry is a product of the European Enlightenment.
“Light,” consequently, was knowledge of the w o r l d around us and, more particularly
for Masonry, information that makes us all better human
beings. Early Masons used their lodges to discuss a variety
of topics, loosely ascribed to the seven “liberal arts and sciences.”
The ability to intelligently discuss and debate such matters was
considered a distinguishing characteristic of a Master
Mason.
Today’s Masonry has all but forgotten its intellectual
heritage. Few lodges are active places of learning, Masonic or otherwise.
They are social clubs and service organizations, mistaking memorization
and philanthropy with Masonry. Real Masonry,itmustberemembered,isabout
creating enlightened men. Ritual and charitable works are important. Ritual
is the entrance to Masonry; philanthropy is one of Masonry’s many gifts. But for
Masonry to be truly meaningful, education has to be its cornerstone. Lodges having
libraries should update them. Members should organize regular book clubs and discussion
groups. More importantly, time should be scheduled at every regular, non-degree meeting for
education. This could be a Masonic “short talk” or other informative article. Better yet, a 20
to 30 minute member presentation when time permits. The “seven liberal arts and sciences” is
a broad body of knowledge; no doubt every member could, and should, be able to contribute
something for discussion. Lastly, lodges should arrange guest speakers or performers, such as
university professors and musicians, for special lodge events. Such occasions can be opened to
family and invited guests, spreading Masonry’s light a little further. All Masonic lodges should
consider themselves “research lodges,” places where members learn about the Craft and grow as
enlightened men. We fail ourselves, as Masons, if we do not make time at lodge for learning. We
also fail our brothers when we are too stingy to share what we know. This is particularly true for
new members who have high expectations of the Fraternity. Therefore, we must all continuously
strive, individually and collectively, to bring more light to ourselves and Masonry. Without it, our
lodges will be very dark indeed.
Page 30 WHAT EXACTLY IS “MORE LIGHT IN MASONRY?
By Bro. Robert Blackburn
Page 32 MASONIC EDUCATION - LINKS TO MORE LIGHT
By Bro. Karl W. Grube, 32°
......WINTER 2008 • INTERNATIONAL MASONIC REVIEW • THE RISING POINT...... ......WINTER 2008 • INTERNATIONAL MASONIC REVIEW • THE RISING POINT......
4 29Continued from page 28
Freemasonry was formally
introduced to Africa in 1772, with
the erection of Geode Hoop Lodge
No.18 in Cape Town, Sierra Leone
under the charter of the Grand East
of the Netherlands. The spread of
Masonry in Africa was rather slow.
This was on account of the little
social contact that existed between
the early European merchants and
the natives. Commerce was then
unfortunately concentrated on the
inhumanslavetrafficking.Thedrive
for the abolition of this vile trade
which incidentally was propelled
by Freemasons such as Lord
Mansfield in Britain, fortified by
other abolitionist groups in France,
and later in the United States, led to
the 1807 British Act of Parliament
to that outlawed slavery.
Today, there are twelve regular
Grand lodges in Africa namely;
Grand Lodge of Burkina Faso,
Grand Lodge of Gabon, National
Grand Lodge of Guinea, Grand
Lodge of Ivory Coast, Grand Lodge
of Liberia, National Grand Lodge
of Madagascar, National Grand
Lodge of Mail, Grand Lodge of
Senegal, National Grand Lodge of
Togo, Grand Lodge of SouthAfrica,
Grand Lodge of Benin and Grand
Lodge of Mauritius. However,
Masonry is so widespread in Africa
that there are comparatively few
cities of more than a few hundred
persons that do not boast of at least
one Masonic lodge. All the three
British Constitutions: - the United
Grand Lodge of England, Grand
Lodge of Scotland and the Grand
Lodge of Ireland are present in
Africa including Prince Hall Grand
Lodge and Grande Loge Nationale
Francaise.
Apart from South Africa there is
no country in Africa possessing
“Every year, the Saturday following
the Ascension, the Brothers and
Sisters get together in a determined
place to recite their prayers in honor
of the Holy Trinity, in favor of the
Holy Church, for Peace and Union
of the country, and for the repose
of the souls of all defunct, not only
Fore-Brothers and Fore-Sisters,
but, all friends and Christians… If
a member of our Guild dies, his/her
Brothers and Sisters should pray for
him/her and celebrate a mass for the
peaceful state of his/her soul”…
2. In the archives of York Lodge
Number 236, which belonged to
the Ancient Grand
Lodge of England, in the Orient of
York whose origin is immemorial,
there is a
Manuscript dated in 1693 and
transcribed on a lightly mutilated
parchment, by which
we find that, during the reception of
a neophyte in the 17th
century:
“One of the Elders picks-up the
Book, and He or She who is to
be made a Mason places his/her
hand on the Book, and then the
instructions are given”.
3. Another fact comes to contradict
the exaggerated misogyny of a vast
number of
Masons, Grand Jurisdictions and
Concordant Bodies: There is a
great feminine name, among those
“admirable cathedral builders”, that
ofSabinedePierrefonds,daughterof
Herve de Pierrefonds, better known
by the germanic name of Erwin
Von Steinbach. Sabine participated
in the construction of the cathedral
of Strasburg, and also sculpted
some of the most prominent statues
of Notre Dame in Paris. Evidently,
however, the construction of these
cathedrals, which, usually took up
to a couple of centuries to be built,
required more than one Master of
the Work, and it is highly probable
that Sabine de Pierrefonds was not
the only woman who toiled in these
labors.
On another hand, among those
possible feminine receptions of
“Accepted Masons”, like those
narrated by ancient medieval
“Duties” and “Charges”, we can
include those of the Masters’wives,
since these “Bylaws” make an
invariable reference to them both:
“Thou shall not reveal the secrets
or projects of thy Master or thy
Mistress… “ (Ancient Constitutions
of Franc-Masons, taken from a
manuscript written 500 years ago
by J. Roberts, Warwick-Lane, 1722,
Apprentices’ Bylaws, 1,4,5,7)
The publication of this manuscript
was prior to that of “Anderson’s
Constitutions”, and it has been
found to be more trust-worthy, in
light of its antiquity and uniqueness
–sincein1724(sevenyearsafterthe
FREEMASONRY
IN
NIGERIA
By Bro. Roy Chikwem, 32°
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5Continued from page 2728 Continued from page 4
before all, Geometry, fundament of
Masonry and Architecture, which,
he later taught to his descendants.
- Fifteen of the thirty nine Masonic
Historians elaborated on the
existence of a Lodge at the East of
Paradise. Some contend that at the
sixth day of the Creation, the issue
of women in Lodge was addressed
and approved at the Celestial Grand
Lodge. Others state that the First
Mason was indeed Adam, and
from that standpoint Jean Marie
Ragon de Bettignies (1781-1866)
concluded: “… If our father Adam
labored in Lodge, he could not have
done it with anyone else, but, with
his woman …”.
Elian Brault stated, rather
persuasively: “… Given that the
Serpent of Genesis approached
Eve first, to have her taste the fruit
of The Tree of Life, Science and
Death, it was Eve evidently the First
Initiated, whom, in turn, initiated
Adam …”
For his own part, Marc Bedarride
sustains that the Patriarch Jabel,
son of Lamech, was the first who
conceived the felicitous idea of
accepting a woman in Lodge. He
chose as Grand Mistress his sister
Noema, daughter of Lamech and
Sella, and sister of Tubalcain.
Since the age of seventeen, Noema
demonstrated having the most
outstanding qualities, by being
honest, civilized, gracious, affable,
amiable, kind and beautiful. Jabel
surrounded himself with other
illustrious sisters to help him with
his labors – having had their first
Lodge meeting at a plain field
surrounded by twelve palms, and
under a pure and serene sky where
Peace, Concord and Harmony
reigned.
OPERATIVE ERA
When some poorly informed
people – Masons and Non-Masons
– blindedly reject the possibility
of a Woman being eligible and/
or worthy of Masonic Initiation,
whether it be in a Feminine Lodge
or a Mixed-one, one cannot help to
“sketch” a light smile; for it is clear,
even by the accounts and terms
of Profane History, that women,
in their individual capacities or
throughtheirmembershipindiverse
guilds of spinners, weaveresses,
carvers, upholsterers, sculptresses,
etc. have taken active participation
in the Divine Art of Architecture.
Some evidential facts that support
the above statement are the
following:
1.TheCarpentersGuildofNorwich,
a guild that dates from 1375, and to
which the
Masons of York belonged, recollect
that:
more lodges than Nigeria. Nigeria
currently has 130 Daughter Lodges
consisting of 78, 32 and 20 under
the Scottish, English and Irish
Constitutions respectively. The
FederalRepublicofNigeriaoperates
under a federal constitutional
republic comprising thirty-six
states and one Federal Capital
Territory. The country is located in
WestAfrica and shares land borders
with the Republic of Benin in the
west, Chad and Cameroon in the
east, and Niger in the north. In the
south lies the Gulf of Guinea, part
of the Atlantic Ocean. The capital
city is Abuja. The people of Nigeria
have an extensive history, and
archaeological evidence shows that
human habitation of the area dates
back to at least 9000 BC. Nigeria
is the most populous country
in Africa and the eighth most
populous country in the world with
a population of about 150 million.
Freemasonry was introduced to
my native country of Nigeria in
1868 with the opening of the Lagos
Lodge No.1171. The second Lodge
was erected in 1896 with a Charter
from the Grand Lodge of Ireland in
Calabar as Lodge MacDonald 197
I.C. Lodge Academic No. 1156 S.C
was later consecrated on November
4, 1915 in Lagos. Subsequently
Masonry took roots in Nigeria
to the extent that right within the
Islamic Northern region, Lodges
were chartered and worked as early
as 1939 in Kaduna, Kano; Zaria
and Jos.
All the three British Constitutions:
- the United Grand Lodge of
England, Grand Lodge of Scotland
and the Grand Lodge of Ireland
are present in Nigeria. Masonic
membership cuts across people of
Traditional, Christian and Islamic
faiths. It is not uncommon to see
brothers belonging to all three
British constitutions. It gives the
brethrens the opportunity to witness
different rituals and traditions of
Freemasonry. The United Grand
Lodge of England and the Grand
Lodge of Ireland preceded the
Grand Lodge of Scotland in
establishing lodges in Nigeria but
Scottish Masonry appears to be the
dominantforceinNigeria.Thereare
various Masonic appellant bodies in
Nigeria including Supreme Grand
Royal Arch Chapter, Royal Arch
Chapter of Scotland, and The Royal
Order of Scotland
Freemasons in Nigeria have to
some extent attracted animosity
especially from the evangelical
churchesandthegovernment.Often
times, Freemasons are not allowed
to openly participate in church
or Islamic rites including being
accorded funeral rites on account
of their Masonic affiliations. In the
past, the government had required
all public officers to declare and
renouncetheirMasonicmembership
or resign or have their positions
terminated. But Freemasons are to
be found in the seats of power and
authority despite all odds. Nigerian
Freemasons are men of charity,
good heart and great works. In fact,
they have contributed to chartable
causes in the areas of education,
communitydevelopment,medicine,
sport, and much more.
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6 27Continued from page 26
Since the world war two, there have
been several attempts to create a
“United Grand Lodge of Nigeria”
combining all lodges in the country
under one Masonic body. During
a summit conference of the three
mother constitutions of Scotland,
Ireland and England in Edinburgh,
on May 7, 1987, they agreed to fix
the target date of July 1988 for the
erection and consecration of the
United Grand Lodge of Nigeria.
This date was changed from year
to year because of defect in the
aspiration of the local jurisdictions
to come to a decision as to the
logistics. Local disagreements
have militated against it and there
is no current action towards that
direction.
However,thecustomsandtraditions
of the Craft in Nigeria are closely
parallel to those practiced by the
United Grand Lodge of England,
Grand Lodge of Scotl...
