Grand Master's Newsletter - November 2023
22 November 23
Hello Brethren, and welcome to our November edition of the Grand Master’s Newsletter.
This year has really flown by and here we are staring down the barrel of Christmas. Our December Grand Communication is now looming, and we look forward to holding that Communication out at Dubbo in the State’s Central West on the 9th of December. The Central West area has a wonderful population of Freemasons, and I am really excited to take the Communication out to those members and their families. The Dubbo Masonic Centre has undergone a complete refurbishment over the past couple of years (see attached photos) and the brethren have been working hard to finish the renovations in preparation for what will be a major event for the NSW Central West masonic community.
No doubt we all have a busy time leading up to the holiday period. In addition to the regular Board and Committee meetings that are on the agenda, the Grand Ceremonial Team and I will be attending events at The Goulburn Lodge of Australia, Lodge Education, The Mountain Lodge, Lodge Picton, The Cedars Lodge, Lodge Blacktown Kildare, and the Grand Communication in Dubbo. While it is a busy time for all of us, it is also an important time, a time to spend with our family and friends. So if you and your Lodge are having an end of year function, please invite family and friends to come along and make it a special time for everyone.
New Website
The new website (www.masons.au) and database are now live, there will be lots of information and support based content added as we move forward into 2024; so, I urge you all to login and check it out at your earliest convenience.
Universal Masonry
Recently I had a short holiday in Greece with Narelle. While there I took the opportunity to meet with the Grand Master of Greece, MW Bro Michail Mattes and the Deputy Grand Master & Grand Chancellor, RW Bro Georgios Biniaris.
We were made very welcome, and it hit home the importance of Freemasonry in our lives.
As a mason it doesn’t (and shouldn’t) matter where we go on this planet, the bonds that tie us together as men and masons are strong, they overcome all difficulties and differences, and I thank MW Bro Mattes for his time and friendship while we were there.
Challenging Times
I also understand that, with the happenings throughout the world at the moment, this is a worrying time, especially for those that have family and friends caught up in the turmoil in other countries. We all worry for all the innocent people caught up in the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, and we pray for an end to the hostilities.
Sadly, the world has never been free from conflict, and Freemasonry was forged in a very conflicted world. The brethren who framed the original constitutions formed the fundamental precepts and tenets that still guide us today and, I guess they intentionally gave us a very challenging task, they tasked us to be the reconcilers of differences and that’s not easy to achieve. World events are difficult, dangerous, and challenging. Our Grand Lodge has amicable relations with Grand Lodges in nations around the world that are in conflict with each other, and we all have our own individual political and religious beliefs. One of the centuries-old joys of Freemasonry is seeing people of differing religions, political beliefs, and persuasions set aside their differences, and celebrate the commonalities that bind them together as friends and masons by simply meeting on the Level and parting on the Square.
This is our task Brethren, and it’s what it means to meet with Humility, Kindness, and Generosity.
Until we meet, please stay safe and look after your friends and loved ones.
Grand Communication
BOOK NOW
We all look forward to a great weekend out at Dubbo. The Central West of NSW is a very special and integral part of this great state, and I look forward to seeing masons and their families from all over NSW and interstate sharing in some great country hospitality.
Bookings can be made online by way of our website at https://masons.au/events/ and I hope to see you there.