Where all human beings.

[j.sabourn]

Then you will know that a Freemason can be of any religion. And that religion and politics are barred in the South. There are not too many seafarers in masonry due to their long periods away. My lodge also looks after their widows but maybe not to the extent they used to. Our main charity is the women’s refuge and being in charge of the cheque book know what goes out. Cheers JS

[Keith Tindell]

As Dave Allen used to say,* may your god go with you*, that says it all for me, you worship who you choose, but leave me out, kt

[Lewis McColl]

Then you will know that a Freemason can be of any religion. And that religion and politics are barred in the South. There are not too many seafarers in masonry due to their long periods away. My lodge also looks after their widows but maybe not to the extent they used to. Cheers JS.

Perhaps today John there may not be to many masons at sea, but certainly in Blue funnel line you never got to the dizzy heights of Command or C Eng unless you were in the masonic. P&O was another company that had many senior officers as masons. On the passenger ships they regularly held masonic dinners onboard. My wife's Uncle Ian Leon Walker was Chief Steward on Canberra, Oronsay and others. When he died we got his discharge books and also many menus from P&O ships were they hosted dinners with the masonic compass &Square emblem as the header

[Tony Taylor]

Yes John , I remember the conversation about my name and me being the son of a mason , which I am. All my uncles and my brother +cousins are or were in the masons. I have been invited a few times but it is just something that never interested me. I will say this though when my Dad died the masons certainly looked after my mum and made sure she never went short but that was 50 years ago, what it is like now I wouldn't know. Concerning religion , each to there own , just don't try and ram it down my throat. If we all live by the so called 10 commandments the world be a far better place. I view the 10 commandments as a road map on how to lead your life.

your Christian name is significant in Masonic circles, masonry is not a religion but as you say about the ten commandments, is a road map on how to lead your life regardless of religion using comparisons of tools and guidelines for builders (masons in other words) to describe the meanings.
The primary function though is Charity, not just for masons but all strata of society, for example, the first relief money into NZ after the earthquake, was from British Masonic Institutions.

[Keith at Tregenna]

A little local history: The Barry Lodge No. 2357

It is seldom in the history of Freemasonry that the histories of One Hundred and Seventeen years of a Lodge follow so closely those of the town after which it is named. Such however is most certainly the case with The Barry Lodge No. 2357, which was consecrated on the 11th September 1890, only some fourteen short months after the opening of the Barry Docks on the 18th July 1889.

It is thus that the history of The Barry Lodge has been so closely associated with that of the town and docks. The three small villages of Cadoxton-juxta-Barry, Merthyr Dyfan and Barry had a combined population in 1881 of only some 478 residents, mostly a Welsh speaking agricultural community. A line of woods surrounded the area in the north, east and west, making communications very difficult, except by sea. At the Harbour was the Old Storehouse notorious for its association with smugglers who plied their trade throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, and even into the 19th century. In 1883 and 1884 the Trustees of the Marquis of Bath exercised a monopoly over the coal trade in South Wales with docks at Cardiff and Penarth. It took two Bills presented to the House of Commons and the House of Lords to finally receive Royal Assent on the 14th August 1884.

Within five short years on the 18th July 1889 the S.S. Arno steamed through the dock gates and the first wagon load of coal was “tipped” at 11.30 a.m. into the S.S. Ravenshoe, the official ceremony closing with a luncheon in a dockside marquee.

Such was the success of the exportation of coal that by 1890, some 3,192,691 tons of coal were exported; this had increased by 1913 to 11,049,711 tons, thus making Barry Docks the largest and most important coal exporting dock in the whole of the United Kingdom.

The port was at its most prosperous between 1890 and the outbreak of the First World War. A consequence of which was the influx of immigrants into the area from all over the United Kingdom.

This influx, and the further growth of Freemasons in the Barry area put pressure on the necessity of the formation of a new Lodge in Barry. The Brethren of the Glamorgan Lodge (No.36) gave their support to the Petition forwarded to Grand Lodge.

[j.sabourn]

A few years ago Tony due to strife in Malaysia due to a Tsunami or something similar W.A. masons contributed a $100,000 to rebuild 3 schools. Due to money restrictions of money going out of the country 10 Freemasons took 10,000 each which was the maximum allowed. This was handed over to a Lodge in Malaya to make sure it went to the right receivers , and 3 schools were rebuilt , not like our schools but Malaysian style schools.JS.

[j.sabourn]

#75.. Keith 117 years is not too long for a Lodge . Here in Australia we have lodges as old I would imagine and this is a young country. What about the other 2356 lodges beforehand are they all kaput. .? Lodges go in order of numbers when visiting other lodges So the larger the number would go in first. At least that’s the way we work it here. The lower the number the older the lodge. However a Scottish lodge would enter first as is a different constitution than the English lodges. Everything is protocol , and at the moment after. Being shut down the same as everything else will have to put my thinking cap on before the next meeting. As probably already making mistakes .Cheers JS..

[Fouro]

There's an old saying that wherever Scots went in numbers, the first thing they did was build a Kirk (church), then they would build a bank, then a pub and the fourth thing would usually be a lodge.

Fouro.

[Fouro]

Re #77.
The oldest Freemason meeting records in the world date back to January 1599.
They were the property of Lodge Aitchison's Haven in East Lothian, Scotland.
This lodge closed in 1852.

Fouro.

[j.sabourn]

#77. As regards another Order. Last year celebrated 100 years since launched. It was no. 4 and Named the Priory of Allenby in recognition of Lord Allenby or General Allenby who fought in the Middle East in the 14/18 war. There are 3 older priories than this and younger ones going up to number 28. All can be found on google. You might even see some names you recognise , no secrecy there . Cheers JS