by Midnight Fremasons Guest Contributor
Worshipful Master Kevin J. Wurster
Hilton Masonic Lodge No. 1143 (IL)
Hilton Masonic Lodge No. 1143 (IL)
This August 16th I was witness to just how much
Brotherly love can prevail and cement us as one.One week prior to my scheduled "Honeymoon Holiday" to Edinburgh Scotland I received notice from the Grand Lodge of Scotland; they had located a lodge that would be having a meeting during our visit. I had already spoken to Illinois. Grand Lodge and had an official document to present, however I sent the information to Grand Lodge just to make sure. My contact in Scotland was Bob Cooper, curator of the Scotland Grand Lodge Museum. He instructed me to visit Freemasons Hall early on Thursday and they would have all the information assembled for me. I had no idea at this time what I was about to enter into.
Since I was visiting
a Grand Lodge and making a meeting, I felt somewhat to be acting as a
Representative of Illinois Grand Lodge, I contacted W.G.M. Terry Seward about
some lapel pins. I also thought that since I was being invited to visit the GL
Museum, that I needed some type of item to present as a gift. I contacted
Illinois' own Todd E. Creason, author of Famous American Freemasons, and he was kind enough to donate a copy of the two
volumes combined to give to the Grand Lodge Museum. With these two items I thought myself ready
for the visit.
The first few days of our Edinburgh experience were great,
busy, and more than I could have dreamed. But that is another story completely.
Thursday the 16th
came as fast as I would have wanted it to. My new wife and I had already found
Freemasons Hall early in our trip, so we knew where we were headed. About 10AM we made our way to the Grand
Lodge… First was the experience of getting in, there was a buzzer at the front
door. A pleasant young lady answered and I made my introduction, “No problem
come on in and follow the stairwell up to the second floor to the Office. The
entrance was like something in Washington DC, a large domed entry with windows
in the dome. We made our way up to the
office and were greeted by two very nice ladies that took care of calling for
a Brother that had my information. He spent a good half hour explaining the
history of Scottish Lodges, the history of Grand Lodge, and covering other
tidbits about Masonic history in Scotland.
He explained how Scotland had no standard work; every lodge
had control of its ritual. That when the Grand Lodge was formed the lodges would
allow no such thing as Standard Ritual . . . many, many Lodges had been operating
with Operative and Speculative Masons for 100+ years without a Grand Lodge and
they had no need to have someone tell them how to do their work.
He explained that Scottish Masonry had written evidence of
Lodges meeting in Scotland all the way back to 1599. That they actually had
three lodges with written proof back to that date, therefore since the lodges
were numbered according to the order formed, once Grand Lodge was formed, they
actually had three #1 lodges. He then showed me the published Ritual that they
considered to be most used and other books they had for sale in the Grand Lodge
Store http://www.grandlodgescotland.com/index.php?option=com_virtuemart
After making some photo copies and other information he gave
us instructions on getting to the Museum, to visit the Curator, Bro. Robert
Cooper.
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| Tubal Cain |
With all this I thought I was prepared for a fun night, since
the Brother at Grand Lodge informed me that the lodge was doing degree work
that night. The only thought that would enter my mind was “How Wonderful to get
to witness Degree Work from Scotland.” I was instructed to reach the Lodge around
6:45 that night and that a “Dark Suit and Tie” would be expected…No problem I
came prepared and what I thought was ready, Boy! Was I in for the surprise of
my life?
The Hotel was able to schedule a Taxi and I was right on
time…maybe a bit early but excited… The
Brothers welcomed me with open arms and ready, someone from Grand Lodge let
someone know I would be there. It was
explained early when I asked what degree they were doing that night, it was
explained they were exemplifying the 1st Degree and had no active
candidate. The numbers grew from two to probably 70 in no time. Many many
brothers came up and introduced themselves, one hearing I was from “The States”
mentioned his lodge had a visitor a few weeks back from Ohio..They were also
exemplifying a degree. I made a comment about WOW what a wonderful experience.
The next thing I knew I was in front of the Master of “Water of Leith Lodge
#1267” and someone was asking if I could be the symbolic Candidate for the
degree. I was asked “Do you really want
to go through all that” Of course I stated it would be a wonderful honor and a
terrific experience to hear a degree done 1st hand as the candidate--my fate was sealed, and my life never the same.
I was of course
invited to remain in the room for the opening where I was also escorted and
introduced as the “Reigning Master” of Hilton Lodge #1143 in Illinois. They
escort and introduce all visiting Reigning Masters and Past Master and invite
them to sit in the North side of the East.
After a unique opening with things done in manners I had not seen in the
States to the few Non-Illinois Lodges I had visited, I was asked to retire and
be prepared.. That was all pretty much the same. From that point forward things were the same
however different. As I stated above the ritual is not standardized and I
understood and was ready for that. If a brother was helping from another lodge,
he did his part as he knew it and the others as they knew their work. What I was not ready for was the beauty of
the explanations, the way that the story was the same but yet completely
different, and the way that even though I had done this before and heard it
time and time again, It moved me in a way it never had before. Of course the Master made a few stumbles, he
had to be prompted a few times, but I would never have known if it was word
perfect or not… and neither would the other visiting brethren in the room. You see they have the mindset that there is
no right or wrong way, that each lodge does this a bit different, and that is
Okay. This even went for the etiquette
of how one prepared himself for lodge. Some Brothers wear their apron inside
the jacket some outside some had more paraphernalia than others… however they all
looked at each other as correct.
The degree work went on through the entire 1st
and second sections; there were a few items of difference that I of course have
sworn not to repeat… May I suggest a trip to Scotland and take in some degree
work.
Once everything was
completed I was asked to make a few comments just like we would offer to a
candidate…I would think that my comments were unlike most.
I let them know that it was so much the same but yet so
different, that I was moved by how well their ritual explained some of the work,
symbols, and the importance of caution when conveying the pass. That I could see that their ritual was
probably the source of our version. However I could see more history and source
to theirs.
After they closed the meeting, they had no other business,
the officers and members torn down the lodge for a nice meal, with warm brotherly
love, and support. It was at this point, my Masonic outlook would never be the
same. I think that every brother in the
lodge came up and shook my hand at least once.
I was amazed by the number of gifts, small mementos, lapel pins (Which I
still had from our Grand Master). I was presented with a lodge tie from Water
of Leith Lodge, Forget me not flower
Pins, a small Setting Maul wooden keychain…I was then greeted by a brother that
walked up and handed me a little black book, asked me if I knew what it was? I
flipped it over only to find it was a Illinois Monitor Black Booklet…..At that
moment as far away from home as I was, I felt like I was at home. This brother had family in Northern Illinois
and he had held onto it from his visit… I was then approached by a brother that
handed me a small “Pocket Sized” Gavel and stated he wanted to give it to me. I
thanked him and asked if he had turned this gavel? He answered yes.. but that
there was an explanation he wished to convey to me about the gavel. He questioned
me if I had heard of Rosslyn Chapel. I answered we had visited the Chapel on
Tuesday. He then explained that he had purchased a section of a beam that had
been replaced at the Chapel. That he had used that timber to turn several
gavels for Masters and several Lodges. That when he was completed he had
several small pieces left over and that this gavel was from those remains. Some of you can imagine the feeling that gift
could cause, I was speechless and overwhelmed.
There were several other items given to me one was a tie from a lodge
named after the house of Stewart.
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| Portrait William St. Clair in Museum |
Close to the closing of the evening I asked one of the
brothers if he could make a call for a Taxi, I handed him the card of the taxi
that had brought me to the lodge, he handed it back, stating “Not to worry
brother it is on my way home”. Little did I know he functioned as a taxi for
several of the lodge brothers. This allowed me to share even more time,
learning the history of Scotland, William Wallace, Robert the Bruce, and Oh YES
let me not forget “The explanation from one of the English Brother as to why
the English drive on the left side of the road and Americans drive on the wrong
side.” The explanation made complete
sense even coming from an Englishman.
I once heard someone speak about masonry, He closed his talk
be stating “And pay the brothers their wages if any be due them.” The Friendship, Fellowship and Love shown to
me, is that payment. What better payment then being able to go anywhere in the
world with Freemasonry and be extended the hand of Friendship in such a great
way.
I would have to encourage any brother, if you ever have the
opportunity to travel a far, and attend a lodge meeting, Do So! It is well
worth the time and effort, and you will probably form friendships forever.
~KJW
Kevin J. Wurster is the current Worshipful Master of Hilton Masonic Lodge #1143 (IL), the Chairman Advisor of the Fides Chapter of DeMolay, and the Associate Guardian of Pekin Bethel #55 Jobs Daughters. He's also a member of the Scottish Rite Valley of Peoria (NMJ) and the Pekin and Peoria York Rite. He's also a member of the Morton Eastern Star, Red Cross of Constantine, the Peoria Abbas Grotto, the Peoria Heights UCCE, and the the Peoria Tall Cedars.
~KJW
