The Year of a Busy Mason – SRIA V2

SRIA – Bishop Wilkins!

This evening it was the meeting of Bishop Wilkins College of the S.R.I.A which is held just over the border at Cheshire View Christleton.

I had a busy evening since I am the Secretary, and a new one at that, this was only my second meeting in the role and I am still learning what to do. You know how the old saying goes “fake it till you make it!“. This evening we were doing a double Zelator Grade, but unfortunately the Celebrant was suffering from severe jetlag after just getting back into the country from Australia on delated flights, So I stood back into the chair to do the ceremony for our two Candidates.

We also received a paper titled “The Mystics of Frankincense

I just realised while posting this that I am already four meetings into the new year, and have yet to have an actual Craft meeting.

 

The Year of a Busy Mason – Rehearsals

Rehearsals!

Organising a Masonic Meeting is a bit like putting on a play, and as such we need rehearsals to practice, and make sure everyone knows their lines and actions.

This evening was the Maesgwyn Lodge of Installed Masters (MLIM) Rehearsals. We only meet three times a year, and two of those tend to be presentations or talks, so we only actually have the one rehearsal a year and that is for out Installation meeting. The Installation is when we put a new person in the chair which is a special night and needs to be done correctly. Luckily with an Installed Masters Lodge everyone has already been in the chair at least once, so it makes it a lot easier to organise.

The Year of a Busy Mason – Committee’s Galore

Committee’s!

Everything is run by committee’s, you can hardly do anything these days without at least one committee involved, as Freemasonry is no exception. 

This evening was Wrexhamian Lodge’s committee meeting to discuss what we are doing for our 75th anniversary, and to sort out the officer list for the following year. Our Secretary has moved away and we really need to replace him as soon as possible. We managed to sort a lot of stuff out, and more importantly the bar was open so we got to have a drink while doing it.

The Year of a Busy Mason – Rose Croix V2

Rose Croix – Valle Crucis!

Today was the meeting of Valle Crucis Chapter Rose Croix.  This time it was a local meeting at the Maesgwyn Masonic Hall, Wrexham.

This was an interesting meeting to prepare for since we were all touched with sadness due to our Recorder (Secretary) passing away a few weeks before the meeting, so we were at a bit of a loss. We all pulled together and managed to hold a meeting that our old Recorder would have been proud of. We had a new candidate, who seemed to really enjoy the night. I had a bit to do as the Assistant DC, and stood in for the Most Wise Sovereign to do part of the ceremony.

The Year of a Busy Mason – Clwyd College Alchemy

S.R.I.A. – Clwyd College!

Today was the meeting of Clwyd College S.R.I.A (Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia).  This meeting was again up by the coast, but this time at Lady Augusta Hall in Mostyn.

Clwyd College has been doing very well these last few years since it moved location and saved. To help them out I have agreed to go into the Celebrant’s chair for the year, which means I have work to do at the meetings, but I do get to pick the meal. This evening we did a multiple Theoricus Grade, followed by my postponed Celebrant’s paper. In the S.R.I.A. it is traditional for the Celebrant to present a paper when he goes into the chair, but mine was postponed for various reasons until this evening.

My paper was titled “21st Century Alchemy : Alchemy in the Digital Age” and went down well, with a very interesting discussion continuing afterwards. As soon as I format it up neatly, and add some images for colour, I will post the paper online.

I am calling this series of posts “The Year of a Busy Mason” for a reason. Tonight was my first double booking, and I had to skip another meetings rehearsals to attend this meeting.

The Year of a Busy Mason – First Meeting

The First Meeting!

Today was the first meeting of my Masonic Year. This year kicked off with the Installation of Rhodri Fawr Chapter of the Ancient and Accepted Rite (AKA Rose Croix). This meeting was at Elwy Hall Rhyl.

Rhodri Fawr is the Past Sovereign Chapter for the District of North Wales, and since I have only been a member for a couple of years I currently have no office, which means I have nothing to do except turn up, enjoy the meeting and have fun in the festive board afterwards.

The Year of a Busy Mason – Introduction

The Year of a Busy Mason!

The Masonic year tends to run from September until June, with July and August being our summer break. This coming year looks like it could be a busy year for me, especially since I have had several events already and the year has not officially started yet. So far this month I have had committee meetings for The Maesgwyn Lodge of Installed Masters, Wrexhamian Chapter, and Wrexhamian Lodge, as well as rehearsals for Wrexhamian Chapter.

I have therefore decided to record my meetings this year, to give people an idea of what a busy Masonic year is like. I should point out that this will be as I stated a busy year, and the average commitment to Freemasonry is a lot less than what I will be recording. I just imagined it may be of interest to some people.

So come along with me on a journey.

Book Launch

New Book Launch:

Widows Sons: Outlaw Bikers or Masonic Ambassadors.

After a conversation on Twitter where the merits of the Widows Sons Masonic Bikers/Riders Association was called into question, I decided to convert a talk I have given in Masonic Lodges across the UK into a small book. And today “Widows Sons: Outlaw Bikers or Masonic Ambassadors” was published.

It is available as a paperback, and on Kindle as an ebook.

More information on Authors Site Click Here

 
2018 marked the twentieth anniversary of the creation of the Widows Sons, with 2019 marking the fifteenth anniversary of the Widows Sons starting in the UK.

We are fully recognised, and approved by the United Grand Lodge of England, even featuring prominently on the main page of their website. We have had articles about us in multiple issues of “The Square Magazine”, as well as being often mentioned in “Freemasonry Today”, and were the main part of the third episode of Sky’s five-part documentary series “Inside the Freemasons”.

Even so, until recently, not many brethren had heard of us, or knew what it is we do, they may have just seen us an Outlaw biker gang. To be fair we do have some scary looking members.

To help spread word about us, especially in the Province of North Wales, I wrote a talk originally called “Widows Sons – Brotherhood Squared” which I would give at Lodge meetings as a brief introduction of where we came from, who we are, and what we do.

So, who are the Widows Sons?

Are we just a group of patch wearing “Outlaw Bikers”, or if not, how can we claim to be ambassadors for freemasonry if bikers cause so much fear and concern everywhere they go?

MEME: The Year That Was 2020

Its that time of year again, where I look at the Year that was, and do the customary Year that was Meme.

MEME: The Year That Was 2020

1. What did you do in 2020 that you’d never done before?

OK, New things :-

  1. Became ProvSGD
  2. Experienced a Global Pandemic
  3. Got put in Lockdown multiple times
  4. Worked from home solidly for 9.5 of the 12 months of the year.
  5. Hosted a SRIA Zoom meeting where the Supreme Magus Attended.
  6. Produced several Teams events for Robert Lomas.

2. Did you keep your new years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

2020 was 2.5 months long.

The rest of the year has been basically a lockdown, with hordes of plague spreaders all over the place. Everything is closed, and nothing can be done. I am therefore counting this whole year a bust.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth? 

Nobody. Well that I know about. I have not seen anyone since March 13th

4. Did anyone close to you die?

A fair few Masonic Friends passed away this year due to Covid and other issues. But mostly Covid.

5. What countries did you visit?

Nowhere. Due to a Global Pandemic all travel is banned. The only time I am legally allowed to go out is if I am going to collect food from a supermarket.

6. What would you like to have in 2021 that you lacked in 2020?  

The Vaccine.

The Vaccine

The Vaccine

The Vaccine

7. What dates from 2020 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

  1. 13th March – Going into a Lockdown due to Global Pandemic

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Surviving Covid.  This area has a very high infected rate.

9. What was your biggest failure?

Not being productive at all even with working from home for 9+ months.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

Nothing…. Not leaving your house really cuts down on injury’s.

11. What was the best thing you bought?

I do not think I bought anything cool this year, since the whole year has been a stay indoors just watching the world burn kind of year

12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?

  • The NHS workers who have spent 9 months fighting in the front lines of a Pandemic, surrounded by the infected and having to watch the idiots ignoring the rules and gathering in mass helping the virus spread

13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed? 

  • The Idiots breaking lockdown rules and having mass parties, etc.
  • The idiots rioting and smashing up the world because they can
  • Those who are spreading lies and fear, claiming the virus is a hoax 
  • 2020 is the year of idiots

14. Where did most of your money go?

Amazon I think 🙂
The only place still open and selling none essential stuff.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

The possibility of a vaccine

16. What song will always remind you of 2020?

2020 has been a clusterfuck of a year. I think we are best just forgetting it fully.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:

  • a) happier or sadder? Sadder
  • b) thinner or fatter? fatter
  • c) richer or poorer? Richer

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?

Well since I have been locked down since March 13th. I wish I had been more productive over all those months.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of? .

Being in Lockdown.

20. How will you be spending Christmas?

Wales is in a full lockdown. No visiting, No Pubs, No Shops, No seeing anyone.
So I will spending Christmas in a post-apocolyptic lockdown.

21. What was your favourite month of 2020? 

January. Well January & February were the only 2 months without a lockdown, and Jan has a few more days.

22. Did you fall in love in 2020? 

I did not even see many human people in 2020. And those I did were in masks staying several meters apart..

23. How many one-night stands?

I did not even see many human people in 2020. And those I did were in masks staying several meters apart..

24. What was your favourite TV programme?

Way too many to mention, There has been nothing else to do that binge watch TV shows & Films

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year? 

Yes. All the anti-mask, covid denying idiots! Not to mention all the people rioting and burning down businesses to protest something that happened on the other side of the world!

26. What was the best book you read?

Too many to mention. I think i read over 200 books this year since there was little else to do.

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?

None. all music/shows/etc are canceled. Wait… Granger Smith

28. What did you want and get?

Brexit.

29. What did you want and not get? 

  • Enthusiasm
  • Vaccinated
  • Return to Normal

30. What was your favourite film of this year?

  • Songbird

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

I am still not having birthdays. I have decided to stop having them so that I can live forever.

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? 

Not being stuck in a Global Pandemic

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2020?

Scruffy, since not allowed to leave the house.

34. What kept you sane? 

Sane? I do not think any of us will get out of 2020 still sane. We are talking the year of global fires, earthquakes, riots, civil unrest, deadly weather storms, global pandemics, murder hornets, odd shapes in space, high places people saying aliens are real, space force, Zombie Minks, etc.

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? 

I am not sure who to pick this year. So I will pick Charlotte Dobre

36. What political issue stirred you the most?

This year is basically the same thing as last two three years. he same screaming angry nazi fascists who believe their echo-chambers and scream death threats against everyone who is different to them, or who does not think 100% the same as them. 

37. Who did you miss?

Everyone. I have not seen anyone due to the global pandemic.

38. Who was the best new person you met? 

Non body, since I have not met anyone due to (Say it with me) the Global pandemic!!

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2020?. 

People are dumb, and getting dumber!

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year. 

Silent night, Covid night

All is closed, all have blight

‘lone yon shielding Mother and Child

Fearful infant so tender and mild

Sleep in lockdowned peace

Sleep in lockdowned peace

 

Silent night, Covid night!

Everyone’s suffering, incredible plight!

Conspiracies stream from Facebook cries;

Anti vaxers sing its-all-lies!

Covid the Destroyer is born!

Covid the Destroyer is born!

Covid the Destroyer is born!

 

Silent night, Covid night

Six-foot gaps, mask’s in sight

Everywhere closed, no one goes out,

Do not sing, do not shout!

Stay Home, Stay Safe, Save Lives

Stay Home, Stay Safe, Save Lives

Stay Home, Stay Safe, Save Lives

MEME: The Year That Was 2019

Its that time of year again, where I look at the Year that was, and do the customary Year that was Meme.

MEME: The Year That Was 2019

1. What did you do in 2019 that you’d never done before?

OK, New things :-

  1. Went into the Chair in Rose Croix
  2. Saw the consecration of a new Rose Croix Chapter.
  3. Gave a talk in a Royal Arch Chapter with Grand Superintendent attending.
  4. Got an Article published in a Masonic Magazine
  5. Visited a Lodge in Scotland.
  6. Saw an Installation in Scotland

2. Did you keep your new years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

I gave up on resolutions many years back as I never stuck to them, whereas my competitive nature makes me stick to challenges. So for the last few years I have had a yearly challenge

This year I again failed miserably with everything apart from the Goodreads reading challenge.

The year was not a total loss, I did get Buster the mini Blood Bike rebuilt, and managed to raise almost £4000 for Blood Bikes from various talks.

But next year is 100% about the Challenge, and I REFUSE to fail again.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth? 

Nobody. Well I can not think of anyone. Unless! Does Yoda count?

4. Did anyone close to you die?

A fair few Masonic Friends passed away this year. It has been a bad year for Masonic Deaths.

5. What countries did you visit?

Just the home nations of Wales, England & Scotland.

And Anglesey. I figure Anglesey should be counted as its own country, for it is a strange place.

6. What would you like to have in 2020 that you lacked in 2019?  

Productivity.

Productivity

Productivity

Productivity

7. What dates from 2019 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

  1. 7th February – Seeing a great friend go into the chair of zerubbabel
  2. 22nd March – Quitting as Provincial Webmaster
  3. 12th April – Going into the chair in Rose Croix.
  4. 1st June – Being published in The Square Magazine
  5. 21st December – Visit to a Scottish Lodge to see an Installation.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Being asked to write an article for The Square magazine and being published.

With going into the chair of Rose Croix with the Inspector Generals of several Provinces, and members of the Supreme Council coming up to see it.

9. What was your biggest failure?

A continued total and unbelieveable lack of productivity!

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

Nothing…. I did get a cold at one point, but that was it.

11. What was the best thing you bought?

I do not think I bought anything cool this year, which is Ok since my complete lack of productivity means I did not deserve anything cool.

I will set a prize for next year, and if I am productive enough I will get myself something really cool.

12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?

  • Everyone who supported Blood Bikes Wales in 2019.

13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed? 

  • Myself for my lack of productivity
  • People who use other people for their own advantage
  • Most the MPs who refused to follow the will of the people

14. Where did most of your money go?

Amazon I think 🙂 
I am not addicted, I can stop at any time……

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

Going into the chair of Rose Croix with such a massive event full of VIPs. And getting published in the Square 

16. What song will always remind you of 2019?

After last years Snowflakes attacking “Baby it’s Cold Outside” they returned this year for the Gavin & Stacy version of “Fairytale Of New York” with people actually complaining to Ofcom. How can anyone object to the BEST Christmas Song…. (btw: the word means ‘Lazy Person’)

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:

  • a) happier or sadder? Happier
  • b) thinner or fatter? fatter
  • c) richer or poorer? Richer

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?

Writing, Following my Dreams, Conquering the World, Finding a cure for the common cold and blackmailing people for the cure, You know, the simple pleasures in life.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of? .

Wasting time, and suffering from lack of enthusiasm, also getting upset by the behavior of some people.

20. How will you be spending Christmas?

I am writing this on December 28th, so I know exactly how I spent Christmas day. I got up early, and went over to my parents to open presents with family, and  then spend the day eating too much, drinking too much, and doing nothing. Then on Boxing day the whole family gathers for a Buffet and drinks and more madness…..

21. What was your favourite month of 2019? 

December. For the Scottish Trip, among other things!

22. Did you fall in love in 2019? 

Alas No. I am high functioning Sociopath.

23. How many one-night stands?

I do not believe in one-night stands. How can you tell if you realy like something unless you try it at least a couple of times?

24. What was your favourite TV programme?

Way too many to mention, As well as all the excellent ongoing TV shows, There was the new finds of :- 

  • The Mandalorian
  • Harley Quinn
  • Batwoman
  • Blood and Treasure
  • I’m Sorry

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year? 

You know what? NO! I do not believe I hate anyone this year that I did not hate previously. Maybe I am growing as a person, becoming more enlightened? Or is everyone already on THE LIST

26. What was the best book you read?

This is always a very hard question. According to Goodreads I have read about 155 books this year. Trying to pick the best of that lot is not going to be easy. But if I had to pick just one book, arrgghghhh……

Well there is :-

  • Embrace Your Weird: Face Your Fears and Unleash Creativity by Felicia Day
  • The Rosslyn Hoax? by Robert L.D. Cooper
  • Siege of Stone by Terry Goodkind

I also liked the recent books in the Series’s “The Temple Chronicles”, “Dragon Blood”

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?

Sister Antics

Nashville based, Southern Rock/Americana Sister Antics aren’t really sisters. AnneMarie Kelbon and Vivian Nicastro are friends who met in New York through their shared passion for motorcycles. Discovering their other shared passion was music, they teamed up and were co-writing at the end of 2015. Kelbon and Nicastro quickly discovered their sound which they describe as a “southern rock blend of rock and roll, country, and blues.” 

28. What did you want and get?

A strong UK Government.

29. What did you want and not get? 

Enthusiasm

30. What was your favourite film of this year?

  • Wyrmwood – Road Of The Dead
  • Rambo – Last Blood

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

I am still not having birthdays. I have decided to stop having them so that I can live forever.

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? 

A research idea!

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2019?

Mostly Cargo Pants (I like the extra pockets) Jumpers, and in work Coats…. Oh and suits, because suits are awesome…… True story

34. What kept you sane? 

Sane? Sane? “You Keep Using That Word, I Do Not Think It Means What You Think It Means” I think, Good Friends, Good Books, and the fact I was never very sane to start off with, so there is not that much to keep hold of.

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? 

I am not sure who to pick this year. So I will say Alice from Batwoman

36. What political issue stirred you the most?

This year is basically the same thing as last two years. he same screaming angry nazi fascists who believe their echo-chambers and scream death threats against everyone who is different to them, or who does not think 100% the same as them. 

Take Brexit, the country voted for it yet the Left state no one wants it. We had EU elections and the Left stated 100% no one wanted Brexit and yet the Brexit party ended up as biggest party elected. Then we had a General election where again the Left stated no one would vote Tory, and yet they won the biggest landslide in decades, and Labor strongholds that have been Labor for 100s of years switched. And still the Left state no one wants Brexit or the Tories.

We were wrong guys. 1984 does not come from the far right trying to take over, but from the far left trying to reduce everyone to the same as them.

37. Who did you miss?

No one. “ high functioning Sociopath” Remember? Remember? from Question 22?

38. Who was the best new person you met? 

I can not think of any new people.

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2019?. 

Mulder was correct…. Trust no one

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year. 

This land of my fathers is dear to me
Land of poets and singers, and people of stature
Her brave warriors, fine patriots
Shed their blood for freedom