The Masonic Connection

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 height="100%"><tr> <td valign="top" width=200 BGCOLOR="#003333" TEXT="#F7F7FF" background="044d4c00dduajq.gif"> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="0" WIDTH="95" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 46 WIDTH="91"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="46" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="91" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#003333" FACE="Arial" ><B>The Gastropod's Trail</B></FONT>     |     <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Gastropods Trail"><U>home</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id53.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Itinerary"><U>Itinerary</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id73.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Countries"><U>Countries</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id72.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Calendar"><U>Calendar</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id31.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Van"><U>The Van</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id21.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Phase 1"><U>Phase 1</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id20.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Phase 2"><U>Phase 2</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id19.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Phase 3"><U>Phase 3</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id23.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="About Us"><U>About Us</U></A>   |   <B>The Masonic Connection</B>   |   <A HREF="id106.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="FAQ"><U>FAQ</U></A></div> <div> The Masonic Connection</div> <bR> <bR> <div> A short Masonic CV,</div> <bR> <div> In 1975 the Brothers of Western Star Lodge, A.F.&  A.M., No. 50 on the Register of the Grand Lodge of Nova Scotia accepted my petition to become a member. After passing through the degrees I served in the various offices and stations of the Lodge for seven years and was installed W.M. in 1982. Over the last 25 years I have remained active in my Mother Lodge and since 1994 I am serving as Secretary.</div> <bR> <div> The vast majority of Lodges in the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of Nova Scotia work in the Nova Scotia York Rite and it was my desire to pursue my Masonic career by seeking more Light in this Rite by expanding my knowledge, first in the Royal Arch (Mount Lebanon Chapter, No. 14, G.C.N.S.) where I was installed E.K. in January this year, then in the Cryptic Degrees (Orient Council, No. 5, Eastern Jurisdiction of Canada R.& S.M.) and the Templar Order (Malta Preceptory, No. 27 K.T., S.G.P. of Canada). I'm also a member of Westville Chapter, No. 24, O.E.S., (G.C. of N.S. & P.E.I) for the last 25 years and had the honour of serving as W.P. twice.</div> <bR> <div> Since my retirement I have been able to visit Lodges in Switzerland, France and Japan. No matter how diverse the culture or the Rites practiced, the welcome was always cordial and sincere. There are over 170 independent Grand Lodges in the World. Each of these Grand Lodges is autonomous and not subordinate to any other authority. And yet, all are governed by the same high moral and civic standards and recognize each other as equals on the fundamental principles of Faith, Hope, and Charity, Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth.</div> <bR> <div> Being of European origin, it was with great enthusiasm that, in 1994, I joined a group of Brothers from Nova Scotia who had established contact with an equally enthusiastic group of French Brothers to exchange ideas and particularly to assist our French Brothers with the practice of the York Rite in English. This contact with our French Brothers brought about two highlights in my Masonic career. In 1996 I had the pleasure of being part of a delegation which traveled to Paris to attend the ceremonies of Constitution and Consecration of Loge Acadie, No. 1033, G.L.N.F. and was made an honorary member of that Lodge. During this time, here in Nova Scotia, the Grand Lodge granted a Dispensation to form a sister Lodge to Loge Acadie under the name Loge la France. This Lodge la France was Instituted on January 31, 1998 and I had the honour of being installed Founding W.M. by the M.W.G.M. of Nova Scotia on the occasion of the Constitution and Consecration Ceremonies on November 12, 1999 at Truro. A delegation of five Brothers from France came to Truro for this event and I was honoured with the presentation of the Medaille d'Honneur (Argent) of the Grande Loge Nationale Française.</div> <bR> <div> The central event of this European trip will be to assist in a gathering of the 14-odd Lodges with the name 'France' from as many countries at Paris in June. Preparations have been under way for over two years. What a marvelous occasion to gather again with our friends from France and to meet in person many Brothers that are only names on e-mail messages.</div> <bR> <div> We will be journeying through countries where the Fraternity has been established and active for hundreds of years. In others, after years of political suppression and persecution, our Brothers are again at liberty to gather in peace and new Lodges and Grand Lodges have been founded. I sincerely hope that I will have the opportunity to meet as many Brothers and visit as many Lodges as time and opportunity present.</div> </td> </tr></table></body>