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Call us. 0508 FREEMASONS

www.heartland.co.nz

Email: [email protected]

New Zealands newestbank is proud tosupport Freemasonryin New Zealand

*Freemasons New Zealand is not a promoter of and does not guarantee the obligations of Heartland Bank Limited in relation to Heartland

Bank deposits. Copies of Heartland Banks Disclosure Statement and Investment Statements are available from www.heartland.co.nz or by

calling 0508 FREEMASONS (0508 37 33 62).

Heartland Bank is the NEW Freemasons Deposit Scheme partner.

With roots stretching back to 1875, Heartland Bank has a proud history

of providing families, small-to-medium sized businesses and farms with

financial solutions to help them achieve prosperity.

Through our partnership built on shared values, Heartland Bank is

working with Freemasons New Zealand to support the Craft in local

communities, while providing Freemasons and their families with

competitive interest rates on their deposits.

To find out more about Heartland Bank and the Freemasons Deposit

Scheme, see the back cover ofNew Zealand Freemason. Alternatively

you can contact a dedicated Heartland Bank Freemasons Deposit

Scheme representative on 0508 FREEMASONS (0508 37 33 62)

or email [email protected].*

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IN THIS ISSUE

Editorial 2

Hot news 3

Grand Installation

2013 4From the GrandMaster 6New beginnings

News clips 7

EDUCATION

Reinventingourselves 25

Masonic education

Year 13 Scholarshipawards 26

Funding swimminglessons 27

Cover pictures: Young Mariner, Brooke Patchell, launching a Freemasons sponsored sailing dinghy into Lake Rotorua.Andrea Houlihan, on the South American Odyssey, shopping in Santiago, Chile.

FREEMASONSIN ACTION

From smallseedlings 12Kauri Lodge is constituted

Obituary: Roy JamesTowers MBE KStJ 14

A Champion ofCharity 16MWBro Edgar Faber OBE

Musings of a MasterMason 18Bro Geoffrey Moss

Keeping Young Mariners Afloat 20

Connecting with the community 22United Horowhenua Lodge takes action

The Sound of Music 24

Oxford Bound 28From FreemasonsScholars to Rhodesscholars

HEALTH AND SCIENCE

Communicating withCoaches 32Practical Neuroscience

The Freemasons

Oncology ResearchProject in action 34

Let there be Light 36Illuminating a ruined city

10

4

12

20

28

36

38

32

The Roskill Foundation 44

Royal Arch 46Annual Convocation, Rotorua Address by First

Grand Principal: Communication in the 21st CenturyThe back page 48

Service awards 49

TRAVEL

South American

Odyssey 38REGULARS

Masonic VillagesTrust 40

New Initiates 43

OPINION

The Rite ofDestitution 10


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The New Zealand Freemason is the official journal of theGrand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of New Zealand.Unless otherwise indicated, the opinions expressed and theadvertising content are those of the authors and do notnecessarily reflect the policy of Grand Lodge.

Articles appearing in this journal may be reproducedwithout permission provided acknowledgement of thesource is made and a copy of the publication is forwarded

to the Grand Secretary.Queries or comments regarding subscription or distri-

bution should be addressed to the Grand Secretary. Queriesand comments regarding content and advertising shouldbe addressed to the Editor.

Contributions to the magazine are greatly appreciatedand should be of interest to a wide audience. Contributions,including letters to the Editor, may be edited. Photographsshould be high quality, preferably in jpg or tiff format.Contributions to the magazine can be forwarded throughthese people:

Northern Division: Jack Leigh, [email protected]

Central Division:Morris Robertson, [email protected]

Southern Division: Rob Cope-Williams,[email protected]

Royal Arch: Gary Kerkin, [email protected]

Magazines are distributed in March, June, Septemberand December. The deadlines for contributions are thefirst day of February, May, August and November

Layout by Matthew Bartlett, WellingtonPrinted by Wickliffe (NZ) Ltd.Copyright 2013 Freemasons NZ

FREEMASONS NEW ZEALANDLevel 6, Freemasons House195201 Willis StreetTe Aro, Wellington 6011

PO Box 6439, Marion SquareWellington 6141New Zealand

Ph: +64 4 385 6622Fax +64 4 385 5749Email: [email protected]@freemasons.co.nzwww.freemasons.co.nz

From theEditorial Committee

GRAND MASTERS VISITSMar 13 Lodge Mt. Manganui No.376

Regular meeting

Apr 8 Lodge Te Marama No.186, Ngaruawahia60-year bar and 50-year badge presentations

Apr 27 Lodge Moutoa No. 195, WanganuiCentenary celebration

May 11 Shirley Freemasons Centre, ChristchurchDedication ceremony

Jul 57 Brisbane Grand Installation

For many years this magazine has carried promotions for theFreemasons Deposit Scheme managed through the NationalBank, now absorbed into. A small percentage of the interesthas been applied to providing services to the membershipincluding a major part of the cost ofNew Zealand Freemason.As you will see from this issue this role as been taken over bye Heartland Bank and we welcome their support. HeartlandBank is New Zealand owned and owes its origins to variousmutual societies in small town New Zealand. It provides a goodt with Freemasons New Zealand. Heartland is a growing bankand we have the opportunity to grow with it.

Lodges throughout the country have been mulling over theStrategic Plan and, aer every Brother has had the opportunity

to have his say, the course of Freemasonry in New Zealand willbe set towards what we desire to be a growing and prosperousfuture.

In this issue we welcome the rst of the regular pages fromthe Masonic Villages Trust, which operates in the lower part ofthe North Island. Exciting developments are in the pipeline andwill be outlined in future issues.

As I will be taking an overseas break for six weeks from midMay I would appreciate it if all contributors can have theirmaterial submitted no later than April for theJune issue. As I will only have limited emailaccess during my absence, any urgent queries

regarding the magazine should be referredto the National Communications CommitteeChair, VWBro Duane Williams, email:[email protected]

Morris Robertson, Editor

The Grand Lodge of Argentina see page 38.

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O

ne day out from the working week,only two nights away from home

thats all that is needed for a great weekend the Grand Installation from November. For those who haventvisited Wellington for many years, forgetthe old images and experience thenew and vibrant Wellington, describedby Lonely Planet as the Coolest LittleCapital in the World. For those wholive in Greater Wellington this is anopportunity to show oyour city.

Not only will you witness the

ceremonial splendour of the GrandInstallation you will be treated, allwithin the registration fee, to a seriesof social functions and other events allcontributing to the total experience.

The Events

Friday 15 November

Registration kicks oat the Amora Hotelfrom . am.

For Brethren, proceedings beginat . pm in the Renouf Foyer of the

Michael Fowler Centre, to discussthe business of Freemasonry. For allBrethren, from Grand Lodge Ocersto Entered Apprentices, this is a once inevery three years opportunity for you to

have input into the direction and futureof your Cra. As well as it being the onlyoccasion for remits to be discussed thisyear, it will be the culmination of theStrategic Planning process our future.

Meanwhile, also at . pm, at theAmora Hotel the ladies will be treatedto an aernoon of interactive luxury andinstruction culminating in High Tea.is programme, about which more willbe circulated later, has been designed byladies especially for ladies.

From pm everyone comes

together at the Amora Hotel for theGrand Get-together a fully cateredevent including beverages and canaps.is is the opportunity to meet andgreet, renew old friendships and makenew ones. Dress for this occasion issmart casual. For those who believe, at pm, that the night is still too youngto retire there is the opportunity togather in groups for a short stroll tothe entertainment district of CourtenayPlace where there are restaurants to suitevery taste.

TSB Arena Venue for Grand Banquet

2013 Grand Installation WeekendWelcome to Wellington in November

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Saturday 16 November

From . am there will be a series ofseminars to suit every taste. Details ofthese will be circulated later.

For those who would like to spend themorning exploring Wellington there aremany nearby attractions. ese include

Te Papa, Wellington City Art Gallery,and the Museum of Wellington. Forthose who would like to go further aeldthey could take the Ferry across theharbour to Days Bay or ride the cablecar to Kelburn to enjoy the extensiveviews of the city. For the return journeythere is the alternative of the downhillwalk via the Botanic Gardens andthe Parliamentary precinct. Anotheroption is to enjoy Wellingtons compact

shopping or the vibrant waterfront allwithin easy walking distance.

Between and pm the MichaelFowler Centre is home to the piece deresistance, the Grand Installation itself.is will be a truly magnicent ceremony.Timing will be tightly controlled so thatguests will be seated for no longer thanis necessary.

From . pm to midnight the GrandBanquet will be held in the themedenvirons of the Arena, a shortwaterfront stroll from the hotels. Again,this is a fully inclusive function withtable service and followed by dancing tothe music of the Band.

Old St. Pauls Venue for Sunday service.

Waterfront artwork.

Sunday 17 November

At . am there will be a churchservice, exclusively for conferenceparticipants, in the historic Old St. Pauls.is will be followed, a short distanceaway, by a farewell luncheon in theParliamentary Banquet Hall, located in

the Beehive.

Act Now

Registration forms have been circulatedor you can register on-line. As Earlybird discounts close on June, now isthe time to act. Hard copy registrationsshould be returned to PO Box Khandallah, Wellington .Remember, the one registration feecovers all events including all food andbeverages.

Tree lined shopping streets

Zealandia Urban Sanctuary.

Waterfront walks.

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FROM THE GRAND MASTER

Towards the finishing line

have received the Strategic Directionsbooklet. A related questionnaire, which

has been circulated to Lodges, containswhat might appear to be quite radicalquestions designed to challenge what wehave, for so long, taken for granted. Inorder for Freemasonry to survive grow inNew Zealand change is inevitable and it isespecially the younger members that wewant to hear from. You are the future andI assure you that your views will count.Responses will be collated within eachDivision for discussion at the DivisionalConferences. e outcomes from thesediscussions will be brought togetherfor review by the Board of GeneralPurposes, which will propose a ve-yearstrategic plan for adoption at the GrandInstallation and implementation by theincoming Leadership Team.

e students we select annually to berecipients ofe Freemasons UniversityScholarships have demonstrated bothan academic prowess and have alreadyestablished a record of service to their

respective communities. We see themas future leaders in our community and,so far, they have not let us down. In ourSeptember issue we proled Rhodes

scholar, Max Harris, now studyingat Oxford University. In this issue we

publish feedback from recipient,Olivia Faull, who is furthering herstudies into Neuro-exercise physiologyat Oxford. Olivia has identied a gapbetween the scientic knowledge and theability to transfer it in a practical way tocoaches and athletes. An accomplishedathlete herself, she is applying herknowledge and skills to bridging this gap.

e story of our scholarships doesntend there. Two of our recipients,James Bonifacio and Louis Chambershave been awarded Rhodes Scholarshipsand will be taking these up at OxfordUniversity later this year. Again, bothhave demonstrated considerable com-mitment to their aspirations and themeans of achieving them. We cover theirstories in this issue and we look forwardto their continuing success in theirrespective elds.

As every Brother knows so well,Charity is a cornerstone of Freemasonry

and this is demonstrated both at Lodgelevel and nationally, the latter throughthe extensive work of e FreemasonsCharity and the various Masonic Trusts.

In his Opinion piece on the Rightof Destitution VWBro Gary Muirexplores the meaning of charityand its purpose within the Lodge.ere have been among us leaderswho have inspired brethren to bestrong supporters of charity. One ofthese, Past Grand Master, MWBro

Edgar Faber was one such person.His story, which is told in this issue,demonstrates how his concern forthe future of the elderly inspiredthe creation of the Roskill MasonicVillage, which in time became thelegacy upon which the FreemasonsRoskill Foundation was founded.

As has been the case for thepast two plus years, I again lookforward to your ongoing support incontributing to the many facets of

our organisation, particularly withinyour respective communities wherethe public prole and the level ofawareness of Freemasonry needs tobe maintained.

Selwyn Cooper

A s Jan and I begin our last of our threeyears in Oce we still have much tolook forward to before we can indulge inthe luxury of looking back; namely theScholarship presentations, completionof Lodge building developments nowunderway, ongoing charitable projects,our visit to Queensland and theexcitement of the selection of a new teamto carry the Organisation forward.

e most important considerationfor our organisation this year will be forLodges in making nomination of Brethrenfor selection to ll the various oce

vacancies throughout our organisation;be it at a District, Divisional or Nationallevel. It is fundamental for the well beingof Freemasonry in New Zealand thatBrethren with the requisite skills, ability,capacity and possessing a desire andcommitment are encouraged to allowtheir names to go forward for the selectionprocess. Each position has a specicjob description and careful thought inmatching Brethren with the task at hand

is so vital for our future development.In the coming July I will, for the naltime as your Grand Master, representNew Zealand at the Installation of anew Grand Master in Brisbane.Jan and I invite Brethren and theirLadies to accompany us as part ofthe New Zealand delegation on theoccasion, and for many it may bean opportunity to take time out andenjoy a sunny tropical vacation toavoid the home winter environment.

is year will culminate in theGrand Installation in Wellington,an event to which I invite allFreemasons, their families andfriends to attend. e pageantry isspectacular, of the type usually onlyseen on television emanating fromthe United Kingdom. Wrappedaround this will be a number of get-togethers, ne fare and the seriousbusiness of meetings to determinethe future of Freemasonry in New

Zealand.e strategic planning process,

which has been under way for thepast eight months, is now in thehands of our members all of whom

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NEWS CLIPS

Masonic Scholarship recognises musical talent

e Midland Masonic Charitable Trusthas recognised ve of Timarus mosttalented student musicians with thepresentation of musical scholarships to

help them further their studies. e vescholarships of each were presentedby the chairman of the Midland MasonicCharitable Trust, Eion Dryden, at a fundraising concert for the South CanterburyHospice attended by around people,at which all ve also performed.

e winners of the scholarships were: Jessica Hutton, Timaru Girls HighSchool piano composition Lisa-Sophie Kuepper, RoncalliCollege violin Abigail Kempf, Craighead DiocesanSchool vocalist Itsuki Nishida, Mountainview HighSchool xylophone Joshua Blaikie, Timaru Boys HighSchool drums

e scholarships are new and have beenestablished specically to assist young andtalented musicians to further their studies.Funds for the scholarships came from the

Car Park Charitable Trust, which mansthe Sophia Street car park in Timaru.

In presenting the winners with theircheques and certicates, VWBro Dryden,

paid tribute to the depth of talent andthe obvious hard work which eachhad put into their music, and stronglyencouraged them to continue theirstudies. e individual performances ofall ve scholarship winners was simplyoutstanding, and their achievements are atribute not only to their own abilities anddedication, but also to their parents andtheir individual schools and teachers, hesaid.

All ve students plan to continuetheir studies at Canterbury or OtagoUniversity, or to go to Polytechnics orother tertiary study institutions. ey allexpressed their hope to make a career outof performing or teaching.

In addition to the scholarships, pro-ceeds from the concert, along with otherfunds raised by the Midland MasonicMale Choir, resulted in just over ,being presented to the South CanterburyHospice.

The chairman of the Midland Masonic Charitable Trust, Eion Dryden (centre), with the MidlandMasonic Male Choir and the five scholarship winners: from left Lisa-Sophie Kuepper, AbigailKempf, Itsuki Nishida, Jessica Hutton and Joshua Blaikie. On the far right of the front row is WBro

Allan Kerr, choirmaster and conductor.

Good Neighbours

When WBro Keith Cunningham heardthe burglar alarm from next door hesped to check the problem. Sandwichedbetween two brethren, Keith on oneside and Bro Dave Christiansen on the other, Annette Griths, herselfa descendant of a Freemason, was not athome and her children were at school.

Keith was joined by a builder workingat Daves house. A quick look through thefront room windows showed nothing, butin a more thorough check of the loungeboth noted some haze and then a ickerof light indicating re. A quick callbrought the re service to the rescue. Andequally quick work by the brigade savedthe house. As Keith reports. Another minutes and it would have been gone!

anks to the support of e

Freemasons Charity, the localFreemasons where able to provide somenecessary relief for Annette in the formof both practical and personal support.

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NEWS CLIPS

Tom and Joan wedding and with VIP greetings.

Celebrating sixty-five years

e September issue of NewZealand Freemason proled Hawkes BayFreemason, VWBro Tom Lowe, whowas described as the Hospital Pack Herofor which he received a Grand MastersCerticate of Achievement.

On th January Tom and his wife,

Joan, chalked up another achievementwhen they celebrated years ofmarriage. ey are shown here ontheir wedding day, th January inHastings and, years later, still living inHastings, they are pictured with several congratulatory messages. ey areparticularly proud of the card from eQueen, although Tom is not entirely surethat she signed it herself.

Order of the Eastern Starmember turns 107

Sister Hazel Northcott, a PalmerstonNorth member of Order of the EasternStar, turned on January .Members of her family and the helped Hazel celebrate her birthday witha lunch at the Levin Masonic Caf on January.

Sister Northcott was initiated at theInstitution in Palmerston North of NaomiChapter No in , and aer llingseveral oces in the Chapter was installedas Worthy Matron in . Hazel wasalso an oce bearer in the North IslandDistrict Grand Chapter as Adah. When

Naomi Chapter closed, Sister Northcottregularly attended Otaki Chapter No at the Otaki Masonic Lodge rooms andalso attended Installations at CaledoniaChapter No at the Petone.

Hazel lived alone until she had severalserious falls, and is now a resident atthe Palmerston North Masonic Villagenursing home, where she enjoys playinghousie and bingo. She enjoys attendingthe ballet in Palmerston North, and hasa special area where she likes to sit in her

wheelchair. She also never misses a groupwho present about eight concerts a yearcalled Opportunity Daytime Concerts.Hazel has also been a member of theCountry Womens Institute for over years.

Sister Northcotts husband wasWilliam Graeme Stanley Northcottwho joined Otangaki Lodge No inAshhurst in . He was Master in ,

Hazel Northcott.

e Order of the Eastern Star wasrst introduced into America in, but it made very little progressuntil when a prominentFreemason, Dr Robert Morris,

brought it into prominence andfounded it upon a new basis. He wasconcerned that his female relativescould not share in Masonic activitiesso, with the help of his wife, hecompiled a ritual for a new order.is was based on biblical incidentsand was intended to demonstratehigh ideals and principles.e Orderis a world-wide organisation with governing bodies, General GrandChapter of America, Supreme Grand

Chapter of Scotland, and UnitedGrand Chapter of Australia. ereare now Chapters in New Zealandwith membership open to aliatedMaster Masons, their wives, familiesand extended family members.

Grand Steward in , Grand Directorof Ceremonies in and Junior GrandWarden in . ey married in atAll Saints Church in Palmerston North

and lived in Feilding.William was a truck driver forCheltenham Dairy Companies ButterFactory. In they moved to a dairyfarm in Bunnythorpe. eir son, Bryanwas initiated in Otangaki Lodge No in , and was Master of the Lodgein , and , and was on theRoll of Honour . Bryan is presentlySecretary/Treasurer and Almoner.

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NEWS CLIPS

Whats in a name?

ere are three terms, commonly used inrelation to Ceremonies conducted by theGrand Master and his Grand Ocers thatare oen used incorrectly by Brethren.

ese are Dedication, Constitution andConsecration. Indeed, we oen hear thatthe Grand Master is going to consecratea new Lodge when in fact you canonly consecrate a building and he willconstitute a new Lodge. We normallyconstitute a Lodge to establish and formit then we dedicate it to the purpose ofFreemasonry. We also dedicate a Lodgebuilding.

Consecration is to make it sacredand there are special rules andregulations that must be adhered to inorder to consecrate a building. eseare contained in Collected Ruling of the Book of Constitution. ey

require amongst other things that theproperty must be completely debt freewith no loans, mortgages or othernancial encumbrances. Also, once it

is consecrated it cannot be used for anyother purpose except Freemasonry,which means the consecrated part ofthe building cannot be rented out to anyother organisation nor can it be used forany form of social activity.

Due to the conditions that consecrationplaces on a buildings use it is normalonly to dedicate a Lodge Building. eceremony is the same but the Lodge isle free to use the building in any way itwants and also is able to take out a loanor mortgage should it wish to.

VWBro Laurence Milton,Grand Secretary

Remembering Robbie Burns

Geyserland Daylight Lodge No. followed its regular meeting of Januarywith a celebration of Robbie Burnsbirthday. e meeting was quite wellattended by brethren, wives and widowsplus the editor of Rotorua Review. e

Grand Master, MWBro Selwyn Cooperand Jan were also there in an unocialcapacity.

e Haggis was piped in by WBro BruceScott, dressed in full Scottish regalia, and

was addressed by WBro Alister Brownaer the Selkirk Grace by WBro BarneyBurgess. e feast comprised haggis,roast venison, neaps n tatties, salads etc.followed by fruit salad and ice cream.

e celebrations continued with toasts,

poetry and musical interludes, includinga Robbie Burns song, performed to themusic of his guitar, by young MasterMason, Mark Mckellow.

GeoMather

From Susan, with loveand light

e recent , settlement for SusanCouch is heartening for the supporterswho have helped her in many waysthrough the years of pain and hardshipsince she was the only survivor of amurderous attack that took three lives,at the Mt Wellington in December. Injuries received then have le herpartly disabled. e killer William Bell isserving a life sentence.

e voluntary help has been acrossthe board and largely in kind, with theFreemasons taking a practical line with

periodic oering of shopping vouchers.And in a message of love and light shethanks brethren for assistance over theyears, and for being there in my times ofneed.

e , settlement from theCorrections Department is ,short of the sums Ms Couch soughton grounds that it did not adequatelymonitor Bell, who was under itssupervision at the time of the crime.e department makes no admission of

failure.Susan Couch has accepted the

settlement which she says is as close toan apology as she is likely to get, and withher support team is now consideringtheir next step in the battle for what theywould consider an equitable conclusion.

Susan Couch.

Alister Brown addresses the haggis.Immediately behind him Bruce Scott has hispolice-trained eye on the flourishing knife.

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OPINION

The rite of destitutionNothing in Freemasonry is more beautiful in form or more eloquent inmeaning than the First Degree. Its simplicity and dignity, its blend of solemnity

and surprise, as well as its beauty of moral truth, mark it as a little masterpiece.Bro Ray Hollins, The Square magazineMarch 2009

F ollowing the investiture of the candi-date he is beginning to feel more atease and relaxed with the proceedings.He is conducted to the northeast partof the lodge and is then confrontedwith a charge in which he is asked tomake a donation to charity. Having beenproperly prepared the candidate nds heis unable to grant this request.

In one swi and searching momentthe candidate realises, perhaps for therst time in his life, what it feels liketo be destitute and reliant on othersfor support. is one action teachesa profound truth and is not le to hisimagination as he is actually put in theplace of someone seeking his help.

Finally, the charge exhorts thecandidate to remember that peculiar

moment when you were received intoFreemasonry, poor and penniless andcheerfully embrace the opportunityof practising that virtue we all professto admire. It is in the light of thesemeanings of Freemasonry that we musttry to interpret the Rite of Destitution,an expression that is seldom heard ordiscussed once a brother has madeprogress in the cra. To full theobligations of this rite we must givenot simply money, but something of

ourselves, which leads to the question;what is Masonic Charity?

Freemasonry is founded upon threegreat principles, Brotherly Love, Reliefand Truth. It is the second, Relief or(Charity) with which I am concerned.

Dictionary denitions of charity,come from a variety of early classiclanguages and all have the same basicmeaning. ey include, benevolentgoodwill towards, or love of humanity,generosity and helpfulness especially

towards the needy and the suering, agi for public benevolent purposes andlenient judgment of others.

William Preston, in the Illustrationsof Masonry, said in , To relieve the

distressed is a duty incumbent on all men,but particularly on Freemasons, whoare linked together by an indissolublechain of sincere aection. To soothethe unhappy, to sympathize with theirmisfortunes and miseries and restorepeace to their troubled minds, is thegreat aim we have in view. On this basiswe form our friendships and establishour connections.

In simple terms our early Brethrenunderstood Relief to mean thealleviating of the suering of a brotheror the dependants of a deceased brother.ey did this by giving money or suchsustenance that they had until thecircumstances improved.

In modern terms, Relief has thewider context of Charity and does not

necessarily mean the giving of money.It is also the caring and giving oftime and talents in the service of ourcommunities as a whole and not justto our lodge members. We have for solong linked charity with money that theword has, to all extent and purposes, lostits real meaning. ere are situationswhere gold cannot satisfy our worldlyneeds, no matter how much we hope itwill. If a young person fails or makes abad mistake, then the hand laid on the

shoulder in a friendly way is worth morethan all the money in the world. To fullour obligation, we must give not simplymoney, but something of ourselves.

From the day of his initiation, theBrother is called upon, at various lodgemeetings, either at home or away,to make donation to charity that hiscircumstances in life may fairly warrantand he gives generously without fearor favour. Relief is awareness that ourfellow man is not always successful in

his endeavours, whether temporay orpermanent.

It has been suggested by some that,as charity is so inextricably linked to theCra, it could be assumed that it is one of

the landmarks. Without the principles ofrelief Freemasonry would be a dierentorganisation.

Charity was so important that, evenin the earliest surviving documents suchas the manuscript of the Old Chargesor the Gothic Constitutions, there aredocuments comprising a history of theMasons cra. ey contain chargesthat outline a Masons duty to his God,his Master, his family and society ingeneral. ese early manuscripts wereoperative in character and were usedby Rev Dr. Anderson when writing theAncient Charges in the issue of theConstitution. It enjoined a mason tosuccour the needy and act with charityto all mankind.

e most common concept of charity

is of giving, either in time, money, orproperty. However, there are moreimportant functions of charity namelybenevolent goodwill towards, or loveof, humanity and lenient judgment ofothers. We as Freemasons are underthe obligation to assist all humanity, themost primary of which is to succourones fellow man in desperate plight.

Why then are we more focused on thecharity of giving and not on the charityof loving one another? Is it because we

nd it easier to put out hands in ourpockets than extending our brotherlylove to each other? Charity should meannot only the giving of money and othermaterial things, but that we should have acharitable heart, which means we shouldbe always willing to listen to and see thebest in our Brethren and to cast the bestlight on their actions.

Over recent years our membershiphas declined and at times we havecome under adverse criticism from

outside sources. Surely one of the bestways to encourage new members andto discourage adverse comment is toshow by example that we live by thoseprincipals and tenets which we obligated

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ourselves to uphold. By showing theworld that we do not just give lip serviceto our principles but practise them dailyespecially the greatest principle of all charity.

Masonic charity is usually quiet com-

pared with civic charities which areoen accompanied by exposure aimed atgenerating funds. While this quietnessseems to t well with our traditions, itdoes little to promote our good work and,I believe, is somewhat detrimental to ourorganisation. Having said this however,we are under special obligations to ourBrethren in the Cra, by the promptingof our own hearts and the vows we havetaken.

ese principles are far from beingnarrow and selsh and have theendorsement of Saint Paul the Apostlewhen he said in his Letter to the Ephesians.As we do good unto all men; especiallyunto them who are the household offaith. is can be interpreted as charitybegins at home and, in this sense, homemeans Lodge.

In New Zealand, Freemasonscharity ranges over many areas, andcharity is the word used to describe

many of the activities undertaken byFreemasons. Previous issues of NewZealand Freemason have carried articlesillustrating the diverse range of activitiesundertaken bye Freemasons Charity.ese range from immediate assistanceto those in need, through funding ofmedical research from Paediatrics toGerentology and through grants to assistlodges in their support for a diverserange of communty organisations.

e Freemasons Charity has now

contributed, through university scholar-ships, more than million towards theeducation of our leaders of tomorrow.Secondary school students have alsobeen assisted with scholarships and, forthose with a science bent, through the programme.

While we can justly be proud of whatwe are doing and contributing to, thereis still a question to be answered. Isthere a future for Masonic charity inwhat seems to be an increasingly selsh

and materialistic world, constantly at themercy of economic forces over which noone seems to have any real control?

I would like to suggest that the answerto the question is a resounding , but

VWBro Gary Muir

Gary was born, bred andeducated in the Wellingtonarea. On leaving school Garybegan a baking apprentice-

ship with Turner andSons. Aer completing hisapprenticeship Garys loveof farming and the lack ofopportunities for him in thiseld saw him join the staof thelocal Milk Treatment Plant. Witha bursary from the New ZealandMilk Board he attended what wasthen Massey College where he wasawarded his Diploma in Dairying.

In he married Janis and, in, was appointed First Assistantin the new milk plant at Kaikohe andlater Assistant Manager in Rotorua.It was in Rotorua that Gary joinedJaycees and learned the skills of projectmanagement, public speaking andmeeting procedure. He is sad thatthe Jaycee organisation no longerexists, as this was a watershed for newFreemasons many of whom are stillactive in Freemasonry

An appointment as Manager tookthe family to Te Kuiti where he becamefurther involved in Jaycees, wherehe was elected Vice President of theJaycees Chapter and also Vice Presidentof the Winter Show Association.

Promotion as Manager of the milkplant at Wanganui followed withfurther involvement in Jaycees. By thistime Gary was feeling the need for morein-depth personal development and

enquired aboutjoining Free-

masonry. Hewas initiated

into LodgeRutland No.

in June ,passed at e RongoteaLodge and raised inLodge Rutland.

Following a decisionto alter his career path,

and still with an interestin the farming world, Gary

joined the Ministry of Agricultureas a Farm Dairy Instructor, based inPalmerston North. He joined eAwatea Lodge No. becoming theMaster in followed by terms in and . He subsequently heldthe Grand Lodge oces of GrandSteward, Past Grand Standard Bearerand Grand Lecturer. He was Masterofe Ruahine Lodge No. in .Gary joined the Manawatu Royal ArchChapter No. in .

Gary served on Central Division

Education Team for some years. He isvitally interested in Masonic Educationand is a stickler for having things donecorrectly in Lodge. Now retired, heplays lawn bowls, belongs to a UkuleleGroup, is an Elder in the PresbyterianChurch, delivers the free newspapers inPalmerston North and belongs to thePalmerston North Community Patrolwhich works as eyes and ears for thePolice.

a yes carrying with it the implication thatwe will have to dig even deeper into ourpockets if we are to keep all our Masoniccharities going. What is oen forgottenis that money is not the only form ofcharity and the non nancial aspect ofcharity is one which we will see evenmore emphasized in an era of reducedspending power.

Sometimes we need to see or hear the

obvious words so that they have a greaterimpact on our lives. By the inuence ofbrotherly love we are to regard the wholehuman race as one family who we areto aid, support and protect.

Brotherly love and charity in attitudeand actions is the outward expression ofthat aection. On this, masonry unitesmen of every country, sect and principlesand causes true friendship to exist amongthose who might have remained for everat a distance.

In conclusion I quote a phrase fromthe Grand Lodge of Californias seconddegree and now abideth, Faith, Hope

and Charity, but the most important ofthese is Charity.

Such Brethren is my interpretation ofthe Rite of Destitution.

Gary Muir

GrandLecturer.

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Why, they wondered, was youngtalent being overlooked? Why

were certain charges always done by thesame people in the same old way? Was ita good enough excuse that weve alwaysdone it like this? New ideas begged alook-in.

Two past masters of Mangere No.,Paul Ashley and Ian Pownall, took theinitiative and set about forming a newlodge to be called Kauri No. , thename arising from a eureka moment in

the Pownall family spa pool. Brethrenagree that it is a strong name symbolic ofgrowth. We want to build a lodge thatstands as a signicant entity in the forestof Freemasonry, says founding memberIan Barron of Kumeu. We have the plansand the will to start afresh. Entrenchedold practices have failed to reect truly,the text and spirit of ritual and the Cra.

e formative process has taken nearlya full year with much administrativedetail to be worked through. e GrandMaster was petitioned for the new lodgescharter with the support of future

members. Neighbouring lodges recom-mendations and the Divisional GrandMasters own report were secured.Grand Lodge did not oppose the newlodge, but made clear that it was equally

if not more obliged to help existinglodges, which is why the lodgemost aected by a new lodge is the

one we normally ask to sponsor it.Disharmony through competitionwas not desired; lodges in any areaneeded to work together for thebetterment of the Cra.

Constitution of the new Lodgewas performed by the Grand Masteron February at the AucklandMasonic Centre, Khyber Pass Rd,with charter members whoqualify for a Founder Medal. (Laterjoiners receive a Standard Medal).

Equipment has been generouslygiven by the recently closed LodgeWhangamata.

Paul Ashley, inaugural master ofLodge Kauri, says were not radical

From small seedlings, mighty trees grow

KAURI LODGE IS CONSTITUTED

Unsettling thoughts werestarting to disturb lodge

harmony. Some brethrenwere feeling trapped by staleideas and practices. One says:We were dissatisfied withthe direction our lodge wastaking, and with the Craft ingeneral.

Blessing the elements.

The Grand Secretary reads the Charter.

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R oy Towers was born on September at Wanganui, and was educatedin Wanganui and Wellington. As ayouth Roy joined the Boys Brigade inNewtown where a Brigade colleague wasthe brother of the late Sir Paul Reeves.Roy and Paul later were altar servers atSt omas in Newtown and enjoyed arenewed friendship when Sir Paul wasPrior of the Order of St John.

Wellington Hospital and

War Service

In , aged , Roy joined theWellington Hospital Board admini-stration stawhere he served in variousclerical roles, including public relationsocer and part-time archivist. He retiredin as the Hospitals Administration

Ocer. He was made an Associate ofthe Institute of Hospital Administratorsin . In addition he was a voluntarynurse aid. Until his health and ageprecluded it he was one of the HuttValleys biggest and long-time blooddonors. Roy developed an interest in theHospitals history and medical historyin general and was a past-president

of the Wellington Medical HistoricalSociety, secretary of the HospitalBoards historical committee. He alsowas secretary of the Medical ResearchFoundation.

During Roy served withinNew Zealand with the medicalservices. He was a member of the Association, the Home ServicemensAssociation and lately the Royal NZReturned Services Association.

St John Ambulance Brigade

rough a young friend Roy was intro-duced to the St John AmbulanceBrigade and, in as a year-old,joined the Brigade. Like others hewas a rst aider at various sportingevents and large public gatherings.

He served as Sergeant, Sta Ocer,Wellington District Superintendent,Assistant Commissioner and WellingtonCommissioner. is background ledto his national level appointment asAssistant Chief Commissioner in and Deputy Chief Commissioner in.

Order of St John

Within the Order of St John Roy servedas Assistant Director and Director of

Ceremonies. For a period he enjoyedbeing the Knight-in-Waiting to assistthe Prior of the Order (the Governor-General) on ceremonial occasions. Hewas Director of Ceremonies when theLord Prior of the Order, Sir MauriceDorman, , , GCStJ, investedSir Alan Gandell as a Baili GrandCross at the Wellington Cathedral ofSt Paul, November . His termcoincided with the important celebrations marking the centennial of

the Order in New Zealand and the rstvisit of a Grand Prior, e Duke ofGloucester accompanied bye Duchessof Gloucester. Roy supervised severalimportant ceremonials during the

celebrations, including the Investiturein the Christchurch Town Hall on April . His thorough knowledge ofthe Order and the guidance he gave theGrand Prior were relied-on and greatlyappreciated. His knowledge of theOrders ceremonials and of church ritualsmade him an outstanding Director ofCeremonies.

e Order recognised Roys servicesinitially by awarding him a Priory Voteofanks in . Subsequently he wasappointed to the Order as a ServingBrother (SBStJ) in , promoted toOcer (OStJ) in , Commander(CStJ) in and a Knight of Justice(KStJ) in . In the QueensBirthday Honours he was appointeda Member of the Order of the British

Empire for services to the St JohnAmbulance Brigade in the Orderscentennial year which, as with hisknighthood, gave him much pleasure.He was awarded the Service Medal of theOrder in and, in , his yearsservice was recognised with an th Bar tothe Medal (later denoted by a single goldlaurel leaf). On being presented with theBar by the then Prior and Governor-General, Sir Michael Hardie Boys, Roydescribed his involvement with St John as

very precious and I have been privilegedto work with some exceptional people.He was the third senior Knight of theOrder and, on his death, had completedsome years service or involvementwith the Order.

Shortly before his appointment asa Knight of the Order of St John Roytook steps to obtain a personal Grantof Armorial Bearings (Coat of Arms).Her Majestys Kings of Arms by LettersPatent, dated April , granted

Arms for himself and the descendantsof his late father, William David Towers.is extension to the grant enabled hisnephews and nieces to enjoy his honour.For a motto he selected To be Helpful.Grand Secretary 198589.

RWBro Roy Towers Past Grand Warden, who passed away on

23 December 2012, held high office in many organisationsincluding the office of Grand Secretary in Freemasons New Zealand.

OBITUARY

Roy James Towers MBE KStJ

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He was ever faithful tothis motto as his manyfriends and colleagues willconrm.

Freemasonry

Several of Roys forebearswere Freemasons. Roywas initiated into LodgeAroha. No in and became Master of theLodge in . He wasMaster of the ResearchLodge of WellingtonNo. in , and amember and sometimesecretary of Lower HuttLodge No. . Withinthe Grand Lodge of NewZealand he was appointedGrand Almoner in ,a member of the Boardof General Purposes andBenevolence ,and served on the Edito-rial Board ofNew ZealandFreemason. In May he was appointedAssistant Grand Secretary

and, in October of thatyear, Grand Secretary ofthe Grand Lodge of NewZealand, an oce he held until .On retirement from that oce he wasappointed Senior Past Grand Warden.

In Roy became Grand Super-intendent of the Wellington District ofthe Supreme Grand Royal Arch Chapter.He was Grand Director of Ceremonies and ird Grand Principalin . He was a member of Rose

Croix and Knights Templar, and a Knightof the Royal Order of Scotland.

Anglican Church

An Anglican communicant all his lifeRoy became served as a Lay Reader in the Diocese of Wellingtonin the parishes of St omas, Newtown,St Pauls, Waiwhetu, and the WellingtonCathedral of St Paul. He was a memberof the Wellington Synod. In addition heserved as a vestryman and churchwarden.

In he obtained a certicate inReligious Studies. In he receivedthe Bishops Medal. He was interestedin church history, rituals and liturgy,including those of the High Church of

England. At St John and Masonic eventshe was oen called upon to act as achaplain and provide a lead in prayersand contemplation.

In Roy became a life memberof the Friends of St Georges and theDescendants of the Knights of the Garterwithin the Foundation of the College ofSt George, Windsor Castle.

Marriage and retirement

On December Roy married SybilAlice, nee Whiting, from Ashburton.Sybil, a New Zealand Registered Nurse,was the widow of Gunner Swaney,a member of the th Field Regiment,nd New Zealand Divisional Artillery,who died of wounds on August during the campaign in Italy. ey hadno children but enjoyed each otherslove and company, and interests, such

as cats, growing roses, and gardening attheir Wilford Street, Lower Hutt, home.ey were active members of the HuttValley Rose Society of which Roy was apast-president. ey both played bowls

at Woburn BowlingClub, enjoyed readingand listening to classicalmusic. Roy liked racingand for a number of yearswas a member of the

Wellington Racing Club.Following Roys retire-

ment they made severaloverseas trips to Australia,UK, Europe, Egypt, Chinaand . On a tour ofItaly Roy acted as the Tourleader and guide. In thecourse of this tour theyvisited the Florence WarCemetery where Sybilsrst husband, TrevorSwaney is buried. It wasimportant to Roy that theyshould always rememberTrevor.

Roys keen interest inhistory led him to researchhis forebears. His greatgrandfather was born inCupar, Fife, Scotland in. Both he and Sybilhad forebears born in the

Orkney Islands. He wasproud of his Scottish rootsand oen wore his kilt to

gatherings of the Masonic Royal Orderof Scotland. He was President of theWellington Historical Society & EarlySettlers Association in .

Sybil died in and, in ,Roy moved to the Shona McFarlaneRetirement Village in Lower Hutt wherehe continued to take an interest invarious activities. He embraced modern

technology and attended senior-netclasses before acquiring a personalcomputer and later a laptop.

It has been said that Roy was alwayskind and considerate but he could bedicult, in particular if annoyed, andoccasionally was known to be impetuous.Despite his minor faults he had a widecircle of friends who will miss him. Trueto his motto, Roy was always helpful orwished to be helpful.

From a biography compiled

and provided by Phillip OShea,New Zealand Herald of Arms

Extraordinary

In 1981 Paul Hunt, of Wellington, painted a fine portrait of Roy wearing theMantle of a Knight of Justice over his Brigade uniform. Paul also produced asplendid bronzed-plaster bust which many admired. Roy, however, was not fond

of it and destroyed it; an act for which one close friend would not forgive him.

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A CHAMPION OF CHARITYThe life and work of MWBro Edgar Faber OBEand the origins of the Freemasons Roskill Foundation

E dgar Oliver Faber was born inWellington in , the second of sixchildren. He was educated at WellingtonCollege; briey, leaving at age tocommence employment with the TeaDepartment at Harrisons Ramsey Pty.Ltd. and this formed the basis of hiscareer for life.

At age he was sent to Aucklandand, from to , was AucklandManager for the rm. In he startedhis own business of EO Faber Ltd. andwas primarily concerned with importingtea. He was regarded as an expert in

tasting, blending and marketing as wellas marketing to packers.

Over subsequent years he acquiredagencies and opened retail furniturestores throughout the North Island. Hewas described as someone who drove afair bargain rather than a hard one and,at all times, his word was his bond. Intime he was appointed a Trustee of theAuckland Savings Bank and to variousother directorates.

Edgar Faber held oce in many

organisations. ese included Mt. AlbertBorough Councillor, the Boards of St.Cuthberts and Kings Colleges, Presidentof the Auckland Chamber of Commerce,the Board of Mater MisercordiaeHospital and the Anglican Synod. He wasa member of the Auckland Rotary Club,a Justice of the Peace and the HonoraryConsul in New Zealand and Samoa forthe Republic of the Philippines. He wasawarded an in the New Years

Honours.Farming was also of a great interestto Edgar who, part time during thes, operated a successful pedigreeJersey dairy farm in the HendersonValley. Aer the Second World Warhe purchased a -acre farm nearWhangarei. He married Doris EdithRollins of Birmingham in . eyhad three sons and a daughter who diedin infancy.

Masonic CareerEdgar Faber was initiated into Free-masonry in Lodge Ararangi No. in and was installed as Masterin . He subsequently joined lodges and was a Foundationmember of . He embracedFreemasonry with enthusiasmand a belief the membershipwas about doing rather thantalking.

He was appointed Provincial

Grand Master in and Grand Masterin . His years as Provincial GrandMaster, when he was required to endorseappeals for assistance from the GrandLodge Charitable Funds, gave him aninsight into charity and the need forBrethren to increase their contributions.His theme was giving is not charity untilit hurts. is was his idea of practicalFreemasonry.

Later, as Grand Master, Edgar Faber

set about to awaken Brethren to theirresponsibility to their less fortunatebrethren and fellow citizens. Recognisingthat monetary assistance was not thefull answer to loneliness of the aged,

While it is often heard that charity is the cornerstone ofFreemasonry there have been few who have practisedit to the extent achieved by the late Edgar Faber,Grand Master in 195657. His theme was givingis not charity until it hurts. His efforts and legacylive on through The Freemasons Charity and theFreemasons Roskill Foundation.

Edgar Faber Grand Master.

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The Edgar Faber Memorial Chapel

In honour of the Founder and rst Chairman, the Trustees resolved that the mosttting memorial to the late EO Faber would be a chapel to be called the Edgar FaberMemorial Chapel to be erected in the grounds of Roskill Masonic Village. A fundraising campaign was commenced with the objective of starting construction in. It was foreseen that, on completion, it would satisfy a long felt desire by theTrustees to provide a place of worship with appropriate spiritual atmosphere, and

in such a position that it would be accessible to residents in all weather conditions.e chapel was opened on February by the Governor General, Sir ArthurPorritt. Nearly, distinguished guests, brethren and their wives attended theceremony. At the conclusion of the service His Excellency presented the Trusteeswith three beautifully bound and especially inscribed bibles, gis from New ZealandLodge no. , a Lodge founded by New Zealanders in London.

Roskill Masonic Village.

he was determined to do somethingabout it. Together with a group of fellowGrand Lodge Ocers he inspectedseveral sites for a home and, nally,paid a deposit on land, which eventuallyhoused the Roskill Masonic Village.

Although his original intention wasthe land purchase only, to be used forfuture development, imaginations hadbeen red and a successful fund raisingcampaign was conducted to commencethe development. e original block wasopened on March . e NorthernMasonic Association Trust Board[] was set up for the purposes ofpurchasing, developing and running thevillage which, aer nearly years and aneed for further capital, was sold to theSelwyn Foundation, a charity owned andoperated by the Anglican Church. It wasrenamed the Selwyn Heights RetirementVillage.

e proceeds of the sale came to the

, which changed from being theoperator of a retirement village to beinga company with a large nancial asset.Consequently the had to go

through the process of re-establishingitself as a charitable organisation withincome to distribute. As part of thisprocess decided to create atrading name and logo and, hence, theFreemasons Roskill Foundation cameinto being. e Foundation serves allfour constitutions and the choice of thename Roskill reects its origins.

During his two years as Grand

Master, Edgar accompanied by Doris,travelled extensively throughout NewZealand. With the example the Aucklandsuccesses he encouraged other areas toincrease their benevolence contributionsand to consider their own MasonicVillage developments, subjects on whichhe was only too willing to talk.

Edgar Fabers interests in Masonryextended beyond the Cra includingRoyal Arch, in which he held GrandRank, and Rose Croix.

MWBro Edgar Faber , Past GrandMaster died on July aged . Hehad accomplished much and served manyduring his life. e development of theRoskill Masonic Village continued aerhis death and included the constructionof a chapel, which was dedicated to hismemory.

Morris Robertson, with thanks toWBro Peter Faber, RWBro Mark

Winger and acknowledgementof a paper presented in by

WBroSchischka.

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Bro Geoffrey Moss

Georey Moss le home at sixteen yearsof age to become a farm cadet. Followingservice in the Royal New Zealand Navy,he studied at Canterbury and MasseyUniversity Colleges and later at Colorado

State University and Victoria Universityof Wellington. Aer experience as a FarmAdvisory Ocer and Chief AdvisoryOcer (Extension) in the Department ofAgriculture, he studied communicationtechnology as an Eisenhower Fellowin the United States of America. Hereturned to New Zealand to set up theInformation Services of the Ministry ofAgriculture and Fisheries and to becomethe Director of Management Services.

In , he was appointed Senior

P l a n n e r / P r o g r a m m e r(Agricultural and RuralDevelopment) for theUnited Nations DevelopmentProgramme for Development

Training and CommunicationPlanning for Asia and the Pacic, basedin Bangkok. Later he was appointed toMassey University as a Senior Lecturerand seconded to the University of theSouth Pacics Alafua Campus in Samoa.

He is an Honorary Fellow and a PastPresident of the New Zealand Instituteof Agricultural Science. He has been anactive Toastmaster for years and hasserved as the President of the WellingtonClub and as the Area E Governor. He

has been awarded the DistinguishedToastmasters award, ToastmastersInternationals highest recognition. He isalso a Fellow of the New Zealand SpeechBoard and was its Vice-Chairman for adecade.

In he was presented with theGolden Jubilee Award by the NewZealand Guild of Journalists andCommunicators in recognition ofoutstanding services to the Guild.

Over , people have attended hisAsian and Pacic workshops. He has run three-day workshops at the SingaporeInstitute of Management. He is authorof books on training, managementand communication. His user-friendlybooks, written in simple English tomake reading and translation easy, havebeen published by publishers in countries and in languages and therehave been over editions published.

Georey Moss was raised in at Lodge Whanganui. He remains aMaster Mason and is Standard Bearerfor Westminster Lodge No. inWellington. Georey and his wife, Joyce,live in the Wellington suburb of Wiltonon a section, which includes a bush lledvalley which Georey has cared for overmany years.

Walking sticks.

Geoffrey at Home holding a copy of hisautobiography Rolling On.

In the bush-filled valley.

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Y oung Mariners is an organisationthat provides opportunities for fun,friendship and adventure.eir activitiesencourage girls to reach their potential,be independent, condent and caring.

ey are empowered to show leadershipand develop their decision-making andlife skills. Young Mariners helps themconnect with their community andwith the wider world. ey also becomeamazing sailors.

e rst Young Mariners unitwas established at Bucklands Beach,Auckland, in . In the interveningyears it has spread to Waikato and Bayof Plenty with some nine further unitshaving been formed, including Rotorua

in .Young Mariners generally meet with

their Unit one evening per week and forpart of the day on Sundays for outdooractivities. Evening activities are oenbased in-doors, but will be out-door ifweather and daylight allow. Activitiesinclude sailing, pulling, rigging andcamping. All Units get together onseveral occasions through the year forcompetitions and interaction. e Easterregatta is the major event anticipated

with delight by all Mariners each year.Parents are encouraged to supportactivities. e success of the Unit andeach Mariners experience depends onparental participation and support.

Water sports are a major focus forthe Young Mariners. Sailing is givensignicant attention as it gives the girlsskills for life that will allow them toenjoy New Zealands beautiful coastline.e sailing skills are built up graduallythrough a combination of fun outingscombined with races to add the spice ofcompetition.

Safety is paramount in all activities.e girls are supplied with the essential

safety equipment and the training toallow them to put to sea safely andhandle many of the situations they mightface while on the water.

Pulling is the term used for rowingthe Cutter class boats used by YoungMariners. Girls are trained in theterminology and techniques requiredto move a reasonably heavy boat alongat a fast clip by using oars. e pullingraces at Regattas are a highlight for all

KEEPING YOUNG MARINERS AFLOAT

Rotorua Freemasons play their part

With the support of Lodges,Side Orders and TheFreemasons Charity, a youngMariners Group in Rotorua isnow the proud possessor offour second hand fiberglassoptimist sailing dinghies,replacing old heavy woodenboats, well past their useby date. The boats, and a

trailer to transport them, nowbear acknowledgements toFreemasons New Zealand.

The Grand Chaplain, VWBro Ivan Smith, blesses the boats and trailer.

Young Mariners Leader, Sheryn Shoebridge, responds to the presentation.

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as a show of strength, agility, teamworkand coordination.

e ability to set up the boats becomessecond nature to the girls aer all of thepractice they get. In fact, they get so goodat it that they have rigging competitionswhere they must prepare their boat forsailing within a set period of time. Asmall team gets this happening underthe watchful eye of the judges and thechallenge, especially for girls, is to do the

rigging in silence.e participants get many opportu-

nities throughout the year to build theirskills in setting up and maintaining acampsite. ey become very skilled atraising their tents and are very particularabout how they want their camp to bemaintained. ere are competitions forcamping skills that bring out the best inthe teams.

e cost of, for the replacement

boats was met by from YoungMariners, , donated by the localLodges, supported by GeyserlandDistrict, and , from eFreemasons Charity.

With the girls on parade and inuniform, the boats were formallypresented and dedicated at a lakesideceremony in Rotorua on ursday December. e Grand Chaplin, VWBroIvan Smith performed the dedication.

Preparing to sail. Sailing away.

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Support for Rhys Bycroft

Rhys Bycro, of Palmerston North,who has cerebral palsy and cannot talklost the ability to communicate with hiscaregivers, friends, and family aer hishome was ransacked by burglars while

he was absent with his caregivers on avisit to Wellington to watch a Fridaynight rugby game

ey returned to a house which wasa mess, blankets strewn over the oor,drawers and cuboards were open, plasticbags were everywhere and most ofRhys belongings were gone. e stolengoods included a television, two stereosfood, towels and two communicationdevices, which he needs to use daily tointeract with people. e devices, called

Dynavox, are worth about , eachand without them Rhys can only sayyes or no using his eyes.

His father, Bruce Bycro, said thatthere were communications devices,which looked liked computer tablets, in

the house because one of them was onloan as the device his son usually usedhad battery problems. e external harddrive for the device, which backed upthe soware, was also stolen. Recoveringthis was vital and it wouldnt be of use toanyone else.

e most important thing to Rhyswas stolen the means to vocalise andcommunicate. It was especially set up forhim over several years. It had thousandsof phrases Rhys has used over the pastfour years stored on it and used every dayat school and at home. Aer the burglaryhe felt unsafe at home. Rhys lives on hisown but has two caregivers and attendsFreyberg High school Craig Centre.

Although insurance covered the loss

of the equipment, apart from importduty, Rhys became distinctly uneasy inhis home and is incapable of resisting anunauthorised entry. Burglars have beenknown to strike twice and his familyhave, aer discussions with the United

Horowhenua Lodge members, installedadditional security lights and obtained aquotation for a monitored security alarmsystem for his home and computingequipment.

In considering the best form ofresponse the Lodge applied to eFreemasons Charity to cover the cost ofthe import duty and tracking devicesfor the computer, voice translator andprinter. e Charity agreed to meet thesespecial costs in full and Rhys was visitedby the Divisional Grand Master, RWBroSteve Salmon, who presented him with acheque for , to cover these specialcosts.

Comfort comes in the CUBRO Chair

United Horowhenua Lodge has a longhistory of supporting the HorowhenuaMasonic Village. In our September issue we reported on the supportorganised by the Lodge to fund twostroke recovery nurses to a specialistconference in Sydney. e appeal, whichwas supported by e FreemasonsCharity, raised enough funds to alsopurchase a chair for the Village.

A armchair is the king ofwheelchairs and at its Christmas Dinner

the Master, WBro Barrie Buck, presentedthe Manager of the Masonic Village, SueManey, with a cheque for a little under, to pay for a such a chair. Readersmay well ask what is so special about thistype of chair which makes it so expensive.

A regular wheelchair is designed forlimited periods of moving around notfor sitting in for several hours at a timewithout a break. With elderly bed riddentype patients, their personal comfort

Connecting with the Community

Levin based United Horowhenu Lodge No. 464 is very much connected with its community.Through various links they regularly identify local needs which can benefit from theCharitable activities of Freemasonry, whether is be for individuals in need, local groups or

the local Horowhenua Masonic Village. In this article we look at two projects, one being theunfortunate experience which befell Rhys Bycroft, a young man known to members of theLodge and the other, the Lodges continuing support for the Masonic Village.

Divisional Grand Master, RWBro Steve Salmonmakes the Freemasons presentation to Rhys.

Also in the picture are The Master of UnitedHorowhenua Lodge, WBro Barrie Buck,Ruapehu District Grand Master, VWBro ColinMaking and Rhys mother, Ann Matthews.

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means that it is necessary to movethem frequently to avoid bed sores andthey need a high degree of comfort andexpertise when being moved around.

What they really need is a lazy boyarm chair on wheels. Something that

has padding, cushions, comfort and canreadily have the position of the patientchanged. e answer to this need is the chair. With its usefulness havingbeen demonstrated and appreciated eVillage proposes to budget for up toseven more in the future.

When accepting the cheque for thechair Sue Maney thanked the Lodge, notonly for the donation, but also for thefund raising project that allowed two ofthe Village Nurses to travel to Australiato attend a specialist conference. KellyByrnes and Adrienne Court, who hadtravelled to Sydney spoke on their roleat the Masonic Village and how theybenetted from attending the conference.

Morris Robertson Demonstrating the CUBRO chair.

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T his has to be good news fororganists in general who tend tobe inconspicuous, merging into thelodge-room dcor even as they enhanceproceedings with subdued colour andemotion. A British cynic quips thatabsence is the only quality that bringsan organist to attention at leastacknowledging a lack; a serious omission.Not surprisingly, WBro Crone takesthe positive view. He believes musicaltalents are a great Masonic resourceadding meaning to ritual, and dignityto the lodge. e organist is clearly aninvested ocer equal in standing toother ocers and on reection I thinkthe music committee has to relate to him

in a direct and personal way.ough the scope of the work is not yetnalized, he sees his role really to buildon whats there. e committee willadvise, encourage and look at avenuesto empower lodges and encourage self-reliance. Future possibilities includemusic workshops, benevolence concerts,recordings and development of musicalworkings to the rst and second degrees.Regional choirs will continue to growbut we will be looking at music in the

lodges generally, and choirs are only partof it.

Brian is one of three talented menwho have led a resurgence of Masonicmusic in the Northern Division anddisseminated the musical thirddegree generally, over the last fewyears. e other two are conductorVWBro James Morton and far-sighted WBro Reg Newcombe,chairman of the previous nationalcommittee.

For Brian, aged , respite fromthe high-pressure job with Steeland Tube comes in his music andenjoyment of his family, home andgarden at Manurewa. He and his wife

The sound of music

Brian Crone has plenty to do with heavy metalas dispatch manager for a big steel-making firm,but his music is of a different order choralaccompaniment, thoughtful and subdued. For Brianis a leading Masonic organist, and as such has beennamed chair of the new National Music Committee.

Jan, a youth health nurse for CountiesManukau, are the parents of four youngadults three girls and a boy. e latter,Maxwell (), shows promise as a hornplayer, in line with a family musicaltradition that goes back at least yearsto a forbear who played piano for thesilent movies.

Brians interest in the keyboard datesfrom his prep-school days at St Georges,Wanganui. His father taught commerceat Wanganui Collegiate. Later accessto a church organ at Wellington helpedBrians progress and he now says, Immost at home with the organ. I dontregard myself as a pianist at all.

Having to handle electronic lodge

organs designed for home use, lackingpedal-boards or generally in poorcondition can be a test, which proves themettle of the lodge organist. Some areknown to bring their own instruments;others do what they can with what isavailable. But there always seems to besomeone who will take up the challenge.And the music does get through in prettygood shape. e musical prerogativeremains strong, so whos complaining?

Jack Leigh

Brian Crone,organist.

Launchinga career

Dear Mr Stewart,Two years ago I was the recipient of agenerous scholarship from the Lodgeto assist me with my tertiary studies.In acknowledgement of your help,

I am writing to let you know that Irecently completed my NZ Diploma ofBusiness and received the NZ Instituteof Chartered Accountants Leading LightExcellence Award for the top-graduating student. I owe my success inpart to the support I received from theLodge and I want to express my heartfeltthanks for helping me achieve my goals.

I have started full time employmentwith Paul Johnston, Chartered Accoun-tant, in Timaru. While working, I intend

to continue studying part time towardsfurther qualication. My employers areencouraging and supportive of my plan.

ank you again for your support. Irealise how very fortunate have been andwill always be grateful.

Yours faithfullyKelly Waters

Fairlie

We always welcome feedbackfrom those we assist and thefollowing letter to Jim Stewart,Secretary of Mackenzie

Lodge No. 93, expressesthe gratitude of one studentwho has benefited fromFreemasons assistance withspectacular success.

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I t is true that many Lodges are strong andworking well while others are strugglingdue to falling membership, rising buildingcosts and other problems. Generallyspeaking, Masonry in New Zealand, likeseveral other countries in this turbulentworld of ours, is experiencing gravediculties and is failing. Businesses andcompanies go through similar hard timesand success comes to those that reinventthemselves to cope with the changes thatcaused the diculties, and oblivion comes

to those who wont change. I thereforesuggest in the strongest terms that we needto reinvent ourselves to cope with failingmembership and rising costs. e bigquestion is How? What do we have to doto survive?

I have spoken recently with morethan young men to nd out why theyhavent joined our ranks. My researchshows that men in their s are quiteinterested in belonging to somethingmysterious - so maybe the image of a

secret society has something to oer.e thirty to forty year-olds are busywith their jobs/careers and their wives/children.ese men want to knowwhatsin it for me?ey want to know a reasonwhy they should join. If we say we are acharitable organization these people say,Why should I pay somewhere between and a year in membershipdues to give away even more money? Iwould rather donate the myself ..

fair comment.e forty plus group are more maturein mind and settled in their jobs andfamilies. Maybe these should be ourtarget market. But we all know that thedeep-routed problem is not just gettingnew members, it is in keeping them.So, what can we oer non-masons thatwill make them want to join? Whatshould we oer that will really attractmen and make them want to come toour meetings above the other demands

on their time (families and occupationalways excepted of course). We need toreinvent ourselves by going back to thatwhich was lost our grass roots thatlled a purpose.

We used to be a philosophic societywhere men discussed and learned - notjust sat and listened. In days gone byyounger men gathered knowledge fromolder more mature men and the youngimproved in all sorts of ways. But life haschanged dramatically since those days.

e world has moved on with tech-nology, new inventions, faster transportand unbelievable communications but man still possesses that vitaland immortal principle planted in hisvery being that inspires his quest forknowledge of the world and himself. Weneed to become a fraternity that can dothis inside our lodges as Freemasons didback in the s. ey were not afraidto invite non-masons to join part-waythrough a meeting to demonstrate a

new invention or talk through the latestscientic discoveries. Masons were thenable to question the inventor/scientistand discuss with their Brethren to gaina deeper understanding of Nature andScience and make an advancement inknowledge. is was the educationalfunction in ancient Freemasonry.

Since those days education at Lodgemeetings has been treated as an add-on, an extra if-we-have-time. In manyLodges it is completely le out altogether.e result is what we see today, asociety of men with no real purposeother than the ritualistic ceremoniesof membership and installing a new/recycled Master once a year.

If we really want a successful futurewe have to reinvent ourselves by makingour meetings more relevant to real-lifeas it is today. We have to allow ourselvesmore freedom to decide what to do atLodge meetings and free ourselves fromthe staid mind-set of always performingdegree ceremonies. I have a vision ofLodge meetings, being vibrant andpeople excited and cant wait for the nextmeeting because an item of great interestand importance is to be discussed when

the Lodge is at ease or aer closing. iscould be an invited specialist comingin to demonstrate an interesting way touse the Internet or a new way of usingour mobile phones or any other topic ofgeneral interest. And that specialist doesnot have to be male.

My vision includes inviting wives,friends and neighbours to see thesedemonstrations, and everyone staying tosupper and talking together. Get peopleinto our Masonic lodges and into our

old-fashioned Masonic lives. We willbenet and they will benet because theywill know a great deal more about us andsome will want to join.

My vision goes further to includemeetings when topics of topics of localimportance are discussed (politics,religion and sex always excepted). Isthere anyrealreason why we should notdiscuss Meditation the art and practiceof awakening your inner self ; or epros and cons of building a highway in

Transmission Gully, or Freemasonryin our community, or Morality andBehavior in your local community orany topic relevant and meaningful to ourlives at home and at work today.

ese may appear radical things to dobut they are not new.ey were done years ago but masonry has been changedduring that time. So lets change back toour roots. Lets reinvent ourselves to bea modern and exciting society that has alot to oer young men andplays a centralrole in our local communities. Try itsoon and let me know what happens.

WBro George Allan

Reinventing ourselvesEducation Chairman, George Allan, proposes an alternative style

George Allan.

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Southern Division Aadam Mir

A former student of Marlborough BoysCollege, Aadam is now studying for abachelor of Engineering degree at theUniversity of Canterbury. He admitsthat he had not considered engineeringas a career until he attended a Universityof Canterbury information day at hiscollege. What led him to this decision

was that it would be an extension ofhis love of maths. He even admits thatCalculus comes easy to him.

Aadams paternal grandfather, whois of Pakistani descent, has told him ofhis early days as a steam train driver inPakistan. He regaled Aadam with talesof Victorian age engineering feats andof the more ancient constructions of theIndian subcontinent prior to the Britishoccupation.

As the result of a friend having a

serious car accident, resulting in a brain

injury, Aadam and two mutual friendsset up a charitable trust and organisedfund raising events to help the family.Although its principal purpose the trustremains open, and continues to fundraise,

specically to assist other Marlboroughfamilies that nd themselves in the samesituation.

Aadam enjoys sport and has playedrepresentative soccer for MarlboroughDistrict. He also enjoys social volleyball

and is a Venturer Scout. In the latterrole he helps organise activities for theyounger members.

Central Division Molly Creagh

Molly, who attended Wairarapa Collegefrom to , has entered herrst year as a Health Science studentwith plans to study physiotherapy at

Otago. She has interests in all areas ofphysiotherapy and hopes to work inhospitals to help people with physicalhandicaps. She is particularly interestedin muscular dystrophy.

Molly has been a very high performeracademically. Her form teacher over thelast three years, Lesley Davis, describedMolly as a school prefect involved inpeer mentoring and a highly responsiblestudent. If you wanted something doneand le it to Molly to do it you knew it

was going to be done.

As an active sportswoman, Mollyrepresented Wairarapa College atregional and national athletics events inrunning over several distances and inthe long jump. She was a member of theintercollegiate champion cross-countryteam in each of the ve years she was atthe college. Molly competed at the NZ Open Athletics Championships forwhich she gained a Sports Elite Award.

In addition to participating, Molly has

undertaken voluntary maintenance ofthe grass athletics track, long jump pitsand equipment as well as volunteeringat club nights for Athletics Masterton.She has also worked at raising funds andundertaken physical work for the newall-weather athletics track.

Northern Division Erin Sims

Erin attended Waihi College from to and secured excellent academicresults. She was Deputy Head Girl inher nal year. Erin is setting out to studyfor a Bachelor of Engineering [Hons.],majoring in mechatronics or mechanicalengineering.is is an interest, which shesays appeals to students who are good atmathematics and physics. Her ambitionis to nd technological solutions thatimprove existing processes, whether itis for cleaner manufacturing, nding

solutions for environmental problemsor developing ways toensure healthier homes.Meanwhile, she is keen tovisit secondary schools tomake young women aware ofopportunities in engineering.

Last year Erin receivedthe Young Achievers Awardfrom Hauraki DistrictCouncil for her contributionto academic cultural sportingand community activities.ese activities includedvolunteering as a lifeguard to , tutoring localspecial needs unit and insports.

She has been heavily involved in sport,representing Waihi College in athletics,swimming, rugby and netball

is year Erin is studying at theuniversity of Waikato and will utiliseher grant to cover the costs of living in aHall of Residence. Although she sees it asnecessary to go overseas, at some stage,to gain experience she eventually wantsto work in New Zealand in many aspectsof society.

Year 13 scholarship awards

This has been another year of top quality applications for this highly regardedScholarship Programme as we move into a new era in partnership with theHeartland Bank. We are pleased to announce the winners of the 2013 Scholarships

who will be receiving their awards at the upcoming Divisional Conferences.

Aadam Mir, Molly Creagh and Erin Sims.

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T he swimsuit might not t like itused to but swim instructor AaronDavis says he could not turn down anoer to get back in the water to help agroup of Renwick School children whowere missing out on lessons. Aaron is amember of the Marlborough Lodge ofUnanimity No., which is runninga course at Stadium for RenwickSchool pupils who were not able to haveswimming classes due to the cost ofper person. When the Lodge membersheard some children were missing theopportunity they set out to help.

Aer the school had identied children from its learn-to-swimprogramme the Lodge organised to payfor lessons run by Aaron. Nine childrenwere selected for an eight-week pilotbefore all the children were to take part in lessons the following term. Aaron saidhe was happy to help the children learn

enough to swim metres, somethingwhich should be a Kiwis birthright.Funding for the programme came fromthe Nelson Marlborough FreemasonsCharity with further support from eFreemasons Charity.

Although he had not taught swimmingfor several years he was enjoying gettingback into the teaching and working withthe children was very rewarding, hesaid. e old swimsuit doesnt t likeit used to, but its a good cause and itsgood fun. Weve had from novices toadvanced. Weve got some children whocouldnt put their head underwater andblow bubbles and some who could swima bit, but couldnt breathe properly andsome who are able to breathe and swim metres.

Renee Agnew, , said she had not beenable to swim much at all before the course,but said she had learned heaps and, aer

six lessons, she was able to swim a lengthof one of the lane-swimming pools at thestadium. Another learner, Ryan White,, said he was able to swim but hadimproved a lot in the lessons and learnednew strokes. We have been doing a lotof practice at freestyle.

e Master of the Lodge of Unanimity,WBro Dennis Jackson, said it wasexciting to see the looks of pride on thechildrens faces, citing the two brotherswho had been unable to put their headsunder the water when they started thecourse, but were able to complete a shortunderwater swim aer four lessons.When one of the brothers came up heput his arms in the air like he had wonthe world cup. Its great, we feel we mighthave made a dierence and the familiesare so grateful.

Acknowledgement toe Marlborough Express

Marlborough Lodge to the rescue

FUNDING SWIMMING LESSONS

Above: Dennis Jackson, left and instructor Aaron Davis, right, take a moment to celebrate with Renwick Schoolchildren, from left, back row, Stephen Adam-Watty, Shontayne Adam-Watty, Jarrod McNamara, Ryan White,middle row, Selena McNamara, Danielle McNamara, Amy Agnew, Renee Agnew, and in front, Danah McNamara.

DEREK FLYNN/FAIRFAX NZ

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James Bonifacio Mysteries of the Universe

I was born in Lincoln, near Christchurch,and grew up on a small farm nearLeeston with my parents and threesiblings, an older brother, Sam, oldersister, Marcey, and a younger sister, Lucy.

My father, Chris, is an electrician inaddition to running the farm. He and mymother, Kate, run an appliance-servicingbusiness. Mum has also spent the last fewyears working as a planner, currently forthe Selwyn District Council.

Growing up I was very fond of animalsand much of my free time was consumedcaring for my many and varied pets,including cats, dogs, lambs, chickens,ducks, peacocks and swans. I was also

very keen on Scouts, football, andtaekwondo throughout primary school.

I have been training in taekwondosince I was eight years old. For the rstnine years this training was at Leestonssmall country club, which is where Igot my rst black belt at . Being ablack belt means acting as a constantrole model for younger students in theclub. Whether instructing a class orjust participating, I try to inspire othersby working hard and demonstrating

discipline. For the last two years I havebeen training at Christchurch OlympicTaekwondo where I have been gettingin to the competitive sparring aspectof the sport.

OXFORD BOUNDFrom Freemasons Scholars to Rhodes Scholars

Rhodes Scholars, James Bonifacio and Louis Chambers,with Governor-General Sir Jerry Mateparae at Government house.

James Bonifacio.

I went to Hagley Community Collegefor my secondary education. isenvironment worked well for me in thatI was able to involve myself in manyactivities and create my own path. Forexample, I was interested in drama,environment groups, promoting healthyeating, and student representation. Iwas on the Board of Trustees in mypenultimate year. I also competedregionally in several school sports.

Aer high school I went to theUniversity of Canterbury to studymathematics and physics. I had verymuch enjoyed high school physics andmy experience of taking a UC mathcourse during my last year of high schoolimparted in me a love for mathematics.I was also able to go straight into secondyear courses. Like many other studentsI participated in the Student VolunteerArmy.

A love of teachingOne of my loves is teaching. I discoveredin secondary school that teaching isan enjoyable way to give back whenI volunteered as a teachers aide at

Every year the recipients of Freemasons

University Scholarships representthe cream of academic achievementand aspirations. For many they aredestined to go on to greater things withthe world as their stage. Two of the2012 recipients, James Bonifacio andLouis Chambers, have been selected asRhodes Scholars and will be continuingtheir studies at Oxford University laterthis year. Both have demonstrated

a passion for whatever they haveundertaken and we look forward tohearing of their future achievements.In this article they talk about theirlives to date, their passions and theirfuture ambitions.

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Christchurch East Primary School.Last year I was able to contribute tomy school community and develop myteaching skills by volunteering as a tutorat Hagley Community Colleges RefugeeHomework Centre.

Another way that I tried to help othersat university was through mentoring;this involved giving advice to studentsentering university and mentoringothers that faced diculties later in theirstudies. I also strived to involve myselfby volunteering my time for universityevents such as orientation and open days.I took a particular interest in leading myuniversity peers; this stemmed from mydesire to see problems actively resolved.When I had concerns about a universitycourse, I voiced my concerns as thestudent representative and saw thatimprovements were made.

Last year I started learning NewZealand Sign Language, a desire whichstems from my respect

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