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News Archive Sep/Oct 2009
From the Province of East Lancashire 25 Oct 09
Oldham Advertiser
From the Lifeboat Magazine - 07 Oct 09
Mayor of the High Peak Councillor Tony Bingham - 30 Sep 09
A feature on the late Mayor of High Peak from the Buxton Advertiser, Derbshire. Note he was a past Master of High Peak Masonic Lodge. ‘We are making progress! More and more obituaries mention that the deceased was a Freemason. This piece appeared in the Buxton Advertiser, Derbyshire’:
Public see behind doors of 'secret' group - 30 Sep 09
An article that talks of Bromsgrovians who were given the opportunity to see what lies behind the doors of their local Masonic Lodge, which was opened to the public as part of the Heritage Open Day Scheme - from the Bromsgrove Standard:
Dan Brown: The Lost Symbol - 17 Sep 09
Despite all the hype and scare stories circulating on the internet over the last few weeks Dan Brown’s new novel far from attacking Freemasonry is actually supportive of it. As a result it is unlikely to start the sort of media frenzy which accompanied the launch of the Da Vinci Code, which was seen by many as a fundamental attack on the foundation of Christianity.
It is the usual Dan Brown formula: the hero, Robert Langdon, is searching for lost Masonic treasure and spends twelve hours being chased round Washington DC, usually in subterranean passages which may or may not exist, by the villain, the police and the “Office of Security” of the CIA. There are the usual bloody murders, explosions and narrow escapes. He is aided in his search by senior members of the Supreme Council 33rd Degree for the Southern Jurisdiction of the USA, which has its headquarters in a monumental building in Washington DC. The villain is a six foot three, self – castrated body builder whose body is covered with tattoos, most of which are Masonic symbols. He has infiltrated Freemasonry and reached the 33rd degree. He is seeking the “lost symbol” which when it is tattooed on the soft part of his skull will transform him into a powerful angel! Langdon is determined to stop him. Great hokum which Tom Hanks will no doubt enjoy turning into a Holywood blockbuster!
Early in the novel there is a flashback to Langdon lecturing students on symbolism. One of the students makes disparaging remarks about Freemasonry which causes Langdon to point out to the group that contrary to the mythology Freemasonry is not an organisation to be feared; that Freemasons were much involved in the foundation of the United States; that it fails “the ABC test” and is not a religion; and that it is not exclusive but admits men of all faiths and ethnic and social backgrounds.
As in his previous books, there are facts, half – truths and misleading untruths presented as hard fact. The media picked up one Masonic “fact” which may upset some and certainly got the media going. In the prologue Brown claims that in the 33rd degree the candidate seals his obligation by drinking red wine out of a human skull. Absolute rubbish! His source for this “fact” is a very curious and highly inaccurate American exposure of the Ancient and Accepted Rite rituals published in 1887 by the Revd John Blanchard and given currency in Europe in the 1890s by the writings of the notorious French anti – Masonic writer who used the pen name Leo Taxil.
One major error which will be easily picked up by our American brethren is Brown’s claim that the symbol of the 33rd degree – which Brown states is the most potent of Masonic symbols – is a double headed phoenix. Sadly, as all who are in the Rose Croix will know, it is a double headed eagle.
Yesterday (Wednesday, 16th September) the phone lines at Grand Lodge were pretty hot with the media wanting to know our reaction. You could feel the interest drop at the end of the phone line when I said that we had no problems with the book, that it was supportive of Freemasonry and that we would be fascinated to see what effect it had on the number of people contacting Freemasons’ Hall and Provincial offices for more information about Freemasonry.
The book is quite a heavy read at times with the plot being held up from time to time by lengthy forays into deciphering symbols, cracking codes (which are relatively easy to break) and philosophising about the tensions between religion and science. There are the usual plot twists but as the reviewer in the Los Angeles Times wrote: “.. it’s hard to imagine anyone after reading The Lost Symbol, debating about Freemasonry in Washington DC in the way that people did about Brown’s radical vision of Jesus and Mary Magdalene in Da Vinci Code. That book hit a deep cultural nerve for obvious reasons. The Lost Symbol is more like the experience on any roller coaster – thrilling, entertaining and then its over”.
Freemasonry certainly has nothing to fear from the book, it may well stimulate a lot of public curiosity about Freemasonry which we will all be happy to deal with.
John M Hamill
Director of Special Projects
United Grand Lodge of England
17th September 2009