Masonry Ala Carte

Let me spin a yarn, ol’ Pertwee went,

Of Shaw the ubiquitous gent;

He and Tuppy the Terrier,

In Cottage Sunnyvale lived on rent.

A content man in every way,

Not a rude word you’d hear him say.

If you met him on your way,

You’d surely get a happy ‘good-day’.

Mrs. Godfrey would come in,

Once a day to cook for him.

She baked a handsome cake they said,

But her repertoire was limited.

A Heavenly smell would emanate,

When Shaw and Tuppy sat to ate.

But crane your neck to have a look-see,

The menu consisted of only Three.

Not that Shaw minded one bit,

Years together he did gladly eat.

Mrs. Godfrey’s ala carte,

Even Tuppy had ceased to smart.

Once a month he went away,

To travel down Masons’ Way.

A similar scene and a restful walk,

And back home to his cosy ark.

Then one day when it was spring,

The skinny gent began to think.

Would a change in scene and air,

Heavily weigh on my care?

He sauntered down to the agency,

And booked himself and of course, Tuppy.

He packed his bags and all his ware,

And check listed with utmost care.

And as the sun rose next day,

Shaw and Tuppy were on their way.

They had a pleasant trip,

Travelling gave him quite a fillip.

They arrived at the Jacob’s Inn,

Unloaded their luggage and went right in.

It was noon and the time was right,

For a gentleman to have a bite.

He went to lunch but was shocked to see,

On the menu were Thirty-Three!

It took him a while to sit and scour,

And then he ordered Item Four.

The taste was a thrill, a ride,

Even Tuppy was satisfied.

Then and there young Shaw thought,

I’ll stay a month and taste the lot!

He tried them one every day,

And each meal convinced him to stay.

Mason he was, a cautious one,

He never ordered more than one.

He savoured the taste of each new dish,

Enjoyed them with equal relish.

He tried them once, he tried them all,

And learnt to cook them overall.

V.W. Bro. Ambarish Singh Roy, P.Dy.G.Reg, P.Dy.RGM

Masonic Treasures

Masonic Treasures

Author: V.W.Bro. Ambarish Singh Roy, P.DyG.Reg, P.Dy.RGM

A few years ago a movie called National Treasure piqued the interest of many movie-goers and either made them aware or sold an idea about Freemasonry to them. As a result, there was a flurry of activity in several lodges across America and of course the Internet where people flocked to learn more about Freemasonry and join Lodges. Most of them came looking for ‘Secrets’ pertaining to Masonry, affected by the ‘buried treasure’ syndrome. It took a lot of explaining to make them understand that the story followed by the movie was fiction. However, this onslaught did not stop at that, it continued to grow in both numbers and intensity after release of two of Dan Brown’s Novels and the Da Vinci saga that gripped several authors throughout the Western World. After the publication of ‘Da Vinci Code’ which makes fleeting, yet significant references to Freemasons, Dan Brown became a phenomenal success. This in turn brought some of his earlier works out of obscurity, one of which was ‘Angels & Demons’ where again he points a finger at Freemasons, this time alleging that our organisation was infiltrated and used as a cover by the Illuminati and the Knight Templars. It did not help matters much that he announced that his next novel ‘The Lost Symbol’ would entirely revolve around the subject of Freemasonry.

Such flashes in the pan do evoke a response from today’s generation, but unfortunately, mostly for all the wrong reasons, and it is a matter of debate whether such attention is indeed good for us. We may argue, that in today’s day and age marketing and propaganda of some sort is required if Freemasonry has to survive for another century, but the question here is – are all those joining due to these reasons joining for the sake of Freemasonry, to enrichen the Craft or just for idle curiosity or worse – gold-digging and treasure – hunting ? Even in our own Masonic circles, we find members who join for ‘pecuniary’ benefits viz: building social contacts, making business connections or simply to be a part of a social platform. They join the Lodge, come for a few meetings, attain a few degrees and then stop coming. For by then, either they have accomplished their worldly aims or lost interest altogether. Why they lose interest is however, an issue to be addressed separately, for it is a matter of great concern for any Lodge that new initiates stop coming and finally vanish.

It is important, however, to make people who come to us enquiring about Masonry, realize that Freemasonry does not offer material gains, it is not path to climbing the social ladder, and it is definitely not a place to further ones personal or social ambitions. I once came across a Masonic Website which perhaps put it best – “The Real Secret of Freemasonry – To Make Good Men Better”. I am reminded of an anecdote in this context. A wealthy farmer was very disappointed with his only son who was lazy and shied away from honest toil. No amount of coaxing or cajoling could make him lift the plough or tend to the fields or cattle. Finally, the farmer gave up, but secretly devised a plan to put him right. On his death bed, the farmer called his son and told him that he had hidden a great treasure for him somewhere in the fields, but to get it his son would have to till the land and offer a handful of seeds to each foot of land and water it regularly for two months. Only thereafter, said the farmer, would his son find the buried treasure. After his father’s funeral, the son immediately set out for the fields, tilled every inch of land and scattered seeds and watered it as instructed. He did so everyday for two months. On the morning after two months elapsed, he woke up before sunrise and ran to his fields, eager to be shown the path to his enormous fortune. To his surprise, he saw his land full of ripe, healthy crop, but no sign of treasure. Then with the rising sun, it dawned upon him what exactly his dying father had meant by ‘buried treasure’. Similarly, in Masonry, the treasures are there, but they are not pots of gold, but something intrinsic and far more valuable. Freemasonry isn’t a secret society sitting coiled up like a great anaconda on some buried treasure, it is not a charity alone, and it certainly isn’t a socio-cultural organisation. Those who claim it to be so, in my opinion, have thoroughly misunderstood Freemasonry. The primary and most important aim of Masonry is ‘character building’; making an upright God-loving, honourable man of high morals and unshakeable integrity. Isn’t that what pages and pages of Traditional History tell us?

For if candidates become true Freemasons, a Mason’s virtues –Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth will automatically follow and discontentment, malice or politics would never darken the door of any Lodge again.

The problem is that some people try to run Masonic bodies by mimicking other organisations. If we had to turn a Lodge into a Rotary or a Lion’s Club, why join a Lodge? There’s much to be had materialistically by becoming a Rotarian or a Lion instead. I do not intend to demean these Institutions by any means, what I simply wish to point out is that every organisation, more so an organisation as ancient and honourable as ours, has it’s own traditions, rules and regulations, which have maintained not only it’s exclusivity, but also have aided in the preservation of it’s individuality. We do not have to solve the problems that Freemasonry is facing today by any exterior means. If we simply follow the true edicts of Masonry and make true Freemasons, all the ambiguity would automatically cease to exist. A Lodge is a haven for any Freemason; he truly leaves the ‘profane’ world behind when he enters the Temple. It is an oasis for him in today’s world so full of cares and sorrows. It uplifts him momentarily by giving him a space to breathe and quench his thirst for something sublime and perhaps celestial.

It is no doubt important for Freemasonry to change with the times like any other organisation, but in doing so, let us not re-define or re-design Freemasonry. Let us keep it’s inimitable charm and values, that we Masons hold so close to our hearts, alive, to hand over to our next generation. Yes the next generation - our future, Freemasonry’s future, for they are the Initiates of today through whom Freemasonry will live and breathe tomorrow. Thus making it not just necessary, but imperative for us to act now and make Freemasons who will truly understand, cherish, and when the time comes, pass on the many treasures of Masonry.

Happy New Year!

2016 has been an Annus Horribilis. Here's hoping 2017 will be Annus Mirabilis. May we all have a Happy, Blessed and Prosperous New Year! 

Auld Lang Syne

Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year!

Wish you all a merry in all the Merriest Christmases I have wished you in all these years. And a very Happy New Year.

Christmas - a season of giving, loving and warm fuzzy feelings you never knew you possessed! First there's putting up the tree with the kids. With the right decorations and lights to warm up the home. Then there are the letters to Santa and breaking our backs buying and packing them. Then we crawl back from a buzzy Christmas Eve Party and place them under the tree. My kids got everything they wanted this Christmas, and Santa was especially good to me! Then there's the food for Christmas Lunch - Roasted Duck, Stuffed Turkey, Honey Glazed Ham, Roasted Potatoes, Plum Cake, Plum Pudding with Brandy Sauce and Fruit Cake, not to mention Mince Pies and Marzipan Walnuts! It is truly a feast.

Tut tut tut...don't forget I said it is also a season for giving, not just to your near and dear ones, but a meal sponsored at an orphanage with all the trimmings and Christmas cakes!

Carols, Christmas Movies, Old Time Radio Show Christmas Specials - all add up to the experience.

And, no sooner that Christmas is over, we count the days to New Year's eve and New Year's day. Bookings all made, passes bought and we are awaiting the big night when we ring in the new year. Out with the old, in with the new!

So, May all our New Year be filled with Joy, Prosperity and Blessings untold. God Bless us all in 2016! Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year!

The Masonic Family

The Masonic Family

Author: W.Bro. Ambarish Singh Roy, P.Dy.RGM, P.G.SD

Not everything on this earth can be understood by putting two and two together, applying logic or practical or should I say traditional application of mind. We do not always do things for something tangible in return. A soldier plunging into battle amidst guns blazing all around him isn’t just doing his job. He isn’t doing it for his paycheck, but for something deeper. A moth flying right into a flame also does it for a reason, known only to it. We too do things which do not seem rational or practical, but we do it for a reason known to the heart alone. We all know Freemasonry is the world’s oldest and perhaps largest fraternity, but it is something more than that – it is one big family. Like all families there is bonding, there is love and there are disagreements and there are squabbles. We also have our share of the proverbial bad apples, but they do not always spoil the other apples in the basket. Most of the credit for this goes to the teachings of Freemasonry which I honestly believe, if truly understood and applied, does make a good man better. Similarly sometimes some members of our family are dissatisfied and they leave our fold.

It is always sad to see a Brother leave, more so, perhaps, because we accept him as our brother to begin with. It isn’t a relationship orchestrated by fate or social norms, but it is by his and our choice that he becomes our brother. I personally believe that unless a person is expelled from Masonry for Non -Masonic conduct or similar such circumstance, a Mason who resigns does not cease to remain a Mason. I of course do not wish to enter into a debate about Constitutional rules and regulations. They stand where they are. I speak of something latent. A man is made a Mason, he takes oaths, makes promises, learns lessons and labours sincerely to ascend the next step. The entire purpose of an obligation is that it is meant to be inviolable. A brother thus resigning may, for all practical purposes, cease to be member of a Lodge or even a Grand Lodge, but cannot cease to remain a Mason; in other words, one can take a man out of Masonry, but not Masonry out of a Brother.

We should not and do not stay in Masonry for material benefits. We do not spend days and months toiling over ritual books and perfecting perambulations for metal trinkets and pieces of well-printed paper. We do not dedicate decades, and in many cases most of our lives to Freemasonry to get a mere Grand Rank. These things are important, no doubt, to those wanting them, but to a Freemason the satisfaction comes from something more latent, something intangible, but something pure, unsullied and uplifting. The question that then arises is – what is it that makes us stay? Is it the rituals? Is it the teachings of Masonry? Is it the Fellowship? Is it the congenial company of like-minded people? I would like to believe it is a wonderful assimilation of all of those which makes us stay in Masonry.

So why do people leave? As mentioned before, like any big family, we too have our share of problems, disagreements and strife. Like most spheres in life Freemasonry to a great extent has been plagued by politics, one of the things we as Masons are supposed to shun. The very moral fabric of our great organisation is being desecrated, by politics for an individual’s and/or a group’s struggle for prominence and control .Lodges are supposed to be a sanctum where we rise above the ‘profane world’. So naturally it disturbs us when profanity invades our sanctum. It shouldn’t, and perhaps in a perfect world, it wouldn’t affect Lodges, but times being what they are, and some people being what they have sadly become, these things do and will affect Lodges.

The question is, when it does, what do we do? We could say let others handle it. We could say it’s not my problem and walk away. We could frown in disgust and remark that this isn’t what we joined Masonry for and stop coming to Lodge. Donning the top-hat of logic and keeping our feet firmly grounded on the soil of practicality, there is no way to refute these remarks. We all have so much going on in our own lives today that we really do not wish to take on added pressures and hassles. Indeed why should we?

If we do not find an answer to this question, we will never be able to dissuade another Brother from leaving our folds. To take you back to my initial remarks here, Masonry is a family, and we do not stay in or leave a family because of the hassles or the lack thereof. We are a part of the family and we should be ready to weather any storm that hits us, together. We care when we truly feel a sense of belonging. That soldier laying down his life in the battlefield does so because he defends that which belongs to him and that he belongs to – his motherland. So my brethren, the next time we feel dissatisfied, or see a brother unhappy, let us try to understand him. Let us make him feel a part of the family. Let us not bicker amongst ourselves the way the profane world does. We are meant to be above that and we should strive to be so.

Juggie my 10 year old baby, a constant source of joy, companionship and unconditional love to me and my entire family passed away today 17th April, 2015. He had turned 10 on 27th December 2014. May his pure soul rest in everlasting peace. Good Bye my boy, till we meet again!

Welcome 2015 - Happy New Year!

The past year was a year of mixed experiences. We learned a lot, we stumbled we fell, but ultimately by God's grace it was a gainful experience. By God's grace look forward to a Blessed, prosperous, glorious and peaceful 2015 for us and all my friends. Here's wishing all our Friends, Family and Brethren a Prosperous and Blessed New Year. May the year be filled with mirth and a bounty of goodness for all of us. Stay Blessed!

Merry Christmas!

Wine can of their wits the wise beguile, Make the sage frolic, and the serious smile

"Wine can of their wits the wise beguile, Make the sage frolic, and the serious smile." Thus spoke the Greek Author Homer of the virtues of Wine.  But that’s not all. Wine not only provides delightful company to a variety of cuisines, including Indian, but research has shown moderate consumption of red wine may improve heart condition, prevent Cardiac Arrest by keeping cholesterol levels healthy and even help fight off some kinds of Cancer. The cell and animal studies of red wine have examined effects in several cancers including leukemia, skin , breast, and prostate cancers . Scientists are studying resveratrol, a component of red wines, to learn more about its cancer preventive activities. Recent evidence from animal studies suggests this anti-inflammatory compound may be an effective chemo preventive agent in three stages of the cancer process: initiation, promotion, and progression. However, studies of the association between red wine consumption and cancer in humans are in their initial stages. Another component of red wines, Polyphenols have been found to have antioxidant properties. Antioxidants are substances that protect cells from oxidative damage caused by molecules called free radicals. These chemicals can damage important parts of cells, including proteins, membranes, and DNA. Cellular damage caused by free radicals has been implicated in the development of cancer. Research on the antioxidants found in red wine has shown that they may help inhibit the development of certain cancers. Similarly, numerous studies have suggested that moderate alcohol drinking helps to reduce the likelihood of heart disease. The so-called "Mediterranean diet", which includes a larger intake of wine, has been credited with lower rates of heart disease in those countries, despite a higher intake of saturated fats. But a team of scientists from Barts and the London School of Medicine, and the Queen Mary University in London, may have found a mechanism which points to the benefits of red wine. They say it appears to interfere with the production of a body chemical which is vital to the process which clogs up arteries and increases the risk of a heart attack. The London team tested extracts from 23 red wines, four white wines, a rosé wine and one red non-alcoholic grape juice sample, after finding that Polyphenols - from Cabernet Sauvignon grapes decreased the manufacture of ET-1 in bovine artery wall cells. They found that, in the red wines, the amount they inhibited ET-1 ran parallel with the amount of these Polyphenols they contained.

But wine isn’t something most people take to easily. At the expense of sounding snobbish, wine is an acquired taste. Most people who turn away from Wine do so because they lack the skill to mix it with the food they have. True or False: White wine is to be drunk with white meats and fish, red wine goes with red meat, and sweet wines go with desserts, period, and to do it any other way is courting a visit from the Wine Police. The answer is False, but the truth is that until a couple decades ago this is how people decided what to drink with dinner. Thankfully, our minds have broadened. The current thinking is that since food can be every bit as complex as wine, the options for creating rich pairings are staggering. And it cannot be stressed enough: a successful pairing is one that you find pleasing -- maybe nobody else on the planet likes Champagne with liverwurst, but you happen to find the combination absolutely transporting. If there is a rule of thumb it would be either to go for complementary flavours or flavours that contrast. For example, a dish with citrus would be complemented by a fruity wine; a hearty stew would go well with a full-bodied wine; and a delicately flavoured dish, such as poached Beckti, would be in good company with a dry, crisp wine. Whereas a rich cream sauce would contrast nicely with a highly acidic dry wine; and a simple snack of bread and cheese would turn positively ambrosial when paired with a complex full-bodied red. The best advice of all is to experiment, open-mindedly, and frequently.

Here are some truths about how wine can react with food: -

A wine high in tannins (Bordeaux, for instance) mated with a food high in tannins (like walnuts) will render the wine almost undrinkably dry and astringent.

Protein tends to calm tannins, so a very tannic wine might be rendered glorious when enjoyed with red meat. Delicate foods - filet of Beckti or even Chicken for example - will be overwhelmed by a full-bodied red wine. By the same token, a hearty lasagne will virtually cancel out a dry, medium-bodied Sauvignon Blanc. A wine can add its primary flavour to a dish, giving food a layer it didn't start out with.

Some wine and food combinations result in a flavour that was not present in either one and is not meant to be, metal for instance. Try white turkey meat with red Bordeaux if you doubt this. Sometimes it's as though this wine has been searching all its life for this food and fireworks ensue. Tannic wines make sweet foods taste less sweet; salty foods emphasize tannin. Salty foods mute the sweetness and enhance the fruitiness of a sweet wine. Wines that are high in acid taste less acidic with salty or sweet food; acidic wines also can offset oily foods. You can, for instance enjoy a Cabernet-Sauvignon with bitter/dark chocolate. Similarly much more suited to our Indian cuisine is the Shiraz. Try having Shiraz with spicy Indian food or if you are adventurous, with some chopped green chillies & onions.

Tasting the wine fills in some blanks, mainly with regard to a wine's "balance." Take a generous sip and swirl it in your mouth. The weight of the wine in your mouth will tell you whether it's light-, medium- or full-bodied. It also tells you how much sweetness, acidity, alcohol and tannin it contains. The object is for these elements to harmonise pleasantly. The ultimate moment in tasting is just before the wine is swallowed, when the vapours hit the upper nasal cavities. In France, the concept of aftertaste has been quantified in the form of a "caudalie." If the flavour of the wine stays in your mouth after swallowing for one second, that wine has achieved one caudalie; the more caudalies the better, especially with the wines of Burgundy. Really good wines make the strongest impressions with their smell and their aftertaste.

So the next time you raise a glass, give your health and your taste buds a thought, have a glass of wine.

Ambarish Singh Roy