George Power

by

The Late R.W.Bro. George Power

Brethren, First let me congratulate you on your good fortune in becoming a Master Mason. You
have entered an Order which can provide you with a much fuller life, an opportunity to make more
special friends. I dread to imagine how narrow and less interesting my life would have been
without Freemasonry. I hope that you will find the same pleasure and satisfaction. However, you
must make the effort. The benefits will not come to you.

When you were presented for your Degree you were described as having a 'desire for knowledge'.
Your Degrees were merely the entrance to Freemasonry. Now you have to make the effort to gain
that knowledge. Just like a person must apply for entry to University. They do the Matriculation
exam; and it is only when admitted to the University that the real work and study begins. You can
imagine that if someone entered University, but never read a book or attended a lecture there
would be no chance of gaining the University Degree. One might be inclined to ask, "Why did they
join in the first place?"

I can hear someone say. "Yes, I'm a member of a lodge, but I don't seem to get much out of it. I
go, of course, but I take no part in it. A lot of brethren seem to get much more out of it than I do. I
wonder why." That brother could find the answer to his question by looking in a mirror. He is the
one who 'belongs' but makes no effort either to integrate himself with masonry, or to become
really a part of his Lodge.

In giving the three Degrees, the lodge has done all it can by giving proper instruction in the ritual,
and how to visit other lodges. During the progress of the Degrees you were the focus of attention,
you were material being formed, you were a rough ashlarbeing made perfect. Once raised, and
belonging to the lodge, it is up to you to make the lodge belong to you. But you cannot be a good
lodge member until you are a good mason; the first part of your difficulty is to find the way to a
knowledge of what Masonry really is.

It is many things to many men. To some it is but a pleasant gathering of good friends; to others it
is a way of life. To some it is philosophy. To many it is an opportunity for service. But to all it is a
brotherhood, and it is obvious that no one can expect others to be brethren to him who cannot or
will not be a brother to them.

Freemasonry tends to men to be strictly obedient to its precepts. Through its fundamental
belief in the Brotherhood of Man and the immortality of human soul, it seeks to make a good
man a ‘better man.’ It is an organization formed and existing on the basic tenets of Brotherly
Love, Relief of the distressed and Truth in all things. These tenets are ethical principles
acceptable to good men everywhere. It teaches the universality of man, regardless of race,
creed or nationality. It teaches tolerance of all mankind.

This Short Talk Bulletin has been adapted from remarks given at the 200th Anniversary of
Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania. We thank R.W. Bro. R.W. Bro. Michael W. Walker Grand
Secretary Grand Lodge of Ireland for permitting us to share them with his American Brethren.

The Grand Lodge of Ireland was five years old, at least, when the first record exists of a Time
Immemorial Lodge--St. John's Lodge-in Philadelphia. This was, of course, followed by the first
Regular Warranted Lodge in America, three years later, in Boston. I say the Grand Lodge of
Ireland was at least five years old in 1730, because we date our Constitution from the first
record, in 1725, of a Grand Lodge Meeting ''June 26th, St. John's Day: More than '100
gentlemen ' met in the 'Yellow Lion in Warbrough Street' and later went to King's Arms. The
procession included 'the Masters and Wardens of the Six Lodges of Gentlemen Freemasons,
who are under the jurisdiction of the Grand Master, and the Private Brothers, all in coaches' (it
being a very rainy day). A new Grand Master, Rt. Hon. the Earl of Ross was elected. After a
meal they went to a play. " Clearly, therefore, Grand Lodge was in earlier existence though we
cannot say exactly when, or challenge the claim of our much larger Sister Grand Lodge that she
is the Mother Grand Lodge. There are, of course, records of Time Immemorial Lodges going
back much earlier in Ireland. The first definite clue we have is that when Ball's Bridge was
being rebuilt in Limerick in 1830, a brass square was recovered from the foundations on which
is engraved ''I will strive to live with Love and Care, Upon Ye Level By Ye Square, 1507''. We
are, therefore, within sight of a 500th Anniversary of Speculative Masonry .

In Ireland we have evidence of skilled Operative Masons very far back in time. We can state
with pride that Irish Freemasons were involved before "Warranted Masonry", and subsequently,
in promoting and developing the Craft in, what were then styled, "The Colonies". Irish Lodges
were warranted in many "British" Regiments, though often mainly manned by Irishmen. The 1st
Irish or Blue Horse, later the 4th Royal Irish Dragoon Guards had its Warrant issued by Grand
Lodge on 24th June, 1758. This Warrant is still held in the 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards and
the Lodge is working in West Germany, where the Regiment is stationed as part of the NATO
Defence Forces. This is our last truly Travelling Warrant which remains of 185 Warrants issued
in Artillery, Cavalry and Foot Regiments of the Line, as well as 43 Warrants in Irish Militia and
Fencible Regiments. Our only other survivor, Glittering Star Lodge No. 322 originally warranted
in the 29th Foot in the following year, 1759, was working in Boston in 1765 where on St. John's
Day, December 27th, 1769, it helped form the "Ancient" Grand Lodge of that State, and some
years later it was in Quebec. These contacts, no doubt later on when the Regiments moved
away, led to applications for Regular Warrants from the local Freemasons, made in those
Lodges, who were left behind; and so the Craft spread.

In the years between the early 1730's and the eventual, and inevitable, War of Independence,
many of the leading and influential Colonists became Members of the Order so that the history
of the gaining of Independence and the Craft is inextricably entwined. We must not, however,
fall into the trap of imputing a revolutionary or political aspect to Freemasonry because of this.
So many of our detractors make the basic and elementary mistake of correlating a man's, or a
group's, actions to membership of the Order, when that is coincidental and the same things
would have been done or said in, or out of, the Order.

A focal point of the early part of that period must be the granting by Henry Price, in Boston, of
the Deputation or Charter applied for on November 28th, 1734, by Benjamin Franklin, when he
was appointed Provincial Grand Master for Pennsylvania on February 24th, 1735, barely three
months later. So many great names are remembered by us from that period, to which distance
lends enchantment: Henry Price; George Washington--elected Master in 1788, if my information
is correct, in a Lodge at Alexandria in Virginia, though still under a warrant from Pennsylvania;
Benjamin Franklin, who probably did more than any other to establish Freemasonry in America
and whose reprint of Anderson's Constitutions was the first, and is the rarest, Masonic book in
America; Paul Revere, the silversmith, whose romantic ride from Boston to Lexington warned of
the approach of Crown Forces--this has been immortalized by Longfellow; and the gallant and
romantic action of Major General Joseph Warren of the Colonial Forces, and Grand Master of
Massachusetts, who, having declined to assume command, picked up a musket and tragically
fell at Bunker Hill; John Paul Jones, father of Continental Navy; the Marquis de Lafayette; not to
mention the Brethren who signed the Declaration of Independence, and many more.

A famous Brother and Commander in Chief, George Washington, was initiated in
Fredericksburg on November 4th, 1752. Another famous Brother and Soldier, Arthur Wellesley,
Duke of Wellington was initiated 38 years later in our Lodge No. 494 at Trim, in the Royal
County of Meath. Some 25 years later, at Waterloo, he finally routed his old enemy Napoleon,
himself not a Freemason, to the best of our knowledge, though a promoter of the Craft and
whose brothers and most of his Marshals were. Wellington's elder Brother, Richard, 2nd Earl of
Mornington, later Marquees of Wellesley, was our Grand Master in 1782 as his father Garrett,
the 1st Earl of Mornington, had been in 1776.

We Freemasons of the Old World were with you in those days to help kindle a flame which has
spread throughout America in the intervening years to become the great institution it is to- day.
I know that many Grand Lodges are suffering a reduction in numbers, but we must never be
seduced into an acceptance of the attitude "never mind the quality, feel the width!" In the first
half of this century there were few competitors for the membership of those whose minds and
spirits felt the need for some philosophical inspiration--now they are legion. We have come
back now after the seed, which we may have helped to plant some 250 years ago, germinated,
grew, became mature and branched out on its own 200 years ago like all sons and daughters
to take control of their own destiny.

We had our links with you then--the First Volume of the History of Grand Lodge of Ireland says,
in the section on Irish Masons Abroad, "Fortunately we have learnt from many other sources,
that the issue of Warrants was the very least of the services rendered by Irish Masons in
spreading the Craft in the New World, and, we can claim with justice, that these Brethren bore
a considerable share in founding some of the greatest and most highly reputed Grand Lodges in
the United States.

The Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania we may almost claim as a child. Leaving aside the obscure
early Masonic History of this State, when it would appear that English and Irish Masons held
meetings by Time Immemorial right, the foundation, in 1759, of the Provincial Grand Lodge
after the Antient forms, which subsequently budded into the Independent Grand Lodge, ''was
primarily due to an Irish Mason who had been made in a Belfast Lodge. '' I regret the author
does not elucidate further and I am not sure to whom he refers, or the Lodge in question, but I
bow to his erudition. You may or may not agree according to your point of view, but ties there
certainly were. Springett Penn, great grandson of Admiral Penn, and grandson of the Founder
of your State, apart from owning an extensive property in Pennsylvania also had an estate at
Shanagarry in County Cork; his father, grandfather and great grandfather having been
landlords before him. He was an ardent Freemason and was Deputy Grand Master of the Grand
Lodge of Munster in 1726/27 before its amalgamation with the Grand Lodge of Ireland in 1731.
It is not improbable that he encouraged Brethren from Cork to colonize on his Pennsylvania
estates. For instance, in 1734, in Benjamin Franklin's Account Book which he began on July 4th,
1730, appears an entry ''Mr. Newinham Dr. for Bindg. of a Mason Book gilt 4/= ". The old and
distinguished Newenham family still thrives a bare 10 miles from Shanagarry as the crow flies,
and several of whose members are Brethren of our Lodge No. 1, the "First Lodge of Ireland",
which had been a Time Immemorial Lodge before Grand Lodge was constituted. I wonder is
there a link there? It does seem likely.

Incidentally, on October 9th, 1735, the Pennsylvania Gazette had a notice of a meeting of the
Grand Lodge of Ireland, and previously on May 13th, 1731, referred to a Masonic meeting in
Dublin; and similarly again on May 1st, 1732, a year later.

Freemasonry has waxed and waned, been popular and unpopular, been promoted and
persecuted, but it has survived. Freemasonry made errors such as the political intrigues and
anti-clerical activities of some European Grand Lodges in the 18th and 19th centuries, but today
I believe that Regular Freemasonry is back on its correct course worldwide, endeavoring to
create in Anderson's words ''a bond of union amongst those who would otherwise have
remained at a perpetual distance"--a brotherhood of man under the fatherhood of God.

I leave you with a few words of Irish: ''Co m'beannaigh Dhia dibh, go n'eiri an t-adh is an
bothar libh, agus go m'beirimidh beo ar an am seo aris"--which translates as ''God bless you,
may your good fortune increase and your way be made easy, and may we all be alive this time
next year''.

I had intended including Michael Walkers Freemasonry in Society today and Tomorrow, it is
covered in full on our own Grand Lodge website, therefore i will link to the page instead.
I have found a little less known article by R. W. Bro Walker, given as an address to the Grand
Lodge of Pennsylvania, cited in The Masonic Trowel under Masonic Talks.
The Article on Freemasonry Today and tomorrow, personal musings. p14 PDF Files.

If you see a man who quietly and modestly moves in the sphere of his life; who, without
blemish, fulfils his duty as a man, a subject, a husband and a father; who is pious without
hypocrisy, benevolent without ostentation, and aids his fellowman without self-interest; whose
heart beats warm for friendship, whose serene mind is open for licensed pleasures, who in
vicissitudes does not despair, nor in fortune will be presumptuous, and who will be resolute in
the hour of danger;

The man who is free from superstition and free from infidelity; who in nature sees the finger of
the Eternal Master; who feels and adores the higher destination of man; to whom faith, hope
and charity are not mere words without any meaning; to whom property, nay even life, is not
too dear for the protection of innocence and virtue, and for the defense of truth;

The man who towards himself is a severe judge, but who is tolerant with the debilities of his
neighbour; who endeavours to oppose errors without arrogance, and to promote intelligence
without impatience; who properly understands how to estimate and employ his means; who
honours virtue though it may be in the most humble garment, and who does not favour vice
though it be clad in purple; and who administers justice to merit whether dwelling in palaces or
cottages.

The man who, without courting applause, is loved by all noble minded men, respected by his
superiors and revered by his subordinates; the man who never proclaims what he has done,
can do, or will do, but where need is will lay hold with dispassionate courage, circumspect
resolution, indefatigable exertion and a rare power of mind, and who will not cease until he has
accomplished his work, and then, without pretension, will retire into the multitude because he
did the good act, not for himself, but for the cause of good!

If you, my Brethren meet such a man, you will see the personification of brotherly love, relief
and truth; and you will have found the ideal of a Freemason.

"The History of Freemasonry" The Canadian Craftsman, March 15, 1868. M.W. Bro. Otto Klotz