Dear Brethren,
Sr. No 2/3 originally published Dated 1st March, 2007
Dear Brethren,
Over the Centuries, many well known Freemasons have been world leaders.
For a few moments let our imagination run wild and consider what may take place at the Installation of the Celestial Lodge, otherwise known as the Grand Lodge Above.
Gathered in the parking lot filled with their creations were Bros Henry Ford, Ransom Olds, Walter Chrysler, John Willis and Andre Citroen. The only vehicle missing was Bro. Hart Massey’s tractor. In the boardroom, a group of senior De Molays were gathered including Bros Walter Disney, Wendell Corey, Van Johnson, Robert Cummings, John Steinbeck and Fred McMurray.
Bro. King Gillette, razor in hand, passed the Lodge caretaker who was having a minor problem with his vaccum cleaner, which was quickly fixed by its inventor Bro. Franck Hoover. Taking a quick look at the banquet hall, we saw Bro. Sam Bronfman, late President of Seagrams Distillers, getting ready with refreshments to follow the ceremony.
Bro. Colonel Harland Sanders was cooking up a storm in the kitchen, and it was an easy guess what the evening meal would consist of. Fine tuning their voices and musical instruments for the musical night which was to follow the banquet, included Bros Smokey Dawson, Paul Whiteman, Nat King Cole, Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Count Basie and Gilbert and Sullivan.
Bros Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Ludwig Beethoven collaborated on an opus for the closing of the Lodge.
Getting ready for the opening prayer was Chaplain Bro. Narendranath also known as Swamy Vivekananda.
Magical Bro Harry Houdini was busy setting up his props, while Bros Oliver Hardy, Bud Abbott and Harpo Marx were also fine tuning their comedy routines for the show which was being produced by Bros Cecil B De Mille, Flo Ziegfelt, Lois B Mayer and Hal Wallis.
A number of sports celebrities gathered to discuss the state of today’s sports world including Bro. Maharaja Duleep Singh, Bro. Maharaja Kumar of Vizianagaram also known as ‘VIZZY’ and the great Bro. Donald Bradman.
A little further along the hall could be seen in colorful military uniforms and ceremonial robes, brothers, Lord Nelson, Lord Cornwallis, the Duke of Wellington, John Paul Jones, Maharaja Jayachamaraja Wadiyar and Maharaja Yadvinder Singh. We gazed in awe, when the Grand Master, MW Bro. Harry Truman, appeared from the preparation room accompanied by his Wardens Bros Adlai Stevenson and Motilal Nehru, Bro. C. Rajagopalachari, the Secretary had just finished writing the minutes with one of Bro John Schaeffer’s pens.
On entering the Lodge room, the brethren were greeted by the Tyler Bro. Fakruddin Ali Ahmed and Inner Guard Bro Paul Revere. Seated already were polar explorers Robert F Scott of England and Richard F Bird of the United States, together with Matthew C Perry and Canada’s Henry Larsen. Bro. Charles Lindberg could be seen deep in conversation with Bro. Charles Kingsford Smith.
From the Junior Deacon’s station, Bro. Robert Burns, had brought broad smiles from the faces of the Royal Bros gathered around him, including George I, Frederick the Great, Gustav V of Sweden and George VI.
Awaiting return of the Junior Deacon was Senior Deacon Bro. Rudyard Kipling. Architects Bros Christopher Wren and Francis Greenway were joined by Bros Norman Vincent Peale, William Dymock, Anthony Horden and Quong Tart. Deep in conversation were Bros Peter and Victor DuPont and Bros James and Nathan Rothaschilds.
The entertainment industry was there in force represented by Bros Clarke Gable, Peter Sellers, Douglas Fairbanks, John Wayne, David Abraham, Ashok Kumar Ganguly and Brian Donleavy discussing boxing with champions Jack Dempsey Jack Johnson and Sugar Ray Robinson. Founding members of the Lodge, Bros George Washington, John A MacDonald, Giuseppe Garibaldi, Benito Juarez, John Hancock and Benjamin Franklin were seated in the East.
The Generals, Bros Omar Bradley, Jimmy Doolittle George C. Marshall, John Pershing and Douglass MacArthur took their seats next to Bros Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill. Lodge Treasurer, Bro. Henry Knox was busy collecting dues from Bros Thomas F Dewey, William McKinley and Stamford raffles.
The Master, MW Bro. HRH The Duke of Connaught had rapped the gavel to call the Lodge to Order. The Installation over, it was now for us to depart. With one look at this brilliant assembly. We pondered how the public’s perception of Freemasonry might change, if they were able to visit such a Lodge.
Adapted from a publication of Museum of Freemasonry, Sydney Masonic Centre (Article by Bro. Vance Hom)
Brotherly yours
Kaps
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