Mike Martin

Hi there and welcome, As my colleague says, here in England it would be unlikely to be a bar but as you're not here it is hard to answer. The best thing that you can do is contact the Grand Lodge of Sweden (https://frimurarorden.se/en/) there are other requirements that we don't have here so someone there will be best placed to give you answers.

Hi Dale, It's not actually possible to accurately date this particular variant of orb due to it being silver-gilt (like gold plate but better) and therefore not fully hallmarked although sometimes one of the clasp arms can carry the 9ct mark as they are usually gold and I've not come across their original seller. One day I might discover one with a patent mark or that appears in a regalia/jewellery catalogue which I could then date. There's also not a lot that can be told about them other than that it is a piece of jewellery that will have been purchased and owned by a pocket watch wearing Freemason at some point early in the 20th Century, The version of the symbols inside are less common than the version that turns up. As to value that is down to market forces and although you will see people listing these or similar on Ebay for fabulous amounts of money, in the $600 - 800 area, they don't actually sell for that unless the seller is very lucky. This is also very much affected by its condition, weight, etc but if yours is in immaculate condition you could probably expect to get $350 - 450 for it with a favourable wind.

Hi Sam, As you're in the US you may struggle as it is my understanding that some Grand Lodges out there require a bit more than just belief in a supreme being. It would be best for you to search for the grand lodge of the state where you live and you should find the qualifications.

So to clear up one thing, it's not masonic or related to Freemasonry but Mr Google tells us that it was a fraternal organisation back in the 1900s which metamorphosised into an insurance company called Liberty National.

Hi there and welcome to the Forum. Freemasonry is not really a thing you can read you have to experience it, which is why you will find that serious Freemasons will advise against it. Books written by actual Freemasons speculating about hidden meanings and such are intended for other Freemasons as without experiencing the Degree ceremonies you have no chance of understand what they're writing about. Those written by non-Masons are just guessing and of no use. Rather than trying to read you should reach out to local Freemasons and talk with them about what it entails.

It's an old lament but offered to you in good faith, be careful not to extrapolate your own personal experiences of Freemasonry to all of Freemasonry. What your Lodge, or even your Province, does is not necessarily what is done in the other approximately 7,000 Lodges under the other 46 Provinces and Met GL of the UGLE.

Ahh, so PM in a Province and PZ in London? This would distract when it comes to "honours" as here under MetGL they are not quite as "automated" as they seem to be in some Provinces and are related to your potential future service to "London Masonry" as well as your past. You need to be at least 5 years out of the Chair of a London Lodge and active to have your name put forward to be considered here.

He played John Adams Gates Freemason/Knight Templar in National Treasure. PS I wouldn't personally count the Duke of Wellington as he had no liking of Freemasonry see: https://www.freemasonry.bcy.ca/biography/wellington_d/wellington.html

Hmmm, I suspect that you're not actually a London Mason, which Lodge are you a member of?

Hi there, As you state that you're a PM of a London Lodge without mentioning that status within a Province I assume that you actually mean a Metropolitan Grand Steward? I am a little surprised that as a PM you are unaware of the roles of your own Lodge's Visiting Officer and Senior VO in the process of recommending "merit" on behalf of your Lodge to the Office of the Met. Grand Master for consideration. The question of setting up a "foreign" Lodge in England has been well covered and I would only highlight the fact that the three "Home Grand Lodges" actually work very closely together and would not dream of setting up Lodges in each others geographical territories, which is why Lodges in Northern Ireland are actually under the Grand Lodge of Ireland. PS as a London Mason you have access to Rosetta in order to research these things.

Hi there and welcome to the forum. It's hard to tell but are you asking a question or making a statement and to what end?

Although not a Freemason himself he has portrayed 1 real Freemason, 1 made up Freemason and a character invented by a Freemason several times.

Same is true of Ireland but there are OES Chapters in Scotland. However, you're right the poster is actually in the US.

So does anyone know anyone who has bought this board game and any feedback on it? https://www.matthewandmichael.co.uk/product-page/on-the-square-the-1st-3-degrees

The last time I visited the GLAE website (2018-9 I think) it showed that it had changed direction from its 2005 genesis and become a Co-masonic order and there was no mention of Peter still being involved. Some years ago I got worried about Peter as he suddenly went silent on the Internet so I tried to reach out to him but with no success. The GLAE blog that he used hasn't been updated since 2008.

I'm with Lewis in the raised eyebrow department, very strange terminology. Which Lodge are you a member of old chap?

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/dec/02/something-for-secret-santa-the-freemasons-open-a-gift-shop

I couldn't tell you how much it weighed but as well as the watch fob orb there was also a walking stick orb, the orb was the handle of a walking stick which could well weigh in at that much if it was removed from the stick.

Hello there and welcome to the Forum. I'm afraid that there's nothing we could do to tell you who the owner of the rings is, although handing them into the Police could help as if they were from a burglary they will be listed on the owners' crime report. As to the rings themselves, they are just made for a Freemason, who is proud of his membership, to wear hence the use of the Square & Compasses emblem although it is actually the version used in Scotland and most of America rather than England. One of the rings appears to have a Trowel and a Level on its sides and the other just some bling.

Why not have a chat with the guys (Crest Regalia) who host this forum, they manufacture regalia so may well be able to repair too. The phone number is 01709 531572

From an era where video reporting was not as copious as today here's a look at what our brethren of the 1930s were up to. Full title reads: "Brighton. With Impressive Masonic Ceremonial. Major R L Thornton Provincial Grand Master of Sussex lays foundation stone of the new Sussex Eye Hospital." Have some of this: https://www.britishpathe.com/video/with-impressive-masonic-ceremonial

Yes there is a form of words to do so. Hence my comment earlier the problem is the OP gives no context so not possible to address.

Very hard to give you a proper answer because you haven't explained what the problem is.

But didn't it used to be after the Chair?

No your writing is fine and I had a pretty good idea but what I'm saying is that is not really a good motivation for joining a Lodge. You need to do it because you want to do it for you and the membership of a relative doesn't really give you that motivation. Your difficulty is that we are in the middle of the Covid19 thing and it is going to be difficult (at best) for you to get the interaction with Freemasons (in the real world) that you will need to find out about Freemasonry and whether it is for you. The only way to really get it is by going and meeting with members of a Lodge and having a long talk.