The commencement of the St Anthonys Lodge No.4423, which meets at Byker Masonic Hall, centenary celebrations saw the Light Blues brethren of the Lodge peform a re-enactment of a catechism ritual surrounding the explanation of the Second Degree Tracing Board.
The assembled guests, including a contingent of Brethren from Scotland, witnessed a ritual whose wording was taken from the third, fourth and fifth sections of the Second Lecture, as detailed in ‘The Complete Workings of Craft Masonry”, dated 1911. Historically entitled a catechism, the ritual is, in essence, a series of questions and answers, posed by the Master and answered by the Senior Warden, which would have been demonstrated infront of a newly Passed Brother, who was brought back into the Lodge room, after completing his Second Degree, in order to observe this more in depth explanation of the Second Degree Tracing Board.
The demonstration also included a substantial piece of ritual, entitled The Rise Of The Orders Of Architecture” which was also accompanied by the explanations of the Seven Liberal Arts and Sciences.
The main part of this ritual was undertaken by the Master of the Lodge, W.Bro. Wilf Crawford, and Bro Darren Bolton, the Senior Warden, with the assistance from seven other Light Blues as all the current floor officers are Light Blues.
Many thanks to Bro. Darren Bolton for the submission of this article.
Congratulations from everyone at Northumberland Freemasons to the members of the St Anthonys Lodge on a very enjoyable, educational and well worked evening.
If you have a story, event or news item you would like to have published on the Provincial website, or social media, please get in touch with our Communications Team at news@northumberlandmasons.org.uk