November 2016 Calendar of Activities

05 Nov, Saturday - UGL NSW & ACT Freemasons
Masonic Open Day
Various Masonic Centres & Temples
[Castle Hill Masonic Centre not included/close]

06 Nov, Sunday - LJR Management Meeting & Final Rehearsal
02:00 PM Start for ALL Incoming Officers Rehearsal
05:00 PM for 05:30 PM start, Castle Hill Masonic Centre
Potluck, Ladies welcome

07 Nov, Monday - Lodge of Antiquity No 1 Remembrance Day
First Impressions on Freemasonry & Lodge of Antiquity No 1
07:00 PM, Sydney Masonic Centre

10 Nov, Thursday - Lodge Beecroft No 359
2nd & 3rd Degree Demonstration, Grand Lodge Team
07:30 PM Tyling, Castle Hill Masonic Centre

11 Nov, Friday - Lodge West Epping No 731 Passing
07:30 PM Tyling, Castle Hill Masonic Centre
$10 Dining fee

11 Nov, Friday - Lodge Alpha No 970 Passing
[LJR's Bro Roque will be passed]
06:45 PM Tyling, Blacktown Masonic Centre
Corner of First & Boys Ave, Blacktown NSW 2148
Ladies invited, $10 Dining fee, please RSVP with Bro JW.

11 Nov, Friday - Egyptian Room Open Day
07:00 PM start, Royal Arch Masonic Temple
[aka Petersham Masonic Temple]
All invited [children must be accompanied by adult], Smart casual

12 Nov, Saturday - Lodge Jose Rizal No 1045 Installation
05:00 PM Tyling, Castle Hill Masonic Centre
Installation Banquet [RSVP only] at
Castle Hill Bowling Club

13 Nov, Sunday - District 25 Charity Sizzle
08:00 AM - 04:00 PM, Bunnings Blacktown

13 Nov, Sunday - Institution & Installation of Hunter Valley Chapter
Order of DeMolay, NSW Grand Council, DeMolay Australia
02:00 PM, Toronto Masonic Centre
57 The Boulevarde, Toronto NSW 2283
Masons and Ladies are all welcome.

14 Nov, Monday - Lodge Galileo No 1019 Raising
07:00 PM Tyling, Sydney Masonic Centre

19 Nov, Saturday - Lodge Education No 814 Installation
06:00 PM Tyling, Egyptian Room, Petersham Masonic Centre
Ladies invited

20 Nov, Sunday - District 25 Charity Sizzle
08:00 AM - 04:00 PM, Bunnings North Parramatta

21 Nov, Monday - Lodge Hellenic Arcadia No 177 Initiation
07:00 PM Tyling, Royal Arch Masonic Temple
Dining fee $20.00, Ladies invited

22 Nov, Tuesday - Blacktown Hawkesbury Lodge of Instruction
07:30 PM start, Hawkesbury Masonic Centre
731 George St South Windsor NSW
Smart casual with regalia

26 Nov, Saturday - Lodge The Star of Australia No 200 Installation
06:30 PM Tyling, Castle Hill Masonic Centre
Ladies invited.

26 Nov, Saturday - Lodge Cedars No 1041 Christmas Function 2016
07:00 PM, Villa Blanca, 53 Raymond St, Bankstown NSW 2200
Ladies & guest invited [Ticketed event, RSVP only] $75 per person

16 August 1888 - Commemorating the First Meeting of the Grand Lodge

 Lord Carrington, First Grand Master

The Governor of New South Wales, Her Excellency Professor Marie Bashir AC, CVO will attend the Sydney Masonic Centre on Friday 16 August 2013.

In the presence of the Grand Master, MW Bro Derek Robson, AM, Her Excellency will unveil a special commemorative plaque to mark this 125th Anniversary.

Tickets are limited so please book early for catering purposes. The unveiling will be followed by a cocktail party (food and drink supplied).

Date & Time: Friday 16 August 2013, 5.30 pm Grand Lodge Room, afterwards cocktails at the Banquet Hall from 6.15 pm.

Cost: $55 per person Dress: Men: Lounge Suit Ladies: After Five Bookings: Grand Lodge Office or by internet .

Light on Symbols: 14 Jan - Apr 2011

This is just a reminder of our invitation to the opening night of the new Museum of Freemasonry exhibition "Light on Symbols" to be held on Friday 14 January 2011 from 7.00 pm.

The Exhibition will be hosted from the 15th of January to the end of April 2011 at the Long Gallery of the Museum of Freemasonry, level 3, Sydney Masonic Centre, 66 Goulburn Street, Sydney.

Entry is free of charge.

The Opening night will be held on Friday 14th of January 2011 at 7.00pm. To which you are most especially invited.

To assist with catering and drinks it would be appreciated if you could reply as below.

Please R.S.V.P by Monday, 10th January 2011 - telephone 02 9284 2872, fax: 02 9267 8288 email: info@mof.org.au

Regards

Chris Craven
Deputy Grand Secretary
United Grand Lodge of NSW and the ACT
279 Castlereagh Street Sydney NSW 2000

Lodge Jose Rizal No 1045, UGL NSW & ACT

Worshipful Master -elect, VWBro Manny Maniago announced that VWBro Peter Court accepted [on behalf of UGL NSW & ACT] application of Lodge Jose Rizal for consecration in this jurisdiction.

As the application as a regular constituted lodge will have to go through further discussion with The United Grand Lodge of New South Wales & Australian Capital Territory's [UGL NSW & ACT] committee on new lodges; it was issued with number 1045.

Hopefully, come 30 January 2010 Lodge Jose Rizal will be officially known as Lodge Jose Rizal No 1045, UGL NSW & ACT.

Freemasons hail Dan Brown's latest novel as "good fun"

Article by Pauline Askin, Reuters

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Author Dan Brown may have outraged the Vatican in "The Da Vinci Code," but his new book, "The Lost Symbol," is being welcomed by his latest subjects, the Freemasons.

Brown's novel, released on Tuesday, again features the fictional, mystery-solving Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon, with the story taking place over a 12-hour period in Washington.

But while the fictional story lines about conspiracy and the Catholic Church in "The Da Vinci Code" caused an uproar among some Catholics and drew censure from the Vatican, a senior representative of the Freemasons in Australia called "The Lost Symbol" the work of a "terrific novelist."

"We are very pleased, there is nothing in this book that will offend my organization. It does give us the opportunity to open it up a bit," said Greg Levenston, Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of New South Wales and Australian Capital Territory for the Freemasons.

Levenston said the Freemasons were so excited about the book that they started a book club which will meet next week. "Of course the first book we are reviewing is The Lost Symbol, I think it's a wonderful start," he added.

Levenston was speaking to Reuters at a launch event in Sydney for the book, which will have a global English language first print run of 6.5 million copies -- the largest ever first print run by Random House, a unit of German media group Bertelsmann AG.

Some booksellers are hoping "The Lost Symbol," and other new releases from bestselling authors such as Michael Crichton, will help revive an industry hit by the global economic downturn. Brown's "Da Vinci Code" has more than 81 million copies in print since its 2003 release, topping international bestseller lists.

Levenston said modern Freemasons are not as secretive as their predecessors, but said secret handshakes and special words are still used to help identify members as "men of trust."

"The secret handshakes certainly do still exist, but we don't roll up one trouser leg any longer. In the old days it was seen as a symbol of humility not for anything else," Levenston said.

Levenston revealed 10 of Australia's prime ministers were Freemasons, as well as legendary cricketer Sir Donald Bradman and veteran actor Charles Tingwell, who died earlier this year.

The history of Freemasonry, a fraternal organization, dates back to around the 16th century. There are approximately four to five million members worldwide.

(Editing by Miral Fahmy)

Lodge Jose Rizal in the making

Finally, the brethren decided a name for a new Lodge, under the United Grand Lodge of New South Wales and Australian Capital Territory [UGL NSW & ACT] - that name is Lodge Jose Rizal, a name synomous with Filipinos, Freemansory and intellectuals.

The committee have also found a new home for the new lodge under District 32, and will be meeting at Castle Hill Masonic Centre, corner Showground and Old Northern Roads, Castle Hill.