Last night was a wonderful night of firsts for many of the men of Harmonie Lodge. For our 7 new Entered Apprentices it was their first step on the lifelong journey in Masonry. They were also the first brothers to fully go through the NorthStar process. The brothers found the process very helpful and rewarding.
Lewises aren't new at Harmonie, but are always a special occasion and one of our members proudly witnessed his son initiated. Harmonie initiated it's first mason under the age of 21.
We also had 3 volumes of sacred law on the altar; The Holy Bible, the Quaran and the Torah, belonging to one of our initiate's grandfather and had a rich history in it's own. Our District Deputy Grand Master the RW Daniel Di Nitale read from Brother Rudyard Kippling's poem 'The Mother Lodge' - pointing out that one of the beauties of Masonry is that it unites men of different backgrounds.
For many of our young officers, it was their first opportunity to preform degree work they did admirably carrying on Harmonie's tradition for ritual work.
We welcome our new brothers and look forward to laboring with them in the quarries.
The Mother Lodge
THERE was Rundle, Station Master,
An' Beazeley of the Rail,
An' 'Ackman, Commissariat,
An' Donkin' o' the Jail;
An' Blake, Conductor-Sergeant,
Our Master twice was 'e,
With im that kept the Europe-shop,
Old Framjee Edu1jee.
Outside - " Sergeant! Sir! Salute! Salaam!
Inside - 'Brother," an' it doesn't do no 'arm.
We met upon the Level an' we parted on the Square,
An' I was junior Deacon in my Mother-Lodge out there!
We'd Bola Nath, Accountant,
An' Saul the Aden Jew,
An' Din Mohammed, draughtsman
Of the Survey Office too;
There was Babu Chuckerbutty,
An' Amir Singh the Sikh,
An' Castro from the fittin'-sheds,
The Roman Catholick!
We 'adn't good regalia,
An' our Lodge was old an' bare,
But we knew the Ancient Landmarks,
An' we kep' 'em to a hair;
An' lookin' on it backwards
It often strikes me thus,
There ain't such things as infidels,
Excep', per'aps, it's us.
For monthly, after Labour,
We'd all sit down and smoke
(We dursn't give no banquets,
Lest a Brother's caste were broke),
An' man on man got talkin'
Religion an' the rest,
An' every man comparin'
Of the God 'c knew the best.
So man on man got talkin',
An' not a Brother stirred
Till mornin' waked the parrots
An' that dam' brain-fever-bird.
We'd say 'twas 'ighly curious,
An' we'd all ride 'ome to bed,
With Mo'ammed, God, an' Shiva
Changin' pickets in our 'ead.
Full oft on Guv'ment service
This rovin' foot 'ath pressed,
An' bore fraternal greetin's
To the Lodges east an' west,
Accordin' as commanded.
From Kohat to Singapore,
But I wish that I might see them
In my Mother-Lodge once more!
I wish that I might see them,
My Brethren black an' brown,
With the trichies smellin' pleasant
An' the hog-darn passin' down;
An' the old khansamah snorin'
On the bottle-khana floor,
Like a Master in good standing
With my Mother-Lodge once more.
Outside - Sergeant! Sir! Salute! Salaam!'
Inside- Brother," an' it doesn't do no 'arm.
We met upon the Level an' we parted on the Square,
An' I was Junior Deacon in my Mother-Lodge out there!
