To all the Members and Friends of Heritage Lodge,

When drafting my traditional Secretary’s Christmas message last year we were deep into the Covid 19 Pandemic, and I anticipated at that time that we would not likely meet again until October 2021. This was sadly exactly what happened for all the reasons now well documented leading up to that same point.

We did however, as a Lodge, hold eighteen separate ‘Zoom’ meetings during the enforced ‘Suspension’ period and I thank once again all those who attended and kept our ‘body and soul’ together on-line over this strange and difficult period.

These online meetings were further supplemented by a comprehensive programme of very interesting and informative sessions organised by the Province, several of which I attended and passed on any useful links via our own network of virtual meetings together with postings on our Lodge website.

On the 11th of May 2021, I attended a Provincial Zoom meeting on Women in Freemasonry. The fraternity’s current Grand Master, Christine Chapman, gave a fascinating and informative talk on the subject. I am sure, like myself, you only had limited knowledge of their existence in the UK.

In explaining their rise from 1913 when the current organisation was formed, their history dates back to a definitive link with French masonry where women have been established there for some time.

The common, but suspect theory associated with the establishment of women in the fraternity derives from one lady of a prominent male mason overhearing a Lodge meeting in a large private house and was caught ‘eaves dropping’ by the Tyler, who was the butler. To preserve the ritual secrets that she overheard, they made her a mason by initiating her into their Lodge. This appears, however, to be a good story but maybe not entirely true!

The below article appeared online shortly after the announcement of Max Vernon Passing To The Grand Lodge above on 15th February 2021 after a short illness:

Excerpt from Mail Online Report:

Chief negotiator and ‘true hero’ of the 1980 Iranian Embassy siege has died: Tributes are paid to Met Police superintendent Max Vernon who helped the SAS save the lives of 19 hostages

Chief Superintendent Max Vernon was part of a six-man team charged with negotiating with six armed terrorists who besieged the diplomatic building in South Kensington, West London and took 26 people hostage. The gunmen, all Arab separatists demanding autonomy for Iran-held Khuzestan following a regime crackdown in 1979, demanded the release of 91 prisoners and their own safety in return for handing over the hostages. His smooth-talking, brought to the big screen by actor Mark Strong in the 2017 film 6 Days, bought the SAS B Squadron time they needed to storm the Embassy, with millions watching on TV with baited-breath. During the 11-minute raid the SAS rescued all but one of the remaining hostages and killed five of the six hostage-takers. An inquest cleared the SAS of any wrongdoing while the sole remaining gunman served 27 years in British prisons. Good Morning Britain host Piers Morgan led tributes to Mr Vernon, whose cause of death has not yet been revealed.

Hi, To All our Members, Friends and Family,

Who would have guessed coming in to 2020 that we would be where we are now?!

Normally we would have met three times as a Lodge since my last year’s Christmas message but sadly we have only met just the once in January 2020 and unlikely to meet again until October 2021!

Recent events have claimed many lives as well as livelihoods but as a Mason, I am proud that I am part of an organisation that has ‘stepped up to plate’ and given both money and physical support to several Covid related, Masonic and non-Masonic good causes, despite the heavy restrictions imposed upon us by this current pandemic.

Heritage Lodge has been doing its part and has contributed so far, just under £800 to the Covid-19 Appeal. This included monies raised at our ‘Virtual’ Xmas Supper Party held on 2 nd December 2020, a first for the Lodge of this type of event. Regular ‘Zoom’ meetings held monthly since March have replaced in part, our ability to meet and communicate with each other, but of course cannot replace the ‘real thing’. The challenge that we all now face is what will become the new ‘norm’ and it is clear that the new ‘norm’ will be somewhat different to what we have enjoyed in the past, or at least for the foreseeable future.

i.e. The Number of days of Christmas (12) + The number of Wise Men (3) x The number of Turtle Doves (2) = 30

Now try these (They get harder as they go!!!):

1. The Number of Gold Rings x The Number of Santa’s Reindeer x The Number of French Hens =
2. The Number of Days in December – The Number of Mince Pies in a Bakers Dozen – The Number of Christmas Number Ones by The Beatles =
3. The Number of Points on The Star of David x The Number of Ghosts in ‘The Christmas Carol’ by Charles Dickens x The Number of Christmas Eve =
4. The Number of Drummer’s Drumming – The Number of Members in a Carol Singing Quartet x The Number of After Eight Mints in a standard Packet =
5. The Number of copies of ‘White Christmas’ by Bing Crosby sold since 1942 (in Millions) – The Number of the Century in which the Hanging of a stocking at Christmas first appeared in England =
6. The Number of the Year that The Christmas Cracker was invented – The Number of The Year in which ‘Silent Night’ was written =
7. The Number of The Year in which Cliff Richard had a Christmas number one with ‘Mistletoe and wine’ – The Number of The Year in which ‘Slade’ had a hit with Merry Christmas Everyone’ x The Number of Christmas Number Ones by The Spice Girls =
8. The Number of New Year’s Eve – The Number of Days in February in a ‘Leap Year’ x The Number of ‘The Miracle on? th Street’ – The Number of what ‘My True Love Gave To me =
9. The Number of The Century from when the ‘X’ in Christmas originated – The Number of The Day In December when Children in the Netherlands leave out clogs for St. Nicholas – The Number of ‘Lords a Leaping =
10. The Number of Heritage Lodge – The Number of The Year in which it was Consecrated – The Number of Freemasons Hall in Great Queen Street, London – The Number of The Year The United Grand Lodge of England was formed – The Number of The Year Sir Lucius Curtis PGM (Hants) Presided over Grand Lodge =

Good Luck and send your answers to tonysurveys@aol.com!

I, like all, exited Christmas 2019 blissfully unaware of what was coming around the corner and started 2020 with the usual enthusiasm becoming of a New Year and what it held in store which included the usual round of Masonic events which were already mapped out.

During January through March however we were all being advised via the National News outlets of trouble brewing in China and the possibility of a ‘Flu-Like’ virus escaping from China affecting the rest of the world.

Competition Corner - Brain Teaser No 3

Brethren,

Good luck with the below and as always send your answers to tonysurveys@aol.com!

1. 4 E on a JJ
2. 1 P of S on the OB
3. 40 P in a G of T
4. 2 W D N M a R
5. 15 P in a R U T
   Read more »

An account of the events leading up to and during, a forced Period of suspension of normal Masonic activity due to the ‘Covid – 19’ Pandemic commencing on 17th March 2020.

Following the normal events of Christmas 2019 and New Year we were all looking forward to shaking off the turkey and champagne and returning in 2020 to our usual further two meetings, including a meeting in January and our installation meeting on the fourth Saturday in March.

In January, we were treated to another superb lecture by W.Bro. Ray Hudson who expanded on various aspects of the Third Degree and, after a long period of demonstration ceremonies, the announcement of a new candidate for initiation.

In order to bring our new candidate in as soon as possible, and the fact that it was not possible to hold an additional meeting ahead of the normal March Installation date, it was decided to dedicate the March meeting to both Installation and an Initiation.

Here is a collection of links that the brethren may find interesting:

UGLE Coronavirus FAQ	Seek and Learn - First Degree	Seek and Learn - Second Degree	Seek and Learn - Third Degree
A Paper - Ritual Uncovered	Masonic Charitable Foundation	Better Lives - Spring/Summer 2020	Why Royal Arch?
Opportunities to Learn Our Ritual	An Aid To Learning Ritual	Why join the Royal Arch?	A Guide to Using Social Media