The Victoria Masonic WWW Site has been in continuous operation since July 1994. (dial-up and then WWW) The site is dedicated to Masonic education and research through the maintenance of an extensive file library of Masonic information .

Apr 1, 2008

This month we're introducing a new educational article format called Masonic Lessons. We'ved didicated the entire April newletter to this one piece. We hope you enjoy it and that you'll take the time to comment on it here: http://www.blazeonline.com/freemason/forum/index.php?topic=10.0

Masonic Lessons #1 – Ask and You Will Receive

The very first lesson we learn as Freemasons is that to receive, one must ask. This happens even before our first step in the degrees, for to reach that point a man must have asked a Freemason to join our beloved fraternity. I remember seeing bumper stickers that read 2be1Ask1. I even was told by some “people” that to be a Freemason; you had to ask to join. It STILL took eighteen months for me to figure it out.

Although we’re presented with the degrees and given a coach to help us with the memory work, the first lesson of Freemasonry should always remain foremost in our minds. Ask and You Will Receive. Much information is in the degree work. You even pick up little bits of learning from watching or over hearing others. You may even discover Masonic books, which can be a gold mine of Masonic information. Last, but not least, you may inadvertently pick up a Masonic article (like this one) which may help you increase your knowledge.

In the end though, it’s your responsibility to INQUIRE. To travel on the journey, which Freemasonry most assuredly is, you MUST inquire. This concept of inquiry is one of the cornerstones that set Masonry apart from many other organizations. Often I have wondered about some physical furnishing of the Lodge or some specific meaning of a passage in the ritual. Too often I believed that some one would come and give me the information when they or I was deemed ready.

By forgetting to apply this first lesson in Masonry, I have often denied my self from learning some very important symbolism, allegory or other important lesson of Masonry. The real application of the lesson of Ask and You Will Receive is demonstrated every time you ask a senior brother about some part of the great mystery of Freemasonry. Always you will happily be given a gracious, speedy and complete answer to your question and it will always be appropriate to the position you are on your journey at that time.

There are a number of very important reasons why Freemasonry utilizes this methodology of Ask and You Will Receive. Firstly, the speed of your journey and your final destination along the path must always be controlled by you. Masonry has long discovered that forced feeding does not produce making good men better. In addition and possibly the most import reason is that in order for something to be highly valued it must be diligently sought after. Money, gold precious jewels, love are all most appreciated and held dear when effort is expended to achieve them and so too is knowledge.

So …..ever wondered why the Tessellated Floor is in the middle of our Lodge floor, what stars are on the ceiling, what is the blazing sun, why are there three steps in the East, two in the West and one in the South. Are there more meanings to the S&C? Was the Temple really finished? How do I know if I’m becoming a better man? Want to find out? - Ask!

Author: W. Bro Ron Merk, Vancouver & Quadra #2 GL of BC&Y

Contents and opinions expressed by the author in this article are his and not to be considered to be a reflection of the GL BC&Y or any other Masonic jurisdiction. This article can be freely used and distributed as long as the source is credited

What's New

Victoria Masonic Web Site takes another leap in technology: Our entire web site is now an integrated portal with a message forum. You're probably asking, "What the heck does that mean?" Well, in simple terms we can offer far more services to the Masonic community easier. Isn't that what improvements in technology are suppose to do? J

We now offer:

• Personal Blog
• Masonic Education Files
• Ability to upload/download Images
• Ability to upload/download files
• Message forum
• Link Page
• News

Have Fun - Message Forum

One of our basic principals from the inception of the Victoria Masonic Web Site has always been the concept of creating greater opportunity for communication between Freemasons. This is why we have wrapped our new portal around one of the very best message board software platforms available. You will find a number of topic areas for discussion and communication between member. Adding other topic areas is incredibly simple, so if you require a topic area just ask. This could even be a topic area just for your lodge.

Education

The other most important principal we subscribe to is continuing Masonic education. Only validated members who are Freemason's may access the Masonic file download area.To gain access to this area, signup here. In addition in every newsletter we include an Masonic article for educational purposes. For this month we take a look at the Compasses.

Written by
V.W.Bro.Harold W.Hughes GROnt.1957

THE COMPASSES

The same crude observations that led the man of antiquity to see the earth as an oblong square caused them also to believe that the heavens were circular. They asked; Was not the sky a dome? Did not the heavenly bodies move in curved tracks? Were not the sun and moon discs in shape? By an inevitable association of ideas, the compasses, which were used to test or draw circles and curves, were made to stand for the heavenly or the divine in man, and this is their meaning still as they lie on the alter of the lodge. Right conduct, right spiritual aspirations, and the revealed will of God. Fitting it is that the lodge place the symbols of these principles at its very center, for the mason who walks in their light continually will never wander far from the paths of life.

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SIgn-up an upload your files to our portal file area. Once reviewed, you file will be added to our Masonic file
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