Oration by the Provincial Grand Chaplain
Given at the ceremony to dedicate the banner of Halsey Lodge of Mark Master Masons No 1489
On this special unique occasion I thought it might be appropriate to give to our guests this evening some little insight into the Mark Degree and what its all about, and then discuss the origin of banners and the Halsey Mark Banner in particular.
The Mark Degree itself can be traced back to the l6th century
It is called 'Mark masonry' because, like stonemasons of old, when you become a Member, you are given your own unique and personal "mark". If you look at the stonework in many old stone structures you will see the Marks of the stonemasons. They were put there so that the mason could identify his work and to demonstrate to his superior that he had completed the work, and so get paid. In this Degree we are asked to put our Mark in the Lodge signature book when we sign in, and if you look in that book as you leave the Temple, you will see the Marks of the Mark Masons here tonight. (I know I can say that safely as I have already checked that the Provincial Grand Master has put his Mark against his signature and mine is certainly there!)
We have our own Grand Lodge at Mark Mason's hall, St James' in London, and the Grand Master is HRH Prince Michael of Kent.
There are a total of 41 Provincial Grand Lodges in the country, made up of around. 1250 Mark Lodges.
Within the Mark Province of Hertfordshire we have just under 40 Lodges and about 1200 members and the Provincial Grand Master is Keith Emmerson who is conducting this banner dediaction ceremony today.
As with all parts of Freemasonry, the charitable side is very important. We have a Mark Fund of Benevolence. Formed 1868, and known as the MBF, its prime aim is to render assistance to MMM in distress and their widows and children.
The first grant was of just £5 made in 1868 to a Mark Brother who had lost virtually all he possessed in a shipwreck,
In contrast to this, in recent years, £1.5m was provided by the MBF to allow every Mark Lodge throughout England and Wales, to present £1,000 to a Hospice of their individual choice.
Last year the MBF donated £2m to the St John Ambulance Service to purchase 50 new 'state of the art' ambulances, with each Mark Province presenting one to each St John Ambulance District. On the 20 May last year, Herts Mark Province presented `our' ambulance at a dedication ceremony held at St Albans Abbey Cathedral. It is inscribed with - 'Donated by the Mark Masons of Hertfordshire.'
Just as an aside, you may know that one of the fiercest critics of Freemasonry has been an MP by the name of Chris Mullen. I don't wish Mr Mullen any ill, but it would be quite ironic if at some stage he had to use an ambulance on which it was printed 'Donated by the Mark Master Masons' - perhaps he might reconsider some of his opinions?
That is just a small flavour of the MBF which is something we in the Mark Degree are very proud of and guard very jealously.
I will discuss a little further some of our symbols when we move on to the Lodge banner. But to sum up the Mark degree, it is a very happy fraternity and has a great deal to offer, a degree with many lessons
The origin of banners goes back to remote antiquity. A banner has always been an emblem of loyalty and homage to a feudal superior. In battle it was the rallying point. It symbolises Loyalty, Fidelity and Unity. Therefore, the banner reminds us of our duty and fidelity to God, and should be the rallying point for the three Grand Principles of Freemasonry - Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth.
Many Lodges in Britain have their special banner which is symbolic of the characteristics of the Lodge. Banners were first mentioned when Moses ranged the Children of Israel under their respective banners in the wilderness and there is no doubt these were regarded with reverence and awe.
Banners have a number of important messages. First they show what we belong to, and secondly they show who we are and also what we stand for.
In the field of battle, where there might be many regiments or platoons all working together, the individual regiment banners would be a focal point for all of the soldiers, so that they could know where to assemble. This would make the banner bearer a prime target for the opposition as without the banner prominent, an individual soldier could lose sight of his battalion. Perhaps that is why in olden times, the banner bearer was among the highest paid in the Army!
I am sure that many of you will remember the 1960's when CND were actively demonstrating. By their banners we knew who they were and what they stood for.
In the Mark degree we have many items associated with original stonemasonry from which we learn moral lessons. As you will shortly see, our banner today contains two such items, the Mallet and Chisel, both of which appear on the Worshipful Master’s Pedestal, together with a Keystone.
If you look in any arch structure, right in the centre you will see a stone which locks the arch structure into place. Without it, the structure might collapse and this stone is called the Keystone, and hence the word has now become to mean the 'most important part.'
The Ritual of the Mark degree deals with the building of King Solomon's Temple and the various craftsmen involved and is built on a single verse from Psalm 18, "the stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner."
To put it in modern terminology, perhaps we could simply say - If at first you don't succeed, try, try again.
Let me give you a couple of examples from the show business world
In the mid 1920s, a young aspiring actor went to audition for a Broadway musical. He did his party piece and the impresario made a note 'Can’t sing, can’t dance, can act a little' - and the actor was turned down. He kept on trying many agencies and he did eventually make it on Broadway and later Hollywood. His name? - Fred Astaire.
In the mid 1960s when pop group were springing up all over the place, a foursome went to EMI records to play some of their demo tapes. They were turned down, but eventually the Beatles did get a recording contract.
So the Keystone itself reminds us of perseverance to succeed whatever obstacles may come our way, and determination to finish whatever we start.
It is the central focus of the Mark Degree and if you look around the Temple this afternoon, you can fairly easily identify the Mark Masons through their tie bearing a keystone, and lapel badge in the shape of a keystone.
In our ritual I rather like the description of the mallet and I quote 'A mallet is used to knock of all superfluous excrescences.'
In other words the mallet is used to knock of all the rough edges and hence the moral teaching of this is to curb ambition, restrain envy, to moderate anger and to encourage harmony with each other. Perhaps this is where the term 'knock someone into shape' comes from?
The chisel is emblematic of discipline and education. Just as the mind in its natural state is rude and unpolished, so the effect of the chisel on the external surface of a rough stone, is like education bringing out the latent virtues of our mind, thus displaying the perfection of Human Knowledge - our duty to God and man.
To the members of the Halsey Mark Lodge, I offer you my congratulations on achieving this particular milestone in the history of your Lodge and may I say 'thank-you' for reminding us of our basic principles in the Mark Degree, and finish by repeating some words of the prayer a few moments ago:-
May this banner ever remind us of our unity one with another.
Michael J Watts, PAGSwdB, Provincial Grand Chaplain
Given at Royston 12th February 2002
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