30th January 2020 - Red Aprons and Burns

Thought for the day :"The couple next door just made a sex tape – they don’t know yet.."

I found this upon one of my lists and enjoyed it and put it here for posterity ..

How the Red Apron came about

A sort of just-so-story produced on the occasion of the Installation of R.W. Bro. The Hon. EL Ballieu, A.G.M., by the R.W.Bro. G.L.O. Colenso-Jones, P.J.G.W., in the Grand Stewards Lodge, 18th January 1978.

When the Temple at Jerusalem had been completed, King Solomon ordered that a great Feast should be held, so that the brethren in all classes of workmen might have the opportunity to rejoice together at the successful culmination of their labours.

Accordingly, a stated day having been fixed for the Feast, preparations began to be made. It soon became obvious that they could not all sit down together, for the only dining-hall available was the House of the Forest of Lebanon which King Solomon had built between the Temple and the Palace, and this would only hold three hundred and thirty three.

As you are aware, a vast number of masons had been employed in the building, and so the following arrangements were made:

• the E.A.s were issued with a double ration of corn, wine and oil, and told to enjoy themselves as best they could.
• the F.C.s were summoned to the Middle Chamber and given double wages, and told to buy themselves a good dinner.
• the Menatschin or prefects were given a stand-up buffet lunch in marquees erected in the Palace garden.

This left just three hundred and thirty of the most senior Brethren to sit down in the Hall. They consisted mainly of Grand Officers, together with Provincial Officers representing each Province from Beersheba to Dan, and a number of J.G.R.s (Jerusalem Grand Rank).

The question then arose; who was going to serve the wine at this banquet? Normally, some of the junior brethren would have been recruited for this duty, but on this occasion they were all disporting themselves elsewhere and so some of the 330 would have to wait upon the others.

King Solomon therefore sent for Adoniram who was, as you are no doubt well aware, the general masonic odd-job-man in Jerusalem. (It doesn't matter what degree or Order you are in, Adoniram will be in there somewhere, ready to undertake any office at a moment's notice. You know the sort).

The King ordered Adoniram to select a couple of dozen of the 330 and to make them Grand Stewards; at the same time informing him that although the office of Grand Steward would always be the most junior office in Grand Lodge, yet in the days to come it would be such an honourable office that it would be  sought after by the highest in the land.

Adoniram didn't believe this, but he accepted the task, and enquired how the Grand Stewards were to be distinguished; for, as he pointed out, when one's glass is empty, it is important to be able to identify the man who will fill it. And, of course at this time everyone was wearing white aprons to keep up the pretence of innocence.

King Solomon declared the Grand Stewards should be distinguished by a jewel appended to a white collar, and he summoned a skilful artist to design it, a certain Brother Garth (generally known as "Hoe" Garth because he was a bit of a rake).

Unfortunately the jewel designed by Brother Garth consisted of a combination of the jewels worn by the Principal Officers and this led to very great difficulties. The Feast had only been going for a few minutes before it became obvious that this system wouldn't work. Indeed, one Past Grand Warden, on his way to the door in order to restore himself to his personal comforts after the fish course, was accosted by a fairly junior brother at one end of the lower tables, who demanded of him a full bottle of wine, asking at the same time what he was expected to do with the empty one.

To his credit, be it said, the Past Grand Warden did not ignore the junior brother, but turned and told him exactly what he could do with his empty bottle. advice which, had it been taken, would have proved extremely uncomfortable, even if physically possible.

Certain of the more eminent of the brethren then went to King Solomon to acquaint him with the utter confusion into which they had been thrown. The King therefore stood up and observing Adoniram at a distance (and notice that, even at this early stage, Adoniram had already achieved that quality which has been found in wine-stewards ever since - the ability to be always "at a distance") - the King, observing him, beckoned him in the accustomed manner.

Adoniram was so flustered that he wondered if he ought to kneel. Then, thinking better of it, he decided that he ought to salute the King with the G. or R. Sign. Unfortunately, at that particular moment he happened to have a bottle of red wine in each hand. The consequences were inevitable: the glass shattered in fragments while the wine, like Aaron's precious ointment, ran from his head to his beard, and even to the skirts of his clothing.

There was a moment of deathly silence, and then one of the brethren cried:- "See, Adoniram has a red apron" while others, more animated, exclaimed:- "Lo, how it matcheth his face"! (Certain obstinate historians maintain that the words used here were actually; "Lo, how it matcheth his nose", but it is kinder to think that the authorised version is preferred at this point).

The King, ever mindful of the comforts of all his officers, soon put Adoniram at  his ease: he called an immediate muster of all the Grand Stewards who were told to form a column in the North and turn half left. Each was then handed two bottles of red wine and, taking their time from the G.D.C., saluted the King with eleven.

Thus were the Grand Stewards first equipped with their red aprons. For several years the custom continued, and at the annual meeting of Grand Lodge, after the other officers had been invested, the Grand Stewards were lined up, handed bottles and instructed to salute. And then came the year when inflation pushed up the cost of wine to an unprecedented height. (I think that there had been a bad harvest of apes and peacocks in Ophir, or something). It was at that opportune moment that there came before the King three zealous and expert brethren by the names of Toye, Kenning and Spencer, who made a full confession that they had in their possession a large quantity of red ribbon which they were anxious to place at the King's disposal. (In actual fact they had been decorating chocolate boxes for an RMBI festival and had over-ordered).

From that time, therefore, red ribbon has been substituted for the genuine and original regalia. Perhaps the time has now come when we should revert to the ancient custom, especially now that the cost of ribbon greatly exceeds the price of the bottles of wine. (Though I am afraid that the tickets for the Grand Investiture would be in even greater demand than they are at present)~

Long may the Grand Stewards continue to enjoy their traditional privileges and custom, and the proud motto specially composed for them by King Solomon himself: "Aspectu meo quam mappa rubro, quia fortiter labore' which, being interpreted, is:'If my face is as red as my apron, it is because I am working so hard'!

The Rev. Canon Richard Tydeman P G.C., O.S.M, P G.J.W., (Past Prestonian Lecturer)

I am sure that this must be true ....

an on the subject of stewards... 

So - ready for the Burns Night celebration tonight and I have a small lecture to give on the 20th anniversary of the first Burn's Night at St Teilo Lodge...

Lecture to be given on the 20th anniversary,

W Master – Brethren

I don’t intend to bore you this evening

But I thought that as we in St Teilo are now celebrating our 20^th annual Burns Night – it would be worth the opportunity to talk a little about

BURNS – the Man

BURNS – the Freemason
BURNS – the Radical and revolutionary

BURNS – the Musician

And then, together with my glamorous assistant Gareth Towner (JW)  teach you a little Auld Scottish to better enable you to understand an appreciate the after proceedings…

But first – I mentioned that it is 20 years since we started here and it is worth mentioning, and remembering, that it was Worshipful Brother Willi Wood – remembered by many of us  - who was the first inspiration for this evening  - and who regularly addressed the Haggis for us until too ill to continue. And when we come to the toast to absent brethren this evening – I am sure that Worshipful Brother Willi will be in our thoughts.

But first – who am I to be talking about Rabbie Burns? What are my credentials?

Well – despite being raised in London and residing here in Wales for the last 37 years – I was born in Clarkston – nr Glasgow back in 1954 – son of Eric Sewell, journalist and of a long line of Scots tracking back to the Hebrides and Papa Westry – where my ancestor was hanged at Gallows Hill – leaving the youngest daughter of the local gentry with child – whereupon she was disowned. That was – I think the nearest I ever came to wealth and nobility!!.

 

I still celebrate New years in the way I was taught and when I first achieved the Chair of King Solomon – we celebrated our ladies night with Scottish theme – and first wore the kilt to Lodge – Sadly – one rather smaller than this one – but Rabbie Burns oft spoke of eating and drinking and the “ Weel swalled Kytes” or swollen bellies. Perhaps a sign of the good life.

It was in our 75^th anniversary here in St Teilo Lodge – millennium year  2000 – when the lodge honoured me as Master for the second time – that Willi Wood mentioned Burns Night for the fist time – and we elected to use the shorter 2^nd Degree Ceremony evening in January – the nearest one to Burns Night – to hold our own celebration.   A few years later – Willi  fell ill a few days before the evening – and it was left to me to pick up the mantle …. Though each year we ask the Master whether he wishes to address the Haggis – so bear in mind Brother Senior warden – the duties that may befall you !!

SO

RABBI BURNS – the MAN

Well first – he was Robert – not Rabbi – it seems that most of the references to him by the name RABBI come later – with the great reputation that followed his death at the age of only 37 years.

A reputation which is varied :

A contemporary – Creed said of him

“Robert Burns was a Scotsman but certainly not a credit to his country !! Generally known for his poetry – he was an ungodly scoundrel – Infamous for his adultery, fornication, drinking and rebellion against religion and morality…”

He did enjoy his drink no doubt !! in his poem “Scotch Drink” he says

O WHISKY ! SOUL O’ PLAYS AN’ PRANKS

ACCEPT A BARDIE’S GRATEFUL THANKS

No he was Robert – and originally BURNESS

First of seven children of WILLIAM BURNESS and AGNES BROWN [broun] 25^th January – 1759 He was born in Ayrshire

But it was when he first signed his name in the register of the LODGE ST DAVID TARBOLTON July 1781  [aged 23 ] that he is first recorded as dropping the ESS from Burness.

His initiation fee was 12 shillings and 6p – passed and raised the same night in October 1781

The MASTER was one HENRY  COWAN

There was a lodge that did not keep away all cowans to masonry br tyler.

There were 119 brethren present when he was raised.

BACK TO THE MAN

Born in the crofters cottage – his father soon moved to a local Farm and though Burns was first sent to a local school – it closed early –and his father was a devout man – who believed in education…

His father and some local farmers co-operated in the hiring of a teacher, John Murdoch. It is remarkable that these poor farmers should acquire the services of a scholar who was later to be the tutor of Count Telleyrand, the French statesman who created Napoleon and subsequently deposed him. That his genius could be blinded however can be seen from his report on Robert Burns and his brother Gilbert:

"Gilbert Burns has a lively imagination. He has more wit than Robert who is remarkably dull. Robert has no ear for music, and what little he has is completely untunable"

No ear for music! The man who wrote, collected and saved for the Nation over 370 Scottish songs.

 So Burns was always conscious of his humble background – but was in fact more highly educated than many of those he would rub shoulders with later.

His father died when he was 25 and two years later he is spending much of his time in Edinburgh.

It is here that his first poems were published – for the sum of £105 – 100 guineas – equivalent of about £35,000 in today’s money – which he wanted and needed to flee to Jamaica  - due to yet another of his illicit affairs.

At 25 he had been made DEPUTE MASTER of the lodge – the substantial Master and he was faithful to the lodge in attendance .

However he did not :

“ most strictly respect the chastity of those nearest and dearest to him, in the persons of his wife, his sister and his child.”

JEAN ARMOUR  - was the daughter of a brother  - and was very pregnant – and the father was very indignant  - refused marriage and Burns found himself with the prospect of paying for the child.  He sought comfort with Mary Campbell who also bore him a child but died of typhus – and BURNS elected to flee therefore to JAMAICA.

But – another fellow freemason published his first book and 350 copies were purchased by members of the craft – he decided to stay …

 Robert Burns fathered thirteen children, of whom five were born out of wedlock, and a further four by Jean Armour before Burns acknowledged her as his wife.

The first child was born on 22 May 1785 to Elizabeth Paton, former servant at Lochlie, with whom Burns continued a liaison after the move to Mossgiel. On the baby's birth Burns was inspired to write a poem, now usually printed with the genteel title

'A Poet's Welcome to his Love-begotten Daughter',

but which Robert more pithily referred to as 'Welcome to a Bastart Wean'.

SO THAT WAS THE MAN

POOR Farmer – well educated – tried to return to Farming and later became an Excise Man  - but always remained a poet and Bard – and kept up his Freemasonry.

SOME FACTS YOU MAY NOT KNOW

1: CATCHER IN THE RYE  - SALINGERS NOVEL – from the poem – COMING THROUGH THE RYE

2: JOHN STEINBECK  - OF MICE AND MEN  - form the poem “Wee timourous Beestie”

4: BOB DYLAN cites Burns as his greatest inspiration as a poet / songwriter . in particular – My love is like a Red Red Rose.

5: 2009 – Bunrs was first to appear on a commemorative bottle of Cocal Cola  - before had events not people

7: Michael Jackson was working upon a release of Burns Music when he died

8: At a time when men of the peasantry cut their hair short, and the upper classes wore wigs or styled their hair as if they did, Burns "wore the only tied hair in the parish"

9: 1786 – lodged with John Richmond – who paid 2 shillings and 6d a week – until she found out that that he had sublet part of his bed and put the price up to 3 sghillings

SO – the MAN – THE FREEMASON

Is also BURNS

THE RADICAL AND REVOLUTIONARY

By his time he was clearly a free thinker –

But he was coloured by the treatment of his father – who he felt died early and had always been subjected to unfair treatment – by gentry and by the Kirk of Scotland

Indeed –Burns and Jean appeared for penance in church to "receive public reproof for the sin of fornication"

But at this time Freemasonry was one place where equality was practiced more ..

England, while Freemasonry tended to be part of the status quo of the gentry, it still tolerated different religious beliefs, even though the government and the state church did not. Jews, Roman Catholics and Dissenter Protestants were all admitted, even though members of these same religious groups could not hold political office under the Test Act, which required all office holders to be members of the Anglican Church

We see these thoughts coming through the works of BURNS in poems such as

“ A MAN is a MAN for all that”

It was in these times that beliefs in FREEDOM and Equality – that had inspired French and American Revolutions – 

I Burns had always been on the side of liberal thinking within the Kirk, and detested the "Auld Lichts" or "Old Light" Presbyterianism with it's conservative and puritanical outlook on life

Though most felt good masons should also be good church-goers, certainly many conservatives in the Kirk viewed the lodge

with its ideas of a non-denominational deity and respecting the rights of all humans to worship their God as they saw fit as a danger to their established religion
 For Burns, Masonry was everything that the Kirk was not.

From what we have heard, there is no doubt that Burns had a very rough life.

Burns found no comfort for his woes in the church or his society, but Freemasonry remained one of the most important aspects of his life. Even during the time when all others had abandoned and condemned him, the lodge still welcomed him as a brother, and he never forgot it.

He was certainly outspoken

But always managed to use his “AULD SCOTTISH” to keep within bounds,

More Trivia:

6: Abraham Lincoln attributed much of the success in the American civil war and abolition of slavery

3: SOVIET UNION was the first country  to honour him with commemorative Stamp – not Scotland 1956 – well respected for his socialist teachings.

MAN – FREEMASON  - LOVER – RADICAL

SO TO THE HAGGIS:

Essence of Pride in the SCOTS

THE RUSTIC – COMMON MAN

Not the Fops – the fawners – the weak

(Address to the Haggis) 

SO BACK TO SIMPLENESS

He stood against the established church which he thought totally unfair in its treatment of his father and himself

He stood for the revolutionary ideals of France and United States

He believed in the ideals of equality and fraternity and fairness – which he found in the lodge – and which he tried to practise outside.

It is true that he failed the tests of social morality of the time but .. 

"God knows I am no Saint, I have a whole host of sins and follies to answer for. But if I could, and I believe I do it when I can I would wipe away all tears from all eyes".

  

THE PEER I DON’T ENVY

I GIVE HIM HIS BOW

I SCORN NOT THE PEASANT

THO’ EVER SO LOW

BUT A CLUB OF GOOD FELLOWS

LIKE THOSE THAT ARE HERE

AND A BOTTLE LIKE THIS

ARE MY GLORY AND CARE..

AS WE HEAD UPSTAIRS

THE  IMMORTAL MEMORY – THE PLOUGHMAN BARD

Cheers !