Report on the Masonic Week
held at the Hilton Hotel Alexandria, Washington D.C.
February 6th – 9th
Having arrived on the Sunday and stayed in Washington so that we could see one or two of the sights, the Supreme Magus of the S.R.I.C.F. picked us up from our hotel on the Wednesday and drove us to the Hilton where some 200 masons were congregating to begin the Annual Masonic Week.
The program included the Annual Assemblings of various Masonic Orders which ranged from the conventional Orders that we are familiar with – St. Thomas of Acon and to which I was able to give the Best Wishes of the Grand Master – David Kibble-Rees; The Allied Masonic Degrees; The Societas Rosicruciana in Civitatibus Federatis and the Grand College of America Holy Royal Arch Knight Templar Priests – to the working of other deep and scholarly Orders such as the Nine Muses Council and others whose primary function is fellowship and the support of various charities.
There were trips arranged for the ladies and they were invited to join us all for the Banquet and dinners that were held in the evening.
The program was coordinated by my host William Koon the Supreme Magus of the S.R.I.C.F. and to him and his wife Elizabeth, Marion and I owe a very deep thank you for their very generous hospitality and close friendship. Bill and Elizabeth were the perfect hosts. They looked after so many, but all the while managing to make each guest feel special. Strange really, but twelve months ago we had hardly spoken to each other and yet now we have wrought a very close bond of trust and one which has enabled us to work together on a number of issues.
This trip was always going to be immensely important, but as it turned out there were other landmark meetings that occurred.
In the first instance I was able to meet and thank Thurman Pace the previous Supreme Magus of the S.R.I.C.F. and his Secretary Herb Fisher and to apologize for the difficulties that occurred last year. We have now established a warm friendship that I know will long continue. However the landmark that occurred on the Wednesday afternoon was the first ever gathering together of 6 of the 7 Supreme Magi from around the World. Because of the various ‘political’ slants that occur all too often, this had never even been thought about, let alone put into action before and until I made a chance remark to Bill Koon in Toronto last May when I said what a good idea it would be for us all to get together as an expression of unity. This was no sooner said than it was done and we made the preliminary plans to set this in motion.We had hoped that all 7 Magi would be able to attend but at the last minute M.W.Fr. Fred Lowrie (S.M.I.S – Scotland) was unable to make the trip.
Those present were
M.W. William Koon S.R.I.C.F. America
M.W. John Paternoster S.R.I.A. England
M.W. Niall Good S.F.I.C. Canada
R.W. Patrick Jaillet of the new S.R.I.G. France
M.W. Joaquim Coelho S.R.I.L. Portugal
M.W. Stefan Masu S.R.I.R. Romania
As this was the first time ever that we had met on an occasion such as this, we welcomed each other enthusiastically and agreed to work in harmony together and to discuss future plans for any expansion; to meet every two years on a rotating basis, save that in 2010 we would again meet in Washington to consolidate our Assembly and to exchange the details of our senior officers so that direct and fraternal relations could be encouraged and cemented. We also agreed to allow and to facilitate inter-visiting since we all practiced the same ideals, rituals and desires to follow in the foot-steps of our revered founder Christian Rosencreutz and above all we wanted to build a confidential trust between us. It was in this light that because of certain difficulties that had occurred in France, a new Charter had been issued to the French S.R.I.G. and one that would be taken back by R.W. Patrick Jaillet.
This harmonious and enthusiastic meeting of Supreme Magi from round the world was one that we all hoped would send out to other Orders the example of how different national Societies could all learn and work together for the good of fraternal harmony in general and the membership in particular. We were each invited to say a few words at their High Council and both Niall Good and myself were then very embarrassed by being given the honorific title of Past Supreme Magus of the S.R.I.C.F.
Not only was the coming together of the various Rosicrucian Societies a great achievement but the difficulties that had been experienced between the KTP in York and the American KTP over the past several years were also healed with the joint signing of a new charter for the KTP in France. To mark this signing, The Grand High Priest Peter Donnison and Ian Fithian-Franks were given very prestigious Grand Cross awards.
Well, they say that things always come in threes and this event was no exception. On the following afternoon after the meeting of the Grand College of America KTP there were demonstrations of certain Installations rituals and these included that of the OSM and on the following day during the meeting of the Grand Council of the Allied Masonic Degrees an agreement was exchanged that healed the rift that had occurred between the OSM, as practiced here in the UK and that practiced under the umbrella of the Grand Council of the Allied Masonic Degrees of the U.S.A. To mark this special occasion our Deputy Grand Secretary from Mark Masons’s Hall, R.W.Bro. Richard Gan was given the honorific title of a Past Grand Master and at the banquet after the meeting R.W. Richard gave an illuminating speech concerning some aspects of Ladies’ Freemasonry both in England and the USA which was so well received as to bring him a standing acclamation.
Interspersed with these Orders there were others that are less well known. On the Thursday there was a meeting of the Society of Blue Friars; on Friday the CBCS; Royal Society of Knights Occidental and at the end of the evening, the Masonic Order of the Bath. Finally on Saturday there were the Grand College of Rites; the Nine Muses Council; the Order of Eri and the whole weekend ended with the Ancient Order of Corks.
Needless to say, we all made many new friends and left the hotel in good spirits and with a new resolve to work more closely together and to cement those bridges that had just been built. We had superb food; most drinkable wine and above all an occasion of close harmony and fraternal trust and goodwill.
So now it’s Monday and we have just arrived back home; we are both quite tired and yes, there is a pile of mail, the fridge is empty and it is an early night for the rigors of a normal week.
The Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia (Society of Rosicrucians in England or SRIA) is an independent Christian society. Admission is limited to Master Masons who are subscribing members of a Lodge under the Grand Lodge of England or a jurisdiction in amity with Grand Lodge and who accept and believe in the fundamental principles of the Trinitarian Christian faith.
The Societas Rosicruciana in Anglia does not, however, constitute another interesting degree in Freemasonry, to be acquired in the course of ordinary Masonic progress. It is something beyond and outside Freemasonry. More and more Freemasons are looking to the Christian degrees for answers to the questions confronted during their daily advancement in Masonic knowledge.
The membership of the S.R.I.A. is made up from brethren who have all trod the same path within the structure of Masonry. The Society is the ideal forum for Masons who wish to extend their contemplation of the hidden mysteries of Nature and Science.
The S.R.I.A. can provide the thoughtful Mason with direction, structure and resources for his enlightenment and advancement in working out the great problems of Life, in comprehending and appreciating his relations to his fellow man and to his Creator.
The Society also provides an outlet for sharing insights, learning and experiences with others through presenting papers and by joining study and discussion groups.
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