On Thursday we went to James’ Uncle William’s funeral. He was 89 and his health had been deteriorating for some time. He was the youngest and last of his generation of Andersons, and we will miss him. He was always gentle and good-natured, and we enjoyed hearing his stories about the Anderson family and his time working in the yard at Bridge Street. He was a keen and very senior Mason, in fact he had been a Mason for seventy years and it was a huge part of his life. When we arrived at the funeral we noticed that a lot of men in the car park at South Lanarkshire crematorium were putting on Masonic aprons, and some were putting on sashes too. At the funeral, after a brief eulogy by the minister, there was a Masonic eulogy which detailed William’s achievements and promotions at his Masonic Lodge. He was clearly very highly regarded. At the end of the Masonic part of the service a pure white leather apron was placed on his coffin, the speaker said that William would now go to “the Great Lodge in the sky” and finished by telling William that he could "lay down his tools.” This refers to the tools of the Masonic trade, such as the square and compass, which represent moral principles and guidance in life.
It was a fond, if lengthy, Masonic tribute, and I respect William’s great love for Freemasonry. He had told his friend that the proudest moment of his life was when he initiated his grandson into the Masons. However I have my reservations about Freemasonry. It claims not to be a religion, yet it displays many elements of religion! There are altars at the lodges, Masons engage in secret rituals, and they say prayers to a generic conception of God, which they often call the “Great Architect of the Universe.” When a friend of James’ suggested that James join the Masons in the 1980s (James didn’t join!) he referred to it as “joining the church” with a wink. The same person told us that, as a joiner, he got work via being a member, which implies that Masons will put work in the way of other Masons, hence excluding non Masons.
There’s something about all this that makes me uneasy. I have never been keen on cliques and clubs. This is no reflection on William, who was a lovely man.
It was a fond, if lengthy, Masonic tribute, and I respect William’s great love for Freemasonry. He had told his friend that the proudest moment of his life was when he initiated his grandson into the Masons. However I have my reservations about Freemasonry. It claims not to be a religion, yet it displays many elements of religion! There are altars at the lodges, Masons engage in secret rituals, and they say prayers to a generic conception of God, which they often call the “Great Architect of the Universe.” When a friend of James’ suggested that James join the Masons in the 1980s (James didn’t join!) he referred to it as “joining the church” with a wink. The same person told us that, as a joiner, he got work via being a member, which implies that Masons will put work in the way of other Masons, hence excluding non Masons.
There’s something about all this that makes me uneasy. I have never been keen on cliques and clubs. This is no reflection on William, who was a lovely man.
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