President’s Pen 8th May 2017
Last week’s meeting was changed from our normal venue at the Royal Coach Motor Inn, to a tour of the Masonic Grand Lodge at 255 North Terrace.
Club members met at Café Brunelli in Rundle Street for breakfast, prior to walking around to the Masonic Building for the tour.
It is an imposing building built in 1927 specifically for the Masons however, in recent times the Lodge has let out space to the Adelaide University and also allows the public to hire its facilities for weddings and other special occasions. In more recent times it has also been used as film sets for films such as “Hotel Mumbai” which was the scene of a terrorist attack in 2008. It also featured in an Australian mini series called “ANZAC Girls in 2014.
“The building comprises six levels, accommodating offices and meeting rooms, three lodge rooms, kitchens, reception rooms and banqueting rooms, a large hall at the rear (the 'Great Hall'), the Masonic Museum and the Masonic Library.
The main entrance on North Terrace is accentuated by four great ionic columns on the exterior of the building and approached by a flight of granite steps. Above the entrance are the Latin words "Audi Vide Tace" derived from the Latin proverb "Audi, Vide, Tace, si vis vivere in pace" ("Hear, see, be silent, if you would live in peace"). This saying was the motto of the Grand Lodge until the 1950's.
The Latin inscription "Aedificatum et Dicatum Magno Artifici Mundi AD MDCCCCXXV" is placed higher on the facade of the building. A translation reads "Erected and Dedicated to the Great Architect of the Universe AD 1925".
On passing through the entrance doors an outer vestibule is entered, the 'Hall of Memory'. On its walls there are bronze Rolls of Honour commemorating the names of those Freemasons who served in the Great War of 1914-1918.
Passing through the next doorway one enters the spacious 'Hall of Fame' (see left and right) which is notable for its propylaeum like form, with colonnades, marble floor and staircase.
Columns of the three Greek orders of architecture - doric, ionic and corinthian - are among the major features of this space which is heightened by a mezzanine floor reached by the main marble staircase situated opposite the main entrance.
On the ground floor are located the administrative offices of the Grand Lodge, the Freemasons Foundation Centre for Men's Health, and the Adelaide Masonic Centre Museum, as well as the largest public hall, the 'Great Hall.'
The third floor contains two sets of lodge rooms, the Simpson Room and the Glover room, named after important past Grand Lodge members. The anterooms to the lodge rooms contain displays and portraits from the collections of the Adelaide Masonic Centre Museum.
On the fourth floor are found the largest lodge room – The Way Room (named for the first Grand Master, Sir Samuel Way) with its magnificent organ and choir and the Masonic Library.
The basement contains several banqueting rooms, a large reception area (the 'Chandelier Room') and a commercial kitchen.”
The tour included a display of interesting memorabilia from lodges around the State and of the John McDouall Stuart Society, including items from his epic expedition from Adelaide to the Northern Territory in 1865.
The tour was lead by a past Grand Master of the Lodge and was very informative, interesting and open to questions on Free Masonry. We all enjoyed the tour and thank the Masons for their hospitality.
President’s thought for the week,” Follow effective actions with quiet reflection. From the quiet reflection will come even more effective action.” Peter Drucker
