‘Thanks to The Square’

    

The Masonic blogosphere is a shadow of its formerly influential salad days. The websites that are kept updated with any regularity are few. Nevertheless, The Square magazine shows its appreciation for these efforts through its monthly feature Masonic Blogs, and The Magpie Mason was so recognized.

The magazine publicizes its articles via the usual social media platforms, and its posts last week promoted your favorite Masonic blog! No, not Dummies. This one!

It seems The Magpie Mason’s actual appearance in the magazine was more than a year ago. Somehow this eluded me despite my regularly perusing the website.

I’m in good company too. The current issue salutes Craftsmen Online as the highlight of Masonic podcasts.

The Square delivers solid content about Freemasonry, and does so free of charge. My thanks to Editor Philippa Lee for the generous recognition.

     

‘Tubal Cain and the first plow’

    

I hope all of you read The Square magazine. The periodical’s social media of yesterday brings our attention to its September 2021 issue, particularly an article on Charles Mackay by W. Bro. Kenneth C. Jack. I leave it to you to read that, but for this edition of The Magpie Mason I share one of Mackay’s poems. “Tubal Cain” is found in volumes either of Mackay’s own work or in collections of various poets.

One such anthology from 1905 England, The Poets and the People, published by what was the Liberal Publication Department, an arm of that country’s National Liberal Federation, employs verse in documenting how the term liberalism once had meant belief in, and upholding of, liberty. It’s an amazing book, uniting Robert Burns, William Wordsworth, P.B. Shelley, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Robert Browning, and Mackay, plus more than a dozen other voices raised for freedom, decency, democracy, and patriotism. (Its editor, the renowned Alfred Henry Miles, contributes his sonnet titled “Let There Be Light!” which inveighs against the darkness of ignorance and bigotry.)

But was Charles Mackay a Brother Freemason? That’s inconclusive. The headline of Bro. Jack’s article says yes, but near the bottom of the story he concedes that “a question mark should be appended” to the headline. There seems to be no easily obtainable proof of Mackay’s initiation or membership, which I think is too unusual for a well known man of letters.

     

‘The Tiler as guardian of our moral compass’

     

Writing in The Square magazine, W. Bro. Stephen J. Goulding treats us to his personal and mightily insightful reflections on the importance of the lodge Tiler (our New York spelling), in the first of six essays the independent English magazine will publish to define six officer roles.

Goulding has been a Freemason for 42 years and is a 30-year veteran of The Met. When you read his essay, you’ll discern how his operative career work informs his speculative labors in the lodge. And vice versa. After retiring from the police, he became a college lecturer, and he now is retired professionally and teaches Tai Chi and Qigong.

Goulding sees a fourfold existence for the lodge Tiler. In part:

• “To protect our moral selves.”
• To ensure the candidates are prepared properly.
• “To give the proper reports on the door of the lodge.”
• To wield the implement of his office as it is the embodiment of the tng of gd rpt.

I bring this to your attention because Goulding’s elucidations are brilliant. (I’ve been Tiler of my lodge for several years; suddenly I’m feeling very inadequate and uncertain.) Please do take the few minutes needed to read his essay. There is a 15-minute video as well.