Warm fraternal and seasonal greetings to you and your families and to all in Scottish Freemasonry worldwide.
I would like to thank you all for the personal commitment you put into our wonderful Order and for your time and resources that make Scottish Freemasonry second to none. All your work has shone a light on our Order, letting others see the effect that we continue to have and our growth as an organisation.
Well done!
It is an honour to again be your Grand Master Mason and to serve all the Brethren as we move forward together.
For your information at this stage, it has been decided that we will move away from issuing a weekly Grand Master Mason’s update and towards a Grand Lodge Newsletter—probably issued four times a year—which will contain a wide range of articles and information. I was, however, very keen to write to you all personally immediately after my installation and thank you for your support before we start this new venture.
We are now doing things differently and, on many occasions, we are being forced to adapt to new ways of operation. To enable us to grow our influence, as an Order we have to focus on how we move forward. Let us, of course, stop and celebrate a little all the achievements we have made. We must most certainly celebrate and thank Most Worshipful Brother Ramsay McGhee for his term as Grand Master Mason and for the positive impact he has had on Scottish Freemasonry. But as Brethren, you have done many good, and some great, things that we need to detail:
- There is a long list of charitable groups, but also a long list of Scottish Freemasons who, as individuals, serve their community as volunteers and make unique responses to making the lives of others better.
- We continue to cross boundaries in our world. We are an organisation that has no borders—we will continue to work together for “unity” and “harmony”.
- We are an organisation open to new discoveries and knowledge—just look at how we have used and shared knowledge on platforms such as Zoom in recent years.
- We are an organisation that is welcoming and which cares for others, and we have evidence of this through our charitable works.
May I send YOU as Freemasons this seasonal greeting, in words similar to those used by Mother Teresa of Calcutta:
“Everyone we meet should leave happier.”
May the Joy and Hope of this coming Festive Season be with you and your families.
In the busy weeks to come, could you close your eyes for just a moment and remember everything that is good in Scottish Freemasonry; then open your eyes, surprise yourself, and in the year to come put those memories into action.
My Brethren, may each of you, your Lodges and your families have a Joyous Festive Season and Hope in the New Year.
I was recently perusing the writings of some Korean poets and came across words that stuck with me and that I wish to share with you:
“The most exciting thing in life is setting out!”
Upwards and onwards,
Brother Joe Morrow
Grand Master Mason