The Masonic Gavel is used by the three highest officers of the lodge while conducting business in a tiled lodge meeting. That includes the Worshipful Master, Senior and Junior Wardens. The Gavels are symbols of their office and used to indicate when something has concluded or even to get the brethren’s attention. The Gavel is used to maintain order during a Masonic meeting.

Operative Stonemasons used gavels to shape stones in order to fit them into place more perfectly. Freemasons use gavels as a symbol to remind them of the

There are two types of gavels commonly used in Freemasonry. The common gavel, and the setting maul. The common gavel has a flat end and a shaped end. It is used by stonemasons to break off large chunks of detritus as well as smaller pieces to smooth out the final parts of stone. The setting maul has a heavy flat bottom with a single handle on top. It is used by stonemasons to hammer in the stone and set it into place without damaging the surfaces of the stones themselves.

Some Masonic districts have created a program commonly called the “Traveling Gavel”. It is done to encourage Masonic visitations. This specially engraved gavel is proudly displayed whenever a lodge that has won it, opens a meeting. When another lodge does an official visit during a stated meeting, and has more members than the hosting lodge, then the visitors will win the gavel.

https://bricksmasons.com/blogs/masonic-education/the-masonic-gavel

Brotherly Love is one of the principal tenants of Freemasonry.

The Monitor of the Grand Lodge of Texas teaches us that “by the exercise of brotherly love, we are taught to regard the whole human species as one family – the high and low, the rich and poor; who, as created by one Almighty Parent, and inhabitants of the same planet, are to aid, support and protect each other. On this principle, Masonry unites men of every country, sect and opinion, and conciliates true friendship among those who might otherwise have remained at perpetual distance.”

It teaches us respect and tolerance for people who have differing opinions, believes and ideals. We believe in the best of intentions of our fellow men. Brotherly Love reminds us to be courteous, kind, compassionate and friendly towards all mankind, more especially a Brother Mason.

However, this tenant does not mean that we must like each and every brother, We can have feelings of personal dislike, but we must not let those feelings overcome us and prevent us from growing into the best person that we can be.

Freemasonry inspired many people over the centuries. Some of the most influential musicians of their times, whose works have lasting impact to this day, were members of the fraternity. Here are some of the more well known ones.

Franz Joseph Haydn
1732 – 1809
Was initiated in February 1785 in “Zur wahren Eintracht” Lodge in Vienna, Austria.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
1756 – 1791
Was initiated on December 14, 1784 in “Zur Wohltätigkeit” Lodge in Vienna, Austria

Ludwig van Beethoven
1770 – 1827
It is generally accepted that he was a Freemason, but the evidence of when he was initiated and what lodge he joined has been lost.

Felix Mendelssohn
1809 – 1847
There is no specific evidence that he ever joined the fraternity.

Franz Liszt
1811 – 1886
Was initiated in 1841 at “Zur Einigkeit” Lodge in Frankfurt am Main, Germany.

Johannes Brahms
1833 – 1897
There is no specific evidence that he ever joined the fraternity.

Gilbert and Sullivan

Sir William Schwenck Gilbert
1836 – 1911
Was raised on June 23, 1871 in St. Machar Lodge No. 54 in Aberdeen, Scotland.

Sir Arthur Seymour Sullivan
1842 – 1900
Was raised on January 30, 1866 in Harmony Lodge No. 255 in Richmond, England.

John Philip Sousa
1854 – 1932
Was raised on 10 November 1881 at Hiram Lodge No. 10, Washington D.C.

Giacomo Puccini
1858 – 1924

Gustav Mahler
1860 – 1911

Jean Sibelius
1865 – 1957
Was a member of Soumi Lodge, No.1 in Helsinki, Finland.

Irving Berlin
1888 – 1989
Was raised on June 3, 1910 in Munn Lodge No. 190 in New York, New York.

Duke Ellington
1899 – 1974
Was a member of Social Lodge No. 1 PHA in Washington D.C.

Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong
1901 – 1971
Was a member ofMontgomery Lodge No.18 PHA in New York, New York.

Count Basie
1904 – 1984
Was a member of Medina Lodge No. 19 PHA in New York, New York.

Nat King Cole
1919 – 1965
Was a member of Thomas Waller Lodge No. 49 PHA in Los Angeles, California.

John Entwhistle (The Who)
1944 – 2002
Was a member of Ezekiel Bates Lodge, Attleboro, Massachusetts.

Rick Wakeman (Yes)
Born 1949
He is a Past Master of Chelsea Lodge No. 3098 E.C. in London, England.

Phil Collins (Genesis)
Born 1951
There is no specific evidence that he ever joined the fraternity.

Mel Gaynor and Derek Forbes (Simple Minds)
Both are members of Shalom Lodge No.1600, Glasgow, Scotland.

Marshall Goodman (Sublime)
Born 1971
Was initiated in 2015 at Lakewood Lodge No. 728 in Long Beach, California.

Brad Paisley
Born 1972
Is a member of Hiram Lodge No. 7 in Franklin, Tennessee.

Tom DeLonge (Blink 182)
Born 1975
Is a member of Widow’s Sons Lodge No. 17 PHA in Kansas City, Missouri.

Apathy (Hip Hop)
Born 1979
He is a member of Coastal Lodge No. 57 in Stonington, Connecticut.

St John the Baptist was a traveling preacher who lived in the Jordan River Valley in the first century A.D. According to the New Testament John was a Jewish prophet who preached the imminence of God’s Final Judgment and baptized those who repented in self-preparation for it. He is revered in the Christian church as the forerunner of Jesus Christ. After a period of desert solitude, John the Baptist emerged as a prophet in the region of the lower Jordan River valley. He had a circle of disciples, and Jesus was among the recipients of his rite of baptism.

His austere camel’s hair garment was the traditional garb of the prophets, and his diet of locusts and wild honey represented a strict adherence to Jewish purity laws.

Later in his life he as imprisoned by King Herod and was executed by beheading around 28-36 CE.

He is considered a major religious figure by many religions including Christianity, Islam, Baha’i Faith, Druze Faith, Madaeism and Gnosticism.

St John the Baptist Feast Day is one of the major holy days of Freemasonry. It is celebrated on June 24, the Summer Solstice or the longest day of the year. He represents severity and strength of character.

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-John-the-Baptist

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_the_Baptist

https://momason.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/2012-December-Masonic-Minutes_-_Meeting-One.pdf

The Volume of Sacred Law, or VSL for short, is what Freemasons call the religious text that is used in their ceremonies and traditionally placed onto their altar while the lodge is in session. In predominantly Christian areas such as the USA, it is most common to display the King James Bible. This is the same sacred text that candidates take their obligations upon.

If a lodge has members of different faiths it is often common to display multiple books upon the altar, to represent each member. The most common books of faiths besides the Christian bible are the Muslim Qur’an, the Hindu Bhagavad Gita, the Buddhist Discourses, the Jewish Tanakh, and the Sikh Granth Sahib. Generally Grand Lodges consider a text as permissible if it represents sacred teachings to the Mason. However, that is entirely jurisdictional.

One of the most notable individual VSL is the George Washington Inaugural Bible. It belongs to St. John’s Lodge No. 1 in New York City and has been used at its meetings since 1767. It is famous, however, for being the Bible used at the first inauguration of George Washington as President of the United States, and numerous presidents since then.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volume_of_Sacred_Law

Albert Pike (December 29, 1809 – April 2, 1891) was a Renaissance man who was a writer, orator, lawyer, jurist and Confederate general. He is most famous for his copious writing on Freemasonic philosophy and symbolism. He served as the Grand Commander of the Scottish Rite Southern Jurisdiction from 1859 to 1889. During this time he rewrote the rituals for the Scottish Rite degrees, in addition to publishing his most famous tome “Morals and Dogma”. In 1944 his remains were moved for internment to the headquarters of the Scottish Rite Southern Jurisdiction at the House of the Temple in Washington, D.C. Even though he was the head of the Sottish Rite Southern Jurisdiction, it is important to stress the fact that there is no single leader or figurehead of Freemasonry as a whole. Some conspiracy theorists refer to him as a Masonic Pope, but nothing could be further from the truth.

Several controversies have swirled around Albert Pike over the years. While he was undoubtedly a man of his age who held certain believes that by today’s standards would be unpalatable, some of the bigger issues seem to be without proof.  A rumor that he was involved with the Ku Klux Klan has never been substantiated. It has been rumored that Pike held certain offices in the KKK, but that has not been corroborated by historians who reviewed the membership roster “The Prescript”, also known as the Klan constitution.

In 1901 a statue was erected to celebrate Albert Pike as a Mason in Washington D.C. It was gifted by local Freemasons to the district and to the federal government. There was a desire by the citizens of Washington D.C., which was supported by the Scottish Rite Southern Jurisdiction, to remove the statue over the years, due to the controversy it sparked with his affiliation with the Confederacy. This request was not adhered to by the National Park Service which owned the land and monument, resulting in the toppling and burning by outraged citizens after the protests on July 2, 2020. These protests were inspired by the outrage after the murder of George Floyd.

No matter the shortcomings of the man himself, it is undeniable that Pike had a monumental impact onto the Scottish Rite in particular, and Freemasonry in general. His writings provide tremendous insight and inspiration to countless masons the world over.

As the preface of Morals and Dogma states: “Every one is entirely free to reject and dissent from whatsoever herein may seem to him to be untrue or unsound. It is only required of him that he shall weigh what is taught, and give it fair hearing and unprejudiced judgment.” It would be wise to approach the life and writings of Albert Pike with the same mindset.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Pike

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Pike_Memorial

The Golden Trowel Award is an award that is given out by lodges within the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of Texas to deserving brothers. It is an award to recognize brethren who display extraordinary efforts and service to their lodge on a regular basis. Each recipient can only receive it once per lodge; and each lodge can only award one per year.

The idea for this award originated in a place called “Armadillo Acres”—the get-away home of Past Grand Master Leonard P. Harvey.  In the Fall of 1989 while at Armadillo Acres for a bit of breather before the up-coming Grand Lodge Session, the Grand Master, Deputy Grand Master, and Grand Senior Warden were discussing the fact that nearly every lodge has brothers who day-in and day-out accomplish the “little things” for Masonry and for their lodges.  The cement, if you will, that unites a building in one common mass or, in our case, unites us as a true brotherhood.  While sitting in “the red chair” twiddling between his fingers a small golden trowel that was given to Brother Harvey’s father-in-law several years previously, the proverbial light came on and the Deputy Grand Master declared, “We can call it the ‘Golden Trowel Award.’”  And thus began the creation of this highest honor that a lodge can bestow.

It requires a committee of five of the most recent past masters of the lodge to vote on a worthy brother. The award is presented in an open meeting at lodge and friends and family members of the recipient are invited to attend this high honor.

https://txfreemasonry.org/golden-trowel-award/

https://www.wacomasonic.org/golden-trowel-award/

The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks (BPOE; also often known as the Elks Lodge or simply The Elks) is an American fraternal order. The Elks began in 1868 as a social club for minstrel show performers, called the “Jolly Corks”. It was established as a private club to elude New York City laws governing the opening hours of public taverns. The Elks borrowed rites and practices from Freemasonry.

Until 1995 the Elks had been exclusively a men’s fraternal organization. However, due to pressure from individual states and several lawsuits, the national organization voted to extend membership to women.

The current requirements include belief in God, American citizenship, willingness to recite the Pledge of Allegiance, willingness to salute the flag of the United States of America, willingness to support the laws and Constitution of the United States of America, being of good character and being at least 21 years of age.

Today there are still about 1,900 local lodges, and about 1,000,000 members.

https://www.elks.org

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benevolent_and_Protective_Order_of_Elks