Toast to the Initiate

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One of the joys of being a former Provincial Secretary is that I have access to all the old documents and official information. In the days before Solomon there were Official Orations provided by Grand Lodge. These orations were expertly delivered by VW Bro Mike Davies, formerly Deputy Provincial Grand Master of Gloucestershire. Mike was Initiated in Loyal Welsh Lodge (in 1955!) and returned to West Wales when he retired. All the Orations were very interesting, but I particularly like this one which takes the form a toast to the Initiate. Let me know what you think.

A WELCOME TO THE INITIATE
Michael Parkin
[This is suitable for delivery at the Festive Board, perhaps as a Toast to the Initiate]
My brother, I bid you welcome to Freemasonry: that is to say, I am expressing a welcome to you from the Worshipful Master and all the brethren of this Lodge and their visitors this evening, but not only that, the welcome is from all the Brethren who meet in this building, in this county, in the whole of the United Kingdom and throughout the world, for it is a world-wide organization you have joined this evening.
It is part of my very pleasant task to indicate to you what Freemasonry is and that can be very difficult.   It is much easier, I find, to tell you what it is not.   For example –
It is not a club, although you will find like-minded men who will welcome you wherever you go in the world
It is not an insurance company, although you may be assured that if you are in distress or need, you will ever find consolation or assistance among Masons.
It is not a Religion, although we call the room we meet in temple, and many of the lessons we teach ourselves are based on narratives from the Bible, which we call the Volume of the Sacred Law. Yet the ethical and spiritual foundation of Freemasonry pre-dates Christianity by at least two millennia and amongst our members you will find Hindus, Sikhs, Moslems, Buddhists and those of other religions who acknowledge One Supreme Being as their Godhead.
It is not a Secret. Society, as you need make no secret of being a Freemason. Indeed, you should be proud to be known as such. It is, of course, a society which has certain secrets in it, but that is merely a safeguard for our membership.
It is not just the repetition of ritual although all you heard this afternoon was learned by heart, like the words of a play. But what we memorise teaches us the valuable lessons which the words contain.
It is not a restricted association of aristocratic or intellectual snobs, for any man in the world may join, with only three provisos. Firstly, he must believe in a Supreme Being. Next, he must be honest and prove worthy on examination and, thirdly he must be able to take an obligation to keep certain words secret, providing his religious beliefs permit him to do so. Yet there have been very many eminent Masons: several American Presidents English Kings, Mozart, Hogarth, Rudyard Kipling, Robbie Burns, Alexander Fleming, the list goes on and on.
And lastly, Freemasonry is not just a ‘Bunch of the Boys’ getting together for a convivial drink and a meal. Yes, that is an important part of our meetings, the Festive Board afterwards, but we place greater emphasis on what happens in our ceremonies, and the relaxation and jollity afterwards are partly a winding-down and partly the opportunity to get to know one another better.
So this is what I welcome you to - a Way of Life, a way to regard life squarely, to follow Masonry's precepts and to lead a life you can be proud of, a way to be happy in yourself, and to be able to communicate that happiness to others.

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