Antarctic Masons
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| Sir Ernest Shackleton |
The Antarctic seems to attract freemasons for some reason. I haven't ever felt the urge myself, but Robert Falcon Scott, Roald Amundsen and Ernest Shackleton were all freemasons. The race to be first to the South Pole is very famous, but Shackelton's attempt to cross Antarctica from one side to the other via the South Pole is not so well known. I'm not sure I'd have answered his original advert for people to join him on the expedition - from The Times in 1914:
“Men wanted for hazardous
journey. Small wages, bitter cold, long months of complete darkness, constant
danger, safe return doubtful. Honour and recognition in case of success.”
Thousands applied and 28 were chosen to go on the trip. The Endurance sailed for South Georgia in August 1914, finally reaching Antarctica in January 2015 where the ship immediately became trapped in the ice. Locked in place, the crew had no choice but to wait until the warmer temperatures of spring could free the ship. Shackleton demonstrated great leadership skills, keeping all crew members occupied in strict routines to mitigate the collective fears and anxieties of the men on board. Months passed, and morale continued to sink as the ship remained held by the ice, despite the warmer temperatures of summer. The ship was eventually destroyed the ice. Facing the collapse of his mission, Shackleton rejected defeat and set his sights on a new objective. He wrote at the time, “If the one goal has disappeared, we’ll have another one. And so, if I can’t cross the continent, I am going to bring all my men back alive.”
In this time of great crisis, how did the teachings of Freemasonry help the crew of the Endurance avoid an untimely demise? Having been initiated into Navy Lodge No. 2612 of the United Grand Lodge of England on July 9, 1901, Shackleton had learned the importance of ritual and fraternity in maintaining discipline, cohesion, and determination, in the face of overwhelming odds. In order to preserve solidarity among the crew, daily rituals were imposed by Shackleton on board the Endurance
After ordering the men off the sinking ship, Shackleton marched his crew out onto the ice with the barest of supplies to make camp. By April 1916, the ice began to break up and the men navigated in three row boats to the rocky, deserted refuge of Elephant Island. Knowing that inaction meant that all would perish there, Shackleton decided to attempt one of the most daring open-boat voyages in recorded history.
Because Shackleton displayed the utmost devotion and responsibility to his team, his men returned his commitment with fierce loyalty and uncompromising faith in his ability to bring them home safely. In the small rowboat, Shackleton and five of his crew managed to navigate 800 miles to South Georgia through hurricane force winds and raging seas utilizing only a sextant.
Reaching the whaling station, Shackleton then faced the problem of finding a vessel capable of undertaking a rescue. He sent an urgent telegram to London requesting assistance from the British Government but assistance was denied due to the country's struggles in World War I. Thankfully, when his government could not save the mission, his Brothers in Freemasonry answered his call of distress and assisted in the rescue of his men.
When the Chilean Freemason, Brother Luis Pardo, heard of the dire circumstances of the remaining men, he offered to pilot a steamer, the Yelcho, through dangerous waters to rescue the stranded crew of the Endurance. Pardo wrote to his father, "When you read this letter, either your son has died, or he has arrived at Punta Arenas with the castaways. I shall not return alone."
Traveling back to Elephant Island, Brothers Shackleton and Pardo rescued the remaining men on August 30, 1916. Upon their return to Chile, Bro. Pardo's Lodge, Harmony No. 1411 in Valparaiso, held an emergency meeting on Saturday the 13th of September to welcome Brother Shackleton and his crew and to recognize the efforts of the Brothers. It was thus stated that "Freemasons the world over rejoiced at the successful termination of Brother Shackleton's endeavors."
Through hard work and perseverance, the Craft provides the tools for the highest degree of moral, intellectual, and spiritual development for all Mankind. Moreover, it teaches us the skills of leadership and reminds us of our responsibilities to our fellow human beings, as exemplified by Brothers Shackleton and Pardo.
In this time of great crisis, how did the teachings of Freemasonry help the crew of the Endurance avoid an untimely demise? Having been initiated into Navy Lodge No. 2612 of the United Grand Lodge of England on July 9, 1901, Shackleton had learned the importance of ritual and fraternity in maintaining discipline, cohesion, and determination, in the face of overwhelming odds. In order to preserve solidarity among the crew, daily rituals were imposed by Shackleton on board the Endurance
After ordering the men off the sinking ship, Shackleton marched his crew out onto the ice with the barest of supplies to make camp. By April 1916, the ice began to break up and the men navigated in three row boats to the rocky, deserted refuge of Elephant Island. Knowing that inaction meant that all would perish there, Shackleton decided to attempt one of the most daring open-boat voyages in recorded history.
Because Shackleton displayed the utmost devotion and responsibility to his team, his men returned his commitment with fierce loyalty and uncompromising faith in his ability to bring them home safely. In the small rowboat, Shackleton and five of his crew managed to navigate 800 miles to South Georgia through hurricane force winds and raging seas utilizing only a sextant.
Reaching the whaling station, Shackleton then faced the problem of finding a vessel capable of undertaking a rescue. He sent an urgent telegram to London requesting assistance from the British Government but assistance was denied due to the country's struggles in World War I. Thankfully, when his government could not save the mission, his Brothers in Freemasonry answered his call of distress and assisted in the rescue of his men.
When the Chilean Freemason, Brother Luis Pardo, heard of the dire circumstances of the remaining men, he offered to pilot a steamer, the Yelcho, through dangerous waters to rescue the stranded crew of the Endurance. Pardo wrote to his father, "When you read this letter, either your son has died, or he has arrived at Punta Arenas with the castaways. I shall not return alone."
Traveling back to Elephant Island, Brothers Shackleton and Pardo rescued the remaining men on August 30, 1916. Upon their return to Chile, Bro. Pardo's Lodge, Harmony No. 1411 in Valparaiso, held an emergency meeting on Saturday the 13th of September to welcome Brother Shackleton and his crew and to recognize the efforts of the Brothers. It was thus stated that "Freemasons the world over rejoiced at the successful termination of Brother Shackleton's endeavors."
Through hard work and perseverance, the Craft provides the tools for the highest degree of moral, intellectual, and spiritual development for all Mankind. Moreover, it teaches us the skills of leadership and reminds us of our responsibilities to our fellow human beings, as exemplified by Brothers Shackleton and Pardo.
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