A most entertaining anecdote given by

WBro JohnGrumbridge, Past Assistant Provincial Grand Master

The Universities Scheme

Brethren you will see that I don't have a projector or slides or even a lap top to fiddle about with for several minutes and drive you wild that is because what I want to talk to you about this morning is much more of a story than a presentation and it is a story that began some five years or so ago when a certain Senior brother happened to make two private but unconnected visits to the Lodges; Apollo Lodge in Oxford and the Isaac Newton University Lodge in Cambridge and at both saw something that so impressed him that it started a thought process that was eventually to become the Universities Scheme. But what was it that he saw???…

Well I myself had the good fortune to visit the Isaac Newton University Lodge last June and was able to see for myself exactly what it was.

The Cambridge Masonic Centre is in itself a very impressive building. It is set at the back of a College style grass quadrangle over which you have to walk to approach the building……… Anecdote……..Anyway…you enter the building and there is a very impressive bar and reception area to the right, a rabbit warren of other corridors and rooms and then up the stairs to the temple which, inside, is again so impressive being quite long with a beautiful wooden barrel ceiling. But it was what we saw inside that temple that was to be inspirational. The Master and all other floor officers where all breached and buckled with garters of Cambridge blue and during what can only be described as a brilliantly conducted ceremony 4 young men from three different countries were all initiated into the craft in a well orchestrated and very impressive way. That is four young men aged between 18 and 23 all of them made masons. Young men that in 20, 30 or 40 years time will be the movers and shakers in societies all around the world, and more importantly Freemasons too. The Lodge did then go on in the same meeting to Raise three more candidates but frankly I thought they were just trying to show off!

The senior Mason in question happened to be talking to the Pro Grand Master Lord Northampton about his experience and how much it had impressed him and went on to say: 'Wouldn't it be a great idea if we could reproduce that in University Lodges all over the country'. Well it was one of those 'why did I open my big mouth' moments because the Pro Grand Master told him to go away and to just get on with it. A year or so later in the summer of 2005, he together with a few like minded fellows including some from each of the a'fore mentioned Lodges, produced what they titled a Discussion Paper setting out not only how they saw the Universities Scheme itself but also the advantages of the scheme but far more importantly all the difficulties that were likely to be encountered on the way.

Now let me move on another year.

It was just before Christmas in 2006 and knowing that I didn't have much to do over the holiday Michael Bailey our Provincial Grand Master thrust this document into my hand asking me to read it over Christmas and that we would have a chat about it in January. Well I read it through several times and was completely convinced of its value to the future of the Craft but couldn't for the life of me see how we could possibly make it work in East Kent. The Oxbridge University Lodges are part of the very fabric of the university life and had been for over 100 years….and I couldn't see how on earth one could reproduce that?

In January Michael asked me to undertake, on his behalf, the job of implementing the Scheme in our Province and, like so many other jobs one gets in freemasonry, no body tells you how to do it.

The first bit though was the easiest: If we were going to do it; where would it be situated. Well Canterbury just happens to be the City with the highest number of students per head of population than any other City in country. With two Universities; The University of Kent, a top 25 University with 25000 students and Christ Church University with over 6000 and that is without the other campuses or campae for the Latin scholars, from other Kent Universities which happen to be located in the City.

It then seemed sensible to see who there was in this Province that had any connections with either of the Universities. This trawl revealed eight names and funnily enough they fell neatly into two categories. There were four young Academics… on whom I will expound later, and four more mature Masons; there was W. Bro Pat Thomas a past graduate of the University of Kent. W. Bro. Peter Saunders one of our Provinces leading historians and an habitué of the University of Kent Library, W. Bro. Peter Fairweather the Head of the Faculty of Business Studies at Christchurch University and W. Bro. Dr. John Reuther who is a Visiting Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Bio Sciences at the University of Kent, Lecturing in Medical Microbiology and a very well known Masonic lecturer both in this and many other provinces.

I spoke first with Dr. John Reuther who, to his credit, firstly suggested that I was on a 'Mission Impossible' whereas there were indeed two most successful University Lodges in Isaac Newton and Apollo there were many more who were all in various degrees of decline, and indeed when I checked this out he was absolutely right. So many of the University Lodges were struggling in just the same way that many Old School and Regimental Lodges were, so that was clearly a problem.

However I do have to admit that the thought of the project being 'difficult' or maybe even an 'impossible' task did have the effect of spurring me on more determined to succeed, and John, to his great credit, has been one of my greatest supporters both inside and outside the University.

Peter Saunders set me on a most interesting course; he gave me the name of a Dr. of Theology at the University of Kent who had delivered an esoteric paper to the Annual International Conference of the Canonbury Research Centre. A really interesting but very reticent man, who, for that reason, I won't name, but a man whose father had been a freemason. He told me a couple of most interesting things; Firstly he told me that the Chair of Masonic Research currently at the University of Sheffield was actually going to be at the University of Kent at Canterbury, all the arrangements had been made and agreement reached just prior to the appointment in the early 90's of a new Vice Chancellor, who, on his appointment 'reneged on the deal' his words not mine! So, what would have been a most helpful opportunity was, from my point of view, lost. The Dr. then went on to say that this Vice Chancellor asked him, over the next few years, to curtail his Esoteric and Masonic interests reminding him that he was after all an employed man. The Doctor also pointed out that life on many campuses in UK Universities was quite difficult for Jewish academics in view of the stance taken, within those Universities, on the Middle East situation. All of which was a good lesson to me on the political issues which quite clearly exist within Universities. Also at the time that I was contemplating the future of the Universities Scheme in East Kent in 2007 It turned out that the University of Kent was about to appoint a new Vice Chancellor, about whom very little was known other than it was mooted that it was going to be a female appointment, and that of course could present who knows what effect on the political scene at the University.

With the University of Kent, for the time being 'on hold' I turned my attention to what Masonic preparations we should make within the Province if we were to implement the Scheme. Clearly a new lodge was not going to work with only a potential of eight founders. So it needed to be one of the Canterbury Lodges but…which one?

Well I did an in depth analysis of all eleven of the Canterbury Lodges because one of the essential points that had been made in the original Universities Scheme discussion document was that it must be a successful lodge. The Scheme itself was not a way of saving a failing Lodge. In every analysis and review I did I kept coming up with the name of the same Lodge; St Augustine Lodge No. 972, it just seemed have so many advantages:

*It was a successful Lodge.

*It had nine meetings a year so therefore it had the capacity to accommodate the
Scheme.

*It had a good mix of young and old members.

*Among its members were a retired Academic in Robin Masters a retired Head Master of a Kent school and Peter Fairweather the Head of Faculty of Business Studies I mentioned before.

*The age of the Lodge was comparable with Apollo and Isaac Newton University lodges.

*The membership included; The Provincial Treasurer, three Grand Officers and two
Supreme Grand Chapter Officers. The point of this being; not that they were Grand officers per se but that they had clearly made such a commitment to the Craft as to warrant these appointments and so would therefore, hopefully, be prepared to at least to listen to new ideas.

But how to persuade them???

First of all I decided speak to two members as a start; Richard Seath the Lodge Secretary and Peter Fairweather. Both to their credit were up for giving it a go, but both acknowledged the likely difficulties there would be in persuading the senior members. So I decided that the best thing to do was to go into the Lions den and to see each one of these senior men individually, in their homes, and fully explain the Scheme and its implications and the possible advantages and disadvantages for St Augustine lodge. To their credit, all of them, with one exception, was up for giving it a try and even that one exception, awkward curmudgeon that he is, said though he disagreed with it he wouldn't vote against it. So it was then on to the Permanent Committee of the lodge; I did a presentation to them, left them to discuss it and then returned to find that they too were up for giving it a go.

At the December 2007 meeting of the lodge the Assistant Grand Master David Williamson, our Provincial Grand Master and Richard Lewin a member of the Scheme committee attended the Lodge with me and after the formal Lodge meeting the members of St. Augustine Lodge together with the four of us retired to discuss the scheme and it's implications for the Lodge, and it was a very frank meeting and very strong views were expressed and talked through. No punches were pulled, and we left being not at all sure of which way it would go.

The Lodge, over the following two to three weeks, had further talks amongst themselves and at their January 2008 meeting formally approved their joining the Scheme. A formal application via the Provincial Grand Master was then forwarded to the Assistant Grand Master which had the effect of binding our PGM and the Province to the three requirements of the scheme. Firstly, that the Province would allow dispensations for Students below the age of 21 to join freemasonry. Secondly that the Province would support multiple ceremonies if they became necessary and finally that it will agree to pass on and support the half fees charged by Grand Lodge, Grand Charity and Provincial Grand Lodge for all members below the age of 25.

I am pleased to report that St. Augustine Lodge was accepted by the Assistant Grand Master as the 13th member of the Universities Scheme.

But what of the Universities?

Well In December 2007 we had a stroke of good fortune. The Grand Charity in their wisdom included in their list of Grants made: a £56,000. award to the department of Leukaemia Research at the University of Kent at Canterbury, particularly to Dr.s Peter Nicholls and Dan Lloyd, both of whom happened to be colleagues of Dr. John Reuther of whom I have spoken earlier. In fact it was John who alerted me to the Grant. I contacted the Grand Charity to see when the cheque had been presented only to find that it actually hadn't. I suggested that we in East Kent may be able to do that on their behalf, and was thrilled when they agreed and forwarded the cheque to us. With it safely locked in the Provincial safe I arranged to go with John Reuther to meet the two Doctors. They were just brilliant. Firstly they were delighted with the Grant and had no idea that it had come from the Freemasons Grand Charity, they thought that it was a donation from the Leukaemia Research Foundation to whom they had applied. They readily agreed to a few things: Firstly that our Provincial Grand Master and I together with our wives could attend the University on an appropriate occasion to present the Cheque. Secondly that they Peter and Dan would attend the Provincial Grand Lodge meeting at the Watergardens at Margate to acknowledge the donation and finally that we could stay in touch to form the link with the University that we needed. I delivered the real cheque to them on my very next visit just before Christmas.

The Provincial Grand Master and I were due to attend a University lecture in early 2008 when we had a call from Dr. Peter Nicholls to say that the University wanted to postpone our visit as they had heard that there was a possibility of a further Grant from the Leukaemia Research Foundation and they did not want to celebrate our Grant only to find that the second one was not going to be forthcoming from the LRF. It was due at the end of February. So I decided to contacted the Leukaemia Research Foundation and told them of our dilemma and that we would love to take part in any joint celebration should the second grant get the go-ahead. I am delighted to tell you that at the end of February a further grant was made by the Foundation of £300.000. which together with ours gave the group involved in the particular project of Leukaemia research three years funding and even the possibility of finally and successfully achieving their aims. Both Dr.s Peter and Dan are convinced that the Grand Charity Grant pump primed the further grant made to them, and have ever since been great supporters of our cause. Not only did they attend the Provincial Festival in April but spoke well on our behalf. The PGM and I together with our wives attended the Darwin Lecture in Keynes College in March 2008 which interestingly was given by Professor David Bellemy, and was as you can imagine quite controversial but very good fun. His views on Global warming have to be heard to be believed. The Master of the College Anthony Ward, in his address to the dinner guests that followed, was quite fulsome in his praise for Freemasonry and he very graciously acknowledged the grant.

Dr.s Peter and Dan also together with the LRF held a joint Symposium at the University of Kent on the work they were doing which included a tour of their laboratories in June of last year. Out of interest it was not only attended by many members of the Provincial Executive but also by 20 members of St. Augustine Lodge. A further Presentation of the cheque was made for the benefit of the University members and press who were in attendance. All very good stuff. There is also an up-date of their work in the current issue of the Provincial Magazine

But what of the progress of the Scheme in St. Augustine Lodge since it joined in January 2008?

Well let me go back a bit to Saturday October 13th. 2007 when the first Meeting of the University Scheme was held in Sheffield Masonic Centre. Richard Seath the St. Augustine Lodge Secretary and I went along, and we listened and hopefully learnt. There were several speakers many of whom were in various stages with the Scheme. Some doing well and some, quite frankly, were clearly struggling. The one thing that came out of that meeting which was a revelation to me was that it was the YOUNG man within the Lodges and Masonry in general that were driving and going to drive the Scheme. So on my return I was determined to make sure that the four young men who had given their names to me were kept on board. I wrote to each of them telling them where I had got to with the Scheme and promising them that as soon as I had an 'all clear' from St Augustine Lodge we would all get together to discuss the future. After the January meeting of the Lodge I arranged that meeting with the four together with Dr. John Reuther and we talked into the night. These were the young men who would eventually going to drive OUR Scheme so their views were paramount.

Well I am delighted to tell you that at the March meeting the four young academics of whom I spoke earlier all joined St Augustine lodge and please bear in mind that these chaps are of necessity busy men with their public and private avocations: Dr. Mike Dadd a recently qualified Dr. now working within the Ambulance Service, Master of his Lodge the Union Lodge No 127 which incidentally and unfortunately shares its meeting dates with St. Augustine Lodge, Howard Griffin head of Communications and ITC in the Department of Architecture at the University of Kent, Rob Solaini a post graduate student of Theology again now working for the Ambulance Service. Two weeks ago he moved into a new house and in two weeks time will hopefully become a father. He is the Master of his Lodge the St. Lawrence Lodge No. 3350 during this its centenary year, and Stephen Salisbury a Lecturer at Christchurch University a teacher at Duke of York's School and soon to be a member of this Lodge, all became joining members the St. Augustine Lodge and, at the same meeting, a 19 year old student of Christchurch University, Ben Hulme was proposed as an initiate. He was Initiated at the May meeting of the Lodge duly passed and finally raised in January 2009 with his Proposer, Stephen Salisbury in the Chair.

At the December meeting of the Lodge we had a White table evening at which Dr. John Reuther gave one of his most entertaining talks. The guests on that occasion included both Dr. Peter Nicholls and Dr. Dan Lloyd together with other members of the universities. The new Vice Chancellor; Professor Julia Goodfellow, was invited but genuinely, and unfortunately, could not make the date. She is however on the list of invitees to the Canterbury Open day in June.

The Lodge also had initiated a second University man in Bro. Eric Rhodes-Molden a former Liaison Manager of the University of Creative Arts in Maidstone.

In February St. Augustine lodge web site was granted it's Charter Mark by UGLE and so that has now gone live on: www.staugustinelodge.org.uk. This has happened due to the hard work of Howard Griffin one of those young men I have just referred to

At the meeting in March 2009 the Lodge hosted a very special and historic meeting about which you will no doubt have read or heard about in the Provincial magazine or on the Provincial Web site. 39 members of the National Grand Lodge of Romania, a Grand Lodge that had only had their links with the UGLE restored during the last twelve months, attended this meeting to witness the Passing of a 19 year old Romanian Student studying at Christchurch University Bro Adrian Ruse. The guests included R. W. Bro. Dan Tansie the Grand Secretary, V. W. Bro. Claudiu Ionescu the Editor of the Masonic Forum magazine; the Romanian equivalent of Freemasonry Today, Goerge Ruse the Father of Adrian Ruse and many other senior Romanian Freemasons and it also included the Master of his Mother Lodge. It was the first exchange between our two constitutions for 75 years. It was a long and enjoyable historic occasion with exchanges of gifts and a lot of other emotional exchanges as well. A real joy to be a part of.

So what of the future for the Scheme, in East Kent.

Well at the end of May the second Conference of the Universities Scheme will be held in Manchester and will of course include a group from St. Augustine Lodge.

On Saturday 6th June the Canterbury Masonic Centre and Museum will hold an Open Day to which have been invited many of the City Dignitaries as well as many others from the two Universities. We also have had several Posters and leaflets posted on the two campuses and so we are expecting a successful day, with more Student potential members of the Craft to come.

This autumn, St. Augustine Lodge will be Raising Bro. Adrian Ruse a meeting which will again, if they can afford the wine, will, no doubt, be attended by some of our Romanian guests.

I have already had a meeting, again thanks to the good offices of Dr. John Reuther with Professor Peter Jeffries who is the Dean of the faculty of Science, Technology and Medicine at the University of Kent to see if there is a Project that might interest the Grand Charity particularly now that we in East Kent have our own 2014 Festival for that Charity. This is an ongoing discussion that might bear fruit. Who knows?

In fact brethren; I think the future is bright.

May I just add a couple of things in conclusion?

Let me just ask you…all the members here of reasonably successful Lodges; how many of you would have wanted or have been prepared to risk your own valued Lodge by taking on the roll that St. Augustine Lodge did in accepting the challenge of becoming the Universities Lodge in East Kent. Not many I think. So just join with me in congratulating them, for their courage combined with their unqualified enthusiasm and energy in making it work. We are all in their debt.

Secondly you might ask; 'what is the value of this Universities Scheme and I charge you, all of you, to take two minutes of the couple of hours that will follow this meeting and talk to either of the two young men who have been initiates or the three young joining members you see here today and you will find that you just don't need to ask the question again. These bright young men will in twenty to thirty years time be successful in themselves, for their Companies and in the countries in which they live. And one other thing…they are and will be Freemasons.

Clearly the ongoing recruitment for the University Scheme will continue to be by word of mouth, the web site, our continued and growing association with the Kent Universities, the Open day in June and eventually our hope that Freemasonry will become acceptable as a normal part of community life which our policy of openness will undoubtedly and eventually bring. Our approach with the Universities should, in my view, continue to be a subtle and cautious one.

And finally brethren let me return to my opening remarks by reminding you that the instigator of all this was the Mason who happened to make those two casual visits to Apollo, and Isaac Newton University lodges five years or so ago, and who has driven this Universities Scheme to its undoubted success so far ever since. He is of course with us to day the Assistant Grand Master. David Kenneth Williamson, who deserves all the plaudits for developing what will undoubtedly make a major contribution to the future of the Craft not only in this Country but all over the World.

Worshipful Master and brethren I am grateful for your time and attention.

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