Freemasons will celebrate their 300th anniversary with a series of events
JOBURG – There will be a series of events including a photo walk and a concert to celebrate the tercentenary of Freemasonry.
The English Freemasonry, which falls under the United Grand Lodge of England, will celebrate the 300th anniversary of its founding with various events around the world.
Freemasonry, which is a society of men, focuses on fraternity and charity. The society is open to all men of all faiths, on the condition that they believe in a higher power. The District of South Africa, North is the largest district outside of England and comprises almost 2 000 members.
Lance Epstein, who is a member of South Africa, North District said there are often misconceptions about Freemasonry. “It’s about charity, charity, charity, brotherly love, relief, and truth.”
The Freemasons, under the district of South Africa, North focuses on giving to various charity organisations including Childline, CHOC and Reach for Recovery, a support programme for breast cancer survivors, among others.
READ: Next Biosciences gives back to Choc
Simon Knutton, who is also a Mason, explained that there is the belief that Freemasonry is a secret society. And to address that, there will be a series of events when they celebrate their 300th anniversary.
“The Tercentenary is a huge celebration for us. Three hundred years, it’s the world’s oldest fraternity,” said Knutton.
“Our Grand Master, His Royal Highness Duke of Kent, decided that leading up to the tercentenary, it was time to drop all the misconceptions about it being a secret society.”
The Premier Event, Celebrating 300 Years of Harmony, will be a concert held at the Linder Auditorium at Wits. The concert will comprise only music composed by Freemasons, such as Mozart and Franz Joseph Haydn, in order to celebrate the contributions Masons have made to music.
There will also be a photo walk at the Freemasons Hall in Parktown on 1 July which will allow about 60 photographers, both amateur and professional, the opportunity to photograph the heritage building. There will also be an open day at all the Freemason Lodges on 29 July which will allow people the opportunity to learn more about Freemasonry.
Tell us what you think of the tercentenary events on WhatsApp 079 439 5345.
