DEMYSTIFICATION OF FREEMASONRY THROUGH MKAPA, CHANDE

DEMYSTIFICATION OF FREEMASONRY THROUGH MKAPA, CHANDE,

MASON

APRIL 13, 2007

BOOK REVIEW

DEMYSTIFICATION OF FREEMASONRY THROUGH MKAPA, CHANDE, KIBAKI, AWORI

Title: Whither Directing your Course, Edition 2006

Writer: Sir Andy Chande, KBE

Publisher: Sunlitho Ltd, Nairobi, Kenya.

Reviewer: Mwondoshah Mfanga

“WHITHER Directing Your Course” is not a new book, but a new edition from the original released over ten years ago. The new edition consists of speeches mostly by the now retired District Grandmaster of Freemasonry for East African countries and the Seychelles, Sir Andy Chande, KBE, delivered during various periods from August 1982 to 2006.

The 367-page book is divided into four chapters which fall under the topics—Craft, Education conferences, Royal Arch and Mark Masonry.

What makes it a new title is the input of two things. One is the latest pictures, in which Sir Chande was taken while meeting various political and freemason leaders.

Among them include the M. W. Brother His Royal Highness The Duke of Kent, KG Grand Mater of the United Grand Lodge of England, who also heads the British Freemason worldwide, former Tanzanian Presidents- Ali Hassan Mwinyi and Benjamin Mkapa and the current Kenyan Vice-President, Moody Awori.

The other thing which makes the title a better and improved edition is the speeches input including that of former President Mkapa, Kenyan Vice President Awori and the current Kenyan President, Mwai Kibaki. In addition, there is s letter from the British Grand Lodge in London which congratulates the East African District Grand Master for managing to steer the Organisations to the recognition by leaders such as the Benjamin Mkapa.

Chande’s speeches were delivered in masonic lodges scattered all over the region, which dominates the book. He attempts to do what one may call to tow things generally. First is to reinforce the organizational set up of the society and two is to make it become much more transparent and understood to the general public—a demystification mission.

Most of the speeches, therefore, dwell on the rules of this influential and globally spread association, communications among the members and the upholding of the masonic ethics.

The speeches put more emphasis on the roles role of the masonic leaders, right from the recruitment process and the strictness they should exercise in getting good member and leaders and the safeguarding of the masonic rituals and lodges’ coffers (rule 153) inline with the freemason constitution.

He states: “Each of us is a ‘gem in the rough. We come to the door of freemasonry as imperfect men, rough ashlars to be polished by the teachings of our fraternity as we strive to achieve higher accomplishment from ourselves and from the brethren we are striving.”

In freemasonry, he states, there is no forced membership; however, strictness is exercised so as to get right people as once adopted, masonic teachings become useful rules for life.

In a speech delivered in 1982 when he was Assistant Grand Master at the District Grand Lodge in Nairobi, Chande outlines five main areas which he says proposers or seconders should give attention to in the recruitment of members.

This fall under the categories, rules to be observed before the proposal form is signed. Among them is that the candidate should know that there is no pecuniary advantage, privilege or patronage that will accrue due to his membership.

Other rules are those that have to be observed until the initiation night is imminent and those that follows then until the attainment of the third degree. In all these, processes the proposer is supposed to make sure that he attends meetings of the lodge with the candidate until the candidate reaches the rank of Master Mason.

The last set of rules is whereby the proposer is, among others, supposed to make sure that the new member is not left alone outside any conventional group.

Besides these speeches which dwell on the rules of operation, there are those, especially that on Especial Communication of 1992 and the one given during the celebration of the 275th anniversary of the Grand Lodge of England on July 18, 1992 which attempts to make some highlights on the historical evolution of freemasonry. The latter, published in full, both in the East African Standards, Kenya and The Standard in Tanzania, it poses the often asked question about the origin of freemasonry.

And the answer, he says the exact origin of the movement remains unknown. But there is belief, he says, that it started in medieval centuries England and descended directly or indirectly from the stonemason.

“In the seventeenth century, when cathedral building was on the decline, many guilds of stonemasons known as “Operative Masons” or Free masons”, started to accept as members, those who were not members of the masons’ craft, calling them “Speculative Masons” or “Accepted Masons”. It was from these groups, comprised mostly “Adopted or Accepted Masons” that symbolic Masonry or Freemasonry, as we know it today, and had its origin.

Chande says at the time there were 8488 lodges operating throughout the world under the United Grand Lodge of England, 114 of which are grand lodges with then a membership of seven million.

He ventures to define it as a non secret society. “Its aims, principles, institutions and rules are available to the public, and its members are at liberty to acknowledge their membership adding that the only secrets in freemasonry are the traditional modes of recognition.”

But is freemason a religion? If not, what relationship does it have with religion?

On this, he says: “Freemasonry is neither a religion in itself, nor a substitute for religion, it expects its members to follow their own faiths and it has no theology or dogma, and by forbidding the discussion of religion at its meetings, prevents the development of any dogma.

Besides, freemasonry shares the responsibilities in caring for the less fortunate members of society by organizing charities and dishing out donations.

According to Chande, freemasonry in East Africa started in 1903 with Lodge East Africa No. 3007 in Zanzibar followed by the consecration of Lodge Harmony No. 3084 in 1906 in Nairobi and that of Haven of Peace No. 4385 in Dar es Salaam in 1922.

By 1926 there were fourteen such lodges including one each in Tanganyika and Zanzibar directly controlled from the headquarters in London and today, many more have been set up in the country, some of which are under the order of the Grand lodges of Ireland and Scotland.

“The Grand Lodge of England is not the only one. Until 1992 there were eight other Masonic lodges in East Africa, who worked under the jurisdictions of the Grand Lodges of Ireland and Scotland, whose principles are identical with that of the United Grand Lodges of England.

Perhaps what one could say is a clear attempt to demystify freemasonry is more vivid in Chande’s banquet speech delivered during the centenary celebration of the organization at Royal Palm Hotel in Dar es Salaam in 2004, whereby he mentions a number of achievements made by the organization worldwide.

He says the East African district had grown stably with almost 50 lodges, more members and better understood by the people as an organization that is there to help them than as a secret society.

Probably the long list of members of the organization who happened to be leaders in the wider world is a great revelation of the time capable of convincing the public that the society is well known globally. Such leaders include presidents, ministers, kings, chiefs, sultans and even leading judges and lawyers.

As for the world, “Our membership list runs like the world Who’s Who. Besides fourteen American Presidents, seven American Vice-presidents, six Canadian Prime Ministers, ten Australian Prime Ministers, thirty five US Supreme Court Justices and general Douglas Mac Arthur were all freemasons.

“President Truman when talking about freemasons said: ‘We represent a fraternity which believes in justice and truth and honorable action in our community…men who are endevouring to be better citizens…and to make a great country greater. This is the only institution in the world where we meet on the level of all sorts of people, who want to live rightly,’” he says.

“We presently have amongst our members, His Royal Highness Prince Phillip, the Duke of Edinburgh, General Ford, George Bush, Bill Clinton and General Collin Powell,” Chande adds.

Other prominent personalities include Shakespeare, Napoleon Bonaparte, Winston Churchill, Olof Palme, Francois Mitterrand, Willy Brandt, Edgar Hoover, The Aga Khan, Tony Blair, Jesse Jackson, the Rockefellers and Neil Armstrong, besides prominent monarchs.

For his part former President Mkapa commends the organization for not only aspiring to the high ideals of “Spirit, Temperance, Fortitude, Prudence and Justice”, but also for setting an example for others.

With various quotations from some legendary poets Mkapa challenges people on the myths and misconceptions they associate with the organization, adding that it was the duty of the freemasonry to work hard to disabuse them.

Quoting the Greek poet, Homer, who lives in 800 BC in ‘The Illiads”, he says, “I detest the man who hides one thing in the depth of his heart and speaks for another.”

“Hypocrisy continues to characterize relations between people, communities and governments. What you hear is not what you get,” the former president concludes in his speech which is highly commended by the Grand Lodge’s Grand Secretary in a letter sent to the District Grand Master in October the same year.

Awori delivered his speech during the reception of wheelchairs from the freemasonry society. Like Mkapa, he comes out clearly to demystify freemasonry: “We must discard the notion that freemasonry is a secret society, that it has a hidden agenda. That cannot be the case at all.”

“If there is a hidden society agenda to give physically handicapped wheelchairs then I like that hidden agenda, and to help primary schools, eye clinics and disabled schools, then that hidden agenda be what we need to embrace in this country,” he says.

And lastly is the Kibaki speech delivered at the centenary of the organizations birthday in the region by a Kenyan government official. He says His Royal Highness the Duke of Kent Freemasonry has developed into a worldwide organization emphasizing self-improvement and social betterment via collective and individual involvement.

The president who thanks the organization for its continued support to supplement government efforts in improving the people’s lives says its assistance to the orphanages and in health and education sectors is a testimony of its concern to the disadvantaged.

In the book, there is what is called the Royal Arch and how it relates with the Craft, which though the author belabours to explain, it further demands more explication to be understood by members of the public.

H says the Royal Arch degree as it is known today in the English freemasonry was created from the French idea. While the Craft is the foundation and superstructure, the Royal Arch is the copestone.

“The Craft and the Royal Arch together span and form the most substantial part of a mason’s teachings and leads him on to a search for the reason of life.”

Yes the speeches in the book make a big attempt to make transparent the organization’s activities and agenda, which in the past a good number of people mistook it for an entity for some secret deals.

Much attribution is given to the ardent work done since the eighties by Sir Chande in the region who, some members say, has kept the organization in a sound and stable position before he retired in 2005.

However, the book only shows many charity activities done by the organization, people would like to see it come out openly and directly to them, and like other NGOs, organize more social activities, invite people to seminars workshops and the like.

The book consists of speeches by big organization leaders and politicians. However, it is understood that when Freemason members meet, they discuss papers and various works, which may be useful, not only to them, but also to the wider society. Like the speeches, much of the useful works could be punished and be made available to the public.

If all these are done, more people will get to know the organization better. Otherwise, “Wither Directing Your Course” is a wonderful revelation of the Freemasonry activities though only in speech. It is a superb reader for anyone who wants to know Freemasonry activities in East Africa and how they relate to the wider world.