Bro Ishibashi | Bro Adams | MWB Watanabe
The Special Meeting held on October 24, 2009 was convened for the purpose of conferring the Second Degree of Masonry on Bro Kevin Adams and Bro Masumi Ishibashi, both of whom had already proved their proficiency in the First Degree. Consequently the meeting was conducted entirely in the Second Degree. As several members of the Lodge had never experienced opening and closing in the Second Degree, MWB Watanabe held a short Lodge of Instruction at 11 a.m. on the morning of the conferral. He drilled the Deacons and Stewards in the correct manner of handling the rods, and the Brethren present then practised a simplified Fellowcraft Lodge opening.
At 1 p.m. WB Buda opened a Lodge of Fellowcraft Masons, with Bro Inomata, SW, in the West, and Bro Honda, SD, acting JW in the South. There being no objections to the conferral, the Stewards retired to prepare the candidates, who returned in due time to received the first section of the degree. WB Buda gave the Obligation and Bro Taiki Ogawa the Working Tools of the degree.
Bro Ishibashi | Bro Adams | MWB Watanabe
After the candidates had been restored to their personal comfort, they returned to the Lodge and received the Staircase Lecture from Bro Tsujii, SD. In other floorwork, Bro Tomio Ogawa gave the G Lecture and MWB Watanabe delivered the Charge. All ritual work was conducted in English.
At the end of the ceremony, MWB Watanabe congratulated Bro Tsujii on an outstanding Staircase Lecture and praised Bro Tomio Ogawa for his delivery of the G Lecture. The WM concurred with MWB Watanabe's remarks and added that the members of Far East Lodge No. 1 should take pride in being perhaps the only truly bilingual lodge under the Grand Lodge of Japan. Some lodges conducted their ritual in English, some in Japanese. A few made use of both languages for parts of meetings or degree conferrals. Only Far East Lodge No. 1, however, had proved itself capable of conferring entire degrees in both languages.
MWB Watanabe and Bro Inomata congratulate Bro Adams while Bros Jackson and Ishibashi look on.
The next meeting of Far East Lodge No. 1 will be the Stated Meeting for November to be held on the 7th of that month. A Special Meeting to confer the sublime degree of Master Mason on Bro. Anderson is scheduled for November 28.
Bro Inomata | Bro Tomio Ogawa | Bro Anderson | Bro Taniuchi | Bro Honda | Bro Tsujii
Although the raising of Bro Anderson will probably be the last degree conferral to be held this year, two petitioners who were elected in September to receive the degrees of Masonry in our Lodge are still waiting to be initiated. The New Year promises to be a very busy one for the Brethren of Far East Lodge No. 1