What a Lodge has to prepare for before the Cornerstone is laid.
The local Lodge or members of the local Lodge should contact the people who are building a new building or putting an addition on to an existing building, to see if they would like Grand Lodge to perform a ceremony of a cornerstone laying. There is also a Symbolic Cornerstone laying. Cornerstone laying is only performed on School buildings, public structures, or places of Worship. In no instance is it proper for Masons to lay the cornerstone of any other than a public or Masonic edifice; and then only by special request from the proper authorities.
The Grand Lodge Secretary has a video to show the ceremony. This will help the building people make up their minds if they want it performed or not. Also a building will have to have a cornerstone planned for the building. Some new buildings do not have cornerstones. You may have to sell this idea to them. Your local Lodge will have to get the local dignitaries (Mayor, School Superintend, Fire Chief, Police Chief, etc.) prepare a short speech and have them at the ceremony. The Grand Lodge Orator will need some information on the town history, building, and or history of the person the building is being dedicated to. The local Lodge will have to prepare a Lunch for the Grand Lodge elected officers and Local dignitaries. You can charge the other people invited for their meal. The local Lodge will have to have their Lodge room set up to open Grand Lodge before the ceremony and after the lunch and leave it until after the ceremony to close Grand Lodge.
Information to be supplied to Grand Lodge Office
The following information should be sent to the Grand Lodge Office no later than two months before the ceremony so that official notices may be sent in a timely fashion:
1. Time and place of luncheon / refreshments, if planned.
2. If no-host, complimentary to whom (Grand Master and Local Dignitaries).
3. Time and place of opening Grand Lodge.
4. Time and place (Location or address) of cornerstone ceremony.
5. Is social hour planned after ceremony and closing of Grand Lodge?
6. Suggested overnight lodging, if required. Names, phone numbers, and address of motels in area where Grand Lodge Officers may make reservations.
7. Any special directions which may be required.
Symbolic Cornerstone Laying
This is similar to the Cornerstone laying except the cornerstone is placed on a tripod and the ceremony is performed inside the building out of the weather. The cornerstone is then put in its place by regular stone masons sometime after the ceremony is completed.
The cornerstone is normally placed on the face of the
building, or front Northwest side of the building.
It can be placed in a flag pole structure (or other structure similar)
close to the building.
The ceremony is conducted by the Grand Master in person or
by a Special Deputy, and can be varied according to conditions existing, the
number present, and the character of the edifice to be erected.
If it be a national, state or city public building, the chief executive
officers may be assigned places of honor in the procession, but not as actual
participants in the ceremonial exercises. At
the time appointed, the Grand Lodge will be opened in a convenient place,
preferred the local Lodge; the brethren assume their proper clothing and jewels,
wearing white gloves; (the local Lodge will furnish white gloves to those who do
not have them) the necessary instructions are given.
Martial music should be provided.
Inscription
The cornerstone for building should be cut: with the Name
of the building, City or County officers, or Board of directors, and who the
building is dedicated to, Laid by the M. W. Grand Lodge of F. & A. M. of
Washington, Date in full, A. L. 6000, Grand Master’s name, Grand Master.
Or it may just have the Masonic emblem.
If it is for a Masonic building, the stone must be
inscribed on the front side of the stone: Laid
by the M. W. Grand Lodge of F. & A. M. of Washington, Date in full, A. L.
6000, Grand Master’s Name, Grand Master.
i.e.: Smith Town Library
Joe Smith, Mayor
City Council
Members:
Tom Jones
Sally Smyth
Joe Alfred
Cornerstone Laid by the M. W. Grand Lodge of F. & A. M.
of Washington, Date in full, A. L. 6000, Grand Master’s name, Grand Master.
For school buildings, public structures or places of
worship, the presence of the name of the Grand Lodge and or Masonic emblem is at
the option of the governing bodies. Should
the use of the same be allowed, it is recommended that the name of the Grand
Lodge and the date be inscribed.
A cavity must be cut in the building on the under side of
the cornerstone for the box of deposits.
The Sealed Metal Box or Tube:
A metal box or tube should be provided to hold the memorial
materials to be placed therein. (Recently,
a durable plastic receptacle is being used instead of metal.)
These memorial items may consist of a Grand Lodge Roster, a roster of the
Officers and members of the local Lodge, the Directory of the Grand Lodge for
the current year, newspaper (articles) containing a story about the new
building, names and titles of distinguished guests or public officials
participating in the program or building of the structure, coins stamps, or any
other memorial material which would impart information whenever the box might be
opened again. If the building is
being dedicated to a Specific Person then newspaper articles and information on
that person should be included. The
box or tube should be on the secretary’s desk for the use of the Grand
Secretary at the time the Grand Lodge is opened.
List of Contents
A list of the memorial material placed in the box or tube
should be handed to the Grand Secretary before Grand Lodge is Opened.
A triumphal arch is usually erected at the place where the
ceremony is to be performed. A
convenient and safe platform should be built, for the officers and choir.
(this is not always necessary a small stage or a place in front of the
room with chairs enough to seat the Grand Master, Deputy Grand Master, Senior
Grand Warden, Junior Grand Warden, Grand Secretary, Grand Chaplain, Grand
Architect, Grand Orator and Grand Marshal to the left of the podium the
dignitaries to the right of the podium. The
cornerstone and the podium is placed in between the dignitaries and Grand Lodge
members.)
The cornerstone may be of any dimension - granite, marble, brass or other compound. In some public buildings the symbolic stone is placed inside and a plastic or similar material cover placed over receptacle cavity.
Tools Needed by Local Lodge for Ceremony
Wooden setting mall, Trowel, Square, Plumb, Level,
Wardens’ staffs and Stewards’ staffs. Opening and closing ceremony:
To perform this ceremony, the Grand Lodge is opened in Special
Communication, and the Grand Lodge Officers and acting officers will occupy the
stations and places. The Grand
Lodge should be set up with all necessary equipment, etc., for the use by the
Grand Lodge Officers.
Pro-Tem and Special Officers
In case some of the Grand Lodge Officers may be absent, it is always well to have Brothers (preferably Past Masters) standing by to fill vacancies.
If an Officer (who has a speaking part) is absent, the
Grand Master will notify someone in advance to be prepared to fill in for the
absent officer.
Master Architect
Someone from your Lodge should be notified well in advance
of the ceremony date to learn the part of the Architect.
Before the ceremony all Grand Lodge Officers and all masons
present line up outside the room and march in as found on page 113 of the
Washington Monitor.
The Ceremony can be found in the Washington Monitor on pages 112 thru 121.