THE LODGE OF EXPATIATION No 9290 Founded 1988

THE AIMS OF THE FOUNDERS

Every single Founder has been a source, not only of inspiration, but also of thankfulness, that there exists a number of Freemasons who realise that there are deeper things to contemplate within our Order, and are prepared to see this work made part and parcel of the activities within this new Lodge.
Historical and Antiquarian research is not our aim. Specialist Research Lodges are much better placed to do this work.

The Founders agreed that they must be prepared to accept a sea-change in their attitudes towards Freemasonry as practised within the majority of Lodges.
Tolerance of new ideas was an essential prerequisite; being willing to accept that alternative and perhaps unfamilar interpretations of ritual might well offer deeper insights than those with which they had hitherto been familiar.
But, Brethren, this sea-change does not seek to abandon, deride or uproot previous experience, but rather to build on it, it means looking beneath the surface-rituals to discover deeper symbolism than is usually explored on Lodge floors; by finding what allegories are being illustrated by this deeper symbolism; and thus discovering what is being veiled by those allegories.

Candidates, as in any Lodge, will be our life-blood. What we are setting out to do is to teach our Candidates the meaning of each Degree as they progress.
In this we can only go so far.
Not because it is difficult; and it most certainly is; nor because we need to run a string of Candidates through their Degrees to keep the Lodge viable financially.
This would be completely contrary to our main purpose.

The reason by which we are limited is, that having shown the Candidate that the First Degree is one of Purification, and that the Second is one of Education, we can no longer give him anything but the benefit of our own experience.
The intellectual effort required to attain Sublimation of his "worldly possessions'' in the Third Degree, and to complete that Degree in the Holy Royal Arch whereby his final Illumination is achieved, is his and his alone.
Only by his own efforts can he build that Temple "honourable to the Builder" and attain the knowledge of Himself.

In the First Section of the First Degree Lecture, a question is asked - "What is a Lodge of Freemasons?"
The answer - "An assemblage of Brethren met to expatiate on the mysteries of the Craft".
Hence the name and the motto of this Lodge. "Expatiation", and "Know Thyself.

A J Balfour wrote as follows:-
"Our highest truths are but half-truths, Think not to settle down for ever in any truth.
Make use of it as tent in which to pass a summer's night, but build no house in it or it will be your tomb.
When you first have an inkling of its insufficiency, and begin to descry a dim counter-truth coming up beyond, then weep not, but give thanks, it is the Lord's voice whispering, take up thy bed and walk"

Cornel Come and walk with us, the Founders of this new Lodge."

The above is the text of the reply to the Toast to the Founders at the Consecration of the Lodge of Expatiation 9290 on the 10th September 1988.
It was delivered by WBro Michael WJ Oliver, a PM of Lodge St George 200 SC, Bermuda who was the Founding Senior Warden.