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Freemasonry on the top of the World
with compliments of
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PLEASE NOTE:
The full text may be obtained by email from the Correspondence Circle Secretary, W Bro Graeme Love. Please be sure include your snail-mail address and sufficient information to identify your masonic standing.
submitted by WBro.J.Howie, PM, 218CC Member, 1994
Bolivia has an area of 1,098,581 Km2 and a population of about six million, so it is hardly over-crowded. The western half consists of the high plateau between the western arm of the Andes, which forms the border with Chile, and the eastern arm. The Andes divides in Peru, runs through Bolivia in two arms which re-unite in northern Argentina. The average height of the Altiplano, or high plateau, is around 4000 metres, about 13,300 feet, and it is arid and cold.
The population of Bolivia is about 70% Indian with two main tribes, the Aymara who mainly live in the mountains and on the Altiplano and the Quechuas who live in the lowlands, co-existing peacefully. In the south east live the Guaranis who also extend into Paraguay, then there are several small tribes scattered around who are being absorbed.
A major problem is lack of ground communications, apart from the rivers, there are two railway systems, one in the east and one in the west but there is no inter-connection, they both came out of Argentina, having been built by the British. There are around 1000 kms of badly paved roads, otherwise one depends on dirt trails scratched into the sides of the mountains with a drop of 500 metres into the river if one is not careful, or wider, dirt roads in the lowlands which are clouds of dust in the dry weather and impassable in the wet season. There are three domestic airlines which link most towns when the airstrips are not water-logged, but they are beyond the means of the country folk who live very isolated lives as they have done for centuries.
Bolivia on gaining it's independence from Spain had a coast-line, including the town of Antofagasta but it lost it in the "Nitrate War" of 1879 when Chile invaded to gain control of the coast which was rich in guano from the millions of sea-birds. The guano was being harvested by British companies who objected to a tax imposed by the Bolivian authorities and allegedly incited the Chileans to attack. Their managers were mostly Masons so English Masonry got blamed for the loss of the Bolivian coast.
The scene being set, hopefully, we can proceed to consider Masonry on Top of the World. I chose this title as some years ago I laid claim, in the magazine "The Square," to the altutude record for English speaking lodges for my lodge, Anglo-Bolivian 7, working at 3577 metres, 11733 feet. Some interesting correspondence followed but there were no challengers, Lodge Roof of the World which used to operate in the mining district of Peru, having moved down to Lima.
Bolivia has two governing bodies for it's Masonry, the Grand Lodge which controls all Symbolic lodges in the Republic, both York (Craft) and Ancient and Accepted which starts here with the First Degree and the Supreme Council of the Thirty-third which controls the Capitular Degrees. The Grand Master and the Grand Commander each hold office for three years, but may be re-elected.
The Grand Lodge currently controls 36 lodges, of which seven work the York (Craft) Rite and the rest are A&AR. A New York (Craft) lodge is due to be founded in October 1994 in La Paz of which I find I am a founder. There are one or more lodges in all the provincial capitals of the Republic and the total of Brethren is around 2200. Public exposure is minimal due to the opposition of the Roman Catholic Church and there are now few public figures in the ranks, a few military officers and junior government officials. In days gone by we did count one or two Presidents amongst us.
The Grand Lodge of Bolivia also controls four Royal Arch Chapters and the Grand Master is Grand Z. Anglo-Bolivian No 7 formed the first in 1976 in Buenos Aires and then transferred it to La Paz. It like the lodge, works in English. The other three Chapters were founded by Anglo-Bolivian later to accommodate Spanish speakers. Anglo-Bolivian has also formed a Mark Lodge, "Bond of Friendship" which worked, by special permission of the Grand Lodge of Bolivia, under the Grand Mark Lodge of England. Several of our Brethren have been to Buenos Aires and become Knights of Malta and Templars, also Mariners but so far they do not function in Bolivia.
It is strange to see how Masonry grew in South America despite the tenacious opposition of the Roman Church, our lodges were all founded this century, mainly from Chile although one or two were warranted from Peru. The Grand Lodge was founded in 1929 when the old Chilean lodges changed their numbers, we were No 69 on the Roll of Chile. However, records show that Masons were prominent in the Wars of Independence and several lodges were formed in the period 1810 onwards but later went to sleep, as they say here. Many of the officers in the armies of Simon Bolivar in the north and San Martin in the south were English Masons, and the two leaders were also Masons. An English brigade led San Martin's Army of the Andes across the mountains to attack the Spaniards in Chile where they were being harassed by Admiral O'Higgins, and Irish Mason who had organised the Chilean rebel navy. Chile and Peru have centenary lodges.
Grand Lodge, and the Supreme Council, insist that Brethren serve two years in each degree but Anglo-Bolivian has special privileges, being a founder member of the Grand Lodge and we usually move a Brother up to Master in eighteen months, depending on his enthusiasm, as we believe in Brethren of Quality not Antiquity.
One amusing result of Grand Lodge working the first three degrees of Masonry plus the Worshipful Master in the A&AR is that they had no ritual to install the Worshipful Master so they invested him and after his year of office the Board of Installed Masters of his Lodge for his Installation. The Ceremony was then carried out by a York (Craft) lodge using the Extended Installation Ceremony from England. I was W.M. of the Installed Masters Lodge for three years and regularly complained to the G.M. that the Ceremony lost all it's impressiveness when up to twenty A&AR Masters were installed at the same time, to say nothing of being exhausting for the installing Master. Grand Lodge has finally given in and the A&AR Lodges now install their own Masters, at the end of their year of office, using the Emulation Ritual.
The sixteen lodges in La Paz, and the one in formation, use Temples in the Grand Lodge building, in the process of being re-built. There are three Temples furnished A&AR style with a central altar bearing the V.S.L. (Bible) and three candles in tall candle-sticks alongside. The Wardens sit at the back in the North and South. A Sun, Moon and All-seeing Eye decorate the East and in the appropriate degree a Blazing Star and the letter "G" appear in front of the Grecian style canopy over the Worshipful Master's dais, reached by seven steps. The upper walls are decorated with a chain above which are shown the astrological symbols, whilst the ceiling is blue and decorated with silver stars. The floor is the usual tessellated one of black and white square tiles.
The western columns are surmounted, quite incorrectly, with celestial and terrestrial globes.
One of these Temples has the capacity for about 400 Brethren, the other two are much smaller, and average lodge attendance being 30 to 40. Grand Lodge has recently built a new Grand Temple under the building with capacity for over 500 Brethren and this is used for the Solstice celebrations and other special occasions. Another new Temple is under construction which will be for the use of the York (Craft) Lodges and furnished accordingly.
A Royal Arch Temple is also housed in the Grand Lodge building and is furnished according to English custom.
Anglo-Bolivian Lodge has a small Temple in the southern suburbs, a relic of an argument between Grand Lodge and the banks some years ago over building loans when it appeared the banks might foreclose. We removed all our belongings and had a flat consecrated by the Grand Master, which he later regretted as we use our Temple for all our functions during the winter at freezing point. It is also the home of the Mark Lodge.
Both our Royal Arch Chapter and the Mark Lodge have proved useful bridges between the York (Craft) lodges and the A&AR, although the language barrier does prevent many Bolivians from joining, hence our foundation of Spanish speaking Royal Arch Chapters.
The Chain, mentioned above as a wall decoration, also forms part of the closing ceremony in all degrees, both Symbolic and Capitular. The Brethren form a chain round the altar with crossed arms and holding each other's hands, after the lodge has closed. The Worshipful Master then whispers the Masonic word, changed every six months at the Solstice ceremony, to the Brother on either side and it is repeated down to the Senior Warden standing opposite the W.M. He then repeats it back and it returns to the W.M. who then leads the chant "Happy to meet, sorry to part, happy to meet again" three times, the Brothers then shake hands and return to their places whilst the W.M. is escorted out. Bolivian lodges use the words "Health, Strength and Power" instead of our chant. The word is changed if visitors from other Grand Lodges are present and the word "Friendship" is used instead. I understand from Quatuor Coronati that the Chain was used in England but has now fallen into disuse. The theory being that it was used to detect cowans, in which case it should have been at the beginning of the ceremony not the end.
The provincial lodges all have their own Temples, ranging from very ornate structures in the richer towns to simple, airy constructions on the northern borders.
The Supreme Council controls the Capitular lodges through-out the Republic.
Lodges of Perfection work the first three Capitular Degrees, the Fourth, Ninth and Fourteenth. Their officers must be Fourteenth Degree and to gain access to a Lodge of Perfection a Brother must be proposed and must be a Light in his Symbolic lodge. A Light is one of the seven senior officers of the lodge, including the Orator or Chaplain as we call him. The Orator in an A&AR lodge here is also called the Fiscal and has the right to correct the Worshipful Master, which is absurd as he is just a Master Mason elected to the job.
Next comes the Eighteenth Degree, or Rosa Cruz. Entry is by invitation and the Brother must be a Past Master of a Symbolic lodge.
Progress to the Kadosh Degrees, Twenty-fourth and Thirtieth is by selection from on high. To enter the Thirty-second the Brother must have been a Master of one of the lower Capitular lodges and for the final Thirty-third a vacancy amongst the Thirty-three incumbents must be awaited.
Like Grand Lodge, the Supreme Council insists on two years per degree, although if one has friends in high places this can be circumvented, a practice well known through-out Latin American in all walks of life.
In all degrees, both Symbolic and Capitular a Brother is usually called upon for a talk and also has to give a promotion talk which, if approved, will allow him to move to the next degree provided he meets the qualifications, which include sixty percent attendance and paid up dues.
Brothers in Anglo-Bolivian Lodge and Chapter work their way up through the ranks so our elections are for hours and it is not unknown for a Senior Warden to find himself back in the rank and file if he has become unpopular!
All Bolivian lodges, both York (Craft) and A&AR meet once a week but Anglo-Bolivian under it's Warrant from the Grand Lodge of Chile, meets once a month throughout the year. The Royal Arch Chapters meet once a month, as do the Capitular Degrees in the A&AR although officers in the Lodges of Perfection have to attend the Fourth and Ninth as well as their own Fourteenth. Similarly in the Kadosh Degrees the officers, who must be Thirtieth, also have to attend the Twenty-fourth.
The Supreme Council and their associated Chapters have their Temple and offices on the top floor of the Grand Lodge building but do not pay any rent, they also use the lift but balk at paying any maintenance, a sore point as they charge rent to their Chapters for their offices and collect quite hefty dues from the Capitular Brethren.
One problem our Grand Lodge has is that whilst we meticulously follow the rulings of the Grand Lodge of England, we are also founder members of the Inter-American Masonic Confederation, quite naturally, and they recognise anyone who can rustle up an apron. Oddly we are in full amity with England and Scotland but Ireland refuses us recognition because we associate, however distantly, with odd-ball Grand Lodges under the Inter-American Masonic Confederation!
Grand Lodge with it's own Grand Council periodically makes a visit to the provincial lodges, with wives. Visits to the main towns, Cochabamba, Santa Cruz, Potosi, Sucre and Tarija are fairly normal as they all have paved air-strips and well built premises. Sucre is rather difficult as apart from being the legal capital of Bolivia it is a hot-bed of the Roman Church, Masons cannot be married there for starters, so their Temple is well hidden and everyone keeps a low profile. The northern towns of Trinidad, Cobija, Riberalta and Guayaramerin are a different story as they have dirt air-strips and if it rains you can be stuck for days until the earth dries up. However, they are much more interesting and so entirely different, being really tropical, beside huge rivers and rather isolated from the main stream of life. The hospitality all over is prodigious and lasting friendships are formed as well as lots of extra kilos.
The grand Lodge of Bolivia has increased from twenty-four lodges in 1986 to thirty-seven today so we can say that Masonry is healthy and thriving here. The same cannot be said for Argentina sadly, but Chile is extremely vibrant and Brazil, Peru and Paraguay are healthy.
I hope you now have a better idea of Masonry on the Top of the World. Differences there probably are but the basic spirit is the same.
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Updated: 15 September 2004
