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On the Way to the Northernmost Women's Lodge Rate Topic Display Mode Topic Options Author Message johndee Posted 22/01/2010 05:47 Apprentice Group: Forum Members Last Login: 15/06/2010 05:34 Posts: 67, Visits: 270 On the Way to the Northernmost Women's Lodge by Antje Walther - January 21, 2010 http://www.shz.de/nachrichten/lokales/der-inselbote/artikeldetails/article/803/sanfter-einstieg-in-die-loge.html   Curiosity led her to the Lodge Hall in Flensburg. And fine sensibility. Brigitte Bratke, born in 1943, who studied mathematics and art, was often occupied with stained glass church windows. The huge glass windows of the magnificent gleaming white building in Flensburg struck her immediately. Her interest in taking a tour met with the hospitality of the Freemasons, who occupy the building, and resulted in cooperation. "I was missing Freemasonry, the Community of the Like-minded," Brigitte Bratke quickly realized, a year ago, after she had followed her family from Hanover to the north. In the Lower Saxony state capital the northernmost women's Lodge has its headquarters. Many Flensburg Lodge Brothers have for a long time encouraged the establishment of a female counterpart of the Brotherhood. "We take nothing away from them at all," says Bratke, laughing.   On the contrary, "We harmonize," explains the woman Freemason, since her first encounter with the Brothers. They are expected to assist the future women's Lodge as advisers. Seven Master Masons are necessary to establish the Lodge. Besides Bratke there are two women of this degree in Schleswig-Holstein. "In Flensburg I have felt Freemasonry living," recalls Bratke. For her this means, "to accept persons as they are - with all their peculiarities." And to practice tolerance, which is the key to understanding Freemasonry. She carefully chooses her words, like a gracious hostess, aware of the suspicions about Lodges. Experience corrected her own prejudices. In the Hanoverian women's Lodge, for example, it is standard practice to examine a candidate for a year, to see whether they fit each other. Brigitte Bratke herself took two years, and was at first surprised at the cultivated and extremely polite discussions, without attacking each other's words. However, "mutual respect, esteem, unconditional aid," proved to be constant. The so-called Temple Work, which has its origin in the stonemasons, who agreed to signs of recognition, makes possible with regular meetings, nothing more and nothing less, than "for one hour, at most two, one can retreat from the bustle of everyday life." The curious, "seekers" in the language of the Masons, find in the Lodge free discussion and work on oneself. Talk about politics and religion are off limits, as they contradict the idea of tolerance. "Masons do not proselytize," says Brigitte Bratke. They each work on themselves, knowing their own fallibility. "Be the change that you want for the world," she quotes Gandhi, speaking from the heart. Women who are interested in Freemasonry are invited to the Flensburg Lodge Hall on February 20, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Those who wish will in the future be personally invited to guest meetings.     Post #17608 « Prev Topic | Next Topic »

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