Dajazar

Do you seriously think that a chairman who was known for telling members of the public to "shut up/sit down" would have tolerated an individual councillor trying to highjack a meeting? In addittion, such conduct would not exactly be democratic. Adam, you and I have spoken many times after meetings and I know that we share some opinions and are poles apart on others. I too would have had a debate with you and the other candidates if you too had asked. However, not everyone is on here or would be prepared to participate. Therefore people may not get a balanced view of the situation. The fact that certain councillors are not standing for re-election speaks more about who is prepared to defend their views/corner than anything else. At the end of the day no matter which Party (or none) we represent, we all want to do our best for our community and that I think is the most important thing of all. I wish everyone good luck on Thursday 2nd May whichever ward they seek to represent.

Well Adam, that is your opinion and you are entitled to it. However, I did apologise for the slight error in name and my recollection of the other events is somewhat different. As for me just "shaking my head" I think you will find that me being out voted 7 to 1 whenever I did not take a majority veiw was behind this. I will just note that it is very easy to be critical on a forum. As it has been said, we all have our own opinions and it is good that the community is taking an interest in the affairs of the Town.

You could have from me. Town council meetings are minuted. I have no problem whatever speaking to anyone either before or after these meetings as others will attest. My literature for these elections also carry my e-mail address (tracy.aynsley@gmail.com) and a mobile contact number which is 07925756470. I have given contact numbers on all my literature delivered in West Bedlington during the last 4 years and have frequently been contacted by members of the community as a result. I don't think there is any point in trying to hide because it's just not posssible. It is similarly impossible to engage in every topic of discussion/argument either on here, on other forums or in the press/media. In any event, there are others more eloquent than I who can offer a sensible view. Foxy et al are welcome to discuss any community/council business with me providing it involves West Bedlington.

For the record, can I just say that no councillor abstained in the precept increase voting. However, one councillor voted AGAINST the increases and that councillor was ME. I agree that the public should have been permitted to engage in a discussion over the merits or otherwise of increasing a precept. After all it is public money and affects everyone. Similarly, I am also in favour of an increase in the public input into Town Council meetings. I had to accept that I was in a minority in these beliefs but always voted in line with my views and if re-elected, will continue to do so and thereby represent the views of the community of West Bedlington where I too live.

Mmmm. Sly cake..........

Tsk Tsk. Who COULD you be referring to Malcolm????

I was asking the lasses in Tesco's this self same question months ago and was told it was on hold until 2012.

Yes, absolutely true. The Masonic care home in this area is Scarborough Court in Cramlington. This was recently refurbished to world class standards and the residents there seem very happy with the level of care they receive. It is not just Masons but also their wives/widows and this means that some very frail and vulnerable old folk can be cared for through Masonry should they be unable to look after themselves. I think that when all is said and done, Masonry, it's values. secrets, history, rituals and brotherhood needs to "call out" to you. If it does so, if it pricks at your curiosity and inner being then perhaps it is for you. If not, then as Mercuryg suggests, there are more than enough other distractions vying for our attention.

I believe so. That is not to say they are not available elsewhere or that different interpretations are not available elsewhere because evidently, they are. However, as ever, the answers are invariably a matter of faith. Freemasonry tries to answer these age old questions using the "tools" man has been given. Because the questions are so fundamental, many have attempted to do so from medicine men, shamen, mystics, men of faith, scientists, dreamers et al. Many will offer you the "answers" for free and many will not but it is worth considering the following: Starting from the central tenent of belief in a supreme being (which I am afraid is inescapable whatever the intentions of a small number of opportunistic individuals) and given that it is fairly accepted that Freemasonry is a charitable organisation which does good works, would you rather seek those answers through such a group of like minded people which offers the opportunity to serve others and improve your own knowledge or would you prefer to answer an advertisement in a local paper offering you these answers for only £10.00 per month? Now I would choose the former (although as a female, I cannot) but I can fully accept that there will be those who would go for the latter, if for financial considerations alone. Obviously, I use the comparison to illustrate diametric opposites but when you ask what it is that would lead someone to join the Masons, I hope that you can see why some would view it as an attractive proposition. Of course it is not for everyone but I think the subject has stimulated sufficient debate on here to at least prompt others to wish to learn more. I am heavily reliant on my husband for some of the interpretations and needless to say, as a past Master, he is very involved and enjoys his membership immensely.

Yes, I'll second that. Nothing was too much trouble and he's done a lot for people round here. This is the Big Society in action. Thank God for farmers.

More than a few Christians seem to view their religion as a "concept". This seems to arise from some difficulty as accepting The Bible as literal truth. Some see the acceptance of religious texts in this way as the root cause of extremism and there is more than enough evidence of this. Freemasonry as I understand it, faces the same sort of conundrum. However, the brotherhood accepts that Masonic ritual contains a good sprinkling of allegory so the question of "literal truth", where it comes into conflict with established facts is dealt with in this way. My other half is not religious in the sense of being a regular churchgoer but was used to asking questions of other family members already in the brotherhood. He found himself very attracted by the ancient ritual which he sensed sought the answers to questions humans have asked down the ages. Is this all there is? Is man here for a purpose? What (if anything) lies beyond this life? Malcolm's pictures hold a poignancy for Masons and show that the same questions being asked then are being asked now. Masonry offers the answers to these mysteries which are revealed as a man progresses through the three degrees from entered apprentice to master mason. The revelation of these hidden mysteries are the goal which is achieved by adherence to the principals of the Order. I understand that Masonic ritual is very "powerful" in the sense that it is clearly ancient and echoes back through the ages to the root of humanity. Many also achieve this through participation in organised religion but one does not have to be religious to join the brotherhood. I think (and this is exclusively my own opinion) the belief in a supreme being is a necessary starting point from which those questions emanate? Is this supreme being "God"? I think so but others think He/She or It has a different name and this is no less valid an opinion in the search for answers. This acceptance is attractive to many men and leads them to wish to learn more. Of course, some organised religions feel that this concept is challenging which has led the Order being denounced down the ages. As has already been alluded to, this has resulted in fanciful works of fiction such as the works of Dan Brown et al. As I have said before, Freemasonry is not a religion but it compliments any other which has the belief in the supreme being as it's central tenent. Some very senior churchmen of all denominations are also Freemasons. As with any club, some members join only to find that it is not for them and they then drop out. Are these individuals those Mercuryg refers to, who are joining for what they perceive to be it's material benefits? Perhaps, or maybe their questions are not being answered or at least answered in a way they expected. This poses some very profound questions but of course like any other "gentlemans club" there is usually a lot of eating, drinking and amusement to be had outside of the scrutiny of wives and girlfriends. The social scene is very enjoyable though, especially the Ladies Nights.

An interesting angle. I asked my husband how he would describe a Mason without a belief in a supreme being? He said that he could not put an accurate name to such a person although a Water Buffalo might be the closest you could get. However, this might be misleading as he is not a "Buff" and has little knowledge of their activities beyond their committment to philanthropy. They do still exist though. Doubtless there are Masons who don't really believe in a supreme being just as there are Christians who don't believe in Jesus. I doubt there are many though. Of course a "supreme being" might actually mean just about anything; a deity, alien species, life force, spirit or whatever. I suppose the underlying principle must be intelligent design. Are we getting too highbrow here or what? Next thread by Erich von Danniken "Was God an English Astronaut?" Bedlington edition with foreword by David Icke.

Quite undestandable but nonetheless true although it was before 9/11 and more recent troubles. It is also true however that such men are a long way from the extreme interpretations of their respective religions as it is possible to get. When you are comfortable with your beliefs in the overall scheme of things, why would you feel it necessary to persecute others who hold different views but are otherwise benevolent and of good character? However, that's for another thread......

Yes, many Masons are regular churchgoers but by no means all. I should have mentioned that there are many branches of Freemasonry (referred to as "The Craft"). One such branch is The Chapter (coincidentally the same name as the infamous motorcycle gangs). This is closely related to the Christian faith as is The Knights Templar who continue to exist as another branch of the Order and The Rose Croix. I always used to think that admission was only by recommendation but this is not so. You would however need to seek out other Freemasons if you were interested in joining and they would need to get to know you to feel confident of proposing and seconding you. You do need the belief in the supreme being though. All Masons have pledged this belief before being admitted. In his early days as an entered apprentice (as new Masons are referred to) my husband was amazed to witness together in a lodge room, Christians, Catholics, Sikhs, Muslims and a myriad of men of other faiths working together. The uniting factor was the belief in the supreme being. In other situations/countries/places these men could have been at each others throats or denouncing each other/preaching hatred and all the other things that characterise conflict. These things have no place or relevance within Masonry and that is, I believe, something to cherish.

Hi. Some interesting replies there chaps and tbh I've had to ask the other half about some of them-at least to make sure I've got it right. Cympil, your answers are as follows. The millions in charitable donations come from individual masons and their lodges. There is no typical mason and no social class or strata from which they are drawn. Whether rich or poor or any point in between is irrelevant. The only real qualification is that a candidate for joining must have a belief in a supreme being. You or I may call that being 'God' but others for example, may call Him Allah, Yaweh etc. In that sense, Mercuryg is correct. Whatever you call Him is irrelevant beyond the simple belief. In lodges in this country, the Bible is usually the book which lies open during the ceremonies but it can be the Koran or other holy text as necessary. Some lodges have several open at the same time. Freemasonry is exclusively male but there is the womens Masons. This is called The Order of the Eastern Star and is most common in Scotland. My husbands mother and grandmother were members (I am not) but I know little of it beyond these basic facts. Blackballing refers to the vote carried out for prospective members of a lodge. Each candidate for admission must have a proposer and seconder who should know the candidate well and be prepared to vouch that they consider him to be of good character. The vote is taken when each lodge member places a ball, coloured white for 'yes' or black for 'no' into a box (although in practice a ball is placed into a box which is divided into two parts one marked Y the other N). The box is then opened by the Master. If all the balls are white (or in the Y segment) the candidate can be admitted but if just one of them is black (or in the N segment) then a member or members do not believe that person is of good character and his candidacy is refused. I can cetainly understand many of the reservations on here. I can honestly say that I have never found that it incurrs any advantage, say a nod or a wink to get off with a fine or prosecution or to obtain "favours" from other Masons who may be in positions of authority or "power". Nor should it and anyone who considered seeking admission for those unworthy reasons should certainly be blackballed IMHO. My husband often refers to Masonry as a gentlemans club with ceremony. Be that as it may, I know that he derives a great deal of enjoyment from his membership and would encourage others to consider membership if they wish to discover more. The Americans have a bumper sticker which says "To B1 Ask1". Sounds straightforward enough to me. Monsta that Stonecutters song from The Simpsons is great. Guest voice for the episode is Patrick Stewart as "Number 1" or Jean Luc Picard as he is better known.