Origin
of the CME
The
following extract is from the commemorative booklet entitled “The Masonic
Historians” by Brother Jack Harewood, prepared to mark the inauguration of the
Masonic Library and Museum at the National Library, Port of Spain, on February
6th 2004.
CONTINUING MASONIC EDUCATION
Its Origin
In March 1985, Brother Jack Harewood - Past Master, Lodge Eastern Star No. 368 S.C., and member of Trinidad & Tobago Masters Lodge No. 8057 E.C. – conceived the idea of organising a One-Day Masonic Seminar open to all Masons. The object would be to give participants an opportunity to learn about, and discuss, a topic of general interest to Freemason. He proposed to Masters Lodge that they take the initiative in this project, which he was willing to organise. While the Lodge could not undertake administrative or financial responsibility for the seminar, it pledged its support.
[J1]One-Day Seminars:
1985-1992
Encouraged by the response, Brother Harewood
met with three close associates – Brothers Peter E Salvary, C. Richard I
Robinson (now deceased) and Desmond Wardrop – at the home of Brother Robinson,
and agreed on the format and organisation of the seminar. A small ad hoc Seminars Committee was set up and the seminar – with Jack Harewood as
Organiser, and Peter Salvary (SC) and Richard Inniss (EC) Assistant Organise –
was held in November, under the auspices of Masters Lodge. It was very
successful – 150 participants attended and were fully satisfied.
The ad hoc Committee therefore decided to
host the seminar annually and to replace itself
by an autonomous organisation – Continuing
Masonic Education. The two District Grand Masters (English and Scottish
Constitutions) and, later, the Grand Superintendent of Royal Arch Masonry,
accepted invitations to be Patrons.
In the period 1986-1992, the One-Day seminar was held every year except 1990 – the problem year. They were all well-attended and very successful. The themes were varied and included “The Excellence of our Institution”, “Anti-Masonry” and “Masonic Jurisprudence, Laws and Crimes”. The speakers were knowledgeable local Masons as well as Masons from overseas, including Jamaica, Venezuela, Guyana and St. Vincent.
Other
Seminars and Lectures: 1989-1992
Within the same period, C.M.E. expanded it Seminars programme. Evening Seminars were held in San Fernando annually from 1989-1992, under the auspices of the three South Lodges – St Andrew 3963 EC, Alexandra 1044 SC and Naparima 7108 EC. In 1989, too, twin Distinguished Lectures were given, under the auspices of the three District Grand bodies - by a world-renowned Masonic historian of Quatuor Coronati Lodge, of London. The first was on Craft Masonry, and the second on Royal Arch Masonry.
The Waiting 1992-1994
This expansion of its Seminars Programme highlighted, for members of Masters Lodge and others, that C.M.E. was, indeed, a fully autonomous organisation. There followed long discussion on whether this should continue, or whether the organisation hosting such seminars should be a subordinate body within the Lodge system. After two attempts at formulating a written constitution for C.M.E. and two years discussion, and with the controversy still unresolved, C.M.E. decided, in 1994, to stop organising seminars, as these were no longer its prime concern, and to concentrate on it’s now greatly expanded programme (see below).
Resumption of One-Day Seminars 1995-
The expectation was that the District Grand bodies would arrange to continue at least the One-Day seminars. But this has not worked out. As a result, in 1995, the bicentennial year of Freemasonry in Trinidad, Brother T A (Baba) Cross, District Grand Master (Scottish Constitution) invited C.M.E to host a special Bicentennial Seminar. This seminar was again an outstanding success, and the One-Day seminars have since continued, though not every year as before.