In 2008-2009, I spent 6 months traveling through East Asia to study Freemasonry on the opposite side of the world. I went everywhere that Freemasonry is regularly organized and made around 70 visits to a variety of Masonic bodies.
The most interesting thing about our fraternity on that side of the world is the incredible amount of diversity that we don't normally see so often in Texas. That diversity has many facets, and it is wonderful to see our fraternity uniting such a wide variety of people - people who differ ethnically, politically, philosophically, and religiously (this is Asia!), for example. It is equally interesting to experience first-hand the diversity of many different Masonic rites, customs, practices, jurisdictions, and focuses which are not well-known in most parts of the United States.
As of this past Tuesday, I've returned to that side of the world for five weeks of vacation in Hong Kong, Thailand, Vietnam, and perhaps Singapore, and have already made several visits. On my list to visit this time (so far) are:
Hong Kong
12/8 - Shamrock Lodge (Irish)
12/9 - St. Mary Magdalene Chapter of Rose Croix (English) enthronement
12/10 - Jubilee Royal Arch Chapter (English)
Thailand
12/11 - Lodge Pattaya West Winds (Scottish) - Pattaya
12/12 - Loge Erasmus (Dutch) comparitie - Bangkok
Hong Kong
12/13 - United Service Lodge (English) installation
12/14 - St. John Lodge (Scottish) installation
12/15 - Erin Lodge (Irish) OR Far East Council R&SM (English)
12/16 - Emerald Lodge (Irish)
12/17 - Foochow Lodge (English)
Macau
12/1x - Lunch with members of Loja Luz Do Oriente (Portuguese, UD)
Thailand
12/18 - Loge Les Sept Niveaux de la Sagesse (French, "The Seven Steps of Wisdom") - Chiang Mai
Singapore
(I haven't figured out if I'll be returning to Singapore on this trip, but many English, Irish, Scottish, and French lodges meet there.)
Thailand
12/27 - Feast of St. John with Lodge Star In The East (French) and Lodge St. John (Scottish) - Bangkok
Vietnam
No lodges currently meet there; a French lodge (Loge Hoa Sen - Lumiere d'Asie), is intended to work in Vietnam once political conditions there permit Freemasonry, but is working in Bangkok until then.
Thailand
1/7 - Loge Tantawan - Fleur du Soleil (French) - Bangkok
1/8 - Lodge Pattaya West Winds (Scottish) - Pattaya
To serve as an unofficial ambassador of Masons in Texas and to visit the English, Irish, Scottish, French, Dutch, and Portuguese Masonic bodies here in Asia during this trip is a fascinating learning experience for me and my hosts, and is a most enjoyable privilege.
See y'all in January - I do plan to be at the Texas Lodge of Research meeting in Galveston!
The most interesting thing about our fraternity on that side of the world is the incredible amount of diversity that we don't normally see so often in Texas. That diversity has many facets, and it is wonderful to see our fraternity uniting such a wide variety of people - people who differ ethnically, politically, philosophically, and religiously (this is Asia!), for example. It is equally interesting to experience first-hand the diversity of many different Masonic rites, customs, practices, jurisdictions, and focuses which are not well-known in most parts of the United States.
As of this past Tuesday, I've returned to that side of the world for five weeks of vacation in Hong Kong, Thailand, Vietnam, and perhaps Singapore, and have already made several visits. On my list to visit this time (so far) are:
Hong Kong
12/8 - Shamrock Lodge (Irish)
12/9 - St. Mary Magdalene Chapter of Rose Croix (English) enthronement
12/10 - Jubilee Royal Arch Chapter (English)
Thailand
12/11 - Lodge Pattaya West Winds (Scottish) - Pattaya
12/12 - Loge Erasmus (Dutch) comparitie - Bangkok
Hong Kong
12/13 - United Service Lodge (English) installation
12/14 - St. John Lodge (Scottish) installation
12/15 - Erin Lodge (Irish) OR Far East Council R&SM (English)
12/16 - Emerald Lodge (Irish)
12/17 - Foochow Lodge (English)
Macau
12/1x - Lunch with members of Loja Luz Do Oriente (Portuguese, UD)
Thailand
12/18 - Loge Les Sept Niveaux de la Sagesse (French, "The Seven Steps of Wisdom") - Chiang Mai
Singapore
(I haven't figured out if I'll be returning to Singapore on this trip, but many English, Irish, Scottish, and French lodges meet there.)
Thailand
12/27 - Feast of St. John with Lodge Star In The East (French) and Lodge St. John (Scottish) - Bangkok
Vietnam
No lodges currently meet there; a French lodge (Loge Hoa Sen - Lumiere d'Asie), is intended to work in Vietnam once political conditions there permit Freemasonry, but is working in Bangkok until then.
Thailand
1/7 - Loge Tantawan - Fleur du Soleil (French) - Bangkok
1/8 - Lodge Pattaya West Winds (Scottish) - Pattaya
To serve as an unofficial ambassador of Masons in Texas and to visit the English, Irish, Scottish, French, Dutch, and Portuguese Masonic bodies here in Asia during this trip is a fascinating learning experience for me and my hosts, and is a most enjoyable privilege.
See y'all in January - I do plan to be at the Texas Lodge of Research meeting in Galveston!
