From The New Zealand Craftsman, November 1, 1934; page 146

THE NEW ZEALAND MASTER MASON'S DIPLOMA.
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By V. W. Bro. Rev. David Calder. P.G.C., G.L.

A Master Mason's Diploma or Certificate sets out three things in regard to the owner to whom it has been
presented. These three are, that he has been duly made a Mason; that this happened in a particular Craft
Lodge, and that it was under the Grand Lodge of New Zealand. In its detail the Diploma sets forth such ideas
of Masonry as are calculated to remind the owner of the beauty of the Craft, of its foundational stability and
worth, and of the good to which Masonry ultimately leads, through the attained perfection of the moral life.

Every Certificate or Diploma is of value according to the strength, the dignity, and the true standing of the
issuing body. Our Masonic Diploma therefore, which sets out that a certain man is a Mason, of a particular
Lodge, and belonging to the New Zealand Constitution, is of real value only as the New Zealand
Constitution itself was and is well founded, fully accredited, and universally accepted. That is the position
we must first set out, and it is easily done. To-day the Grand Lodge of New Zealand is in fullest fraternal
relationship and acceptance with ninety-two similar Grand Lodges, including those of England, Scotland,
and Ireland, from which principally New Zealand Freemasonry sprang. Very briefly, the history of the
founding of our New Zealand Grand Lodge is this. In the early colonial days craft lodge after craft lodge was
founded by ardent Masons who had come from the old lands. These Masons sought and obtained charters
from their mother constitutions and so started the organised life of the Craft in this their adopted country.
They were determined that their presentation of our Ancient Brotherhood should be one worthy of the best
traditions, and adherent to the finest teachings. They would preserve the ancient landmarks with assiduity.
Their attachment to the English, the Scottish or the Irish Constitution was according to the choice of the
foundation members; and was a perfectly natural and beautiful thing. The Lodges increased in number and
became more and more stable with the years until there emerged a New Zealand sense. This grew in vigour
as there was developed a desire for closer fraternal unity among the various Lodges of the Colony, and a
consciousness of the possibilities of their united Masonic charities. It was this growing self-consciousness
and the desire for its expression that resulted in the establishment of the New Zealand Constitution. As was
naturally to be expected the achievement was not without its pangs of birth. We need not detail these. Suffice
it to say that in the year 1890 the New Zealand Grand Lodge was born, and that to-day it is in fullest fraternal
relationship of good will with the three great Mother Grand Lodges. In the strenuous times of foundation
quite a number of Craft Lodges declined to join in with the majority, preferring to maintain their fealty to the
older constitutions. Some of these came over in later years. To-day there are still at least fifty-six Lodges
affiliated with the constitutions of Great Britain and Ireland. They are fully welcome to remain in their
position; we have toward them true Masonic good will; and we maintain visiting relationships. No new
Lodges may now be formed by the older, or foreign constitutions; and the New Zealand Grand Lodge is the
federated unity of three hundred and four splendid Lodges. Taught in the old traditions, and educated as to
the true position and value of the ancient landmarks, the New Zealand Freemason will but emulate his
brethren of the Mother Constitutions in one great effort for brotherly love, relief, and truth.

All this is set forth in our New Zealand Diploma in the splendid design in the lower left-hand corner. It sets
out that on the foundations of the constitutions of the rose, the thistle, and the shamrock there has now been
erected a distinctive New Zealand building. It is stable and worthy and one that fully interprets the genius
and dignity of our fair Dominion. The combinations of heraldic and Maori designs together with the arms
and motto of New Zealand are set forth with fine beauty of craftsmanship. Let every holder of this Diploma
remember therefore that he is a Mason of world-wide standing; that he owes fealty to the New Zealand
Constitution; and that he has reason to rejoice in his Mother Lodge because in making him one of her
members she has done a work for which she was duly qualified and fully authorised.

The Diploma was originally designed by the Right Worshipful Brother R. Hawcridge. This Worthy brother
at the time of his death was Provincial Grand Master of Otago; while in business he was Master of the
School of Art in Dunedin. To his friends and associates he was a choice and beautiful soul, and a true
exponent of Freemasonry. I well remember listening with rapt attention to the beauty of his expressed
thought in some of his Masonic lectures. He had an original mind. To him we owe the design of the beautiful
pillars that adorn the certificate, and that add dignity to several of our temples in the Dominion. The lily

work is especially fine, and the presence of domes on the chapiters rather than surmounting globes is both
historically correct, and is in lovelier proportion. The net work and the rows of pomegranates fall their
appointed place. The horizontal lines encircling the pillars are three, five, and seven in number; while the
signs of the zodiac and other features tell of the ancient Egyptian origin of many of our mysteries.

EXPLANATIONS BY R.W. BRO. HAWCRIDGE.

The time is now appropriate to give R.W. Brother Hawcridge's own interpretations and explanations of his
drawing at least as much of it as is necessary to our further understanding of the symbols of the Diploma.

"The general scheme of the design," says Bro. Hawcridge, "is a symbolic Lodge, viewed from the West to
the East, and embodying the principal emblems of the first three or symbolic degrees of Freemasonry.

"The flooring of the Lodge is occupied by the Mosaic pavement. The beautiful flooring of the Lodge
represents the Universe (see the first Tracing Board), whose recognised symbol is the Circle; moreover, the
indented or tesselated border represents the planets in their movement around that grand luminary the Sun,
and must therefore be circular. The usual square pavement is a confusion between the symbols of the
square—the house or Lodge itself, and the Circle—the eternal and boundless Universe. For these reasons the
pavement is represented as circular in form.

"The Altar is placed in the centre of the pavement to agree with the teachings of the first tracing board, and
to correct an accepted construction placed upon the Point within the Circle that is peculiarly abhorrent to the
earnest Mason. The Circle is the Universe, and the Point within it is the Law controlling the Universe and
ordering the several motions of Suns, Satellites, and Planets. The Law, symbolised by the Volume of the
Sacred Law, is the central point of Masonry, and is its principal Iight. The blazing star is placed upon the
front of the Altar; rather than upon the Circle which is its usual place, though mistakenly so. The Circle is
that of the Altar steps and of the tesselated pavement.

“The two Grand Parallels run from West to East, and are seen as the two accented tangetal lines touching the
basic circle of the altar steps. The Altar is approached by seven steps. Upon the third step are the tools of the
Entered Apprentice; upon the fifth step are the tools of the Fellow Craft; and upon the seventh or perfect
step, are the Skirret, the Compasses and the Pencil of the Master Mason.

"The Lodge is supported by three great pillars. These are. Wisdom, Strength and Beauty, being Ionic, Doric,
and Corinthian respectively. The other two orders of pillar, the Tuscan and Composite, are therefore shown
free of the entablature. We have used the term 'pillar' rather than 'column' because such is according to
Masonic usage, and is the term used in Scripture. While it is now more correct to speak of them as columns
we keep to the ancient and accepted Masonic usage.

"The semi-circular architectural design—an entablature —is part of the great circular base of the Heavenly
Dome, and is intended to represent the support of the Canopy of Heaven—the covering of a Freemason's
Lodge. At the ends of the entablature, are figures representative of the two Grand Parallels of Freemasonry,
Moses and King Solomon. Moses is naturally placed over the column of wisdom; and Solomon, as the
presiding genius of the glorious Temple, over that of Beauty."

I do not have Right Worshipful Brother Hawcridge's explantation of the Rough and Perfect Ashlars; but they
are well known to us all. The Ashlars have an appropriate place in the certificate as representative of the
Mason when first admitted to the Craft; and the Mason, after his earthly life has been fully used by him for
the perfecting and careful disciplining of his character. The Rough Ashlar is roughly squared, and is a stone
that has been carefully selected. Before a man can be made a Mason he must pass the tests of a clean
wholesome moral life. Is he free from those moral flaws that would prevent him from becoming a man of
true refinement and polish? Is he also morally square and true? We demand an accepted standard of highest
worth in every candidate for our mysteries. Our Boards of Enquiry and the vigilance of our principal officers
are guarantees to us that we do not admit other than good men, and men that have in themselves the
guarantee of continuing to be so. Such a man on being admitted is advised to discipline himself by careful
and prolonged training. Throughout his life he is to exercise himself in square conduct and level steps—that
is, he is so to live and act that the resultant effect on his character is to make him in his latest years the

embodiment of the perfect cube. His life is then in true proportion, smooth of surface, and well polished. In
short, he should be an example of the Grand old English ideal of “A Perfect Gentleman.” Our ritual puts it in
its own inimitable way when it says: “The Perfect Ashlar is a stome of true die or square, fit only to be tried
by the square and compasses; this represents the mind of man in the decline of years, after a life well spent in
acts of piety and virtue, which can no otherwise be tried and proved than by the square of God's word and the
compasses of his own self-convincing conscience.” Scripture sets out the same ideal when it says of the
Golden City of revelation that "the length, the breadth and the height of it are equal"; meaning by these
terms, not the physical shape of the city, but the perfectly balanced proportions of its life.

Behind the perfect Ashlar, and resting against the pillar of beauty is a tracing board. On this Board is the
design of the most entrancing of all Euclid's geometrical problems, namely, the forty-seventh proposition. No
more interesting exercise ever met a student of mathematics than this proposition. Its presence here on the
tracing board is indicative of the teaching that as a man exercises himself in great and earnest questions and
works them out to the conclusions, he qualifies himself for the life eternal. "The forty-seventh problem of
Euclid," says one writer, "is the most important of all symbols in Masonry; for in it are concealed more of
ancient symbolism than all the other symbols used by or incident to our Order." Its symbolic teaching in
Freemasonry is found in some older rituals; but can hardy be said to be worthy of the historic greatness of
the design. With that understanding I here repeat it—"Your Jewel is the 47th problem of the 1st Book of
Euclid, which was one of the most important discoveries of the learned Brother Pythagoras;; and in the joy of
his heart he is said to have exclaimed Eureka (I have found it) and to have sacrificed a hecatomb. As the
figure depends upon several lines, angles and triangles which form the whole, so Freemasonry depends upon
its several members, and the principles upon which the society is established.

"Some of our Brethren, from their station in life, standing as they do on the basis of earthy bliss, are
emblematical of the great angle which subtends the right angle; others with the means to tread the flowery
path of prosperity and affluence are descriptive of the squares which stand on the sides. Those brethren who
enjoy every social comfort, and never exceed the bounds of mediocrity, symbolise the triangles within the
square; and those who have the satisfaction of administering to the want of the indigent and industrious, may
be compared to the triangle which surrounds and supports the figure; while the lines which form it may
remind us of those Brethren who are incapable of providing the necessaries of life unless aided by cheerful
and ready assistance."

There still remains to he explained the upper part of the Diploma. Here are the symbols of
the City that is fairer than day;
the City of the golden gates and the temple celestial;
the City that needs no sun to lighten it, for the Lord God is the Light thereof;
the City of the all-seeing Eye—the eye that is both comprehensive in its vision and loving and caring

in its eternal vigilance;
the City that to the Mason is comprehended in our beautiful phrase “The Grand Lodge Above”;
the City of the Eternal God, the great Architect of the Universe

What is this life but a great factory of human souls, of souls being wrought into perfection by their individual
craftsmen, that they may individually become stones in the great White Temple which is the Eternal dwelling
place of Almighty God. The seven stars tell of their perfect number and the moon of their collective beauty
as they reflect the light of the Sun of Righteousness.