Looking for Information on the Smith Family and the Freemasons
Post date: Dec 24, 2015 7:43:23 AM
In response to our recent edition of Devotion News, it's clear some Freemasons have been told that our Fraternity had a hand in founding The Smith Family. This oral tradition can be found in Victoria, Queensland and New South Wales where the Family was born.
Perhaps references to this have been removed; some folk think the Freemasons are a bad group to be associated with (LOL, such people know nothing about us, and are shocked to find I am a member - because I'm Catholic and apparently Freemasonry does not let us in.. more laughs...). OR perhaps the story of the Freemasons founding the Smith Family are not true... on the long lists of goals for 2016 is to see if we can prove this either way... Perhaps it will be in the middle ground, some men who were Freemasons comprised some of the founders...
I've discovered a book titled "The Smith Family : its work and story" from 1932. ( Edit; I later came by this book and you can read about it here )
I would also love to read Constitution of the Smith Family Joyspreaders Unlimited from the 1930's. I cannot find it on the web, but the snippets I've seen got my Masonic Antenna tingling, but far from enough to put this issue to bed... The Official Smith Family web site has a jpg of a section of it... (Edit; I have a 1935 edition you can see here)
We might be lucky enough to find a direct statement that the Freemasons founded this great Australian Charity, or we might be able to deduct all six founders were Freemasons - that would be a good indication. One thing is for sure to date, the men who founded it did not perceive the group's actions restricted as simply within our Craft, but to be engaged with the wider business world to support disadvantaged children. Ninety years on, we have a landmark benevolent organisation..
Let's keep digging !
Did I mention I LOVE TROVE ?