| What is The “Forget-Me-Not” flower, Newfoundland/Labrador and Masonry ?
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An article by V.W. Bro. Barry D. Thom,
St. Clair lodge # 577, GL of Canada in the Provinces. of ON
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Folklore and Legend
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In a German legend, God named all the plants. When a tiny unnamed one cried out, “Forget-me-not, O Lord!” God replied, “Thou shalt be your name.”
During exile in 1398, Henry IV adopted this flower as his symbol and retained it upon his return to England the following year.
In 15th-century Germany, it was supposed that the wearers of the flower would not be forgotten by their lovers. Legend has it that in medieval times, a knight and his lady were walking along the side of a river. The knight picked a bunch of flowers, but because of the weight of his armour he fell into the river. As he was drowning he threw the flowers to his loved one and shouted “Forget-me-not”. ( I rather doubt that when not on horseback or in combat, a knight would not be wearing his armour)
Ladies often wore it as a sign of faithfulness and enduring love.
Remembrance WW I
On July 1st 1916, the battle of Beaumont Hamel, in France, took place. Just over 800 men of the 1st Newfoundland Regiment left their trenches only to be slaughtered by entrenched German machine gunfire. 272 were killed, most of the remaining were wounded (many died later from their wounds). Only 68 were left standing to answer the role call on the next day. These Newfoundlanders lost their lives within a period of 30-40 minutes. It was a devastating blow to their families back home and caused severe hardship for many years to come. Remember there was no social system in place at that time and families were much larger.
Prior to that event, on July 1st, 1867 the Dominion of Canada was formed but it wasn’t until 1949 that Newfoundland and Labrador entered into Confederation.
Today, July 1st is a day of mixed emotions, as it is Canada Day as well. July 1st in Newfoundland and Labrador is still held as Memorial Day, not only for those lives lost in the First World War but all wars and conflicts, as well as those Canadians lost in Peacekeeping missions.
After WW I the “Forget-me-not” flower was used as the symbol of Remembrance, in Newfoundland and Labrador but the Poppy slowly displaced it on July 1st as well as November 11th.
In 2012 members of Bay Robert’s Legion Branch # 32 made the decision that the Forget-me-not flower should return to its rightful place on Memorial Day. A member of that Branch was approached and asked to design a lapel pin. Using silk Forget-Me-Not flowers and a ‘tie tac’ to attach it with, this was achieved and approved by NL Provincial Command.
In a time when many things are mass-produced in developing countries, it is comforting to know that this pin was designed and handcrafted in Port de Grave, NL, by Florence Morgan-Thom. Florence was born here when this country was still under the British flag.
Freemasonry
In the years between World War I and World War II the blue Forget Me Not flower was a standard symbol used by many charitable organizations in Germany, with a very clear meaning: “Do not forget the poor and the destitute”. It was first introduced into German Masonry in 1926.
In early 1934, it became evident that Freemasonry was in danger under the Nazi regime. In that same year, the Grand Lodge of the Sun realising the grave situation adopted the Forget Me Not flower, as a substitute for the traditional Square and Compasses.
In 1936, the Nazis started the ‘Winterhilfswerk’, which consisted of children collecting money on the streets during certain weeks in winter. All youngsters were requested to participate, and they each were given about one hundred pins to sell. However, the money collected did not reach those in need but rather it was used for the rearmament of the Nazi war machine.
Each winter a different symbol was chosen, and that pin was the only one allowed to be worn during the time of the collection drive. This was mainly only to identify those who had already contributed. By coincidence, the pin used by the Nazis for the collection, made in 1938, happened to be the “Forget-me-not” flower, chosen by the Freemasons in 1926 and it was made by the same factory in Selb! There is no doubt that the Freemasons who attended the meeting of 1926 were glad to wear it again twelve years later.
Whether the pin was worn after the 1938 collection is hard to determine because the wearing of any badge that did not originate from the Nazi Party was a criminal offense under the Nazi regime.
It is estimated that Hitler killed over one hundred thousand Masons, confiscated their property, and destroyed their records. Freemasonry went underground but still, this delicate flower assumed its role as a symbol of Masonry, surviving throughout the reign of terror.
Then in 1947, the Grand Lodge of the Sun was reopened and the little blue flower, the Forget-me-not, was proposed and adopted as an official emblem to remember those who had survived the bitter years of semi-darkness, bringing the Light of Masonry once again into the Lodges. Today, in Germany, the Forget-me-not is an interchangeable Masonic symbol with the Square and Compasses.
So, let us keep and wear the “Forget-Me-Not”, at all of our lodge meetings. Do this to remember all those who have died because of their membership in our Masonic Brotherhood and also those who today live in countries where those governments persecute them.
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, Newfoundland/Labrador and Masonry
An article by V.W. Bro. Barry D. Thom,
St. Clair lodge # 577, GL of Canada in the Provinces. of ON |
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