Scotland – Freemasons going vegan is a symbol of our times
(by Marc Horne, The Sunday Times, January 24, 2020)
The Grand Lodge of Scotland has amended its centuries-old traditions to allow vegans to become masons.
Throughout its 280-year history prominent freemasons such as Robert Burns, George VI and Arthur Conan Doyle have worn lambskin aprons while taking part in rituals.
The lamb is a key emblem of the male fraternal organisation, symbolising innocence and purity. However, the lodge has confirmed that those who eschew animal products on ethical grounds are now welcome to join.
A spokesman for the organisation said there was no barrier to vegans being initiated. “Many lodges now use vinyl [aprons],” he said on social media. “Please remember that it is symbolic and does not need to be real.”
However, Gordon Kilgour, a lodge member from Glasgow, questioned the wisdom of…
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