“the mode of opening and closing the lodge, the conferring of degrees, of installation, and other duties, constitute a system of ceremonies which are called ritual in each masonic jurisdiction it is required by the superintending authority, that the ritual shall be the same; but it more or less differs in the different rites and jurisdictions. But this does not affect the universality of Freemasonry. The ritual is only the external and intrinsic form. The doctrine of Freemasonry is everywhere the same.”

“when the excitement of the gold rush days of the 49ers in California had subsided, a great many of the miners and their followers headed North, attracted by the stories of the discovery of gold in the bars of the Fraser River, and of Williams Creek in the Cariboo, as well as the discovery of coal at Nanaimo. Amongst the thousands who came from the south into B.C. in the late 50s and early 60s of the last century were many Freemasons.”

“Subsequently other Lodges were formed by these American brethren, Cariboo No. 469 at Barkerville, Caledonia No. 478 at Nanaimo, and Mt. Herman No. 491 at Vancouver. Incidentally, the 1st lodge formed at Nanaimo was an English Lodge Nanaimo No. 1090 which later on in 1873 consolidated with Caledonia Lodge to become Ashlar Lodge No. 3 of the Grand Lodge of B.C. which still continues to practice the American work. All of these lodges chartered by the Grand Lodge of Scotland prior to the formation of the Grand Lodge of B.C. became commonly known as “Scottish” Lodges, and to a later generation of brethren who did not know the difference, came the erroneous conception that they were doing the “Scottish” work. This erroneous conclusion, said MW Bro. Healey has been perpetuated in the Book of Forms and Ceremonies.”

“All these lodges and those who have descended from them are doing the American work of California. It is commonly known amongst students and scholars in Freemasonry as the “Barney Ritual”, so named after Bro. John Barney who was a highly skilled and enthusiastic ritualist living in Vermont in 1811. He went to Boston and learned the Preston Work as developed by Webb, Gleason and other distinguished ritualists of that period. It was derived from the work of the Grand Lodge of the “Antients”, who claimed to follow the “Old Workings of the Lodge of York, hence it is often referred to in Canada and the USA as the “York” work or rite. Bro. Barney attended the now historical Conference of Grand Lodges at Baltimore in 1843 where that work was approved. It was followed by the Grand Lodges of Ohio and Missouri by whom the lodges in California were warranted, and it was adopted as the official ritual of the Grand Lodge of California in 1850. It has nothing to do with Scotland and does not bear even a remote resemblance to the work of the Scottish rituals.”

“I have in my possession a number of Scottish rituals, including the Standard Ritual of Scottish Freemasonry, and the ritual as practised by the Canongate Kilwinning Lodge No. 2 in Edinburgh. The latter was given to me by an officer of that lodge, and it has been vouched for by a former Past Master of that lodge who is now a Past District Deputy Grand Master in B.C. and I can assure you that it has no similarity whatsoever to the work of Ashlar Lodge No. 3, or of the other lodges that are supposed to follow the work of Ashlar.”

“By a unique paradox, Lodge Southern Cross No. 44 (Australian) is the only lodge in B.C. (and the USA) that is doing the “Scottish” work. The reason for that is that when the Grand Lodge of New South Wales set up a committee to establish an official ritual, and to select the best from the 3 workings then in use, they selected the Scottish work and promulgated their findings accordingly. This so called Australian work was brought to B.C. by RW Bro. JJ Miller and others who founded Lodge Southern Cross and used the official printed rituals of the Grand Lodge of New South Wales. It is exactly word for word the ritual of Canongate Kilwinning No. 2 of Edinburgh, except that in the Scottish the WM is referred to as the “Right Worshipful Master”, and the Wardens are called “Right Worshipful Wardens.” Some years ago when the Australian rituals were scarce, the officers of Southern Cross learned their work from the Scottish rituals that were available.”