I unexpectedly stumbled upon the Aurora Doors Open 2012 site during a visit. Without any maps in hand, I noticed the doors of the building were open and inviting as I drove by. It was the Masonic Hall, The Rising Sun Lodge No. 129. For those unfamiliar, it’s located near the Aurora Armoury, next to the former Wells Street Public School. Intrigued, I decided to step inside.
Unfortunately, I didn’t have much luck getting good pictures. The lighting was a bit dim, so I didn’t want to get too carried away with my photography. As always, I asked if it was okay to take photos, and they had no problem with it. I figured if I was snapping photos of something I shouldn’t be, they’d let me know. The hall was really impressive, with an interesting setting and lots of cool geometric shapes.
When I was asked if I had any questions, I replied, “I don’t even know where to begin.” The person smiled, so I kept going and asked, “So, who exactly are Masons?” And that’s when the conversation really started.
When I first arrived at the Masonic Hall, I was clueless about Masons. But after spending some time there, I realized there’s no big mystery to it – they’re just a group of people doing good things.
I used to think they were some kind of secret society, but that’s just a myth. I was told I could learn more about them online, so I decided to look into it. If they were really a secret society, they wouldn’t be opening their doors to the public like they did today.
Intrigued by the conversation, I went online that same night and did some reading. One thing led to another, and I think everything just got so misunderstood. I got confused – there were just too many conspiracy theories, and I guess I’m back to square one.
For this post, I’ll just let you enjoy a few photographs I took and leave out the rambling. However, for those who enjoy that kind of stuff, the Masonic Hall is a site worth visiting. Hopefully, it will return for the Doors Open 2013 event.
COMMENTS
Michael said: July 22, 2012 at 19:34
“A little trivia for you – the sign in your first photo used to have a twin and was in another location a short walk away. The sign was set up in V-Formation to sit at the foot of Mosley Street in front of Aurora United Church. The church attempted to find replacement light bulbs that were no longer in stock. The letters were also hard to push in to change the message from week to week. The church changed to their current large sign that currently sits more towards Tyler & Yonge Street and the masons took over the sign and moved it to it’s current location. Not sure if the lights work anymore but nonetheless there it is.”
Marvin said: July 23, 2012 at 23:10
“Most of America’s founders were Masons, and the currency bears lots of Masonic symbols. I’ve thought about becoming a Mason but I really hate meetings.”
