WESTERN AUSTRALIA - On Tuesday, the Albany Freemason Lodge held a vacant chair ceremony to honor the memory of all those who never returned from war. The ceremony, which is a military and masonic tradition spanning over a century, is typically performed in the weeks leading up to Anzac Day or Remembrance Day in Australia.
The event was attended by approximately 30 masons, as well as visitors from the RSL and the broader community. During the ceremony, masons carried an empty chair draped with the Australian flag and a masonic apron through the lodge, pausing at three pillars to express words of respect for the fallen. The empty chair symbolizes the vacant place in the lodge due to the non-return of a soldier from war.
Tony Banner, the organizer of the ceremony, spoke about Australia's history of involvement in global conflicts. "Australia has ever been ready to play its part in attempts to re-establish peace and to resist tyranny around the world," he said. "Many Freemasons are among those that answered the call to arms and they too are now counted amongst those who gave their all as they strived to help preserve the freedoms we now enjoy."
As a tribute to the fallen, specific lights in the lodge room were lit in their memory. The ceremony serves as a poignant reminder of the sacrifices made by those who never returned from war and the importance of honoring their memory, especially as Anzac Day approaches.
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