In November, Solomon celebrated its third birthday. Three years ago, the Assistant Grand Master, RW Bro Sir David Wootton, pushed the button and launched our Virtual Learning Environment into existence.

From that moment onwards, we have constantly been evolving all the user content to make it easier to use, more interactive and available across more media from Solomon Live and the New User Webinars to interactive guides, walkthroughs and presentations.

Solomon Live has featured interviews with the Pro Grand Master, MW Bro Peter Lowndes; the Grand Secretary, VW Bro Dr David Staples; and Grand Master of The Honourable Fraternity of Ancient Freemasons, MW Bro Christine Chapman, to name just a few. Whilst our New User Webinars help guide users through the functions of the Solomon platform. 

Our new system update also shares this ethos making it easier for you, the user, to navigate to your content and find exactly what you are looking for, or perhaps discover something new on your journey.

Additional audio files are being produced from the Papers and Nuggets that are already on Solomon, adding to our growing Box Sets and other collections. Papers and Nuggets aren’t just for reading on Solomon, however. A Nugget or Paper can be read out loud within the Lodge or Chapter by a Brother or Companion at a meeting. In addition, the Presentations – designed to be delivered by multiple speakers – are already available and offer supporting visual material.

We also offer Guidance and Resources to run Online Masonic Gatherings in conjunction with setup guides and suggestions for your own presentations in addition to Famous Freemasons, further explanations of the Royal Arch Jewel and the Jewels of the Lodge.

There is a wealth of content on Solomon which the Learning & Development Team, alongside our dedicated contributors from around the globe, continue to work tirelessly to expand and ensure that the resources available cover the widest range of topics possible, from viewing the famous Prestonian Lectures narrated by the Lecturers themselves which are usually only delivered inside a Lodge room, to testing your knowledge with our interactive quizzes.

Whether it is from a Nugget, Paper, Quiz or Webinar we want to give you the tools to learn, when you want, in the ways that you want, whether it is inside or outside the Lodge, directly from the Solomon platform or from a Brother delivering presentation.

Thank you to over 38,000 of you who have registered – and keep registering – and made all the effort so worthwhile, and whose input, feedback and suggestions are helping us to make it more useful and relevant every day to all who use it; helping it evolve into what it is today.

Fostering Curiosity – Developing Understanding is not simply the central message of Solomon; it is the core value underpinning everything we do.

How to Register
Simply go to solomon.ugle.org.uk and fill in your details; once you have received the confirmation email, Log in, select your first Module and Enrol. You can then begin your journey of Masonic learning and understanding.

A selection from Solomon

Solomon Live:
View all previous recordings and register for the latest Solomon Live here

First Degree:
Why do we wear white gloves?
A short explanation of why Freemasons wear white gloves at Lodge Meetings.
Your Lodge – Its features and offices
A description of the main features and Officers of a Lodge, for new members
The symbolism of the key – explained
Symbolism of the Key illustrated by reference to First Degree Lecture.

Second Degree:
The Liberal Arts and Sciences
The meaning of The Liberal arts and sciences.
Nature and Science
What do we mean by ‘nature & science’? The answer is found in that period of history known as ‘the Renaissance’.

More general content:
Man Proposes, but the Lodge disposes – power versus consensus
The Worshipful Master leads through serving his Lodge.
For Valour: Freemasons Awarded the Victoria Cross during the Great War
Following is an address given at Quarterly Communication, at Freemasons’ Hall, Great Queen Street, London, on Wednesday, the 8th day of March 2017, by Mrs Diane Clements (Director of the Library and Museum of Freemasonry) and VW Bro John M. Hamill, PGSwdB.
Paper – Masonic dress in its various forms
Advice and hints about Masonic dress within the English Constitution.
Paper – A Glossary

This article is part of the Arena Magazine, Issue 47 January 2022 edition.
Arena Magazine is the official magazine of the London Freemasons – Metropolitan Grand Lodge and Metropolitan Grand Chapter of London.

Read more articles in the Arena Issue 47 here.