The 2nd International “Europe” Lodges Symposium was held in Bucharest, during 8-10th of May 2009. Bucharest was glad and well-prepared to receive the attendants in some of its great spots: the House of Parliament (largest building in Europe and second largest building of the world), the Athenee Palace Hilton Hotel and the Crowne Plaza Hotel. The organization of events was supervised by BBro\Dorin Băleanu and Vladimir D\, the works of the Symposium were conducted by Bro:. Radu Comănescu and the Ritual Work was presided by W\M\Horia O\. But all the members of Europa Unită Lodge from Bucharest have participated with enthusiasm at the implementation of the meeting. So, they have honoured the name of their Lodge and the European vocation of the Romanian Masonry.

On Friday, 8th of May, the guests were welcomed and

accommodated to the Athenee Palace Hilton hotel. Many came with their wives, so a special touring of Bucharest was prepared for the ladies during the next day.

Here is the list of attendant Lodges:

• Europa 765 from Riccione, Italy
• Europa 92 No. 1078 from Florence, Italy
• Europa No. 1165 from Cagliari, Italy
• Chaine D’Union Européene from Longwy, France
• Europa zu Neuen Welten from Wien, Austria
• Evropa No. 27 from Belgrade, Serbia
• Europa Unită No. 27 from Bucharest, Romania
• Steaua Europei Unite – Duiliu Zamfirescu from Focşani, Romania,

together with a great number of friends from many Lodges, both Romanian and French.

A welcome dinner awaited our guests in the evening, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel. Here, the Worshipful and Past Masters of the attendant Lodges met and took two important decisions for the future of the Assembly: the decision to elect an Executive Secretary for a three-year term and the decision to print the papers of the Symposium in an annual book. Bro\Vladimir D\ was appointed Executive Secretary. It was also decided that the next meetings will take place in Cagliari (May 2010) and Longwy (2011).

The works of the Symposium began in the next morning, at a conference room provided by the Athenee Palace Hilton hotel, in the Le Diplomat ballroom. The theme was “Freemasonry and the Idea of Europe”, a subject that generated many valuable papers, as you can see in the anthology shown hereinafter. The works were opened by the welcome discourse of M\W\Bro\Eugen Ovidiu Chirovici, Grand Master of the National Grand Lodge of Romania, which was read by R\W\Bro\Ştefan Szobotka, Grand Spokesman of the National Grand Lodge of Romania.

In the afternoon, a tour of the House of Parliament was organized. Afterwards, the Ritual Work started, in the same House of the Parliament. All the Brothers have enjoyed the atmosphere of light and fraternal love of the Ritual Work, and many speeches were delivered by both guests and hosts.

Later, in the evening, the Gala Dinner took place in the same House of the Parliament. It was a culmination of our joy and fraternal love, another building block of our European solidarity.