Members of Wyggeston Lodge, family and friends gathered at The Griffin Inn, Swithland, Leicestershire on Sunday 29th March 2015 for their annual Spring Lunch.
There was a certain buzz around the Old Stables dining room where members, their wives and friends mingled before sitting down to dinner. All those attending were treated to a wonderful three course lunch which was enjoyed by all. Thanks go to the Steward, Bro Alec Maxfield, for organising such a lovely event. It was a shame that the rain hampered any attempts to enjoy the first day of the summer.
The Charity Steward kindly organised a raffle which raised £105 for the Master’s chosen charity Harley Staples Cancer Trust. The Lodge has raised more than £650 in total for this local based charity and aims to raise further funds for it during the remainder of the year.
We Raised two of our Leicester University student members to the degree of a Master Mason at our meeting held on Friday 20th March 2015 at Freemasons’ Hall, Leicester.
John Phillips and Ali Sohrabi, pictured above with the Master of the Lodge, were Raised in a wonderful double ceremony assisted by Past Masters and other members.
We welcomed a total of 15 visitors including the Master of our Daughter Lodge, Knighton Lodge No.4711, and the Master of The Iron Bridge Lodge No.9897 which is the recently consecrated Universities Scheme Lodge in Shropshire. Other visitors came from the Province of Warwickshire and Staffordshire.
After the ceremony, the Lodge dined together at the Festive Board for a three course meal. During this, a raffle was held in aid of the Harley Staples Cancer Trust which raised £180.
Two of our university student members, who were Initiated at our meeting in December 2014 via the Universities’ Scheme, were Passed to the Second Degree by the Derek Buswell Lodge of Provincial Grand Stewards No.9705 at Freemasons’ Hall, Leicester on 24th February 2015.
Bros JC Diegel and Nat Rawes were made Fellowcrafts in a wonderful double ceremony where they were both excellent Candidates. The work in the Lodge Room was exemplary with a sublime rendition of the Second Degree Tracing Board by WBro J McVey.
The Wyggeston Lodge were represented by the Master and other Brethren who expressed their gratitude in assisting the Lodge in Passing the Candidates ensuring their timely progression in freemasonry before graduating from Leicester University.
Saint Crispin Lodge No.7832 kindly assisted the Wyggeston Lodge No.3448 with progressing their university student members by conducting a Double Passing Ceremony on their behalf at Freemasons’ Hall, Leicester on Monday 23rd February 2015.
Bros. Tom Grant and Ian Player, who joined the Wyggeston Lodge via the Universities’ Scheme when studying at Leicester University, proved excellent Candidates for the ceremony in Passing them to the Degree of a Fellowcraft.
The Ceremonial work was of a very high standard and the Candidates were treated to an extended version of both the Tracing Board and Working Tools.
Several members of the Wyggeston Lodge also attended to support Bros. Tom and Ian on their Passing to the Second Degree and all very much enjoyed the Festive Board afterwards.
Another three University of Leicester students, Simon Walmsley, Adam Tilley and James Kelly, joined the Wyggeston Lodge at our meeting on Friday 20th February at Freemasons’ Hall, Leicester in a wonderful triple ceremony. Since joining the United Grand Lodge of England’s Universities’ Scheme in 2011, we have welcomed 27 undergraduate and postgraduate students from Leicester University. The Lodge has currently 50 members ranging from 18 to 90 years old and an average age of 44.
The meeting was held in the extremely decorative Holmes’ Lodge Room and we were honoured to welcome Adam’s Grandfather and James’s Father who are both Freemasons in Nottingham and Kent respectively. WBro Gerry Kelly also gave a superb recital of the Initiate’s Charge to his son and the other new members.
The latest members of the Wyggeston Lodge who are all students at Leicester University
The Wyggeston Lodge was particularly honoured to welcome the Master and some of the junior Brethren and recent Initiates of the Onslow Lodge No.2234 which is the Universities’ Scheme Lodge for the University of Surrey. Also attending were 2 members from The Iron Bridge Lodge No.9897, a newly consecrated Universities’ Scheme Lodge in the Province of Shropshire.
The Festive Board consisted of a sumptuous three course meal along with plenty of laughter and fun. A raffle raised a total of £255 for the Harley Staples Cancer Trust which is local Leicester-based charity, in loving memory of an inspirational boy Harley who died of a rare leukaemia, that helps children and young people who have cancer or a cancer related illness.
On Tuesday 3rd February 2015, members of the Wyggeston Lodge No.3448, which meets in Leicester, along with the members of Leicestershire & Rutland Light Blue Club, visited the Royal Yorkshire Lodge No.265, in Keighley, Yorkshire.
Bro Peter Clarke, who joined the Wyggeston Lodge whilst a student at Leicester University via the Universities’ Scheme, joined the Royal Yorkshire Lodge after graduation and returning to his native county.
The main business of the evening was the Installation of WBro David Paley as Master of the Lodge and to celebrate the festival of St John the Evangelist (The Patron Saint of Freemasonry). The Lodge being founded 1788, and therefore 227 years old, has always had its own unique way of doing things, much to the delight of the visiting Brethren. During the ceremony, Bro Peter Clarke was appointed Organist of the Lodge and he presented a framed copy of an address made by the Lodge to Queen Victoria on the occasion of her Golden Jubilee in 1888 to the newly installed Master.
All the Brethren present enjoyed an excellent ceremony which was well attended with a total of 72 members and visitors.The meeting concluded with a wonderful Festive Board where there much laughter, beer and wine flowing throughout the five course meal. In all, it was an occasion thoroughly enjoyed by all the brethren present.
The Master, WBro Jamie and his wife Sam, hosted the annual Ladies’ Festival at Freemasons’ Hall, Leicester on Saturday 31st January 2015.
The Master and his wife at the Wyggeston Lodge Ladies’ Festival 2015
Brethren, family and friends gathered to celebrate the occasion which, as always, was a wonderful evening full of friendship, laughter and entertainment.
After the delicious four-course dinner, WBro Tom Bodycot proposed the toast to the Ladies with a very amusing comparison of the differences between men and women. Bro Peter Clarke, accompanied by the other Brethren and Gentlemen, serenaded the Ladies with the ‘Ladies Song’ before Sam replied on behalf of all the Ladies with grateful thanks.
The evening continued late into the night with dancing to music provided by the excellent ‘Fabulous 55s‘ an authentic 1950s Rock and Roll band with double bass, drums and electric guitar.
The three new Master Masons of Wyggeston Lodge along with the Master (left)
Congratulations to our three newest Master Masons who were Raised at our meeting on Friday 16th January 2915 at Freemasons Hall, Leicester.
Once again, the Wyggeston Lodge has continued to rewrite their history by conducting their first ever Triple Raising Ceremony in their 104 years of existence. The Candidates, Bros Tartacuta, Radoja and Carter, were all excellent and were part of a superb Ceremony performed by all the Brethren who took part. Bro Peter Clarke, who is also a member of the Royal Yorkshire Lodge No.265, treated the Brethren to the ‘Yorkshire’ version of the Working Tools in his own inimitable and entertaining style.
The meeting concluded with a wonderful Festive Board where the Brethren and visitors enjoyed the social side of Freemasonry and were additionally entertained by WBro Kelvin Johnson who acted as a very enthusiastic Draw Master for the raffle which was in aid of the Harley Staples Cancer Trust.
The Wyggeston Lodge is the United Grand Lodge of England Universities’ Scheme Lodge for the University of Leicester and we welcome new members who are staff, students or alumni. If you are interested in joining then please click here.
The Wyggeston Lodge No.3448, which is the United Grand Lodge of England Universities’ Scheme Freemasons’ Lodge for the University of Leicester, welcomed another five new members at their Christmas meeting on 19th December 2014.
These five Initiates are a very special part of the history of the Lodge as they are an ever growing number of young Freemasons that have joined the Lodge which has been particularly resurgent since joining the Universities’ Scheme in 2011. Three of the members are either undergraduate or postgraduate students at the University of Leicester whilst the others work and live locally. The Lodge now has 47 members in total, with an age range between 21 and 90 and an average age of 45.
The festivities continued at the Festive Board where the Lodge members and visitors, including the Leicestershire and Rutland Light Blue Club, enjoyed a traditional Christmas dinner with an interjection of rousing christmas carols and songs including ’12 Days of Christmas’ and ‘Good King Wenceslas’.
Our Secretary, WBro Andy Green, recently visited the Alamo Lodge No.44 which meets in San Antonio, Texas. This is his account of his memorable visit:
I arrived at the imposing Scottish Rite Cathedral in San Antonio, a multi-use centre for all local Masonic communities, on the evening of Wednesday 10th December 2014 to be immediately and warmly greeted by some of the Brethren of Alamo Lodge No.44.
The Scottish Rite Cathedral
The Alamo Lodge No.44 of the Grand Lodge of Texas, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons is the first and oldest Masonic Lodge in the City of San Antonio. It was founded in the historic Alamo, the Shrine of Texas Liberty. The lodge was granted a charter from the Grand Lodge of Texas on 15th January 1848 and a plaque on the south wall of the Long Barrack of the Alamo celebrates this.
Consecration of the Alamo Lodge No.44
Unlike English Masonry, an informal supper, prepared and cooked by the Steward, was served in the Banquet Hall prior to the meeting. The Lodge was opened at 7pm by WBro Max Charleswell Jr., who as Master sported a fine Cowboy hat. The Lodge Room was very familiar in its layout although the pedestal (referred to as the Altar) and VSL were positioned in the centre of the chequered floor rather than directly in front of the Master. There were distinct differences in the positioning of officers particularly the Secretary and Treasurer both being stationed either side of the Master.
The Lodge Room
A three-pronged electric lamp representing the three lesser lights was also in the centre of the room with the light bulbs having very fetching Square and Compasses filaments.
The Lesser Lights
The opening ritual was similar in context to Emulation but with entirely different phrase and wording. An obvious addition was the Saluting of both the USA and the State of Texas flags, perhaps similar to us paying tribute to our Queen and Country when singing the National Anthem.
The Alamo Lodge did not conduct a ceremony on that evening but went through the Business of the Lodge, a mixture of our reports, Risings and Committee Meetings in a light hearted and relaxed manner. A new member was ‘petitioned’ and balloted similar to that in the English Constitution which proved in favour. The Candidate’s Initiation was set for the following Wednesday.
The Master of the Lodge then asked me to say a few words about a English Freemasonry so I briefly spoke about my Mother Lodge, the Wyggeston Lodge No.3448, the success of the United Grand Lodge of England Universities Scheme, our Province and the forthcoming Tercentenary celebrations in 2017. Greetings were then conferred by me from the Master, Wardens and Brethren of the Wyggeston Lodge and also the Provincial Grand Master of Leicestershire and Rutland, RWBro David Hagger which were heartily reciprocated.
I was subsequently presented with a large coin by the Master which I was informed celebrated the new Grand Master who was installed just a week before at their Grand Lodge meeting in Waco, Texas. On the reverse of the coin is a Masonic symbol chosen by the Grand Master which this year is the familiar 47th Problem of Elucid. The Chaplain of the Lodge, Bro James Ollerton, proceeded to give an engaging short lecture on Pythagoras and the 47th Problem.
The main business of the meeting was however discussion regarding the preparations for a forthcoming annual Lodge meeting to be held at The Alamo Mission itself with the newly installed Grand Master of Texas attending to which I was also readily invited to attend.
The Alamo Chapel
So roll on two days and I was back with my new found friends from Alamo Lodge in the early evening outside the historic Alamo Chapel. Approximately 200 Masons had paraded through the streets from the Masonic Centre in their regalia to the Chapel. They were joined by the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Texas along with his recently appointed District Deputy Grand Masters (DDGM).
The Grand Master of Texas along with his District Deputy Grand Masters outside the Alamo
We all filtered into the chapel and sang the National Anthem aided by a lone cornet played by the Grand Musician, WBro Ronald E Lawrence. The Master of Alamo Lodge gave a short but heartfelt address about what Masonry meant to him and how he followed in the footsteps of his Grandfather who was also Mason and that his Masonic Bible had been used in the Master’s Obligations.
The Grand Master, MWBro Michael L Wiggins was introduced who then addressed the Lodge and its visitors on the history of the Alamo and how it represented the liberty of Texans. He proceeded to pay tribute to the Freemasons who lost their lives in the assault by General Santa Anna on 6th March 1836. Those Masons included Jim Bowie, David Crockett, James Bonham, Almaron Dickinson and William Travis. This was followed by a rendition of ‘The Last Post’ on the cornet which hauntingly resonated around the stone chapel. The Grand Master then proceeded to introduce his DDGMs and then concluded the meeting with the National Anthem. More photos of the event can be viewed here.
Freemasons lost in the Alamo
Visiting is one of those special reasons why I enjoy Masonry, meeting people from all backgrounds but having that commonality in our outlook in life. Visiting across lodges in England is rewarding especially when noting the subtle differences in our ceremonial work. Visiting a Lodge in American is a whole different experience and one every Brother who has an opportunity to do should make it a priority. I felt very privileged to be witnessing a very truly special meeting of the Alamo Lodge and cannot express my thanks enough to the Master and Brethren of the Lodge for their kind hospitality and allowing me to participate in a very memorable occasion.
WBro Andy Green with the Master of the Alamo Lodge No.44 (left) and the Grand Master of Texas (right) in the Alamo
However, if you wish to visit abroad it is imperative that you contact the Provincial Grand Secretary and check that the Grand Lodge under which the Lodge meets is recognised by the United Grand Lodge of England. It is also important that no attempt should be made to contact the Grand Secretary of a Foreign Grand Lodge until on their territory, for to do so from England would contravene Masonic Protocol.
The Wyggeston Lodge, No.3448 Leicester 