Author: Admin

On Friday 27th January 2023, Agricola Lodge No 4501, marked 100 years as a lodge The members celebrated its Centenary Year with a special meeting, attended by The Provincial Grand Master, RW Bro Neil Hamilton Johnstone, together with the Deputy Provincial Grand Master, VW Bro Philip Neil South, and many members of the Provincial Executive.

In a packed lodge room, the brethren were entertained by the Worshipful Master as he recounted many attributes he had managed to research on the founders of the lodge.

RW Bro Neil Hamilton Johnstone, PGM, personally congratulates our newest member, Bro Mark Lillis on joining the fraternity.

After the meeting, the Brethren enjoyed a sumptuous meal with copious amounts of wine.

The 100th Installation Meeting of the Lodge, on Friday 25th November 2022, saw W Bro David Michael Kershaw, placed in the chair of King Solomon, by the Insatlling Master, W Bro Ian Richard Packer.

W Bro David, as ‘Grandfather’ of the lodge was delighted to be the Worshipful Master of Agricola during it’s Centenary Year, especially as just having celebrated his 50th year as a freemason.

Our meeting in January was not just a special meeting for our newest
initiate, but also for W Bro David Kershaw as he marked the day by reaching 50 years of service to the Craft.

He was presented with his Certificate by RW Bro Neil Hamilton Johnstone, PGM, amongst a throng of well-known brethren and fraternal friends.

The Festive Board was a themed ‘Burns Supper’ with haggis and bagpipes. The haggis was suitably addressed, and the initiate was serenaded with the ‘Entered Apprentice Song’.

The whole evening proved to be a most enjoyable event for all in attendance and a suitable precursor for the Lodge Centenary this time next year.

After 21 months of uncertainty due to the pandemic, we managed to install a new master. W Bro Neil Marshall installed the Master Elect, Bro Ian Packer, after two years in the chair.

Brother Ian, took to the ‘chair’ like a duck to water. He appointed and invested his officers magnificently, much to the delight of the 22 guests and visitors.

A great evening for the Lodge and all credit due to the hard work of the Past Masters of the Lodge.

Our next meeting on 28th January will be a milestone for one of our members, reaching 50 years in Freemasonry. It is expected that there will be many distinguished guests and visitors attending.

Under the ‘rule of six’ our meeting was nothing like ‘regular’. The Lodge was opened by our Worshipful Master and the business of the Lodge was conducted.

The Worshipful Master and Officers were voted to stay for another year in the hope of being able to return to normal activities soon. After the meeting, the ‘six’ enjoyed a drink and small bite before returning home to their loved ones.

With the news that all Lodge meeting are being suspended by the Most Worshipful Grand Master until such time as restrictions imposed by the Government are lifted, our Installation Meeting on 27th November will not happen. So it will be back to the virtual meetings on the now very popular ‘zoom’ application.

A return to normality will happen, but it will mean someone will have to redefine ‘Normal’!

Our next Regular Meeting of the lodge will be on Friday 23rd October at 6 pm.

ONLY six people are allowed in the meeting.

Contact the secretary if you wish to attend.

Please be assured that attendance at a Regular Meeting is entirely your own decision. There is absolutely no pressure on a member to attend a meeting.

Please note there will be no Festive Board afterwards.

Lodge meeing will be resuming with the first regular meeting since the suspension.

Our next Regluar Meeting will be on Friday 24th October, which will be limited to members only and resricted to lodge business. There will be no ceremony, or festive board at this meeting.

Only when restrictions imposed by UGLE are lifted will we be back to normal.

As of the 17th March all Masonic Meetings have been suspended by order of The Most Worshipful Grand Master.

This is a suspension for a period of four months.

The Provincial Office will be sending out updates to all members as and when.

During this period of suspension, we will be holding monthly ‘Zoom’ meetings to ensure all our members are well and safe, and to discuss any issues relating to our well-being.

Our next Worshipful Master will be Brother Neil Graham Marshall and will be our youngest Master for some considerable time.

Details of the meeting to follow

The Lodge will be donating £700 to the Alzheimer’s Society at a ‘White Table’ meeting on Friday 25th October. The money was raised at our Worshipful Master’s Ladies Festival last July and a representative for the Charity is giving the Brethren and their guests a talk on the work of the Society.

The donation was made at the Festive Board after the meeting.

Our WM W Bro Malcolm Graham and Mr Sam Edwards the Community Fundraiser for the Alzheimer’s Society in Kent and East Sussex