WHITE ROSE 43 - Masonic Province of Yorkshire, West Riding

NIGHT OF NOSTALGIA AS BRITANNIA LODGERESPECT FOR THEPAST AND HOPEFOR THE FUTURE!A VENERABLE, lively and respectedLodge, was how the Provincial GrandChaplain described Britannia Lodge No139 when it celebrated a rich andhistorical 250 years at a specialanniversary meeting at Tapton MasonicHall, Sheffield on 30 March this year.The 160 present were treated to a rarenight of nostalgia and anacknowledgement of their important rolein modern-day Freemasonry, withprincipal guest R W Bro Air Marshal SirRonald Stuart-Paul KBE, Junior GrandWarden, expressing “sheer delight at thewarmth of his welcome into a fantasticProvince.”Britannia Lodge was Founded in 1761and given Warrant No 85 by the AntientsGrand Lodge. In 1765 the Lodge appliedto the Moderns Grand Lodge for aWarrant and, under No 340, it held aLodge at the Rose and Crown in theMarket Place, Sheffield.Following membership fluctuations,Britannia amalgamated with the AntientsLodge No 72 and met in the Freemasons’Rooms in Paradise Square.Changes caused by the Union in 1813were adopted, though it is worthrecording that the Lodge’s present ritual,made definitive in 1921, is neitherEmulation nor Old York – it has best beenFor Everything Forddescribed as “Britannia working.”Phoenix No 904 in Rotherham wasBritannia’s first offspring in 1862 and atthe present day there are some 20daughter or granddaughter Lodges!Britannia enjoyed its centenary in 1865but after some discussion over its earlyWorkings, United Grand Lodge agreedthat the bi-centenary could be celebratedin 1961.W Bro R E Farris, Master, waspleased to present a cheque for£4,500 to R W Bro Clayton for theProvincial Grand Master’s Fund,making a total donation of £7,500from Britannia Lodge, including£3,000 given to West RidingMasonic Charities over the last twoyears.The 1960s brought a move from thethen Surrey Street premises to Tapton, in1967, following a laying of the FoundationStone in June 1965 by the then ProvincialGrand Master, R W Bro H Clifford Smith.The 250th anniversary occasion waspresided over by the Master, W Bro RogerE Farris, PAGDC, PPJGW, whose booklet“A History of Britannia Lodge – 1961-2011” contains many other absorbingfacts and figures.In the Temple, current Lodge secretaryW Bro Robert Bailey and two of hispredecessors, W Bros James Ogley andMatthew Love, provided interesting andilluminating snippets gleaned from thepast 250 years.And, as W Bro The Rev Canon KennethJ Phillips, Provincial Grand Chaplain,concluded during his delightful and wellresearchedOration:“Time rushes inexorably on, withscarcely time to appreciate the present,let alone the richness of the past! But asfor a few moments we enjoy what we havealready experienced, so we must look tothe future. It is out there!“In a time when earthquakes, eruptions,tsunamis, floods, tornadoes andpestilence abound - all and more are aconstant reminder to those who wouldsee, of the everlasting need for charity.And I was deeply impressed when threeChristmases ago a tsunami struck aroundthe south Pacific, and £100,000 wasimmediately despatched by ‘the Masons’,as some parts of the press put it.Succeeding disasters have been met withsimilar urgency.“At the same time, in this generationwhen so much is already asked of its busyworkers, we also see the need of a timededicated to fellowship and recreation,beyond anything that can be offered bycomputer, mobile telephone, “Facebook”or any other of the electronic gadgets weare bombarded with.“ Our labour has its serious side and itslighter moments in equal measure, and allis subsumed under the commission ‘to behappy and communicate happiness.’ Ofthis you can be certain: that you can beproud of being a Freemason, and if youare, then let us continue to make moreMasons!”At the splendid Festive Board, the R WProvincial Grand Master, John K Clayton,Plumbing and Heating Ltd36 Erringden Road, Mytholmroyd, Hebden Bridge, HX7 5ARNew & Used Vehicle Sales,Service, Parts, RapidfitOver 80 years with FORDBurgessFord – KeighleyTel: 01535 667711Fax: 01535 610355Dalton LaneKeighley BD21 4JHwww.burgessford.co.uk• Boiler Installations/Repairs (Natural Gas, LPG and Oil)• Full Central Heating Systems• Unvented Hot Water Cylinders• Servicing and Landlord Gas Safety checks• Bathroom Suites Installation and Consultation• Powerflushing from £250.00• General Plumbing and Heating repairs• Airsource Heat Pumps• SolarAll offers are subject to change and can be withdrawn without notice.CONTACT:David WrightTel: 01422 886473Mob: 07795 284681Email: d.wright980@btinternet.comOVER 40 YEARS PLUMBING AND HEATING EXPERIENCESt. JOHNS CHAPTER No. 827 Meeting on the 3rd Tuesday in Jan, Mar (Installation), May, Jul, Sep & Nov.Halifax Road, Dewsbury WF13 2BS PROUD SUPPORTERS OF THIS PAGE OF THE WHITE ROSE MASONIC NEWS.6