Wennington Lodge celebrate 100 years remembering their past times
A momentous occasion for the members of the Wennington Lodge in celebrating this great achievement
Wennington Lodge No. 4559, that meets at Upminster Masonic Centre celebrated their 100 years on the 25th June 2024. In attendance was Paul Tarrant, Provincial Grand Master (PGM) escorted by a Provincial retinue together with members and many other invited guests.
This meeting followed on from their 100th Installation meeting in March where Lee Bold installed his Father, John Bold in the Worshipful Master’s chair as the 100th Master of Wennington Lodge.
Today’s celebration commenced with Derek Dale providing a short overview of the early Lodge minutes. He beguiled his audience with many interesting and some quite amazing facts from when the lodge was first formed and its first few years following its consecration not long after the First World War and continuing through the Second World War. As with all early lodges, the minutes were handwritten which must have been a far cry from our word processing systems of today.
The PGM then made a presentation to John Bold, Worshipful Master (WM) of a new Centenary Warrant which was kindly purchased and donated to the Lodge by the Director of Ceremonies, Tim Ryan.
The following is an extract from the oration given by the Reverand Michael Bradley, which gives a little further insight where Wennington Lodge came from, and as you will read there were several drinking establishments involved which could make Wennington one of the ‘Oldest Beer Lodges’ in Essex!
In 1922 there were several brethren in the East End of London mainly either living or working in Stepney and Poplar who were approaching the chair of their London Lodges and by some gravitational measure met in the saloon bar of the Swan at Stepney and found they wanted to run over the ritual and lectures, in addition to their lodges of instruction.
After a little while one of them, Archibald Currie suggested they should use the cellar in his off-licence in Commercial Road.
This they did, and what better place from this School of Instruction with Joseph Smith as tutor, the germ of a new lodge was born, and Joseph Smith and James Luck (Snr) started getting things together by contacting other brethren.
They had one or two rather casual meetings, at which it was decided they should meet in Essex and become an Essex lodge. The main reason for this decision was that it was cheaper than meeting in town, therefore the Subs would be lower, and it was perceived that honours arrived quicker in Essex. Joseph Smith also knew some members of Priory Lodge who meet at Southend and who were prepared to support and kindly consented to sponsor the forming of a new Lodge.
Before the meeting came to a close, the WM had the delightful duty, on behalf of the lodge of presenting the PGM with a donation of £1,500 to the Essex250 appeal which was equally well received.
Photos
Top (L-R, Front Row): Chris Brown, Anthony McCracken, Geoff Turpin, Assistant Provincial Grand Master (APGM), Paul Tarrant (PGM), John Bold (WM), Neil March (APGM), Colin Nelson, Martyn Stanley, Rev. Michael Bradley
Bottom (L-R): John Bold presenting donation cheque to Paul Tarrant
