Fraternity Lodge Present
Lodge History
Fraternity Lodge No.4072
Incorporating Broughton Lodge No.5437 & Vanguard Lodge No.7170
Introduction
Having updated the history written by W.Bro. Ron Challen for the amalgamation it has fallen to me to write a brief history since the amalgamation. Having no writing experience l have decided to follow Ron’s original history template and his headings.
Aspiration
In 2004 many lodges were suffering a drop in numbers and Broughton Lodge and Vanguard Lodge approached Fraternity Lodge and Ribbleton Lodge with a view to amalgamation. Both Ribbleton and Broughton Lodges were daughter Lodges of Fraternity Lodge with Vanguard Lodge being a granddaughter lodge. Ribbleton Lodge decided not to join the amalgamation but the other three lodges decided to explore the possibility of amalgamating to safeguard the future of the three Lodges.
Creation
A committee of members drawn from all three lodges was set up and a settled will outlining a way forward with all aspects of the running of the lodge discussed with a set plan of the working for the new lodge. A Group representative was assigned to help the committee and W.Bro D Winder, the Group Secretary, was a great advisor.
Although the current history of the amalgamated lodges should start at the amalgamation ceremony an important event took place at the installation of W.Bro. John Whittall on the 10th November 2004.
Nineteen members of Vanguard Lodge No.7170 and 11 members of Broughton Lodge No.5437 were balloted for and accepted as joining members. The appointment of the officers included some of the new members paving the way for the official amalgamation.
Amalgamation
At an emergency meeting on the 24th February 2005 the lodge met to celebrate the amalgamation of Fraternity Lodge No.4072, Broughton Lodge No.5437 & Vanguard Lodge No.7170.
The Ceremony of amalgamation was conducted by the Provincial Grand Master Rt. W.Bro. Colin Penty Wright and the full Provincial team in a delightful manner.
Evolution
The first meeting after the Amalgamation was a demonstration of the working tools in all three degrees to bind the team together with a mix of officers from all original lodges.
Subsequent work in the lodge has included demonstrations of all three ceremonies, lectures on a wide variety of subjects from the Questions on the Ceremonies, the Banners in the lodge room, the 2010 festival and many other subjects, the walking charge was also introduced.
In 2005 the lodge voted to exclude dining fees from the subscription and these are now due on the night.
In January 2007 the lodge minutes were circulated to the members before the meeting and then voted on in lodge thus saving time.
The lodge truly joined the electronic age in 2010 with the summons and the minutes being sent by email where possible.
The Lodge became a Grand Patron of the 2010 Festival in 2005 and a Gold Patron in 2008.
Application
The office of master of the lodge has been occupied by six past masters and five new masters, indeed three of the past masters have served in the Worshipful Master chair of various lodges on four previous occasions. At the October meeting in 2015 W.Bro. M L D Clifford was declared master elect for the following year and at the November meeting was installed into the Chair of King Solomon of the lodge for the fifth time.
In November 2018 we were honoured to receive The Provincial Grand Master at the installation of W.Bro C C Butterfield into the chair of King Solomon.
The mantle of Director of Ceremonies was taken By W.Bro Bob Poole and assistant by W.Bro. John Medcalfe in 2005 and passed over to W.Bro. John Whittall in 2008 with all three putting in an immense amount of work keeping up a variety of work to a high standard.Due to ill health W.Bro.Whittall was succeeded by W.Bro. Kay in 2018 who was again succeeded by W.Bro.Mark Walton in 2019 due to ill health
Bro Derek Ormrod held the office of secretary during the amalgamation and retired in 2006 with W.Bro. Chris Butterfield taking over in 2006 and holding this position till 2013, retiring to take on his duties as an acting officer in Provincial Grand Chapter. His quiet assurance and knowledge guided the lodge in a very professional manner for seven years. He is succeeded by W.Bro. Cliff Bell.
W.Bro. J.R. Procter has held the office of Treasurer since the amalgamation except for in 2017/18 when he took the chair of King Solomon and W.Bro.W.B.Kay stood in as Treasurer for that year.
The former tradition in Fraternity lodge of sons following their father has been carried on by W.Bro. Ron Holt and his son Bro. John Holt. 2008 saw the initiation, passing and raising of John Holt and it was a pleasure to see the First Degree Charge and traditional history presented in fine manner by his father W.Bro. Ron Holt.
In September 2018 W.Bro. M Walton initiated his son in law into the Lodge. He then
in January assisted the Worshipful Master Bro. A.D. Brindle in the first double first of the amalgamated Lodge, one of the candidates being his son Luke.
W.Bro. Ron Holt went into the chair of King Solomon in 2012 (his first time in Fraternity Lodge but his fourth time in the Master’s chair) and installed his son John into the chair of King Solomon in 2013 and proclaimed him into the chair again the following year. John was still in the chair in January 2015 when the APrGM David Winder visited the lodge to celebrate W.Bro R L Holt’s fifty years in Freemasonry. It was especially fitting as W.Bro. David Winder had been our link to the group during the amalgamation process.
In 2010 another Lewis, W.Bro. Bob Booth celebrated his fifty years in freemasonry.
W.Bro. Ron Challen (also a lewis) celebrated his seventieth year in freemasonry in March 2012 and the celebration was officiated by his cousin V.W.Bro. Tom Blackburn PGSwdB, Past Deputy Provincial Grand Master.
In 2015 another member of the lodge reached his fifty years in freemasonry. Bro James Harwood was originally initiated into Vanguard Lodge and on amalgamation became a member of Fraternity Lodge although he never attended one of our meetings. Bro Harwood did not want any fuss or ceremony to mark his fiftieth milestone.
Also in 2010 we were delighted to have a visit from W.Bro. George Lloyd a former member of the lodge who immigrated to New Zealand and has continued his masonic career. In 2014 we were contacted by W.Bro. Richard Roscoe whose Grandfather had joined the lodge in 1935, and he subsequently visited the lodge whilst visiting Preston in April 2014
Occupations
I now quote from W.Bro. Challen’s words “Membership of Fraternity Lodge has covered a remarkably broad cross-section of society, with initiates and joining members over the years from Agriculture and Farming, Brick-making, Building, Architecture, Banking, Insurance, the Legal profession and the Police, Medicine and Surgery, Osteopathy, Pattern-making, Retailing, Wholesaling, and Undertaking. Engineering has been strongly represented in Mechanical, Electrical, Automotive and many other forms. Way back in 1958 a Trinity House Pilot was initiated - and there has been one Mayor's Clerk-Assistant and one Sub-postmaster. In recent years we have been joined by Coach-trimmers, Tool-room Managers, Woodworkers and Upholsterers, Production Managers and Supervisors employed in the aircraft industry. A Security-alarm Engineer and a Chartered Quantity Surveyor have added to the list.”
We can now add to that with A Chef, an expert in Bull Fertility, a Cleaning contractor, Accountant, Vehicle transport contractor, Headmaster and a cyber security expert.
Appreciation
Again I quote W.Bro. Challen’s words “It would not be appropriate to catalogue the individual qualities and the talents of each Worshipful Master over the years. All have been most worthy men, each making his mark in some different way.”
During this period whilst we have not had a defined social committee our social activities have continued with an annual Sunday lunch in the company of the lodge widows, Old English nights with non-masons joining us at the festive board to encourage membership, and not least our December festive board with a Christmas meal where we are joined by family, friends, widows and for the past three years we have been joined by Jubilee Chapter members, family and friends.
Amongst those who are still with us much work on the social side has been put in by W.Bros. Mark Walton, Chris Butterfield, Malcolm Clifford and Cliff Bell
The lodge was stunned in April 2007 by the sudden death of W.Bro Neil Kenyon one of the joining members from Broughton Lodge and the lodge treasurer. He was a popular and hardworking member of the lodge and his passing to the Grand Lodge above was felt by both the members and the widows of the lodge as he acted as assistant almoner and quite often popped into see the widows and have a cup of tea.
W.Bro. Dennis Dunnagan who was lodge almoner before and from the amalgamation resigned as Almoner in 2007 leaving behind him a legacy of hard work in the betterment of the widows’ daily situation also ascended to the Grand Lodge above in 2011.
He was ably succeeded by W.Bro John Medcalfe who was then succeeded by W. Bro. Malcolm Clifford in 2008 who, despite working many hours in his occupation as a chef, found time to look after and support the many widows we now possess as an amalgamated lodge. He served as Almoner from 2008 till 2016 and then again from 2017 till 2019 when he was succeeded by W.Bro. Merrick Wilding. W.Bro. Wilding has been the Lodge Charity Steward since 2002 and is continuing with both offices.
Another person who is definitely worth a mention is W.Bro. Ron Challen who passed to the Grand Lodge above in March 2013. He joined the lodge in 1942. When I joined the lodge in 1987 he was one of the elder statesmen of the lodge and always had time for the younger brethren. He had a very interesting war record being a member of the Ultra team working out of Bletchley Park and for a number of years we were entertained by a series of talks at our Founders night meetings on Enigma and Ultra.
In early 2019 the lodge was again stunned by the passing to the Grand Lodge above by W.Bro. John Whittall and W.Bro. Barry Kay. John and Barry were initiated into the Lodge within five months of each other, both held acting Ranks in Provincial Grand Lodge and rose to the Rank of P.Pr.J.G.W.
Both served their lodge to the highest standard they could have achieved.
John served the lodge as organist for more years than I can remember and also as D.C for ten years. He was very active on the social occasions and I amd many others will never forget the grand old Duke of York or the Twelve day of Christmas.
Barry held the office of social secretary for quite a few years organising the many social functions we used to have, Widows trips, socials, Ladies nights, old English nights, Christmas Ladies Dinning ins to name a few. He also was D.C. for many years prior to the amalgamation.
Recognition
The lodge was honoured by the promotion to grand rank by two of its members to PAGDC: W.Bro. Stan Rigby in 2009 and W.Bro Chris Butterfield in 2012.
In 2016 the lodge was again honoured by the promotion of W.Bro N Thomas to PJGD
W.Bro. Stan Rigby was appointed Preston Group Chairman in 2006 and served until 2014.
Past Grand Rank in Provincial Grand Lodge has been awarded to Past Masters over the last 15 years, as evidenced by the Lodge Circular.
Not so apparent, however, is the fact that one brother has had the special distinction of taking up acting office in the Province of West Lancashire whilst not having been through the chair, namely: Bro. Roy Wilde to PrAGPurs. Sadly Roy was called to the Grand Lodge above in March 2016. He was a quiet unassuming mason who was always willing to step in when needed.
Reflection & Expectation
Our first 15 years as an amalgamated lodge have followed an up and down path. In that period the lodge has initiated 9 candidates, passed 7 and raised 7 with 2 passings and 2 raisings planned for the future. We have had three joining members and one re-joining member, this has been offset by 11 deaths and 22 resignations for a variety of reasons.
We have made 7 Honorary Members.
The members have worked hard to bond the three lodges into one happy and coherent lodge which we hope will reflect in our gaining new members.
Although our numbers at meetings are now only slightly higher than in 2004 we are in an optimistic mood about our future and working very hard towards and looking forward to our Centenary Celebration in the near Future.
Also at the October meeting in 2015 the secretary reported that two valuable Masonic medals belonging to one of Fraternity Lodges founder members W.Bro A H Fann had been discovered.
Exceptional Cicumstances
In early 2020 the whole world was hit with a pandemic of the Covid 19 virus leading to the lockdown of many Countries including Great Britan.
Freemasons meetings were all cancelled from March onwards which lead to the postponement of our Centenary meeting in September 2020 to September 2021. Lockdowns allowing.
Acknowledgements
I make no apologies for the similarities to the history of Fraternity Lodge up to the amalgamation as written by W.Bro. Ron Challen in 1995 as I felt some of his wording was better than I could achieve. My thanks go to him for making it easier for me and to W.Bros. Norman Thomas, Chris Butterfield and Cliff Bell for checking and advising on the history.