Fraternity - Fraternity lodge

FRATERNITY LODGE, NO. 4072

Founders

W. Bro. A. LEWTY, P.M. 333 ........................................ I.P.M.

W. Bro. A. MILNER, P.M. 333 & 3493, P.Pr.G.D. ................ W.M.

W. Bro. W. J. HARGREAVES, P.M. 333 ................................. W.S.

W. Bro. W. DENNIS, P.M. 343 ........................................ J.W.

W. Bro. C. G. LOCKWOOD, P.M. 2600 ............................ Treasurer

W. Bro. T. P. ELAM, P.M. 113 ................................. Secretary

W. Bro. Dr. J. B. PEARSON, P.M. 2600 .............................. D.C.

Bro. W. A. COOK .................................................... S.D.

Bro. A. FANN ...................................................... J.D.

W. Bro. W. SIMMONDS, W.M. 3493 ................................... A.D.C.

Bro. R. KAY ............................................... Asst. Secretary

Bro. J. FOSTER ....................................................... I.G.

Bro. G. CLAYTON ..................................................... S.S.

Bro. T. A. PYE ..................................................... J.S.

Bro. T. RAWLINSON ................................................. Tyler

W. Bro. W.S. LOW, P.M. 3493, P.Pr.A.G.D.C. ... Group Representative

W. Bro. W. DENNIS, P.M. 343 .....................Charity Representative

Consecration of Fraternity Lodge, No. 4072

8th June, 1920

Consecration Officer

V.W. Bro. LOUIS S. WINSLOE, J.P., P.G.T. (Eng.)Rt. Wor. Provincial Grand Master

Assisted by

GRAND AND PROVINCIAL GRAND OFFICERS

Installation

of

W. Bro. ARTHUR MILNER, P.Pr.G.D.

by

W.Bro. J. H. BURRELL, S.G.D. Eng.) Deputy Provincial Grand Master

at the BULL AND ROYAL HOTEL, PRESTON

CONSECRATION MENU

HORS d'OEUVRES

Soup

MOCK TURTLE

Fish

BOILED SALMON

CUCUMBER HOLLANDAISE SAUCE

NEW POTATOES

Entree

SWEETBREADS JARDINA

Joint

ROAST LAMB

PEAS

POTATOES

Sweet

TRIFLE

COFFEE, CHEESE and BISCUITS

INTRODUCTION

ASPIRATION

To put the birth of our lodge into its proper context, we must remember that conception took place in 1919, a few months after the termination of what was thought at the time to be the war to end wars, a ghastly, bloody conflict which had forged friendships and a fraternal kinship amongst its fighting men in a unique way. Notwithstanding the non-political requirements of Freemasonry, the intending Founders were all highly principled men who doubtless had great hopes of playing their part in establishing a saner and a wiser world, rightly foreseeing a surging demand to join the craft.

CREATION

There were then but six masonic lodges in Preston, four of which had existed for over one hundred years. Stanley of Preston Lodge No.2600 was a comparative youngster founded in 1896, and Commercial Travellers Lodge No. 3493 a pre-war newcomer set up in 1911.

Potential founders of the town's seventh masonic lodge were drawn from all but one of these six existing lodges. At a meeting on 26th September 1919, the intending founders formally resolved that a petition for a new lodge should be presented through Royal Preston Lodge No. 333.

There was no shortage of knowledge and experience: three of the sixteen intending founders had already savoured the joy and satisfaction of being founders of Commercial Travellers Lodge No. 3493 some eight years earlier.

The Worshipful Master Designate, W. Bro. Arthur Milner, P.Pr.G.D. was a Past Master of the Sponsoring lodge as well as the founding Worshipful Master of Commercial Travellers Lodge. There were six other members of Royal Preston Lodge on the list of applicant founders and it was pleasing that Unanimity, Concord and Stanley of Preston Lodges should also be represented.

On the 4th February 1920 it was reported that the Most Worshipful the Provincial Grand Master had acceded to the prayer for the petition for this proposed new lodge to be called FRATERNITY and the number it would bear would be 4072.

By the 23rd April 1920, applications for initiation were in hand from Messrs. Clive R. Hargreaves, Clarence Turner, and Stephen Benjamin Challen. It was resolved that all three candidates should go forward for ballot.

CONSECRATION

The Consecration Ceremony took place at the Bull & Royal Hotel, Preston, on Tuesday the 8th June 1920, and the minutes of the meeting leave us in no doubt that the Lodge got off to an auspicious start.

The first regular meeting followed at the same venue the very next day, Wednesday the 9th June, beginning at 7.30pm, there being no Festive Board. The first two candidates, Clive Hargreaves, son of the Senior Warden, and Clarence Turner, were both balloted for and initiated.

EVOLUTION

The second regular meeting on the second Wednesday in September 1920 saw not only the initiation of two more candidates, one of whom was W.bro.R.D.Challens' father, but Brothers Hargreaves and Turner were also passed to the Second degree. There was further formality that evening with the temporary occupation of the Wardens'

chairs for an Address and a Presentation of Founders' jewels to each of the sixteen founders. Remarkably in view of the vast agenda, that meeting is recorded as having closed in solemn prayer at 9.00pm after a 6.30pm start.

It is significant of the era that the Lodge was getting joining members from lodges such as Queen Victoria - Davenport, United Brethren - Valetta, Malta, Lodge Burnett - Poona, India, Aldershot Camp Lodge, and so on.

By the end of the first decade, ten meetings per annum, still at the Bull & Royal Hotel, Preston, were the norm. Attendances averaged eighty brethren per meeting and they rarely fell below seventy. It was expected that during his year of office each Worshipful Master would himself conduct at least four ceremonies and give a full rendering of the Second Degree Tracing Board as well as fully installing his successor in the following November.

APPLICATION

That standards were high and demanding can almost certainly be attributed to the appointment of W. Bro. Arthur Milner, the founding Worshipful Master, as Director of Ceremonies immediately following his year as Immediate Past Master. He continued in that office for more that twenty years.

Whilst every Master makes an important contribution during his year of office, the Director of Ceremonies invariably has a sustained and important influence on his lodge, and Fraternity Lodge No. 4072 has been continually extremely fortunate in this respect.

The mantle of Director of Ceremonies was eventually to fall on W. Bro. John Topping who stamped his strong personality indelibly on the affairs of the Lodge for over a decade : nothing but the best was good enough for him. His successor, W. Bro. Jonathan Ashton, was in office from 1953 to 1961, applying a more gentle yet no less successful hand, W. Bro. A. J. Whittall had one brief but memorable year before W. Bro. T. O Myerscough took over in 1962 for eleven years of essential discipline and attention to detail for which many brethren had reason to be grateful.

This onerous and extremely important office was very capably held by W. Bro. Tom Mayman from 1973 to 1976 before it passed to W. Bro. L. O. Spencer who had an uninterrupted and highly successful run untill November 1984, when W. Bro. G. M.Nickson brought a genial and sympathetic approach to the office, handing over in 1989 to the brother who had been Assistant Director of Ceremonies throughout his five years’ service.

I refer to W. Bro. Roger Hayhurst, who delighted us with his own inimitable flair and style, not always orthodox, in carrying out his duties! He in turn was followed by W.Bro Kay and then by Worshipfull Master W.Bro. John Whittall

For many years Fraternity Lodge enjoyed a tradition of sons following their fathers, and where fathers chose for one reason or another not to pass through the chairs, their sons usually repaired the omission, notably W. Brothers R. A. Booth (1973), J. M. G.Marsden (1981) and J. Ashcroft (1985). Where fathers sired only daughters, we got their sons-in-law, and there are several instances of brother introducing blood brother. The list of family connections is too extensive to recite, but one cannot omit W. Bro.Ephraim Maymon who was initiated in 1929, became Master in 1947, and introduced both his sons, Ephraim and Thomas who were elected to the highest office the lodge can confer in 1957 and 1958 respectively.

Fraternity Lodge No. 4072 itself has given birth to two daughter lodges in Preston; Broughton Lodge No. 5437 in 1933 and Ribbleton Lodge No. 6386 in 1946.

No history of the Lodge would be complete without mention of an American Citizen who became a joining member in 1953: W. Bro. Frank Rizzall, Past Master of Occidental Lodge No.436, Arkansas, U.S.A., age 56, Surgeon, who was seconded from Elizabeth Hospital, Arkansas, to work periodically in Preston until his retirement. He remained a member for 15 years until his death in 1968. He was an outstanding after dinner speaker with a gifted command of the English language tinged with the mildest of transatlantic accents. He was a splendid example of the universality of Freemasonry and no Toastmaster could resist the temptation of inviting him to speak at a Festive Board.

OCCUPATIONS

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 Lodge 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.

In January 1987 the first Concession Caterer was initiated, and although that job description no longer applies, Brother Malcolm Lindsay Douglas Clifford fitted well indeed in the chair of King Solomon in Fraternity Lodge's 75th year. It was good to see him become Worshipful Master in a mere eight years. It took the writer nineteen years which was once par for the course and which for many brethren proved a deterrent to ambition. Ten years or more working one's way up the list of stewards imposed a severe test of loyalty and devotion. Thankfully it is a thing of the past.

APPRECIATION

In our social activities, many brethren have made significant contributions. notably in not too distant memory W. Brothers Edgar Strangeway, E Whittal, R. A. Booth, J. M. Marsden, J. W. Regan, Roger Hayhurst, J. F. Whittall, W. B. Kay and M L D Clifford.

It would not be appropriate to catalogue the qualities and talents of each of our Worshipful Masters over the years: suffice to say all have been most worthy men, each making his mark in different ways. the old hands did tell me, though, that when John Topping was worshipful Master. Clive Hargreaves his Senior Warden, Stephen Challen Junior Warden, it was a most illustrious and unforgettable trinity.

As I said at the outset ,Brethren, many names would inevitabley be omitted, but how could one fail to mention stalwarts like Arthur Fann, John Foster, George Clayton, Jack Titterington, George Forrest Livesey and so many others.

Many Brethern did not attain high office due to a multipleof personal circumstances; these brethern are no less worthy of mention - but a mere list would serve no purpose.

One Brother, though, was unique in being elected Master in two consecutive years, 1986 and 1987. I refer to the late W. Bro. Walter Berry, a much loved local lad whose patent sincerity and refusal to put on airs endeared him to everyone. His untimely sudden death in March 1992 was a sad and severe loss. A Royal Arch Mason, Walter was looking forward to the Consecration of Fraternity Chapter No. 4072 and was its Treasurer Designate.

It is pleasing to report that the Chapter, Consecrated on 14th December 1992, is thriving and thus far it has experienced no shortage of Master Masons seeking to extend their masonic knowledge by completing the Third Degree.

At the meeting held in June 1932 there was presented to the lodge a Silver Chain, the gift of three past masters, W.Brothers Foster Clayton and Topping. The Chain first worn by W.bro S Challen, has been presented to Worshipful Masters ever since.

RECOGNITION

Past Grand Rank in Provincial Grand Lodge has been awarded to many Past Masters over the eighty-five years, as evidenced by the Lodge Circular.

One Brother who merits a a mention is Bro.D.T.Ormrod who served as Secretary for many years without going through the Chair of King Solomon and was rewarded with promotion to P.Pr.G.St.B. in 1997 by the Provincial Grand Master for his work in the Lodge.

Not so apparent, however, is the fact that a small number of brethren have had the special distinction of taking up active office in the Province of West Lancashire, namely:

W. Bro. R. D. Challen, appointed Pr. G. Steward in 1964

W. Bro. R Hayhurst, appointed Pr. Assist. G. D. C. in 1989

W. Bro. J. Ashcroft, appointed Pr. Dep. G. D. C. in 1991

W. Bro. B. Kay, appointed Pr.G.Steward in 1994

W.Bro. J.F.Whittal appointed Pr. Assist. G. D. C. in 1996

W.Bro. M N Rae, appointed Pr.G.Steward in 1997

In our seventy fifth year it was especially pleasing to record that W. Bro. J. Ashcroft was in London to be invested by the M. W. the Grand Master, H.R.H.The Duke of Kent, with the rank of Past Assistant Grand Registrar. This richly deserved recognition of Bro. Ashcroft’s talents and of his distinguished service as Dep. G. Director of Ceremonies in Provincial Grand Lodge from 1991 to 1994, arises a mere five years after the first Grand Lodge collar in seventy years to come to Fraternity Lodge was awarded to W. Bro. R. D. Challen. These are valued personal accolades to the two brethren concerned. They are at the same time heartening and much appreciated honours to the Lodge itself.

REFLECTION

Fraternity Lodge No. 4072 came into being before television, before penicillin, frozen foods, computers, credit cards, split atoms, laser beams, ball-point pens, and before man walked on the moon.

Our Founders thought fast food was what you ate in Lent. To them a Big Mac was an oversized raincoat, coke was something you kept stored in the coalhouse whilst a chip was nothing but a fried potato.

In other words, we now are living in a vastly different world from that of those who brought the Lodge into being. Many adjustments have had to be made over the eighty five years - but the principles and tenets of our profession, founded on the basis of religious truth and virtue, have not changed an iota.

The greater openness encouraged by our Grand Master in recent times has been a significant change, but a welcome one. Like Freemasonry itself, our lodge was formed with unanimity and concord. Long may it continue to teach us to do good, to maintain a charitable attitude to our fellow men, and to help us in pursuit of that Grand Design of being happy and communicating happiness. It is not for me to describe our first eighty five years as glorious, but having been a member of the Lodge for sixty three of those years, I can vouch for our work having been consistently true and trusty and of good report.

EXPECTATION

In 2002, regular attendance at monthly meetings had fallen to between 15 and 20 and for the last two years (and indeed for the next two) Past Masters occupied the Chair of King Solomon and both Wardens Chairs. The last eight years have brought forward three candidates and with this in mind when approached by Vanguard Lodge in 2002 as to whether the lodge would be interested in Talking to them and Broughton lodge with a view to amalgamation, discussions took place which has led to the amalgamation of Fraternity Lodge, Broughton Lodge and Vanguard Lodge.

Broughton Lodge was a a daughter lodge and Vanguard a granddaughter Lodge of Fraternity Lodge

He who is called upon to compile a history for the Centenary celebrations will surely be able to write of adding a further jewel in the year Two Thousand and Twenty.

.............................................

RON CHALLEN P.A.G.D.C.

JUNE, 1995

This Lodge history has been updated by W.Bro. M L D Clifford P.Pr.G.Swd.B. for the Centenary Meeting in September 2021