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Some Marathon Lodge Meetings
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Being a new Lodge, and apparently one that attracted numerous candidates,
the business of the Lodge took some managing. We have already seen that four
Initiations took place at the second meeting.
It seems to have been common practice during those early years, to have
performed more than one ceremony at the same meeting!
Balloting for candidates quite often took place at the same meeting as the
Initiation ceremony. It is recorded that ballots for several candidates were
taken ‘en bloc’, but if any black balls appeared they would have
to be balloted for individually.
To give some indication of the amount of work that was undertaken at a
meeting, let us look at the regular Lodge Meeting held on November 20th.
1914.
Ballot taken for a Joining member.
Ballot taken for five Candidates.
Three Candidates Passed to 2nd Degree.
Steward invested with his collar and jewel.
Two Candidates Initiated:
Two more Candidates Initiated.
Charity Steward proposed £5-5s-0d be donated to the fund for Belgium
Refugees.
When one adds to that list all the normal business of the Lodge, such as
Opening and Closing, reading the previous Minutes, salutes and the Risings,
one can only marvel at the stamina of our predecessors.
There was an occasion when two Brethren were Raised and three Initiated, and
Grand Lodge Certificates presented to two Brethren, at the same meeting.
Perhaps a closer look at the actual programme of business at one of those
marathon events, will give us an insight as to the routine.
Regular Lodge Meeting held on January 18th. 1918:
Prov. Grand Master, Rt. W. Bro. Col. Wyley attended. Lodge opened 12-05 p.m.
Ballot took place for Messrs. Merritt, Murphy and Cockerill.
Bros. Ball and Butler, candidates
for 2nd Degree, answered questions and retired.
Lodge opened in 2nd Degree.
Bros. Ball and Butler readmitted
and Passed to Degree of a Fellowcraft.
Bro. Ward, candidate to be Raised answered questions.
Lodge resumed in 1st Degree.
Grand Lodge Certificate presented to Bro Lansditt.
Bro. Gittins proposed Mr. A. B. Maxfield as a candidate.
Messrs. Billington and Boukley, candidates for Initiation, admitted and
Initiated.
Lodge Called Off at 2-10 p.m.
Lodge Resumed at 3-40 p.m.
Lodge resumed in 3rd Degree without opening.
Bro. Ward readmitted and was Raised to Degree of Master Mason. Lodge resumed in 1st Degree.
Usual closings.
Charity Box £3.
The work in the various ceremonies was shared between the Founder Members, as
one would expect, but it was not until May 1918 that a Lodge of Instruction
was considered.
There was so much work to be processed that Emergency Meetings were
frequently held between the Regular Meetings, to get the candidates through
as quickly as possible.
At one such Emergency Meeting on April 16th. 1915, four Brethren were Passed,
and one was Raised, and it was decided to have no lunch!
The first Ladies Evening was held on March 19th.1915, the tickets were priced
at 5s-0d for Ladies, and 7s-6d for Visitors.
A modest number of people attended, compared that is with some of the later
attendances. Numbers are recorded as: -
Lodge
Members 39
Ladies
43
Gentlemen
visitors 10
Lodge visitors 1
A problem that appeared with that first Ladies Evening remains with us still.
That of having to chase up the payment for tickets, and attempting to obtain
the cost of meals for visitors who did not turn up.
A copy of the Menu Card for the Ladies Evening held at Broad
St., on March 16th. 1928, gives us a real
insight into how things were conducted in those times. They certainly ate
well, the menu being: -
Oysters
Soup, Cream of Asparagus
Boiled salmon and cucumber
Lamb
cutlets, peas and potatoes
Roast
chicken with Japanese salad
Sweet
Dessert
Coffee
Cigars and cigarettes.
Afterwards there was the music and there appeared to be no shortage of
musicians. The Mozart orchestra consisted of: -
3 violins, cello, bass, 2 flutes, clarinet, trumpet, horn, bassoon and piano.
There were also the visiting Brethren consisting of oboe, clarinet and harp.
Additionally 4 Brethren were listed under the heading of Artistes, so there
were no shortage of singers, in fact, Bro. Walter Bates sang “God Save
The King”, W. Bro. W. C. Westbury sang the ‘Visitors Song’,
and Bro. Fred Stephenson the ‘Masters Song’.
Three of the musicians were from one family, Bro. Hayden Heard, who was
Director of Music, on violin, and Bros. Walter and Sydney,
flutes. Incidentally Bro. Sydney Heard, though not a member of Mozart Lodge,
was the father of one of our present members, W. Bro. David Heard.
The Worshipful Master at that time was Bro. F. H. Clark, but the response to
the Ladies’ Toast given by Bro. Hayden Heard, was made by Mrs. Harry
Groves, wife of the Director of Ceremonies, who had been the Master in 1924.
(Written by W.Bro. Arthur Aston.)
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