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TOWER of LEBANON |
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TOWER of LEBANON |
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TOWER of LEBANON 285 HISTORY
1900 - 1993
| The lodge was constituted in the Freemason's Hall Arthur
Square Belfast on Friday 29th June 1900 by the then Provincial Grand Senior
Warden V W Bro W.T. Braithwaite who officiated owing to the Illness of the
Deputy PGM. There were 15 foundation members and for the first five years of its life the Lodge sat in Crumlin Road Masonic Hall Belfast before moving to Arthur Square in February 1905 where we have continued to meet ever since. The lodge is remarkable for three things, the family connections that have run through the generations, the generosity of our Past Masters, almost all of our regalia and symbols have been presented by Past Masters and the yeoman service of some of our former Brethren before Grand Lodge imposed the ten year rule. These brethren have left us a legacy of service we should be proud to follow, W. Bro James Armour Sec. 1910 - 1923. W. Bro Wm Gibson Treasurer 1906 - 1935. W.Bro Fred Cardwell Treasurer 1940 - 1956 W. Bro Robert Harkness Secretary 1943 - 1961 W. Bro Bob Ramsay Secretary 1963 - 1987 W. Bro Jim Cardwell Treasurer 1971 - 1982. The lodge celebrated its Jubilee year in style with 83 members on its books and by 1955 reached its zenith with 89. Since then it continues to flourish into the sixties but began to decline as the troubles plagued our Province and more especially our Capital City. By 1987 we were reduced to desperation, in 1988 we had only two Brethren holding office who were not Past Masters but then with the true resilience that characterises Freemasonry we began to grow and flourish once more. The next two years were a struggle whilst new candidates were initiated and some dead wood pruned. We were sustained by the family thread that runs through this Lodge with the names Lennox, Cardwell and Ferguson begin prominent and in 1993 W.Bro Bob Lennox Past Provincial Grand Sword Bearer and Lodge Treasurer occupied the Chair for the second time a unique occasion in the history of the Lodge and the first time a member of the third generation of the same family has served as Worshipful Master. May it not be the last . The Provincial Jewel presented to V.W. Bro Tommy Neville PJGW in 1949 was located and returned to the Lodge by Rt .W.Bro Adam J. McKinley Asst PGM during Bob's year as PGSB. The death of W. Bro Frank Picton ( our Director of Ceremonies for over 20 years ), who had guided so many of us in our early steps in Masonry 1988 triggered a revitalisation with the initiation of 17 candidates and affiliation of 3 other brethren Unfortunately time has taken its toll four Senior Brethren and only a handful now remain active but at least they have the satisfaction of watching a once thriving Lodge regenerating itself perpetuating the values and cause of Freemasonry. Presently as we approach our centenary we are in good heart confident for the future. |
This page was last updated on
Monday January 23, 2006
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