The
Company Path
Most Lodges and Royal Arch
Chapters meet at the above
A BRIEF HISTORICAL
RETROSPECT OF THE DISTRICT GRAND LODGE
Freemasonry in
As a
consequence Mount Olive Lodge was deemed irregular until it obtained a warrant
from
In
December 1825, the Master of the Lodge dispatched the petition by the hand of
the above mentioned Bro. Daly who was then about to proceed to
An
interesting feature of the second petition was that the offices of the proposed
first Senior and Junior wardens were to be filled by Brethren who were
initiated, passed and raised in Mount Olive Lodge.
The
provisional warrant was eventually granted and dated December 10, 1826.
The
original number of the Lodge was 812 on the English Register. Thus it is not
known whether the warrant was granted in answer to the first or the second
petition.
Subsequently as in the case of Union Lodge the United Grand Lodge assigned the
number 385 to Mount Olive Lodge which is its current number.
English
Freemasonry in
Following on the erasure of Phoenix Lodge the warrant for Ituni Lodge number
2642 was approved on December 29, 1896 and the Lodge was consecrated on
September 20, 1897 in the upper story of the Berbice Reading Society’s Building
in
The
tract “Historical Retrospect of the District Grand Lodge of British Guiana,
“The desire for the
formation of a District Grand Lodge was slow in growth, for although on the
Installation night of Union Lodge #247, December 17, 1867, with W. Bro. Thomas
Daly as Master, it was unanimously decided that a “Provincial” Grand Lodge be
“appointed” and that W. Past Master Robert Wight Imlach be appointed the first
“Provincial” Grand Master of British Guiana, it took 32 years for this desire to
become fact. Indeed, on December 7, 1899, we find that Mount Olive No. 385 was
not in
favour of the
formation of a District Grand Lodge and had to be informed on May 3, 1900 by the
Rt. W. Bro. Lt. Col. T. Daly, DGM, that suggestion for its formation came
finally from the Grand Master H. R. H. Albert, Prince of Wales. The First
meeting was held at Freemasons’ Hall Church Street, Georgetown on Saturday
October 28, 1899 at 4:30pm for the purpose of installing the Right Worshipful
District Grand Master and inauguration a District Grand Lodge of British Guiana
under the jurisdiction of the United Grand Lodge of Ancient, Free and Accepted
Masons of England.”
“The Lodge was opened in due
form in the three degrees. The Right Worshipful District Grand Master designate
W. Bro. Lt. Col. Thomas Daly retired with the Wardens and W. Bro. J. W. Davis.
The Patent of appointment having been exhibited, the DGM designate was escorted
into the Lodge where, after the reading of the Patent, the DGM was duly
interrogated and obligated. He was then installed, proclaimed and saluted
according to ancient custom.”
In
Februray 1904 Dr. J. E. Godfrey was installed as District Grand Master in place
of R. W. Bro. Lt. Col. Thomas Daly who had resigned on leaving the colony.
In
October 1906 the District Grand Secretary read a letter to District Grand Lodge
from Lodge Unity No 797 SC thanking the District Grand Master for conducting the
dedication of their new lodge room at
A
special meeting of District Grand Lodge was held on Monday June 22, 1907 at
which the Masonic Hall owned by Mount Olive Lodge at
An
interesting item concerning District Grand Lodge at this time appears in the
“Centenary History and Handbook of British Guiana” by A. R. F. Webber which
states as follows:
“In April, 1908, the City of
Georgetown enjoyed a little ‘storm in a teapot’ when Sir Frederick Hodgson
decided that the foundation stone of the new Carnegie building should be laid by
the District Grand Master of the Masonic Lodge, Sir Joseph Godfrey, Surgeon
General, and a leading member of the Executive Council.
The Roman Catholic citizens held that
such an elevation of Free Masonry was an affront to them and would exclude them
from taking part and the controversy grew intence and heated, but the Governor
held his way and on April 25, Dr. Godfrey in full Masonic regalia, accompanied
by his officers and a large number of Masons in Lodge attire laid the foundation
stone.”
In 1908
District Grand Lodge decided to order a Banner. The design was submitted and
finally approved at its meeting in October when it was decided to send the order
to Kenning and Sons Ltd, and that the cost should not exceed 20 pounds sterling.
The banner was eventually bought for 21 pounds exclusive of freight.
District Grand Lodge met for the first time at the
In 1915
at a special meeting in May W. Bro. W. H. Parratt was installed as District
Grand Master in place of R. W. Bro. Sir J. E. Godfrey who had resigned on
leaving the colony.
The
Grand Lodge of Scotland requested District Grand Lodge in 1921 to consecrate
Lodge Obadiah No 1255 SC in
In
October 1925 R. W. Bro. W. H. Parratt resigned the office of District Grand
Master and W. Bro. Sir A. P. Sherlock was appointed in his place and stead. On
December 17 of that year a special meeting was held whereat he was installed as
District Grand Master according to ancient custom.
His
reign as District Grand Master was relatively uneventful and in January 1938
District Grand Lodge held a special meeting to install W. Bro. F. A. Mackey as
District Grand Master in his place. Later that year news was received of the
passing to the Grand Lodge above of R. W. Bro. Sir Joseph Godfrey Past District
Grand Master. The Silver Trowel which was presented to him on the occasion of
the laying of the cornerstone of the Carnegie Free Library in 1908 was handed
over to District Grand Lodge for safe keeping.
On July
18, 1933 an Especial Grand Lodge was held in the Royal Albert Hall,
Sir
Albert Sherlock, District Grand Master of the District Grand Lodge of British
Guiana was present at this splendid occasion forming part of the procession of
fifteen District Grand Masters in to Grand Lodge. Since then this District has
been represented in Grand Lodge at the two hundred and fiftieth and two hundred
and seventy fifth anniversary celebrations.
This
historical event was celebrated at home in Georgetown on July 31, 1933 by
Roraima Lodge holding a Social at Company Path under the patronage of the then
Governor, Sir Edward Denham. The first part of the Social was a two part concert
of piano solos, recitation and duets. This was followed by dancing – fox-trots,
one step and waltzing to such tunes as “I want to cling to Ivy”; “Love is the
sweetest thing” and a “Shuffle off to
In 1942
the Rt. W. District Grand Master R. W. Bro. F. A. Mackey died in office and in
1943 he was succeeded as District Grand Master by W. Bro. Rt. Rev. Alan John
Knight, the Lord Bishop of
That
same year a warrant was granted for a new lodge,
In 1949
the 50th year of the existence of District Grand Lodge was marked by
the celebration of its Golden Jubilee in October. A Masonic Service was held in
The
next noteworthy event was the formation of Kara Kara Lodge in Mackenzie,
In 1973
Eureka Lodge received its warrant. The Archbishop had been initiated while at
Later
in that year the Guyana Lodge of Research also received its warrant. The latter
was intended to further Masonic research in the District. Both Lodges were
consecrated in that year and the Guyana Lodge of Research became the first Lodge
in the District which did not meet every month, but only thrice a year, which
continues to be the case up to the present time.
The
year was also memorable because it witnessed some fraternal unhappiness over the
balloting for the new Master in the Union Lodge, which eventually caused the
District Grand Master to suspend meetings of that lodge for a number of months
as in his judgment, the members could no longer meet with that fraternal spirit
which should characterize Freemasons. Following upon an inquiry several members
received various degrees of punishment from the District Grand Master, after
which the lodge was permitted to resume its normal activity.
Brethren of Mount Everest Lodge petitioned Grand Lodge in 1976 for the formation
of a new lodge and a warrant was then issued for Lotus Lodge which was
consecrated later that year. The founders were mainly brethren of
The
District Grand Master who had during his lengthy and distinguished reign become
the Archbishop of the
His
Grace the Most Reverend the Lord Archbishop of the
Bro.
Taylor during his lengthy address on the occasion of his Installation promised
to be a “little more flexible” than his predecessor in the manner in which he
directed the fortunes of the District. He also stated quite trenchantly while
paying tribute to the late Archbishop:
“I feel it should be said
that in holding the office of District Grand Master for such a lengthy period,
others have been denied the privilege and honour of serving this District in its
highest office and making their contribution to its development. I will not do
likewise when the time comes.”
The new
District Grand Master appointed W. Bro. Ivor Roy Byron Robinson PGStB as Deputy
District Grand Master and thus began a long and fruitful association between
these very experienced Freemasons.
R. W.
Bro. Sir James Stubbs, the retiring Grand Secretary, visited
“The other point on which I
would like to dilate for a moment or two is that the Board of General Purposes
also does not give rulings on points of detail of ritual. You can perform your
ceremonies according to Emulation of Stability, or West End or East End there is
even, RWDGM, a Ritual called Taylors (laughter); but having selected the ritual
by which you are going to work, the Lodge should stick to that ritual and not
pick up tit-bits from others, with the result that in a very short time the
whole thing is a complete fruit salad of bits and pieces taken according to the
whims of one Master after another, or one Director of Ceremonies after another
to suit their own predilections. It doesn’t matter which ritual you choose, but
you are expected to stick to it when you have chosen.”
1983
saw the warranting and consecration of Klubba Lodge which became the first Lodge
in
During
the year 1988 a petition for the University Lodge of Guyana was completed but
could not be presented to Grand Lodge because it was among items stolen from the
home of the Organising Secretary. Also this year the MW Grand Master approved an
application from the District Grand Lodge for the creation of a District Grand
Charity Jewel depicting the
The
University Lodge of Guyana was eventually warranted and consecrated in 1989 and
became the thirteenth Lodge of the District. This Lodge draws its membership
from among the alumni of the
A
number of brethren of the District who were also Rotarians attached to the
Rotary Clubs in
In May
of the same year the brethren of Kara Kara Lodge who for many years had met in
the inappropriate surroundings of a school building, and who by dint of hard
work and assiduous fund-raising coupled with Masonic will had succeeded in
building a new temple had it named and dedicated by the District Grand Master
assisted by other members of the District Grand Lodge.
The
members of Ituni Lodge petitioned the Grant Lodge during 1993 and received a
warrant for the formation of Phoenix Lodge which was consecrated later that
year. As has been stated earlier in this short history there had been a Phoenix
Lodge in
In
September 1997, a sizeable delegation of brethren from all parts of the country
journeyed to
.
“Build me a
House, a Home,
In the
hearts of hungering men
Hungering
for the bread of hope,
Thirsting
for faith, yearning for love,
In a World
of grief and pain.
Build me a
House!”
Thomas
Curtis Clarke