RORAIMA LODGE No. 3902

 

Roraima Lodge owes its origins to a decision taken in Barbados by two distinguished brethren to found another Lodge. The task of making the preliminary arrangements fell on the shoulders of W. Bro. F. O. Franker. Thus Roraima Lodge was consecrated on May 16, 1919 at Freemasons’ Hall, Georgetown, by the Deputy District Grand Master, W. Bro. J. H. Conyers.

 

The first officers were:

 

            Frank Gomes                                    -           WM

            G. A. Benson                         -           SW

F. O. Franker                         -           JW

H.A.N. Burrowes                 -           Chaplain

D. W. Dowding                    -           Treasurer

L.C Fonseca                           -           Secretary

W. S. Stoby                            -           DC

W. M. Cox                             -           SD

C. A. Camacho                      -           JD

B. E. Franker                         -           IG

H. M. Bramford                    -           Tyler

 

The first ever initiate was Bro. A. H. July who was admitted in August 1919. The Lodge celebrated its Silver Jubilee in 1944 and the first initiate of its second 25 years was Bro. Donald. Roraima observed its Golden Jubilee in May 1969, with Bro. Robert Jeremiah Bowling, PDistGW being installed as Worshipful Master. The newly installed Master was also a Past District Grand Master of the Scottish Constitution in Guyana.

 

The first initiate of the Lodge’s third 25 years of existence was Bro. Christopher Mark Anthony Matthias who was initiated in April 1995.

 

Roraima Lodge obtained its first volume of the Sacred Law as late as November 1993, during the term of office as Worshipful Mater of W. Bro. Dr. Lennox Mortimer Applewhaite, and through the generosity of W. Bro. Peter Barah Young. The Lodge strangely had relied on the use of Volumes of other lodges using Company Path.

 

Meetings of the Lodge are held on the third Friday of every month with the Installation meeting being held in May. Meetings commenced at 8:00pm up to December 1961 and were then charged to 6:30pm. What must be regarded as a unique distinction for the Lodge was the appointment of W. Bro. R. S. C. Reed as a member of the District Grand Lodge while serving his fist term as Master of his mother Lodge in 1935-1936.

 

W. Bro. Reed also served as Secretary for 28 successive years from 1939-1967. He was succeeded by W. Bro. A. A. Peroune who assiduously served the office for 25 years from 1967.

 

For over thirty years from 1935 W. Bro. R. S. C. Reed and W. Bro. Leo caused Roraima Lodge to be the largest contributor of benevolence and charity donations in the District. Bro. Reed was for many years during that period, President of the District Board of Benevolence. A friendly rivalry existed between these two brethren that whenever one contributed to benevolence or charity the other would double the amount. This competition also had a similar effect on the members of the Lodge.

 

The motto of Roraima Lodge is ‘quality not quantity’ and the membership since the lodge was established has averaged 30.