Province of East Kent

The Worshipful Master, Officers and
Past Masters of the Lodge 2006 - 2007

The Mid Kent Masters’ Lodge. 3173, the Premier Provincial Past Masters’ Lodge, celebrated its Centenary meeting at a packed Franklin Road Masonic Centre in Gillingham, on Friday 22nd September, 2006.

The Lodge was the brainchild of the then newly installed Provincial Grand Master for Kent, Col. Fiennes Stanley Wykeham, subsequently the 1st Baron Cornwallis.

The members of the Lodge and their guests were delighted when the Worshipful Master, Rt.Worshipful Brother Russell John Race, JP DL. Past Junior Grand Warden, Deputy Metropolitan Grand Master, Past Deputy Provincial Grand Master, welcomed the Most Worshipful, The Rt. Hon. The Lord Fiennes Niel Wykeham 3rd Baron Cornwallis, OBE DL Past Pro Grand Master, the grandson of the 1st Baron.The Worshipful Master then received the Right Worshipful Provincial Grand Master for East Kent, Michael Robin Bailey, The Deputy Provincial Grand Master, the Assistant Provincial Grand Masters, and members of the Provincial Executive, together with the Provincial Senior and Junior Grand Wardens.

After accepting the gavel and taking the Master’s chair and, with the Provincial Wardens occupying the Senior and Junior Wardens chairs, The Provincial Grand Master gave an address on the origins and history of the Lodge, outlining its prestigious role within the Provinces of Kent and subsequently, East Kent.

He explained that in 1906 the Provincial Grand Master declared his intention to form a Past Masters’ Lodge to meet at the Manor Road Masonic Centre, which had been dedicated in February 1905 by his uncle and predecessor as Provincial Grand Master, the 3rd Earl Amhurst, who was then the Pro Grand Master. From its consecration, the Lodge was generally the host Lodge for the Annual Provincial Festivals, Charity meetings and special meetings when the PGM hosted other Provinces, dignitaries or special lectures. By dispensation, also met in many other places in Kent until 1946. In consequence of its increased membership, the Lodge moved permanently to The Franklin Rooms, in April 1967.
 

Before resuming his seat, Worshipful Brother Martin presented the Worshipful Master with a personal gift of a copy of the Times Newspaper dated 22nd September 1906. The presentation of the Lodge History was followed by a thought provoking oration by the Provincial Grand Chaplain. On reoccupying the chair, The Worshipful Master presented the Provincial Grand Master, on behalf of the Lodge, with a cheque for £3173 for the Provincial Grand Master’s Charity.

The Worshipful Master at the festive board.

The Provincial Grand Master then invited the 3rd Baron Cornwallis to present the Centenary warrant to the Worshipful Master on his behalf, a gesture well received by the Worshipful Master and the brethren. Lord Cornwallis made the presentation with customary eloquent and good humour. Lord Cornwallis and the Worshipful Master then unveiled a Lodge Honours Board, generously donated to the Lodge by one of its past masters.

At the festive board following the meeting, the Worshipful Master proposed the toast to The Provincial Grand Master. Worshipful Brother John Blew, Assistant Provincial Grand Master for the Masonic Province of West Kent responded to the toast to the guests.
 

The evening ended with the distribution to all brethren of a copy of Worshipful Brother Martin Ransom's printed history of the Lodge, the final paragraph of which states “It is still less than a century since man first set foot on Antarctica, during the short life of this Lodge we have gone from Horse and Cart to Steam travel, to Flight and to Man landing several times on the Moon. We are sending space probes throughout the Universe, and landing vehicles on neighbouring planets” One can only wonder what the next hundred years of the Lodge will bring.
 

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