Lodge News

I was please be invited to the Centenary Meeting of the Chapter Fortitude by a good friend and brother who is also a member of Moorland Lodge here in the Province of Yorkshire West Riding, which was held at Mark Masons Hall, London on Wednesday 30th May 2007.

The following history is produced by kind permission of Chapter Fortitude.

Chapter Fortitude's Mother Lodge is Humility with Fortitude No. 229, founded in 1773 but due to poor liaison with London and questionable administration in those early days, when it took one year to receive a reply to a letter, the date recognised by Grand Lodge was 1798.To add to the somewhat chaotic times there was a war raging in the Carnatic (1781 - 1783) and many records were invariably lost or eaten by white ants.

In 1788 records show that Humility with Fortitude worked Royal Arch as a side degree along with Knights Templar, Excellent Master and Red Cross. At this time meetings took place in Fort William - in the old tunnel shaped powder room situated deep inside the walls with no windows or ventilation. The brethren, at this time, were nearly all military men decked in blue coats, faced with scarlet, white waistcoats, knee breeches with smart buckles, red leather belts, buff gloves and plain cocked hats and their hair done up in pig tails. Lodge Humility continued to work the "higher degrees" but resigned its Royal Arch functions sometime in the 1830's to a Chapter known as - Ascension but, just when, is not recorded.

On the 7th November 1906 a Charter of Constitution, to be attached to the warrant of Lodge Humility with Fortitude No.229 was issued to certain Companions named therein authorising them to open and hold a Chapter at Freemasons Hall, Park Street, Calcutta by the title of Fortitude Chapter. The first Convocation was held by the Chapter on 13th February 1907.

An auspicious event occurred eleven days earlier on the 2nd February 1907. The Emir of Afghanistan, Habibullah Khan, was initiated, passed and raised into freemasonry, on the same evening, at Park Street, Calcutta by Lodge Concordia. At this time Lord Kitchener was District Grand Master for the District of Punjab and Sir W. Burkitt, District Grand Master for Bengal both of whom participated in the ceremonies. All three degrees had to be simultaneously translated into Persian by Henry McMahon who was then Agent General in Baluchistan and a good friend of the Emir.

Both the Lodge and Chapter were very active during both world wars and opened its doors to many masons from around the world.

With the partition of India in 1947 a great change took place in masonry culminating in the formation of the Grand Lodge of India. In 1961 each Lodge had to decide on whether or not to join the Grand Lodge of India or to remain with the United Grand Lodge of England. Also, with the partition of India into two Dominions, many expatriates returned to their home countries and were not replaced. Numbers began to dwindle to such an extent that a decision had to be made to either surrender the Warrant or move to England. Lodge Humility with Fortitude decided to return to England but Chapter Fortitude decided to stay in India. Consequently, on the 12th February 1964, the Royal Arch Charter was removed from the warrant of Humility with Fortitude No. 229 and attached to the warrant of Justitia Lodge No. 3130. With the departure of Humility with Fortitude from the District of Bengal the Chapter's name was changed to Justitia Chapter.

The decision to remain hi India was reversed and on the 10th November 1965 the Chapter left the District of Bengal and moved to London and the charter was reattached to the warrant of Humility with Fortitude No.229. The name of the Chapter reverted to Chapter Fortitude on the 9th February 1966.

The Chapter first met at The Bridge House Restaurant, London Bridge and remained there until 1968. In 1969 the Chapter met at The Comedy Restaurant, Panton Street before moving, in 1970, to The Great Western Hotel, Paddington. In 1975 it moved to Mark Mason's Hall, 40 Upper Brook Street and in 1980 to Duke Street, St. James'. There was another move to Bayswater, but since 1985 its permanent home has been Freemason's Hall Great Queen Street.

The Chapter was supported in its move to London by members who had retimed home and rejoined. However, these rejoining members often lived well outside London and, over time, many of the older members found it difficult to travel; consequently over the next few years the attendance level dropped and very few new members were recruited. Another Calcutta Lodge, Temperance and Benevolence No. 1160, who were without their own Royal Arch Chapter, decided to support Chapter Fortitude and as result of their support Chapter Fortitude survived a period during which Lodge Humility with Fortitude could not adequately support the Chapter with new members.

Today the Chapter is once more very active with increasing support from Humility with Fortitude. As a former Royal Arch Chapter active in India it is pleasing to see so many brothers of Indian extraction amongst the members.

Lodge Webmaster Bro. G.A Cooper, Junior Warden & Scribe E. Lightcliffe Chapter No. 3332

June 2007

The 19^th Annual Meeting of the Family of Charity Lodges to be held at The Warwickshire Masonic Temple, 2 Stirling Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham B16 9SB on Saturday 12^th May 2007 commencing 16.00 hrs.

The Lodge of Charity No.1551, Birmingham are the hosts and it is planned to have a short meeting after which there will be a Demonstration of the 1^st Degree Ceremony given by members of the Black Country Heritage Lodge No. 9702, followed by the Festive Board at 18.00 hrs. The cost will be £20 which includes dinning fee, wine at the table and a memento.

Lodge Webmaster Bro. G.A Cooper, Junior Warden

March 2007

Having chosen to holiday in Malta for the whole of February, I decided it would be rather remise of me not to take this opportunity to visit a Lodge overseas. W. Bro. J Cook, P.P.G.Supt.Wks, also a member of the Lodge of Charity No. 4105 was holidaying in Malta during the same period and we decided to visit together.

Thus, before travelling to Malta I thought it would be a good idea to find a little more information regarding freemasonry in Malta. I had remembered reading something in MQ and sought to find the copy (Issue 10, July 2004). Reading the article again inspired me to find out still more and made me determined to visit a Lodge whilst there. I am a member of the UK Mason List and decided to post on it that I was visiting Malta during February and could any brother give me any information regarding Lodge's in Malta or advise me on visiting overseas in general. The response was excellent with advice and comments from all over the world. One UK brother was extremely helpful having regularly visited Lodge’s of various degrees in Malta and he gave me an email contact for W. Bro. E.T Wilbrew OGR a member of the Lodge of St. John and St. Paul No. 349 who meet in Valletta.

I emailed W. Bro. Wilbrew and found he was the secretary of the Lodge and arranged to contact him again when we arrived in Malta.

After a quick phone call we were invited to the Masonic Hall on Saturday. Each Saturday the brethren who use the rooms in Valletta meet socially during with afternoon with their wives and partner’s. Ourselves and wives were made most welcome and were taken on an interesting short tour of the building by the Worshipful Master of J&P (what the Lodge of St. John and St. Paul is known by the brethren). The Masonic Hall in Valletta is quite difficult to find, situated in “Casa Viani”, 6&7 Triq  Marsamxett, which overlooks Marsamxett Harbour and Sliema. If travelling by taxi, ask for “The Gun Post” Restaurant and bar, the drivers will know the bar but have little idea where the Masonic Hall is located!

The first visit was to the Lodge of St. John and St. Paul No. 349 on Monday 5^th February where we saw an excellent Initiation Ceremony worked in Emulation Ritual. There were thirty-six brethren in attendance including V.W. Bro. Barrie L. Parsons, The Grand Inspector of the Malta District Group of Lodges. The Lodge tyles at 6.00 pm and has Regular Meetings on the first Monday in February, March, April, October, November and December which is the Installation.

The next visit was on Thursday 8^th February to Lodge St. Andrew No. 966 under the Scottish Constitution which meets at Villa Blye, Paola. Although the Lodge had a number of Officers ill that evening the stand-in Office Bearers performed a very enjoyable Initiation Ceremony. The Scottish Ritual used by this Lodge was very similar to that used by the Lodge of Charity No. 4105, almost verbatim, in fact the main differences were in how the Master and Warden’s were addressed i.e. Right Worshipful Master, Worshipful Senior and Junior Warden! At the Festive Board I was invited to respond to the Visitor Toast on behalf of the nine visitors’ present, which I accepted with great pleasure.

The Lodge meets at 6.00 pm on the second Thursday of February, April, October and November plus last Saturday of November Installation.

Our final Masonic visit was to the De Rohan Lodge No. 9670 on Monday 12^th February which meets in the same Hall as J&P. The De Rohan Lodge was consecrated in 1998 and was originally a Lodge of Installed Master’s. It has recently changed its constitution to operate as a normal Lodge to enable it to accept candidates for initiation. On the night of our visit the Lodge performed a Raising with The Grand Inspector in the Chair. Prior to the ceremony I had the honour of being invited by the Grand Inspector to take the Senior Warden’s chair which I reluctantly declined explaining I was currently only the Junior Warden in my own Lodge. W. Bro. Cook, however, did accept the invitation and performed admirably as Senior Warden for the evening using Emulation Ritual.

The Lodge has four regular meetings which are held on the Wednesday preceding the 1^st Saturday in October (the Installation), 2^nd Monday in February, 2^nd Monday in March and the Wednesday preceding the 1^st Saturday in May.

In summary we had a great time, we were made very welcome and we would recommend any Brother visiting Malta if they have the opportunity to visit a Lodge.

Lodge Webmaster Bro. G.A Cooper, Junior Warden

March 2007

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