This is the first in an occasional series of discussions with long-standing members of the Lodge of Dawn. First up is W Bro. Leslie Marten, PPGReg.
I was initiated into a lodge in Sheffield, Hadassah 4871 in 1971. I wasn’t ‘invited’ into Freemasonry, basically I was ‘told’ that I would be joining. This ‘telling’ came from my Father-in-Law who was a long-standing Grand Officer. He was a former Sergeant Major and he ruled the lodge with the precision and authority of such a person. It was precision every time – every time you squared the lodge it was strict right turns at every corner, word-perfect ritual… he definitely RULED the lodge!
I was living in Leeds and travelling to Sheffield for lodge meetings so I became a joining member of The Lodge of Dawn in 1973. However I regularly travelled down to Sheffield for lodge meetings there, along with W Bro. Roger Levy who was also in Hadassah. Having joined in 1973 I am now the second longest serving member of The Lodge of Dawn behind David Golsborough.
I was installed as Master of Hadassah Lodge in 1988. To be honest I don’t remember anything about my installation – I don’t even remember the name of my installing officer, which is a shame. However I do remember that the the installing officer delivered the WHOLE ceremony – it wasn’t shared around between the senior brethren as it is in The Lodge of Dawn.
One thing that we always did was that the incoming master sent our proper invitations (see image above). I sent invitations out to all of the current masters in Sheffield, the Past Masters in Sheffield and all of my guests. It was all very formal.
Looking at it now, the highlight is that we still, even now, have a very active Masters’ Circle. The group still meets regularly, and we are still in regular communication. Even though meetings are less regular, there is still an AGM, a Christmas meet up and a few others. The group now numbers 16 but that also includes Past Masters’ widows, which is a lovely thing.
I always enjoyed delivering the 3rd Degree Tracing Board. Whilst I haven’t delivered it at Dawn, there are others in the queue ahead of me, I did deliver it at Hadassah. It’s a really interesting piece, although quite long to learn
Not a great deal has changed really, as you might expect. However the turn out at rehearsals and Lodges of Instruction used to be a lot more, with all of the Past Masters attending. We always used to go out for a meal afterwards, which I know that we still sometimes do a Dawn even now.
Knuckle down and get learning !!
Further to publication of the above piece, one of the brethren of The Lodge of Dawn discovered, in his father’s masonic store, copies of an inviation, the summons and the agenda of the night. they are reproduced below;
You can read all of our ‘Memories of a Freemason’ interviews, from The Lodge of Dawn in Leeds, here.
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