Forty-five visitors from Lodges as far afield as Kent were amongst more than 70 brethren attending the installation at Lord Worsley Lodge in Cleethorpes.
They were able to see Jonathan Stevenson placed in the chair by very accomplished Installing Master in Michael Stylianou, with Jonathan’s dad having a few words to say about his son at the Festive Board.
Lord Worsley Lodge was consecrated in 1904, and its first Master was the Earl of Yarborough, who gave his name to a Grimsby Lodge consecrated in 1899. Both are Hall Stone jewel Lodges, making them part of the creation of Freemasons’ Hall on Great Queen Street, the HQ of the United Grand Lodge of England. It stands on a site used for meetings for Freemasons since 1775. The present building, the third Masonic Hall on the site, was constructed between 1927 and 1933 as a memorial to those who died in the First World War, and was for many years known as the Masonic Peace Memorial.
The building cost of £1.3m was financed by contributions from Lodges and individual Freemasons to the Masonic Million Memorial Fund. Contributions to the Fund were voluntary, and were recognised by a special commemorative Masonic jewel, the Hall Stone Jewel, which was silver for contributions of ten guineas or more and gold for contributions of 100 guineas or more. Lodges that raised an average of 10 guineas per member were entitled to be known as Hall Stone Lodges and had their names and numbers inscribed on commemorative marble panels inside the building.