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The First 25 Years "May our labours thus begun in order be conducted in peace and closed in harmony." ~ As recorded by the late W. Bro William E. Branton P.P.J.G.W for the silver jubilee of The Lodge of St. Michael No.7833 in September 1987. ~ I would submit that the Lodge of St. Michael may rightly be called the brain-child of the late W.Bro Rev. John Frederick Eric Borne P.P.G.Chap. Bro. Borne and I first met at an installation meeting at Park Street Masonic Hall during the early part of 1958. He was at that time curate-in-charge of St. Paul's Church, Sculcoates. In 1959 he accepted the living of the Parish Church of St. Michael and All Angels, Sutton Ings, and was instituted and inducted in October of that year. He and I worked together at St. Michael 's Church for quite some time, when one day he asked me if I thought there was room for another Lodge in Hull, more particularly in the east side of the city. Somewhat non-plussed, I replied that it would require a deal of thought, and whilst agreeing with me, he kept mentioning the matter from time to time. Rumours were now beginning to circulate in our local Masonic circles, and early in 1961 Bro. Borne again broached this subject, but with more persistence, finally suggesting we might have a serious talk with my father, the late W. Bro. Tom Branton, PAGDC of the Holderness Lodge No.3563. This accordingly took place on Whit Monday morning 1961, when a very full, frank, and as it turned out, fruitful discussion ensued. A number of potentially interested brethren in local lodges were sounded out, informal meetings were held at the hall at St. Michael's Church, and ultimately the decision was taken to go ahead, a total of 32 brethren having expressed a willingness to become founder members of the new lodge. (Bro. C. C. Wilkinson was recognised as a 'joining founder member', but as he was a Scottish Constitutional brother, he was not eligible to be counted in.) An informal approach was made to Provincial Grand Lodge, who, whilst raising no objection to the founding of a new lodge in Hull, suggested that it should not use our local Humber working, but either Emulation or some other variant thereof, pointing out that this might prove to be of some attraction to brethren from other parts of the country who, for business or other reasons, were coming to live in the Hull area and were not familiar with our local practices. These last 25 years have shown this to be correct. Meanwhile the brethren of the Brough Lodge No. 5464, had also been busy, their activities being directed towards the purchase and re-furbishing as a Masonic Hall and Temple, of the redundant Primitive Methodist Chapel in Sutton. The founding members of the new lodge who were members of the Brough Lodge approached all the brethren concerned suggesting that the new lodge become tenants of the Sutton Masonic Temple and Hall, and this suggestion was unanimously accepted. This gave added impetus to the formation of the new lodge, the brethren of the Brough Lodge agreeing to act as sponsoring authority. A petition was accordingly presented to the Brough Lodge at Dagger Lane, at their meeting in December 1961. The late W. Bro Charles Edgar Latter being in the chair. This petition was sent to Provincial Grand Lodge, and ultimately arrived at Great Queen Street, London. One Sunday morning before service at St. Michael's Church during the early part of 1962, Bro John Borne asked me to look up the tune to hymn No. 7833, and ascertain if it was well known. I was of course baffled by this rather silly question on his part, when the grin on his face gave the game away, and it dawned on me that he had received the warrant number for the new lodge. Things really began to move at apace now, and after much activity in many directions by all concerned, everything appeared to be crystalised out by September 1962, and all was at last ready. Such my brethren was the conception of the Lodge of St. Michael. St. Michael's day or Michaelmas Day, September 29th, 1962 was a Saturday, and it proved to be a beautiful golden Autumn day, with warm unbroken sunshine prevailing throughout. By 3.45pm a great gathering of the brethren had assembled in the Elizabethan Hall at Greatfield High School to witness the dignified and beautiful ceremony of consecration of a new Masonic Lodge. The Right Worshipful Provincial Grand Master and his Officers had the previous evening consecrated the new Masonic Temple at College Street, Sutton, and were therefore already in the area. Promptly at 4pm we were called to order by the Provincial Grand D.C., and the Most Honourable The Marquis of Zetland, Right Worshipful Provincial Grand Master, as consecrating officer, together with the Grand Officers and Provincial Grand Lodge Officers entered the Lodge in solemn procession. It had been some time since a Craft Lodge was consecrated in the Hull area, and those brethren who were privileged to witness this particular ceremony were profoundly moved by the beauty and solemnity of the ceremonial and its accompanying ritual. The ceremony of consecration being ended the chair was occupied by the Deputy Provincial Grand Master, W. Bro. Sir Charles Vernon Fitton, O.B.E., M.C., who performed the ceremony of installation of W. Bro. Leonard Willingham as the first Master of the Lodge. The Working Tools of the three degrees were presented by the Provincial Grand DC and the Warrant of the new Lodge was delivered to the worshipful Master by the Provincial Grand Secretary. The Worshipful Master then appointed the first Officers of the Lodge, addressing the jointly after completing their investiture. The address to the Worshipful Master was given by the Assistant Provincial Grand Master, W. Bro. Wilfred Arthur Gibson. The address to the wardens was delivered by the Provincial Senior Grand Warden, W. Bro. J. Saville, and the address to the brethren was given by the Provincial Junior grand Warden, W. Bro T. H. Turner. Certain distinguished brethren were elected as honary members, and three brethren were proposed as joining members. The first two candidates of the Lodge were proposed and seconded, and after customary greetings had been given, the Lodge was closed for the first time at 6.30pm, and the brethren retired for refreshments in the Shakespeare Hall. A photograph of the Founders of the Lodge was taken at the Masonic hall, Sutton, at a luncheon on Sunday, 30th September, 1962, this may be seen at the head of the staircase at Dagger Lane. Such my brethren was the birth of the Lodge of St. Michael No. 7833 As with any newly born thing, be it animal, vegetable or mineral, care and nurture are very necessary in order to encourage growth. In our early days we had a steady supply of candidates, as might be expected in a newly formed Lodge, and on more than one occasion, two degrees were worked in one evening, in order to assist the steady flow of gentlemen seeking admission. However over the last 25 years conditions have changed and as I write (1987) our current membership is 59 (2006 = 68). The early years i.e. the 1960's, were marked by intensive effort on the part of the brethren to acquaint themselves with unfamiliar ritual; it has to be born in mind that most of the Founders of St. Michael were members of lodges using the Humber ritual or some ritual very similar to it, and they had, as it were, to unlearn it. Names are usually considered to be invidious on these occasions, but I feel at this point tribute must be paid to the sterling efforts of W.Bro Jesse Stokes, who was the first Preceptor, and who guided our faltering steps through unfamiliar ritual and ceremonial. The first initiate of the Lodge to attain the chair of King Solomon was W.Bro. M. B. Osbourne, who was installed as Master in May 1970. Our Lodge customs and practices have been carefully preserved and jealously guarded over the years, as, of course have the ancient land marks of the order. After meeting at College Street, Sutton, since October 1962, the Lodge removed to Dagger Lane in April 1984, and has settled quite happily within these ancient walls, continuing to work steadily and quietly its ritual and ceremonial as laid down by the Founders. Such, my brethren has been the growth of the Lodge of St. Michael. These three constituent elements ~ the desire to conceive, the effort to bring life and the willingness to sustain growth, have been evident from the earliest days. " O Lord God, when thou givest to thy servants to endeavour any great matter, grant us also to know that it is not the beginning, but the continuing of the same unto the end, until it be thoroughly finished, which yieldeth the true glory" And for we who are members of the Craft, I would suggest, brethren, that the true Glory will be that pre-ordained which will, sooner or later, come to each and every one of us, when we are called upon humbly to present to The Great Architect of the Universe, the Ashlar of our earthly life, praying that it may have been made perfect by our own strict adherence to the principles and tenets of the order, and it is the earnest hope of us all that these may be transmitted pure and unpolluted through the Lodge of St. Michael from generation to generation. |