Lodge Kyle 1117

REVIEW OF LODGE KYLE CENTENARY

CENTENARY OF LODGE KYLE - GALLERY OF PICTURES

PREPARATIONS

PRESS RELEASE AND BACKGROUND

 

REVIEW OF LODGE KYLE CENTENARY

Firstly The Brethren of Lodge Kyle wish to thank EVERYONE who travelled over the mountains to be with us making it one of the most special days in the history of Lodge Kyle.

Formal Photo
The Formal Group Photo (hungry visitors waiting just out of shot)

The day started early for the Brethren of Lodge Kyle as there were guests to prepare for and last minute arrangements to be confirmed; simple things like making sure the tea urn was ready for midday. The Re-Dedication Ceremony itself was due to start at 2pm prompt, but most of the main protagonists were in position by 12.30pm. TV crew from BBC Alba were filming inside and outside the Lodge but due to their professionalism didn't get in anyone's way and in fact somehow added to the significance of 100 years of Freemasonry in Kyle of Lochalsh.

We had hired the Village Hall next to Lodge Kyle so that our visitors could "spread out" a little rather than being crammed into the Ante Room at the Lodge. Snacks and cake were laid on for travellers and refreshment provided and the soon enough distinguished visitors donned regalia and before we knew it the hour was two.

All Brethren were seated by 1:50pm and the Lodge resumed at 2pm. Immediately a very large delegation from The Provincial Grand Lodge of Ross & Cromarty headed by Bro Bill Ross and accompanied by Bro David Munro RWPGM Inverness-shire were admitted and shortly thereafter the delegation from Grand Lodge were admitted.

Brothers:-
Douglas Duncan Depute Grand Master
Ramsay McGhee, Grand Director of Ceremonies
Rev Andrew E Paterson, JP, Grand Librarian and RW PGM, Fife and Kinross
Maurice Wilson, Senior Grand Warden
George Kelly, Junior Grand Warden
Wilson Aitken, Grand Bible-bearer
Ronald Cooper, Grand Steward

The Ceremony of Re-Dedication was carried out in a very dignified manner and all present felt the momentary weight of 100 years pass through the Lodge. A most poignant ceremony.

Brother Sandy MacDougall spoke eloquently on behalf of The Visiting Brethren.

After the Ceremony the guests were refreshed and walked down to the seafront and the Lochalsh Hotel where Tom Miller took the formal photos. The Brethren were expertly "wrangled" by Ramsay into rows and the results speak for themselves (Photo Gallery of Lodge Kyle Centenary). A selection of ad hoc pictures snapped at the Centenary Dinner by various people can also be seen in the gallery.


Depute Grand Master, RWM Lodge Kyle, RWPGM Ross and Cromarty

The Dinner was superb; all present said so and our compliments go out the Mr McRae owner of the Lochalsh Hotel, the chef and all the staff.

MENU
A delicious Vegetable Broth laced with good beef stock
Local Salmon cold-smoked with a crispy salad
Roast Prime Beef in Jus with Yorkshire Pudding, Roast Tatties and Fresh Vegetables
Bread and Butter Pudding presented as Nouvelle Cuisine
Vintage Port

SPEECHES
were mainly held before the meal with final two after. All speakers were excellent and many genuinely funny, eliciting applause and peals of laughter in equal amounts.

Master of Ceremonies

Brother Ramsay McGhee
Grand Director of Ceremonies

   

Grace

Brother Reverend Andrew E Paterson, JP
Grand Librarian

The  Loyal Toast

Brother  Ronnie Miller
Master, Lodge Kyle 1117

 

Toast to The Grand Lodge of Scotland

Brother  Ronnie Miller
Master, Lodge Kyle 1117

 

Reply

Brother  Douglas W Duncan
RW Depute Grand Master

 

Toast to The Provincial Grand Lodge
of Ross and Cromarty

Brother  Donald MacKenzie
Past Master, Lodge Kyle 1117

Reply

Brother  William Ross
RW Provincial Grand Master
of Ross and Cromarty

Toast to Lodge Kyle No 1117

Brother Gwyn Phillips
Master, Lodge Seaforth 854

Reply

Brother  William Gillespie
Past Master, Lodge Kyle 1117

Toast to The Visiting Brethren

Brother Paul Newton
Past Master, Lodge Kyle 1117

Reply

Brother Mike Turner
Past Master, Lodge St Martin 1217

 

RAFFLE

The raffle was drawn by
RW Depute Grand Master Bro Douglas Duncan, RW Provincial Grand Master of Ross and Cromarty, Bro William Ross and RWM Lodge Kyle Bro Ronnie Miller and the prizes duly dispensed.
5 Bottles of Malt Whisky and 5 other bottles ...
A Tablet Computer
A 32" TV

The dinner guests departed for home or lodgings around 8pm.

Bro Ally Gault who was feeling unwell is now fully recovered and we have all been kept informed of his progress by Any Henderson.

PREPARATIONS

We produced a number of items for the Centenary photos of which can be seen below:-

Ticket design
Souvenir Ticket for Dinner with the Brethren looking out from 1933 at the Consecration of the present lodge.

We also printed "Order of Service" booklets on card and laid paper; coloured and themed as above.

2nd April 2013
Alex Huskie from Millennium Mark has sent off the following completed items:-

Colour Token

Centenary Jewel

Watch Fob

Mark Token

Our Lead Token has been struck and is shown below. The Die Maker strikes one in lead for the customer before finishing and minting the rest of the tokens.

Lead Centenary Token

 

PRESS RELEASE

*** CENTENARY OF LODGE KYLE - GALLERY OF PICTURES ***

Contact : Ronnie Miller
Tel: 0845 257 9460 Option 8
Email : sales@lochalsh.com

CENTENARY OF MASONIC LODGE KYLE NUMBER 1117
SATURDAY 25th May 2013

Date 25th May 2013
Time 2.00pm prompt (seated by 1.45pm)
Location : Kyle Masonic Hall

Lodge Kyle is entering a celebratory year on May 5th when the Lodge becomes 100 years old. The Lodge was founded in May 1913. Centenary Celebrations will culminate with Freemasons from all over Scotland and a Deputation from The Grand Lodge of Scotland making the journey north to Kyle of Lochalsh in what will be a once in a lifetime event for this small but active Lodge. The purpose of the visit is to re-consecrate the Lodge; a poignant ceremony lasting an hour.


After the re-consecration ceremony there will be a photo opportunity (approximately 3.30pm) outside the Lodge and/or down at the Lochalsh Hotel if weather is good. A piper will be in attendance both before the meeting and after.

After the meeting in the Lodge there will be a formal Masonic dinner at The Lochalsh Hotel.

HISTORY

In 1913 the founding 19 Brethren stood proudly in front of the newly consecrated hall, their new Charter from Grand Lodge safely tucked away in the Master's Desk. A year later The Great War would take many of them away to France and beyond; some came home, sadly some did not. The 20s, 30s show an increase in brethren and regular meetings and then in 1939 once again a world War took the brethren of Kyle to all parts of the globe. However during the war the Lodge was actually busy as Brethren stationed in Kyle attended the meetings in what was now their "local" lodge. And in fact as a mark of appreciation the Brethren of HMS Menestheus 1943 presented a pair of Wand Stands which still take pride of place in the Lodge today.
Those who returned from war saw the beginning of busiest years of the Lodge from the 50s though to the 80s. Although the last ten years have shown a decrease in numbers, the brethren are all loyal and active Freemasons giving of their best to help the local community and those further afield.

And so we journey through a century from 19 brethren of Lodge Kyle in 1913 to an almost identical number of regular members in 2013. However we are seeing new (younger) men interested in joining the Craft and some brethren returning after years away from the Craft. So it is with hope and good cheer we look forward to the
next 100 years of Scottish Freemasonry in Kyle of Lochalsh.

 

The Centenary

Special Jewel (designed by one of the members of Lodge Kyle) struck for the occasion. These keepsakes are paid for by the membership themselves and not from Lodge funds.

Centenary Jewel


Lodge Kyle received its Charter from Grand Lodge on 1st May 1913. Meetings were held in the 'Old Drill Hall' in Church Road, Kyle of Lochalsh.

The Old Drill Hall in Kyle of Lochalsh

The Old Drill Hall, Kyle of Lochalsh (near the top of Church Road after the Pladaig path)

 

The consecration of Lodge Kyle

The photograph above was taken at the consecration of Lodge Kyle and now hangs in the Lodge (click for large image)

1913 Provincial Visit

This photo (above) shows a provincial visit in 1913

The consecration of the Lodge you see today in Kyle of Lochalsh took place in 1933, carried out by Sir Alexander Gibb of Gruinard, GBE, CB, Right Worshipful Provincial Grand Master of Ross and Cromarty.

Lodge Opening 1933

The photograph above was taken at the consecration of the new Lodge Kyle Building in 1933 and now hangs in the Lodge (click for larger image)

The Kyle Lodge no 1117 Charter from Grand Lodge states that Lodge Kyle was enrolled on 1st May 1913. The earliest records for Lodge Kyle (The Lodge Roll Book) date from June 1913 when 13 brothers were affiliated and 6 men initiated into Lodge Kyle. They met regularly at the Old Army Drill Hall with the permission of the British Army and the numbers grew to the point where it was deemed suitable to build a lodge and rooms specifically for the purpose of Freemasonry. The Old Drill Hall is still in existence and up until recently was used by Mr Fraser as a carpet store for his business in Kyle.

Wand Stand from HMS Menestheus 1943

The above Wand Stand's plaque reads:
Presented to Lodge Kyle No 1117 by the Brethren of HMS Menestheus 1943.

The Senior Deacon and Junior Deacon each carry a "wand" which is a large staff. While seated they are placed in two stands one of which can be seen above. The wood used is hard and dense as the stands are quite heavy.

HMS Menestheus after conversion for specialised use became part of 1st Minelaying Squadron stationed at Kyle of Lochalsh. Her first operation was to take part in the initial minelay of the Northern Barrage (between Faroes and Iceland). Her entire service as a minelayer was associated with this large minefield which was intended to trap enemy submarines on passage to attack Atlantic convoys. On one operation she was damaged by a drifting British mine and had to be towed home to Kyle by her sister ship Agamemnon. The Freemasons of Menestheus stationed in Kyle during the war years presented the Wand Stand to Lodge Kyle as a gift in 1943.

Menestheus

MENESTHEUS was built by Caledon at Dundee in 1929. Sister ship of AGAMEMNON she was built for the Ocean Steam Ship Company and at the outbreak of or The Second World War in 1939 she was requisitioned by the The Royal Navy and converted for minelaying. In 1942 she was damaged by bombs off Iceland and towed by Agamemnon to Kyle of Lochalsh for repair . In 1943 she was converted into a recreation ship during which she acquired a second funnel and a brewery! She was decommissioned in 1946 and returned to her owners in 1948.