The Lodge in its centennial year comprises forty-three members, including Honorary Members.
Our ages range from twenty-two to ninety-one, including five each in their twenties and thirties, six each in their forties, fifties, and sixties, seven in their seventies, and several a little wiser even than that.
In Wellington terms all the houses are represented. The Talbot tops the contributions with six brethren, with the Benson a close second with five, whilst the Lynedoch leads the dormitories with four. The Stanley, Picton, Murray and Anglesey have three a piece, the Orange, and Hopetoun a pair a piece, and one each from the Orange, Hardinge, Combermere, and of course the Blucher. We also have amongst us a former Assistant Master (a member of the teaching staff), a former College Servant, a brace of Governors and of course the President of College.
In terms of their college achievements there are amongst the brethren a former Head of College, four College Prefects, a head of the Corps, a captain of the XV, a pair of shooting captains and a third member of the VIII, a Fencing captain and a pair each of Field Gunners and Gentlemen of the Hunt. Just over half went to university, of which four went to Oxford or Cambridge, the honours being evenly split.
By profession (past and present) we have five accountants, five brethren in various forms of banking and insurance, and the law accounts for another three. IT and property supply two each, and journalism, engineering, naval architecture and the Church are all represented. A wide range of entrepreneurial business ventures are also represented: travel and hospitality, bicycles and luxury cars, boxes and logistics, and performance coaching and training.
The greatest change from a hundred years ago is the presence of the armed forces. Accounting for over half the founders, today thirteen brethren in total have served in some professional or volunteer capacity, a significant number for sure, but also a significant fall from a hundred years ago. Two have seen service in Afghanistan in recent years, something the Founders would have certainly been familiar with.
Geographically our membership is quite diverse, spread from Sussex to Aberdeenshire, Herefordshire to Suffolk, and four live overseas.
Masonically speaking twenty-seven, or just over sixty percent are initiates. Of the joiners, five were initiates of Red Apron Lodges. Half have been masters of this Lodge or another and half are members of the Royal Arch. Just under half hold some degree of Masonic honour whether Grand, Metropolitan, or Provincial.
As with the founders, only one is the subject of a foreign power.
Readers may find an interesting comparison with the Founders of the Lodge some hundred years ago.
Report on the Centenary Meeting.