February 2019 Meeting

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After many happy festive boards at the East India Club, the February meeting saw the Lodge hold its meeting at this favourite haunt, the first meeting in St James’s for some 40 years. 

We conducted a fine raising ceremony, presided over by the Worshipful Master in a fluent and confident performance, with the Traditional History being delivered with great style and understanding by W Bro Matt Burrows of our Mother Lodge, Household Brigade No 2614. We were also delighted to be joined by a familiar face from the Old Bradfield Lodge.

We finished the evening with an excellent meal and over Port and Madeira celebrated the imminent milestone of VW Bro Jervis Kay’s birthday.

Installation Meeting – October 2018

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The Old Wellingtonian Lodge met for its Installation meeting on 11 October, 2018 to install our new Worshipful Master. Assisted by friends and ruling Masters from the lodges of Repton, Charterhouse and Westminster, and the Secretary Designate of our mother lodge, Household Brigade,  our newly installed Master fluently and confidently appointed and installed his officers and paused to speak passionately and briefly about the importance of looking after our young members and of defending our craft in the face of ill-informed opposition, which he himself had faced only recently. We were also pleased to welcome guests from both Sir Thomas White Lodge and Chapter, Stowe, Onward Lodge No 5540, and Letchworth Lodge No 3505.

The Lodge was well represented with members and guests numbering over 30 on the evening, before repairing for some of the finest beef many had had at a festive board, organised by W Bro Start Bamford and courtesy of the East India, Sports and Public Schools’ club in St James’s. The bar hosted many of those present until closing.

College Meeting – May 2018

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The Lodge held its annual early summer meeting at Wellington College on 12 May 2018.

Although the weather proved against the cricketers playing Marlborough, it did encourage members of the Lodge and their guests to focus on matters masonic indoors, rather than lingering on Turf. We were privileged to welcome guests from sister PSLC Lodges: the Old Uppinghamian Lodge, the Old Rugbeian Lodge and Cholemeley Lodge (Highgate School), as well as masons from the Lodge of St George in East Sussex and from Coventry Foundation Lodge in Warwickshire, together with a member of the College Team, a regular guest and member of Be Prepared Lodge in Berkshire.

These meetings are high prized amongst OW Masons, giving us the chance to revisit College and catch up on the physical development of College which seems to come on leaps and bounds every twelve months, and to meet up with members of staff, current Wellingtonians, and of course Potts. This meeting was particularly special as we had the honour of welcoming a new member to the Lodge; An initiation of an OW at Wellington is always special, for the officers and members of the Lodge as much as for the candidate. The Ceremony was carried in fine style by this year’s Worshipful Master W Bro Peter Draper, formerly of Senior Common Room, ably assisted by his IPM, W Bro Derek Barrett, known to so many OWs from the rackets court.

We dined afterwards in the Senior Common Room Dinning Room, joined by a number of members’ and guests’ partners and friends, and by members of the OW Community including Potts and the Worshipful Master’s guests former SCR Colleague Jim Price and his wife Ceri. We were truly sorry neither the Head Boy or Girl could join us, but we appreciate that it is exam season (as it almost always seems to be for students these days?). A wonderful evening, with perhaps the only cloud being the recent demise of the Waterloo Hotel and the resulting longer journeys  home in place of the familiar amble down past the Talbot (and now the Beresford of course) to the bar, especially for the Old Talbotians. Maybe we are all getting a little old to be still climbing that fence anyway…?

We were delighted to make a small contribution to Potts’ forthcoming challenge to walk two legs (or was that to walk on two legs?) of the  London Brighton challenge for Cystic Fibrosis Trust. If anyone else would like to support him he has a Just Giving page, which worth a visit if only for the Knobbly Knees winning photo of the great man himself.

We look forward to returning next year, and would welcome any members of the College Community, OW masons who are not members of the Lodge, members of PSLC Sister lodges, and our frequent and infrequent visitors to join us. Please do not hesitate to contact the Secretary (secretary@owl3404.org) or contact us via College. We will try an ensure the dates and details are posted in the usual College, OW, and Masonic places.

Metropolitan Grand Steward

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The Old Wellingtonian Lodge and its two past Metropolitan Grand Stewards would like to congratulate W Bro Matthew Saunders (WM 2015) on being appointed as a Metropolitan Grand Steward for the 2018/19 year. We wish him and all this year’s Met Grand Stewards every success and an enjoyable year.

February 2018 – 2nd degree Ceremony of Passing

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An unusually large number of members of the Old Wellingtonian Lodge and their guests met at Freemasons’ Hall on 8th February. Before the ceremony of Passing, the Lodge Almoner, Worshipful Brother Jeremy Moreton-Moss, gave a eulogy to remember Brother Ben Hodges LR, who had sadly ascended to the Grand Lodge above since our last meeting.

Worshipful Brother John Ross Barnard presented, in inimitable fashion, a Grand Lodge Certificate to a member who is a fourth generation mason.

The Worshipful Master, Worshipful Brother Peter Draper (Common Room 2001-2006) then passed a brother to the 2nd degree; Worshipful Brother Moreton-Moss stepped in at the last minute to assist in the ceremony.  Worshipful Brother Charles Goblet d’Alviella gave a first presentation of the 2nd Degree Tracing Board with confidence.

The Worshipful Master congratulated the Lodge on donating £1000 to Alzheimers UK, via Picton House at College; particularly poignant for him, as his younger sister, Wendy Mitchell, has just published the first memoir written by someone who lives with dementia, “Somebody I used to know”; Worshipful Brother Nigel Birch was also able to publicise his book, “No sideshow” about the victory in the Balkans in 1918 (available on Amazon).

After the meeting 31 visitors and guests re-assembled at the East India Club for dinner, which happily coincided with Worshipful Brother James Milne celebrating thirty years as a Mason.

The next meeting will be held at Wellington College on Saturday, 12th May, and will be an Initiation.

November 2017 – Ceremony of Raising – 3rd Degree

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At our meeting on 14th November 2017, the Lodge conducted a Ceremony of Raising. Owing to a number of Officers being unavoidably absent, including the Worshipful Master, the Ceremony was performed by the Immediate Past Master, Derek Barrett and Worshipful Brother Rory Shackleton. They were assisted by a team of mainly stand-in Officers, some of whom received very little notice. Nevertheless, the Brethren called on their vast experience to perform admirably and the candidate was conducted around the Lodge by Worshipful Brother Stephen Dudley in a most proficient manner. The Working Tools were presented and explained by Worshipful Brother Matthew Saunders.

As is the custom in the Old Wellingtonian Lodge at the November meeting, the Lodge honoured the memory of those members who made the supreme sacrifice, as well as the 1340 Old Wellingtonians and staff, in the cause of their King and their Country.

The business of the Lodge was completed and the brethren made their way to the East India Club, where an excellent meal was enjoyed in celebration of the making of a new Master Mason.

Installation – Common Room to Common Room

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On Thursday, 12th October 2017, the Lodge met for its 419th meeting to Install a new Worshipful Master for 2017-18.
A number of visitors joined us for the meeting, including four brethren from West Lancashire, the Worshipful Master of the Old Haileyburian Lodge, Secretary of the Old Chigwellian Lodge, and the incoming Master’s proposer into Masonry, W. Bro.Tony Perry.

The main business of the evening was the Lodge’s Worshipful Master, W. Bro. Derek Barrett to install his successor, W.Bro. Peter Draper – both former members of Common Room – in the Master’s Chair, which he did with calm sincerity and professionalism. The new Master then appointed the Lodge Officers for the coming year and completed the Lodge business for the evening, ending with a few thoughts on Education and Masonry.

The brethren then moved on to the East India Club to dine in happy fellowship and look forward to the next meeting in November, when a 3rd Degree ceremony will be performed.

Meeting at College – Ceremony of Passing – May 2017

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On Saturday, 13th May 2017, a number of Lodge members and their ladies made their way to Crowthorne for the annual visit of the Lodge to College. The Lodge was honoured on this occasion by W.Bro. Vincent Driver, Metropolitan Grand Inspector, accompanied by his escort, W.Bro. Dennis Brown, Metropolitan Grand Deacon, as well as our Visiting Officer, W.Bro. Edward Bottomley, SLGR.
The work performed on this occasion was to “Pass” a brother, which was performed by the Worshipful Master, Derek Barrett. He was ably assisted by the Senior Deacon and W.Bro. Hew Dunn who presented the Working Tools of the Degree and finally, an excellent presentation of the Second Degree Tracing Board by W.Bro. Rory Shackleton.
After the Meeting, we repaired to “Great School” for pre-Dinner drinks and a “White Table” Dinner, which was enjoyed by all.
Perhaps the highlight of the day was to see Bro. Ben Hodges, LR., accompanied by his wife Peggy. Ben has not been able to attend the Lodge for a number of years and it was a pleasure to have them with us on this occasion.
So ended another happy and enjoyable day at College and we now look forward to the October meeting, when the next Master will be Installed for the coming year.

Ceremony of Passing – February 2017

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Ceremony of Passing, February, 2017

Over the last year, we have been fortunate in having a number of young men being Initiated into our Lodge. Therefore, we have much work to do in the Lodge and to avoid long delays for the brethren wishing to make Masonic progress, we have been able to involve other Public Schools Lodges Council Lodges. They have been most helpful by undertaking to “Pass” some of our brethren at their meetings, which in turn strengthens our bonds with those Lodges and their members.
At our 417th meeting, held at Freemasons Hall, London on 9th February, one of those brethren took his next step in Masonry and was “Passed” by the Worshipful Master, Derek Barrett, assisted by his Wardens and the Senior Deacon. The brethren afterwards proceeded to the East India Club, to celebrate the occasion in the customary Lodge manner!
We now look forward to our next meeting in May, when we will be returning to College for our annual visit and to re-live old memories.