Fidelity Lodge 6487
Below is an extensive history of Fidelity Lodge, from its consecration in 1947 up to the time of the address given in 1997.
Meeting Dates:
Fidelity Lodge meets on the 4th Monday of the Month, in the months of September, October, November, January, February and March.
FIDELITY LODGE No. 6487
1947 - 1997
Consecrated on Monday 9th June 1947
at the Sussex Masonic Temple
Queen’s Road, Brighton.
GOLDEN JUBILEE MEETING
at the Masonic Hall, Church Street, Uckfield
on Monday 17th June1947.
Lester John Bryant - WM
Gordon Alfred Brewster - SW David Michael Smith- JW
Kenneth R Shaw - Secretary
FIDELITY LODGE No 6487
A HISTORY
Preamble.
In researching the history of the Fidelity it has become evident that we have been somewhat remiss in maintaining records of events during the lifetime of the Lodge. This history is perforce somewhat brief and lacking detail in certain areas. I hope that we will be mindful of this in the coming years so that, when my successors come to update this history, it may be possible to fill in some of the gaps and add more details as the Lodge progresses towards its Diamond Jubilee in 2007 and its Centenary in 2047.
Formation of the Lodge.
Documentation prior to the Consecration of the Lodge has not come to light. Our sponsoring, or Mother, Lodge was Ockenden Lodge No. 1465. At that time Ockenden was a lodge for professional men and anecdotal evidence has it that Fidelity was founded as a lodge for non-professionals. It was intended to be an affordable lodge to bring Freemasonry within the grasp of the ordinary man. It is reliably reported that one reaction to the foundation of Fidelity was “My God!, they’ve formed a working man’s lodge.” It can only be a source of gratification that the exclusivity of half a century ago has virtually disappeared.
It is to be hoped that documents outlining the aims of the Lodge and the Petition eventually presented to the Provincial Grand Lodge will be found. These should shed light on the events leading up to the formation of Fidelity Lodge.
Name and Crest.
Fidelity is a word inextricably associated with Freemasonry and there are no less than 20 Fidelity Lodges listed in the United Grand Lodge of England. Why the Founders chose the name for this Lodge is unclear but it is unique among Mid Sussex lodges, almost all others being named after places or persons associated with Mid Sussex.
The origin of the crest has not been discovered. Surely there must be an extant account of the symbolism of this evocative crest. It cannot be denied that it is entirely appropriate to the area, depicting as it does the Balcombe railway viaduct over the River Ouse. Fidelity was formed as a Haywards Heath lodge. Haywards Heath owes its current prominence in the area to the coming of the railway when a station was built there, following the refusal of Cuckfield to allow a station to be built on the new London to Brighton line. Various theories on the symbolism of the crest have been propounded but there appears to be no solid contemporary evidence to support any.
The Consecration.
June 9th, 1947 saw the consecration of the Lodge at the Masonic Temple in Queen’s Road, Brighton. In the days of continuing austerity immediately after the World War II this must surely have been a joyous occasion.
The Founders and First Officers were:
W Bro
Albert Ernest Aucock, PPrAGDC ... ...
Master
W Bro
Laurence Collin Bishop, PAGStdB, LGR ... ...
IPM
W Bro
William Cecil Edwards, PPrAGDC (Herts) ... ...
SW
Bro
William Arthur Lowring ... ... ...
JW
W Bro
Charles Falkingham ... ... ...
Treasurer
W Bro
Stanley Heywood ... ... ...
Secretary
Bro
William Edward Mitchell ... ... ...
D of C
Bro
Thomas Parker ... ... ...
SD
Bro
Cyril Arthur Sly ... ... ...
JD
W Bro
Arthur Pinches, LGR ... ... ...
Assistant D of C
Bro
Robert Mayer Simmons ... ... ...
IG
Bro
George Thomas Voller
Steward
Bro
Thomas Baldock
Bro
Philip Golden Darking
Bro
Archibald George Lander
Bro
Ernest Henry Munnion
Bro
Arthur Francis
Bro
Walter Henry Kimble Laramy
Bro
P Banks ... ... ... ... ...
Tyler
The Consecration Ceremony was conducted by W Bro Sir George M Boughey, the Deputy Provincial Grand Master in Charge of the Province of Sussex at that time. Sir George was in charge following the death in March that year of Major Lawrence Thornton, one of the most influential of Sussex Provincial Grand Masters, who had held that office since 1926. (Major Thornton’s Grand Lodge Certificate and Provincial Grand Lodge apron are displayed in the ante-room to the Uckfield Masonic Temple where Fidelity Lodge currently meets.)
The complete team of consecrating officers was:
W Bro
Sir George M Boughey, CBE, PDGDC
Dep PGM in Charge
W Bro
F W A Cushman, PGD ... ... as
Assistant PGM
W Bro
H Milburn Pett, ... ... ...
Prov SGW
W Bro
A H Clarke ... ... ...
Prov JGW
W Bro
The Revd H F Severn, ... ... ...
Prov G Chaplain
W Bro
Arthur Jolly, PAGDC ... ... ...
Prov G Secretary
W Bro
A H Edwards, PAGDC ... ... ...
Prov G D of C
Bro
S Hubble ... ... ...
Prov G Organist
A footnote to the minutes of the meeting states:
“At the after-proceedings a distinguished company of 76 Brethren sat down to do honour to the Inauguration of the new Lodge. A most excellent dinner was provided by the caterer”
The menu consisted of
Hors d’Oeuvres
__
Roast Chicken
Savoury Rolls
Green Vegetables
Roast Potatoes
__
Almond Trifle with Ices
Vanilla and Strawberry Moulds
__
Coffee
With food rationing still in force this must indeed have been a banquet. At 15/- (75p in today’s currency) it also looks inexpensive but in real terms this equates more closely to £15 to £20 today.
Meeting Places.
Originally Fidelity Lodge met at the Hayworthe Hotel in Haywards Heath but has lead a somewhat nomadic existence over the years. Meeting places have been:
13.10.47 - 14.11.66 Hayworthe Hotel, Haywards Heath
with one meeting held at the Tiger in Lindfield on 8th February, 1960 whilst building work was undertaken at the Hayworthe.
9.1.67 - 25.3.68 Ockley Lodge Hotel, Keymer
23.9.68 - 29.11.71 Elfinsward Diocesan Conference House, Haywards Heath
24.1.72 - 28.3.77 Masonic Temple, Uckfield
26.9.77 - 23.11.82 Mid Sussex Masonic Premises, Ockley Lodge, Hassocks
25.1.82 - present Masonic Temple, Uckfield
Of these venues only the Masonic Temple continues as it was. The Hayworthe Hotel has been converted into an office block, Elfinsward was demolished to make way for the local police HQ and Ockley Lodge disappeared under the bulldozers in a housing development. Après Fidelity les developers?
With shares in the permanent Masonic roof now over our heads, it seems that our wandering days are finally over.
Minutiae.
Oct 13 1947: The first regular meeting of the Lodge after Consecration was at the Hayworthe Hotel on October 13th, when a ballot proved in favour of the following brethren as joining members:
Bro Owen Douglas Penn
Bro Richard Leo Leonard
and the following as Candidates for Initiation:
Mr Roger Sly (son of Bro C A Sly, a Founder of the Lodge)
Mr Guy Stanley Wilshire
Mr Frank Stanley Walder
In the absence of Roger Sly, Guy Wilshire was became the of Fidelity’s first Initiate, proving to be a stalwart of the Lodge until his death in September 1991. He was installed as Worshipful Master in 1954 and was appointed Past Provincial Grand Warden in 1983.
23 Mar 1948: Duke of Devonshire, KG, was installed as Grand Master by MW Bro HM King George VI.
26 Nov 1950: Duke of Devonshire, KG, Grand Master, died
6 Nov 1951: Rt Hon the Earl of Scarborough, KG, GCSI, GCIE, TD, installed as Grand Master at the Royal Albert Hall.
6 Feb 1952: Death of His Most Gracious Majesty King George VI
14 Oct 1957: The minutes of the meeting held on this date record that the Lodge had purchased an organ “.. to replace that belonging to Ockenden Lodge which has been in use for some years and is now worn out …. This expense has been met by a donation from each member and does not fall o the Lodge.” A letter of acknowledgement from Ockenden Lodge is included with the minutes of this meeting and reads “..W Bro Peter Walder was an honoured guest of the Lodge and we expressed to him our appreciation, and also Ockenden Lodge’s pleasure and satisfaction on the continued progress, virility and high standard of our daughter Lodge …”.
13 Jan 1958: This meeting was to prove tragic. Bro Cecil MacCreadie, the business partner of W Bros Stanley and Peter Walder, who had been initiated at the meeting on 8 April 1957, suddenly collapsed during the Ceremony. The brief minutes of this meeting read “Every attention was given to given to him, a doctor was summoned but apparently he was beyond human aid. … The Lodge [was] closed .. The brethren then dispersed.”
18 Aug 1959: V Revd A T A Naylor resigned as Provincial Grand Master.
W Bro A Jolly, was appointed Deputy Grand Master in charge.
21 Jan 1960: W Bro A Jolly installed as Provincial Grand Master.
13 Feb 1961: The minutes of the Lodge meeting record receipt of a letter from W Bro Alan Cree of the Ockenden Lodge on the subject of a Masonic Lodge for Mid Sussex. This advised that a representative meeting of Masonic Lodges and Chapters in Mid Sussex had passed the following resolution:
“ That this meeting supports the Ockenden Lodge in their endeavours to promote a fund with the immediate object of raising the sum of £2,000 towards a larger project for the acquisition of a Masonic Temple in Mid Sussex. They request the Ockenden Lodge to form a Committee of Management from all local Lodges”
The establishment of a Masonic Temple in Mid Sussex was to prove a taxing, and ultimately unsuccessful, enterprise.
13 May 1961: The minutes of the Lodge meeting on this day record:
“… The Province of Sussex Masonic Golfing Association had requested each Lodge to appoint a Golf Correspondent to stimulate interest amongst golfing Brethren - and that Bro T H Mann had kindly agrees to act in this capacity.”
14 Oct 1963: The minutes of the Installation meeting on this day record:
“Bro A R Hatfield reported on the Sussex Masonic Golfing Society Meeting and that he had won the Individual Championship, donating the £3 prize money to the 1966 Boys’ Festival”
1964: The Annual Subscription was raised from £2/2/0 to £3/3/0, the first increase in the 17 years since the Lodge was consecrated.
14 Nov 1966: Agenda Item 6 was “To consider, in view of the permanent closing down of the Hayworthe Hotel Ballroom, on December 31st, 1966, a possible venue for out 1967 Regular Meetings.” The minutes record the offer of a timber building, 40 ft by 20 ft, in the garden of a Past Master of the Knights of the Road Lodge for use by the Lodge. In the event it was decided to hold future meetings at Ockley Lodge Hotel in Keymer.
9 Jan 1967: First Lodge meeting at Ockley Lodge Hotel.
13 Feb 1967: Regular meeting dates changed to the fourth Monday in January, February, March, September (Installation), October, November and December.
27 Jun 1967: HRH the Duke of Kent, GVCO, ADC, installed as grand Master at an Especial Grand Lodge held at the Royal Albert Hall to celebrate the 250th Anniversary of the Grand Lodge of England.
23 Sep 1968: First Lodge meeting at “Efinsward” Diocesan Conference House. No record of the reasons for moving from Ockley Lodge appear in the Minutes of the Lodge or General Purposes Committee. However, on 4 December,1967, the latter record a discussion on the high cost of dining at Ockley Lodge. Fidelity has always aimed to be an affordable Lodge.
25 Oct 1971: At this meeting the Secretary gave notice of a Committee Meeting to decide where the Lodge should meet in 19772, Elfinsward closing its doors on December 31st 1971.
24 Jan 1972: First meeting of the Lodge at the Uckfield Masonic Temple.
1974: Fidelity presented four firing glasses to Ockenden Lodge, its sponsoring Lodge, to mark the celebration of its Centenary year.
22 Sep 1975: W Bro Christmas presented to the Lodge a miniature 3rd Degree Tracing Board, beautifully crafted by himself.
26 Sep 1977: First meeting of the Lodge on its return to Ockley Lodge, Keymer, which was now the Mid Sussex Masonic Premises.
22 Sep1978: W Bro C A Sly, a Founder of the Lodge, presented a Limited Edition of the Installation of the Earl of Scarborough as Grand Master to the Lodge. This volume has since been passed each year to the Master Elect for his edification and instruction.
13 Aug 1978: RW Bro Sir James Stubbs, Grand Secretary, retired after 22 years in office, the first Grand Secretary in 124 years to survive in good health to his retirement.
27 Oct 1980: The Summons for this meeting shows it to be the 200th. However, it was pointed out by Provincial Grand Lodge that it was, in fact, the 201st. All Lodge meetings since its Consecration had been incorrectly numbered, the meeting on November 10th, 1947 having been taken as the first whereas the Consecration meeting was the first. From this point on the meeting numbers have been corrected.
23 Mar 1981: A photograph of Lodge members was taken at Ockley Lodge.
25 Jan 1982: First meeting of the Lodge on its return to the Uckfield Masonic Temple.
27 Sep 1982: 1982 witnessed momentous events with the invasion and subsequent liberation of the Falkland Islands. The minutes of this meeting record notification of a grant of £25,000 from the Grand Charity to the South Atlantic Fund.
29 Oct 1984: This was a milestone meeting of the Lodge at which the Lodge Banner was dedicated. The banner had been made primarily by W Bro J W Stevens, Mrs Joy Stevens, his wife, and his brother, W Bro Leslie Stevens of the Duke of Richmond Lodge. Those present at the dedication were privileged to witness an impressive ceremony conducted by the Provincial team. This dedication was subsequently reported in the March 1988 issue of the Masonic Square.
24 Mar 1986: At the Festive Board the WM announced that W Bro K R Shaw had kindly presented a piano to the Uckfield Hall Management Committee for use in the Hall. W Bro Shaw was thanked most profusely for his kind donation and gift.
10 Feb 1987: W Bro Sly, founder of the Lodge and secretary for the 15 years from1962 to 1977 celebrated his 90th birthday.
9 June 1987: An Extraordinary Meeting was held on the 40th Anniversary of the Consecration of the Lodge at which an Honours Board was unveiled by the Assistant Provincial Grand Master, W Bro David Llewellyn.
14 Sep 1987: The Lodge of Instruction held its 1,000th meeting. To mark this important milestone, the meeting was held at the Masonic Temple at Uckfield and was followed by a Festive Board.
24 Oct 1988: The Secretary reported that, by virtue of subscribing £4,117.83 to the Foundation for the Aged and the Sick, Fidelity Lodge had been made a Quadruple Patron of the Foundation.
24 Apr 1989: At the Festive Board of this meeting, held in April because the regular meeting date fell on Easter Monday, W Bro H A R Grant presented a pair of goblets to the WM for use by the Senior and Junior Wardens. These had been donated by the daughters of the late W Bro T H Mann, a Past Master and Director of Ceremonies of the Lodge, who had died on 4th April, 1988.
1 Jul 1989: VW Bro David Walter Llewellyn, CBE, was appointed Provincial Grand Master in succession to Sir Leonard Barford. The new PGM was installed on 31st October, 1989.
20 Dec 1990: With the death of W Bro R M Simmons, the Lodge lost the last of its 18 Founders.
23 Mar 1992: An easel to support Tracing Boards during their Explanation was presented to the Lodge by W Bro Denis Muggeridge, one of Fidelity’s most regular visitors
10 Jun 1992: Quarterly meeting of Grand Lodge was held at Earls Court to celebrate the 275th Anniversary of Grand Lodge and the 25th Anniversary of HRH the Duke of Kent, KG, as Grand Master. A loyal address was voted to HM Queen Elizabeth II in the year of the 40th Anniversary of her accession.
22 Nov 1993: Prior to the Meeting a photograph of Lodge members was taken in the Temple.
A Financial Note.
In researching the annals of Fidelity Lodge some interesting facts come to light relating to finance. As noted above, the Lodge annual subscription remained static at 2 guineas for 17 years. The effects of inflation and the decreasing value of the £, especially following decimalisation, are clearly reflected in annual subscription rates over the years:
1947 £2/2/0 (£2.10)
1979 £10
1964 £3/3/0 (£3.10)
1980 £15
1970 £3/15/0 (£3.15)
1982 £20
1971 £4
1985 £25
1974 £5
1988 £30
1976 £6
1992 £35
1978 £8
1994 £40
A related fact which may be of interest those of a statistical bent relates to the alms collection at Regular meetings. As would be expected the amounts rise over the years but the annual total remains in the region of 10 to 15 times the annual subscription.
Charity.
Freemasonry, above all, is a charitable organisation. Traditionally it does not shout about its charitable achievements from the house-tops but the charitable works of Fidelity Lodge should not be forgotten. I hope that later revisions of this history will include comprehensive details. In this instance we will address two aspects.
Fidelity Lodge has a long history of looking after Masonic widows, not only of members of this but of other lodges. For some reason which is unclear, when Masonic widows move into the area, they seem to be referred to this Lodge. Our Almoner stays in touch with them all - birthday cards, Christmas cards, Christmas gifts and chauffeuring to the Widows’ Christmas party are essential components of our efforts to reassure them that they are not forgotten.
Our charity is not restricted to Masonic causes. Many local charities benefit directly from Fidelity. For instance the following donations were made during the current Lodge year:
Court Meadow School £250
St Peter and St James Hospice £250
Princess Royal Hospital League of Friends £250
Red Cross Burgess Hill £250
This continues a pattern over several years, something in which the Lodge may take a quiet pride.
Lodge of Instruction.
Since its early days Fidelity has had a strong Lodge of Instruction. At this stage of the Lodge history there has been insufficient time to gather more complete data but I hope events and achievements of the LOI will eventually from an annex to this main history.
Like Fidelity itself, the LOI has had a variety of meeting places. In the past 25 years it has met at:
The Girl Guide Hut in Perrymount Road, Haywards Heath
The Ugly Duckling (now the Wivelsfield Inn), Haywards Heath
The Hassocks Hotel, Hassocks
The Red Cross Hall, Burgess Hill
Currently the LOI meets about 35 times a year. On June 9th, 1997, the exact 50th anniversary of the founding of the Lodge, the LOI held its 1,331st meeting. Over the years various luminaries in the Lodge have served as officers in the LOI. It has been well supported by Past Masters and lay Brethren, leading to standards of working which are acknowledged as excellent by those who visit the Lodge. Furthermore, the LOI manages to make significant donations to local charities through collections made at its many meetings.
“Finale”.
At 50 years of age Fidelity Lodge is in excellent health and we may look forward with confidence to the future. Over the past half century there have been 185 members of the Lodge, comprising:
18 Founders
96 Initiates
71 Joining Members
Founded in the austere, though optimistic, immediate post-War years, the Lodge has flourished to mirror the development of our country. As in the happiest of families we have had the occasional unpleasant problem but eventually these have been resolved amicably and the family strengthened.
One honour which has eluded the Lodge is the appointment to Grand Lodge office. With so many dedicated Masons in Fidelity it is not surprising that I have been asked many times by younger Brethren why we have no Grand Officers. Perhaps we have hidden our light under a bushel. Be that as it may, the most important aim must be to maintain those Masonic principles which have guided Fidelity for the past 50 years. Perhaps the words of Vitaï Lampada by Sir Henry Newbolt, a poet sadly no longer fashionable, are apposite:
And it’s not for the sake of a ribboned coat,
Or the selfish hope of a season’s fame,
But his Captain’s hand on his shoulder smote -
‘Play up! Play up! And play the game!’
I believe that anybody examining the record of this lodge cannot but agree that we have played the game. Vitaï Lampada ends:
This they all with a joyful mind
Bear through life like a torch in flame
And falling fling to the host behind -
‘Play up! Play up! And play the game!’
Let us charge the Brethren in future generations to play the game, to maintain the high standards of Fidelity.
To mark the Golden Jubilee a complete set of Officers’ collars and gauntlets has been acquired. Our 50th Master, W Bro Lester J Bryant, has kindly donated a new Master’s collar, on which will be engraved the names of successive Masters. To future generations of Masons we say “Carry on the good work, justify the faith of the founders and ensure that Fidelity continues to be a Lodge to which its Brethren are proud to belong”.
Masters of Fidelity Lodge
1947 A E Aucock
1948 W C Edwards
1949 W A Lowrings
1950 C A Sly
1951 R M Simmons
1952 A G Lander
1953 O D Penn
1954 G S Wilshire
1955 F S Walder
1956 P A Walder
1957 D T Williams
1958 W H K Laramy
1959 S T Baldwin
1960 R Staynes
1961 H G Hill
1962 H G Lightfoot
1963 W S Palmer
1964 T H Mann
1965 F M Young
1966 C G Brooker
1967 E R Selfe
1968 J W Bennett
1969 A J Edwards
1970 C T King
1971 A S Hancorn
1972 B B Bradford
1973 W J R Allardice
1974 B K Christmas
1975 A R Hatfield
1976 J W Stevens
1977 V A Gault
1978 J B Swainston
1979 D R Phillpott
1980 D Taylor
1981 J M H Gruszka
1982 J A Lea
1983 G K Summerfield
1984 E F Fisher
1985 H A R Grant
1986 P N Day
1987 C R Millington
1988 P C Howell
1989 M G Davis
1990 A J Sandells
1991 F A Dean
1992 K J Maughan
1993 B J Dowell
1994 M R Newell
1995 D K Christmas
1996 L J Bryant
Secretaries
Treasurers
1947 - 1958 S Heywood
1958 - 1962 A E Aucock
1962 - 1977 C A Sly
1977 - 1994 B B Bradford
1994 - K R Shaw
1947 - 1956 C Falkingham
1956 - 1975 A G Lander
1975 - 1978 E R Selfe
1978 - 1986 J W Stevens
1986 - 1994 K R Shaw
1994 - 1996 E D Markham
1996 - J B Swainston