Ceremony of Consecration on Friday 4th May 1928

The Pilgrims’ Lodge No. 5008 in the register of the Grand Lodge of England came into existence at the Ceremony of Consecration on Friday 4th May 1928.

Whilst the history of the Lodge began on that day, the story of the Lodge precedes that date.

That which follows is an attempt to present a time-line of events leading to the formation of the Lodge and then to trace through the years those events that help to give a picture of the Lodge as it has developed.

The Consecration of The Pilgrims’ Lodge No. 5008 in the register of the Grand Lodge of England took place on Friday 4th May, 1928.

The ceremony was held at The School Hall ,Tonbridge by kind permission of the Headmaster Bro. H.N.P. Sloman.

Proceedings started with lunch at 1.30 pm followed at 3.30pm with the ceremony of Consecration led by The Right Worshipful the Provincial Grand Master, The Right Honourable Lord Cornwallis, Deputy Grand Master of England.

The ceremony was attended by 10 Consecration Officers ( plus Organist and Tyler ), 23 Founding Members and some 250 visitors. You might care to spare a thought for W.Bro. Strickland, the first Secretary of the Lodge, for it fell upon him to write the minutes of the meeting. All of which was achieved by hand taking some 5 pages in the Minutes’ Book. The names of the Brethren in attendance being carefully written down.

The Address delivered by the Right Worshipful the Provincial Grand Master

The consecration of a new Lodge is the most interesting of our Masonic ceremonies: the birth of a new Lodge, the association for the first time of a body of men who will be henceforth bound by very special ties, is no commonplace event. Those who found and form a Lodge take upon themselves no small measure of responsibility, to the Craft at large, to their Provincial Grand Lodge and to their Brethren; but we know that when we meet here as we do today to join with you in the ceremony of Consecration that we are not assisting in any casual ceremony. The Petition of the Founders has passed through the closest scrutiny, not only here in the Provincial Grand Lodge, but in Grand Lodge. Before the Grand Master gives his approval and issues the Charter or Warrant; all those capable of judging have assured themselves that the Lodge we are so joyfully met to consecrate is composed of worthy brethren, with all the elements of perpetual continuity, and is likely to be a living force in the future of Masonry; what we are doing today we are doing for all time.

We shall go – others will take our place-but the Lodge will go on for ever inculcating, teaching and spreading the great principals of Freemasonry; there is no reason that it should not, there is every reason that it should; it is a great inspiration, is it not, to think that we are doing today what may and probably will be an harmonious, hospitable, permanently beneficial piece of work, a home for successive generations of Brethren through the ages to come? We have all take part in the inauguration of many schemes, of how many could we look forward to such a permanent future? With so certain a future, if the brethren are true to the principles we all profess; Masonry is so widespread that there can be hardly a day, hardly an hour, when some Lodge is not meeting somewhere; every Mason has a right to visit and sit in that Lodge; how necessary therefore to choose worthy men, and worthy men alone for admission to the Craft. How necessary that our ceremonies shall be so conducted that whether the Provincial Grand Master demand, or a distant brother seeks admission they shall be a joy and a pleasure to join in, and let all strive to ensure that nothing shell ever occur to disturb that harmony that should ever prevail both inside and outside the Lodge, for a Lodge’s hospitality is no small part of its well-being.

One last word; Masonry to the outside world rests on its reputation to those who know not its inner meaning, the reputation of the Craft, the reputation that is the local Lodge, is their criterion of the worth of Freemasonry; it is too that reputation which brings recruits from among reputable men; in wishing the Lodge God speed therefore, on behalf of all present, I pray that the G.A.O.T.U. may so direct you in all your undertakings that the name of the Lodge will ever be held in high estimation.

Following the address, the Consecration ceremony took place and the Warrant was issued.

Installation of the First Master of the Lodge and appointment of his Officers.

The Chair was then taken by The Worshipful the Deputy Grand Master, W.Bro. William Frederick Blay, P.A.G.D.C. who proceeded to install the first Master, W. Bro. Frederick David Ibbett, P.M., P.P.A.G.D.C. The Treasurer and Tyler were then elected and the Officers of the Lodge appointed
The Consecrating Officers were each presented with a silver vase. It was then proposed and carried unanimously to make the Consecrating Officers Honorary Members of the Lodge.

The Founding Officers were then charged to form a committee to write the By-Laws of the Lodge

Several of the Brethren donated items to the Lodge, including a sword, alms dish and a poignard.

There was one proposal for Initiation and four proposals for joining members.

It is worthy of note that of the Officers of the Lodge appointed at this first meeting eight were, in due course, to become Masters of the Lodge. At this meeting W.Bro. Dr. A. Carnarvon Brown was elected and invested as Treasurer, a post he was to fill until 1956, except for the years 1933-1937 when he occupied the Wardens’ and Masters’ chairs. At the same meeting W.Bro. R.W. Strickland, who was to become such a generous benefactor to the lodge, was appointed Secretary, a post he would fill until 1940. So was set the pattern of long and faithful service which was a notable feature of the lodge in its first half century.

Now follows the order of procedure for both the Consecration and the Installation of the first Master.