The Sir Walter Scott Lodge No. 15
Regular meetings 1st Thursday of each month, excluding January
Installation takes place at June meeting
760 Pollen Street Thames
Contact Kerry Doherty
Phone: 07 868 6433
Email: [email protected]
Become an Archiver for the Community - Become a Freemason
Join the Sir Walter Scott Lodge and help continue
150 Years of charitable works for the community
*Charitable Works * Personal development
* Friendship *Social scene
The History of the Sir Walter Scott Lodge
in the Thames Goldfields
As the year 1870 was drawing to a close, a group of Freemasons who were residing in the Thames Goldfields at that time met in a suitable room in the Wharf Hotel.
The hotel was located in Grahamstown, which was then
the commercial hub of the Thames Goldfields.
The purpose for the gathering of this group was to form a Masonic order.
There had already been one lodge formed in the Thames Goldfields and this was the Lodge of Light, which was opened under the Charter of the Irish Constitution No 454 IC in 1870.
Amongst the group attending the gathering was a very distinguished Gentleman, a Freemason like themselves. The name of this Gentleman was Andrew Beveridge, who was at that time a Provincial Deputy Grand Master, Scottish Constitution.
He was also a Past Master of St. Andrew Lodge, No 418 SC. His advice to his fellow Freemasons at that meeting was to approach the Officers of St Andrew Lodge in Auckland. To assist them the St Andrew Lodge gave them permission to hold a Lodge of Instruction under the St Andrew’s Charter.
The first meeting of the new Lodge was in the Wharf Hotel in September 1870, the R.W. Brother Beveridge presiding, and meetings were held regularly until a dispensation was appealed for and granted. The first Worshipful Master was duly elected and installed on St John’s day, 27th December 1870. The R.W. Brother A Beveridge being the new Lodge’s first Master. In due course a Petition was sent to the Grand Lodge of Scotland asking that the Sir Walter Scott Lodge be granted a Charter of Constitution.
The charter was received on the 3rd February 1873.
Some of the financial contributions made to the community by Sir Walter Scott Lodge are shown below.
2019
Te Aroha Grand Piano $4,800.00
Two Defibrillators (one for Police, one for Lodge) $3093.75
High School Student World Orienteering Championship $1,000.00
Porritt Park Childrens' playground equipment $32,000.00
NZ War Memorial Trust $200.00
NZ War Memorial Le Quesnay Faure whole of NZ Lodges $34,040.00
2020
Thames High School Senior Maths $500.00
High School Student World Orienteering Championship $1,000.00
School Students transport to Ngatea College $2,000.00
Fun Day for Autistic Children $400.00
2021-2022
Thames Museum Display Cabinets $4795.50
The Treasury Research Centre Photographing and Digitising Equipment $20,400.00
Student Transport to Ngatea College $2,000.00
Freemasons is the largest charity in the world.
What does it do in Thames?
Having celebrated 150 years in Thames, the Sir Walter Scott Lodge
is currently working to support three separate projects.
The Treasury
Youth Centre (youth advancement in being leaders)
Museum (our Maori culture and education
for our youth and tourists.).
The Lodge of Light
An early institution in Thames was the Masonic Lodge, formed in 1870 by men involved in mining, engineering, planning, commerce and administration in Thames.
The Lodge of Light has met continually monthly since for 150 years, and has donated thousands of dollars over the years, to Thames Hospital, St John, Manaaki Centre, local schools, individuals, Fire Brigade, Search and Rescue etc.
In the UK, Masonic lodges are the second biggest donors to society, after Lotto.
In the US it is into hundreds of millions of dollars annually.
Men’s and Women’s Masonic lodges around the world strive to make people better members of the society in which they live.
Ron Agnew
Secretary, Lodge of lIGHT 4541c
PO Box 400 Thames 3540
07 868 6888 027 45 88 200
On Saturday 28th March the Lodge of Light will be celebrating 150 years of service to Thames.
Recent donations include $600 to Thames Coastguard
and $1,000 will be spent to put a memorial seat under the Norfolk pines in Kuranui Bay Reserve shortly
to mark this event.
