50 YEARS AGO

(Compiled from the Buffalo Quarterly Journal March 1954)

The first meeting of the year started on an unusual note, for both the Mayor and Mayoress of Stockton‑on‑Tees were in attendance to greet the Grand Primo and delegates.

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The Provinces of Kenya and Uganda were divided into two separate (Eastern and Western) parts with a new Lodge in prospect in each part. The P.G.L. of Southern Rhodesia was transferred from the G.L. of South Africa to the control of the G.L.E. This completed the transfer of both Northern and Southern Rhodesia to G.L.E.

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The Report of the Special Committee which had been appointed to consider the Constitution and Governance was received by Grand Lodge. The Grand Lodge Solicitor was present. The Grand Primo decided to allow unlimited debate and so it was, taking up five full pages of small print in the Journal. The result of this was that the discussion was deferred until a later date.

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The Convalescent Report was also of considerable length and took up four full pages of the Journal. There was no discussion on the subject.

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The Annual Report was received. Registrations per week were 89,875 against 93,903 for the previous year. Initiation figures were 16,628 as against 18,274 for the previous year.

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Assets of the Grand Lodge of England were given as £593,929, an increase of £22,040.

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A report was given that on the 1st day of January 1954, the new Grand Primo, Bro. J. H. Mumford R.O.H., made an informal and unexpected visit to the Sir George Hewett Lodge 4450 in the Devonshire Province. This Lodge, of course, was around his own stamping ground at that time. In the current G. L. Delegates List, he is described as “Bro. J. H. Munford” and is accredited to Plymouth

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Have you ever noticed how many legs a chicken can have? The then Editor writes that at a dinner he attended, he noticed that the Brother on his right had a leg and that the Brother on his left had a leg. He caused a quick check around the table to be made and it was found that there were sixty‑one legs and one serving of breast. After 50 years we will not ask who got the breast.

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A paragraph headed “Other Sections” draws attention to the Consultative Committee of all the known Sections or Banners of the Order. A brief lecture on Brotherhood is given pointing out that nine out of ten of these Sections had joined in and asked the question “What of the Unit still outside?” Today, we personally do know this Committee still exists although in a smaller form.

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No less than eighteen reports were printed of events in overseas Lodges. Not so many come our way in these days. One of the reasons must be that no longer have we so many Lodges in distant parts. In many of the places named our Lodges have no place in their present lifestyle. We doubt if they would still want to be in some of them.

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Unique! I wonder! The statement is made “It has always been a favourite theory that there is no known sport where we could not put a team of Brethren in a competition and make a first class showing”. Ipswich claimed to have a football team in their local league with no report as to its success. In Rotherham there is a football team of the R.A.O.B. in Division 1 of the Association League, but they might be doing a little better to claim any glory at the moment.