A SHORT HISTORY OF ST. GEORGE LODGE 2616 E.C
By W. Bro. Karl E.V John OBE, PDSGW
Introduction
Accessible records suggest that Freemasonry probably made its first appearance in St. Vincent on 1st May 1806 through the grant of a warrant to an Irish Lodge recorded as No.733. The warrant was cancelled in 1813 for non-payment of dues. This first attempt was followed by the establishment of Lodge Sussex 730 E.C. and soon after by Lodge Victoria 755 E.C. The lives of these two lodges were also of relatively short duration, and the latter had ceased to exist by the late 1880s. St. George Lodge 2616 E.C was inaugurated in 1896, and can now boast today, of a period of unbroken existence which spans one hundred and twenty-five years. Our Lodge’s history is, indeed, almost entirely the story of Freemasonry in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. And in our country, St. George Lodge 2616 E.C. is probably the sole fraternal organization or indeed similar association to have so resolutely stood the test of time.
The Inauguration of St George 2616 E.C.
On Wednesday, 25th November 1896, seventeen (17) Freemasons gathered at a building on Lot 85 Middle Street, Kingstown, (on the site of the building now owned by Layne Investments on the western corner of Sharpe and Middle Streets adjacent to the Seventh Day Adventist Church). At 4.00 pm they began the ceremonies of consecrating, constituting and dedicating St. George Lodge 2616 E.C. on the register of the Grand Lodge of England and under the jurisdiction of the District Grand Master of Barbados. The Consecrating Officer was W. Bro. Robert James Clinckett, PM of St Michael’s 2253 and Albion 196, (Barbados) and PDGSW (Barbados). He was accompanied by seven (7) District Grand Lodge officers.
The Lodge had eight (8) Founding Members. Five (5) Founders attended the inaugural meeting viz: W. Bro. David S. Osment (WM designate), and Bros. His Honour, Harry L. Thompson (SW designate), Henry R. Melville (JW designate), F.C. Wells-Durrant (Secretary designate) and John Young (SD designate). The remaining three (3) Petitioners were W. Bro. Robert Haynes and Bros. F.W. Bonyum and Sir William Brandford Griffith.
Four (4) visitors were also present at the inaugural meeting.
It appears that none of our Founders were Vincentian by birth or naturalization. Bro. Thompson was probably the British-appointed Administrator of the colony. Prior to his assignment in St. Vincent, he had been made a Mason in Cyprus’s first Masonic Lodge – St Paul’s Lodge No.22277 which had been formed by British military personnel stationed there and consecrated in 1888.
Preparing the Ground
The next meeting of St. George Lodge 2616EC following its consecration was held on 2nd December 1896. The five (5) founding members who had attended the inaugural meeting were present, and occupied the offices for which they had been designated. There was one visitor from Scotia Lodge in Barbados and he was proposed as an affiliating member at the meeting. At this meeting too, the Lodge considered and adopted Bye-laws for its governance and also elected Mr. Silas Browne (who had applied for the position) to serve as Tyler. Encouragingly, two applications for membership were also acknowledged.
The meeting of 6th January 1897 was attended by the five officers and three (3) visitors. Bro. James Nanton of Scotia 340 SR, Barbados, who had been proposed as an affiliating member at the previous meeting was duly elected. Four applications for membership and an additional two for affiliated membership were duly recorded. At this meeting, the Lodge acknowledged receipt of several gifts. Among them were three pedestals and a cushion for the VSL from the Lodges in Barbados. It seems that the VSL then in use had been inherited from our predecessor – Victoria Lodge. Although that VSL is no longer placed on the pedestal in front of the WM, it remains among the
zoompredecessor, Victoria Lodge, were also presented by a Mr.W.C. Proudfoot. He was subsequently initiated at the next regular meeting.
At the meeting of 3rd February 1897, the Lodge acknowledged the gift of a Tyler’s sword from W. Bro. A. S. Bryden, WM of St Michael’s 2253 and DGSD, who had been present at our inaugural meeting. Three candlesticks were also received from our Consecrating Officer, W. Bro Robert Clinkett. Other notable acquisitions during this early period included mahogany chairs for the WM, SW and JW which were purchased for the princely sum of £8. The Lodge also acquired a fire proof safe at a cost which was stipulated not to exceed £9. This safe served as the repository for the jewels and the VSL. It remains in our possession – locked; and succeeding generations of Members have tried to open it with no success!
Despite occasional eruptions of discordance and disharmony, St George Lodge 2616 EC seems to have made steady progress in attracting new members to its fold while retaining the loyalty and dedication of older stalwarts. By the end of 1920, total membership had risen to thirty (30).
During the first quarter-century, the Lodge’s existence was a rather nomadic one. A quarrel between the Lodge’s landlord (himself a member) and other members which occurred at the regular meeting held on 2nd October 1901, eventually led to a decision to give up the tenancy at Lot 85 Middle Street. A new place of meeting was found at No. 74 Halifax Street. Our first meeting there (an emergency meeting) took place on 20th August 1902. Barely four years later, in exactly the same circumstances, the Lodge was forced to vacate the premises at No. 74 Halifax Street and move to a vacant building at Lot No.110 Halifax Street (probably at the eastern corner of the present Goddards City Store or immediately adjacent to it). The first meeting at No.
110 Halifax Street was held on 1st August 1906. For some time prior to March
1921, our Lodge carried out its business in a section of the upper floor of the Middle Street annex of the building where the Bridge House Hotel is now to be found. However, by the time the Brethren celebrated the Lodge’s 25th Anniversary (on 25th November 1921), the meeting place was at Lot No.9
Bay and Sharpe Streets – indeed just a few yards from the site of the inaugural meeting.
The first twenty-five years of the Lodge’s life coincided with a particularly difficult period in the country’s history. Social and economic conditions had deteriorated precipitously. This was due primarily to a long depression in the sugar industry between 1883 and 1897, primarily the result of the subsidization of European beet sugar. The prevailing grim situation was further exacerbated by a destructive hurricane in 1898 and a violent eruption of La Soufriere volcano in 1902. While no Members perished in these natural disasters, many suffered great financial loss. It is therefore of interest to note that while the Lodge was the recipient of donations from Lodges and individual Freemasons in the region at this tough time (sounds familiar?), Members did not shrink from their Masonic responsibility and promptly forwarded contributions to Freemasons in Jamaica who were affected by a hurricane in 1903 and an earthquake in 1907. The First World War also caused much scarcity and want in St. Vincent. Unfortunately, our knowledge of how St. George Lodge and its membership coped with the hardships of this period is sparse because the minutes of the meetings from 7th July 1909 to 4th May 1922 vanished and to this day have not been found.
Notwithstanding the problems which its membership undoubtedly faced during the period under review, St. George Lodge 2616 E.C. was clearly emerging to occupy a place of respect and high regard in the community. This is clearly evident from the prominent role conferred on the Lodge by officialdom in what must have been one of the most notable social events of
1907 – the public ceremony for the laying of the corner stone for the Carnegie Library. Incidentally, this well-known Kingstown landmark received official status as a protected historical building in 2011, and the Lodge through the efforts of Bro. Dr Francois Truchot subsequently managed to secure French technical assistance for reinstating the cornerstone which it participated in laying on 11th September 1907.
St. George Lodge 2616 E.C. celebrated its 25th Anniversary with a commemorative service in the temple followed by a festive supper.
Building on a Solid Foundation
The period between our 25th and 50th Anniversaries was remarkable for the zeal and dedication of the Brethren of that era who did much to lay the solid foundation on which subsequent generations have been able to build successfully.
It was during this period that the Lodge met the challenging goal of making the targeted contribution to Grand Lodge’s Masonic Million Memorial Fund. GL had launched the fund in order to finance the erection in Britain of a temple in memory of those Brethren who had perished in World War I. In making the required contribution, St George Lodge 2616 EC achieved the remarkable distinction of being designated a Hall Stone Lodge. The Hall Stone Jewel and Collaret were received from Grand Lodge in 1927.
The acquisition of a permanent home for the Lodge had exercised the minds of the Brethren from the earliest days. Indeed, a motion with this objective had been introduced in the Lodge as early the regular meeting of 5th July
1899. However, it was not until 1929 that Members were able to mobilise the required funds. The process involved debentures taken out by Members, outright gifts from Members and donations from some English Lodges in the District. When the building fund was augmented by a loan of £225 at 6% from the Amicable and Building Society, the Lodge proceeded to purchase from a Mrs. Biddy a two-storey building constructed of brick and stone with a shingled roof and located at 15 Bentinck Square, Kingstown. The neighborhood was at that time considered to be quite upscale, and in acknowledgement of the property’s substantial value, the Lodge insured the building against fire in the amount of £450.
The first meeting in our own lodge building was held on 3rd October 1929. We have been there ever since.
By Ordinance No.12 of 1930, the named WM, SW, JW, Treasurer and Secretary and their successors in office legally became a body corporate with power to hold land and other property in trust for the Lodge.
W. Bro. Fredrick W. Reeves has been identified as the driving force in the successful ventures of our achieving the distinction of designation as a Hall Stone Lodge and in the purchase of our own premises. When he was
summoned to the GLA on 1st August 1930, his Brethren genuinely mourned the passing of a stalwart Member, whose achievements in furthering the good and welfare of the Lodge and whose contribution to the formal education of Vincentians had been exceptional. Although the Great Depression cast a pall on Vincentian financial affairs, Members still managed to make generous contributions during this period towards the furnishing of the Temple and improvement of the premises. The two pillars which stand at the Temple’s entrance, the mahogany pedestals, kneeling stools and the table in the library room, were all donated by Brethren in the early nineteen- thirties. The glass case in the anteroom also dates back to this period. Electricity was installed in the building in March 1934. The sewerage system followed ten years later (March 1944).
As the Lodge approached its 50th Anniversary, many of the Brethren who had contributed so much to its progress were beginning to leave the scene. Funerals for departed Brethren in those days were far more elaborate, and the Lodge’s involvement in them far greater, than in the contemporary period. It was then the custom that prior to the funeral service, a Masonic ceremony would be conducted in a closed room in which the departed brother was laid out. Members attending the funeral did so in procession formally attired in black suits and white gloves. Jackets were adorned by a sprig of acacia in the lapel. Full regalia were always worn. A Masonic ceremony was also enacted at the graveside at the time of interment. In 1936, the Pro Grand Master on the occasion of a visit to Barbados had alluded to Grand Lodge’s displeasure with the wearing of regalia in public processions. Not surprisingly, a decision by District Grand Lodge which was communicated to St George Lodge 2616 EC by letter of 5th February 1941 and which unambiguously prohibited the wearing of regalia in public processions and specifically at funerals of departed brethren, was greeted with consternation and great dismay. Some Members even threatened to sever their affiliation if the rule was enforced.
A Structure in Progress
Twenty-seven (27) Members and fifteen (15) visitors assembled at the Lodge on the evening of 25th November 1946 for the 50th Anniversary Celebrations. The Banqueting Hall had been extended and renovated at a cost of £200, and an additional £65 was expended to purchase an impressive, carved mahogany Past Masters Board which was affixed to the western wall. The board was crafted by Mr. J.L. Eustace (later Sir Lambert Eustace), and our Governor General from 1985 to 1989). It remains in place to this day. However, for space-saving reasons, the Board was refurbished in 2003 and the gold lettering with which the names of successive PMs had originally been painted replaced by small plastic panels in order to accommodate additional names well into the future. Further renovating was also done to the rest of the building at that time, financed by generous donations from several members.
The Lodge had intended that a ceremony for the Consecration of the Temple should form part of the 50th Anniversary Celebrations. Unfortunately, the District Grand Master was unable to attend the event as scheduled and Members readily agreed to its postponement. An impressive Consecration Ceremony was eventually held in June 1950 and was attended by the DGM at the head of a strong delegation from District Grand Lodge and many visitors from several Lodges in the region.
The period between the 50th and 75th Anniversaries is particularly noteworthy. Among other important milestones, it witnessed the emergence of Royal Arch Masonry in St. Vincent. The establishment of the Chapter owed much to the pioneering efforts of W. Bro. Dr. E.D.B Charles and the support of other stalwarts of St George Lodge 2616 E.C. Members of the Lodge readily agreed to provide an interest free loan to the new Chapter to get it off the ground and pledged to make accommodations available for the modest rent of $5.00 per quarter! The Chapter – St. George No. 744 S.C. – was chartered on 21st December 1951 and with the assistance of visiting companions from Barbados its inaugural convocation took place on 10th April
1952. For many years, the Chapter received crucial and unstinting support from the outstanding Barbadian Freemason, Harcourt Fitzgerald Gilmore Rocheford, who became the first and longest serving Grand Superintendent of the District Grand Chapter of Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean. He
regularly attended and participated in convocations of St. George Royal Arch Chapter No. 744 SC as an honorary member for a considerable period of his active life.
Ladies Night, now a long-established annual event on the Lodge’s calendar, was introduced during the referenced period, and was first held on Saturday evening, 11th July 1953, at ‘Sion Lodge’, the home of the late W. Bro. Herbert Fitz-Alan Davis.
The achievements of several Members during this period are deserving of mention. W. Bro. J.B. Garraway, Tyler since 1925, achieved the distinction of being the only Serving Brother in the District, at the time, to have been elevated to the Master’s Chair (1952/53). Ten years later, he was elected an Honorary Member. In 1955, W. Bro. William Marcus Lopey, one of St. Vincent’s most esteemed educators, completed a quarter-century of unbroken service as Lodge Secretary. W. Bro. Robert Nicholas Jack, whose achievements in the public service had led to his appointment on promotion to the Barbados Civil Service some years earlier, was in 1965 appointed as DG Secretary. In the wider sphere, W. Bro. Herbert Fitz-Alan Davis capped several years of dedicated public service at the local government level in St.Vincent with an appointment as one of our two senators in the Federal Parliament.
During this period too, the generosity of members in the never-ceasing effort to enhance the appearance of the Temple, and the building in general, continued to be evident. In 1959, the Lodge was the recipient of three lesser lights in the form of candle holders – donated by one of its Members, Bro. Leroy Charles Gill. Those candle holders are still in use today.
Our records suggest that the commitment displayed by the Brethren of that era to the good and welfare of the Lodge, to Freemasonry in general, and to the betterment of the community at large, is worthy of the highest acclamation. In retrospect, it does not seem immoderate that in delivering the Historical Sketch at the 75th Anniversary Meeting, W. Bro. John L. Chapman should express his conviction that based on the outstanding zeal and dedication of the membership, coupled with the ritualistic prowess of
certain Brethren, “some future historian might describe the quarter century
1946-1971 as the Golden Age of Lodge St. George 2616 E.C.”
An Edifice of Strength and Stability
When the Lodge celebrated its 75th Anniversary on 25th November 1971, its membership stood at sixty-four (64) – having doubled from thirty-two (32) at the preceding anniversary. The Anniversary Celebrations shared the spotlight with the annual Installation Meeting. Events commenced at 5.00 pm with a short Thanksgiving Service at the Anglican Cathedral, after which the brethren proceeded to the Lodge. The celebrations culminated the following evening with a reception for Brethren and their spouses. The grandeur of the event, coupled with the warmth of welcome and hospitality extended by Members, may have prompted the District Grand Master to express his readiness to accept honorary membership in St. George 2616 E.C., if proffered. The DGM was subsequently elected an Honorary Member.
Preparations for the 75th Anniversary Celebrations, and the event itself, seemed to have infused the membership with renewed enthusiasm, and sparked new interest in Freemasonry within the community. In the five-year period from 1971-1975, there were seventeen Initiations compared with seven over the preceding five years!
Ceremonies following the 75th Anniversary Celebrations provided ample evidence of the Brethren’s determined effort to uphold the tradition of ritualistic excellence which characterized work in the previous era. At the same time, the leadership of the Lodge made a sustained attempt to stimulate the interest of the membership in Masonic literature and in attaining a deeper understanding of the ceremonies which mark progress in the Craft. The practice of having advancing members make a formal presentation on their appreciation of each ceremony experienced before making the next regular step was introduced then and has continued. Agendas for regular meetings often listed lectures on Masonic topics.
The ever-rising cost of maintaining the Lodge premises constantly engaged the Brethren’s attention. In August 1975, Members earnestly debated possibilities for constructing a new Lodge building on a site at Stoney
Ground, which the Anglican Church Authorities appeared willing to sell to the Lodge at $2.50 per sq.ft. The brethren reluctantly concluded that the state of the Lodge’s finances precluded embarking on such a venture. Following this decision, major renovations were carried out on the building. In 1986, over
$30,000 was spent to enclose the veranda on the ground floor and to further extend the banqueting hall. Repairs to the perennially problematic roof were undertaken at regular intervals.
Nineteen seventy-nine was a historically significant year. A violent volcanic eruption followed by a destructive storm wreaked havoc and presented serious challenges to the conduct of national economic and social affairs and even to future development prospects. However, the Lodge and its individual Members seized the opportunity presented by these setbacks to demonstrate openly and tangibly those charitable principles on which our Order is founded. A more heartening event was the country’s attainment of full independence and sovereignty which was celebrated on 27th October that year.
The Installation Ceremony carried out on 6th October 1983 marked the first occasion in the Lodge’s history when the Chair of KS was occupied by a representative of three generations of a family. W. Bro. Herbert Choppin Dasent Bonadie, the new Master, had been preceded in this office by his father, W. Bro. Herbert I Choppin Bonadie (1942/43), and grandfather W. Bro. Henry Alexander Bonadie (1937/38). He shares this distinction with his brother W. Bro. John Lionel Bonadie, WM in 1994/95.
At the regular meeting in August 1986, the Lodge welcomed a delegation of twenty-three Masons from Trinidad. The party included the DGM and several officers of the District Grand Lodge of Trinidad. Several of the visiting brethren were accompanied by their wives. It was a truly memorable occasion followed by a convivial weekend.
The experience of the visit from Trinidad proved invaluable when St. George Lodge 2616 E.C. hosted sixty-four Freemasons at the 266th District Communication which was held in alongside our annual Installation Meeting on 6th November 1987.
W. Bro. Trevor Sherwood Thompson, then WM, represented St. George Lodge 2616 E.C. at the celebration of the 275th Anniversary of the formation of the Grand Lodge of England, which took place in London on 10th June
1992. In commemoration of this anniversary, the WM, officers and other members of St. George Lodge also attended a church service at the Kingstown Methodist Church on 28th June 1992, attired, exceptionally, in full regalia
Of particular note during this period, was the publication in September 1987 of a comprehensive history of the Lodge (from its inception to October 1984), which had been painstakingly compiled by W. Bro. Sir Rupert John. The document was well received by the Brethren, and the author’s efforts highly commended. The DGM presented a Certificate of Service to W. Bro. Sir Rupert John for his valuable contribution to the Craft. The History proved invaluable to the Brethren in their preparations for celebrations to mark 100 years of the Lodge’s existence.
The Centenary
Planning for the Centenary Celebrations were carried out with great enthusiasm and competence by a committee chaired by W. Bro. Trevor Sherwood Thompson.
On 25th November 1996, at 4.00 pm, and under the Mastership of W. Bro. Brian Albert Glasgow, twenty-seven (27) members and one (1) visiting Brother gathered informally in the Temple to respectfully recall and commemorate the Inaugural Meeting of St. George Lodge 2616 E.C. which had been called to order at the same hour one hundred years earlier.
The venue for the formal Centenary Meeting which was held in conjunction with the 284th Communication of DGL was the Jaycees Building at Stoney Ground, since the Lodge premises could not accommodate the thirty-six (36) local Members and ninety-five (95) visiting Masons present for the occasion. At the WM’s request, W. Bro. Dr. Gideon J. Cordice (WM in 1967/68) conducted the impressive Centenary Ceremony. W. Bro. Karl Errol Vernon John, Secretary, read the Historical Sketch which he had prepared, following which, the RW Bro. Brian Parsons DGM addressed the Brethren and
presented the Centenary Warrant to the Lodge. W. Bro. Brian Albert Glasgow WM replied suitably. This very special event also featured presentations to W. Bro. Basil Elliot Dasent – DC for nearly thirty years, and to other long-serving members of St George Lodge. While the Centenary Ceremony was in progress, the wives of members and visiting brethren were entertained at a dinner held in their honour at Government House, hosted by Lady Antrobus wife of W. Bro. Sir Charles Antrobus, Governor General. Other celebratory events included a dinner banquet at the Jaycees Building, a church service at the Anglican Cathedral and a brunch at the hotel now known as Grenadines House.
Contemporary Times
Barely one year after the Centenary Celebrations, the Lodge arranged for the Prestonian Lecturer, W. Bro. Robert A. Gilbert, PM of Quatuor Coronati Lodge No.207, to visit St. Vincent for an informal presentation of the Prestonian Lecture entitled: “Popular Fiction: The Image of Freemasonry in Popular Literature”. The lecture was delivered in the Lodge on Saturday evening 13th December 1997 to an appreciative audience which included persons not of the fraternity.
Although reservations continued to be expressed about the wisdom of remaining in the existing building due to the high cost of its maintenance, work continued on its renovation. Several of our members contributed generously to these improvements. W. Bro. Lorenze Alvin Douglas Williams assisted in financing the extensive renovations of the restrooms carried out under the supervision of W. Bro. Richard Walter Joachim. This enabled us to rent the ground floor to a private school. W. Bro. George R. Montgomery Maule purchased the materials utilised under the direction of Bro. Richard Joachim to construct an attractive ceiling in the Temple and W. Bro. Maule additionally provided new draperies. W. Bros. Brian Glasgow and John Bonadie donated ceiling fans and several other considerate brethren contributed to financing the installation of air conditioning in the Temple.
The Lodge was the recipient of several useful gifts during this period. These included a much-needed Tyler’s sword from W. Bro Herbert C.D. Bonadie
(which replaced one in use since 1897); a boxed set of Working Tools donated by W. Bros. Herbert C.D. Bonadie, John L. Bonadie, Clifford Percival Edwards, Karl E.V. John and Trevor S. Thompson; and a suitably inscribed poniard presented by the WM of St John’s Lodge No. 492 E.R, Antigua, on behalf of the members of that Lodge, on the occasion of a memorable visit described later in this account. On the occasion of our Centenary, Abercrombie Lodge No.2788 ER, St Lucia, also gifted our Lodge with a new VSL.
The 295th District Communication was held under the banner of St George Lodge 2616 E.C. during the period Friday 25th to Sunday 28th April, 2003. One hundred and forty-two (142) overseas brethren accompanied by sixty- three guests along with thirty (30) local brethren who were accompanied by twenty guests and two official invitees attended the week-end’s events. The venue for the District Communication Meeting which took place on the Saturday afternoon was the recently renovated Peace Memorial Hall. On that morning, Royal Arch masons also assembled there to participate in a Ceremony of Re-dedication to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the establishment of St George Royal Arch Chapter No. 744 S.C. The weekend’s social events included a welcoming reception at Government House, a banquet at the Cruise Ship Berth Concourse and a farewell brunch at Young Island Resorts. Planning for the event was successfully implemented by a committee chaired by W. Bro. Trevor S. Thompson. The confidence with which the Lodge has been able to undertake this and other events and generally manage our business during the contemporary period, owes much to the sterling work on the secretarial side of things by W. Bros. Robert Winslow France and Clifford Percival Edwards and the painstaking financial management of our affairs by W. Bro. John Lionel Bonadie.
An account of significant events which have followed our Centenary Celebrations cannot fail to draw attention to three simple, but joyous, celebrations in the Lodge to mark important milestones in the lives of our oldest members.
The first of these occurred at the regular meeting of 3rd September 1998 and marked the 50th Anniversary of the Initiation of W. Bro. Hon. Harley
Sutherland L. Moseley PJGD, PDDGM, PDSGW, then our oldest living member. W. Bro. Harley Moseley, then 89, travelled over from Barbados for the event which all present enjoyed immensely. W. Bro Moseley departed for the Grand Lodge Above on April 27th 2016. He had given 68 years of outstanding service to the Craft!
The second celebration took place at the regular meeting held on 4th May
2006 and was in honour of W. Bro David Gordon Murray PDSGW on the occasion of the 50th Anniversary of his installation as WM of St. George 2616
E.C. The proceedings were chaired by W. Bro Trevor S. Thompson and featured presentations by W. Bro. Gideon J. Cordice, W. Bro. L. A. Douglas Williams and W. Bro Karl E.V. John who drew to the Brethren’s’ attention W. Bro Murray’s gift to the Lodge of the door knockers still in use at the entrance to the temple. The DGM who attended made the presentation to W. Bro. Murray on behalf of the Lodge of a suitably inscribed plaque and a specially prepared copy of the Minutes of his Installation Meeting.
The regular meeting of 12th July 2007 featured the third celebration which was similar in nature. On this occasion, the Lodge, through W. Bro. Dr. Edward Sealy, presented W. Bro. Harley S.L. Moseley with a suitably inscribed plaque and a specially prepared copy of the Minutes of his Initiation Meeting to commemorate his sixtieth year of membership in his mother Lodge.
In a similar vein, the Lodge, particularly through the instrumentality of W. Bro Richard W. Joachim, took some hesitant steps towards formally recognizing the long and meritorious service rendered to St. George, as well as to the Craft in general, by outstanding Members – and doing so while they were still with us. W. Bro. Dr. Gideon J. Cordice was the first Member to be so acknowledged, and was presented with a citation and appropriate memento in the course of an appropriate ceremony during the regular meeting held on
5th December 2002. W. Bro. Henry Harvey Williams, who was next in line,
was by this time unable to attend Lodge, so a delegation visited and presented him with a suitable token of the Lodge’s esteem. Unfortunately, this worthy project seems to have faltered with the illness and premature retirement of W. Bro Joachim before this acknowledgement could be
extended to W. Bros. Frank Williams and Patrick Prescod who had been identified as being next in line.
The contemporary Lodge has from time to time managed to successfully emulate the tradition of demonstrating concern and care for those of its members who are incapacitated or otherwise in need of support and encouragement, and this outreach is regularly extended to the widows of departed brethren. The excellent work of our Almoners during this period as reflected in their written reports received the commendation of the District.
For several years now, St. George Lodge has been making annual financial contributions to five local organizations which, in our opinion, have been exceptional in their efforts to improve the lot of the poor and disadvantaged. The Lodge however, keeps looking for avenues through which our charitable outreach can be extended to the wider community. A tangible result of this search was realized early in 2010 when the Lodge was successful in getting a charity proposal approved by the District Board of Benevolence. This enabled the Lodge to make a donation of $5,000 to the local non-profit Ladies of Charity Association in support of its night-shelter programme for homeless persons sleeping on the streets of Kingstown. Meanwhile, the personal contributions of our members to Freemasonry and the wider community continue to receive recognition.
W. Bros. Dr. Gideon J. Cordice PDSGW and L.A. Douglas Williams PDSGW had the distinction of being profiled in the Masonic Year Book and Calendar for 2006 and 2011 respectively.
At the regular meeting held on 6th April 2006, members received the most welcome news that W. Bro. Herbert C. D. Bonadie PGStdB, PDSGW had been appointed ADGM. Barely one year before, he had received the warm congratulations of his Brethren on the conferment on him of grand rank
W. Bros. Dr. Gideon J. Cordice and Patrick E. Prescod were invested with the insignia of Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (O.B.E) at a ceremony at Government House on 6th June 2007. W. Bros. John L. Bonadie, Karl E.V. John and Trevor S. Thompson represented the Lodge at the ceremony.
The regular meeting of 7th January 2010 warmly commended W. Bro. Trevor S. Thompson PDSGW on his election to the office of Grand Superintendent for the District of Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean in the Supreme Grand Royal Arch Chapter of Scotland – the first time the office was held by a Brother who was not a Barbadian.
W. Bro. Daniel M. Cummings received the hearty congratulations of the WM and his Brethren at the January 2011 meeting on being elected to represent the constituency of West Kingstown at the general elections held in December 2010.
At the regular meeting of 3rd March 2011, Members were delighted with the information conveyed by the WM that Bro. François M. C. Truchot had been recently appointed Honorary Consul for the Republic of France. In September of that year, Members also welcomed news of the appointment of W. Bro. Brian Albert Glasgow as Honorary Consul for Sweden.
St George Lodge 2616 E.C. warmly welcomed twenty-four visitors to its regular meeting of 12th June 2010. Twenty-three of these visitors were from St John’s Lodge No. 492 E.R of Antigua and included the WM and all the officers of that Lodge. The occasion was the raising that evening of Bro. Gregory Darren Douglas Williams – the son of our W. Bro. L. A. Douglas Williams, and who was resident in Antigua and had been earlier initiated and passed in St. John’s Lodge. W. Bro. Daniel M. Cummings our acting WM for the evening invited W. Bro. Michael Roberts the WM of St. John’s to take the chair for this ceremony and the visiting officers were all put in their respective places. At the appropriate time, at the invitation of W. Bro. Michael Roberts, the Chair was occupied by W. Bro. L A. Douglas Williams who had the pleasure of raising and obligating his son. The evening’s proceedings concluded after an especially convivial festive board.
Over the period under review, several stalwarts of St. George Lodge departed for the Grand Lodge above. W. Bro. Sir Rupert John (the country’s first native Governor), W. Bro. Sir Charles Antrobus (our Governor General at the time of his death), W. Bro. Basil Dasent, W. Bro. Frank Williams, W. Bro. Henry Williams, W. Bro L.O. Primus, W. Bro. Dr. Gideon Cordice, W.
Bro. Richard Joachim, W. Bro Joel Huggins and W. Bro. Sir Fred Phillips all left on that journey.
The void left by the departure of those stalwarts has continued to be successfully filled by members of more recent vintage. The ritualistic prowess of certain Brethren hailed in the historical sketch delivered by W. Bro John L Chapman on the occasion of our 75th Anniversary and certainly continued in the ritual performances of the departed stalwarts just referred to, has certainly been echoed in the work of such contemporary Brethren as W. Bros Douglas Williams, Montgomery Maule and Daniel Cummings. Particularly notable have been the contributions of our Secretaries in the persons of W. Bros HCD Bonadie, RW France and CP Edwards – the last named Brother still Secretary after fourteen (14) years during which he has willingly assumed responsibilities for the management of the Lodge’s affairs way beyond the demands of his office. W. Bro John Bonadie shouldered the duties of Treasurer for some twenty years. Brethren were naturally delighted when on 30th April 2016 he received a merited appointment as Assistant District Grand Master and two years later promotion to Grand Lodge rank as PAGDC. W. Bros Trevor Thompson, Douglas Williams and Daniel Cummings have performed with distinction as of Directors of Ceremonies and W. Bros Glenford Stewart and Trevor Thompson have given yeoman service for years in contriving to keep our disintegrating Lodge building functional.
Evidence of the dedication by our younger Brethren to the good and welfare of their Lodge, and of Freemasonry in general, was clearly seen in the enthusiasm with which under the leadership of WM, W. Bro. Andre M. Cadogan they approached the planning for what turned out to be the very successful hosting by St. George Lodge 2616 E.C of the 312th Communication of District Grand Lodge which took place over 21-23 October
2011.
At the end of the 2011 Masonic year, the Lodge’s membership stood at forty- eight (48). Ten years on it has not increased. Reflecting on the significant decline in our membership since our 75thth Anniversary (when it stood at sixty-four (64)), we cannot but ponder on whether Freemasonry has
historically encountered a level of social acceptance in St Vincent lower than that characteristic of comparable Caribbean island communities, or whether our Members have simply not been sufficiently preemptive in seeking to attract suitable prospective candidates. In deliberating this issue, it is interesting to mull over the itinerancy of membership which has always characterized St George Lodge 2616 EC. We recall that from its birth, our Lodge’s membership was entirely non-Vincentian and continued to be disproportionately comprised of men whose sojourn in St Vincent was necessarily temporary. In the earliest period, most were British civil servants, or military personnel on temporary assignments. Significantly represented in the membership in subsequent years, were managers and professional and technical staff on non-permanent appointments to branches of metropolitan commercial banks, and power and utility companies who were constantly subject to transfer or repatriation. Still later, many of our Members were teachers and public servants from neighboring countries who eventually returned home. Over the years, while the pace of indigenization of the membership of St George Lodge 2616 EC undoubtedly increased, in keeping with migratory patterns characteristic of small island developing states, many of our younger Brethren have left and continue to leave frequently to study, work or simply in search of more fulfilling experiences.
St Vincent and the Grenadines has not escaped the impact nor the multi- faceted consequences of the global Covid-19 pandemic which has been sweeping through the world since November 2019, and special mention must be made of the donation from DGL which when augmented by funds from the Lodge significantly assisted in improving the quality and efficiency of operations of the virus-testing Laboratory in Kingstown. But in our case, the pandemic and consequential health and socio-economic problems have been compounded by one of the most devastating eruptions of La Soufriere volcano in our history. This eruption started with effusive emissions in December 2020 followed by violent explosive ejections from 9 April 2021 and which led to the evacuation of more than twenty-three thousand (23,000) persons many of whom had to be housed in improvised shelters. An end to La Soufriere’s eruptive phase was announced by our leading expert barely one week ago. To compound these disasters, the population has been
plagued by a virulent outbreak of dengue fever and the country’s housing stock, infrastructure, services and agricultural production were devastated by gale force winds and flooding in the second half of this year. The long- term impact of these misfortunes on the country’s finances, economy and even on the emotional stability of its citizens will almost certainly be felt for a long time.
The Fraternity: internationally, regionally and individually has responded generously and with alacrity. (Sounds familiar again?) The monetary and material assistance received through DGL and its co-ordination of other relief donations has been sincerely appreciated by the Government and people of St Vincent and the Grenadines. Although members of St. George Lodge
2616 EC were themselves seriously and adversely affected by these disasters, under the Mastership of W. Bro Robert Banfield the Brethren all contributed to the relief effort in whatever way they could. Special mention though must be made of the extraordinary effort and the outstanding and effective collaboration between W. Bros Brian Glasgow (Almoner) and Trevor Thompson (Charity Steward) in liaising with donors and the National Emergency Management Organisation (NEMO) and with customs-clearing, receiving, cataloguing, storing and distributing water, food, clothing and other essentials to affected and displaced persons Their work in this regard still continues.
As has happened in the past, the calamities recounted seem to have infused our membership with new zeal, cohesion and enthusiasm. In the one hundred and twenty-fifth year of its existence, St. George 2616 E.C. can face the future with confidence as committed Members strive earnestly to validate the relevance of Freemasonry to prospective young entrants in the face of the numerous competing interests and distractions – in a rapidly changing and increasingly materialistic society. The current membership will undoubtedly continue to face many challenges. But so did our titans of the past. The perennial problem of the now virtually dilapidated and structurally challenged Lodge Building remains to be resolved, and ongoing attempts to sell the property through a realtor have not to date been successful. Yet, the dedicated Brethren of contemporary times, once they continue to hold fast to the immutable Tenets of our Order – Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth,
will undoubtedly prove more than equal to the task of moving our Lodge onwards and upward. We look forward to our 125th Anniversary Celebrations with a new Master at the helm in the person of W. Bro Damon Taylor and with the planning and execution of our activities in the capable hands of W Bro Kevin Dixon and his committee.
Karl E.V. John
25th November 2021
Note
Information for this paper was derived mainly from:
St George Lodge No.2616EC (From Its Inception to the Present (1984)
prepared by
Sir Rupert John, Kt., PM (2616 E.C.), PDSGW.
‘Minutes of Regular Meetings of St George Lodge 2616 EC’.
‘St George Lodge 2616 EC Centenary Magazine’ published in November, 1996.
Earlier versions of this paper were prepared by the author for inclusion in the commemorative booklets issued by St George at the 295th and 312th Communications of District Grand Lodge held in St Vincent.