"may the lodge of guiding light
SURVIVE THE WRECK OF MIGHT NATIONS



AND RESIST
THE DESTROYING HANDS OF TIME".



It all started in 1956*, when a few members of Dependable Lodge No 6325 thought that their Lodge was growing so quickly that the establishment of a new lodge would be advisable. W Bro Katz was delegated with the task to visit the Grand Secretary to discuss the matter.





A Committee was then formed consisting of the originators of the idea with the addition of a few brethren who were regular attenders of the Dependable Lodge of Instruction. They were later also joined by a few members from other Lodges. None of those brethren could have imagined the significance of those first steps.


Dependable Lodge sponsored the new lodge and sanction was received from Grand Lodge within a very few months. Although it is unclear whose brainwave it actually was, the name was agreed unanimously as the ‘LODGE OF GUIDING LIGHT’.


On September 3rd 1957, 141 brethren assembled at Freemason's Hall to witness the birth of the new Lodge. The first Master was W Bro George Pearson and W Bro Max Berk was appointed our first Director of Ceremonies.







In the early years the normal practise was to perform two Degree ceremonies with two Candidates in each at all Meetings. This enabled our numbers to rise quickly and by our tenth year the Lodge enjoyed a membership of 64. This trend continued and in 1957 a figure of 76 was reached.


In more recent years, intakes have been limited to 1 or 2 per year, in line with the general trend of a fall in Masonic membership.


Over the years, several venues have been ‘home’ to Guiding Light - all of which have been in Central London, appropriate due to the fact that the brethren lived in various places around London.


The first Regular Meeting took place in the Mostyn Hotel on October 30th 1957. The Lodge then moved to the Horseshoe Hotel, the Kensington Palace Hotel, the Charing Cross Hotel, the National Liberal Club, back to the Kensington Palace Hotel, the Park Court Hotel and the Royal National Hotel.


More recently we were able to start meeting at Freemason's Hall, where we remain to this day.


An early innovation, continuing to the present day, and which has become a firm favourite is the singing of the Visitors song at the Festive Board. In more recent years the Tyler’s Toast has been followed by a lusty rendering of ‘We’ll Meet Again’, making this additional feature to our gatherings quite unique, and remembered long afterwards by our Visitors.





* NB - Our geneology can actually be traced back to the Lodge of Prosperity No 65, one of the Ancients founded in 1810, three years before the Union of the two Grand Lodges in 1813,: then through the Lodge of Perseverance No 1743 in 1878, Snaresbrook Lodge No 4010 in 1919, Birchwood Lodge No 5178 in 1930, Cyngesburie Lodge No 5607 in 1936, Oliver Goldsmith Lodge No 5924 in 1943, and Dependable Lodge No 6325 in 1956, our Sponsors.



the lodge of guiding light



No. 7539




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