Minutes of the Consecration Meeting
The consecration of the Dalhousie Chapter No865 was held at the Holborn Restaurant, London Friday 30th January 1920.
There were present: The most Excellent Comp The Right Honourable Lord George Hamilton, Grand Superintendent of Middlesex as consecrating officer, Ex Comp A Burnett Brown, Grand Prov H as H, E Comp Rev Saunders as J together many and other distinguished brethren.
The companions being assembled in the Chapter the Most Excellent the Grand Supt entered the Chapter followed by his consecrating officers. The ceremony of consecration was solemnly conducted according to ancient using in a most impressive manner in the course of which Ex Comp J delivered an interesting and educational address on Royal Arch masonry. At the conclusion of the consecration ceremony all companions below the rank of first principal retired from the Chapter and the three principals were installed as follows: E Comp Charles Hatt PAGDC as first principal, E Comp David Kennedy PPGSupofWks as J and E Companion Charles Cooke PPDGDC as J. The companions being admitted E Comp H proposed and E Comp J seconded that on this occasion only the election of officers be left in the hands MEZ, this was carried unanimously, and the investiture of the officers was proceeded with as follows:
Comp Arthur Thompson Scribe E
Comp H Kenyan Scribe N
Ex Comp Gardener Treasurer
Comp Major W Nagle as P.S.
Comp P Gardener 1st A.S
Ex Comp C. Busby 2nd A.S.
Ex Comp H Burrows D.C
Comp W Faulkener Steward
Ex Comp G Hudson Janitor
Ex Comp H proposed and Ex Comp J seconded that the following Companions be elected to form a committee for the purpose of framing Bylaws for the good government of the Chapter. These were listed and this was carried unanimously.
E Scribe E announced that he had received the following names for exaltation to the Chapter. There were several from both Dalhousie Lodge No865 and also from St Clair Lodge 2902.
The following companion was proposed as a joining member Comp William Sutton from Westbourne Chapter 735.
The MEZ then addressed the brethren as follows:
It is both my pleasure and our duty to offer a vote of thanks to the ME Grand Superintendent and the other consecrating officers for being present to consecrate this chapter and I hope that these distinguished companions will further extend their kindness of permitting the Chapter to elect them as Honorary members (The Grand Superintendent having assented).
It was then put by the MEZ that the most hearty vote of thanks be accorded to the Most Grand Supt and the rest of the Consecrating Officers for being present to consecrate the Chapter. This was carried unanimously.
It was then put by the MEX that the Most Ex G Supt and the rest of consecrating officers be elected as Hon member so the chapter and this was carried unanimously.
The ME then addressed the Grand Supt as follows:
I have much pleasure in conveying to you the very hearty and sincere vote of thanks which has been unanimously passed by the Companions for the presence of yourself and the consecrating officers to consecrate this chapter and to express our to you our pleasure in having your names on our roll as Honorary members and I have now a further favour to ask of you which is that you will kindly accept these gifts as souvenirs of this auspicious occasion. It was first was first desirable that the gifts be of a uniform nature but it was discovered that some of the consecrating officers had past previously received a similar gift when it was decided to make a distinction without a difference and we hope that they will be equally acceptable. The souvenirs were handed to the E G Supt and the other consecrating officers by E Comp Scribe E.
The Most E Grand Supt on his own behalf and that of the consecrating officers expressed his thanks for being elected as Honorary Members and returned the opinion with every confidence that this Chapter would meet with, and he wished it, every success. The souvenir which he had received was particularly acceptable. He rest of the consecrating officers expressed xx in complimentary terms.
The MEZ then rose for the first, second, third and fourth time and nothing further offering itself for R A Masonry I general of this Chapter in particular the convocation was closed in due form and adjourned until Tuesday 9th March 1920.
Signed Charles G Hatt 9th March 1920 as a true and accurate record.
Further interest for the records and archives:
The next meeting was held in at the Albany Hotel in Twickenham.
By 1922 -23 there were 16 founders and 14 other members of whom 2 were joining and the rest had been exalted into the Chapter. The cost of the subscriptions was £2 and 2 shillings. Whilst you may think this was less than todays a quick conversion with inflation shows it equates to £90 .. more than we actually pay – we are currently getting a very good deal!
In 1944 the Chapter had moved its meeting to the Clarendon Hotel in Hammersmith and in 1950 the chapter was meeting at the Red Lion Hotel in Hounslow.
In 1955 the Chapter was meeting at Cole Court Twickenham on Saturdays. A quick glance at the list of 25 members reveals that Harold Kenyan (Scribe N at the Chapter’s consecration) was now an MBE and Alfred Marks had joined the Chapter.
By 1970 Graham Hooper had joined the Chapter and Ted (“fingers” Bentley had just been through as MEZ). The Chapter celebrated its 50th Anniversary by taking up a list of charities for Masonry and donating to that rather than a special celebration and banquet to mark the event of its Jubilee – just one sentence in the minutes!
Geoff Hawkins entry to the Lodge in recorded in 1971, Tony Richards in 1072, David Sparks in 1976, Bill Marley in 1977 and Vick Browning (business partner of Graham Hooper) in 1976.
With the invention of computers Graham Hooper moved to electronic minutes and summons in 1989 and we have a full record (as far as I can tell) of all our meetings for the past one hundred years along with the signature book of attendance in now 3 volumes.