Bethel Lodge in Sudbury

On Valentine's Day, the GJW and I traveled up to, first, Parry Sound, in order to check-in to our hotel, where we then changed and hit the road to continue our drive up to Sudury where we stopped at the Big Nickel (for a quick selfie) and then drove around the corner to meet the WM of Bethel Lodge 699, WBro Robert Tailleur, at Sizzle Mongolian Grill and then to the temple for their regular meeting. We were enthusiastically welcomed by the brethren, including the DDGM, RWBro Robert Lipic, and before going up to the 3rd, where I provided some Masonic Education by reading the article written by RWBro Wallace McLeod entitled The Banner of Grand Lodge, three officers were duly invested with their collars and a ballot was taken for a new applicant. 
After lodge was closed, we enjoyed pie and ice cream downstairs, toasts and the wonderful traditional passing of the gavel so that each member in the room could be given the opportunity to speak and offer an enoyable, memorable or inspriational story or even a joke to the brethren present.

According to the bound document presetned to us by the WM, researched and written by WBro Jervis Weir outlining the history of Bethel Lodge, which is the youngest lodge in the district, being consecrated in 1959 and sponsored by Nickel Lodge, the choice of name was in fact second among a proposed list of 15. The first preferred and selected - and apparently it was a hotly debated issue - was W.L. Wright Lodge, to be so named after Archbishop Wright. However, he delined the honour, advising the brethren that it would leave him open to criticism from among his local congregation, as some did not appreciate "the joy and beauty of Masonry".

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