Temple Lodge in London
On September 17, I visited Temple Lodge No 597 to watch the ceremony of Lowering The Lights, which was solemn, as it was in fact the last meeting for Temple Lodge, which had formed 98 years ago shortly after The Great War had concluded. The Grand Master, MWBro David Cameron, was also joined in the East by Past Grand Master and Grand Secretary, MWBro Garry Dowling, as well as the DDGM for London East District, our Grand Director of Ceremonies, Grand Chaplain, Grand Registrar and Grand Junior Warden. The subject of shutting down a lodge forever, and going dark, is still controversial among the brethren in general, but in this case, as was told to me by a Past Master this evening, they had indeed enjoyed initiating quite a few EAs over the past several years, but these men had accepted employment outside of London and thus simply could no longer attend meetings regularly or, most crtiically, commit to the responsibilities of an officer of the lodge. The members, after much discussion, ...