Thanks to a kind invitation from Wor Bro Jack Adair, Secretary of The Andrew Henderson Masoni c Lodge No 512, I had the pleasure of making my first visit to the Lodge last night. I received a warm welcome from Wor Bro William Boal their current Wor Master and went on to have an enjoyable meeting. One interesting aspect of their meeting is that after their Minutes are Passed & Approved, they then read the relevant old Lodge Minutes from May 1925, which in fact could still apply to the Lodge meetings today.
The Andrew Henderson Lodge received their Warrant on the 8th June 1921 to hold their meetings in the old Masonic Hall, beside the train station in Whiteabbey.
The new Lodge was Constituted in the Masonic Hall, Whiteabbey, by Rt. Wor. Bro. J.H. Stirling, the Right Worshipful Provincial Deputy Grand Master, on Saturday 11th June 1921. The Lodge had a total of seventeen Founding Members and W. Bro. Robert Dickson was the first Master. Bros. Robert Allen and Wm. J. McKinstry were the Wardens, W. Bro. David W. Wallace, Treasurer and W. Bro. Samuel McClure the first Secretary.
Other Officers and Founders were:-
Senior Deacon, Bro. David Martin; Junior Deacon, Bro. Arthur D. McDonald; Inner Guard, Bro. Alex. H. Martin; Senior Steward, Bro. Robert Dunlop; Junior Steward, James Paisley, and other Founders; Wor. Bro. William J. Wilson; Bros. Thomas J. McClure, John N. Clements, Stanley Henderson, Fred. McClements, Robert Craig and William Davidson. The Lodge was named after the late Bro. Andrew Henderson, JP., Parkville, Whiteabbey, and of Whiteabbey Bleaching Co. Ltd.
Removed to the WHITEABBEY MASONIC CENTRE, Monkstown Avenue, Newtownabbey, Co. Antrim in 1987, where they still hold their meetings right up to the present time. We also know from the Minutes of the G.L. Board of General Purposes that on the 9 Sept. 1993 – The Board considered and approved the design of a Diamond Jubilee jewel as submitted by Lodge No. 512, Whiteabbey.
So there you have it, Our friends in the Andrew Henderson Lodge no 512 are now in their 104th year of service to The Grand Lodge of Ireland, and if last night was anything to go by, remain in good health and full of enthusiasm. Once the meeting came to a close, we retired downstairs for an excellent buffet, where we were joined by two potential candidates, who also received a warm welcome and enjoyed the craic with everybody else.
Robert Bashford.