Brethren, I owe a debt of thanks to my host Wor Bro Nicholas Dallat for his kind invitation to attend the Installation and Dinner of The Prince of Wales Lodge No 154, Arthur Square. It was quite a night beginning with an excellent Opening ceremony under Wor Bro Simon Bellamy the outgoing Master. He invited Wor Bro Philip Wylie to take over the chair and Install Wor Bro English as their new Master for 2024 – 5. Here again, we had the pleasure of watching a competent, confident, and clear Investment and re-investment of the Lodge Officers for the new Year.
The Prince of Wales Lodge is one of the older Lodges still meeting in the Arthur Square Hall. In its earlier days in Belfast it used to share the Freemasons Hall in Donegal Place, with The Provincial Grand Lodge of Belfast, Massereene and North Down, Ark Lodge 10 and Concord Lodge No 40, two other of the Gentlemen’s Lodge in the town. We do know from surviving records that all three Lodges used to dine in the Donegall Arms, where the courses were of every variety that the season could afford, and champagne and claret flowed in abundance. So really Brethren nothing much has changed in the intervening 174 years with excellent food and liquid refreshment to all our satisfaction last night. Once again, we were grateful to Wor Bro Jonny Grey and his staff for another great Installation dinner in the main Dining Room.
One fascinating aspect of their joint history between 10, 40 and 154 was the difficulties that they got into with Grand Lodge in 1852, as a result of the fact that they along with Provincial Grand Lodge had been using their Hall as a Club Room and in fact had bought and placed a billiards Table on the premises. The original complaint came from elsewhere in the town, as the writer considered it to be un-masonic, improper, and likely to prove highly injurious to the interests of The Masonic body. The Grand Lodge Board of General Purposes recommended to Grand Lodge to strictly prohibit any portion of the premises connected with Masonic Lodges or where their meetings are held, from being appropriated to the purpose of Billiards Rooms or in any wise connected with games of chance upon any pretext whatsoever. The PGL and Lodges concerned were duly advised by letter of the Grand Lodge view, and in the usual Irish manner, the letters were received by the Lodges, filed and matters proceeded as before, with no further adverse comment.
Brethren, it is always fascinating to look briefly into the history of our local Lodges and as usual we always find a few interesting snippets of Masonic Life back in the day. I have no hesitation in giving my best wishes to Wor Bro English and his team of Officers for a busy, interesting, and enjoyable year in Office for 2024-5.
Robert Bashford